The Huntress: Mastering the Queen of Throws in Dead by Daylight

Introduction

The haunting lullaby. The whir of the hatchet as it leaves her hand. The sickening thud as it finds its mark. Few killers in Dead by Daylight inspire as much fear and respect as The Huntress. Anna, the child who became a hunter, is a formidable force in the Entity’s realm. Dead by Daylight, the popular asymmetrical horror game, pits four survivors against one killer. While many killers rely on brute strength or stealth, The Huntress stands apart with her unique ranged ability. This guide will delve into the intricacies of The Huntress, exploring her lore, mastering her power, understanding her perks and add-ons, and ultimately, helping you become a true master of throws in Dead by Daylight.

The Lore of The Huntress (Anna)

Anna’s origin story is a tragic tale of isolation and survival. Raised in the desolate woods, far from civilization, Anna learned to survive by any means necessary. Her mother, a skilled hunter, taught her the ways of the forest, but their secluded existence left Anna emotionally stunted. When her mother succumbed to illness, young Anna, consumed by grief and loneliness, embraced the darkness. She began to hunt not just for survival, but for sport, collecting grisly trophies from her victims. This descent into savagery transformed her into the monster known as The Huntress.

The Entity, drawn to her primal instincts and brutal efficiency, ensnared Anna, pulling her into the endless nightmare of Dead by Daylight. Forced to hunt survivors in twisted realms, she perpetuates the cycle of violence that defined her life. The tragic part is that Anna isn’t without the heart of a loving mother. She lets out a chilling lullaby when near survivors, a song she used to sing as a kid, showcasing her desire to mother and protect. However, these desires are twisted and morphed by the Entity, leading to her violent state. Understanding this back story is vital to understand how Anna, The Huntress, became what she is now in the game Dead by Daylight.

Hunting Hatchets: The Key to Her Power

The Huntress’s primary power revolves around her Hunting Hatchets. Unlike other killers who rely on melee attacks, Anna can throw these deadly projectiles at survivors from a distance. These hatchets are not only a tool of aggression but also an extension of her skill and precision. Mastering their use is crucial to playing The Huntress effectively in Dead by Daylight.

At the start of each trial, The Huntress carries a limited number of hatchets, usually five, which she can replenish at lockers scattered around the map. The ability to restock quickly and efficiently is vital to maintaining pressure on survivors. When aiming a hatchet, The Huntress enters a wind-up animation, which slightly reduces her movement speed. This vulnerability during the wind-up is a key element that survivors can exploit.

The hatchets themselves have a slightly curved trajectory, meaning you need to account for gravity and distance when aiming. This demands practice and good judgment to consistently land hits. Despite the complexity, with enough practice, you’ll understand what it takes to get perfect cross-map downs.

The strengths of Hunting Hatchets are manifold. The long range allows The Huntress to pressure survivors across large distances, denying them safe routes and forcing them to second-guess their movements. These projectiles can quickly down survivors who are out of position or distracted. They can interrupt actions like repairing generators or healing other survivors. All of this combines to make the huntress one of the highest skill ceiling killers in Dead by Daylight.

However, there are weaknesses. Accuracy is paramount. Missed hatchets can leave The Huntress vulnerable and allow survivors to gain distance. Also, the wind-up animation makes her a vulnerable target for skilled survivors who can predict and dodge her throws. Furthermore, maps with lots of obstacles can negate the advantage of range, making it hard to land shots. Sound cues are very important to successfully landing hatchets, so if you’re bad at hearing, it may be harder to play the Huntress in Dead by Daylight.

Perks That Complement The Huntress

The Huntress comes with her own set of unique teachable perks, each designed to enhance her hunting prowess. Beast of Prey grants the undetectable status effect after gaining bloodlust. This can be helpful for ambushing survivors. Territorial Imperative alerts the killer when a survivor enters the basement. This can be an efficient way to stop basement plays. Hex: Huntress Lullaby applies a regression penalty to skill checks, increasing the tension during generator repairs.

Beyond her teachable perks, several other perks synergize well with The Huntress’s power and playstyle. BBQ & Chili provides valuable aura reading after hooking a survivor, enabling the killer to quickly locate and pursue new targets. Monitor & Abuse reduces the killer’s terror radius outside of chases, making it easier to surprise survivors. This perk also increases terror radius in chases. Discordance alerts the killer to generators being repaired by multiple survivors. This helps the killer prioritize targets.

