Introduction

In Dead by Daylight, killers must maximize efficiency, apply pressure, and manage time wisely to succeed. While survivors work to repair generators and escape, your job is to track, chase, and eliminate them before they succeed. This guide covers essential strategies that apply to all killers, helping you understand how to control the match, manage survivor priorities, and improve your overall performance.

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1. Understanding Killer Pressure

Pressure is the foundation of killer gameplay. More pressure means less time for survivors to repair generators. You apply pressure by:

• Forcing survivors off objectives (gens, healing, or rescues).
• Creating unsafe situations (injuring multiple survivors, forcing unsafe unhooks).
• Eliminating survivors quickly to reduce their numbers.

Neglecting pressure allows a coordinated team (SWF) to finish all generators in under four minutes. To prevent this, focus on spreading your presence across the map rather than committing to long chases.

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2. The Chase: When to Commit or Drop

Chases should be short and effective. If a survivor can keep you occupied for over 25 seconds (Bloodlust 2), you are likely wasting time. Instead, break off and find a better target.

Prioritize survivors based on:

• Who is actively working on objectives.
• Who has been hooked the most (hook states).
• Who is in a vulnerable position (dead zones, no pallets left).

A survivor who is dead on hook is a prime target. Their teammates must stop doing gens to help them, or they will be eliminated. Chasing an unhooked survivor for two minutes while three others repair gens? That’s a losing strategy.

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3. Tunneling: When It’s the Right Call

Tunneling (eliminating one survivor quickly) is a valid strategy when done correctly. While some may dislike it, Dead by Daylight has no rules preventing tunneling. The reality is:

• If a survivor is unhooked in front of you and you can down them again, do it.
• If you spend too long chasing someone who isn’t a priority, you waste precious time.
• Only tunnel if it’s the most efficient option—overcommitting to one survivor while others complete objectives is a losing strategy.

However, over-tunneling (chasing for multiple minutes while gens pop) is ineffective. Make strategic decisions based on the state of the game.

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4. Camping: The Right and Wrong Way

Camping is often frowned upon, but it can be a viable endgame strategy. However, there’s a huge difference between smart proxy camping and hard camping at five gens.

• Proxy camping (patrolling an area while maintaining gen pressure) can be effective, especially if multiple survivors are coming for the save.
• Hard camping (standing at the hook doing nothing) is inefficient unless you are baiting an altruistic play in the endgame.
• If you commit to staring at a hooked survivor for two minutes while others complete gens, you are throwing the match.

Instead, apply pressure while monitoring the hooked survivor’s status. If multiple survivors are nearby, make them work for the save.

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5. Defending a 3-Gen Setup

A 3-gen (three generators close together) is a killer’s best late-game defense. If you can keep three generators close together, you gain a massive advantage in the final stages of the match.

How to Set Up a 3-Gen:

1. Identify a cluster of three generators early.
2. Pressure survivors off those gens while allowing others further away to be completed.
3. Regularly patrol the 3-gen area and apply regression perks to keep progress low.

If survivors recognize they are in a 3-gen situation, they will try to split up and force you away. Stay focused on your area, and don’t get lured away.

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6. Best Killer Perks for Pressure & Control

Choosing the right perks can significantly impact your ability to pressure survivors. Here’s a simple beginner-friendly loadout:

✅ Slowdown Perks (Regression & Stalling)

• Eruption (Best for 3-gen strategies, survivors can’t repair for 25 seconds.)
• Pain Resonance (Instant generator regression when hooking survivors.)
• Corrupt Intervention (Blocks the furthest generators at the start of the match.)

✅ Information Perks (Survivor Tracking)

• BBQ & Chili (Shows auras of distant survivors after hooking.)
• Lethal Pursuer (Reveals survivor locations at match start.)
• Discordance (Alerts when two survivors work on the same gen.)

✅ Chase Perks (Better Loop Control)

• Bamboozle (Blocks a window after vaulting.)
• Spirit Fury + Enduring (Fast recovery from pallet stuns.)
• Save the Best for Last (Increases attack cooldown speed.)

This balanced setup provides gen regression, tracking, and chase efficiency. Experiment with different combinations to find what works for you.

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7. Effective Looping as Killer

Learning how to counter strong survivor loops is crucial. Here are some key strategies:

Shack (The Strongest Loop)

• Avoid looping shack if possible. It heavily favors survivors.
• Force survivors to run wide to get a better hit opportunity.
• If they drop the shack pallet, break it immediately.

Pallet Loops

• Kick pallets immediately unless the loop is extremely weak.
• Avoid bloodlusting at loops—break the pallet and move on.

L-Walls & T-Walls

• Run on the inside of L-walls to shorten loops and force bad angles.
• Avoid looping these structures in predictable ways—mind game where possible.

Looping is a skill that improves with experience. Always try to anticipate survivor movement and control the way loops are run.

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8. Time Management: The Key to Winning

The most important lesson as killer is time management.

• Chasing one survivor for too long = wasted time.
• Breaking pallets efficiently = more map control.
• Applying pressure across multiple survivors = fewer completed generators.

A well-balanced killer match involves cycling through survivors, applying consistent pressure, and capitalizing on survivor mistakes.

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Final Thoughts: Improving as a Killer

Playing killer in Dead by Daylight is all about strategy, adaptability, and efficiency. Focus on: ✅ Applying pressure to multiple survivors. ✅ Dropping chases when they aren’t worth it. ✅ Defending a strong 3-gen setup when possible. ✅ Using the right perks to slow the game and track survivors. ✅ Forcing survivors into bad positions and minimizing wasted time.

Mastering killer takes practice, but with patience and strategic thinking, you’ll turn the tides against survivors and secure more victories.

Good luck, and happy hunting!