Introduction
Let me start off by saying that Dead by Daylight is a constantly evolving game. Builds change, evolve, fall apart, and you may find that some perks work better than the ones I have listed. This, of course, is perfectly okay! This master-list is supposed to give you the framework for builds, and you can use this foundation to build your survivor decks up!
Now, about me, I have been playing Dead by Daylight for around 4 years now. I’m a massive horror fan, and I find Dead by Daylight to be a ton of fun, albeit, frustrating. I play both Killer and Survivor, even hitting Rank 1 Killer at some point. Though I no longer dedicate my mind to such grinding activities, I am confident in my credibility as a build-maker, and hope you can get something out of it, too!
Allow me to help break-down how to read this guide:
TITLE
To keep things organised, I will name each build. This is to simply help keep track of the builds used. You should be able to use the Table of Contents to bounce around.
Perks Used
Here, I’ll display each perk used. I’ll put down their names, and the corresponding image of whatever perks are in play for the build. Remember, these are not concrete, and if you think something else works better than what I have listed, try it!
Description
Finally, I will write down a brief description of what the build is supposed to do. If applicable, I will also tell you how to use the build, aka, what your role is in the game, what you’re supposed to be looking for, and what purpose you serve to your team.
Pros vs Cons
Every build works for a reason! However, these usually comes with glaring flaws. As long as you are aware of the overall pros and cons of each build, you can come to understand what works, and what doesn’t work.
Killers that Counter
Because of the play-style of the build, some killers just … naturally counter you. It’s okay, your play-style probably counters some killers, too! It’s good to be prepared once you know the killer may counter you … and how.
Straight forward? Good! Then I say we get to the builds!
Buffed
i]"If we stick together, all of us. We’ll win."[/i] -Bill Denbrough, IT (2017)
| Perk | Name |
|
Leader |
|
Vigil |
|
Streetwise |
|
Open-Handed |
Description
The premise of this build is that you buff the hell out of your teammates, just by standing nearby them. For optimal results, find a group of teammates, and work with them, gen rushing while keeping their stats high and their debuffs low. It is an inherently selfless build, designed to benefit and encourage your team to work together. I wouldn’t really recommend using this unless you understand how to survive a chase, because as you can see, there is absolutely no benefit to being alone, and if the killer does chase you, you’re pretty boned (unless you know what you’re doing.).
PROS
-Selfless Build
-Benefits Everybody
-Encourages Group-Work
CONS
-Useless when alone
-No Sustain/Survivability
-Hard to work with randoms
Killers that Counter
Killers that target groups. Some killers thrive off of people bundling up, getting close together, so that they can down everyone in one fell swoop. Be wary of this.
Healer
"Ahttp://www, come on, four stitches. Barely grazed you." -Dr. Copper, The Thing (1990)
| Perk | Name |
|
Botany Knowledge |
|
Autodictate |
|
Aftercare |
|
Self-Care |
Description
This build is designed to make you the heal fast and efficiently. Autodictate starts you off a lot slower, but in no time, you’ll be able to quickly heal someone with no effort at all. A lot of people take Empathy instead of Aftercare, but I find Aftercare is so much more helpful in terms of aura reading, provided you don’t get hooked of course. Finally, you take Self-Care, because what good is the healer if she can’t heal herself? Your objective with this build is to avoid chases, and remain a reliable and efficient healer to your team. Do generators, but do them with caution.
PROS
-Fast Healing
-Everyone will know where the healer is
-Creates unbeatable sustain
CONS
-Resets Aura-Reading when you’re hooked
-Slow at the start, gets better with each heal
-Hard to survive chases
Killers that Counter
Any killer with an ability that one-shots your team, such as exposes or chainsaws. It doesn’t matter if your team is fully healed if they just get instantly killed anyways. Also, Mangled can prove irritating, yet manageable.
