Playing as a Survivor in Dead By Daylight can be made easier by using the right Perks and Add-Ons in a build. In Dead By Daylight, four Survivors team up and face off against a killer hunting them as a sacrificial offering to The Entity. Survivors have two primary goals in Dead By Daylight: stay alive, and repair the Generators to access the exit gate and escape. While the Killer can select Perks that make their ability to terrorize Survivors more potent, Survivors can choose a build that prioritizes specific traits, like stealth, speed, Generator repair skill and speed, sabotage, and awareness.
With a new update in 2021, the best build for survivors in Dead by Daylight has seen significant change. Many new builds fit the role of a survivor, especially with new perks that can be used to diversify the overall build. Some of these builds offer the most well-balanced perks to use for survivors, while others serve a specific need.
Related: Dead by Daylight Survivor Guide: Leon Kennedy (Perks, Tips, & Strategies)
Each Survivor comes with three unique Perks based on their past and personality. As players level up in Dead By Daylight, they will eventually unlock the ability to teach these Perks to other survivors and use them in other Survivor builds. Some Perks are general, available to every Survivor, while others require the purchase of DLC chapters to unlock. Add-Ons and Items can further buff a Survivor’s stats but are often less available, can be lost at the end of a Trial, and are sometimes even single-use. Perks can do a lot of the heavy lifting, so players should focus on unlocking the teachable versions to give themselves the widest range of builds possible. Here are some of the best Survivor builds in Dead By Daylight, up to and including the new Resident Evil chapter.
The best survivor Builds in Dead By Daylight depend somewhat on playstyle and the priorities a player has for their success. No single build will work well for every player, and players are restricted by the DLC chapters and Survivors they currently own. Players should choose what they prefer or what they find works for them. However, for those who are stuck, there are some solid builds that can be used as a starting point.
Survivors can have up to four active Perks during a single Trial once they have unlocked all four Perk slots, giving players some freedom to try various combinations and builds. After leveling every character up past Level 45, the character model players choose matters mostly for aesthetic reasons, as Perks can be used on any character. No Survivor has any innate passives, but there are some benefits to selecting one character design over others. For example, the female character models are smaller and can more easily hide in tall grass or behind Generators than the male models. Additionally, players who can’t yet build with teachable Perks will need to select the character with the most desirable traits for their playstyle.
Each of these builds includes a mix of base game Perks and DLC Perks to help players choose the best and most accessible options for their needs.
There is now a new meta build with the new update that fits well for core players who want to maintain a well-balanced build. This build uses some of the best all-around perks in Day by Daylight that is a blend of the evasion and Hook Rescue build. Although these are currently the best perks to use for the current meta build, these perks are also effective against almost every type of killer in the game:
Dead Hard (David King)Decisive Strike (Laurie Strode)Borrowed Time (Bill Overbeck)Iron Will (Jake Park)
Some players like to play independently and don’t generally like to play with a team. Although these players can sometimes affect the outcome of a match, there’s still a build that could benefit the player and the team. However, the Lone Wolf build should be used by experienced players who can handle almost every type of situation in a Dead by Daylight match. The best perks for a Lone Wolf surivor build include:
Dead Hard (David King)Iron Will (Jake Park)Unbreakable (Bill Overbeck)Self-Care (Claudette Morel)
This build prioritizes keeping quiet and avoiding being tracked by the Killer. Stealth Survivors in Dead by Daylight should choose up to four from the following Perks:
Iron Will (Jake) or Bite the Bullet (Leon): Reduces either grunts of pain when injured or while healing by up to 100%.Off the Record (Zarina) or Quick and Quiet (Meg): Eliminates either grunts of pain after being unhooked or Loud Noise notifications for rushing to vault windows or entering and exiting Lockers.Urban Evasion (Nea): Increases movement speed while crouching by 90 to 100%.Spine Chill: Alerts Survivors when the Killer is looking in their direction within 36 meters; increases the odds of skill checks appearing and decreases the success zone size, but increases speeds when Repairing, Healing, Sabotaging, Unhooking, Vaulting, Cleansing, Opening, and Unlocking by 2 to 6%.Sprint Burst (Meg): Allows Survivors to break into a sprint at 150% of their normal speed for three seconds; causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.Lucky Break (Yui): Suppresses Bleeding and Scratch Marks for a maximum of 40 to 60 seconds once per Trial.Technician (Feng): Prevents the Generator Explosion and Loud Noise notification on a failed Skill Check, but applies an additional Regression penalty of 5 to 3%.Distortion (Jeff): Hides the Survivor’s Aura and Scratch Marks for six to 10 seconds three times per trial; does not activate when in the Dying State or in a Killer Trap.Lightweight: Makes Survivor Scratch Marks disappear one to three seconds sooner.
