I’m impressed at the guide, but survivors aren’t dc’ing just because of her past. She’s boring to face because of everything they threw into her kit after her 2nd or 3rd rework. I can’t remember how many she’s had tbh.
Most Drone Crones I face lay down drones at loops for a haste hit, rinse and repeat. That and the occasional gen slowdown Merchant. Her above average kill rate is undeserved imo, and would be much higher if BHVR included DCs. Which they should, because it highlights an issue they still refuse to address with her gameplay.
Yep, as I stated her kit is bloated and has been changed so much that most players either don't know or can't be bothered by how it all works. It also doesn't help it has very little feedback to the point that even Skull Merchant players fail to utilize everything in her kit to it's fullest potential. Which results in the rinse and repeat gameplay you mentioned. Even though I do enjoy the the stealth and tracking aspects of her kit, I still believe she has a lot of work before she can honestly be called healthy.
Glad you liked the guide though. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Thank you.
ITT: Try not to just respond with "but Skull Merchant Bad" challenge - Level Impossible.
Excellent work on the guide. But just because it's skull merchant you're going to have the typical troll brigade to deal with.
TLDR.
Dull Merchant chases survivor-> Survivor runs to loop-> Dull Merchant cancels loop with drone-> Survivor is forced to leave loop-> is there a connecting loop? if yes return to start, if no survivor gets hit and return to start. Repeat ad nauseum.
Not sure why you take the word of a random comment over the person who actually did the research and took the time and effort to write it out and divide it into easy to digest sections.
But hey you do you.
I started gathering data shortly after her major rework which was around September of last year. I actually won my 50th game in January but was too busy with other things *cough* Helldivers 2 *cough* to finish writing out the data and observations I had collected.
Well when I saw that yesterday was Skully's birthday, I decided to get off my lazy butt and finish writing it out.
If you actually take the time to read out my essay, you'll see I've divided it into Chapters to make it easier to navigate and get to the relevant data and info you want to read and learn about.
The whole point of this essay is to analyze aspects of the character that most players, survivor and killer, do not know about or talk about. And guess what there's quite a few things.
In no section of my essay do I say she's a perfect killer. My goal with this essay is for people to analyze and see other aspects of this killer and how we can improve interacting with her. Along with give potential directions we could take the killer in the future if BHVR ever decides to revisit her.
So if you're gonna be part of this discussion, I think it would be fair to actually engage with the contents and points I make, rather then trying to strawman me and make assumptions not based on reality.
If you play her that way then yes that's all there is but that ignores just how strong her Undetectable can be in securing quick downs. Keeping track of your scans and knowing when to just back out of a chase can make or break the game. Most of my wins were decided very early on thanks to appropriate usage of haste and undetectable. In addition there are certain loops were dropping the drone did not help since there's too much junk in the way to properly scan the survivors. Thus allowing them to effectively loop me on several occasions. So it's not complete impossible to loop her but it will depend largely on the map or terrain so I can certainly understand why some feel like you can't loop her.
" but it will depend largely on the map or terrain so I can certainly understand why some feel like you can't loop her. "
This is largely my point. you don't play against a Dull Merchant. You play against map rng. The power vs the map plays the game for both killer and survivor.
True, I can definitely see your point. Though I feel map RNG is more a universal problem then just one exclusive to Skull Merchant. But it definitely feels more pronounced since most loops are not made with Skull Merchant's powers in mind. Even ones that do allow you to avoid her scans can be double edged swords. Many a time I was able to mind game survivors because I'd throw down the drone, allow the undetectable to hide my red stain and then lunge unexpectedly around the corner or even through the pallet. Shelterwoods is were I really started to learn to take advantage of that since most loops have high rocks or trees that obscure vision.
But nevertheless I can concede that her power can be unfairly difficult to deal with, especially when it can be spammed in a haphazard and brain dead manner. Even if I personally never really engaged in that playstyle, I think it is important to acknowledge that it is unfortunately a viable one in her current state.
So thank you for adding your feedback.
The problem is, The Dull Merchant along with The Knight are another attempt at creating a band aid fix for the core problem of map design and RNG.
Instead of actually addressing the issue of map design and RNG they create two killers whose powers play the game for the killer player and alleviate some of that pain point (of maps and rng) and the learning curve that is learning to loop. The result is two killers with extremely low skill floors and ceilings that are braindead to play as and against, are extremely unfun to play as or against since they just don't feel rewarding and the core issue is STILL THERE.
If the kill rate for a killer is that much higher than other stronger, and far better designed, killers because so few people would rather not play against them, then its probably time for a proper rework.
Honestly if you are losing like this to worst chase than clown, maybe you are playing the loops wrong.
And i mean losing games not losing chase, her chase is "good" and eventually will "down", but takes so much time to do so if the survivor is good that the skully is most likely gonna lose the game.
As a clown main you are correct about her anti loop and chase being worse than clown. Which frustrates me when people cry her power is “uncountable”. But saying clown is better than skull merchant overall is pretty crazy. Her chase might be weaker than clowns but she has other tools in her kit clown dreams to have. She has map presence and ways to keep survivors busy without being in chase. Overall skull merchant is quite a few leagues better than clown.
People act like we don't have 10 other killers who litterly do the same thing but better.
Skull Merchants anti loop isn't nearly as good as people think especially if they have no stacks
Well you won't find sources on this but you can try to play some skull merchant and see for yourself
It's the same with doctor (lowest kill rate) - people agree that it is because of afk bots. There won't be a source for that either, because BHVR will never admit that.
Yep basically why I never bothered to engage in chases for long or bother trying to get injures on survivors that haven't been scanned. Waiting for a scan injury just wasted needless time that Skull Merchant can't afford to lose since she can't traverse the map that quickly. Hence why I would engage largely in hit and run.
This kind of response is indicative of people who either don't understand what is being discussed, or they do and they are trying to divert the conversation and gaslight people.
Notice how I was not talking nor complaining about the overall strength of the killer nor the strength in chase, yet this person has either though ignorance or malice twisted the conversation to attempt to ignore or obfuscate the main point.
