The Cannibal - better known as Bubba or Leatherface - is one of Dead by Daylight’s most straightforward killers. He swings a chainsaw in a wide arc, instantly downing any survivor he hits. Bubba is simple to pick up, but mastering him requires good positioning, chainsaw management, and knowing when to commit.
Bubba is infamous for camping hooks (his chainsaw punishes unhook attempts), but he’s also strong in chases and has incredible multi-down potential. Let’s break down how to play him effectively - and how to use him for more than just facecamping.
The Cannibal’s Power: Bubba’s Chainsaw
Ability: Bubba swings his chainsaw in a sweeping arc, hitting multiple survivors in front of him.
How it works:
- Press M2 to start a chainsaw sweep
- Bubba swings the chainsaw in front of him for ~2 seconds
- Hitting a survivor instantly downs them (regardless of health state)
- You have 3 charges (tokens) by default
- Each charge lets you extend the sweep by pressing M2 again
- Hitting an object (wall, pallet, etc.) causes a tantrum (stun)
- Tantrum lasts 4-5 seconds and you can’t attack
The goal: Use the chainsaw to down survivors at loops, punish unhooks, and get multi-downs when survivors group up. Bubba excels at shutting down loops and controlling hooks.
Basic Chainsaw Mechanics
Understanding Bubba’s chainsaw is critical to playing him well.
Chainsaw Charges (Tokens)
Bubba has 3 chainsaw charges by default. Each charge extends the sweep duration.
How charges work:
- Press M2 to start the chainsaw sweep (uses 1 charge)
- While sweeping, press M2 again to consume another charge and extend the sweep
- You can extend the sweep up to 3 times total (using all 3 charges)
- Each sweep lasts ~2 seconds
- Maximum sweep duration: ~6 seconds (if you use all charges)
Key concept: The more charges you use, the longer you can sweep. This lets you loop around obstacles and hit survivors who try to dodge.
Charges recharge slowly (~10 seconds per charge). Don’t waste all your charges if you won’t get a hit.
Chainsaw Sweep Arc
Bubba’s chainsaw sweeps in a wide arc in front of him (about 180 degrees).
What this means:
- You can hit multiple survivors standing close together
- You can hit survivors slightly to your left or right (not just directly in front)
- You can turn while sweeping to track survivors
Turning during sweep:
- You can turn about 90 degrees total during a single sweep
- This lets you track survivors who try to juke or run past you
- Practice turning during sweeps to hit survivors who think they’re safe
Tantrum Mechanic
If you hit an object while sweeping, you enter a tantrum (stun).
What causes tantrum:
- Hitting walls
- Hitting trees
- Hitting pallets (dropped or standing)
- Hitting breakable walls
- Hitting any solid object
During tantrum:
- You’re stunned for 4-5 seconds
- You can’t attack or move quickly
- Survivors gain huge distance
- You look foolish (Bubba screams and flails)
How to avoid tantrum:
- Don’t sweep near walls or obstacles
- Position yourself in open areas before sweeping
- Cancel the sweep (stop pressing M2) if you’re about to hit an object
- Learn map layouts to know where obstacles are
Chainsaw Speed
While sweeping, Bubba moves at 5.29 m/s (132% speed). This is faster than survivors (4.0 m/s / 100%), but slower than his base movement speed (4.6 m/s / 115%).
What this means:
- You gain ground on survivors while sweeping
- You can catch up to survivors running in a straight line
- You’re still fast enough to hit survivors at most loops
Note: During the initial rev (before the sweep starts), Bubba moves at 87% speed (slower than survivors). This means survivors can create distance while you’re revving.
When to Use the Chainsaw
Knowing when to sweep vs when to M1 is critical.
Use Chainsaw When:
1. Survivors are in the open
- No walls or obstacles nearby
- Survivors running in a straight line
- Easy chainsaw hit, no tantrum risk
2. At short loops
- Jungle gyms, LT-walls, short tiles
- You can sweep around the loop and hit them
- Even if they drop the pallet, you can sweep through it
3. Multiple survivors grouped up
- Unhook attempts
- Gen rushing together
- Healing near each other
- You can down 2-3 survivors in one sweep
4. Survivor is locked in animation
- Vaulting a window
- Dropping a pallet
- Unhooking someone
- They can’t dodge, guaranteed hit
5. Endgame at exit gates
- Survivors injured at gates
- Sweep to hit multiple survivors before they escape
Use M1 When:
1. Tight spaces with walls
- Indoors maps (Lery’s, The Game, RPD)
- Near walls or obstacles
- High tantrum risk
2. Survivor is right next to you
- No time to rev
- M1 is faster
3. You’re low on charges
- 0-1 charges left
- Save charges for better opportunities
4. Survivor at a strong pallet
- Shack pallet, main building pallet
- Sweeping risks tantrum
- Break the pallet with M1, then chainsaw later
Chainsaw Techniques
Bubba has a few advanced techniques that separate good players from great ones.
