The Cenobite: Essential Tips and Strategies

This guide offers comprehensive instructions to play effectively as the Cenobite, providing tips to master the character's unique abilities. It includes strategies for handling the Lament Configuration throughout the match as well as tactics to manage the most common tiles using Summons of Pain. In addition, the guide provides explanations for add-ons and examples of effective builds. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned player you'll find valuable insights within! [Last Update: Patch 8.5.2]

Introduction

The Cenobite is certainly one of the most difficult killers to wield to his full potential in Dead by Daylight. His power, Summons of Pain, can be mechanically difficult to handle, particularly in the context of the most complex tiles. Furthermore, managing the Lament Configuration within a match while at the same time defending generators efficiently and killing survivors can pose a difficult task for many players. Drawing from my experience with the Cenobite, this guide is intended to convey the strategies I've acquired over time, allowing novice Cenobites to grasp this killer's abilities as well as offering advanced tactics that could benefit even the most seasoned players.

To give you a general overview of the guide structure, the next sections will delve into the management of the Lament Configuration. Following that, I'll offer advice and strategies to maximize the efficacy of Summons of Pain within some of the most common tiles. Concluding the guide, the final sections will present my viewpoint on Cenobite's add-ons and my opinions on the most suitable perks to create effective builds.
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The Beginning of the Match

The beginning of the match is a crucial moment for every killer. Survivors typically spawn near their objective and can quickly disperse across the map to work on multiple generators. Meanwhile, the killer has to navigate the map and find a survivor to begin applying pressure, making the start of the match the moment when every killer is most vulnerable, and this holds true for Cenobite as well. However, unlike other killers, Cenobite has a unique advantage: the Lament Configuration spawns right at the match's start, introducing another objective for survivors and reducing a bit the pressure they can exert. Additionally, Cenobite can sometimes find the Lament Configuration himself and activate a Chain Hunt, significantly slowing survivors' progress on all generators until they deal with it. Knowing that, Cenobite has an interesting alternative strategy to approach the match.

The Box Search Approach

The Box Search strategy is an aggressive, high-risk high-reward approach to the match. Instead of traditionally patrolling generators and finding a survivor to chase as fast as possible, this tactic focuses on locating the Lament Configuration to immediately activate a Chain Hunt. However, pinpointing the box's location isn't always a straightforward task. While I won't delve into the specifics of the Lament Configuration spawn routine here (there are already lots of resources online that cover this topic), it's important to understand that the box typically tends to spawn distant from both the Cenobite and the survivors. This is why many Cenobite players, when adopting this approach, rely on the perk Lethal Pursuer to have the knowledge of survivors' spawn locations, giving them a sense of where the Lament Configuration might have spawned. However, I believe that using Lethal Pursuer is not essential to consistently execute this tactic.

The Box Search Paths

With the Chatterer's Tooth add-on equipped, you can play custom matches and use clock maps (check Hens' video about this topic if you don't know what it is) to gather data on the possible different Lament Configuration's spawn points relative to every Cenobite's spawn location on a specific map. By doing that for a large enough number of matches, it is possible to identify "Box Search Paths", routes to follow around the map that maximize the chances of finding the Lament Configuration without any knowledge of the survivors' spawn locations. While you still won't have the guarantee of locating the box, adopting this strategy does introduce the option of switching Lethal Pursuer for other more useful perks. For instance, you could use Corrupt Intervention to slow down survivors' progress on generators at the beginning of the match, making this approach way more reliable to execute.

After gathering enough data, an algorithm calculates the optimal path on a map starting from your spawn point and visiting all possible spawn locations of the Lament Configuration based on the current data. The shorter the path, the higher the probability that you will find the box before a survivor picks it up. For this reason, the weighted average length is the metric used by the algorithm to determine the optimal path, with the probability distribution on the map of the Lament Configuration used as weights to determine the weighted average. Four types of paths can be assigned to specific spawn locations on the map:

• Best Path: This path, starting from the killer's spawn location, traverses on average no more than 5 clock zones on the map. It is likely to find the box even before a survivor can reach it.
  
  
• Good Path: This path, starting from the killer's spawn location, traverses on average between 5 and 6 clock zones on the map. It is decently likely to find the box unless a survivor immediately decides to go for the box after its spawn.
  
  
• Decent Path: This path, starting from the killer's spawn location, traverses on average between 6 and 6.75 clock zones on the map. It is slightly unlikely to find the box in such a Path, you'll need a bit of luck and cooperation from survivors.
  
  
• Bad Path: This path, starting from the killer's spawn location, traverses on average more than 6.75 clock zones on the map. It is unlikely to find the box, survivors could pick it up before you can even reach its spawn area.

For some particular maps, such as multifloor maps, this definition could be slightly altered to adapt to the specific maps' characteristics.

Depending on the frequency of the path types and the occurrences of each killer spawn point, I then assign each map a score by calculating the overall weighted average length of a path on the map. This way, it is possible to determine the most suitable maps to execute this approach.

I have designed a site to quickly know, while in the killer loading animation of a match, the Box Search Path of a specific spawn point on a map (for the maps that I have gathered data on). You can check those, as well as the scoreboard to identify the best maps to execute this approach, at the following link:

https://www.boxsearchapproach.com/

Remember that you are not forced to execute a Box Search Approach to have a good start of the match as Cenobite. If you feel that locating the Lament Configuration is too risky or too challenging in the match at hand, you can ignore the box and opt instead to patrol the furthest generators from your spawn to find and chase survivors as quickly as possible, like you'd do traditionally with most other killers. Even if you don't actively seek it, they'll eventually need to deal with the Lament Configuration to prevent a Chain Hunt activation, granting you some form of passive slowdown anyway. Moreover, survivors' movements might inadvertently give you an idea of the Lament Configuration's spawn area anyway, so pay attention if you manage to locate them moving to a suspicious zone of the map.
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Managing the Lament Configuration

Ideally, you'd always want to either find the box yourself or interrupt and down a survivor in the process of solving it. Doing this reveals the location of all survivors and activates a Chain Hunt 10 seconds after the box pickup animation, respawning the Lament Configuration somewhere around the map. Given the box tendency to spawn far away from both the Cenobite and the survivors, you can try to exploit the 10-second window before its respawn and your knowledge of survivors' approximate locations to strategically position yourself around the map, influencing where the Lament Configuration will spawn next. If you can anticipate where the box might reappear, position yourself near that area to have the maximum probability of interrupting a survivor as soon as they pick it up and start solving it, giving you the opportunity to repeat the whole process and maintain a Chain Hunt active continuously.