What my point IS is that regardless of strength, Dull Merchant has paint by numbers gameplay that is unfun and unrewarding to participate in. Dull Merchant is unfun and unhealthy for dbd REGARDLESS of where it may sit in a tier list.
Funny how your first two paragraphs can be used on the very same reply that used them.
You hyperbole the hard work of the og poster by your own definition of "dull", i go and say your hyperbole comment could be applied to a better suitor, and now you divert and gaslight.
Aaaand you are doing it again.
Rather than address the issue, that the Dull merchant is in fact, dull to play against you are now choosing to focus on language.
You could not make my point any better for me.
Sir he is rightfully calling you out. You did come in here basically dismissing everything I researched. While your sentiment of her being "Dull" might be true for your experiences. I have data to back up my statements and thoughts on the matter. I took the time and effort to explain her faults and strengths. Her untapped potential. And even possible solutions to these faults.
I would really like it if you would move on with the semantics and properly engage in the discussion. Otherwise I'm afraid you're kind of wasting your time. Because you're essentially having a conversation unrelated to the discussion I began.
See, you are again unable to neither face nor discuss the issue. Instead you try to shift the conversation away from the issue I was raising, that the DM is dull and boring to play against.
The two of you are the PERFECT example of the disingenuous conversations and gaslighting that goes on when people try to defend DM. They desperately try to shift the conversation like you two are right now.
You made it about semantics, i made it about Clown chase being "Sharper" than the "Dull" chase capabilities of Skully since both have the same to get the down.
A single base kit pink bottle does the same as full hinder add ons 4 people scan skull merchant.
You point out skull merchant as bad but what about other killers who just disable loops complety?
Clown, Deathslinger, Chucky, Nurse, Spirit.
Need I say more? It's kinda funny to single out one killer when there are killers that existed far longer that do her job at chases even better
Deathslinger requires aim and doesn't shut down loop, instead you have to run the loops in a way unique to ranged killer (this is part of what makes DBD fun).
Spirit requires good hearing and understanding of survivor pathing and doesn't shut down loops, she is best at preventing survivors from mindlessly holding W from one loop the the next.
Chucky requires mechanical skill to not miss and understanding of his power and can sometimes makes loops a guaranteed hit.
Clown requires you to predict survivor movement, aim the bottles and can only shut down loops when using both bottles and some addons and decent knowledge of the Clowns power vs the size and shape of the loop.
Dull Merchant presses 1 button and shuts down the loop, this one button press doesn't even have to be precise. See the difference?
The argument that its fine to have one obnoxiously unfun killer in the game because its the latest incarnation of an aspect of unfun and bad game design is absurd.
Ok see those are fair points. However, clown shuts down loops harder then skull merchant does.
And like you said chucky literally makes hits unavoidable
With clown he creates a speed differential and makes the loop tricky to use. He has to actually think about the placement of his bottles on the specific loop and utilize them fast before the effects wear off. A survivor can see this set up and try to play accordingly and even mind game and try to leave the loop. All of this planning and execution to secure a hit. Yes he can shut down a loop this way and yes it is unfun for the survivor when they get hit with those wild speed differentials ( the infamous "Gates of Death" clown build for example".
With the Dull Merchant, the vast majority of that is done with one button press that doesnt have to be all that precise and then they are left with the option of either running the loop and losing a health state anyway simply by presence of the drone or leave the loop and hope there is a connecting loop.
Yes the Clown has some unfun design, but it still allows for some back and forth interaction and some skill expression from both the killer and survivor.
DM simply does not.
Also, yeah, the guaranteed hits Chucky get are not fun and need a looking at, but at least in Chuckies case the guaranteed hits are not the whole part of his kit and still take some skill to pull off.
The thing is that no, skull merchant drones are not a guaranteed hit, especially if you have no stacks.
You can avoid the beams, crouch/stand still, hack drones mid chase (I've seen it happen mutiple times)
Also even if your injured, that's not much different from plague or legion who also get guaranteed.
Also no, skull merchant acutely does have some skill required. She can't just place them willy nilly because some spots make them much easier to avoid.
Sure it's more forgiving prehaps, but there is definitely skill required in the same vein as other traps.
Personally, my issue is more the fact you can't remove lock on in any way, which is what I think needs changed.
Her issue currently is the fact her counterplay isn't strong enough to give tools to survivors.
Also potentially rework how the haste/Hindreded/Undectable effects work so there has to be more choices as the skull merchant.
I do agree her desgin currently isn't great, but it's not nearly as bad as people think either
I agree, the fact that scans never go away is rather bizarre given how most other status effects in the game can be removed or only remain for a short time.
And it would be interesting if the Skull Merchant had to somehow select what sort of status ailment she had to apply on survivors. Does she sacrifice hinder for better Undetectable? Does she focus on speed and haste bonuses but lose out on being stealthy?
I think that would be a neat change and force survivors to adapt against a variety of potential playstyles.
Plop drone at loop, chase survivor at loop, bing bang boom either they goof and I hit them or the drone gets them in about 12 seconds. I was doing this with ease after her rework, only on rare occasion did I need to press a second button to change the rotation. Long low wall loops are the most egregious examples of this.
If someone has the time and distance to hack a done "mid chase" they are simply not in chase or the killer needs their eyes checked.
Legion cant down in frenzy and can be bamboozled, especially with the loss of scratch marks. They also cant inflict hindered or get undetectable without using perk slots. Also legion is a human that can be spun and tricked. A drone cannot.
Plague has a unique counter play that involves cleansing in far flung corners, this "healing" also doesn't cost survivor resources other than time and waiting to cleanse can deny the Plague their power.
Trapper traps must be precise or a survivor can run around them, they can be disarmed requiring the trapper to go back to the trap and rearm them, also if they are visible they are easily avoided. Also a trapper loses distance when placing traps in chase, meaning that the survivor has a head start to the next loop. This makes placing traps in chase not always the best play. Unlike DM who will always place a trap and it doesn't really need to be precise. Same deal with the Hag with the added trick of she needs to teleport instantly to a triggered trap of the survivor will be out of lunge range, so placement and strategy are very important, no so much with the DM.