1. Pre-Revving (Holding the Sweep)
What it is: Starting the chainsaw sweep early, then holding it while approaching a survivor.
How to do it:
- Start sweeping before you’re in range
- Hold the sweep (don’t use all charges)
- Approach the survivor with the active chainsaw
- Hit them when you’re close
Why it works: Survivors expect you to start the sweep when you’re close. Pre-revving catches them off guard and gives you more time to track their movement.
When to use it: At pallets, windows, and when chasing in the open.
2. Sweep Bumping (Controlled Bumps)
What it is: Intentionally bumping into objects to end your sweep early and conserve charges.
How to do it:
- Start a sweep
- Realize you won’t hit the survivor
- Bump into a nearby object to enter tantrum
- Tantrum is shorter than wasting all your charges
Why it works: Wasting all 3 charges leaves you vulnerable. Bumping early saves charges and lets you recover faster.
Warning: Only do this if you’re SURE you won’t hit the survivor. Don’t bump unnecessarily.
3. Chainsaw at Pallet Drops
What it is: Sweeping as a survivor drops a pallet, hitting them through the pallet drop animation.
How to do it:
- Chase survivor to a pallet
- They drop the pallet
- Start your sweep immediately
- Hit them as they’re locked in the animation
Why it works: Survivors are locked in place during pallet drops. You get a guaranteed hit.
Note: If the pallet is already down and they’re on the other side, don’t sweep - you’ll tantrum. Only sweep during the DROP animation.
4. Turning the Sweep
What it is: Turning your camera during the sweep to track survivors who juke.
How to do it:
- Start the sweep
- Survivor jukes left or right
- Turn your camera to follow them
- Hit them despite their juke
Why it works: Survivors expect you to sweep in a straight line. Turning tracks their movement and lands hits.
Practice tip: Play a few matches focusing ONLY on turning during sweeps. You’ll develop muscle memory for tracking.
5. Multi-Downs
What it is: Hitting multiple survivors with one sweep.
How to do it:
- Multiple survivors grouped together (unhooking, healing, on a gen)
- Start sweeping
- Sweep across all of them
- Down 2-3 survivors at once
Why it works: Bubba’s sweep has a wide arc. If survivors are close together, you can hit all of them.
This is Bubba’s greatest strength - punishing survivors who group up.
Early Game Strategy
Bubba’s early game is about finding survivors quickly and landing your first down.
Opening sequence:
- Patrol gens - Check 3-4 gens quickly
- Find a survivor - Spot someone on a gen
- Chase with M1 - Get close, force them to a loop
- Chainsaw at the loop - Sweep around the loop or hit them at a pallet
- Hook and patrol - Hook them, patrol nearby gens
Key concept: Bubba doesn’t have early game mobility like Billy or Nurse. You need to find survivors and down them efficiently with your chainsaw.
Common mistake: Sweeping in bad positions and tantrumming constantly. Play patiently and sweep only when you have a good angle.
Mid-Game Strategy
Mid-game is where Bubba excels. You’re landing chainsaw hits, hooking survivors, and defending hooks.
Hook defense: Bubba is one of the best hook defenders in the game. If survivors swarm for a save, sweep and down multiple survivors. This is why Bubba is infamous for camping - it’s VERY effective.
That said, camping is boring and bad for long-term improvement. Here’s how to play Bubba without facecamping:
Non-camping strategy:
- Hook someone near a gen cluster
- Patrol nearby gens (don’t stare at the hook)
- If you see someone going for the unhook, chainsaw over and sweep
- You can defend the hook without standing directly in front of it
Multi-down potential: If multiple survivors are healing or working on a gen together, sweep and down all of them. Bubba snowballs HARD when survivors group up.
Gen pressure: Bubba doesn’t have built-in slowdown, so you need to pressure gens manually. Patrol, interrupt repairs, and force survivors off gens.
Endgame Strategy
Bubba is VERY strong endgame.
Exit gates: Injured survivors at exit gates are easy chainsaw downs. Sweep and hit multiple survivors trying to escape.
Hook camping endgame: If someone’s hooked during endgame, camping is often the correct play. Survivors HAVE to come for the save, and you can sweep to down them.
Bodyblocking: Stand in front of the exit gate switch and sweep if survivors try to open it.
NOED synergy: If you run NOED, Bubba becomes terrifying endgame. One chainsaw sweep downs anyone.
Best Perks for Bubba
Bubba wants perks that help him find survivors, slow down gens, and capitalize on his chainsaw.
Top Tier Perks
Barbecue & Chili (BBQ) - See survivors’ auras after hooking. Tells you where to patrol next. Also gives bonus bloodpoints. Classic Bubba perk (it’s HIS teachable perk).
