Dead by Daylight Perks Guide

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We, the Ready Game Survive Team, are a team of dedicated writers who are avid survival fans and gamers. We have braved the elements in many hostile biomes. We have fought (or run from) some terrifying monsters. We also have built some of the coolest bases with limited resources and found pretty consistent ways to survive within the game. We have played every mainstream survival game and conquered each task set. We aim to be the pillar for all survival gaming fans and the survival community.

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Introduction: Exploring Dead By Daylight Perks

Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer survival horror title created by Behaviour Interactive and features many well-known characters from the horror genre, from Laurie Strode to Freddy Kreuger. It has gained significant traction over the years and has become one of the most popular horror multiplayer games of all time.

Dead by Daylight is on PC, Next-gen consoles, and even mobile devices. It has captivated the imagination of players by inducing terrifyingly familiar scenarios from popular movies and creating original characters who have intricate histories.

You choose between taking on the role of survivor or killer, and I advise that you try them both equally to gain perspective. My total game time for this title sits at over 100 days across both PC and console collectively, so I know how to guide you to freedom or the dark path of the entity.

Your tread will be a continual learning exercise, and every game has something to teach you. I guarantee Dead By Daylight wouldn’t be the same or nearly as fun without the intricate perk system.

There’s a lot of information to digest at first, but with continual play, each perk will become second nature on your road to mastery. Are you ready for your perk training? Here I will show you a few perks to get started while breaking down the steps to utilizing their full potential.

Perks are the cherry on top of this gruesome horror sundae, and they have the power to change the game dramatically, so I encourage you to study how they change match dynamics!

This Dead By Daylight Perk Guide will explore new perk combinations and aid you on the journey through the fog! Dead by Daylight includes many viable perks for killers and survivors seeking to enhance gameplay. They modify the mechanics of the game and the powers of any character.

Standard survivor perks include Self-Care, Spine Chill, Alert, and Sprint-Burst. Some Worthy killer perks are BBQ & Chilli, Tinkerer, Thanatophobia, and Sloppy Butcher.

Remember that perks are always subject to change with the latest patch. This epic Dead By Daylight Perk Guide will explore new perk combinations and aid you on the journey through the fog! 

Bottom Line Up Front

I have enjoyed countless invigorating hours experimenting with different perks from Dead By Daylight for both killer and survivor classes. In my expert opinion, survivors should always be using Self-Care no matter what for the best results.

If you choose killer, then I suggest you use perks that slow action speeds like healing and generator repair. Thanatophobia is perfect for slowing the game down in a gen-rushing meta! I suggest you always experiment with new perks and upgrade them to their full potential.

The Importance of Using Perks Every Match

I firmly believe that perks make all the difference for killers and survivors. You will quickly find that you’re at a disadvantage when starting Dead By Daylight naturally. You need first to unlock perk slots in the blood web. Of course, you’ll want to fill your pockets first with blood points to afford them.

The developers give you a taste of what bare bones play feels like at first, so you appreciate the gradual improvements of additional perks. You will unlock all four perk slots by leveling any character to 15. They will randomly appear in the blood web as you continue advancing.

Do your best to unlock all four perk slots quickly, and it will pay off with greater chances of having a successful trial. Perks are essential because everyone else is using them, but the matchmaking system keeps things in order, so you aren’t overwhelmed at first.

Each perk has a different effect, and they can build on each other to become more advantageous. They add an element of surprise to the game and have immense importance.

You can slow down the match, create distractions, escape chases easier, or increase/decrease generator progress. I suggest that you focus on one survivor or killer at first to get them to the max level.  

Survivor Perks to Consider when Starting out

Spine Chill: Excellent Against Stealthy Killers

Spine Chill is a perk that will keep you on your toes for the better. Essentially, it alerts you when the killer is looking in your direction by flashing during the match. It’s according to a certain distance, depending on the perk tier.

It’s beneficial against killers like the Wraith, Pig, and Ghost Face. These killers can all be stealthy without a terror radius, which most beginners rely on to tell if there’s danger near. I am always using spine chill because it gives me information to help myself and the team. 

It’s hard to believe, but some killers will turn around while approaching generators to avoid survivors detecting them with spine chill. It’s an example of how the meta changes and the ways players are adapting to perks.

