Dead By Daylight: How To Counter Stealth Killers

Dead by Daylight has 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.

Killers like the Shape, the Ghost Face, the Pig, and the Wraith have unique playstyles in Dead 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 Daylight is 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.

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:

Increases the Trigger odds of skills checks by 10%.
Decreases the skill check success zone by 10%.
Increases action speeds in repairing, healing, sabotaging, unhooking, vaulting, cleansing, opening, and unlocking by 6%.

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 as an excellent early-warning system against 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 considering adding some of them to one's build.

Stealth Killers are known to take advantage of unusual pathing and angles of attack in order 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, and it's worth taking the time to learn at least some basic tips for how to counter each.

The Wraith: turns invisible by ringing his bell, but his invisibility is only complete when he is standing still. When moving a telltale shimmer gives him away. He must uncloak to strike, so run at the first sign to stay alive.
The Ghost Face: stalks Survivors to build up individual stalk-meters, eventually Exposing them, so they can be insta-downed. The Ghost Face can crouch and peek around corners, so be wary, and look at him to force him out of his power.
The Shape: stalks Survivors to tier up his power, growing faster and more lethal as he does. Break line of sight as often as possible to deny him stalk, especially at the beginning of the match when he is slow and weak.
The Pig: becomes Undetectable while crouching and can then initiate a massive lunge. Moving in a crouch slows the Pig considerably, so most will only crouch when they believe they are approaching a Survivor. Take advantage of this.