Lethal Pursuer - See all survivors at the start for 9 seconds. Helps you find your first chase quickly.
Corrupt Intervention - Blocks the 3 farthest gens for 120 seconds. Forces survivors toward you early game. Gives you time to find and down survivors.
Pop Goes the Weasel - After hooking, kick a gen to regress it by 30%. Helps slow down gen progress while you’re chasing.
Bamboozle - Vault windows 15% faster and block them for 16 seconds. Shuts down window loops and forces survivors into chainsaw-able positions.
Infectious Fright - Survivors within 32 meters scream when you down someone, revealing their location. Essential for snowball builds.
Forced Hesitation - Survivors within 16 meters of a downed survivor move 20% slower. Perfect for chaining downs with Iridescent Flesh.
Strong Perks
Deadlock - Blocks the gen with most progress for 30 seconds when a gen completes. Buys you time to pressure other areas.
Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance - Hooking on scourge hooks regresses the gen with most progress. Automatic slowdown.
Agitation - Move faster while carrying survivors. Makes it easier to hook in the basement (where Bubba can defend effectively).
Iron Grasp - Survivors wiggle slower. Pairs with Agitation for basement hooks.
Franklin’s Demise - Survivors drop items when hit. Great against flashlight squads and toolbox gen rushers. This is Bubba’s teachable perk.
Lightborn - Immune to flashlight blinds. Counters flashlight saves completely.
Sample Builds
Epidemy’s Snowball Build (Advanced):
- Bamboozle
- Corrupt Intervention
- Forced Hesitation
- Infectious Fright
- Add-ons: Iridescent Flesh + The Beast’s Marks
How it works: This build is designed for massive snowball potential. Bamboozle shuts down vault loops for quick first downs. Corrupt forces survivors toward you early game. Once you get your first chainsaw down:
- Infectious Fright reveals all nearby survivors with screams
- Forced Hesitation makes them 20% slower
- Iridescent Flesh instantly refills all your chainsaw charges
- You chainsaw to the nearest screaming survivor (they’re slower, easier to catch)
- Down them, charges refill again, repeat
- Chain 3-4 downs in rapid succession
This build requires good chainsaw control and game sense, but in the right hands it’s devastating. You’re essentially converting one down into a full team wipe through charge resets and slowdown. Credit to Epidemy, the top Bubba player, for perfecting this build.
Classic Bubba Build:
- Barbecue & Chili
- Corrupt Intervention
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- Lethal Pursuer
Basement Bubba Build (Meme/Fun):
- Agitation
- Iron Grasp
- Deadlock
- Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance
Anti-Item Build:
- Franklin’s Demise
- Lightborn
- Barbecue & Chili
- Corrupt Intervention
Beginner Build:
- Barbecue & Chili
- Sloppy Butcher
- NOED
- Bitter Murmur
Best Add-Ons
Bubba’s add-ons range from essential to situational. Here are the best:
Top Tier Add-Ons
Iridescent Flesh (Pink - Ultra Rare) - When you down a survivor with your chainsaw, all charges are instantly refilled. EXTREMELY strong for chaining downs. This is the cornerstone of Bubba’s snowball builds. Pair with The Beast’s Marks and Infectious Fright for massive multi-down potential. In the right hands, one down can turn into a 4k.
The Beast’s Marks (Green - Rare) - Increases maximum chainsaw charges from 3 to 4. More charges = longer sweeps = easier hits. Essential for the Iridescent Flesh snowball build.
Begrimed Chains (Purple - Very Rare) - Survivors hit by the chainsaw suffer Mangled and Hemorrhage. They heal slower and leave more blood. Great for slowing down the game.
Depth Gauge Rake (Purple - Very Rare) - Decreases charge time to activate the chainsaw sweep. Faster sweep startup = harder for survivors to react.
Carburettor Tuning Guide (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Increases movement speed during chainsaw sweep to 138%. You’re MUCH faster, making it easier to catch survivors. One of Bubba’s best add-ons.
Award-Winning Chili (Green - Rare) - Decreases charge time. Faster sweeps = more pressure.
Strong Add-Ons
Chili (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly decreases charge time. Cheap and effective.
Vegetable Oil (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly reduces chainsaw noise. Survivors don’t hear you revving from far away.
Knife Scratches (Brown - Common) - Slightly increases movement speed during sweep. Budget version of Carburettor Tuning Guide.
Avoid These Add-Ons
Speed Limiter (Yellow - Uncommon) - Chainsaw only injures instead of downing. YOU LOSE INSTANT DOWNS. Only use for bloodpoint farming. Never in serious matches.
Rusted Chains - Adds Mangled to chainsaw hits. Worse version of Begrimed Chains.