Defending the Lament Configuration

While executing the above strategy or naturally chasing, you might sometimes find yourself in a situation where you down a survivor and soon after locate the Lament Configuration near the hook. In such cases, do not always mindlessly pick up the box. If a Chain Hunt is already in progress or will activate shortly it's far more efficient to leave the box on the ground and focus on defending that area. The defense of both the hook and the Lament Configuration compels multiple survivors to converge on your area, as they can't work efficiently on generators while a Chain Hunt is active and they eventually have to save the hooked survivor. This will make them easy targets, granting you massive pressure.

Avoid Over Focusing on the Box

One of the most common mistakes I observe among novice Cenobite players is overfocusing on the box. While retrieving the Lament Configuration to activate a Chain Hunt is the optimal approach, it's crucial to recognize that the box primarily serves as a pressure tool for Cenobite. Your goal as a killer isn't to activate a Chain Hunt, it's to defend generators and sacrifice survivors, just as with any other killer in the game. The Lament Configuration must serve as a tool to facilitate this task. For instance, while it's essential to prevent a survivor from solving the box, if you manage to interrupt them but then struggle to down the box holder, it's often more strategic to let them go and move back to defend generators. Even if you eventually down the survivor and activate a Chain Hunt, the pressure exerted might prove futile if survivors have already completed several generators by the time you secure the hook.
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When to Teleport

When a survivor successfully solves the Lament Configuration it respawns after 45 seconds, giving them ample time to work on generators or reset their health states especially when factoring in the additional 90-second timer before a Chain Hunt automatically activates. This underscores once again the importance of interrupting the survivor solving the Lament Configuration and maintaining an active Chain Hunt as long as possible. However, most of the situations discussed so far represent ideal cases. In a typical match, survivors won't allow a Chain Hunt to activate automatically or let you easily interrupt them. They will start solving the box only while you're occupied in some task, like chasing an injured survivor on the other side of the map or hooking someone. This is why understanding when and how to use your teleport ability is another crucial aspect to play Cenobite effectively. Think of it as an on-demand chase opportunity. If the survivor solving the Lament Configuration is someone you'd like to chase and they're too distant to be interrupted, always teleport to them. For instance, even if you're in the process of hooking another survivor, you might consider dropping them to teleport to a survivor solving the box while on death hook. They could act smartly and immediately stop solving the Lament Configuration when they notice you dropping the other survivor, but the killer instinct will still reveal their location and the random chains from the box will help you locate them if they try to hide. Conversely, if you're not keen on chasing the survivor solving the box—perhaps because they haven't been hooked yet—there's no obligation to teleport, defending the generators might be a better strategic play.

When teleporting, remember that you can preemptively open a gateway while in the midst of the teleport animation. This can save you some time, enabling you to immediately bind the survivor who solved the Lament Configuration as soon as you regain full control of your character. I personally use this feature only if the survivor is in an open area, as miscalculating the gateway position during the teleport animation can result in more time loss compared to waiting until the animation is completed. Make some practice and judge yourself if you feel confident enough to do so in any circumstance.

Another thing to consider before using your teleport ability is to always assess the position on the map of the survivor solving the Lament Configuration. Certain zones can put you at a disadvantage if you teleport there. For instance, if a survivor begins solving the box atop a hill teleporting might land you at the base, distant from the only side you can climb. Such a scenario gives the survivor a significant advantage, especially if they have Balanced Landing, likely costing you precious time and making the teleport less worthwhile. A similar thing can occur in the main building of various maps, keep an eye on those too.

Lastly, be aware that there are also specific map locations that can be problematic when using your teleport ability. Here are some examples:

• Racoon City Police Station East/West Wing: If a survivor solves the box at the end of the west wing balcony and you teleport, you'll appear on the floor below.

• The Game: If a survivor solves the box at the top of the staircase of the drainage channel and you teleport, you'll appear on the floor below.

You can pay attention to the killer instinct icon to get a sense of the location of the survivor solving the Lament Configuration and choose not to teleport if they're in such compromising spots.
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Mastering Summons of Pain

Now that you've grasped all the nuances of the Lament Configuration, the passive part of Cenobite's power, let's delve into the other exciting active part of his power: Summons of Pain. While many view it as a mediocre ability that's difficult to use, offering little more than minor slowdown, when used properly even though mechanically demanding it serves as an exceptional anti-loop power. The following sections will focus on the key aspects to understand how to properly use Summons of Pain.

When to Use Summons of Pain

A common mistake with Summons of Pain is treating it like if it was a Clown's bottle, using it to slow down survivors in the open before they reach a tile. The primary use of Summons of Pain is instead as an anti-loop power when you've already reached a tile. If the survivor you're chasing doesn't predrop a pallet and try to loop you normally, take control of the pallet and don't keep looping like other M1 killers. By positioning yourself there and using Summons of Pain to bind the survivor on the opposite side of the tile, they'll have a hard time to avoid a hit if they stay there. Their only option is to leave the tile as soon as you attempt to use your power to try gaining some distance. This strategy works in various tiles and is an example of the anti-loop strength of Summons of Pain. Use your power in open areas only if you have time to bind a survivor before they approach a tile with the intention to use a pallet or a window. This can potentially negate the use of exhaustion perks like Lithe or Dead Hard, as well as neutralize the distance they would have gained through the use of such resources.