The main advantage of using spine chill is getting out of there before things get dangerous. You can also use this information to alert nearby survivors that the killer is coming with action commands.

Self Care: A Must-have Staple of the Game

Where would survivors be without self-care? They are on a hook and sacrificed quickly after being unhooked unless another teammate heals them. Unfortunately, you can’t always trust those you play with online to drop what they’re doing and restore your health.

You have to heal with a medkit you brought or found in the trial. Self-care is a teachable perk exclusive to Claudette Morel, and playing her at first is an excellent choice to emphasize healing.

You’ll need to heal yourself more frequently due to a lack of experience and overall awareness if you’re a beginner. You will waste some time with self-care because it takes much longer to heal than regular items.

Most players use self-care because it gets them back in the game without getting downed or relying on others. I use this perk regularly because it makes healing less complicated. I have elated confidence when injured because of self-care backing me up!

Alert: Know where the Killer is

The killer could be anywhere, but with the perk known as “Alert,” you can see them coming from a mile away. Alert is another teachable perk acquired by leveling up Feng Min past 30.

Every time the killer performs a break action or generator kick, you can see their aura for a few seconds. I love this because you can always tell if they’re headed your way and hide ahead of time. 

Aura reading is highly significant because generators are spread evenly throughout the map, and breakables are very common. You essentially have tabs on the killer the entire game and can avoid them, so you don’t get hooked early.

Note that stealthy killers do not trigger Alert when they’re cloaked. You can also use this perk to inform your team of the killer’s direction.

Sprint Burst: Escape Close Encounters

Sprint Burst is an excellent perk to consider because it can quickly get you out of danger. You gain a jolt of speed in any direction for three seconds.

This boost gives you a head start and prevents the killer from finding you immediately. Sprint burst is particularly useful for sneaky killers because they like to ambush you with confidence.

You can frustrate their plans, and many killers will abandon chase if you’re using sprint burst because it wastes their time. This perk can help you quickly get to destinations and start working on generators. I love this perk because you have a speed boost to get away from the killer after being unhooked. 

Killer Perks that will Prevent Survivors from Escaping

Tinkerer: Know which Generator they’re at

Tinkerer is a perfect killer perk that has gotten even better since being updated with a patch. Perks are always subject to change over time, so it’s essential to read the patch notes to decide if they’re still worth using.

Tinkerer is because it helps you prevent a generator from being completed while giving the undetectable status so you can sneak up and grab a survivor.

It also helps to slow the match and keeps them from escaping too quickly. It’s particularly good with killers who can travel rapidly across the map like the Hillbilly. Indeed, Tinkerer is one of his unique personal perks. 

Pop Goes the Weasel: Delay their Progress

Pop Goes the weasel is a perk from the killer Clown that’s sadly underutilized and has changed over the years. Essentially, you are required to hook a survivor first to activate it.

From there, you have limited time to find a generator and significantly reduce its progress. Dead by Daylight has a lot to do with spending your precious time wisely.

Many killers, myself included, feel like survivors escape too quickly with perks that speed up generator progress. Pop Goes the Weasel addresses this by damaging a generator significantly after kicking while buying you valuable time to complete more sacrifices. The best part is you can do it repetitively throughout the match. 

Thanatophobia: Slow Down the Match

You get rewarded for good work with Thanatophobia because you reduce the speed of generator progress for each survivor that’s hooked or injured. Additionally, survivors lose sabotaging and cleansing speeds, which combines well with hex perks.

You can get this by upgrading the nurse and getting her teachable perks. Thanatophobia is a perk that gets better as you improve because it requires a steady hand and intuition to get hits or hooks. 

Sloppy Butcher: Hit them where it Hurts

Most survivors love to heal quickly with perks, items, and lightning-fast addons that get teammates revived and ready to play the objective again. Sloppy Butcher is a great killer perk specific to the Hillbilly, and after you hit someone, it gives them the mangled status effect.

Perks and status are intertwined, and this is a perfect example. Being mangled makes healing much slower and allows you to find them before reaching a healthy state.

Upgrading Your Perk Tiers for Maximum Potential

If you want to reach your highest potential, you must upgrade every perk you own. Prioritize the ones you use already, and it will give you a good idea of their effectiveness.

Remember never to judge a perk by its first-tier stats because they will improve after upgrading. For instance, with Spine Chill, the distance will increase so that you can be aware of the killer faster than tier one.