Survivors using the Stealth build should consider using Items and Add-Ons that increase their speed and limit the Killer’s ability to detect them.
This build prioritizes the ability to get away when chased and to get to a hooked teammate or the exit quickly. Speed Survivors should choose up to four from the following Perks:
Sprint Burst (Meg): Allows Survivors to break into a sprint at 150% of their normal speed for three seconds; causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.Dead Hard (David): Allows survivors to Dash forward when injured; causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.Adrenaline (Meg): Heals one health state and allows the Survivor to sprint at 150% of their normal running speed for five seconds when the Exit Gates are powered; causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.Lithe (Feng): Increases speed to 150% of a Survivor’s normal running speed for three seconds after performing a rushed vault; causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.Fixated (Nancy): Increases walking speed by 10 to 20% and allows the Survivor to see their own Scratch Marks.Unbreakable (Bill): Allows players to completely recover from the Dying state once per Trial and permanently increases recovery speed by 25 to 35%.Balanced Landing (Nea): Reduces stagger duration by 75% and grunts by 100%, and causes Survivors to sprint at 150% of their normal running speed after jumping or falling from heights. causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.Smash Hit (Yun-Jin): Allows the Survivor to break into a sprint at 150% of their normal running speed for four seconds after stunning the Killer with a Pallet; causes the Exhausted Status Effect for one minute to 40 seconds.
Survivors using the Speed build should consider using Items and Add-Ons that increase their speed, both for actions and movement.
This build prioritizes aura-reading and awareness of the Killer, other Survivors, the Generators, loops, and even the exit. Awareness Survivors in Dead by Daylight should choose up to four from the following Perks:
Windows of Opportunity (Kate): Reveals the Auras of Breakable Walls, Pallets, and Windows within 20 meters.Spine Chill: Alerts Survivors when the Killer is looking in their direction within 36 meters; increases the odds of skill checks appearing and decreases the success zone size, but increases speeds when Repairing, Healing, Sabotaging, Unhooking, Vaulting, Cleansing, Opening, and Unlocking by 2 to 6%.Open-Handed (Ace): Increases all Aura-reading ranges for Survivors by 8 to 16 meters.Kindred: Reveals the Auras of all Survivors to all other Survivors and the Killer if they are within eight to 16 meters when the Survivor with this Perk is hooked; reveals the Auras of all other Survivors and the Killer within eight to 16 meters when another Survivor is hooked.Rookie Spirit (Leon): Reveals the Auras of any regressing Generators after five to three good or great Skill Checks during repairs; Once active, Rookie Spirit remains active for the duration of the Trial.Bond (Dwight): Reveals the Auras of other Survivors when they are within 20 to 36 meters of the player character.Premonition: Survivors receive a sound cue when looking in the Killer’s direction at a 45-degree angle within 36 meters.
Survivors using the Awareness build should consider using Items and Add-Ons that increase their Aura-Reading abilities.