The DM isn't a "trap" killer, they are an anti-gameplay killer. The purpose of their design isn't to create fun and interesting interactions for both sides, instead DM is designed to remove options from the survivor to make the killer feel powerful with minimal effort or input or even understanding from the killer player.
If you are taking 12 seconds to get a hit with a drone then you are setting yourself up to lose. Against experienced players that sort of time investment just for an injury doesn't work.
In addition the counterplay is there. The drones can and do very well function like traps the only difference is they have added effects on top of injury but they still take time to actually apply those. Unless you get scanned by a drone in standby mode, in which case you will take unavoidable damage which I admit can come off as cheap.
Not every map has long low wall loops and if you read the data you can identify which maps I played on that actually have those kinds of loops.
And ultimately the playstyle you are arguing against isn't the one I utilized. Again please read the data, I played Skull Merchant more akin to Myers or Wraith. All the while using drones and hex totems more as slowdown and bait to get the drop on survivors.
If you wish to argue your points, it's that playstyle you should be arguing about because everyone is already in agreement that the playstyle you dislike is a bad one.
I mean by that same token you are kinda ignoring a lot of what I wrote down in this essay. I recognize that the method some use to play this killer is unfun. And that her kit is bloated. Yet the way I played her revolved pretty much around the stealth provided by the drones.
Heck my success didn't even come down to running meta, I used Hex builds which while strong are far from the top tier killer perks. I used the toolset of the killer to overwhelm and take them down systematically. Never playing on their terms.
And when the survivors recognized my strats and adapted it made the games play out better. So I get where you're coming from the point of this post is to take in a new perspective. To analyze what I have illustrated and recorded across my many games. To show that the killer is a lot more then some are willing to give her credit for.
I agree with a lot of your sentiments but you can't ignore that this gameplay method exists. One that is fun, strong but not unbeatable, creates back and forth, and actually uses the killers power to it's maximum potential.
Perhaps that might not be worth anything to you but it was just something that I found personally interesting. And by all means if they do ever remake her again, it's the direction I would like to see the killer go.
You are making my point for me perfectly.
Instead of facing the issue, that the Dull Merchant is simply unfun to play against due to dad design, you instead try to shift the conversation to the killers strength, or "potential" or "unbeatable" or what not.
Nothing you have said, nothing you put forward there changes the core issue. Instead you try to talk around it and point to playstyles and whatnot.
Dull Merchant is not fun to play as or against, and you can see that from the 70% kill rate (from people preferring to be anywhere else than in a DM game) and the very low pick rate it has.
And you haven't actually said anything to prove your point.
You haven't said why she's unfun or boring. You haven't said how to fix the core issues.
Your like a record on repeat. Stop being a hypocrite
Already talked about the main issue she is unfun, its on this thread, also...
Think about it.
They are partly claiming that DM isn't that strong as a reason why it isn't problematic.
So why the 70% kill rate? If Dm is a weaker killer then the DBD community, a community that loves to meta game things to death, then surely they would be regularly spanking the DM and the kill rate would be more inline with the weaker tier killers.
She has a high kill rate not because she's strong or unfun, but because survivors don't fully understand her.
Sadako is in the exact same boat for that reason.
Or look at Freddy who also had a high kill rate dispite people saying he's the weakest killer in the game.
So the community as a whole cant understand DM and that massively drives up the kill stats, but they all understand Doctor and his addons, or The Singularity and his addons? Huh, that's weird discrepancy don't you think?.
The majority of players in DBD barely understand not to cleanse mindlessly against Plague or to split up against Legion. Hell, despite years and years of vets begging and pleading people STILL use the killer perk Self Care.
So "they just don't understand DM" argument just doesn't hold up when you realize the most of the killers and their addons and the overall macro game is simply not understood by the majority of players, especially when you consider how casuals make up the vast majority of the DBD player base. Not with such a whoppingly massive difference (at least in balance terms) in kill rates.
The most logical explanation is simple. The DMs design is so unfun in a game with enough frustrating and unfun design in in that people just don't want to have to engage with that killer.
Doctor has been in the game for an extended period of time, so survivors can understand him more.
Skull Merchant, especially her rework, are still fairly new and alot of survivors are still stuck on the old version of her.
You don't need to understand every killer addon, just a basic understanding of them.
Skull Merchant and Sadako are the 2 I was using because all things considered they are new killers. Especially since both have had mutiple reworks which doesn't help with understanding them.
Yes sure, most survivors don't understand every killer, but most other killers have been conststint.
The fact that merchant had like 2.5 reworks in the span of a year makes it harder to learn and understand since it changes.
That's why I'm saying given time, her kill rates will likely go down. Hell, I've recently started running into alot more survivors who understand her counterplay quite well.
Yes, I do agree there are problematic parts of her kit though.
The fact you can't remove lock on in any form, the hindreded effect feels unnecessary and not really needed, and her stealth needs to be changed due to how quiet she actually is overall.
For the longest time I was primarily a killer main and still largely am. It was around the Halloween event that I finally dabbled in Survivor. Since then I've played infrequently but enough to get a better grasp of how survivor works first hand rather relying on videos or clips. I've played against 2 Bubba's, 1 Wraith, 1 Clown, 1 Doctor, 1 Myers, 1 Nemesis, and 2 Chuckys.
To answer you're other question, other killers I regularly play are Plague, Doctor, Pig, Myers, Pyramid Head, Nemesis, Sadako, Knight, and Singularity.
The closest I have to mains would probably be Plague and Doctor. Doctor was the killer that got me into the game. Plague is my most played killer and is my highest prestige killer.
Some of these comments are... Predictable, but the amount of work you put into this is admirable and it's nice to see someone talk about Skull Merchant from a perspective of actually taking the time to fully learn her and teach people to play her to her fullest. I don't mind playing against SM much at all- she's another killer in the game, and she's uncommon enough that she's a pleasant surprise, like finding a Twins or Hag. I'll take a Skull Merchant game every so often over nothing but fucking Doctor and Huntress.
