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Tips for beating a spirit

Since spirit has been a hot topic in the balance discussion since basically her release I've decided to post some general pointers as to how to counter her.


Before I start, I want to say I am red ranks both sides and before the last reset, rank 1 both sides.


1. Iron will.


This is an obvious one but I'll say it anyway. Iron will is one of the best counters to spirit. It makes it difficult for her to find you when injured and is overall just a good perk that does a good job at being able to counter a killer while still being good. (Looking at you calm spirit) As for the stridor argument, if you crouch your audio is quieter. So iron will + crouching cancels stridor. If you dont want to crouch to counter her you can also use off the record or no mither. I won't complain.


2. Mind games.


Spirits entire gameplay is based around mind games and is also how you can beat her. Be as unpredictable as possible when shes phasing. Stand still. Drop the pallet from a side she won't expect. Condition her to believe you'll do a certain thing but then do something else entirely. All of these things and more can be used against her and once you're in her head and force her to question her reads, its ggs.


3. The stand still 'mindgame'


Ok so this is one I do agree needs to go. We need to be able to hear her phrasing when in chase/ terror radius.


But when in chase there are details you see that are guaranteed to show her phasing. If shes using her default/ recolours the glass shards on her body light up and glimmer to indicate her phasing. Additionally, no matter what skin shes using, you will know if she is phasing if her model resets to her idle animation.


4. The 1v1


This isn't a tip about countering her but a tip about playing against her.


Accept that she will be able to get you eventually. She is one of the strongest 1v1 killers in the game she was designed to be strong in chase if the player plays her well. If survivors were able to just constantly beat her and never allow her to get anyone, there would be no killer players and people need to understand this. Keeping calm against her is also very important. Don't get tilted over her, or anyone else as a matter of fact, getting you. She read you, she should be rewarded.


The reason shes so strong in chase is because shes in control. Whether or not she gets you is on her. Unlike other killers who have to rely on you making a mistake, she relies on her not making one. The tips I've shared are to make her make emerging reads. They are not automatic win buttons and should not be treated as such.


I hope I've helped those who genuinely believe she can be countered. (She can as I've showed) Those who believe that any spirit they beat is bad, theres no point reasoning with you.

Comments

  • Igbylucy
    Igbylucy Member Posts: 47

    Just played against Spirit twice tonight. I was stealthy, calm, and still after she hooked someone. Both times I was found easily. I’ve only beat her a couple times against a newer player. I seriously don’t think Spirit or Pig are beatable.

  • CountVampyr
    CountVampyr Member Posts: 1,050

    In the long run, none of the killers are beatable. You have nothing to kill them with. In 1 to 1 they will always win whether it takes them 10 seconds or 10 minutes. That’s why teammates are so important. Without their need to divert attention to others you’re toast.

  • blue4zion
    blue4zion Member Posts: 2,773
    edited December 2020

    For standing still, I cannot stress this enough, STARE AT HER. You will 99% of the time notice her hair reset position, her animations will also reset (usually her arm will quickly jump to her chest).

    If you cannot see it, get in a kyf and have a friend just stand still. Get used to the flow of her animations and then have them begin phasing while calling out the exact moment they finish charging phase. It might take a few tries, but you'll eventually see it. (Also take latency into account while testing this) There's also that 1% chance where she and her hair will be nearly in the exact position already, making it harder to notice.

    It's especially noticeable when a Spirit begins phasing right after moving.


    Please practice this, I swear this will help you so much against the Spirit because fakes will never work, you'll know exactly when she's lost sight of you, and you can call out to friends when she begins phasing.

  • AhoyWolf
    AhoyWolf Member Posts: 4,346

    This doesn't work all the time tho, sometimes her hair doesn't bug out (especially with some cosmetics) or her body doesn't freak out. (Also I think bugs aren't good counterplay, and this thing does seem like a bug)

  • MasterGrit
    MasterGrit Member Posts: 331

    Be a immerse god

    Never get chase the entire game

  • HealsBadMan
    HealsBadMan Member Posts: 1,122

    I heard a rumor that husk Spirit's glass shards glow when she's phasing, can anyone confirm?

