Dead by Daylight Best Cenobite Build (July 2022)

The Cenobite aka Pinhead from Hellraiser is described as a ‘summoning’ Killer that uses his ability to ensnare, slow down and annihilate Survivors with their chains. The Cenobite is the one of the most recent Killers, having just been introduced to the game on September 7th, 2021 in the Chapter 21: Hellraiser DLC.

The Cenobite is a unique killer as they use mechanics such as being able to teleport their chains in a way similar to The Nurse, as well as teleport towards Survivors like The Nightmare when certain conditions are met. With so much to know about The Cenobite, you might be wondering where to start. Thankfully, our handy guide on the best builds for this summoning Killer will let you know just where to begin.

For more, check out the latest Dead By Daylight codes to redeem, alongside a tier list to see where each killer ranks. We've also got a look at the upcoming Chapter 24 update.

Dead By Daylight Cenobite Killer Perks

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

Scourge Hook: Gift of Pain - 4 hooks (Scourge Hooks) are highlighted white. When a Survivor is placed on these hooks and is later unhooked, they suffer from the Mangled and Haemorrhage status effect until they are healed. After they are healed, Survivors suffer from a 7/8/9% Healing and Repairing speed penalty until they are injured again.

Hex: Plaything - Each time a Survivor is hooked for the first time - and if there is a Dull Totem available - this perk activates. When activated, Survivors suffer from the Cursed and Oblivious status effect and will continue to do so until this totem is cleansed. However, only the Survivor who is suffering from the Hex can cleanse it for the first 90 seconds. Afterwards, other Survivors are able to. The affected Survivor is also able to see the Hex Totem as long as it’s in a range of 24/20/16 metres.

Deadlock - When a Generator is completed, the Entity blocks the Generator with the most progression for 20/25/30 seconds. You can see this Generator highlighted in white.

What Is The Best Build & Perks For The Cenobite

We would go with the following perks for the Best possible Cenobite Build:

Deadlock (The Cenobite Perk)

• You induce mental suffering by crushing any hope of escape. Whenever a Generator is completed, The Entity blocks the Generator with the most progression for several seconds. The Aura of the blocked Generator is revealed to you in white during this time.

Hex: Haunted Ground (The Spirit Perk)

• Two trapped Hex Totems will spawn in the Trial Grounds. When either Hex Totems is cleansed, all Survivors suffer from the Exposed Status Effect for several seconds. The second Hex Totem will immediately turn into a Dull Totem.

Hex: Undying (The Blight Perk)

• A Hex which maintains the vile powers that flow throughout the Trial. The Auras of Survivors within several metres of any Dull Totem are revealed to you. When another Perk's Hex Totem is cleansed, its Hex is transferred to the Hex: Undying Totem, including any accumulated Tokens, disabling Hex: Undying instead

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 The Cenobite Killer Power

The Cenobite’s power is called Summons of Pain. They also have a secondary ability called Lament Configuration, named after the box The Cenobite carries into the trial.

With Summons of Pain, The Cenobite is able to open a gateway and control a hook and chain that springs out of it. To do so, players must press their Ability button to open a gateway, with it effectively working like The Nurse’s ‘Blink’ power. Only, instead of teleporting, The Cenobite throws out a gateway. Players then must use the gateway to shoot out chains and bind Survivors.

When hit by a Chain, the Survivor suffers from the Incapicated status effect - making them unable to run, repair generators, unhook other Survivors and more importantly: unable to escape through the Exit gates.

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Survivors are able to break the chains that hook into them, and these chains can break if they go through solid objects like walls.

As for the Lament Configuration, this is a small box that - if left alone - will eventually initiate A Chain Hunt on Survivors. A Chain Hunt will occasionally summon chains to pull at Survivors, preventing them from doing anything and forcing them to break the chains.

If a Survivor picks up the Lament Configuration, the Chain Hunt will cease. However, the Survivor holding the box suffers from the Oblivious status effect and cannot place the box down. They must solve the Lament Configuration to remove it from their possession. The downside is that The Cenobite will be able to teleport to the Survivor opening the box.

If The Cenobite picks up the box, another Chain Hunt is activated and all Survivors who are instantly bound by chains will scream - letting The Cenobite know their location.

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Dead By Daylight Cenobite Best Add-Ons

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 Cenobite is no exception to this, so we’ve picked out the best Add-Ons for you to choose from.

Slice of Frank - This add-on causes Survivors to suffer the Exhausted status effect when carrying the Lament Configuration. This is pretty effective as Survivors can’t drop the box when they pick it up, and makes them waste an Exhaustion perk if they have one. This is particularly detrimental to Survivors who want to hold the box hostage, as that means they have to rely solely on their vision.

Original Pain - The Cenobite’s kit already slows Survivors and their progression down quite a bit. But with the Original Pain add-on, it gets a lot worse for Survivors who break free from their chains. When they break free, they suffer from the Deep Wound status effect, meaning they need to heal before continuing.

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Greasy Black Lens - This add-on allows The Cenobite to see the Aura of Survivors who are hit by chains for 6 seconds With this, The Cenobite can effectively see Survivors at all times, depending on what perks you run with this add-on. We recommend I’m All Ears and/or BBQ & Chilli.

Iridescent Lament Configuration - This add-on is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, Survivors not being able to see the Lament Configuration if they are 16 metres away can be extremely effective on big maps, but on smaller maps the effects are pretty useless. Still, it’s worth running if you’re going to be putting a map offering down.

Read More - Dead By Daylight Killers Tier List

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Dead By Daylight Cenobite Killer Tips and Tricks

TIP #1 - The Cenobite shouldn’t go looking for the Lament Configuration - you can’t see the aura of the box like Survivors. It wastes time when you could be getting Survivors off Generators.

TIP #2 - Hex: Ruin is a very helpful perk for The Cenobite as Survivors can be yanked off Generators through the use of the Chain Hunt. This helps slow Generators down in a significant way, and will give The Cenobite more of a chance to turn the tides in their favour.

TIP #3 - Chaining Survivors with your Summons of Pain works significantly better the closer the Survivors are. If you chain Survivors who are further away, this gives them time to break away before you’ve even had the chance to catch up and effectively means you’ve just wasted a whole lot of time.

TIP #4 - The Cenobite’s power is one big slow-down, and it only gets more oppressive after Survivors are sacrificed. If you really want to screw Survivors over even more, use more slowdown perks like Pop Goes the Weasel, Corrupt Intervention and as mentioned previously, Hex: Ruin.

TIP #5 - You don’t always need to use your teleport ability when Survivors are using the Lament Configuration. Clever Survivors will pick up the box and solve the puzzle somewhere far from their team, giving them the chance to get Generators done. If that’s the case, ignore them and keep on chasing the Survivors. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t teleport to them.

TIP #6 - Survivors can still vault and throw Pallets down even if they are chained, so be aware of this when trying to knock Survivors down during a chase near a Window or Pallet.

That's all you need to know about the best The Cenobite 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.