When using Summons of Pain against a survivor preparing to vault a window, you have to bind them before they begin their vaulting animation. If you don't manage to do so in time, wait until they've completed the vault. If you bind them mid-animation, the chains will break immediately upon vaulting, allowing the survivor to gain distance. Conversely, if you wait until the animation is finished, you can bind them right after they vault and use the time they spend breaking the chains to catch up to them.

Likewise, if you bind a survivor just as they approach a pallet, they'll be forced to drop it immediately to avoid being hit. You can then capitalize on the time they take to free themselves from the chains by quickly destroying the pallet. This negates the distance advantage they would normally achieve by using the pallet.

Furthermore, when in the open, fake the use of Summons of Pain to grasp the type of survivor you're chasing. Some will try to anticipate when you're about to open a gateway and they'll alter their movement patterns to evade your Possessed Chain. You can often identify these types of survivors by their constant looking behind while in chase in the open. By pretending to use your power in these situations you can force these survivors into making bad movements, allowing you to maybe hit them effortlessly without even using your ability.

How to Use Summons of Pain

Whenever you use Summons of Pain, you don't want to attack the survivor you're chasing from a distance that would give them time to spot your Possessed Chain and be able to avoid it. Moreover, as the Possessed Chain travels further, it becomes faster and harder to control making it too risky attempting to bind a survivor from a distance. Instead, treat it similarly to a Nurse's blink. Open the gateway as close to the survivor as possible and bind them immediately, leaving them no time to react. The direction from which you bind the survivor is also crucial. When your Possessed Chain hits a survivor, two additional chains spawn randomly near them. If these chains come into contact with an object or yourself while binding the survivor, they will break instantly, significantly reducing the slowdown they should have provided. To mitigate this, always position the gateway so that your Possessed Chain is perpendicular to the survivor's looping path. This way, even if the two additional chains spawn unfavorably, at least the Possessed Chain will remain away from collisions with objects or yourself.

The more chains binding a survivor, the greater the slowdown effect they'll provide. A single chain reduces the survivor movement speed to 2.26 m/s, two chains decrease it to 1.695 m/s, and three chains will force the survivor to move at 1.13 m/s. Therefore, losing just one chain makes the survivor move 50% faster than their slowest potential movement speed. This emphasizes the importance of avoiding interference with your chains whenever possible. If the survivor isn't within lunging distance, it's often better to path sub-optimally to prevent breaking your chains until you're close enough for a lunge attack. However, although somewhat manageable, bear in mind that this is a random aspect of your power and being unlucky sometimes will be inevitable.

In the following sections, I will discuss strategies to approach some of the most common tiles of the game, providing images and video examples to illustrate where and how to use Summons of Pain effectively to ensure a hit. Here is the legend of the figures you'll find below:

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(Please note that due to OCDs reasons, the survivor's and killer's chase paths will sometimes be an approximation of the actual ones)
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Killer Shack

The Killer Shack is one of the strongest tile for survivors when used correctly and most maps always have one. Fortunately, the Cenobite can address it quite effectively with the help of Summons of Pain. You always have a good spot to use your power and attack survivors regardless of the chase orientation, whether it's clockwise or anticlockwise, and independent of their current position, whether inside or outside the shack.

Shack No-Pallet Side

If a survivor loops inside the shack from the side with no pallet in an anticlockwise direction, they will either vault the window or reach the pallet on the opposite side. In either case as soon as they enter the shack use Summons of Pain to immediately bind them once they've turned the corner. By doing so, you should be able to hit them before they have time to vault or reach the pallet on the other side of the shack. Keep in mind, however, that if a generator spawns in the center of the shack, it can undermine your chains strength, rendering this attack less effective.

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Shack Pallet Side

If instead a survivor loops the shack from the side with the pallet in a clockwise fashion, they will either take the vault or fake it and keep looping. In either scenario, use Summons of Pain to immediately bind them as soon as they've turned the corner upon entering the shack. This will force the survivor to immediately drop the pallet to avoid getting hit. You can then destroy the pallet and resume the chase so that the next time a survivor loops in that clockwise manner, by repeating this strategy they will have no means to avoid a hit.

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Outside of Shack

Finally, if a survivor loops the perimeter of the shack whether in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction, attack them when they are on the side without the window by binding them immediately once they turn the corner. If they're looping clockwise, you'll surely catch up before they reach the window. If they're looping anticlockwise, you can either hit them before they get to the pallet or force them to drop it right away. Regardless, avoid using Summons of Pain if they are looping the outside of the shack on the side with the window. Continue the chase and you will force them to be in one of the previously described scenarios.

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Video example

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T-L Walls

The general idea when chasing in this tile is to always use your power when the survivor is in the central part (the “inside rectangle”) of the tile. By doing so, they will have no wall to use to quickly destroy your chains and you'll have more time to catch up, giving survivors a hard time to avoid a hit.

T Wall

When inside the tile, a survivor will either vault the window or fake it and keep running toward the L wall. As soon as they're about to turn the corner, while you're still behind the T wall, use your power to bind them and negate the fast vault. If they ignore the window and keep running you will surely hit them before they can reach safety, as they have no obstacles inside the tile to quickly destroy the chains. If instead they go for the window, they will have to do a slow vault while being chained. By paying attention to the sound cues you will know exactly when they take the slow vault, giving you time to backtrack and hit them before they can make another vault to avoid the hit.

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L Wall

The same strategy for the T wall also applies to the L wall. As soon as a survivor turns the corner, use your power to bind them and negate the fast vault. If they ignore the window and keep running, you will catch up and hit them before they can reach safety. If they go for the window, they will have to do a slow vault, and by paying attention to the sound cues you can react and backtrack to hit them before they can make another vault to avoid the hit.

