The Clown is Dead by Daylight’s bottle-throwing killer who uses gas clouds to slow survivors and speed himself up. He throws Tonic Bottles (yellow gas) to Hinder survivors and Antidote Bottles (purple gas) to give himself Haste. The Clown excels at anti-loop, shutting down loops and pallets with gas clouds that force survivors into bad positions.
Clown is one of the simplest killers mechanically but rewards good aim, bottle management, and understanding zoning. Let’s break down how to master him.
The Clown’s Power: The Afterpiece Tonic
Ability: The Clown has two types of bottles - Tonic (yellow gas) and Antidote (purple gas).
Tonic Bottles (M2 - Yellow Gas)
What they do: Throw bottles that create yellow gas clouds. Survivors in the gas are Hindered (slowed) and have blurred vision.
How to use:
- Press M2 to throw a Tonic Bottle
- Bottle arcs through the air and shatters on impact
- Creates a yellow gas cloud (~6 meters radius)
- Gas lasts ~2.5 seconds
- Survivors in gas are Hindered (15% slower movement)
- Survivors’ vision is blurred (harder to see)
- You have 4 Tonic Bottles by default
Key concept: Tonic slows survivors. Throw bottles at loops to force survivors out of strong positions.
Antidote Bottles (Ctrl/Left Bumper - Purple Gas)
What they do: Throw bottles that create purple gas clouds. Walking through purple gas gives you Haste (increased movement speed) for 5 seconds.
How to use:
- Press Ctrl (or alternate button) to throw an Antidote Bottle
- Bottle arcs through the air and shatters on impact
- Creates a purple gas cloud (~6 meters radius)
- Gas lasts ~5 seconds
- Walking through purple gas gives you 10% Haste for 5 seconds
- You have 2 Antidote Bottles by default
Key concept: Antidote speeds YOU up. Throw bottles ahead of yourself to gain speed during chases.
Bottle Count and Reloading
Bottle inventory:
- 4 Tonic Bottles (yellow)
- 2 Antidote Bottles (purple)
- Total: 6 bottles
Reloading:
- Press R (or reload button) to reload bottles
- Reload takes ~3 seconds
- Reloads ALL bottles at once
- You’re vulnerable while reloading
Key detail: Manage your bottles carefully. Don’t waste them all at once.
Tonic Bottle Strategy (Anti-Loop)
Tonic Bottles are Clown’s primary tool for ending chases.
How to Use Tonic
At loops:
- Chase survivor to a loop
- Throw Tonic AHEAD of where they’re running
- Survivor runs into gas, gets slowed
- You catch up and hit them
At pallets:
- Survivor runs to a pallet
- Throw Tonic at the pallet area
- Survivor either:
- Runs through gas (slowed, you hit them)
- Avoids gas (forced away from pallet)
- Win-win situation
At windows:
- Throw Tonic at window vault locations
- Survivor vaults into gas, gets slowed
- Easy hit after vault
In the open:
- Throw Tonic directly at running survivors
- They’re slowed, you gain distance
Tonic Placement Tips
Throw AHEAD of survivors, not AT them:
- Bottles take time to travel and shatter
- Aim where survivors WILL BE, not where they ARE
- Lead your shots
Cover multiple paths:
- Throw bottles to cover both sides of a loop
- Survivors are forced into gas no matter which way they run
Force pallet drops:
- Throw Tonic at pallets
- Survivors MUST drop pallet early or run through gas
- Either way, you’re winning
Antidote Bottle Strategy (Speed Boost)
Antidote Bottles give you speed to catch survivors faster.
How to Use Antidote
Before chases:
- Throw Antidote ahead of yourself
- Run through purple gas
- Gain speed to reach survivors faster
During chases at long loops:
- Throw Antidote ahead of yourself
- Run through gas for speed boost
- Catch up to survivors at long loops
After breaking pallets:
- Break pallet
- Throw Antidote ahead
- Run through gas to catch up quickly
Closing distance in the open:
- Survivors running away in straight line
- Throw Antidote ahead
- Speed boost closes distance
Antidote Tips
Don’t throw at survivors:
- Antidote doesn’t slow survivors
- Only throw it where YOU will walk
- It’s for YOUR speed, not theirs
Save Antidotes for important moments:
- You only have 2 Antidotes
- Use them when speed will secure hits
- Don’t waste them randomly
Combine with Tonic:
- Throw Tonic at survivor (they slow down)
- Throw Antidote at yourself (you speed up)
- Double advantage
Bottle Management
Managing your 6 bottles is critical.
