The Huntress: Mastering the Art of the Hatchet in Dead by Daylight

Introduction

The chilling lullaby echoing through the macabre landscape of Dead by Daylight serves as a chilling premonition of impending doom for unsuspecting survivors. This ominous melody heralds the arrival of Anna, more commonly known as The Huntress, a formidable killer characterized by her raw strength, primal nature, and, most notably, her deadly hunting hatchets. While slower than some of her counterparts in terms of movement speed, The Huntress compensates with the ability to hurl hatchets across the map, striking down survivors from a considerable distance and disrupting their carefully laid plans. This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for both aspiring Huntress players and those seeking to better understand her strategies and counterplay. We will delve deep into her lore, abilities, perks, add-ons, and tactical approaches to truly master the art of the hatchet and dominate the trials of the Entity. Learning the ins and outs of the Huntress is important for any killer main looking to broaden their horizons.

The Huntress: A Haunting Origin

The Huntress’s story is one of stark isolation and tragic transformation. Raised in the desolate wilderness of rural Russia, Anna was taught the ways of the forest by her mother, a skilled hunter herself. She learned to track, stalk, and kill, becoming intimately familiar with the natural world and its brutal realities. This solitary existence was shattered when poachers invaded their territory, killing her mother and forever scarring the young Anna. Consumed by grief and rage, she exacted a bloody revenge upon the intruders, embarking on a path of savage retribution.
Lost in the throes of madness, Anna began to kidnap and kill those who strayed too close to her secluded domain. She would lull her victims with haunting lullabies before striking with deadly force, earning her the chilling moniker of The Huntress. Her connection to the forest remains a defining aspect of her character, reflected in her rustic attire, animalistic movements, and the unsettling melody that precedes her attacks. Understanding her tragic past provides valuable context for her behavior and highlights the disturbing nature of a killer forged from trauma and loss. Her lullaby has become a staple sound in the game, a warning to those who hear it, that danger is near.

The Power of Hunting Hatchets

The Huntress’s power revolves around her Hunting Hatchets, which are her primary means of ranged attack. Unlike most killers who rely on close-quarters combat, The Huntress can unleash a volley of hatchets to injure or down survivors from a distance. Understanding the nuances of this power is crucial to playing her effectively.
The Huntress starts the trial with five Hunting Hatchets and can reload them at lockers scattered throughout the map. Aiming the hatchets requires precision and practice, as survivors can dodge them with skillful maneuvering. Predicting their movement and leading your shots is essential for consistent hits. The hatchets travel at a moderate speed, requiring you to anticipate the survivor’s trajectory and account for the distance between you and your target. It’s also important to note the slight arc the hatchets take, adjusting your aim accordingly, especially when throwing over obstacles or at long ranges.
Strategically, hatchets are most effective when used during loops, across gaps, or at windows and pallets. These scenarios restrict survivor movement and create opportunities for well-aimed throws. For instance, if a survivor is vaulting a window, predicting where they will land and throwing a hatchet accordingly can guarantee a hit. Similarly, during a loop, you can cut off their escape route with a well-placed hatchet, forcing them into a more vulnerable position. The lullaby sound she makes will put survivors on edge, and can often cause them to make mistakes.
Mastering hatchet throwing requires dedicated practice. Custom games are an excellent way to hone your aim and familiarize yourself with the hatchet’s trajectory at varying distances. Experiment with different throwing angles and techniques to develop a personal style that suits your playstyle. Pay attention to the sound cues that indicate a successful hit, and use that feedback to refine your accuracy.
Survivors are not defenseless against the Huntress’s hatchets. They can dodge them by moving erratically, utilizing cover, and anticipating your throws. The key to avoiding hatchets is to be unpredictable and avoid linear movement patterns. Zigzagging, crouching, and utilizing obstacles to break line of sight can significantly increase your chances of survival. Pay attention to the Huntress’s aiming animation and listen for the sound of the hatchet being thrown to react accordingly. Knowing when survivors are most vulnerable, such as when they are healing, repairing generators, or vaulting windows, can give you a significant advantage. Learning how to effectively counter this killer is one of the most important things for players to learn.

Unveiling the Perks of the Huntress

The Huntress possesses three unique perks that complement her abilities and playstyle. While these perks are not always considered meta, they can be effective in specific situations and can be combined with other killer perks to create powerful synergies.

Beast of Prey

This perk grants the killer the undetectable status effect after gaining bloodlust on a chase, allowing for a stealthier approach. It is useful for mind gaming survivors around loops, allowing you to get the drop on them as they are not expecting it. While the undetectable status is not permanent, it can be useful in a pinch.

Territorial Imperative

This perk reveals the auras of survivors who enter the basement. While situational, this perk can be helpful in discouraging survivors from attempting basement saves or sabotaging hooks. It’s most effective on maps with a central basement location. This is a great perk for people looking to protect their hooked survivor.