A solid perk build for information might include BBQ & Chili, Discordance, Tinkerer and I’m All Ears. I’m All Ears is useful for finding survivors going through windows or vaulting pallets to catch them off-guard. A build centered around chase might include Bamboozle, Superior Anatomy, Enduring, and Spirit Fury. Bamboozle is great for vaulting windows and catching survivors off-guard. Superior Anatomy and Spirit Fury combo well with Enduring to quickly down survivors in chase. A regression build might include Pop Goes The Weasel, Call of Brine, Overcharge, and Eruption. These are all effective perks that should regress generators quickly.

Maximizing Performance With Add-ons

Add-ons can significantly alter The Huntress’s abilities, turning her into a more formidable killer. Understanding the different add-ons and their effects is crucial to tailoring her power to your preferred playstyle. Her add-ons can be sorted into different categories. Some increase Hatchet capacity, others increase her movement speed while winding up, and some apply Hindered, among others.

Among the many add-ons, some stand out as particularly powerful. Iridescent Head instantly downs survivors hit by a hatchet but reduces her hatchet count to one. While this comes with a risk, it can drastically increase her kill potential. Infantry Belt increases her hatchet carrying capacity, allowing her to maintain pressure for longer. Oak Haft slightly increases her movement speed while winding up a throw, making her less vulnerable to being looped.

Some of the more underrated add-ons include Rusty Head which causes the exposed status effect for a very short duration. Another underrated addon is the Amanita Toxin. While hindered may not be the best effect, it can allow you to catch up in chase. Choosing the right add-ons can provide a significant edge in your matches.

Strategies and Tactics for Success

Mastering The Huntress requires more than just understanding her power and add-ons. You must also hone your tactical skills and learn to anticipate survivor movements. Mind games are essential. Predict where survivors will run around loops and throw your hatchet accordingly. Map awareness is paramount, meaning you need to know the layouts of each map to identify strategic throwing spots. Listen closely to audio cues to track survivors and predict their actions.

Knowing when to throw a hatchet and when to use a basic attack is a crucial element. If a survivor is injured and close, a basic attack may be faster and more reliable. If a survivor is further away, a hatchet is the better option. Also, you need to be able to counter the common survivor strategies. When looping, predict where survivors will run and throw hatchets to cut them off. Avoid getting body blocked by survivors by prioritizing targets that are isolated. Understand when to commit to a chase and when to break off to pressure generators.

Countering The Huntress (Survivor Perspective)

Facing The Huntress as a survivor can be daunting, but not impossible. Understanding her strengths and weaknesses is the first step to countering her. Looping her effectively requires using tight corners and unpredictable movements to dodge her hatchets. Erratic movement is key to evading her throws. Use cover, such as walls and obstacles, to break line of sight and avoid getting hit.

Effective teamwork can significantly increase your chances of survival. Communicate with your teammates about the killer’s location and movements. Coordinate your actions to avoid getting caught out of position. Perks such as Lithe can help you escape chases, while Dead Hard can be used to dodge hatchets. Iron Will is helpful for masking your grunts of pain, making it harder for the killer to track you.

The Huntress in the Current Meta

The Huntress’s standing in the Dead by Daylight killer tier list varies depending on the map and the skill of the survivors. While her ranged ability can be devastating in open areas, she can struggle on maps with lots of obstacles and tight loops. The current meta emphasizes generator rushing, and The Huntress can be vulnerable to coordinated teams that quickly complete objectives. Potential buffs to her basekit and addons can help alleviate these shortcomings. Potential nerfs can also take place which could severely hinder her. However, she is considered a high A to low S tier killer.

Conclusion

The Huntress is a challenging yet rewarding killer to master in Dead by Daylight. Her unique ranged ability, combined with her tragic lore and intriguing add-ons, makes her a compelling character. Mastering her requires practice, patience, and a keen understanding of survivor behavior. If you are looking for a killer that demands skill and offers a high level of strategic depth, The Huntress is an excellent choice. Embrace the lullaby, master the throw, and become the Queen of Throws in Dead by Daylight. So, are you brave enough to try to main the Huntress?