Dead by Daylight is a complex game, which gives players on both sides a lot of opportunities for life-ending mistakes. For the Survivor side, mistakes are not as punishing, and in many instances an errors in judgement can still work out well in the end. As a result, many Survivors continue making the same mistakes, and there are many Survivors in high ranks who still make beginner mistakes.
Regardless of your rank, you don’t wan t to give Killers easy wins. Here are the top 5 mistakes I see Dead by Daylight Survivors make, that need to be corrected.
1. Running to the edge of the map
I see this happen again and again: survivors get spotted in a bad area, and their first instinct is to run along the edge of the map. But as Survivor, you cannot just run blindly away in fear of the Killer. Survivors need to keep their heads and think about where they are about to run. The edge of the map is the most dangerous place to run to when being spotted by the Killer. That is because there is nothing to save you there.
Some players may point out, that there is a one window jungle gym, but that jungle gym is a joke, unable to save a Survivor unless they have Lithe equipped. Another reason the edge of the map is dangerous, is because it is open space. There is no way to juke the Killer, or mind game them. In open space there is nothing a Survivor can do to protect themselves.
Instead of running into the open, Survivors need to run towards jungle gyms or pallets. Any place that provides objects to break line of sight is better than open space. Breaking line of sight can give the Killer doubts about where the Survivor is going, allowing Survivors to play mind games with the Killer as needed. Jungle gyms often have pallets inside them as well, which can be utilized to escape the Killer.
2. Throwing a pallet after getting hit
A lot of Dead by Daylight Survivors will throw a pallet immediately after getting hit. This is a huge mistake! Doing this wastes the pallet entirely. The Killer can just walk around the pallet or break it without losing much time. Not only that, but it also wastes the speed boost the Survivor gets after being hit. So by throwing the pallet, the Survivor actually puts themself in even more danger.This speed boost can be essential in saving a Survivor’s life.
Instead, what Survivors should do after being hit, is utilize their speed boost to relocate. Going to another jungle gym or building to kite the killer is far more useful. Sometimes the Killer can even lose the Survivor when they relocate after a hit, especially on maps with heavy mist or cornfields that impair the Killer’s vision.
3. Camping pallets
Along with throwing pallets when getting hit, a lot of Survivors also camp pallets. That means they just sit on one side of the pallet, waiting for the Killer to walk through. This does not work! Killers are aware that Survivors want to stun them with pallets, and will not just walk in without looking. This is also a predictable behavior. Killers know that Survivors will camp the pallet when the Killer starts closing in on them, since there is no reason to run another loop if the Killer is going to hit them.
The reason camping is dangerous, is because Killers will swing through pallets. They know the Survivor is going to camp the pallet so they hide their red stain, and then flip and swing through the pallet. 90% of the time the Killer will get the hit off. This situation results in a win for a Killer, even if they get stunned because they injured the Survivor, or put them into the dying state. If a Survivor ever goes into the dying state because of camping a pallet, they have also wasted that pallet entirely.
Instead Survivors need to throw the pallet early. Be careful not to throw the Pallet too early though, or the Killer will just ignore it. Pallets are not just about stunning the Killer. It is about creating a blocked path to buy the Survivor more time to escape.
Another option is to do something the Killer will not expect. Instead of throwing the pallet, take a window that is near the pallet. Killers often will slow down as they catch up to a Survivor at the pallet, because they do not want to get stunned.
4. Saving too fast
This is a big problem even in high ranks. Survivors will save someone from the hook in seconds. This is actually detrimental to the team’s success in the match. Saving a Survivor so fast means the Killer is still nearby; 5 or even 8 seconds is not long enough for the Killer to get that far. As a result, the Killer comes back and will go after the injured Survivor. Performing the save so quickly results in Survivors dying quicker as well.
I know there are a lot of situations where Killers camp. But the situation I am specifically talking about, is when the Killer leaves, and a Survivor still saves within seconds of the person getting hooked. There is no rush to hook save. Survivors have a lot of time before they even go into struggle state on the hook. To give the hooked Survivor a fighting chance, wait for the Killer to get far away.
If another Survivor gets injured, then this is the perfect time to save. The Killer will be too focused on chasing that Survivor to stop chasing and come back to the hook. Just take a moment before going to save, and evaluate the situation. Rescuing players need to give the hooked Survivor the best chance to escape.
5. Survivors hiding when they hear the terror radius
Surprisingly, there are a lot of Survivors who hide, or walk away, when they hear the terror radius. Even in high ranks, many Survivors get scared just by hearing it. The terror radius gives Survivors important information about the Killer’s location, but it should not be feared. Here is how to correctly process the terror radius.
When you hear the terror radius, that just means the Killer is within 24-32 meters. That is a lot of distance. Just because you hear the radius, it does not mean the Killer is going to you, or is close to you. In fact, many times they will be passing by, chasing another Survivor. In this case you can ignore the terror radius and continue doing generators. You can tell if the Killer is chasing someone by seeing the chase, or if they are the Obsession. Whenever the Obsession is chased, the Entity spikes around their profile wiggle.
Using the perk Spine Chill can help figure out if the Killer is coming your way. If you hear the terror radius but it never lights up, the Killer is not coming to you. If the perk stays lit up for more than a few seconds, the Killer is heading to you. Spine Chill also has the added benefit of countering Killers such as the Spirit or Wraith. Not only that, but it also increases vault speed while the Killer looks at you, so it is incredibly handy during chases.
By pointing out these huge mistakes Dead by Daylight Survivors make, I hope it helps you to avoid them. By improving these areas of your gameplay, you will increase your survivability, and the chances of your entire team. Good luck out there in the fog!
