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The day manyDead by Daylightfans have beendreaming and speculating aboutis here. The Alien franchise has finally joined Dead by Daylight, and The Xenomorph has taken its rightful place alongside iconic killers likeHalloween’sMichael Myers andSilent Hill’sPyramid Head to terrorize Ellen Ripley all over again.
Like all killers before it, The Xenomorph comes with three new perks and an adept achievement. To unlock it, killers need amercilessrating - a reward for sacrificing all four survivors - in one match. That’s not all - the only perks they’re allowed to use while attempting this achievement are the Xenomorph’s three unique ones. This guide will help players understand The Xenomorph’s unique perks and the things they excel at to help make a merciless rating more achievable.
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What is the Xenomorph allowed to bring?
ExperiencedDead by Daylightachievement hunters can always expect adept achievements to accompany new characters. Newer players may find the prospect of limiting their perks quite scary, but going for these achievements is a great way to get used to a new killer without relying on strategies that work with the other ones. Killers are allowed to bring any add-ons they want, too!
What does it do?
Acidic Blood
Ultra Rare
Injures survivors that stun The Xenomorph within 20 seconds of it leaving a tunnel.Alternatively, this applies the Deep Wound status effect if the survivor is already injured
Improvised Cattle Prod
When a Generator is completed, survivors within 10 meters of a Control Station have their auras revealed for 15 seconds.This effect is only available in the 15 seconds after a generator is completed
Cat Carrier
Very Rare
When Crawler Mode is disabled by a turret, the Undetectable status effect is applied for 20 seconds.Undetectable mutes the killer’s terror radius, hides their red stain, and blocks their aura from being revealed.
Harpoon Gun
Hitting a survivor within 10 seconds of leaving a tunnel makes survivors further than 24 meters away scream
Increases vaulting speed by 30% while in Crawler Mode
Semiotic Keyboard
Generators within 16 meters of a turret have an aura intensity that matches their repair progress.This means that they’ll become more visible when they’re closer to being completed.
The rest of them!
Rare, Uncommon & common
A variety of effects that include: Resistance to the staggering caused by Turrets (Emergency Helmet) Applying punishing status effects to survivors deploying turrets (Molted Skin) Speed boosts when exiting a tunnel (Parker’s Headband)
The Xenomorph’s add-ons are helpful in unique ways; its Ultra Rare add-ons aren’t as transformative as other killers', but the information provided by ‘Improvised Cattle Prod’ will be very useful for killers hoping to get their achievement quickly. ‘Cat Carrier’ will also prove useful for a stealthier play style, especially when perks are limited.
Offerings are also allowed, and killers are encouraged to bring any offerings that make survivors' lives more difficult - theCut Cointo limit chests, theClear Reagentto make survivors easier to see, and thePutrid Oakto bring hooks closer together are all highly recommended. TheMemento Moriofferings arenot recommended, as killing a survivor prematurely gives fewer points towards a merciless rating.
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What disables killer adept achievements?
Compared to the many add-ons that boost the Xenomorph’s power, players shouldn’t be too upset by the things they can’t bring.
What are the Xenomorph’s unique perks?
Besides its killer looks and nasty acidic blood, the Xenomorph brings three new perks to the game. As of a recentDead by Daylightupdate, players will need to prestige the killer at least once to unlock its perks for all other killers at tier 1. Prestiging the Xenomorph three times will unlock its perks for all other survivors at tier 3, and further prestige levels will unlock various cosmetics.
Unique Perk 1 - Ultimate Weapon
When the killer searches any locker, this perk activates for 30 seconds. During that time, any survivor that enters the killer’s terror radius will scream and reveal their location. They also suffer from the Blindness status effect for 30 seconds, with these values consistent across all tiers of the perk.
What is the Ultimate Weapon perk good for?
Ironically, this perk is best when paired with a different killer like The Huntress that is frequently checking lockers. Still, if players are planning to approach a generator or have suspicions that a survivor is nearby, this perk is great at exposing them without much effort.
Compared to most other aura-revealing perks, Ultimate Weapon isn’t particularly effective - if killers are hoping to reveal a survivor that recently escaped a chase, the time it takes to check a locker and begin moving after them gives the survivor a major head start.
Unique Perk 2 - Alien Instinct
When a survivor is hooked, this perk activates. The survivor furthest away from the killer has their aura revealed for five seconds, and suffers from the Oblivious status effect for 16 seconds at tier 1, 18 seconds at tier 2, and 20 seconds at the perk’s maximum level.The Oblivious status effect prevents the survivor from hearing the killer’s terror radius and heartbeat.
What is the Alien Instinct perk good for?
Alien Instinct is similar toLeatherface’s ‘Barbecue and Chili’perk - it rewards the killer for hooking a survivor by showing them where to find their next victim. It excels in the early game, when survivors aren’t aware that the perk is being used. Strategic killers can use the Xenomorph’s power to quickly approach the survivor while they are still oblivious - if they are hooked, the perk’s lack of cooldown can lead to a knock-on effect.
Survivors are notified that they have the Oblivious status effect, so this perk isn’t as effective in high-level games. Similarly, survivors playing as a squad can alert each other of the killer’s presence, so Alien Instinct is a perk that’s bad at staying effective when survivors are experienced.
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Unique Perk 3 - Rapid Brutality
One of the Xenomorph’s more unique perks, Rapid Brutality removes the Bloodlust mechanic - granting killers a speed boost when a chase is active for a long time - entirely. Instead, hitting a survivor with a basic attack gives a 5% Haste status effect for 8 seconds at tier 1, 9 seconds at tier 2, and 10 seconds at tier 3.
What is the Rapid Brutality perk good for?
Killers confident in their ability to chase survivors won’t be activating Bloodlust often, so this perk is best suited for players with a bit of experience. The speed boost can help close the distance in a chase or set up strategic plays where a survivor is hit just so an almost-repaired generator can be reached sooner.
Newer killers will definitely struggle with the removal of bloodlust, and survivors that know a map well will gladly run the killer around a loop for as long as the killer stays engaged. Players that commit to chases will often find this perk more limiting than helpful.
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Getting a ‘Merciless’ Match
Players should keep these pieces of advice in mind to secure an achievement-unlocking game.
Dead by Daylightis available on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
