The Artist is Dead by Daylight’s crow-summoning killer who places Dire Crows that can be launched to damage survivors from any distance. She excels at anti-loop, map pressure, and sniping survivors across the map with crows. The Artist rewards strategic crow placement, prediction, and understanding swarm mechanics.
Artist has one of the highest skill ceilings in DBD and can be nearly unstoppable when mastered. Let’s break down how to dominate with her.
The Artist’s Power: Birds of Torment
Ability: The Artist summons and launches Dire Crows that travel across the map to damage survivors.
Dire Crow Mechanics (M2)
How it works:
- Press M2 to summon a Dire Crow at your location
- A crow appears as a stationary bird on the ground
- Press M2 again to summon up to 3 crows in different locations
- Hold M2 to launch all placed crows simultaneously
- Crows fly in a straight line indefinitely
- Hitting survivors with crows damages them OR swarms them
Crow behavior:
- Crows travel in straight lines
- Pass through walls, obstacles, and survivors
- Keep flying until they hit a survivor or travel ~60 meters
- Multiple crows can hit the same survivor
Key concept: You place crows, then launch them. They fly across the entire map and hit survivors.
Swarm Mechanic
When crows hit survivors, survivors become SWARMED.
How swarming works:
- First crow hit: Survivor is SWARMED (crows circle their head)
- Swarmed survivors are revealed by Killer Instinct (heartbeat detection)
- Second crow hit while swarmed: Survivor takes DAMAGE (injured or downed)
Swarm details:
- Swarm lasts ~15 seconds
- Survivors can repel swarm by performing the Repel action (takes ~3 seconds)
- Repelling removes swarm but makes a loud sound
- If swarm expires, survivor is no longer swarmed
Key concept: First crow = Swarm (track survivors). Second crow = Damage (injure or down).
Crow Placement Strategy
Crow placement is THE MOST IMPORTANT skill for Artist.
Where to Place Crows
1. At loops:
- Place crows on both sides of a loop
- Launch them to force survivors out
- Survivors either:
- Get hit by crows (swarmed or damaged)
- Leave the loop (you get M1 hit)
2. At generators:
- Place crows near gens with progress
- Launch them to check if survivors are working on gens
- Crows reveal survivors via swarm
3. In straight paths:
- Place crows facing down hallways, corridors, or pathways
- Launch them to hit survivors traveling those paths
4. At hook areas:
- Place crows near hooks
- Launch them to hit rescuers or prevent unhooks
5. Cross-map snipes:
- Place crows facing distant gens
- Launch them to snipe survivors across the map
- Requires map knowledge and prediction
Crow Launch Patterns
Single crow:
- Place one crow
- Launch it at a survivor
- Simple and direct
Spread pattern:
- Place 3 crows in a spread (slight angles)
- Launch them to cover a wider area
- Harder for survivors to dodge
Pincer attack:
- Place crows on opposite sides of a survivor
- Launch them simultaneously
- Survivor is trapped between crows
Cross-map sniping:
- Place multiple crows facing distant objectives
- Launch them to hit survivors far away
- Requires prediction and map knowledge
Anti-Loop Strategy
Artist is one of the BEST anti-loop killers.
How to Deny Loops
Standard loop play:
- Chase survivor to a loop
- Place crows on both sides of the loop
- Launch crows
- Survivor must either:
- Get hit by crows (swarmed or damaged)
- Leave the loop (you M1 them)
Why this works: Survivors can’t stay at loops. Crows force them out or damage them.
Advanced loop play:
- Place crows, DON’T launch immediately
- Survivors see crows and panic
- They leave the loop preemptively
- You M1 them WITHOUT launching crows
Key concept: Crows THREATEN survivors. Even unlaunched crows force survivors to leave loops.
Long-Range Sniping
Artist can hit survivors from ANY distance with crows.
How to Snipe
Cross-map hits:
- Place crows facing distant gens
- Launch them
- If survivors are working on those gens, crows hit them
- They become swarmed (you see Killer Instinct)
- Launch more crows to damage them
Prediction sniping:
- Learn common survivor pathing
- Place crows where survivors will run
- Launch them to hit survivors mid-chase
Sniping tips:
- Crows travel in STRAIGHT LINES
- Aim where survivors WILL BE, not where they ARE
- Requires map knowledge and prediction
Why sniping is strong: You can pressure survivors without being near them. Map-wide presence.
