Dead by Daylight Wraith build (November 2023)

The best Dead by Daylight The Wraith build is one that uses its speed and stealth well. The Wraith is a stealthy Killer that was introduced when Dead by Daylight released back in 2016, alongside other original characters like The Trapper and The Hillbilly. Much like other Stealth Killers in Dead by Daylight, using The Wraith is going to take a lot of practice to get right and scare the pants off the Survivors.

In this guide, we'll go over exactly how you should be playing The Wraith, from his perks, add-ons, playstyle and so much more.

Dead By Daylight Wraith perks

The Wraith has three unique perks that can be unlocked for other Killers via the Bloodweb.

Predator

Scratch marks left by Survivors spawn slightly/moderately/considerably together.

Bloodhound

The blood of injured Survivors is shown as bright red and can be tracked 2/3/4 seconds longer than normal.

Shadowborn

Your FOV (field of vision) is increased by 9/12/15%

What is the best build and perks for the Wraith?

We would go with the following perks for the best possible Wraith build:

Discordance (The Legion Perk)

Any Generator within a range of several metres that is being repaired by 2 or more Survivors is marked by a yellow Aura. When the Generator is first highlighted, Discordance triggers a Loud Noise notification on the Generator.

After the Generator is no longer within range or is being repaired by just 1 Survivor, the highlighted Aura will linger for another 4 seconds.

A Nurse's Calling (The Nurse Perk)

Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability. The Auras of Survivors, who are healing or being healed, are revealed to you when they are within a range of several metres.

Hex Ruin (The Hag Perk)

A Hex that affects all Survivor's Generator Repair progress. All Generators automatically regress at percentage of the normal Regression speed whenever they are not being repaired. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing.

Pop Goes the Weasel (The Clown Perk)

A deep bond with The Entity unlocks great strength. After hooking a Survivor, Pop Goes the Weasel activates for the next several seconds.

The next Generator you damage instantly loses 25% Progression. Regular Generator Regression applies afterwards and Pop Goes the Weasel deactivates.

Dead By Daylight Wraith powers

The Wraith’s Power is called The Wailing Bell.

The Wraith carries The Wailing Bell alongside him, and it gives him the power to smack it with his weapon (Azarov’s Skull) in order to cloak and turn invisible, as well as hit again to decloak. It should be noted that The Wraith is always invisible at the start of the match.

When The Wraith is invisible he can move faster than he normally would. For example, when not cloaked The Wraith moves at the average speed that most other Killers do, aka 4.6m/s. But when cloaked, The Wraith moves at 6.0m/s instead and even that can be improved on with certain add-ons and perks.

When cloaked, The Wraith also gains the Undetectable status effect - effectively silencing The Wraith’s Terror Radius (aka a heartbeat and music) from Survivors. It is only when decloaked that a Terror Radius is given to the Killer.

There is a downside to The Wraith’s power, though. Not only is hitting The Wailing Bell audible to Survivors, he has to decloak to hit them - which means that if Survivors see you coming (via the small shiver or hearing The Wraith’s breathing) they are able to get some distance from you.

Best add-ons for the Wraith in Dead By Daylight

Each Killer comes with a number of different Add-Ons that’ll either improve the Killer’s base kit or change it entirely for more fun and engaging gameplay. The Wraith is no exception to this, so we’ve picked out the best Add-Ons for you to choose from.

Coxcombed Clapper

This Iridescent add-on renders The Wailing Bell completely silent. This means that The Wraith can sneak up on Survivors, either from a distance or from behind a wall, and effectively jump-scare them off the generator. When paired with another add-on that reduces decloak time (such as Swift Hunt - Blood), you’ll be able to effectively target Survivors and keep them guessing.

All-Seeing - Blood

As it says in the name, this lets a cloaked Wraith see Survivors when they’re within 12 metres of you. The only downside to this is that you’ll need to remain cloaked in order to sneak up on Survivors, but when paired with other all-seeing perks like I’m All Ears, this add-on can make The Wraith’s hunt for Survivors strong and relentless.

The Ghost - Soot

While only a brown add-on, this lets The Wraith’s Terror Radius and Red Stain remain suppressed for 6 seconds. While Survivors will still hear The Wailing Bell (unless paired with the Coxcombed Clapper), they won’t know exactly where you’re coming from, giving you the opportunity to get them where it hurts.

Swift Hunt - Blood

This add-on tremendously reduces the time needed for The Wraith to decloak - something which is one of the Killer’s greatest weaknesses. The less time it takes for The Wraith to decloak, the less time Survivors have to escape the short burst of speed he gets when fully decloaked. There are lesser versions of this add-on too, such as Swift Hunt - White and Swift Hunt - Mud.

Dead By Daylight Wraith tips and tricks

• The Wraith is great at trapping Survivors into tight spaces. If you find them on a Totem or one-person Generator with little room to escape, trap them in with your body. Because you’re cloaked they won’t see you coming unless they’re paying attention, meaning you can get a free hit by decloaking and giving them a whack.
• Predict a Survivor’s movements and use it against them. If you’re in a Chase and see the Survivor going towards a Pallet, cloak up and stand in the middle of the Pallet to block them off and get a free hit. This works for Vaults too.
• Nurse’s Calling will let him see the aura of Survivors as they heal, with Sloppy Butcher making it longer for them to heal in the first place. These two perks are great for The Wraith players out there who like to sneak up on wounded Survivors in their most vulnerable moments.
• The Wraith has superior speed, but his decloaking can be a pain. If a Survivor runs to a place where there are a lot of pallets, sometimes it’s best to hit them and then find someone else to rush off Generators. This strategy works well with the perks Ruin and Undying.
• Another great build for The Wraith is equipping the perk Bamboozle, as well as an add-on that helps his speed when moving over Vault spaces. With this, The Wraith is able to block off strong Vaults and force Survivors away from safe areas and out into the open.
• Some players are able to tell if a Killer is coming to them through the use of a perk called Spine Chill. To avoid being detected (even when cloaked), tilt your camera slightly so you’re looking a little away from the Generator or Survivor. This lets you get the drop on them and makes the Survivor waste a perk too.

But there you have it, that's all you need to know about the best The Wraith builds in Dead by Daylight. Be sure to check back regularly to see how your build could be improved. In the meantime, check out the killers we wish to see in Dead by Daylight soon, or some games like DBD for when you need a break.

Elsewhere, check out our ranking of the best Dead By Daylight killer perks, as well as an overall tier list ranking each killer. For a couple of extra freebies, we've also got some Dead By Daylight codes to redeem. We also take a look at the newest killer to join the roster in the Dead By Daylight Alien chapter.