General bottle usage:
- Use Tonic liberally (you have 4)
- Use Antidote sparingly (you only have 2)
- Reload when you’re down to 1-2 bottles
When to reload:
- After downing a survivor
- When no survivors are nearby
- When you’re out of chase
When NOT to reload:
- Mid-chase (survivors gain distance)
- When you’re about to hit someone
Bottle priority:
- Tonic is more important than Antidote
- If you have to choose, use Tonic
Early Game Strategy
Clown’s early game is about using Tonic to get first hits.
Opening sequence:
- Patrol gens - Check 3-4 gens
- Find survivors - Spot someone on a gen
- Chase them - Chase to a loop
- Throw Tonic - Slow them at loops
- Hit them - Capitalize on slow
- Reload and repeat
Goal: Get first hits quickly with Tonic bottles. Build pressure.
Mid-Game Strategy
Mid-game is where Clown’s anti-loop shines.
Tonic spam:
- Throw Tonic at every loop
- Survivors are constantly slowed
- Easy hits
Antidote usage:
- Use Antidote to close distance after hits
- Speed boost catches up to injured survivors
Reload management:
- Reload after every down
- Always have bottles ready
Snowball potential:
- Clown ends chases quickly with Tonic
- Down survivors fast and chain pressure
Endgame Strategy
Clown is decent endgame with bottles.
Tonic at exit gates:
- Throw Tonic at survivors opening gates
- They’re slowed, easier to hit
Antidote to gates:
- Use Antidote to speed to gates quickly
Bottle zoning:
- Throw Tonic to control gate areas
- Force survivors away from exits
Best Perks for Clown
Clown wants perks that help him capitalize on his anti-loop and chase strength.
Top Tier Perks
Pop Goes the Weasel - After hooking, kick a gen to regress it by 30%. Clown gets hooks frequently, so this gets tons of value. This is Clown’s teachable perk.
Bamboozle - Vault windows 15% faster and block them for 16 seconds. Pairs perfectly with Clown’s anti-loop. Deny windows AND loops.
Corrupt Intervention - Blocks the 3 farthest gens for 120 seconds. Gives you time to find survivors and use bottles.
Hex: Ruin - Gens not being repaired regress at 200% speed. Clown applies pressure in chases, so Ruin helps with slowdown.
Strong Perks
Save the Best for Last (STBFL) - Recover faster after basic attacks. Clown benefits from STBFL because he gets frequent hits with Tonic.
Enduring - Reduces pallet stun time by 75%. Clown forces pallet drops with Tonic. Enduring lets you break pallets faster.
Spirit Fury - Breaking a pallet stuns the survivor. Pairs with Enduring. Force pallets with Tonic, break them, stun survivors.
Sloppy Butcher - Survivors heal slower. Keeps them injured longer.
Deadlock - Blocks the gen with most progress for 30 seconds when a gen completes. Buys you time.
Coulrophobia - Survivors within your Terror Radius heal 50% slower. Clown’s Terror Radius is normal, so this gets decent value. This is Clown’s teachable perk.
Sample Builds
Anti-Loop Build (Best for Clown):
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- Bamboozle
- Corrupt Intervention
- Enduring
Slowdown Build:
- Hex: Ruin
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- Deadlock
- Corrupt Intervention
Pallet Breaker Build:
- Enduring
- Spirit Fury
- Bamboozle
- Pop Goes the Weasel
Beginner Build:
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- Bamboozle
- Sloppy Butcher
- NOED
Best Add-Ons
Clown’s add-ons modify his bottle counts, gas effects, and reload speed.
Top Tier Add-Ons
Redhead’s Pinky Finger (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Direct hits with Tonic Bottles expose survivors for 60 seconds. One bottle hit = Exposed = instant down. VERY strong but requires good aim.
Flask of Bleach (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases Tonic Bottle count (from 4 to 6). More bottles = more anti-loop.
Ether 15% (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases Hindered effect from Tonic (from 15% to 20%). Survivors are MUCH slower in gas.
Sticky Soda Bottle (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases gas cloud duration (from 2.5 seconds to ~4 seconds). Gas lasts much longer.
Strong Add-Ons
Thick Cork Stopper (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases Antidote Bottle count (from 2 to 3). More speed boosts.
Kerosene Can (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases Tonic Bottle count (from 4 to 5). More anti-loop.
Solvent Jug (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases reload speed. Reload faster.
Smelly Inner Soles (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases Hindered effect from Tonic.
Avoid These Add-Ons
Fingerless Parade Gloves - Slightly increases bottle throw speed. Effect is too minor.