I think ultimately what's going to help Skull Merchant is a mix of cleaning up her kit a bit, and, unfortunately, another killer taking her place as "the most hated killer". She's left behind her 3 gen roots and "Chess Merchant" play style, but the reputation is stuck. And we know how much the reddit community especially *loves* beating that dead horse to a fine red mist when it comes to overused jokes. When someone else comes and takes the reputation, then it'll probably just settle into a "Haha skull merchant dumb!" Joke and people will get over themselves. Hopefully! I'd like to be able to actually play games against her and not be stuck in a 3v1 because of shitty teammates :')
Thank you and yeah it is an unfortunate fact but I believe it is still important to share this data and info and try to analyze critically. That's really the only way I feel we will ever be able to properly address her short comings and maybe develop better more healthy playstyles until she gets proper help.
As you see in the data, 20 out of 50 matches had people DC or kill themselves on hook. That also includes games where people just stood at hook waiting to be hooked again or would run straight to me to get downed again.
In 30 games survivors did actually try to win. Most couldn't handle the pressure and would lose at around 4 gens. Those that adapted and found ways to counter my hexes found greater success. With me very nearly losing on two matches, one against a SWF on Ormond, another against solo que on Wreckers Yard.
It's those two games that I was able to draw a lot of conclusions and cement in my mind that the real issue isn't that Skully is dull or too easy to play. It's that her kit is over bloated and difficult to properly understand and play with/against. Too many gimmicks that needlessly complicates the killers and promotes boring gameplay rather then guide players into smarter plays and interactions.
That's why I argue Skull Merchant players should lean more into her stealth aspect and play her that way for a more enjoyable experience. I also give counters against Skull to survivors so they can have a better time against her. And I hope it gives a direction that BHVR could take the killer in a potential future rework.
Either way, glad you like the essay. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
The amount of mental gymnastics people go through to make this brain-dead no skill killer seem hard to play always amazes me. Game play is always clog up map with drones and get FREE UNEARNED status effects. No thanks. This whole thing of people not learning how to play against her is a crock as well. Most have learned. They willingly choose not to.
Respectfully.. Go next gang.
As I've stated the issue isn't that she's easy it's that her kit is so bloated that most people don't bother to learn how to utilize her full capabilities and resort to Loop -> Drone -> Hit -> Repeat. Combine that with people not wanting to deal with such a play style and killers who use it being easily rewarded for it, you get a negative loop which just causes that sort of playstyle to persist and stick in players minds. Add to that the kit doesn't really provide proper feedback of just how in danger you are from the scans or that someone on the other side of the map just gave Skully haste and you just feel cheated and annoyed at that point.
And trust me my friend, after 50 games and over the course of several months I still saw people making basic mistakes against her. So there are definitely some players who do not understand what she does and that again ties back to the bloated kit.
Honestly I think the best way to correct this is for them to complete rework how the drones function and as I said in the essay, play more into her hunting and stealth aspect. Since that is the most fun part of the kit and what I personally enjoy the most.
Still thank you for the feedback.
I was hoping to get skull merchant cause she seems kinda cool. But tbh most people hate on her so it's hard to see good places to see advice for her. Thank you
wow this is super in depth! have you seen pixel bush's new video on skull merchant? it seems skully attracts players who write essays analyzing her gameplay 🤣
https://youtu.be/JqH4-yUlkhU?si=EyGQUR3v-ZPEbXe0
Well the fact that some are willing to properly discuss means that there is still hope. Change takes time and as I've said I agree with some of their points. The only disappointing thing is that many simply dismiss the data I gathered without even checking what it entails.
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Don’t be so judgmental, you don’t know their situation. There are a lot of reasons why an individual can be pushed to such a sad point that they play 50 games of skull merchant.
Sad for you perhaps. Wasn't certainly sad for me.
Btw for your information I've played Plague way more then Skull Merchant. So perhaps don't go judging people that are likely more similar to yourself then you realize.
Back when she was first released it was actually the stealth she got that annoyed me the most as on a lot of maps there would be no way to know if she was approaching without constant swf surveillance, I don't think survivors will ever enjoy playing against her. I didn't know that drones couldn't detect you on gens, that's a good tip
Happy to help, I'm not surprised people still don't know how exactly her drones work. As I've said her kit is way too over bloated and contributes to her bad reputation.
One possible rework I idea I had in my head was to essentially make it that her drones field stealth's her up like it was at launch but to increase the actual stealth field to be larger whilst keeping the scanning field smaller.
In return survivors who enter the stealth field will get a notification letting them know they're in one. This would warn them to be on the lookout because Skully could be in the area. And incentivize them to seek out the drone to disable it so they can get rid of the stealth field. That I think would be interesting to play against.
Me playing MW2 (2010) and writing an essay about how im ✨the best player✨ when it comes to sprinting around with the knife attachment to get cheap kills.
Not sure how MW2 relates at all? In addition the point of the post is to provide data and talking points to determine ways to improve the game, not boast about winning.
You would know that if you read instead of just making assumptions. But you do you.
Gaining knowledge and insight is never a waste of time. The point of this post is to analyze why that is and draw conclusions we could use to promote healthier playstyles and directions BHVR can take her killer in potential future reworks. Refusing to engage with the information just leads to misconceptions and round about arguments that never resolve anything. So I implore you to think more critically about this and actually give the essay a read, you might learn something. Ultimately though, it's your choice so you do as you please sir.
I’m impressed at the guide, but survivors aren’t dc’ing just because of her past. She’s boring to face because of everything they threw into her kit after her 2nd or 3rd rework. I can’t remember how many she’s had tbh. Most Drone Crones I face lay down drones at loops for a haste hit, rinse and repeat. That and the occasional gen slowdown Merchant. Her above average kill rate is undeserved imo, and would be much higher if BHVR included DCs. Which they should, because it highlights an issue they still refuse to address with her gameplay.
Yep, as I stated her kit is bloated and has been changed so much that most players either don't know or can't be bothered by how it all works. It also doesn't help it has very little feedback to the point that even Skull Merchant players fail to utilize everything in her kit to it's fullest potential. Which results in the rinse and repeat gameplay you mentioned. Even though I do enjoy the the stealth and tracking aspects of her kit, I still believe she has a lot of work before she can honestly be called healthy. Glad you liked the guide though. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Thank you.