Playing Artist: The Strategy
Artist’s gameplay loop is:
- Place crows at key locations (loops, gens, pathways)
- Launch crows to hit survivors
- First hit = Swarm (track with Killer Instinct)
- Second hit = Damage (injure or down)
- Snipe distant survivors with cross-map crows
- Repeat
Key concept: Artist applies pressure EVERYWHERE. She’s in multiple places at once with crows.
Early Game Strategy
Artist’s early game is about using crows to find and hit survivors.
Opening sequence:
- Patrol gens - Check 3-4 gens
- Place crows at gens - Face crows toward gens
- Launch crows - Hit survivors working on gens (they become swarmed)
- Follow up - Launch more crows at swarmed survivors for damage
- Chase normally - M1 survivors once they’re injured
Goal: Use crows to find and injure survivors quickly. Build pressure with long-range hits.
Mid-Game Strategy
Mid-game is where Artist dominates with crow pressure.
Crow spam:
- Place and launch crows constantly
- Hit survivors at loops, gens, everywhere
- Constant pressure
Swarm tracking:
- Swarmed survivors are revealed by Killer Instinct
- You always know where they are
- Follow up with more crows
Cross-map sniping:
- Place crows facing distant gens
- Launch them to interrupt repairs from far away
- Survivors can’t do gens safely
Anti-loop dominance:
- Place crows at every loop
- Survivors can’t loop safely
- Force them out or damage them
Endgame Strategy
Artist is VERY strong endgame with crows.
Crows at exit gates:
- Place crows facing exit gate switches
- Launch them to hit survivors opening gates
- They become swarmed or take damage
Cross-map gate pressure:
- Place crows at one gate
- Launch them while checking the other gate
- Pressure both gates simultaneously
Swarm tracking endgame:
- Swarmed survivors are revealed
- You know where everyone is at gates
Best Perks for Artist
Artist wants perks that help her capitalize on crow pressure.
Top Tier Perks
Hex: Ruin - Gens not being repaired regress at 200% speed. Artist applies massive pressure with crows, so Ruin gets insane value.
Hex: Undying - Transfers Ruin to another totem when cleansed. Makes Ruin last longer.
Lethal Pursuer - See all survivors at the start for 9 seconds. Place crows toward their locations immediately.
Pain Resonance (Scourge Hook) - Hooking on scourge hooks regresses the gen with most progress. Artist hooks frequently, so this gets tons of value.
Strong Perks
Corrupt Intervention - Blocks the 3 farthest gens for 120 seconds. Gives you time to set up crows.
Deadlock - Blocks the gen with most progress for 30 seconds when a gen completes. Buys you time to place crows.
Pop Goes the Weasel - After hooking, kick a gen to regress it by 30%. Reliable slowdown.
Barbecue & Chili (BBQ) - See survivors’ auras after hooking. Shows you where to snipe crows next.
Grim Embrace - After hooking all survivors once, block all gens for 40 seconds. This is Artist’s teachable perk.
Sample Builds
Slowdown Build (Best for Artist):
- Hex: Ruin
- Hex: Undying
- Pain Resonance
- Lethal Pursuer
Information Build:
- Lethal Pursuer
- Barbecue & Chili
- Pain Resonance
- Deadlock
Beginner Build:
- Corrupt Intervention
- Lethal Pursuer
- Pain Resonance
- NOED
Best Add-Ons
Artist’s add-ons modify crow speed, range, swarm duration, and effects.
Top Tier Add-Ons
Iridescent Feather (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Survivors hit by crows are Oblivious for 30 seconds. They can’t hear your Terror Radius after being hit. VERY strong for stealth.
Severed Hands (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases crow flight speed. Crows travel MUCH faster. Harder to dodge.
Garden Rake (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases swarm duration (from 15 seconds to ~23 seconds). Swarmed survivors stay swarmed much longer.
Iridescent Feather is considered one of Artist’s best add-ons because it makes everyone Oblivious.
Strong Add-Ons
Thick Tar (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases crow flight speed. Budget version of Severed Hands.
Birds of Prey (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases swarm duration. Budget version of Garden Rake.
Festering Carrion (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases crow flight speed.
Auto Wrecker Claw (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases swarm duration.
Avoid These Add-Ons
Untitled Agony - Slightly increases time to launch crows. You WANT to launch faster, not slower. Avoid.
Sample Add-On Combos
Speed Build: Severed Hands + Thick Tar (extremely fast crows, hard to dodge)
Swarm Build: Garden Rake + Birds of Prey (very long swarm duration)
Stealth Build: Iridescent Feather + Severed Hands (Oblivious on hit + fast crows)
Budget Build: Thick Tar + Birds of Prey (decent speed + decent swarm)
Playing Against Good Survivors
Good survivors make Artist work harder, but she’s still very strong.