Chaser
"Okay, you big hunk of a man: come and get me!" Judy, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
| Perk | Name |
|
Sprint Burst |
|
Quick & Quiet |
|
Adrenaline |
|
|
Self-Care |
Description
Let’s be honest: Meg was built to be a chaser. In this build, your objective is to get the killer off of your more vulnerable teammates, and chasing you. Sprint Burst is a double-edged sword, because you can’t run from objective to objective. That being said, that speed burst can buy you so much time in a chase. Once you’ve found a jungle gym, break the sight between you and the killer, and use Quick & Quiet to get away, untouched. Finally, Adrenaline will come in clutch when you’re luring the killer away from the team’s last gen, giving you a full health state (Regardless of your exhaustion level), and a nice speed boost. Self-Care to compensate between chases, and you’ll be the most annoying survivor in the game.
PROS
-Can cover huge ground, buying tons of time
-Huge chance to survive these chases
-Keeps the killer off vulnerable teammates
CONS
-Can’t run from objective to objective without burning Sprint Burst
-Useless if you get caught
-Experienced Killers won’t fall for a bad chase
Killers that Counter
Killers that are good at chasing. Sprint Burst is great and all, but it has a big cool down, and you’ll become exhausted right after. If you can’t shake them, your best bet is a pallet. However, if the killer is built to chase, good luck.
Saboteur
"It’s a little hard to follow the manual when you’ve got my son, John." -Detective Eric Matthews, Saw II (2005)
| Perk | Name |
|
Saboteur |
|
Breakdown |
|
Breakout |
|
|
Self-Care |
Description
This build is hilarious. As a killer, you love your hooks. So what happens when you are two feet away from hooking someone, when you hear that dreaded *Clunk*, and realise your carried survivor is gonna break free? This build is designed to break off all the hooks you can, particularly when the Killer is moving towards it with one of your friends. Breakdown helps break even more hooks, and you use breakaway to follow the killer to the next hook, which helps the carried survivor wiggle faster. Priceless. Beware though: You’re 100% gonna get hit.
PROS
-Gets other survivors off the killer’s shoulder
-Frustrates the Killer
-Pairs excellently with a toolbox
CONS
-You WILL take a hit
-Can’t see the hooks until Survivor is picked up
-Survivor might not even be attempting to wiggle out
Killers that Counter
Killers that don’t really care about hooks, such as sluggers. If a Killer isn’t bothering to use hooks, what’s the point of your build? Additionally, Killers who can protect their hooks, such as the Trapper.
Sneaky
"Just because he’s blind doesn’t mean he’s a saint, bro." -Money, Don’t Breathe (2016)
| Perk | Name |
|
Urban Evasion |
|
Distortion |
|
Spine Chill |
|
Iron Will |
Description
This build is designed to not even be noticed by the killer. Scrounge around the edges of the map, sneakily doing generators while your team takes the chases. Use Spine Chill to get a better heads up when the Killer is approaching, and use that extra time to crouch away into a corner, or locker. Distortion will let you know if the Killer has BBQ & Chilli, and allow you to try and get close to all hooks to avoid having your aura shown. Other than that, you should be golden.
PROS
-Good for doing outer gens that nobody has touched
-Good for crouching in corners
-Counters Stealth Killers with Stealth
CONS
-Puts extra weight on the team
-Can’t make altruistic plays (Risky!)
-Easy to 3-Gen yourself
Killers that Counter
Killers who can see you in the outline of their abilities. Sneak all you want: When you’re highlighted by abilities, you’re boned. Additionally, Killers that make you scream can catch you off guard. You can substitute Distortion for Calm Spirit if this is the case, but then you have to pray they didn’t also take BBQ & Chill.