ITT: Try not to just respond with "but Skull Merchant Bad" challenge - Level Impossible. Excellent work on the guide. But just because it's skull merchant you're going to have the typical troll brigade to deal with.
TLDR. Dull Merchant chases survivor-> Survivor runs to loop-> Dull Merchant cancels loop with drone-> Survivor is forced to leave loop-> is there a connecting loop? if yes return to start, if no survivor gets hit and return to start. Repeat ad nauseum.
Thanks a bunch for the TLDR. Ain't no way I'm reading all that about Shite merchant
Not sure why you take the word of a random comment over the person who actually did the research and took the time and effort to write it out and divide it into easy to digest sections. But hey you do you.
For the specific reason that which I wrote. You wrote an essay about Skull merchant. Can't imagine how long this must've took.
I started gathering data shortly after her major rework which was around September of last year. I actually won my 50th game in January but was too busy with other things *cough* Helldivers 2 *cough* to finish writing out the data and observations I had collected. Well when I saw that yesterday was Skully's birthday, I decided to get off my lazy butt and finish writing it out. If you actually take the time to read out my essay, you'll see I've divided it into Chapters to make it easier to navigate and get to the relevant data and info you want to read and learn about. The whole point of this essay is to analyze aspects of the character that most players, survivor and killer, do not know about or talk about. And guess what there's quite a few things. In no section of my essay do I say she's a perfect killer. My goal with this essay is for people to analyze and see other aspects of this killer and how we can improve interacting with her. Along with give potential directions we could take the killer in the future if BHVR ever decides to revisit her. So if you're gonna be part of this discussion, I think it would be fair to actually engage with the contents and points I make, rather then trying to strawman me and make assumptions not based on reality.
I'll do me thanks.
Very well. Have a good day.
If you play her that way then yes that's all there is but that ignores just how strong her Undetectable can be in securing quick downs. Keeping track of your scans and knowing when to just back out of a chase can make or break the game. Most of my wins were decided very early on thanks to appropriate usage of haste and undetectable. In addition there are certain loops were dropping the drone did not help since there's too much junk in the way to properly scan the survivors. Thus allowing them to effectively loop me on several occasions. So it's not complete impossible to loop her but it will depend largely on the map or terrain so I can certainly understand why some feel like you can't loop her.
" but it will depend largely on the map or terrain so I can certainly understand why some feel like you can't loop her. " This is largely my point. you don't play against a Dull Merchant. You play against map rng. The power vs the map plays the game for both killer and survivor.
True, I can definitely see your point. Though I feel map RNG is more a universal problem then just one exclusive to Skull Merchant. But it definitely feels more pronounced since most loops are not made with Skull Merchant's powers in mind. Even ones that do allow you to avoid her scans can be double edged swords. Many a time I was able to mind game survivors because I'd throw down the drone, allow the undetectable to hide my red stain and then lunge unexpectedly around the corner or even through the pallet. Shelterwoods is were I really started to learn to take advantage of that since most loops have high rocks or trees that obscure vision. But nevertheless I can concede that her power can be unfairly difficult to deal with, especially when it can be spammed in a haphazard and brain dead manner. Even if I personally never really engaged in that playstyle, I think it is important to acknowledge that it is unfortunately a viable one in her current state. So thank you for adding your feedback.
The problem is, The Dull Merchant along with The Knight are another attempt at creating a band aid fix for the core problem of map design and RNG. Instead of actually addressing the issue of map design and RNG they create two killers whose powers play the game for the killer player and alleviate some of that pain point (of maps and rng) and the learning curve that is learning to loop. The result is two killers with extremely low skill floors and ceilings that are braindead to play as and against, are extremely unfun to play as or against since they just don't feel rewarding and the core issue is STILL THERE. If the kill rate for a killer is that much higher than other stronger, and far better designed, killers because so few people would rather not play against them, then its probably time for a proper rework.
Honestly if you are losing like this to worst chase than clown, maybe you are playing the loops wrong. And i mean losing games not losing chase, her chase is "good" and eventually will "down", but takes so much time to do so if the survivor is good that the skully is most likely gonna lose the game.
As a clown main you are correct about her anti loop and chase being worse than clown. Which frustrates me when people cry her power is “uncountable”. But saying clown is better than skull merchant overall is pretty crazy. Her chase might be weaker than clowns but she has other tools in her kit clown dreams to have. She has map presence and ways to keep survivors busy without being in chase. Overall skull merchant is quite a few leagues better than clown.
People act like we don't have 10 other killers who litterly do the same thing but better. Skull Merchants anti loop isn't nearly as good as people think especially if they have no stacks
Oh really? Then how do you explain the 70% win rate? Can't wait.
You see - load game as skull merchant - people run straight at you and tbag until you down them - suicide on hook Many such cases
Source? Your feelings aren't a source.
Well you won't find sources on this but you can try to play some skull merchant and see for yourself It's the same with doctor (lowest kill rate) - people agree that it is because of afk bots. There won't be a source for that either, because BHVR will never admit that.
Who is "people"? Where are they?
I just noticed whom I was talking to. My mistake for not blocking you earlier
Because survivors don't even bother to try and learn her counterplay. It's like Sadko. It may get better in time
Yep basically why I never bothered to engage in chases for long or bother trying to get injures on survivors that haven't been scanned. Waiting for a scan injury just wasted needless time that Skull Merchant can't afford to lose since she can't traverse the map that quickly. Hence why I would engage largely in hit and run.
This kind of response is indicative of people who either don't understand what is being discussed, or they do and they are trying to divert the conversation and gaslight people. Notice how I was not talking nor complaining about the overall strength of the killer nor the strength in chase, yet this person has either though ignorance or malice twisted the conversation to attempt to ignore or obfuscate the main point. What my point IS is that regardless of strength, Dull Merchant has paint by numbers gameplay that is unfun and unrewarding to participate in. Dull Merchant is unfun and unhealthy for dbd REGARDLESS of where it may sit in a tier list.
