Dead By Daylight: The 15 Best Killers For Beginners (& How To Play Them)

Mastering Dead by Daylight: A Killer Guide for Beginners

Dead by Daylight, with its impressive roster of 26 killers, offers a thrilling blend of stealth, chase, and strategic gameplay. While the game provides a basic tutorial, mastering each killer's unique abilities and perks requires practice. This guide focuses on killers ideal for beginners, easing your transition into the Fog.

Top Killers for New Players:

This list prioritizes killers with straightforward powers and relatively easy-to-learn mechanics. We'll cover some more complex killers later.

1. The Wraith: The Wraith's cloaking ability (activated via his Wailing Bell) provides a significant advantage, allowing for surprise attacks. While cloaked, he's undetectable, making him perfect for learning the basics of stealth and positioning. Uncloaking grants a speed boost, enhancing his ability to catch unsuspecting survivors. He's a great all-around choice for beginners and readily available.

   

2. The Shape (Michael Myers): Michael Myers' power revolves around stalking survivors to build his Terror Radius. Reaching Tier 3 allows for one-hit downs, making him effective in the late game. While his power is simple to understand, mastering the timing of his Tier 3 activation is key. He's a good choice for learning the importance of map awareness and strategic positioning.

   

3. The Hillbilly: The Hillbilly utilizes a chainsaw rush for powerful attacks, instantly downing survivors upon impact. While his chainsaw sprint is fast, it's also difficult to control, requiring practice to master turning and maneuvering. He's a good option for learning the fundamentals of chases, but might be less forgiving for controller users due to the limited sensitivity options.

   

4. The Pig (Amanda Young): The Pig offers a unique stealth-based approach. Her ability to crouch provides the Undetectable status, masking her presence. She can then ambush survivors with a quick dash attack. Placing reverse bear traps on downed survivors adds a layer of strategic depth. She's a good choice for learning stealth tactics and the importance of map control.

   

5. The Doctor: The Doctor's Madness effect is powerful but requires understanding of its three tiers and the various negative effects it inflicts on survivors. While categorized as "Hard," his core mechanics are straightforward, making him a good choice for learning about applying consistent pressure and controlling the flow of the match.

   

Intermediate Killers:

Once comfortable with the basics, consider these killers:

6. Legion: Legion's Feral Frenzy allows for rapid movement and chained attacks, but they can't down survivors while in this state. This teaches the importance of managing power usage and finishing off injured survivors.

   

7. The Huntress: The Huntress's hatchet-throwing ability requires precision and practice. Mastering her aim will significantly improve your gameplay.

   

8. The Trickster: The Trickster's ranged blades require good aim, similar to the Huntress. Learning to manage his blade supply and utilize his Main Event ability is crucial.

   

9. The Deathslinger: The Deathslinger's ranged harpoon gun adds a unique FPS element. Accuracy is key, and controller users may find his controls challenging due to the game's lack of detailed sensitivity settings.

   

10. The Cannibal (Leatherface): Leatherface's chainsaw rush is powerful but requires careful management of his tantrum meter. He's effective against newer survivors but less so against experienced players.

    

11. The Nightmare (Freddy Krueger): Freddy's Dream Demon ability offers stealth, making him easier to learn than some other killers.

    

12. The Trapper: The Trapper's bear traps are straightforward to use but require strategic placement.

    

Advanced Killers: Killers like the Demogorgon, Clown, and Albert Wesker offer complex mechanics and require significant practice to master.

This guide provides a structured approach to learning Dead by Daylight's killers. Start with the beginner-friendly options, gradually progressing to more complex characters as your skills develop. Remember, practice is key to mastering each killer's unique abilities and dominating the Fog!