Top 5 Dead By Daylight Best Beginner Killer Builds

What do you use when starting out?

As You probably already know, there are a lot of characters to choose from in Dead By Daylight nowadays. Playing as a Survivor is mostly just a matter of aesthetics and unlocking their Teachable Perks, while Killers all have unique powers to learn and strategies to master. This can make it difficult and confusing for new players that want to take on teams of experienced Survivors. As the Killer, you have to watch out for four different players who all may have strong perks and will use them against you to survive. It might get tough, but don’t worry, everyone has to get in the game and learn when they’re new. These top five builds for beginners should help you. We’re going to be covering five different killers and some good starting builds to use that are reliable and will give you the opportunity to learn how to use their power effectively. There are a few instances where we mention Teachable Perks, and that means you will have to already have perks unlocked with other Killers that may need to be bought as DLC. Don’t worry if you don’t have these just yet, we will always give you some alternatives for perks that everyone shares regardless of which characters you’ve already unlocked or leveled up. We’re going to be focusing on original and free characters in Dead By Daylight, so as long as you have the game already, you’ll be able to try these Killers out for yourself. Also, we’ll be touching on some of the Killer add-ons for their powers. These are items that enhance or change the power in some way that usually gives you an advantage and helps when learning at times. 

5. Ol’ Reliable Beginner Build For The Trapper 

Best Build for a Beginner Trapper | Dead by Daylight Killer Builds - YouTube

This build is a classic for the first Killer in the game. The Trapper is not thought to be necessarily overpowered but can punish Survivors severely for making mistakes. That being said, when you’re first starting out in Dead By Daylight, you have to learn not only how to use his power, the Bear Traps, but when and where to place them to make them as successful as possible. This is a build that anyone can use on this Killer, including two of his own unique perks. Firstly, Brutal Strength decreases the amount of time it takes to kick dropped pallets and generators. For almost any Killer in the game, these are actions that you’ll be doing quite often and can put Survivors in bad positions when trying to get away. Agitation, another one of the Trappers Teachable Perks, saves you time by increasing your movement speed slightly while carrying a downed Survivor. You may not think it can be that useful since you don’t have them on your shoulder for long, but this is another action that all Killers will have to do. The third perk in this build is Sloppy Butcher. While this won’t help if you are picking up previously healthy survivors straight out of Bear Traps, hitting them with your basic attack inflicts the Haemorrhage and Mangled status effects. Most importantly, this perk causes players to take more time to heal, slowing it down by twenty percent. Lastly, Whispers tracks Survivors regardless of where they may be hiding. As long as Whispers is leveled to tier III, you can know without a doubt that there is a Survivor within a thirty-two-meter radius of you. 

What Ol’ Reliable Build Excels In:

• For the Trapper, your power relies on Survivors stepping into your Bear Traps. When first playing Dead By Daylight, you have to learn the different maps and where your power is most effective. This build allows you to save time here and there and not have to guess where Survivors are hidden
• Brutal Strength can be used aggressively during a chase to catch back up to players who thought they had a clean getaway. You can also fake breaking the pallet to trick Survivors into running, then just go around and hit them if the loop is small enough
• Agitation can help you take downed Survivors farther into your territory, forcing their teammates to trek into your web of traps to attempt a rescue. Also, if a Survivor is attempting to bait you into swinging and missing, this perk can allow you to get hits that otherwise would have been impossible
• Whispers is an amazing perk for beginners. You can patrol and when this perk lights up, you know that there are Survivors within your radius. You can use your movement to close in on them if you are unsure of their location, going in different directions to triangulate where they are in a way. It also is an extremely powerful perk in the end game if there are only one or two players remaining

Build Details:

• As with most perks, Brutal Strength and Whispers are strongest when leveled up to tier III. Whispers at lower tiers has such a large radius that it can be detrimental, lighting up a long distance away from the survivor. Focus on upgrading these perks whenever you can if you want to use them
• Later in the video we referenced for this build, there is a perk included called Corrupt Intervention, a Teachable Perk from the Killer named the Plague. While this is a DLC that can be purchased, being a character created by Dead By Daylight means that it can be acquired with in-game currency called Iridescent Shards. Corrupt Intervention is a perk that the Trapper can use quite effectively, blocking the farthest generators from you at the start of the trial for up to two minutes. If you want to grind for a bit, this can be a great perk for him later on, especially if you start facing higher rank Survivors
• Even the Trapper’s lower-grade add-ons are quite effective. The best ones he can use are the Trapper Sack, Trapper Bag, and Stitched Bag, increasing the number of traps you can carry. This is highly important since he can only carry one trap at a time by default. Otherwise, you can use the Logwood Dye or Tar Bottle to make traps appear darker, or the Trap Setters, Setting Tools, and Fastening Tools to increase your Bear Trap setting speed

4. Bad Medicine Beginner Build For The Wraith 

Best Builds for a Beginner Wraith | Dead by Daylight Killer Builds - YouTube

The Wraith is a stealthy Killer, able to turn himself nearly invisible and sneak up on Survivors using his power, the Wailing Bell. While the build we recommend for him uses some Teachable Perks from another Killer, you can always substitute them for others that still work quite well. Firstly, we have the perk Bloodhound, one of the Wraith’s Teachables. The most important aspect of this perk is that it causes Survivor’s scratch marks to stay visible for four seconds longer than normal, helping you track down players who may have been running to escape your chase. Sloppy Butcher helps slow down healing Survivors to give you a chance to catch them while they’re still injured and wastes their time overall. Paired well with A Nurse’s Calling, this perk highlights the auras of players who are healing within a twenty-eight-meter radius from you. This works out extremely well for you while cloaked because you will be able to sense the healing Survivors while completely hiding your Terror Radius from them. Thanatophobia adds fuel to the fire of this build, slowing down Survivors even more for everyone on their team who is injured, down, or hooked. Both A Nurse’s Calling and Thanatophobia are Nurse Teachables, so you have to unlock them in her Bloodweb or hope that they end up in the Shrine of Secrets and buy them with Iridescent Shards. Otherwise, you can switch A Nurse’s Calling with Bitter Murmur, which shows you Survivor auras whenever a generator is completed, and change Thanatophobia with Whispers, which we already mentioned is a reliable tracking perk and lets you know when someone is near you. 

What Bad Medicine Excels In:

• Bloodhound is a great perk for beginners who may be struggling to find victims. When they run around the map, Survivors leave scratch marks only visible to the Killer, and this perk keeps the marks around for longer making it easier for you to track them down
• The Wraith is easily able to sneak up on Survivors and injure them, having a faster movement speed while cloaked by his power. The combination of Sloppy Butcher and A Nurse’s Calling leaves them vulnerable to you, revealing them and allowing you to go for the second hit
• Thanatophobia helps all around, penalizing the Survivors for staying injured and not healing. That paired with Sloppy Butcher and A Nurse’s Calling make them suffer from penalties to generator repair speeds, giving you more time to find them and get hits

Build Details:

• Thanatophobia is a good perk, but it must be used the right way. Don’t hit one Survivor only to keep chasing them alone, wasting minutes of your time and leaving the other three to repair generators. If you can down someone quickly great, but if not, split the pressure and chase other players to get the full value and slow-down effects of this perk
• The Wraith gets a small burst of speed when uncloaking himself, allowing you to get hits that might not have been possible otherwise. Learn when to use your power versus chasing normally and this build will help you with its tracking and slow-down abilities
• Later in the video we referenced here, the build is changed to something quite different but more advanced. Two of the perks used are Save The Best For Last and Play With Your Food from the Killer named the Shape, also known as Michael Meyers. While both of these perks can work in your favor as the Wraith, you will first have to purchase the Halloween DLC and level up the Shape to unlock his perks, then acquire them with the Wraith as well. Play With Your Food gives you a temporary speed boost after losing a chase with the Obsession, and Save The Best For Last decreases your successful attack cooldown when hitting survivors who are not the Obsession, so you should have quite a bit of game and map knowledge by the time you are using a build like this
• The Wraith’s add-ons vary but can cause some severe changes in his power, making it awkward to learn about at first. We recommend going with items that are simple, yet reliable. The Ghose Soot is probably his most useful for beginners, hiding your Terror Radius and Red Stain for a few seconds even after uncloaking yourself. This gives you an edge when sneaking up on Survivors