Sample Add-On Combos
Snowball Build (Best): Iridescent Flesh + The Beast’s Marks (charge resets + 4 charges for extended sweeps)
Speed Build: Carburettor Tuning Guide + Knife Scratches (fast sweep, easy catches)
Charge Build: The Beast’s Marks + Award-Winning Chili (4 charges, fast startup)
Slowdown Build: Begrimed Chains + Depth Gauge Rake (Mangled + fast sweeps)
Budget Build: Chili + Vegetable Oil (faster sweeps, quieter chainsaw)
Playing Against Good Survivors
Good survivors make Bubba work harder. Here’s how to adapt:
They predrop pallets early: Good. Break the pallet and continue chasing. Predropping wastes resources.
They hug tight loops: Don’t sweep near walls. You’ll tantrum. Force them into the open, then sweep.
They split on gens: Bubba struggles with gen pressure. Patrol efficiently and commit to chases you can win with the chainsaw.
They use windows effectively: Use Bamboozle to shut down windows, or sweep as they vault. They’re locked in the animation and can’t dodge.
They flashlight save: Run Lightborn or face a wall when picking up survivors.
They’re in a SWF: Comms let them coordinate. Counter by landing chainsaw hits fast and punishing grouped survivors with Infectious Fright.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Sweeping near walls constantly: This causes tantrum. Learn when NOT to use your chainsaw.
Facecamping every hook: It works, but it’s boring and you won’t improve. Learn to patrol and pressure gens.
Wasting all charges for no hits: Don’t commit to full sweeps if you won’t land a hit. Save charges.
Not using M1: Bubba has a basic attack. Use it when the chainsaw isn’t practical.
Ignoring gen pressure: Bubba has no built-in slowdown. You need to patrol gens and interrupt repairs.
Sweeping at strong pallets: Shack pallet, god pallets - don’t sweep near these. You’ll tantrum. Break them and sweep later.
Not turning during sweeps: Survivors juke. Turn your camera to track them.
Not capitalizing on Iridescent Flesh: If you’re running the snowball build, ALWAYS use the charge refill to chainsaw to the next survivor immediately.
Map-Specific Tips
Open Maps (Coldwind, MacMillan, Autohaven) - Great for Bubba. Lots of open space, easy chainsaw hits, few tantrum risks.
Indoor Maps (The Game, Lery’s, Midwich, RPD) - Bad for Bubba. Tight corridors, lots of walls, constant tantrum risk. Use M1 more and bring Bamboozle to shut down windows.
Corn Maps (Coldwind Farm) - Strong for Bubba. Survivors can’t see you coming, and you can sweep through corn easily.
Swamp Maps - Decent for Bubba. Open areas but lots of trees and stumps. Watch for tantrum risks.
Red Forest (Mother’s Dwelling) - Rough for Bubba. Huge map, lots of trees. Hard to pressure gens.
Basement Maps - ANY map with a central basement is strong for Bubba. Hook survivors in the basement and defend with your chainsaw.
Why Play Bubba?
Pros:
- Simple power, easy to learn
- Instant downs with chainsaw
- Multi-down potential
- Insane snowball potential with Iridescent Flesh
- Extremely strong at defending hooks
- Fun and satisfying chainsaw sweeps
- Great for learning pressure and positioning
Cons:
- Tantrum mechanic is punishing
- Weak on indoor maps
- No built-in mobility or slowdown
- Infamous for camping (community stigma)
- Limited skill ceiling compared to other killers
The Camping Question
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Bubba is known for facecamping hooks.
Why camping works on Bubba:
- His chainsaw punishes unhook attempts
- Survivors can’t safely unhook without trading
- He can down multiple survivors in one sweep
Why you shouldn’t camp every match:
- It’s boring
- You won’t improve at chases
- It’s frustrating for survivors
- Other killers are better for camping anyway
When camping is justified:
- Endgame (survivors have to save, exit gates are open)
- Multiple survivors swarming for a save
- Defending a 3-gen with a hooked survivor nearby
How to play Bubba without camping:
- Hook and patrol nearby gens
- Use your chainsaw in chases
- Punish grouped survivors with Infectious Fright
- Defend hooks when appropriate, but don’t stand there the whole time
Final Thoughts
The Cannibal is one of DBD’s most straightforward killers. He’s easy to pick up, fun to play, and has incredible multi-down potential. His chainsaw punishes survivors who group up, and his hook defense is unmatched.
Don’t just camp hooks every game. Learn to use your chainsaw in chases, pressure gens, and snowball with multi-downs using Iridescent Flesh builds. Bubba has more depth than people give him credit for.
Practice positioning, learn when to sweep vs when to M1, and master turning during sweeps. Once you get comfortable with the snowball build, you’ll be chaining 3-4 downs in rapid succession.
Good luck, and may your chainsaw always find its mark.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025