Hex: Huntress Lullaby

This hex perk affects skill checks. Each time a survivor is hooked, the time between the skill check notification and the skill check itself decreases. If a survivor fails a skill check while this perk is active, they will be regressed on the generator. It is a helpful perk for slowing down generator progress.

Several other killer perks synergize well with the Huntress’s power and playstyle. Whispers can assist in locating survivors early in the game, allowing you to quickly apply pressure. Barbecue & Chili provides valuable information about survivor locations after hooking a survivor, enabling you to efficiently patrol generators. Monitor & Abuse reduces your terror radius outside of chases, making it easier to approach survivors undetected, and increases your terror radius during chases, making skill checks harder.

An example of a tracking build could include: BBQ & Chili, Bitter Murmur, and Discordance. This build would focus on tracking survivors to give the killer the upper hand. Another build could include Deadlock, NOED, and Pop Goes the Weasel. This build would focus on generator regression.

Exploring the Huntress’s Arsenal: Add-ons

The Huntress has a wide array of add-ons that can significantly alter her playstyle and enhance her effectiveness. These add-ons can be categorized based on their effects, such as reload speed, hatchet capacity, and status effects.
Some of the most impactful add-ons include the Iridescent Head, which allows hatchets to instantly down survivors but reduces her hatchet capacity to one, and the Oak Haft, which moderately increases the Huntress’s movement speed while wielding a hatchet. The Rusty Head add-on inflicts the mangled and haemorrhage status effects, making healing more difficult. The Begrimed Head causes survivors hit by the hatchet to be oblivious for sixty seconds, making them easier to track down. The Flower Babushka, which is an uncommon add-on, will give you an extra hatchet to throw, and is very useful to have.
The quality of the add-ons varies. The best add-ons, generally speaking, are the ones that have the most impactful benefits. Some add-ons, such as the ones that increase your hatchet capacity are very useful.
Certain add-ons are more effective in specific situations or against particular types of survivors. For example, add-ons that inflict status effects are useful against coordinated teams that rely on healing. Add-ons that increase reload speed can be beneficial on maps with multiple lockers. Experimenting with different add-ons and finding the combinations that best suit your playstyle is crucial for maximizing the Huntress’s potential.

Huntress Strategies and Tactical Considerations

The early game is crucial for setting the tone of the match. Focus on quickly locating survivors using tracking perks or by listening for generator noises. Prioritize downing survivors who are working on generators to disrupt their progress. Applying early pressure can force survivors to play defensively and make mistakes.
During the mid game, concentrate on controlling the map and preventing generator progress. Patrol generators, looking for survivors and using your hatchets to interrupt their repairs. Force survivors to waste time healing or hiding, which will slow down their overall progress.
In the late game, focus on securing kills and preventing the exit gates from being opened. Use your hatchets to down survivors who are attempting to open the gates or rescue hooked survivors. If survivors are being altruistic, punish them for their mistakes.
Mastering mind games is essential for playing the Huntress effectively. Use your lullaby and movement to deceive survivors and create opportunities for attacks. Faking hatchet throws can bait out dodges and allow you to close the distance for a melee attack. The Huntress is a great mind game killer.
When dealing with looping survivors, utilize your hatchets to cut off their escape routes and force them into unfavorable positions. Predict their movements and throw hatchets ahead of them to disrupt their loop. Don’t be afraid to break pallets to shorten loops and create more opportunities for ranged attacks.

Strengths and Weaknesses of The Huntress

The Huntress’s primary strength lies in her exceptional ranged attacks. Her ability to strike down survivors from a distance provides her with significant map control and allows her to punish survivors who are out of position. She excels at disrupting generator repairs and forcing survivors to waste time healing or hiding.
However, the Huntress also has several weaknesses. Her slow movement speed makes her vulnerable to close-range attacks and limits her ability to patrol the map quickly. She is also reliant on accurate hatchet throws, and misses can be costly, giving survivors an opportunity to escape.

Survivor Counterplay: Surviving the Huntress

Survivors can effectively dodge hatchets by moving erratically, utilizing cover, and anticipating your throws. The key is to be unpredictable and avoid linear movement patterns. Zigzagging, crouching, and utilizing obstacles to break line of sight can significantly increase your chances of survival. Pay attention to the Huntress’s aiming animation and listen for the sound of the hatchet being thrown to react accordingly. Communicating with teammates to warn them of the Huntress’s location is crucial for coordinating your defenses. Playing against the Huntress requires quick thinking and strategic maneuvering to evade her deadly projectiles.

Conclusion

The Huntress is a challenging but rewarding killer to master in Dead by Daylight. By understanding her tragic backstory, mastering her Hunting Hatchets, experimenting with her perks and add-ons, and implementing effective strategies, you can become a formidable force on the battlefield. So, embrace the hunt, practice your aim, and unleash the terror of The Huntress upon unsuspecting survivors. The lullaby is calling, and the trials of the Entity await. The Huntress is waiting for you to main her, all you need to do is choose her.