3. Tough Tinkerer Beginner Build For The Hillbilly

Best Builds for a Beginner Hillbilly | Dead by Daylight Killer Builds - YouTube

The Hillbilly is a crazed Killer, able to sprint towards his victims at great speed with his power, the Chainsaw, to down even healthy survivors in a single blow. His mobility helps him patrol maps and split pressure between Survivors and this build is amazing for new players to learn how to use his power. Enduring, one of his own perks, allows the Hillbilly to take pallet stuns quickly, almost ignoring them altogether. Tinkerer is another one of the Hillbilly’s Teachables and gives him a warning when a generator is at seventy percent completion. Furthermore, it grants you the Undetectable status effect, cloaking your Terror Radius and Red Stain from Survivors for a limited time. Shadowborn increases your field of view slightly, helping you see more clearly when attempting to land Chainsaw attacks. Finally, Whispers helps the Hillbilly narrow down Survivor’s locations so that he doesn’t waste any time. With this build, you will have warnings of Survivors completing objectives and the ability to possibly sneak up on them and strike. Enduring also helps you get rid of pallets much quicker since you’re able to rev your Chainsaw quickly after stuns and destroy them instantly with your power.

What Tough Tinkerer Excels In:

• Enduring helps you the most during a chase, allowing you to destroy the pallet quicker or simply hit the Survivor with a basic attack if they make a mistake
• Tinkerer is an all-around good perk for beginners, letting you know where to go when Survivors are repairing generators. Paired with concealing your Terror Radius, you can make great use of it
• Whispers works well with the Hillbilly’s power, allowing you to zoom across the map and instantly know more or less where Survivors are

Build Details:

• Tinkerer is a good perk, but sometimes it’s worth getting a down and ignoring it temporarily to secure a hook rather than going after the generator every time it activates
• If you are already revving your Chainsaw and get stunned by a pallet, Enduring can help you keep some of the progress on your Chainsaw charge, helping you to destroy the pallet quickly. You can also fake breaking the pallet and go around when the Survivor tries to run away, hitting them or putting them in a worse position
• In the video we referenced for this build, Whispers is switched out for a perk called Spies From The Shadows, which gives you a loud noise notification when someone disturbs a crow in your area. While this perk isn’t considered as great as Whispers at times, it allows you to more easily locate Survivors without having to do any work
• Sloppy Butcher is also a perk that is switched in the video but isn’t as highly recommended since you’ll want to land Chainsaw attacks more than Basic ones

2. Horrible Nursing Beginner Build For The Nurse

Best Builds for a Beginner Nurse| Dead by Daylight Killer Builds - YouTube

The Nurse is considered one of the strongest Killers in Dead By Daylight but it takes time to learn her power and has a fairly high skill cap. When first starting to use this Killer, you’ll want perks to reliably track and locate Survivors that are trying to heal after you hit them. Sloppy Butcher and A Nurse’s Calling pair together in this build yet again to slow the game down and reveal Survivors that are trying to heal in your area. Shadowborn helps widen your field of view which can help when using the Nurse’s power, Spencer’s Last Breath, which allows her to Blink through objects and land hits on Survivors. Whispers, considered perhaps the most reliable tracking perk in Dead By Daylight, once again helps you not waste too much time looking for Survivors. Using this build, the Nurse can track Survivors efficiently and punish them for taking hits and healing. Remember that the Nurse has a slower movement speed but uses her Blink to catch up and cut Survivors off when they attempt to escape you in a chase. The Nurse also has to go through a cooldown after every Blink, entering a state of Fatigue for a few seconds. 

