Introduction to The Huntress
The Huntress, named Anna, is a Killer in Dead by Daylight, introduced in the “A Lullaby for the Dark” chapter. She is classified as having a medium difficulty. Her unique ability to wield throwable hatchets makes her a constant threat to Survivors, even from a distance. With careful aim and anticipation of Survivor movements, chases can conclude rapidly. Her playstyle emphasizes precision and patience, rewarding players with the satisfying sound of a successful hatchet strike.
Anna’s backstory reveals a tragic past. After her mother’s death during a hunt, Anna vanished into the Northern woods, gradually losing her humanity. She developed a desire for a daughter of her own. When families traversed her territory, she would spare only the young girls, taking them back to her dwelling. However, these children would inevitably succumb to cold, starvation, or illness. Each loss deepened Anna’s descent into madness. Villagers eventually spread tales of a figure in the Red Forest known as The Huntress, who reportedly killed men and consumed young girls.
Hunting Hatchets: Her Power
The Huntress’s signature power is Hunting Hatchets. She begins each trial with 5 hatchets, which can be wound up and thrown with deadly accuracy. These hatchets can be replenished at lockers found throughout the map.
Hatchets Mechanics:
- Wind-Up Time: It takes approximately 1 second to fully wind up a hatchet throw. While winding up, The Huntress’s movement speed decreases to 92%, she cannot perform a basic attack, and she emits a loud humming sound that Survivors can hear. While a partial wind-up allows for a weaker, shorter-range throw, fully winding up is generally preferred for optimal distance and speed. It’s crucial not to hold a hatchet for too long, as this slows movement and can waste time.
- Hitboxes: Hatchets possess generous hitboxes, both for striking Survivors and for colliding with environmental objects. They are roughly the size of a Survivor’s torso and can sometimes clip through small gaps or around corners. However, environmental collision (walls, trees, pallets, grass, debris) is a significant obstacle. For medium to long-range throws, it’s often effective to aim slightly above a Survivor’s head due to the hatchet’s downward arc.
- Travel Time and Arc: Hatchets are projectiles, meaning they have travel time and follow an arc, not a direct path. This necessitates leading shots based on Survivor movement.
- Close Range (0-8 meters): Hatchets are almost instantaneous. Aim directly at the Survivor.
- Medium Range (8-16 meters): Lead the Survivor slightly, aiming ahead of their current position in their direction of travel.
- Long Range (16+ meters): Significant leading is required. Aim where the Survivor is anticipated to be, not where they currently are, and account for the arc by aiming higher.
- Movement Speed: The Huntress moves at 110% of the normal Killer speed, which is slower than most other Killers (who typically move at 115%). This means she is less effective at simply chasing Survivors down with basic attacks. To compensate, she must rely on her hatchets to injure and down Survivors, cutting off their escape routes and forcing them into disadvantageous positions.
Effective Hatchet Opportunities:
- Survivors running in straight lines: A straightforward target for a wound-up throw.
- Survivors vaulting windows: Survivors are momentarily locked in place during a vault, providing an easy target.
- Survivors at short loops: Hatchets can be thrown over walls at loops like jungle gyms, making these areas dangerous for Survivors.
- Survivors dropping pallets: After dropping a pallet, Survivors often pause or move predictably, creating an opening for a hatchet.
- Survivors healing: Healing Survivors move slowly and are predictable targets.
When Not to Throw:
- If the Survivor has full cover.
- If a basic attack chase is more efficient at a strong loop.
- If you have very few hatchets left and no locker is nearby.
- If the Survivor is at a pallet and can easily dodge.
- If the shot is long-range and has a low chance of hitting. Conserving hatchets is important; running out can cost a chase.
Huntress Perks
The Huntress comes with three unique perks that complement her playstyle:
- Beast of Prey: Upon entering Bloodlust, The Huntress loses her Terror Radius and Red Stain. This makes her more difficult for Survivors to predict during a chase.
- Territorial Imperative: When The Huntress is at a distance from the basement, she can see the aura of any Survivor who enters it. This makes the basement an even more perilous location for Survivors.
- Hex: Huntress Lullaby: This perk spawns a Hex Totem. The Huntress gains 1 token each time she hooks a Survivor, with a maximum of 5 tokens. Each token increases the difficulty of skill checks for Survivors. At 5 tokens, the audio cue for skill checks is completely removed. Failed skill checks incur a severe regression penalty. All effects of this perk cease if the associated Hex Totem is cleansed by Survivors.
Playing as The Huntress
The Huntress excels at ranged pressure and can end chases quickly with precise hatchet throws. Her slower movement speed means she cannot rely on simply chasing Survivors with her basic attack. Instead, players must master her hatchets to injure Survivors from afar, cut off loops, and prevent Survivors from reaching safe zones.
Early Game Strategy: The early game for The Huntress focuses on locating Survivors and initiating pressure. Her hatchets allow her to injure Survivors quickly, forcing them to heal or be vulnerable to being downed.
Lore Details: Beyond her gameplay mechanics, The Huntress has additional lore elements:
- The Mordeo: This entity hunted the “unworthy” who trespassed into its sacred forest patch.
- Baba Yaga: As a cruel executioner, her voice deepened and haunted the nightmares of children.
FAQ
What is The Huntress’s power? Her power is Hunting Hatchets, allowing her to throw projectiles at Survivors from a distance.
How many hatchets does The Huntress start with? She starts with 5 Hunting Hatchets.
Where can The Huntress refill her hatchets? Hatchets can be refilled at lockers found around the map.
What is The Huntress’s movement speed? The Huntress has a movement speed of 110%.
What happens when The Huntress uses Beast of Prey? She loses her Terror Radius and Red Stain when Bloodlust activates.
What does Hex: Huntress Lullaby do? It increases the difficulty of Survivor skill checks with tokens gained from hooking Survivors, eventually removing the audio cue at 5 tokens.
What is the difficulty level for playing The Huntress? She is rated as a Killer of medium difficulty.