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Pallet Gyms

Pallet Gyms are straightforward tiles to handle as Cenobite. If a survivor is approaching this tile and they don't have enough time to loop around the wall they'll drop the pallet immediately. In this situation as soon as they get to it use Summons of Pain to bind them and quickly walk around the wall to get a hit. You should be able to reach the survivor while they're in the process of breaking the chains or slow vaulting the pallet. If you feel you'll not reach them in time, you can also just immediately break the pallet. This way, they won't gain much distance by the time you've broken it. Conversely, if the survivor you're chasing have more distance on you and they're confident they can make at least one loop around the tile before dropping the pallet, whether you're looping in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction, bind them with your power as soon as they turn around the corner. Assuming you're not unlucky with chains spawn, you should be able to hit them before they reach the pallet.

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Filler Tiles

The Cenobite excels at handling filler tiles. Using Summons of Pain correctly basically guarantee a hit on these type of tiles. To explain how to effectively use your power there, I'll consider two distinct versions of filler tiles:

• Short Filler Tiles
  
• Long Filler Tiles

Short Filler Tiles

Short Filler Tiles are usually small objects with a pallet. When a survivor attempts to loop you around these type of tiles you simply have to take control of the pallet. If they don't pre-drop it, thinking they can loop around the object before using the pallet, ensuring you control the pallet and binding them guarantees a hit. Sometimes the objects could be tall, negating you line of sight with the survivor, but the same strategy will still work well, you'll just have to take a blind shot. Even if you miss with your Possessed Chain, just remain there, wait for your power to recover and try again. The survivor must leave the tile to avoid being hit eventually.

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Long Filler Tiles

Consider these tiles as a simplified version of a Pallet Gym, given that you usually have line of sight on the survivor you're chasing. The strategy for Pallet Gyms applies here too: take control of the pallet to prevent them dropping it and then choose to chase the survivor in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. When they are on the object's opposite side, quickly bind them with Summons of Pain and you'll likely hit them before they can reach the pallet. If the tile is long and tall and you're uncertain about the survivor's exact position, rather than taking a blind shot, open a gateway away from the loop and spend some time locating the survivor before attacking. Since they'll likely be stationary checking their surroundings, they might not see an incoming chain attack from far behind them.

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Add-ons Overview

The Cenobite can boast a solid selection of add-ons. Many of them are remarkably effective, with some significantly increasing his lethality.

In the following sections I'll present my personal tier list of this killer's add-ons and for each I'll provide a brief overview and offer pairing suggestions. This tier list considers a more or less equal mix of solo players and decently coordinated survivors as your opponents.

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(Tier List made with DBDInfo[www.dbd-info.com])
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D Tier Add-ons

These are the less effective add-ons, either conflicting with the optimal Cenobite playstyle or offering such minimal impact that they're barely noticeable. You should, in general, avoid using these add-ons.

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This is Cenobite’s worst add-on. Using it is literally worse than having no add-on at all for a bunch of bloodpoints. Don’t ever equip it.


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Both of these add-ons are subpar. As Cenobite, you don't want to use Summons of Pain from a distance that gives survivors time to spot your chain and adjust their movements to avoid it. Moreover, as the Possessed Chain travels further, it becomes faster and harder to control, making it too risky attempting to bind a survivor from a distance. The only plausible application for these add-ons is to interrupt survivors that are solving the box, but this task is already achievable with others, generally more effective add-ons.


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Whenever you use Summons of Pain the goal should always be to aim the gateway directly on top of a survivor to negate any possibility for them to dodge your chain. Furthermore, the default turn rate of the Possessed Chain is sufficient to hit survivors in nearly all circumstances, so using these add-ons doesn't make much sense. However, it's important to consider that for those just starting to learn Cenobite's power they can still be helpful. Given that your gateway casting may not always be accurate initially, these add-ons can help correct mistakes caused by poor gateway positioning, making them somewhat beneficial for new Cenobite players who are still learning.


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Reducing the activation time of Chain Hunt is, inherently, a great effect, as it increase the pressure on survivors throughout the match and force them to be more wary when dealing with the box. However, reducing the default 90-second activation time by just 3 seconds is simply too insignificant of a change to be considered impactful.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:
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C Tier Add-ons

These add-ons offer potentially beneficial effects, but due to their niche applications or inconsistency, they can't be ranked as decent Cenobite's add-ons.

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Considering the average human reaction time to a visual stimulus is around 0.25 seconds, upon seeing the value provided by Leather Strip one should immediately recognize the issue with it. Unfortunately, the numbers on this add-on are so low that it doesn't have many uses on its own.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:
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As said for the Burning Candle, reducing the activation time of Chain Hunt is a great effect, as it increases the pressure on survivors throughout the match, forcing them to be more wary when dealing with the box. But again, reducing the default 90-second activation time by 6 seconds is simply too small of a change to be considered impactful. The Torture Pillar combined with the Burning Candle could occasionally offer some value in specialized builds, such as hex builds, but its effectiveness is rather limited otherwise.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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Ideally, you would want to harass the survivor carrying the box as much as possible during a match. For this reason, having the survivor exhausted after taking the Lament Configuration is not a bad idea, as it negates the possibility of using any exhaustion perk, making it easier for you to take them down and activate a Chain Hunt. However, the problem with this add-on lies in the fact that, particularly when playing against skilled survivors, you will not always be able to chase the one carrying the box. They will start interacting with it while you are busy doing something else and, if you don't interrupt them and you teleport to the survivor solving the Lament Configuration, this add-on does absolutely nothing. Its use is sadly too inconsistent to be considered good.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:

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B Tier Add-ons

These are the add-ons that start to be quite good. All offer some form of value, especially in specialized builds.