What Horrible Nursing Excels In:

• Reliable tracking with Whispers is always a plus, cutting out the guesswork of where Survivors might be. This helps the Nurse a lot since her normal movement speed is slow without her Blink
• Shadowborn widens your field of view, but it doesn’t only help to see Survivors when tracking them. You’ll want to keep your eyes open during Blinks to watch for Survivor’s movements and counterplay
• The Sloppy Butcher and A Nurse’s Calling combo helps her greatly and reveals auras so that you may be able to Blink directly at healing Survivors and punish them for doing so

Build Details:

• Later in the video we referenced, Thanatophobia is switched in, which can help slow down the game more by slowing generator repair speeds for everyone that isn’t healthy. This works out fine for the Nurse since it is one of the perks that she already has as at the start
• There is an add-on for the Nurse that can help new players a lot, called the Plaid Flannel. This add-on shows you a physical indication of where your Blink is going to land, helping you learn how to use her power when first starting to use her. Somewhat like a set of training wheels for this Killer, you can always switch the add-on for something else once you’ve gotten used to her Blinks

1.  Bitter Whispers Beginner Build For The Huntress

Best Starting Perks for Every Killer | Dead by Daylight - YouTube 

The Huntress is a Killer that can not only attack you normally but also use her power, the Hunting Hatchets, to damage you from afar. For this reason, she has a decently high skill cap and requires time and practice to learn her timings and work on landing attacks on Survivors to end chases quickly. This build includes mostly shared perks and one of her Teachables, so anyone playing as her can use it with a bit of leveling. Whispers, as always, is a reliable tracking perk, lighting up as soon as a Survivor is within thirty-two meters at its highest tier. The reason the Huntress can use this perk well is that she is a slower Killer and needs to use her time wisely. Sloppy Butcher is included in this build but has since been nerfed, only activating with basic attacks and not with her Hunting Hatchets. In its place, you can use her own Teachable called Hex: Huntress Lullaby which creates more difficult Skill Checks for Survivors as more players are hooked. Another one of her three unique perks, Territorial Imperative activates as a Survivor enters the basement and also highlights their aura for a limited time. The Huntress is deadly in the basement and can make quick work of anyone that dares to go there. Bitter Murmur helps players practice long-range shots by highlighting the auras of Survivors that are near a completed generator for a few seconds. This build helps new Huntress players practice the techniques that she requires while giving you information to help you locate Survivors.

What Bitter Whispers Excels In:

• This build specializes in taking the guesswork out of tracking down Survivors. Use Whispers right away to get a sense of their general location and Bitter Murmur and Territorial Imperative to locate them after finishing objectives or going into the basement. 
• If Hex: Huntress Lullaby is used, you can make it harder for Survivors to repair generators without missing Skill Checks, giving away their location and impeding their progress
• Territorial Imperative can also be switched with the perk Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt to protect Hex: Huntress Lullaby. This gives you more information and time to hunt down Survivors that are trying to cleanse your Totems

Build Details:

• Remember the Whispers is most useful when leveled up to tier III and can be detrimental at lower tiers
• Bitter Murmur has a special effect when it’s close to the end of the game. Instead of showing you only the Survivors close to the completed generator, this perk reveals the auras of all Survivors. Use this information to make the best decision and possibly even practice your aim with long-range shots
• The Huntress’s add-ons are extremely important, giving you various status effects for your Hunting Hatchets and altering the wind-up time and movement speed when charging the throw. However, it is not the best habit to start using these add-ons while you’re learning how to play. If you get too used to the quicker speeds, you might suffer when not using these items, making you rely on them. Instead, try using add-ons that increase the number of Hunting Hatchets you can carry and even the Deerskin Gloves which quicken the reload time at lockers. This way you can focus on practicing her base mechanics and work on your aim for throwing Hatchets
• Also, be aware that the video we referenced here is a guide for various Killers in Dead By Daylight, but the link should take you directly to the Huntress section

That was our picks for the top five beginner builds for Killers in Dead By Daylight. We hope that this list helped teach you something new and gets you on your way to ranking up online! Did you like the Killers that we included? Which Killer and build combination will you be using? Let us know!

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