This build prioritizes finding and repairing Generators and preventing Generator damage or regression to help all Survivors reach the exit quickly and safely. Generator Repair Survivors should choose up to four from the following Perks:
Prove Thyself (Dwight): Provides a stackable repair speed bonus of 15% for each Survivor within four meters of the player; Applies the repair speed bonus to all other Survivors within range; Grants 50 to 100% bonus Bloodpoints for Cooperative Actions.Bond (Dwight): Reveals the Auras of other Survivors when they are within 20 to 36 meters of the player character.Resilience: Increases action speeds for Repairing, Healing, Sabotaging, Unhooking, Vaulting, Cleansing, Opening, and Unlocking by three to nine percent when the Survivor is injured.Spine Chill: Alerts Survivors when the Killer is looking in their direction within 36 meters; increases the odds of skill checks appearing and decreases the success zone size, but increases speeds when Repairing, Healing, Sabotaging, Unhooking, Vaulting, Cleansing, Opening, and Unlocking by 2 to 6%.Blast Mine (Jill) or Repressed Alliance (Cheryl): Activates a trap on a Generator for 35 to 45 seconds to stun the Killer when they try to damage it, or calls upon the Entity to protect a Generator currently being repaired for 30 seconds; reveals the Auras of trapped or blocked Generators to all Survivors.Technician (Feng): Prevents the Generator Explosion and Loud Noise notification on a failed Skill Check, but applies an additional Regression penalty of 5 to 3%.Visionary (Felix): Reveals the Auras of Generators within 32 meters; Disables for 20 to 16 seconds each time a Generator is completed.
Survivors using the Generator Repair build should consider using Items and Add-Ons that increase their action speed for Repairs, give them access to more tools to speed up Repairs, and enhance their Aura-reading and Killer Sabotage abilities.
This build prioritizes sabotaging the Killer, allowing Survivors some opportunities to fight back. Sabotage Survivors in Dead by Daylight should choose up to four from the following Perks:
Flashbang (Leon): Allows the Survivor to craft a Flash Grenade from Generator parts to stun and blind the Killer for five seconds.Saboteur (Jake): Reveals the Auras of all hooks within 56 meters of a Survivor being picked up by a Killer; Allows the Survivor to sabotage Hooks without a Toolbox.Breakdown (Jeff): Breaks the Hook a Survivor is unhooked from and reveals the Killer’s Aura for four to six secondsBlast Mine (Jill) or Repressed Alliance (Cheryl): Activates a trap on a Generator for 35 to 45 seconds to stun the Killer when they try to damage it, or calls upon the Entity to protect a Generator currently being repaired for 30 seconds; reveals the Auras of trapped or blocked Generators to all Survivors.Red Herring (Zarina): Highlights a Generator being repaired and triggers a Loud Noise notification for the Killer at the location of the highlighted Generator when the Survivor completes the Generator repair, begins repairing another Generator, or hides in a Locker; Can fool Killers into moving away from Survivors and objectives.Deception (Elodie): Triggers a Loud Noise notification when the Survivor interacts with a Locker while holding the Sprint button.Windows of Opportunity (Kate): Reveals the Auras of Breakable Walls, Pallets, and Windows within 20 meters.
Survivors using the Sabotage build should consider using Items and Add-Ons that increase their action speed for Repairs, give them access to tools to sabotage Hooks, and improve Aura-reading.
Players can find Perks to build Dead By Daylight Survivors for other important skills, like Healing, Escaping, and Blood Point Farming. Another way to consider building a Survivor might be to focus on Perks that would give a competitive edge or help players rank up each month. Good options include Perks that counter a Killer’s powerful hexes, like Small Game, Open-Handed (Ace), Counterforce (Jill), and Detective’s Hunch (Detective Tapp). It can also include the most overpowered Perks, like Unbreakable (Bill), Decisive Strike (Laurie), Adrenaline (Meg), and Dead Hard (David).
Players can also choose builds that give them a variety of abilities, rather than boosting a single trait. A good option might be a build that speeds up Generator repair and Healing while also sabotaging the Killer any time they try to kick a Generator or find Survivors after a bad skill check. It is also possible to better balance Survivor stats by selecting a Perk that boosts each of the main traits: speed, stealth, awareness, and either healing, sabotage, or Generator repair. Players are encouraged to swap Survivor Perks to figure out the combinations they most prefer.
Next: Dead by Daylight Survivor Guide: Jill Valentine (Perks, Tips, & Strategies)
Dead By Daylight is available for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, Android, and iOS.
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