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Once among the most powerful Killers inDead by Daylight, following a string of nerfs and updates to map layouts,Max Thompson Jr.– better known as The Hillbilly – has become one of the mostnotoriously difficult Killers to master. With a Chainsaw that can send him sprinting over vast distances and the ability to instantly down the Survivors he hits, The Hillbilly can create a lot of pressure for Survivors when paired with the right builds.
This guide will showDead by Daylightplayers some of the most effective perks to run on The Hillbilly to fully maximize his Chainsaw wielding abilities.
Updated June 24, 2025 by Siddarth Narasimman:The Hillbilly received further changes to its kit, including his trusty Chainsaw and add-ons, after the major rework which saw the debut of the Overdrive mechanic. This helped The Hillbilly regain its spot in the meta as a top-tier killer.
However, the aforementioned changes saw slight nerfs to Overdrive and some of his best add-ons, which has mildly impacted his authority in the killer hierarchy. However, these tweaks haven’t been enough to faze The Hillbilly as he remains a powerful, lethal, and exceptionally fun killer to utilize.
The Hillbilly: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)
Players with more limitedaccess to other DLCmay try some base kit perks to help enhance their abilities. The Hillbilly’s own Tinkerer and Enduring perks will keep track of generator progress and help resist pallet stuns. Meanwhile, Hex: No One Escapes Death will endanger Survivors in the endgame as Bitter Murmur shows their auras.
The Hillbilly: Best Build with Teachable Perks (2025)
The Hillbilly greatly benefits from perks that allow him to understand the location of multiple Survivors. Thus, Discordance is an excellent choice as he can quickly close the gap and hunt down Survivors. Due to his high mobility, Pop Goes the Weasel synergizes extremely well with The Hillbilly’s playstyle.
Bamboozle is pretty much mandatory in most builds as windows are the bane of The Hillbilly’s existence. Finally, No Way Out is always a reliable perk to bring along in any trial. It can guarantee a strong finish to the trial or salvage a miserable match to a potential victory in the endgame.
The Hillbilly: Best Add-Ons
Greased Throttle
Greased Throttle is a simple but effective add-on that has no downsides as it decreases the recovery time of the Chainsaw by 5%. It isn’t a game-breaking add-on, but it can come in handy in certain scenarios when paired with Lo Pro Chains.
The Thompsons’ Mix
The Thompsons’ Mix decreases recovery time by 10% while not in Overdrive. Pairing this up with Greased Throttle might seem like a good idea, but having 15% decreased recovery time is generally not worth it as there are far more powerful add-ons that The Hillbilly can utilize. Nevertheless, this is a good add-on to bring alongside Lo Pro Chains and Iridescent Engravings.
Dad’s Boots and Spiked Boots serve the same purpose, with the latter having a slightly higher bonus. It increases the turn rate of the Chainsaw, which is super helpful in curving tight loops and catching Survivors off-guard. Combining both is a bit overkill, but running either of these add-ons with the Lo Pro Chains or Iridescent Engravings can turn The Hillbilly into a speedy menace.
Lo Pro Chains
Despite the nerfs to Lo Pro Chains, it remains as The Hillbilly’s best add-on due to its sheer versatility and consistency in a multitude of scenarios. Having the ability to continue the Chainsaw Sprint after breaking a pallet or breakable wall is super useful in zoning Survivors away from a loop. While it can’t down an injured Survivor, it allows The Hillbilly to easily follow up with a basic attack.
Iridescent Engravings
Another powerful add-on for The Hillbilly is the Iridescent Engravings,whichincreases the Chainsaw Sprint speed by 20%, at the cost of a 12% increase to Chainsaw charge time. This add-On makes The Hillbilly travel great distances in the blink of an eye, giving Survivors even less time to react to his immense speed.