They repel swarms immediately: Survivors repel swarm before you launch second crow. Counter by launching follow-up crows quickly.
They crouch behind objects: Crouching breaks line of sight for crows. Counter by placing crows on both sides.
They split on gens: Artist can pressure multiple gens with crows. Place crows at all gens.
They predrop pallets: Good. Place crows at pallets and force them out.
They’re in a SWF: Comms let them coordinate. Counter by placing crows unpredictably.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not placing crows at loops: Crows are your anti-loop tool. ALWAYS place crows at loops.
Placing crows randomly: Place crows strategically (at loops, gens, pathways). Don’t spam them.
Not following up on swarms: First crow swarms, second crow damages. Always follow up.
Launching crows immediately: Sometimes DON’T launch crows. The threat alone makes survivors leave loops.
Not sniping across the map: Artist’s strength is long-range pressure. Snipe distant gens with crows.
Ignoring Killer Instinct: Swarmed survivors are revealed. Use this to track them.
Not using multiple crows: Place 2-3 crows in a pattern. Don’t just place one crow.
Map-Specific Tips
Indoor Maps (The Game, Lery’s, Midwich, RPD) - VERY strong for Artist. Tight corridors make crows unavoidable. Artist dominates indoor maps.
Open Maps (Coldwind, MacMillan, Autohaven) - VERY strong for Artist. Open sight lines mean long-range snipes. Artist dominates open maps too.
Large Maps (Mother’s Dwelling, Red Forest) - Still strong for Artist. Long-range crows cover huge distances. Artist doesn’t struggle on large maps.
Multi-Level Maps (The Game, Midwich) - Great for Artist. Crows work on all floors. Survivors can’t escape crow pressure.
Artist is strong on EVERY map - She’s one of the most universally strong killers.
Why Play Artist?
Pros:
- Best anti-loop in the game
- Long-range map pressure (snipe across map)
- Can hit survivors from ANY distance
- Strong on all maps
- High skill ceiling (always room to improve)
- Swarm tracking reveals survivors
- Extremely strong when mastered
Cons:
- VERY high skill floor (hard to learn)
- Requires good prediction and aim
- Survivors can repel swarms
- Complex crow placement
- Takes time to master
- Some survivors find her frustrating
Advanced Tips
Crow threat zoning: Place crows, DON’T launch. Survivors leave loops from fear alone.
Multi-crow patterns: Place 3 crows in a spread pattern. Covers more area.
Cross-map sniping: Learn common gen locations. Snipe them with crows.
Swarm tracking: Swarmed survivors are revealed. Always know where they are.
Crow at pallets: Place crows on both sides of pallets. Survivors can’t drop safely.
Instant follow-ups: Swarm a survivor, immediately launch more crows for damage. Don’t wait.
Killer Instinct abuse: Swarmed survivors are revealed constantly. Use this to track everyone.
Crow spam: Place and launch crows constantly. Keep everyone swarmed.
Learn crow travel time: Crows take time to travel. Lead your shots for moving survivors.
Map knowledge: Learn gen spawns and common paths. Snipe these areas.
Learning Curve and Practice
Artist has one of the steepest learning curves in DBD.
Hours 0-20: Overwhelming. Crow mechanics are complex. Missing crows constantly.
Hours 20-50: Understanding crow placement. Landing some hits. Still struggling.
Hours 50-100: Crow placement improving. Anti-loop working. Winning matches.
Hours 100-200: Strong Artist player. Cross-map snipes landing. Dominating matches.
Hours 200+: Artist main. Perfect crow placement. Nearly unstoppable.
Practice tips:
- Focus on anti-loop first (place crows at loops)
- Practice crow prediction (lead your shots)
- Learn map layouts (for cross-map snipes)
- Watch Artist streamers (Otzdarva, Hens333)
- Don’t give up - Artist takes TIME
Final Thoughts
The Artist is one of Dead by Daylight’s strongest and most complex killers. She rewards prediction, crow placement, and long-range pressure with incredible anti-loop and map control.
Artist has a brutal learning curve but becomes nearly unstoppable when mastered. Practice crow placement, learn to snipe across the map, and embrace the crow pressure.
Master your crows, predict survivor movement, and dominate with long-range strikes.
Good luck, and may your crows always find their prey.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025