Object of Obsession
"He’s waited for this night… he’s waited for me… I’ve waited for him…" -Laurie Strode, Halloween (2018)
| Perk | Name |
|
Object of Obsession |
|
Sole Survivor |
|
Left Behind |
|
|
Self-Care |
Description
This is a balls out build. How it works: Whenever you look at the killer’s direction (Outside of their terror radius), if they are looking at your direction, too, you can see each other. Now, the brain-dead killer will go straight for the tunnel: You want this. How do you counter this using Object of Obsession (ObO)? It’s Simple: Look Away. It only works if you’re looking at each other. So, get an idea of what the killer is doing, then move. When your team starts to die, Sole Survivor will start to kick in. In this scenario, ObO is one-sided: You can see the Killer, but they have no idea where you are. Combine it with Left Behind, and you’re good to go. Take Self-Care in the event that you get your a*s handed to you.
PROS
-Always know where the Killer is
-Have the advantage of knowing you’ll be tunnelled
-Can beat the Killer to the Hatch
CONS
-Killer will know where you are
-Will almost always be tunnelled
-Reliant on your team dying
Killers that Counter
Anyone who can instantly teleport to your location. They see you, then just appear on you. Also, stealth killers, due to this Oblivious status effect. Well, I guess that’s every killer then. This perk will be changed soon, don’t worry.
Gold Rush
"Oh Russ, have you ever seen anything so cute in your life! What an excellent idea for a wedding gift! Ugh, but this one has a face only a mother could love." -Diane, Bride of Chucky (1999)
| Perk | Name |
|
Plunderer’s Instinct |
|
Ace in the Hole |
|
Appraisal |
|
Built to Last |
Description
Allow me to start by clearing up an incorrect rumour: Luck does NOT increase chance of rarity. You read that correctly. With that out of the way, this build is designed to get you and your team items! Flashlights, Med-Kits, Keys, and Maps! It’s really not meant for gens, chases, healing, or anything besides item grinding … But hey, if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve found the best build for it! Use Plunderer to find a chest, then open it, take the item, drop the item, use appraisal, then choose between the two items. Teammates will find whatever item on the ground beside it and can use it. Then use Built to Last to continue using fully used items.
PROS
-Guaranteed good items
-Best chance at finding keys
-Low chance at bumping into killer, as they do not typically guard their chests.
CONS
-Teammates will be confused
-Extends the game
-Full dependency on items
Killers that Counter
Truthfully, no killer counters this naturally. However, there are some perks that counter you hard. Hoarder (The Twins), and Franklin’s Demise (The Cannibal. Additionally, all flashlights are rendered useless with Lightborn (The Wraith).
Counter-Slug
“Okay, here’s your motivation. You’re lost, you’re angry in the woods, and no one is here to help you.” -Josh, The Blair Witch Project (1999)
| Perk | Name |
|
Unbreakable |
|
Tenacity |
|
|
Iron Will |
|
|
Self-Care |
Description
If you’ve been playing for awhile, you might’ve played against a Killer that decided to knock you on the ground and leave you there. Maybe they ran off to chase someone, or they wanted to make sure that they had a hook nearby. Hell, maybe all of your team is on the ground, and the killer is just hooking you all one by one. In any case, this is called Slugging. This build aims to directly counter that, making the killer regret ever leaving you in the dying state. First, use tenacity and recover, while trying to either make distance from where you were downed, or hiding in a good spot, maybe a corner or some bushes. Don’t worry, Iron Will will mute the sound of your pains. Then use unbreakable to get up, before recovering with Self-Care, or simply getting the rest of your team back up. This build has won me the game countless times, and unless the Killer has Knock Out or Deerstalker, you will thrive against sluggers.
PROS
-Beats all Sluggers
-Unbreakable always catches the killer of guard
-Can use it to escape through the hatch
CONS
-Can only usually trick the Killer with this once
-Only works if you’re slugged
-Hard Countered with Knock Out or Deerstalker
Killers that Counter
Killers that don’t have the ability to slug efficiently, or Killers that can find you by making you scream. Again, this build only works if they are leaving you in the dying state.
Hope you enjoy the Guide about Dead by Daylight – Hitchhiker’s Guide to Survivor Builds, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!
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