The Trickster is a relatively new character in Dead By Daylight, having been added to the killer lineup in April of 2021. Unfortunately, when the character was first introduced, the community was quite disappointed. Unlike some of the other characters, it will take time to learn how to play with Trickster.
Over the past few months, Trickster has received a couple of buffs that have made the character way more competitive. With the right approach, players can dominate survivors with the K-pop themed killer. This guide will cover everything users need to know about Trickster. With a throwing speed buff just a couple of weeks ago, there has not been a better time to try out the character.
Trickster Abilities And Buffs
Trickster's main attack uses throwing knives to cause lacerations. When the character was first released, it took a total of eight knives to remove a healthstate. That is now reduced to six. Five knives must hit a player to trigger the power, and the final knife removes the health state. At the same time, the knives cause the laceration status effect.
Initially, it took way too long for all of the knives to hit a target. Reducing the total knives by two made the Trickster a lot more usable. Some people still refuse to try the killer — but this alteration isn't the only change for the better that the Trickster has received.
In addition to the laceration changes, throwing speed was increased by 5 percent in the recent patch. To balance these buffs, laceration decay begins earlier and decays faster. In other words, survivors will get rid of the status effect quicker. As of now, the Trickster's abilities are as follows:
- 6 knives to remove healthstate
- Laceration starts to decay in 10 seconds
- Laceration meter decays in 15 seconds
Players also have the option of throwing a cluster of knives by holding down attack, but this is usually inefficient. Sticking with the basic attack and getting six hits in a row is the proper way to take down survivors with Trickster.
Controlling Movement
The faster Trickster throws knives, the slower he will move. Users will need to find a balance between throwing speed and movement speed, because survivors will move faster while the killer is in the knife animation. When throwing knives as fast as possible, Trickster will move at around half of his base speed. Players should throw knives fast when targets are out in the open, and slow down the attack when the survivor is far away or behind cover.
Alt Ability
Trickster's alt ability, called "Main Event," is an endless stream of knives that will remove a healthstate in an instant. Main Event is triggered by getting a total of 30 knife hits. Once the ability is active, players have a 30 second window to use it. The alt ability only lasts for about ten seconds, so use it sparingly.
As a result of the buffs in July, Main Event received a slight nerf. It used to only require 20 knives instead of 30 to activate; however, now there is no delay between use and the knife animation. Additionally, the window to use the alt was increased by 20 seconds. Overall, these changes still amount to a slight nerf, but are not that impactful in game.
How To Play As Trickster
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There are a few things gamers will want to do to maximize the potential of this killer. The first is to tap his knife throws. Holding down M1 will cause a recoil effect that shakes the screen side to side and also kicks the hip indicator up. It is considerably more effective to have added control while heaving the knives. At the same time, tapping allows users to limit the movement penalty while lacerating survivors. Tap fire to stay within range and spam fire when a survivor is exposed.
Get To Point Blank Range
The second crucial strategy is to basically be within melee range before throwing the first knife. If killers are close enough, survivors will not have time to get away. Resist the urge to fire every time a survivor appears. Inflicting damage is pointless if Trickster is unable to get the sixth knife to hit. If enemies are hiding behind objects or pallet looping, throw the knives over the objects, they will sometimes connect.
Main Event And Over Committing
Gamers should save Main Event for a healthy survivor and finish off injured survivors with the base ability. Main Event is a very powerful attack, but with a time limit of ten seconds, it should only be used when the ability will lead to a sure kill. A similar principle applies to overcommitting. If a survivor has a ten meter lead, it might not be worth the effort to track them down. Instead, regroup and look for another survivor in range. Overcommitting is not only a waste of time, it will also leave Tricksters without Main Event for a longer period.