Introduction to The Huntress {#introduction-to-the-huntress}
The Huntress, known as Anna in her lore, is a Killer in Dead by Daylight, introduced in Chapter 5: A Lullaby for the Dark. Her difficulty is rated as Medium. She is characterized by her ability to strike Survivors from a distance using throwable hatchets, making her a constant threat. Her backstory details her childhood in the Northern woods, where she lost her humanity after her mother’s death and developed a craving for a daughter. This led her to spare young girls from traveling families, though they would eventually perish from various ailments, driving her further into madness. Villagers in the Red Forest spread legends of The Huntress, who reportedly killed men and consumed young girls.
The Huntress is a towering figure often seen wearing a rabbit mask. Her unique playstyle revolves around ranged attacks, offering a high skill ceiling but also significant rewards for accurate play. She operates at a base movement speed of 110%, which is slower than most Killers, necessitating reliance on her hatchets to secure chases and downs.
Hunting Hatchets Mastery {#hunting-hatchets-mastery}
The Huntress’s power is Hunting Hatchets. She begins each trial with 5 hatchets, which can be replenished at lockers found throughout the map. To use a hatchet, players hold the secondary attack button (M2) to wind it up, then release it to throw. A full wind-up takes approximately 1 second and is generally preferred for maximizing distance and speed. Hatchets travel in an arc and have a travel time, meaning players must lead their shots, especially at longer ranges. Landing a hatchet will injure a healthy Survivor or down an already injured one.
Key mechanics of Hunting Hatchets include:
- Wind-Up Time: While winding up a hatchet, The Huntress’s movement speed drops to 92%, she cannot perform a basic M1 attack, and she emits a loud humming sound that Survivors can hear. It’s crucial to wind up, throw, and then move, rather than holding the wind-up for too long.
- Hatchet Hitboxes: Hatchets possess generous hitboxes, roughly the size of a Survivor’s torso. They can sometimes clip through small gaps or around corners. However, they also collide with all environmental elements such as walls, trees, pallets, and grass, which can be a significant obstacle. When aiming at medium to long range, it is often effective to aim slightly above a Survivor’s head to account for the hatchet’s downward arc.
- Travel Time and Arc: Hatchets are projectiles, not hitscan. This requires players to predict Survivor movement. At close range (0-8 meters), hatchets are nearly instant. At medium range (8-16 meters), a slight lead is necessary. For long-range shots (16+ meters), significant leading is required, aiming where the Survivor is predicted to be, and accounting for the arc by aiming higher.
Effective hatchet throwing situations include Survivors running in straight lines, vaulting windows, at short loops where she can throw over obstacles, after dropping pallets, and while healing. Conversely, it’s generally not advisable to throw if a Survivor has full cover, if an M1 chase is faster at a strong loop, if hatchets are low with no nearby locker, or if the shot is low percentage due to distance or Survivor positioning.
Huntress Perks and Builds {#huntress-perks-and-builds}
The Huntress has three unique perks that complement her playstyle:
- Beast of Prey: Upon entering Bloodlust, The Huntress loses her Terror Radius and Red Stain, making her less predictable during a chase.
- Territorial Imperative: When The Huntress is at a distance, she can see the aura of any Survivor who enters the basement, increasing the danger of that area.
- Hex: Huntress Lullaby: This perk spawns a Hex Totem. Each time a Survivor is hooked, a token is gained, up to a maximum of 5. Each token increases the difficulty of skill checks for Survivors, and at 5 tokens, the audio cue for skill checks is completely removed. Failed skill checks incur a severe regression penalty. All effects cease if the Hex Totem is cleansed.
Several popular perk builds are used with The Huntress:
- Radar Huntress: Often includes Lethal Pursuer, Barbecue & Chilli, Nowhere to Hide, and Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance.
- Locker Radar Huntress: Utilizes Darkness Revealed, Iron Maiden, Lethal Pursuer, and Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance.
- Hook-Tax Huntress: Focuses on generator regression with Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, Pop Goes the Weasel, Deadlock, and Grim Embrace.
- Unhook Punisher Huntress: Designed to punish unhooks, featuring Make Your Choice, Scourge Hook: Floods of Rage, Dead Man’s Switch, and Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance.
- Skill-Check Huntress: Enhances skill check difficulty with Hex: Huntress Lullaby, Overcharge, Merciless Storm, and Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance.
When creating builds, it’s generally recommended to choose perks that facilitate clean throw opportunities, provide information, and minimize wasted time.
Strategic Gameplay with Huntress {#strategic-gameplay-with-huntress}
Given her 110% movement speed, The Huntress cannot rely on simply chasing Survivors with basic attacks. Her strategy must revolve around using hatchets to injure and down Survivors from a distance. This means cutting off Survivors and forcing them into positions where hatchet throws are viable. She excels at pressuring “safe” loops that other Killers might struggle with and punishing Survivors who hold ‘W’ (run in a straight line) for too long.
In the early game, the focus should be on finding Survivors and landing initial hatchet hits. As the game progresses, mid-game strategy involves maintaining pressure with hatchets, forcing Survivors to make difficult decisions at loops, and managing hatchet refills efficiently. Avoid committing to long chases on large maps without clear hatchet opportunities. It’s also crucial to avoid throwing hatchets when a Survivor has full cover or if the chance of hitting is very low, as running out of hatchets can lead to lost chases. Always aim to keep at least 1-2 hatchets for emergency situations.
FAQ {#faq}
What is The Huntress’s base movement speed? The Huntress has a base movement speed of 110%, which is slower than most other Killers.
How many hatchets does The Huntress start with? The Huntress starts each trial with 5 Hunting Hatchets.
Where can The Huntress refill her hatchets? The Huntress can refill her hatchets at lockers located around the map.
What happens when The Huntress winds up a hatchet? When winding up a hatchet, her movement speed drops to 92%, she cannot use a basic M1 attack, and she emits a loud humming sound.
What is the effect of Hex: Huntress Lullaby at 5 tokens? At 5 tokens, Hex: Huntress Lullaby completely removes the audio cue for Survivor skill checks, in addition to increasing their difficulty.