Surviving in Dead by Daylight is tough, you’re put in a trial against a Killer who is faster than you, stronger than you and has some abilities to
make them even better at catching and sacrificing you to the Entity. The only warning you have that the Killer is coming is the heartbeat which grows louder as the Killer approaches and as soon as you hear that you better get hiding otherwise you are going to be caught and hooked in no time at all. So how do you overcome the odds and survive Dead by Daylight? Read on to find out.
Use Your Camera Advantage Over the Killer
Some of you are probably scratching your heads right now wondering what on earth I’m talking about, well it’s simple really. As a survivor you have a third person camera view, this means that while you do actions like healing survivors and fixing generators you have a full 360-degree view. So always make sure you’re moving the camera around while doing these actions as you can catch a glimpse of the killer before the heartbeat sound warns you, this is invaluable against the Shape especially.
The Killers on the other hand have a first-person camera which you can use to your advantage as you can sneak up behind them without them even noticing, this is a great way of saving hooked survivors as you crouch behind the Killer and as he/she walks away you can easily unhook your fellow survivor. You can also use the Killers limited view point to escape from the Killer by looping around behind them and confusing them. Proper use of your camera and exploitation of the Killers camera are vital to you and the other three players surviving.
Almost Anything Can Be Cover
This ties in with the camera again and how you use it to your advantage, things like trees are excellent for hiding behind because you just have to stay crouched and move around it putting the tree between you and the Killer. This means that unless the Killer knows you’re in the area and is hunting for you he/she is very unlikely to spot you. My personal favourite bits of cover are the generators themselves as you can be fixing them and when you hear the Killer approach you stop and crouch, if the Killer comes from the other side they will usually hit the generator and then leave without even knowing you were there.
You can use corners in the same way, I have been crouched in a corner countless times and seen the Killer charge straight by me thanks to the camera angle stopping them from seeing me. Basically, anything can be used as cover while surviving in Dead by Daylight, if you play smart and abuse the Killer’s first-person camera.
Dealing with Hook Campers
Hook camping is one of the survivors most hated things and I can see why, it usually gives the survivor no way of escape and can be seen as a cheap tactic by some survivor mains. Never the less it is a tactic and if the killer is smart and the survivors gullible it can be an easy win for the Killer. Personally, I hate it solely because it’s rather boring hanging there for so long while the Killer watched me die.
So how do we counter this strategy which leads to so many Killer victories? You leave the person to die, sorry if that’s sounds a little brutal but the fact of the matter is that if the Killer is hook camping you will not save the person nine times out of ten and you will more than likely get hooked for trying to help.
If you know the Killer is a hook camper then just go and fix generators, if the Killer hook camps at the start of the game you can usually get three generators repaired and still have a little time left over to save the hooked survivor. At that point the Killer must make a choice, wait until the hooked survivor dies and risk the other generators being repaired or they leave the hooked survivor giving you a chance to rescue them. To me that’s a much more favourable outcome than just blindly charging the hook and hoping to free the survivor early on.
Should you happen to be the unfortunate one to get hooked all you can do is buy your team as much time as possible. Don’t try and free yourself and struggle as hard as you can when the Sacrifice begins. If you’re lucky someone will come free you, if not well at least you’ll give the others a chance to win.
Always Work as A Team
Okay this may seem a little obvious, after all it is a team game against the Killer, but all too often I see the survivors split up and make it easy for the Killer to pick them off one by one. When working as a team you complete actions faster making it easier to repair the generators and heal other survivors, you also make it a lot harder for the Killer if he/she finds you as it makes the Killer choose one of you and that moment of deliberations can be all you need to escape. The only advantage to staying on your own is that it’s a lot easier for one person to hide from the Killer than four but that’s no excuse to not work with your team.
Running Is Bad for Your Health
I bet you never expected to read that anywhere. To be completely honest during the trial I very rarely run, in fact it’s usually when I’m being chased by the Killer or if I’m dashing for the exit. The reason for this is that when you run you leave footsteps or scratch marks that the Killer can use to track you so while you may think running to the next generator is the best course of action it may well be the thing that leads the Killer to you.