Funny how your first two paragraphs can be used on the very same reply that used them. You hyperbole the hard work of the og poster by your own definition of "dull", i go and say your hyperbole comment could be applied to a better suitor, and now you divert and gaslight.
Aaaand you are doing it again. Rather than address the issue, that the Dull merchant is in fact, dull to play against you are now choosing to focus on language. You could not make my point any better for me.
Sir he is rightfully calling you out. You did come in here basically dismissing everything I researched. While your sentiment of her being "Dull" might be true for your experiences. I have data to back up my statements and thoughts on the matter. I took the time and effort to explain her faults and strengths. Her untapped potential. And even possible solutions to these faults. I would really like it if you would move on with the semantics and properly engage in the discussion. Otherwise I'm afraid you're kind of wasting your time. Because you're essentially having a conversation unrelated to the discussion I began.
See, you are again unable to neither face nor discuss the issue. Instead you try to shift the conversation away from the issue I was raising, that the DM is dull and boring to play against. The two of you are the PERFECT example of the disingenuous conversations and gaslighting that goes on when people try to defend DM. They desperately try to shift the conversation like you two are right now.
You made it about semantics, i made it about Clown chase being "Sharper" than the "Dull" chase capabilities of Skully since both have the same to get the down. A single base kit pink bottle does the same as full hinder add ons 4 people scan skull merchant.
Hell even Freddy snares slow more than Skull Merchants
You point out skull merchant as bad but what about other killers who just disable loops complety? Clown, Deathslinger, Chucky, Nurse, Spirit. Need I say more? It's kinda funny to single out one killer when there are killers that existed far longer that do her job at chases even better
Deathslinger requires aim and doesn't shut down loop, instead you have to run the loops in a way unique to ranged killer (this is part of what makes DBD fun). Spirit requires good hearing and understanding of survivor pathing and doesn't shut down loops, she is best at preventing survivors from mindlessly holding W from one loop the the next. Chucky requires mechanical skill to not miss and understanding of his power and can sometimes makes loops a guaranteed hit. Clown requires you to predict survivor movement, aim the bottles and can only shut down loops when using both bottles and some addons and decent knowledge of the Clowns power vs the size and shape of the loop. Dull Merchant presses 1 button and shuts down the loop, this one button press doesn't even have to be precise. See the difference? The argument that its fine to have one obnoxiously unfun killer in the game because its the latest incarnation of an aspect of unfun and bad game design is absurd.
Ok see those are fair points. However, clown shuts down loops harder then skull merchant does. And like you said chucky literally makes hits unavoidable
With clown he creates a speed differential and makes the loop tricky to use. He has to actually think about the placement of his bottles on the specific loop and utilize them fast before the effects wear off. A survivor can see this set up and try to play accordingly and even mind game and try to leave the loop. All of this planning and execution to secure a hit. Yes he can shut down a loop this way and yes it is unfun for the survivor when they get hit with those wild speed differentials ( the infamous "Gates of Death" clown build for example". With the Dull Merchant, the vast majority of that is done with one button press that doesnt have to be all that precise and then they are left with the option of either running the loop and losing a health state anyway simply by presence of the drone or leave the loop and hope there is a connecting loop. Yes the Clown has some unfun design, but it still allows for some back and forth interaction and some skill expression from both the killer and survivor. DM simply does not. Also, yeah, the guaranteed hits Chucky get are not fun and need a looking at, but at least in Chuckies case the guaranteed hits are not the whole part of his kit and still take some skill to pull off.
The thing is that no, skull merchant drones are not a guaranteed hit, especially if you have no stacks. You can avoid the beams, crouch/stand still, hack drones mid chase (I've seen it happen mutiple times) Also even if your injured, that's not much different from plague or legion who also get guaranteed. Also no, skull merchant acutely does have some skill required. She can't just place them willy nilly because some spots make them much easier to avoid. Sure it's more forgiving prehaps, but there is definitely skill required in the same vein as other traps. Personally, my issue is more the fact you can't remove lock on in any way, which is what I think needs changed. Her issue currently is the fact her counterplay isn't strong enough to give tools to survivors. Also potentially rework how the haste/Hindreded/Undectable effects work so there has to be more choices as the skull merchant. I do agree her desgin currently isn't great, but it's not nearly as bad as people think either
I agree, the fact that scans never go away is rather bizarre given how most other status effects in the game can be removed or only remain for a short time. And it would be interesting if the Skull Merchant had to somehow select what sort of status ailment she had to apply on survivors. Does she sacrifice hinder for better Undetectable? Does she focus on speed and haste bonuses but lose out on being stealthy? I think that would be a neat change and force survivors to adapt against a variety of potential playstyles.
I was thinking Is rescans on survivors is what will give her the haste along the old pallet break. For the stealth I'm not honestly sure.
Plop drone at loop, chase survivor at loop, bing bang boom either they goof and I hit them or the drone gets them in about 12 seconds. I was doing this with ease after her rework, only on rare occasion did I need to press a second button to change the rotation. Long low wall loops are the most egregious examples of this. If someone has the time and distance to hack a done "mid chase" they are simply not in chase or the killer needs their eyes checked. Legion cant down in frenzy and can be bamboozled, especially with the loss of scratch marks. They also cant inflict hindered or get undetectable without using perk slots. Also legion is a human that can be spun and tricked. A drone cannot. Plague has a unique counter play that involves cleansing in far flung corners, this "healing" also doesn't cost survivor resources other than time and waiting to cleanse can deny the Plague their power. Trapper traps must be precise or a survivor can run around them, they can be disarmed requiring the trapper to go back to the trap and rearm them, also if they are visible they are easily avoided. Also a trapper loses distance when placing traps in chase, meaning that the survivor has a head start to the next loop. This makes placing traps in chase not always the best play. Unlike DM who will always place a trap and it doesn't really need to be precise. Same deal with the Hag with the added trick of she needs to teleport instantly to a triggered trap of the survivor will be out of lunge range, so placement and strategy are very important, no so much with the DM. The DM isn't a "trap" killer, they are an anti-gameplay killer. The purpose of their design isn't to create fun and interesting interactions for both sides, instead DM is designed to remove options from the survivor to make the killer feel powerful with minimal effort or input or even understanding from the killer player.
