Dead by Daylighthas changed since its 2016 release. Most players are seasoned now, no longer spooked by every shadow and bump in the night. A few Killers, however, retain their ability to jump-scare Survivors and strike fear into the heart even of seasoned pros: stealth Killers.
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Killers like the Shape, the Ghost Face, the Pig, and the Wraith have unique playstyles inDead by Daylight,capitalizing on their ability to deny Survivors information and sneak up on them, positioning themselves perfectly and then striking at just the right moment. Though they aren’t as strong as mobility Killers such as the Nurse, Blight, or Spirit, stealth Killers pose a special challenge that some Survivors find difficult to deal with. Here are some tips for staying alive against those stealthy monsters.
Keep Your Eyes Open
The single most important thing a Survivor can do to counter stealth Killers is to keep their eyes and ears open.Dead by Daylightis full of sights and sounds that give away the approach of even the stealthiest characters, as long as the player knows what to look for.
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Rotating the camera around one’s character to survey the surroundings is a simple but essential technique. It simply isn’t enough to look in front: the Survivor must know what’s going on behind them and beside them as well. This is important when crossing the map, but far more important when locked in an animation such as opening the exit gates, cleansing a totem, or doing a generator.Generators are often where Survivors are at their most vulnerable,since they have to remain in one place for a long time in order to complete their objective. Sta
Bring Spine Chill
There’s one Survivor perk that does more than any other when it comes to countering stealth Killers: Spine Chill. Whenever the Killer is looking in the Survivor’s direction within 36 meters of them, Spine Chill activates with the following effects:
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The buff to the action of actions is useful and can come in clutch in certain scenarios, but Spine Chill has a fair more basic use when it comes to countering stealth Killers.The perk’s icon lights up in the HUD whenever the Killer is looking at the Survivor,which acts asan excellent early-warning systemagainst Killers the Survivors wouldn’t have otherwise detected.
Thanks to Spine Chill, stalking Killers like the Ghost Face and the Shape won’t be able to stalk the survivor without alerting them. Be warned, however: knowledgeable Killers can fool Spine Chill by turning their camera as they approach, keeping the Survivor at the edge of their screen and thereby keeping Spine Chill from triggering.
Predict And Observe The Killer’s Movements
Stealth Killers are at their strongest when Survivors don’t know where they are. Stealth is what allows them to generate map pressure by injuring and downing unsuspecting Survivors, chasing Survivors away from objectives, and keeping the team more focused on Survival and avoidance than completing generators.
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Predicting and observing the Killer’s movements are important parts of stealth counterplay. Paying attention to the HUD to know when another Survivor is in chase, and noting a Killer’s last known location whenever another Survivor is downed or hooked is important. There are also a variety of perks that can reveal the Killer’s aura, and though each has its pros and cons, it’s worth consideringadding some of them to one’s build.
Stealth Killers are known to take advantage of unusual pathing and angles of attack to creep up on Survivors,sneaking along the edges of the map or going the long way around structures, for example. By knowing the Killer’s last known location and paying attention to the patterns of their movement up to that point in the Trial, Survivors will reduce the Killer’s ability to sneak up on them.
Know The Killer’s Weaknesses
Every Killer is capable of becoming Undetectable at least for a short time thanks to perks like Tinkerer, but some Killers have entire powers that revolve around stealth. The Wraith, the Ghost Face, the Shape, and the Pig are perhaps the most common stealth Killers, andit’s worth taking the time to learn at least some basic tips for how to counter each.
By following these tips, the Survivor can go from getting plucked off generators to escaping victorious through the exit gates.
Dead by Daylightis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, Switch, Mobile