    Do you have pics or video to show the difference? Would help a lot.

  • MegMain98
    MegMain98 Member Posts: 2,918

    Yes they do glow. Me and my friend tested this in a KYF a while ago with all of her cosmetics (because I have all of them). This one is one of the more noticeable ones.

    It’s not very useful when in a chase though because you won’t be this close to her.

  • azame
    azame Member Posts: 2,870

    Saying x perk is not a counter. There is no mindgames it's a guessing game. She has no 1v1 counter. Not all spirits you beat are bad. That being said, a spirit you beat in a chase is definetly bad. You can. eat her by just sitting on gens. Do you think all the videos tru3tal3nt does "showcasing" spirits counterplay against a bad spirit mean anything? I just noticed you saying condition her is something tru3 says alot when refering to the blueberry.

  • valvarez4
    valvarez4 Member Posts: 868
    edited December 2020

    spirit is ultra easy 4k, so the best counter is ######### in first hook. You’re going to depip anyway and she will depip. That’s the only counter

  • OldHunterLight
    OldHunterLight Member Posts: 3,001

    Spirit with stridor counter: gen rush and immersion but if seen you are dead.

    Spirit without stridor counter: hope that the spirit player is bad, gen rush and IW, maybe something like look at the hair, for some reason long hair on spirit can be seen when she is phasing, like her hair will spike up if she is using the school girl hair you are most likely won't be able to see it.

  • Tricks
    Tricks Member Posts: 957
    edited December 2020

    Heres my 2 step program:


    Step 1: Afk

    Step 2: Join new match and hope its against a killer that has counter play that relies on skill rather than luck


    Or you could try my 1 step program:


    Step 1: Stop playing dbd till they balance spirit to require skill

  • Freddy96
    Freddy96 Member Posts: 767

    How does being an heat seeking missile is considered a read?

    All of this counters work on inexperienced spirits that you can loop anyway because they'll never use their power before hitting someone.

    There are killers that need experience and knowledge about the game to be played efficiently and then there's the spirit.

    Not even mentioning addons and windows spatial sound

  • blue4zion
    blue4zion Member Posts: 2,773

    Been there since release, and about 1 outta 10 phases I won't catch it. Just use it for now, even if a bug, since there seems to be so little counterplay.

  • blue4zion
    blue4zion Member Posts: 2,773

    That's true from what I know, not sure if it's been patched as I don't pay attention to that. Note it also only was noticeable when upclose.

  • blue4zion
    blue4zion Member Posts: 2,773
    edited December 2020

    That's why you gotta stare at her movements when standing still, have your friend in kyf stand for like 5 minutes so you can get used to the flow of her animations, (if you aren't already) then have them call out once they've finished charging the phase.

    Edit: Point being this is much more reliable, and it can be seen from far away.

  • Withered8
    Withered8 Member Posts: 1,241

    There are also skins you can run which don't have these features

  • sulaiman
    sulaiman Member Posts: 3,219

    Should looping changed too? i mean, if a 50/50 guess is not acceptable, there are tiles where killers have to do that, no matter which killer they play. If its not ok for one side, its not ok for the other, or is it?

  • Klakky
    Klakky Member Posts: 444

    You can hear exactly where spirit is it's not 50/50 if ur using 🎧

  • Grandpa_Crack_Pipe
    Grandpa_Crack_Pipe Member Posts: 3,306

    I feel like "accept that she's going to get you" is indicative of an issue.

  • Klakky
    Klakky Member Posts: 444

    Just an issue of the player that refuses to learn to play against a killer, the spirit you can easily hear exactly where she is if you have headphones I'm so confused are the players complaining about her playing with no sound? cause even on speakers I could hear where she was

  • Grandpa_Crack_Pipe
    Grandpa_Crack_Pipe Member Posts: 3,306

    You mean the breathing?

    The bug? The one that was explicitly mentioned in the patch notes in November and "fixed"?

    Is that the glorious spirit counterplay feature?

    Hearing her periodically breathe during phasing's a start, but in the large majority of situations it's still not going to help you. She's still invisible moving at 176% speed with a massive post phase lunge and you're not.