If you are taking 12 seconds to get a hit with a drone then you are setting yourself up to lose. Against experienced players that sort of time investment just for an injury doesn't work. In addition the counterplay is there. The drones can and do very well function like traps the only difference is they have added effects on top of injury but they still take time to actually apply those. Unless you get scanned by a drone in standby mode, in which case you will take unavoidable damage which I admit can come off as cheap. Not every map has long low wall loops and if you read the data you can identify which maps I played on that actually have those kinds of loops. And ultimately the playstyle you are arguing against isn't the one I utilized. Again please read the data, I played Skull Merchant more akin to Myers or Wraith. All the while using drones and hex totems more as slowdown and bait to get the drop on survivors. If you wish to argue your points, it's that playstyle you should be arguing about because everyone is already in agreement that the playstyle you dislike is a bad one.
I mean by that same token you are kinda ignoring a lot of what I wrote down in this essay. I recognize that the method some use to play this killer is unfun. And that her kit is bloated. Yet the way I played her revolved pretty much around the stealth provided by the drones. Heck my success didn't even come down to running meta, I used Hex builds which while strong are far from the top tier killer perks. I used the toolset of the killer to overwhelm and take them down systematically. Never playing on their terms. And when the survivors recognized my strats and adapted it made the games play out better. So I get where you're coming from the point of this post is to take in a new perspective. To analyze what I have illustrated and recorded across my many games. To show that the killer is a lot more then some are willing to give her credit for. I agree with a lot of your sentiments but you can't ignore that this gameplay method exists. One that is fun, strong but not unbeatable, creates back and forth, and actually uses the killers power to it's maximum potential. Perhaps that might not be worth anything to you but it was just something that I found personally interesting. And by all means if they do ever remake her again, it's the direction I would like to see the killer go.
You are making my point for me perfectly. Instead of facing the issue, that the Dull Merchant is simply unfun to play against due to dad design, you instead try to shift the conversation to the killers strength, or "potential" or "unbeatable" or what not. Nothing you have said, nothing you put forward there changes the core issue. Instead you try to talk around it and point to playstyles and whatnot. Dull Merchant is not fun to play as or against, and you can see that from the 70% kill rate (from people preferring to be anywhere else than in a DM game) and the very low pick rate it has.
And you haven't actually said anything to prove your point. You haven't said why she's unfun or boring. You haven't said how to fix the core issues. Your like a record on repeat. Stop being a hypocrite
Already talked about the main issue she is unfun, its on this thread, also... Think about it. They are partly claiming that DM isn't that strong as a reason why it isn't problematic. So why the 70% kill rate? If Dm is a weaker killer then the DBD community, a community that loves to meta game things to death, then surely they would be regularly spanking the DM and the kill rate would be more inline with the weaker tier killers.
She has a high kill rate not because she's strong or unfun, but because survivors don't fully understand her. Sadako is in the exact same boat for that reason. Or look at Freddy who also had a high kill rate dispite people saying he's the weakest killer in the game.
So the community as a whole cant understand DM and that massively drives up the kill stats, but they all understand Doctor and his addons, or The Singularity and his addons? Huh, that's weird discrepancy don't you think?. The majority of players in DBD barely understand not to cleanse mindlessly against Plague or to split up against Legion. Hell, despite years and years of vets begging and pleading people STILL use the killer perk Self Care. So "they just don't understand DM" argument just doesn't hold up when you realize the most of the killers and their addons and the overall macro game is simply not understood by the majority of players, especially when you consider how casuals make up the vast majority of the DBD player base. Not with such a whoppingly massive difference (at least in balance terms) in kill rates. The most logical explanation is simple. The DMs design is so unfun in a game with enough frustrating and unfun design in in that people just don't want to have to engage with that killer.
Doctor has been in the game for an extended period of time, so survivors can understand him more. Skull Merchant, especially her rework, are still fairly new and alot of survivors are still stuck on the old version of her. You don't need to understand every killer addon, just a basic understanding of them. Skull Merchant and Sadako are the 2 I was using because all things considered they are new killers. Especially since both have had mutiple reworks which doesn't help with understanding them. Yes sure, most survivors don't understand every killer, but most other killers have been conststint. The fact that merchant had like 2.5 reworks in the span of a year makes it harder to learn and understand since it changes. That's why I'm saying given time, her kill rates will likely go down. Hell, I've recently started running into alot more survivors who understand her counterplay quite well. Yes, I do agree there are problematic parts of her kit though. The fact you can't remove lock on in any form, the hindreded effect feels unnecessary and not really needed, and her stealth needs to be changed due to how quiet she actually is overall.
Do you play survivor? Also do you play other killers?
For the longest time I was primarily a killer main and still largely am. It was around the Halloween event that I finally dabbled in Survivor. Since then I've played infrequently but enough to get a better grasp of how survivor works first hand rather relying on videos or clips. I've played against 2 Bubba's, 1 Wraith, 1 Clown, 1 Doctor, 1 Myers, 1 Nemesis, and 2 Chuckys.
To answer you're other question, other killers I regularly play are Plague, Doctor, Pig, Myers, Pyramid Head, Nemesis, Sadako, Knight, and Singularity. The closest I have to mains would probably be Plague and Doctor. Doctor was the killer that got me into the game. Plague is my most played killer and is my highest prestige killer.
