The Executioner, also known as Pyramid Head, is a ruthless and unforgiving Killer with unique abilities to control the map and torment Survivors. His hazards make Survivors vulnerable to his unique hook, the Cage of Atonement, and his unique mori, Final Judgment.
This Executioner build guide reviews his best builds and add-ons to help you dominate your matches.
Beginner Aura Reading Executioner Build
This build is perfect for those new to Pyramid Head who want to maximize their awareness of survivor locations.
- Nowhere to Hide (The Knight): Reveals any survivor’s aura within a 24-meter radius when you kick a generator.
- I’m All Ears (The Ghost Face): Reveals the aura of any survivor performing a rushed action (like vaulting a window) within a 48-meter radius for 6 seconds. This perk has a 40-second cooldown.
- Gearhead (The Deathslinger): Reveals survivors on generators whenever they complete a good skill check. The aura is revealed for 8 seconds, activated when a survivor loses a health state.
- Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis): Reveals all survivors’ auras at the start of the trial for 9 seconds. It also extends the duration of any other aura-reading perk by 2 seconds.
Best Executioner Build 2024
This build focuses on delaying the completion of generators to give you more time to chase down survivors.
- Corrupt Intervention (The Plague): Blocks the three generators furthest from you at the start of the trial for 120 seconds. It deactivates when you get your first down.
- Deadlock (The Cenobite): When a generator is completed, it blocks the generator with the most progress for 30 seconds.
- Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis): Provides early game information by revealing all survivors’ auras for 9 seconds at the start.
- No Way Out (The Trickster): Blocks exit gates for 12 seconds plus an additional 12 seconds per token when survivors attempt to open them. You earn a token for each survivor hooked for the first time.
Aggressive Executioner Build
For those who prefer an aggressive playstyle, this build is your perfect match. It’s designed to capitalize on hooks and cages, maximizing pressure and snowball potential.
- Corrupt Intervention (The Plague): Slows down early game generator progress by blocking three generators for 120 seconds.
- Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist): Causes the generator with the most progress to explode and lose 15% of its progress when you hook a survivor on a Scourge Hook.
- Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis): Provides crucial early game information.
- No Way Out (The Trickster): Adds endgame pressure by blocking exit gates for an extended period, allowing you to make critical plays during the endgame phase.
Executioner Power
The Executioner’s range attack, called Rites of Judgment, has a base range of 8 meters long and 1 meter wide. It can injure or down multiple Survivors. Pyramid Head leaves trails whenever he places his sword into the ground while holding the secondary attack button (M2). If Survivors walk into these trails, you gain Killer Instinct for a short period, revealing their location, and they become tormented, a unique status effect. These trails last for a total of 75 seconds around the map.
When downing a tormented Survivor, you can send them to a Cage of Atonement, which acts like a hook but doesn’t have the same effects. Pyramid Head moves at 115% speed, but when charging Rites of Judgment, his speed is reduced to 92% and 110% when the attack is fully charged.
Rites of Judgment can be used on stairs, allowing you to shoot down steps and making Pyramid Head particularly effective in these scenarios. For example, using his power on basement stairs or the stairs in the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD) can result in easy hits. However, it’s important to note that this attack cannot go upwards and is most effective when aimed straight or downward.
Interesting shots can be executed on specific map elements like the Harvester on Coldwind Farm or the drop-downs on Gideon Meat Plant. Survivors can be hit on most drop-downs if timed correctly, as the range attack must be on the ground while a Survivor lands. Even if Survivors jump into your power, it will still be a hit or a down.
Best Add-ons for the Executioner
As we all know, Pyramid Head has some of the worst add-ons in the game.
I think that is because he is one of the strongest killers, base-kit-wise, and I believe Behavior was probably a little nervous about his ability and didn’t want his add-ons to be too crazy.
Here are the best ones to use:
- Burning Man Painting: Increases the range of Rites of Judgment by 1.5 meters. This add-on is excellent for hitting survivors from a greater distance.
- Wax Doll: Increases the range of Rites of Judgment by 1 meter, complementing Burning Man Painting for even more prolonged attacks.
- Black Strap: Increases the range of Rites of Judgment by 0.5 meters. While it may seem small, every bit counts in a game like Dead by Daylight.
- Tablet of the Oppressor: Increases the duration of Rites of Judgment by 2 seconds, allowing for more extensive zoning and pressure.
- Spearhead: Increases the duration of Rites of Judgment by 1.5 seconds, improving your ability to control areas.
- Copper Ring: Increases the duration of Rites of Judgment by 1 second, useful for leaving longer trails.
