Acquiring and Equipping a Flashlight
To perform a flashlight save in Dead by Daylight, you first need to have a flashlight. Flashlights can be obtained from the Bloodweb, with the most basic version costing 2,500 Bloodpoints. The availability of a flashlight in your Bloodweb is random, and you may need to complete your current Bloodweb level before one appears.
Once acquired, you must equip the flashlight in your loadout before starting a match. While not mandatory, you can also purchase flashlight add-ons from the Bloodweb to enhance its capabilities. These add-ons can increase the flashlight’s range or improve its accuracy, which can be beneficial for successful saves. Alternatively, if you don’t bring one into the match, you might find a flashlight in one of the chests located within the trial.
A standard flashlight beam reaches up to 10 meters and lasts for two seconds per use. The total duration you can use a flashlight is typically eight seconds, so it’s important to conserve its charge for critical moments. Knowing which button activates your flashlight is crucial; for PC players, the default action is often right-clicking the mouse.
Executing the Flashlight Save
A flashlight save occurs when you blind the killer as they are in the process of picking up a downed survivor, causing them to drop their teammate. To successfully execute this maneuver, precise positioning and timing are essential.
First, you should position yourself near the killer when you anticipate your teammate is about to be downed during a chase. Being too far away will likely prevent you from arriving in time to perform the save. Once your teammate is hit twice and falls to the ground, the killer will be able to pick them up.
As the killer initiates the pick-up animation, you must position yourself directly in front of them. If your angle is off, shining your flashlight may not achieve the desired effect. The critical moment to flash your flashlight is during the halfway point of the killer’s pick-up animation. Aim the flashlight beam directly at the killer’s face. A successful blind will force the killer to drop your teammate, allowing them an opportunity to escape.
It’s important to remember that even a blinded killer can still move, so your teammate should attempt to create distance immediately after being dropped. Flashlights can also be used for other effects, such as causing a light burn on a cloaked Wraith, destroying Hag traps, causing a Nurse to enter a fatigued state, disabling the Legion’s Feral Frenzy, or making a Spirit Husk disappear.
Recommended Perks for Flashlight Saves
Several perks can significantly aid in performing flashlight saves, enhancing your ability to get into position and execute the blind effectively.
Background Player: This perk activates for 10 seconds when another survivor is picked up. When you start running, you will break into a sprint at 200% of your normal running movement speed for 5 seconds. This burst of speed can be invaluable for quickly getting in front of the killer to set up a flashlight save. Background Player causes the Exhausted Status Effect for 60/50/40 seconds and cannot be used while Exhausted.
Champion of Light: This perk grants a +50% Haste Status Effect. Successfully blinding the Killer by any means causes them to suffer from a -20% Hindered Status Effect for 6 seconds. This effect does not stack and has a cooldown of 80/70/60 seconds after blinding the Killer. While it doesn’t directly help with positioning, the Haste can assist in getting to the save location, and the Hindered effect on the killer can provide extra time for your teammate to escape.
Residual Manifest: After a successful Killer Blind, the Killer suffers from the Blindness Status Effect for 20/25/30 seconds. This perk also allows you to rummage through an opened Chest once per Trial, guaranteeing a basic Flashlight. The extended Blindness effect on the killer can further disorient them after a save.
Vigil: This perk increases your recovery rate from various status effects, including Blindness, by 20/25/30%. It also applies to other survivors within 8 meters of your location and lingers for 15 seconds. While not a direct save perk, faster recovery from Blindness could be beneficial if you are also affected by the killer’s abilities.
Sprint Burst: From the survivor Meg Thomas, Sprint Burst provides a speed boost when you start running, similar to Background Player, but it activates whenever you run and are not exhausted, rather than specifically when a killer picks someone up. This can be a more general-purpose speed perk to help with positioning.
FAQ
What is a flashlight save? A flashlight save is when a survivor blinds the killer with a flashlight while the killer is picking up a downed teammate, causing the killer to drop the teammate.
How do I get a flashlight? You can purchase flashlights from the Bloodweb using Bloodpoints, or sometimes find them in chests during a match.
What is the best time to use the flashlight for a save? You should aim your flashlight at the killer’s face during the halfway point of their pick-up animation.
Can flashlight add-ons help with saves? Yes, add-ons can increase the range or accuracy of your flashlight, which can make saves easier to perform.
Does a blinded killer stop moving? No, a blinded killer can still move, so the saved survivor should immediately try to escape.
Are there other uses for a flashlight besides saving teammates? Yes, flashlights can be used to cause light burns on certain killers like the Wraith or Nurse, destroy Hag traps, disable Legion’s Feral Frenzy, or make a Spirit Husk disappear.