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Compared to the disappointingly small number on the Leather Strip, the Skewered Rat with its 0.45-second cooldown reduction starts to offer an incremental advantage over the duration of the match, as well as improve the user experience with Summons of Pain from a quality-of-life perspective.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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Replacing the option of activating a Chain Hunt by picking up the box with a 25 seconds undetectable status effect is not very useful. Thus, even if the Lament Configuration is revealed to you, it rarely makes sense to go out of your way to pick it up for the sake of being undetectable in most situations. Nevertheless, I believe this add-on should be considered decently valuable in some situations. Firstly, it has potential in certain hex builds. If you use it in a build with a totem that survivors must eventually cleanse, such as Hex: Devour Hope for example, you can continuously go for the box and interrupt survivors that are cleansing totems. The undetectable status effect can allow you to sneak up on them before they can notice you. Furthermore, during the match, you can use your knowledge of the Lament Configuration position to ambush survivors going for the box: while it doesn't make much sense for you to pick up the box, they are still eventually forced to deal with it if they want to avoid a Chain Hunt, and you can undoubtedly take advantage of that. Overall, while not an exceptionally impressive add-on, it still deserves recognition as a useful tool in some situations.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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Interrupting the survivor solving the Lament Configuration is the most vital element when managing the box control aspect of playing as the Cenobite. In comparison to the Spoiled Meal and Larry's Blood, the ability to increase your gateway casting distance proves more beneficial than extending the reach of your chain. This is because a greater casting distance makes it easier to interrupt a survivor stuck solving the box, even when they are not in an open area. The expanded gateway casting distance allows you to circumvent obstacles and open the gateway closer to the survivor. A pretty solid add-on for box control.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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An extra second to solve the Lament Configuration may not appear significant, but it's essential to recognize that the more time survivors spend solving the box, the greater your chances of interrupting them and activating a Chain Hunt, provided they are within reach. Ideally, you'd want to interrupt a survivor solving the Lament Configuration to maintain an active Chain Hunt, though it's clear that this will not always be feasible during a match. In those situations, you might prefer to at least teleport to the survivor to maintain pressure. However, when up against decent players, they may begin solving the box just as you're about to pick up a downed survivor, utilizing the time needed to hook them to complete the task. This strategy proves highly effective in most scenarios as it denies you the ability to teleport and reduces your pressure on the survivors. As a result, having them take even just one second longer to solve the box is of critical importance. That single second could make the difference between successfully teleporting and maintaining pressure on the survivors, or losing your hold on them.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:

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A & S Tier Add-ons

The following are the strongest among Cenobite's add-ons. They consistently offer significant value and greatly enhance his abilities.

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Frank's Heart is an extremely good add-on for the exact same reasons discussed with Flickering Television. The expanded gateway casting distance by 8 meters lets you open a gateway from a maximum distance of 24 meters. This makes it, along with Larry’s Remains, the strongest add-on when it comes to box control.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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A very simple yet consistent add-on. When equipped, survivors are unable to see the Lament Configuration position if the Chain Hunt is inactive, so they must search the map each time to locate it. This keeps at least one survivor away from generators for several seconds, enhancing the box slowdown effect on the match. Moreover, with this add-on a survivor could accidentally loop you near the area of the Lament Configuration since they can't know its position right away. This could increase the possibility of downing a survivor near the Lament Configuration, allowing you to defend both the hook and the box if a Chain Hunt is about to start, putting survivors in a difficult situation to handle. Its effectiveness drops significantly when dealing with coordinated survivors playing on comms, but against solo players it's extremely powerful.


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Engineer’s Fang is a challenging add-on to evaluate. While it's undoubtedly one of Cenobite's most powerful add-ons, it entirely alters, not for the better, the way you need to play the killer. The ability to injure healthy survivors with your Possessed Chain is undeniably powerful, and the increased gateway closing time after hitting a healthy survivor poses no issue. However, having only one additional chain to spawn instead of the standard two is a clear deal-breaker. One of the most important aspects of Cenobite's power is his oppressiveness during chases when using Summons of Pain correctly, but to achieve this you need three chains to attack survivors. The more chains binding a survivor, the greater is the movement slowdown applied to them. Losing even a single chain reduces the slowdown by 50%, thus significantly weakening your chase power in loops. To maximize the potential of this add-on, you must stop using Summons of Pain as an anti-loop ability, approaching tiles as if you were a M1 killer without a power. Only bind survivors in situations where you're confident that two chains will be sufficient to slow them down, enabling you to hit them. This approach is effective only when you have a deep understanding of Summons of Pain, refrain from using this add-on otherwise.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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This add-on, along with Frank's Heart, stands as the most valuable tool for box control. It has all the advantages of Liquified Gore but with twice the effectiveness. The additional two seconds to solve the Lament Configuration significantly increases your chances of either interrupting a survivor in the midst of solving it or teleporting to them, if they start solving the box while you're occupied elsewhere. Without a doubt, it ranks among Cenobite's best add-ons.

Suggested add-ons to pair with:




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One of Cenobite's weaknesses during chases is a survivor breaking chains by using the environment. This can be particularly problematic in indoor maps and may make it a challenge to down skilled survivors in those situations. This is where Impaling Wire proves invaluable. Now, whenever a survivor uses the environment to break a chain, two additional chains will spawn and attempt to bind them. This will effectively reduce one of your biggest weaknesses during chases, as long as you're not very unlucky with your chain's RNG. While I personally don't find it extremely useful in outdoor maps, it is undoubtedly one of the strongest add-ons for this killer as it consistently provides value and enhances your ability to conclude chases as quickly as possible.


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The ability to see survivors after binding them with a Possessed Chain is incredibly powerful, especially at jungle gyms. This add-on will enable you to accurately understand survivors' movements and ensure that your mind games will be effective against them, or that you'll be able to intercept them if they leave the tile. It will help you shorten every chase of the match by essentially providing you wallhacks in loops, making it apparent just how powerful and beneficial it can be, especially when paired with Lethal Pursuer, a perk you may already want to use to easily find the box at the beginning of the match.


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This is undoubtedly the most powerful of Cenobite's add-ons. By equipping it this killer can become one of the best tunneler and camper in the entire game. Since tunneling is among the most effective strategies that a killer can employ, the strength of this add-on should be apparent. Even if you choose not to use it to aggressively tunnel someone out of the game as quickly as possible, it still serves as a powerful counter to some of the strongest and most popular survivor perks and items. These include Dead Hard, Off the Record used aggressively to body block, Adrenaline in the endgame, a medkit equipped with a syringe or a styptic and so forth. Overall, this is an exceptionally solid add-on that consistently delivers great value in return.
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Build Advice

One of the most engaging aspects of playing as the Cenobite is his exceptional versatility in selecting perks. Given that his basekit power includes a natural slowdown through the Lament Configuration, he doesn't require perks to defend generators as much as other killers. Furthermore, his ability to scout from a distance using Summons of Pain makes him a good user of hex builds. The following sections are focused on exploring the perks that synergize well with Cenobite's abilities, concluding with several build examples for different types of playstyle.