Of course, if the Killer is in the process of hooking someone you can afford to run as your footprints will probably have vanished before her gets to where you were. Just remember that it doesn’t matter how well you hide if you have footprints leading to your hiding spot. This is especially true when hiding in lockers since if the Killer finds you in a locker you will be lifted out and taken on a short trip to the nearest hook.
The Right Equipment for The Job
Before the trial begins you can choose one piece of equipment to take with you; Med kit, Toolbox, Flashlight, Map or a Key. All have their uses and which one you pick will have an impact on how your team performs in the trial. These items can only be used for a certain amount of time and then once that’s been used up they are gone but if you don’t use all the time and you survive Dead by Daylight‘s trial then it gets recharged for the next time. Although if you are sacrificed during the trial then the equipment is lost so choose carefully before you use your ultra-rare equipment.
Med kit – The Med kit allows you to self-heal and heal other survivors faster.
This would be my favourite choice mostly because right now I don’t have the Self Care perk. The ability to heal yourself becomes immensely useful especially if you are the last one left alive, without it you remain in the injured state meaning that not only do you leave a trail of blood behind you, but you also make a lot of noise. These make it easy for the Killer to track you down and nobody wants that.
Toolbox – Allows you to fix generators faster and unlocks the ability to sabotage Hooks and Traps.
This is what will become my most used equipment once I have Self Care. While I’m against sabotaging hooks (I simply find it a bit cheap) I love sabotaging the traps set by the Trapper and being able to repair the generators faster means you don’t stay in the same place for too long.
Flashlight – Can light up areas, blind Killers and be used as a makeshift beacon for other survivors.
This is something I rarely use which is why I’ve got tons of Flashlight Add-ons in my inventory. While blinding the Killer can be invaluable especially if he is carrying a survivor it is hard to aim it right where you need to and the hit box to blind isn’t always on the Killers face strangely. Sometimes it’s the neck and even the upper chest so it’s very unpredictable and thus not a very reliable piece of equipment. It’s good if you want to tell others where you are though so it’s not totally useless.
Key – Their use is dependant on what add-ons you use.
The keys are odd, what they do is mostly influenced by what add-ons you put on it. They can basically become maps that reveal the Killer or Survivors location, the Skeleton Key can also be used to open the escape hatch allowing all your team to use it which can be great although I’ve never seen it used in that manner before. Personally, I don’t use the keys, they don’t do enough to justify picking them over a Toolbox or a Med kit but that’s just my opinion.
Map – What it shows is dependant on what add-ons you use.
Picking Proper Perks
There are many perks in Dead by Daylight, some more useful than others and some that are just downright awful. The trick is picking which ones you feel are best suited to your play-style and if you’re playing with friends picking ones that help them out too. You can only choose four perks so choose wisely, a good perk can be what saves your life.
Self-Care
Unlocks the ability to heal yourself without a Med-Kit at 50% the normal healing speed. Increases the efficiency of Med-Kit self-heal by 10/15/20%.
This is by far one of if not the best perk in the game, being able to heal yourself is a real lifesaver as it makes it a lot harder for the Killer to track you. I’d thoroughly recommend either purchasing it from the Shrine or making Claudette your main and getting it that way.
Iron Will
You’re able to concentrate and enter a meditative-like state to numb some pain. Grunts of pain caused by injuries are reduced by 50/100/100 % while staying still/while staying still/at any time.
While it seems quite a basic perk it is an invaluable one, good Killers rely on not just sight but sounds as well, this is dangerous when you’re injured as your character moans very loudly in pain. Iron Will removes that issue and combined with Self Care it will keep you quiet while you heal yourself. When you’re the last survivor standing this perk can be the difference between escaping and being sacrificed with the others.
Quick and Quiet
You do not make as much noise as others when quickly vaulting over obstacles or hiding in Lockers. The vault and hide actions’ noise detection range is reduced by 100%. This effect can only be triggered every 30/25/20 seconds.