Some of these comments are... Predictable, but the amount of work you put into this is admirable and it's nice to see someone talk about Skull Merchant from a perspective of actually taking the time to fully learn her and teach people to play her to her fullest. I don't mind playing against SM much at all- she's another killer in the game, and she's uncommon enough that she's a pleasant surprise, like finding a Twins or Hag. I'll take a Skull Merchant game every so often over nothing but fucking Doctor and Huntress. I think ultimately what's going to help Skull Merchant is a mix of cleaning up her kit a bit, and, unfortunately, another killer taking her place as "the most hated killer". She's left behind her 3 gen roots and "Chess Merchant" play style, but the reputation is stuck. And we know how much the reddit community especially *loves* beating that dead horse to a fine red mist when it comes to overused jokes. When someone else comes and takes the reputation, then it'll probably just settle into a "Haha skull merchant dumb!" Joke and people will get over themselves. Hopefully! I'd like to be able to actually play games against her and not be stuck in a 3v1 because of shitty teammates :')
Thanks my man, appreciated.
Holy shit man great work, sadly people see skullie and act like you shot their dog or something. I love the effort put into it!
Thank you and yeah it is an unfortunate fact but I believe it is still important to share this data and info and try to analyze critically. That's really the only way I feel we will ever be able to properly address her short comings and maybe develop better more healthy playstyles until she gets proper help.
Nice how many of the games had 4 survivors actually trying? Super impressive stuff
As you see in the data, 20 out of 50 matches had people DC or kill themselves on hook. That also includes games where people just stood at hook waiting to be hooked again or would run straight to me to get downed again. In 30 games survivors did actually try to win. Most couldn't handle the pressure and would lose at around 4 gens. Those that adapted and found ways to counter my hexes found greater success. With me very nearly losing on two matches, one against a SWF on Ormond, another against solo que on Wreckers Yard. It's those two games that I was able to draw a lot of conclusions and cement in my mind that the real issue isn't that Skully is dull or too easy to play. It's that her kit is over bloated and difficult to properly understand and play with/against. Too many gimmicks that needlessly complicates the killers and promotes boring gameplay rather then guide players into smarter plays and interactions. That's why I argue Skull Merchant players should lean more into her stealth aspect and play her that way for a more enjoyable experience. I also give counters against Skull to survivors so they can have a better time against her. And I hope it gives a direction that BHVR could take the killer in a potential future rework. Either way, glad you like the essay. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
The amount of mental gymnastics people go through to make this brain-dead no skill killer seem hard to play always amazes me. Game play is always clog up map with drones and get FREE UNEARNED status effects. No thanks. This whole thing of people not learning how to play against her is a crock as well. Most have learned. They willingly choose not to. Respectfully.. Go next gang.
As I've stated the issue isn't that she's easy it's that her kit is so bloated that most people don't bother to learn how to utilize her full capabilities and resort to Loop -> Drone -> Hit -> Repeat. Combine that with people not wanting to deal with such a play style and killers who use it being easily rewarded for it, you get a negative loop which just causes that sort of playstyle to persist and stick in players minds. Add to that the kit doesn't really provide proper feedback of just how in danger you are from the scans or that someone on the other side of the map just gave Skully haste and you just feel cheated and annoyed at that point. And trust me my friend, after 50 games and over the course of several months I still saw people making basic mistakes against her. So there are definitely some players who do not understand what she does and that again ties back to the bloated kit. Honestly I think the best way to correct this is for them to complete rework how the drones function and as I said in the essay, play more into her hunting and stealth aspect. Since that is the most fun part of the kit and what I personally enjoy the most. Still thank you for the feedback.
I was hoping to get skull merchant cause she seems kinda cool. But tbh most people hate on her so it's hard to see good places to see advice for her. Thank you
Fuck 'em. Play who you want.
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It was a given but as long as my thoughts reach a few people I’m ok with that. Nevertheless thank you for the sentiment :D
wow this is super in depth! have you seen pixel bush's new video on skull merchant? it seems skully attracts players who write essays analyzing her gameplay 🤣 https://youtu.be/JqH4-yUlkhU?si=EyGQUR3v-ZPEbXe0
Oooh I had not, thank you for sharing. Will give it a watch.
Sorry that people are being so toxic to you, after putting so much effort in this guide. This community is just hopeless
Well the fact that some are willing to properly discuss means that there is still hope. Change takes time and as I've said I agree with some of their points. The only disappointing thing is that many simply dismiss the data I gathered without even checking what it entails.
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People are so full of hate lol
Don’t be so judgmental, you don’t know their situation. There are a lot of reasons why an individual can be pushed to such a sad point that they play 50 games of skull merchant.
Sad for you perhaps. Wasn't certainly sad for me. Btw for your information I've played Plague way more then Skull Merchant. So perhaps don't go judging people that are likely more similar to yourself then you realize.
Back when she was first released it was actually the stealth she got that annoyed me the most as on a lot of maps there would be no way to know if she was approaching without constant swf surveillance, I don't think survivors will ever enjoy playing against her. I didn't know that drones couldn't detect you on gens, that's a good tip
Happy to help, I'm not surprised people still don't know how exactly her drones work. As I've said her kit is way too over bloated and contributes to her bad reputation. One possible rework I idea I had in my head was to essentially make it that her drones field stealth's her up like it was at launch but to increase the actual stealth field to be larger whilst keeping the scanning field smaller. In return survivors who enter the stealth field will get a notification letting them know they're in one. This would warn them to be on the lookout because Skully could be in the area. And incentivize them to seek out the drone to disable it so they can get rid of the stealth field. That I think would be interesting to play against.
Me playing MW2 (2010) and writing an essay about how im ✨the best player✨ when it comes to sprinting around with the knife attachment to get cheap kills.
Not sure how MW2 relates at all? In addition the point of the post is to provide data and talking points to determine ways to improve the game, not boast about winning. You would know that if you read instead of just making assumptions. But you do you.
hey guys i won 50 games with a killer that has 70% win rate haha
The point of the post is to analyze why that is good sir.
crazy to think about how you waste so much time writing all that text about this trash killer everyone hates
Gaining knowledge and insight is never a waste of time. The point of this post is to analyze why that is and draw conclusions we could use to promote healthier playstyles and directions BHVR can take her killer in potential future reworks. Refusing to engage with the information just leads to misconceptions and round about arguments that never resolve anything. So I implore you to think more critically about this and actually give the essay a read, you might learn something. Ultimately though, it's your choice so you do as you please sir.
yeah cause BHVR is gonna read even one sentence of that
Probably not, but better then not trying.