Generator Defense Perks

Generator defense perks are an essential aspect of the game. While Cenobite may not need them as much as other killers, they can often feel necessary when facing skilled survivors. However, I suggest to be as versatile as possible when creating a build for Cenobite, using no more than two generator defense perks. You have the flexibility to use whichever perk you prefer, just be cautious of possible anti-synergies between the different ones. You can refer to the matrix below to identify, in my opinion, which perk combinations work well and which ones do not.
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• Strong: The top-tier perk combos.
  
• Good: These perks interact positively, although superior combos exist.
  
• Fine: While not particularly powerful together, these perks generally don't hinder each other too much.
  
• Subpar: Potential interactions may result in one perk diminishing the value of the other.
  
• Bad: One perk may significantly undermine the effectiveness of the other.

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While I won't discuss the strongest generator defense perks such as Corrupt Intervention, Deadlock, Pop Goes the Weasel or Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, since their strength is consistent regardless of the killer being played, it's worthwhile to highlight some details about a couple of perks that synergize well with Cenobite's abilities.


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Even after the changes introduced in patch 8.3.0, Dead Man's Switch remains an exceptional perk, arguably even stronger than before. Rather than blocking all generators that a survivor stops repairing, it now blocks the first generator abandoned by a survivor for an even longer duration. This makes it a great combo with Pain Resonance, one of the strongest generator defense perk, to regress and block the most progressed generator. Moreover, even if survivors play smart and avoid leaving the generator, you still gain the advantage of choosing which generator to block by using your Possessed Chain from a distance. Lastly, every time you down a survivor attempting to solve the box and subsequently hook them, the activation of a Chain Hunt will block one generator currently being repaired across the map.


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After the nerf with patch 6.1.0, the usage rate of Hex: Ruin has seen a noticeable decline. While it's no longer as strong as before, it still remains an effective perk on Cenobite. To avoid the Chain Hunt activation, at least one survivor has to eventually address the Lament Configuration. However, if they abandon their generator Ruin begins its regression, and that will make solo players more hesitant to leave it to go deal with the box, increasing the likelihood of a Chain Hunt activation. Furthermore, if a Chain Hunt is activated, the continuous chain spawns will make it nearly impossible for survivors to progress on generators, enhancing Ruin's regressive effect. While it might not be the best choice against skilled survivors in a coordinated team, it can still prove effective against average players.
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Creating a Versatile Build

When playing as the Cenobite it's not necessary to simply equip four generators defense perks and consider it an optimal build. In fact, a more versatile build could be far better than four slowdown perks in your average match, as it can enhance pressure during chases or provide valuable information throughout the match. My goal with this section is to offer insights on how to create an effective Cenobite build, allowing you to tailor a setup that aligns with your individual playstyle. Below is a list of perks that, in my opinion, complement Cenobite’s abilities. While some are undoubtedly stronger than others, this list aims to include options that are accessible even to newer players that may have only a few DLCs.

• Info: Alien Instinct, Barbecue & Chilli, Bitter Murmur, Discordance, Gearhead, Lethal Pursuer, Nowhere to Hide, Scourge Hook: Floods of Rage, Surveillance, Whispers.
  
• Chase: Bamboozle, Brutal Strength, Coup de Grâce, Dark Arrogance, Genetic Limits, I'm All Ears, Rapid Brutality, Save the Best for Last, Superior Anatomy, Zanshin Tactics.
  
• Endgame: Hex: No One Escapes Death, No Way Out, Remember Me, Terminus.
  
• Anti-heal: Coulrophobia, Forced Penance, Leverage, Sloppy Butcher.
  
• Stealth: Deathbound, Hex: Plaything, Tinkerer, Trail of Torment, Unforeseen.
  
• Others: Agitation, Forced Hesitation, Friends 'til the End, Machine Learning, Fearmonger, Scourge Hook: Gift of Pain, Thrilling Tremors.

For an effective Cenobite build I suggest using one or two generators defense perks and filling your remaining slots with perks from the list above. Try to prioritize versatility by selecting only one perk from each category. If you prefer to create a specialized build, you may choose more than one perk from the chase and generic categories, but I advise against using multiple perks from the info (excluding Lethal Pursuer for its special nature with box control), endgame, and anti-heal categories.

While the strongest perks on the list are consistent regardless of the killer being played and therefore don't necessitate to be discussed much, let's explore the details of some of the perks that synergize well with Cenobite's abilities.


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Barbecue & Chilli is the best info perk for box control throughout the match. If you succeed in downing the survivor holding the Lament Configuration, it will have likely just respawned by the time you hook them. The aura reading from Barbecue & Chilli can then direct you to the survivor going to solve the box, allowing you to interrupt them and maintain an active Chain Hunt. Even if you don't interrupt or down the survivor holding the Lament Configuration, this perk can still offer insights that can guide you to the box's spawn location, as well as assisting in general by directing you to generators that have to be contested and starting chases quickly.


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Lethal Pursuer is an useful perk to ensure a strong start to the game by initiating your first chase as quickly as possible, and it can also aid locating the Lament Configuration spawn point early on. Furthermore, its secondary effect, which adds two extra seconds to all aura readings abilities, complements Greasy Black Lens, one of the best Cenobite's add-ons. Even though it's not as essential as many believe to find the box at the start of the match, it's still a good perk to use.