If you have blood points to burn, then pool them into existing perks to have a fully-equipped character to match overpowered opponents. There are three perk tiers, and they can all upgrade in the blood web.

The best time to upgrade your perks is during the seasonal events where there are extra rewards. Playing through the tomes will enrich your experience and elevate your perks faster.

Balanced Survivor Build

• Dead Hard (David King)
• Decisive Strike (Laurie Strode)
• Iron Will (Jake Park)
• Borrowed Time (Bill Overbeck)

Balanced Killer Build

• Hex: Ruin (The Hag)
• Tinkerer (The Hillbilly)
• Corrupt Intervention (The Plague)
• BBQ & Chilli (The Cannibal)

Choose Your Playstyle: Solo or Team Player

Perks reflect your playstyle, and it’s essential to choose wisely. Through experimentation, you’ll discover some you hate and love. You might choose to run solo, which emphasizes escaping no matter what. Certain perks benefit you more than the team, and Sprint Burst is a prime example.

Others like “Borrowed Time” will help your teammates out of a pinch and can make a big difference when the exit gates are powered.

Your perks will define how you want to play, be it in the shadows or directly taunting and running the killer. Some favor the bold approach during a chase, and others are for stealthy maneuvering and escaping the trial alive.

Teachable Perks & Some DLC are Worth it

In many instances, teachable perks are worth pursuing, but always look up what they do before spending the blood points. Each DLC package comes with a new killer and survivor who brings new perks. These effects will change the dynamic of the entire game with a revitalizing vibe.

If you feel tired of the same old perks, consider trying to attain those you’ve never tried before. There are so many it would be impossible to explain them all, but that’s good because it means Dead By Daylight has extreme replayability.

Much like chess, the slightest perk choice can change the entire outcome of any game. I advise that you stay informed about the new perks if you’re an active player.

For instance, a recent Resident Evil DLC included a Nemesis perk that allowed him to see player auras at the start of a match. I had to think and quickly shifted to using Jeff Johansen’s perk called “Distortion,” which gives you three tokens to thwart aura reading attempts. 

Understand Both Survivor & Killer Perks

Like many, you might feel inclined to play survivor or killer exclusively, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, you should still look at both perk groups for reference. You will learn valuable perk knowledge that can be applied in the games and improve teamwork.

Dead By Daylight requires well-rounded knowledge to play optimally, and strange occurrences caused by perks won’t catch you off guard. Instead of asserting they’re cheating, you’ll know about that elusive iridescent addon or brutal perk they’re running.

From there, you can brainstorm strategies to address common challenges. Perks invigorate the game, and it’s better if you understand them fully. 

What Happens When You Prestige a Character?

If you want to keep your hard-earned perks, then prestiging isn’t recommended. Once you hit that button, it constitutes a significant reset to where you must purchase all perks, items, and addons again. If you’re going to prestige, make sure you do it immediately instead of waiting after attaining many other perks.

The prestigious bloody costumes are worth it to show off your effort and hardened mentality. However, the reality is that prestiging only hinders perk progression across characters.

You’ll need to buy all the perks again, and they appear randomly based on the ones you own collectively, so it can take a lot of time and money to get your character’s potential back.

FAQs

Conclusion: Enjoy Buying, Upgrading, and Using Perks!

All in all, Dead By Daylight is a thrilling and addicting experience that includes a sophisticated perk system that creates situations of hair-raising shuddery. It’s rewarding and full of surprises when exploring the depths of gameplay.

Players have hours of discussions regarding which perks are best, but there is a particular element of luck in this game. You never know what someone else brings to the table with hundreds of perk possibilities.

The best way to enjoy Dead By Daylight is to wisely use the perks and upgrade them while trying different exciting combinations.

Perks give you a feeling of personal satisfaction and help you contribute to the game in a unique and impactful way. It’s up to you to use them, and they make the game more strategic and fulfilling. You’ll find that the developers are very creative and give you many perk options that enlighten you about the possibilities.

Comparing and contrasting perks will help you explore enhanced overkill options like significantly slowing healing or consistently avoiding the killer. You will enjoy all these suggested perks and more as a beginner, veteran Survivor, or Killer! Venture into the fog with your new perks for a heart-pumping match!