As I used Meg Thomas as my main I got early access to this perk and it is amazing, being able to vault over a ledge or quickly charge into a locker to hide and making no noise really throws a Killer off especially those who put a lot of faith in hearing you. This perk has helped me survive in Dead by Daylight numerous times and I seriously doubt anything will ever make me remove this from my main choices, the only one more vital to me is Self-Care which I’ll get soon…. hopefully.
Premonition
You have the undeniable capability to sense danger. Get an auditory warning when looking in the direction of the Killer in a 45-degree cone within a range of 12/24/36 metres. Premonition has a cooldown of 60/45/30 seconds each time it activates. Premonition trumps any of the Killer’s stealth abilities.
I’ve used this for a while now simply because I haven’t had access to Self-Care or Iron Will. That’s not to say it’s bad but I find it more situational than other perks. When your facing Killers that utilise a stealth mode like the Nightmare for example it is good as you can get a warning about them. Usually though you’ll end up seeing the Killer on screen and this perk will be a wasted slot. I’d say use it until you get other perks since this is a solid perk none the less.
Sprint Burst
When starting to run, break into a sprint at 150% your normal running speed for a maximum of 3 seconds. Causes Exhaustion for 60/50/40 seconds.
This is another perk I got early thanks to using Meg, like Premonition it’s not bad but will be swapped out when better perks come along. Having a nice burst of speed can help in those chases when the Killer catches up to you, but you can’t control it like other perks. If it’s off cooldown and you run for any reason the perk will activate. This means you really have to think before you run and with everything else going on around you it can be hard to know when to save your running for.
Leader
You’re able to organise a team to cooperate more efficiently. Increases the other Survivors’ Repair, Healing and Sabotage speed by 3/6/9 % when they are within an 8 metre range from you.
This is one to use when you’re playing with friends and can coordinate your perk usage, it may be a small boost but that really makes a difference especially when two or three of you are working on one generator. I’d avoid it with random players online though as you can’t rely on them like you can your friends and your perk can be wasted by being with survivors who don’t understand what teamwork means.
Borrowed Time
You are fueled with an unexpected energy when saving an ally from a hook within the Killer’s Terror Radius. Once per match, for 15 seconds after unhooking a Survivor within the Killer’s Terror Radius, any damage taken that would put you or the unhooked Survivor into the dying state will instead trigger a 15/20/25 seconds bleed-out timer. Taking any damage during or reaching the end of the bleed-out timer will put you into the Dying State
I believe this perk was created as somewhat of a counter to the hook campers and it certainly does that very well. It’s a great perk that not only can save a fellow survivors life, it buys time for other survivors to fix generators and open doors. Basically, this one perk on its own can make sure your whole team survives the trials.
Lightweight
Your running is light and soft, making your tracks harder to follow. Footstep marks stay visible 1/2/3 seconds less than normal.
This one divides opinion, personally I wouldn’t use it simply because I don’t run enough to justify it over a perk like Quick and Quiet. However, if you do run around the map a lot then it is worth checking out. Reducing the time your footprints stay visible can be invaluable especially on some of the smaller maps as it could prevent the Killer from tracking you.
Decisive Strike
Once per match, when the Killer’s Obsession, succeed a Skill Check to automatically escape the Killer’s grasp and stun them for 3/3.5/4 seconds. When not the Killer’s Obsession, when the wiggle meter is at 45/40/35 % succeed in a Skill Check to escape the grasp.
The chance to get out of the Killers grasp once per game is almost too good to pass up on, it gives you a chance to get away and thanks to the stun there’s a good chance you’ll get away. This is certainly a solid perk and one that I currently use in almost every game, it will easily prove it’s worth in surviving Dead by Daylight and it’s going to be hard choosing which four perks I use once they’re all unlocked.
Conclusion
Being a survivor isn’t easy especially if you get unlucky and start near the Killer which will usually result in a very early hooking. In your first few games you will probably get sacrificed in most of them (I certainly was) but you will gradually learn the mechanics and in no time, you’ll be running to safety hopefully with one or two survivors by your side. As long as you always look at the bigger picture and think before you charge in to save someone or try to finish off that generator when you hear the heartbeat getting louder you should be fine.