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In my opinion, Brutal Strength is the best chase perk for Cenobite. When you use Summons of Pain to bind a survivor while in front of a pallet or window, there's roughly a one-second interval during which you'll be unable to perform any action. Survivors can capitalize on this brief moment to break your chains and widen the gap between you. This, combined with the time required to destroy a dropped pallet, can be costly when playing against strong opponents. One of Cenobite's vulnerabilities in chase, common to other killers, is a survivor preemptively dropping pallets, and this is why I consider Brutal Strength the best chase perk for Cenobite. The standard pallet-breaking animation lasts 2.34 seconds and considering the one-second inaction after using Summons of Pain, survivors get a 3.34 seconds window to break chains and create distance. As each chain requires one second to break, by the time you resume the chase they would have destroyed all your chains and gained a 0.34-second lead. Instead, with Brutal Strength in play, pallet-breaking is reduced to 1.87 seconds. Factoring in the Summons of Pain one-second delay, this means you can resume the chase after only 2.87 seconds, while the survivor would still be in the process of breaking the final chain.


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Since using Summons of Pain resets bloodlust, the inability to gain it throughout the match is inconsequential. On the contrary, obtaining a 5% haste status effect, combined with the slowdown provided by Summons of Pain, makes your power even more oppressive in loops. This is especially true when you pair this perk with Save The Best For Last for an all-in chase build. I consider Rapid Brutality to be another incredibly strong chase perk for Cenobite.


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Even after its 7.6.0 patch nerf Sloppy Butcher is still a very solid perk on Cenobite. The mangled status effect significantly slows down survivors healing progress for 90 seconds, making it harder for them to go solve the box, while the hemorrhage status effect causes them to lose all healing progress when you bind them with Summons of Pain. Furthermore, initiating a Chain Hunt renders healing impossible until they deal with the box or wait the 90-second timer to expire. While its nature is more inconsistent after the nerf, it's definitely a still valuable perk to run.

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As said in the add-ons section one of the benefits of Liquified Gore and Larry's Remains is that they provide you more time to teleport to a survivor solving the box while you're in the midst of hooking another. Agitation offers a similar advantage: instead of slowing the Lament Configuration solving time, it accelerates the speed at which you hook the survivor, giving you a broader window to teleport if you have the necessity to do so. Moreover, in a full box control build, it can help you relocate yourself around the map while in the process of hooking the box holder to better exploit the 10-second window to control the Lament Configuration respawn area. While I wouldn't rank it among his top-tier perks, it is certainly a valuable support tool in a box control build.
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Creating a Hex Build

Another approach you can consider is using hex builds. These are typically high-risk, high-reward builds. They might not be as consistent as traditional ones but they can still be effective in many scenarios. As with the previous section, my aim is to provide insights to help you create your preferred hex build. Following a similar structure, I'll present a list of hex perks that complement Cenobite’s abilities, categorized by type.
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• Info: Hex: Face the Darkness, Hex: Retribution.
  
• Chase: Hex: Blood Favour, Hex: Crowd Control.
  
• Insta-Down: Hex: Devour Hope, Hex: Haunted Ground, Hex: No One Escape Death.
  
• Stealth: Hex: Plaything.
  
• Generic: Dominance, Hex: Pentimento, Hex: Plaything, Hex: Ruin, Hex: Thrill of the Hunt, Hex: Undying, Hex: Wretched Fate.

There are two types of hex build you can create:

• All-in Builds: These builds allocate all four hex perks to a specific strategy. If survivors don't find the totems or are too slow in cleansing them, you're likely to win the game. However, if survivors cleanse all your totems, you'll be left without any active perks for the rest of the match;
  
  
• Pentimento Builds: These builds incorporate the perk Hex: Pentimento as a fallback plan in case your main strategy should fail. Even if survivors efficiently cleanse all your totems, with this build, you can reignite them and considerably slow down generators progress until survivors cleanse the totem once again.

For instance, Hex: Devour Hope and Hex: Haunted Ground are ideal perks for a build focused on insta-downing survivors, whereas Hex: Blood Favour and Hex: Crowd Control can make chases impossible for survivors. You can use any of these perks as the primary strategy and create an all-in build around them. Alternatively, pair them with Hex: Pentimento to create a pentimento build.

If you prefer, you can certainly also create a hybrid build that combines hex perks and traditional perks. When playing as Cenobite, the possibilities for perks choices are endless.
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Build Examples

Before concluding the guide I'd like to showcase some examples of strong builds for various playstyles, summarizing everything that has been discussed in the previous sections.

Beginner Build

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Perks: Deadlock, Bitter Murmur, Sloppy Butcher, Hex: Plaything.
Add-ons: Burning Candle, Torture Pillar.

A build tailored for beginner Cenobite players that only have access to basic perks. Deadlock gives you extra time whenever survivors complete a generator, while Bitter Murmur provides insights into survivors' positions. Sloppy Butcher makes healing more challenging for survivors, increasing the duration they remain injured and Hex: Plaything allows you to capitalize on this by offering the chance to approach an injured survivor stealthily. Pair this build with Burning Candle and Torture Pillar, straightforward add-ons that passively decrease the time for Chain Hunt to activate by 9 seconds, potentially making easier for it to activate.

Generic Build

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Perks: Dead Man's Switch, Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, Lethal Pursuer, Barbecue & Chilli.
Add-ons: Skewered Rat, Greasy Black Lens.

A straightforward yet very powerful build to maximize all of Cenobite's abilities. The combination of Dead Man's Switch and Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance forms one of the most powerful gen-regression combos, buying time in the early and mid game. Lethal Pursuer and Barbecue & Chilli will instead help you activate a Chain Hunt at the beginning of the match and keep it active as much as possible, as well as assisting you finding survivors to start chases quickly and defending generators. Regarding add-ons, while this build could theoretically be paired with anything, I personally recommend using chase add-ons such as Skewered Rat to recover power quicker and Greasy Black Lens that paired with Lethal Pursuer will be incredible to mindgame survivors in tiles.

Gen-kicking Build

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Perks: Eruption, Pop Goes The Weasel, Brutal Strength, Unforeseen (Alternative: Trail of Torment).
Add-ons: Greasy Black Lens, Impaling Wire.