Sample Add-On Combos
Exposed Build: Redhead’s Pinky Finger + Flask of Bleach (Exposed on direct hits + more bottles)
Slowdown Build: Ether 15% + Sticky Soda Bottle (stronger slow + longer gas)
Bottle Count Build: Flask of Bleach + Thick Cork Stopper (6 Tonic + 3 Antidote)
Budget Build: Kerosene Can + Solvent Jug (5 Tonic + faster reload)
Playing Against Good Survivors
Good survivors make Clown work, but he’s still solid.
They predrop pallets: Good for Clown. Throw Tonic, force pallet drop, break pallet, continue chase.
They avoid gas: Survivors can run around gas clouds. Throw bottles to cover multiple paths.
They hold W: Survivors running in straight lines are strong against Clown (no mobility). Use Antidote to close distance.
They split on gens: Clown has no mobility. Counter by ending chases quickly with Tonic and running slowdown perks.
They’re in a SWF: Comms let them coordinate. Counter by applying constant bottle pressure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Throwing bottles AT survivors: Throw bottles AHEAD of them. Predict where they’ll run.
Not using Antidote: Antidote gives you speed. Use it to close distance.
Wasting all bottles at once: Manage your bottles. Don’t spam them all immediately.
Not reloading: Reload after downs and when out of chase. Always have bottles ready.
Throwing Antidote at survivors: Antidote doesn’t slow survivors. Only throw it where YOU will walk.
Ignoring bottle count: Track how many bottles you have. Don’t get caught empty.
Not aiming bottles: Bottles have arc and travel time. Practice your aim.
Map-Specific Tips
Indoor Maps (The Game, Lery’s, Midwich, RPD) - VERY strong for Clown. Tight corridors make bottle gas unavoidable. Clown dominates indoor maps.
Open Maps (Coldwind, MacMillan, Autohaven) - Decent for Clown. Tonic works at loops. Survivors can hold W in open areas (Clown’s weakness).
Large Maps (Mother’s Dwelling, Red Forest) - Rough for Clown. Huge maps + no mobility = hard to patrol. Use Antidote for mobility and run slowdown perks.
Multi-Level Maps (The Game, Midwich) - Good for Clown. Bottles work on all floors. Tight spaces make gas deadly.
Why Play Clown?
Pros:
- Strong anti-loop (Tonic slows survivors)
- Simple to understand
- Shuts down loops and pallets
- Good aim is rewarding
- Redhead’s Pinky Finger build is fun (Exposed)
- Decent at most loops
Cons:
- NO mobility (standard 115% speed)
- Weak against hold W
- Requires good bottle aim
- Reload downtime
- Survivors can avoid gas
- Weak on large maps
Advanced Tips
Lead your shots: Throw bottles AHEAD of survivors. Predict their movement.
Double bottle: Throw Tonic at survivor (slow them), throw Antidote at yourself (speed up). Double advantage.
Force pallet drops: Throw Tonic at pallets to force early drops. Break pallets and continue.
Reload after downs: Always reload after downing someone. Never chase without bottles.
Antidote shortcuts: Use Antidote to cross the map faster between gens.
Direct hits with Redhead’s Pinky Finger: Hit survivors DIRECTLY with bottles for Exposed. One-shot potential.
Bamboozle synergy: Clown denies loops AND windows with Bamboozle. Very oppressive.
Tonic at windows: Throw Tonic at vaults. Survivors vault into gas and are slowed.
Gas zoning: Even if survivors avoid gas, you’re controlling where they run. Zoning is powerful.
Learning Curve and Practice
Clown has a low learning curve - one of the easiest killers to learn.
Hours 0-10: Learning bottle aim. Understanding Tonic vs Antidote. Reload management.
Hours 10-30: Bottle aim improving. Using Tonic effectively at loops. Winning matches.
Hours 30-60: Comfortable with Clown. Anti-loop is strong. Dominating most chases.
Hours 60+: Clown main. Perfect bottle aim. Shutting down all loops.
Practice tips:
- Practice bottle aim (lead your shots)
- Use Tonic liberally (you have 4)
- Save Antidote for important speed boosts
- Always reload after downs
- Watch Clown streamers (Otzdarva)
Final Thoughts
The Clown is one of Dead by Daylight’s most straightforward killers. He rewards good bottle aim, anti-loop knowledge, and reload management.
Clown is simple to pick up but has depth in bottle placement and timing. Master Tonic bottles to shut down loops, use Antidote for speed, and dominate chases.
Practice your aim, manage your bottles, and embrace the circus horror.
Good luck, and may your bottles always hit their mark.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025