If you favor a gen-kicking playstyle this is a very strong build especially in indoor maps. Eruption and Pop Goes The Weasel will serve as your primary methods to regress generators' progress, as well as potentially giving info on generators being worked, while Unforeseen (or in alternative Trail of Torment) will give you the ability to stealthy approach survivors and down them quickly. Since you'll be kicking generators frequently, Brutal Strength will help save time as well as assisting you breaking pallets during chases. Regarding add-ons, to maximize the value of Eruption and Pop Goes The Weasel, I suggest using strong chase add-ons such as Greasy Black Lens and Impaling Wire, minimizing your chase time to utilize your gen-regressing perks more frequently.

Hasted Chase Build

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Perks: Deadlock, Brutal Strength (Alternative: Bamboozle), Rapid Brutality, Save The Best For Last.
Add-ons: Skewered Rat, Leather Strip.

A build entirely focused on chase efficiency. Use one generator control perk, such as Deadlock, to slow down survivors objectives, while all other perks assist you in ending chases quicker. Brutal Strength or Bamboozle will help you keeping up with survivors pre dropping pallets or using strong windows, while Rapid Brutality and Save The Best For Last will shorten your hit cooldown animation and increase your movement speed, reducing the time between your first and second hit on a survivor. Remember to completely ignore the obsession while using this build, as after the nerf to Save The Best For Last with patch 7.5.0 you will lose stacks even if you only bind the obsession with Summons of Pain. For add-ons, go with Skewered Rat and Leather Strip to minimize your power recovery time as much as possible. While not the most balanced or strong build, it's certainly a fun one if you wish to focus on using your power as much as possible during the match.

Engineer's Fang Build

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Perks: Pop Goes The Weasel, Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, Coup de Grâce, Brutal Strength.
Add-ons: Original Pain, Engineer's Fang.

Avoid this build if you don't feel confident with Summons of Pain. This is not a beginner friendly build because it forces you to play in a completely different way than usual. With Engineer's Fang you won't be able to use Summons of Pain as an antiloop power anymore so you will need to chase like a normal M1 killer without a power. This is where Brutal Strength and especially Coup de Grâce will help you, while Pop Goes The Weasel and Pain Resonance will keep generators progress down. Since you will probably leave chases often given your weakness in strong tiles, pair Engineer's Fang with Original Pain so that some of the time lost leaving the chase will be wasted by the survivor needing to mend.

Personal Strongest Build

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Perks: Corrupt Intervention, Pop Goes The Weasel, Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, Hex: No One Escape Death (Alternative: Brutal Strength, Bamboozle).
Add-ons: Original Pain, Gresy Black Lens (Alternative: Impaling Wire).

This is, in my opinion, the strongest Cenobite build you can bring against a very good group of coordinated survivors. Corrupt Intervention ensures that your early game is stable, while also making a box search approach to the game less risky. Use Original Pain to tunnel out a survivor as fast as possible, Pop Goes The Weasel will help keep the generators in check while you execute the tunnel. Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance will instead regress generators' progress during the mid/late game after you've successfully tunneled out a survivor and Hex: No One Escapes Death will serve as your fallback against highly efficient survivors, potentially securing you at least one additional kill. If you prefer to avoid endgame perks, you can use Brutal Strength or Bamboozle as an alternative to enhance your chasing capability during the match. Regarding the add-ons, while Original Pain is a staple because it grants you the ability to quickly tunnel out a survivor, the second one is more up for debate. I believe Greasy Black Lens is generally more useful in the majority of maps, but in an indoor map Impaling Wire is a must have. In either case, both add-ons are very strong and you can go with your personal preference.
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Hex Build Examples

Box Control Build

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Perks: Hex: Ruin, Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt, Hex: Undying, Agitation (Alternative: Barbecue & Chilli).
Add-ons: Larry's Remains, Frank's Heart.

A Hybrid Hex Build that goes all-in with the box control playstyle. Your objective throughout the match will be to activate and maintain a Chain Hunt. The more you succeed, the stronger the build becomes, as the chains will impede survivors from cleansing totems and Hex: Ruin will regress all generators' progress across the map. If a survivor picks up the box, you must down them as quickly as possible because at that moment all other survivors will have a window to cleanse your totems and if Ruin is destroyed, the entire strategy falls apart. Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt and Hex: Undying will help you keep Ruin up as long as possible, while Agitation will allow you to quickly reposition around the map after a down, potentially influencing the spawn of the Lament Configuration in a desired area. Alternatively, you can use Barbecue & Chilli to better track survivors attempting to pick up the box and interrupt them. For add-ons, Larry's Remains and Frank's Heart are essential, as they are the strongest add-ons for box control.

Chase Hex Build

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Perks: Hex: Blood Favour, Hex: Crowd Control, Hex: Haunted Ground (Alternative: Hex: Pentimento), Hex: Undying.
Add-ons: Skewered Rat, Frank's Heart.

A hex build focused on limiting survivors' options during chases. Hex: Blood Favour and Hex: Crowd Control will block pallets and windows forcing survivors to leave a tile as quickly as possible. In the "All-in" version of the build, Hex: Haunted Ground and Hex: Undying serve as trap totems, making survivors attempting to destroy Blood Favour and Crowd Control become exposed and thereby more vulnerable during a chase. Conversely, in the "Pentimento" version of the build, Undying will defend the totems that underpin the main strategy while also providing an additional totem to rekindle for Hex: Pentimento which will slow down generator progress if survivors destroy your totems. You can pair this build with Skewered Rat to recover your power quicker in chases and Frank's Heart that will help you defend your totems from afar as well as potentially helping to interrupt a survivor solving the box.

Exposed Hex Build

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Perks: Hex: Devour Hope, Hex: Haunted Ground (Alternative: Hex: Pentimento), Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt, Hex: Undying.
Add-ons: Frank's Heart, Chatterer's Tooth (Alternative: Larry's Remains).

A straightforward and common hex build that aims to make survivors exposed. Your main strategy throughout the match is to gain at least three stacks of Hex: Devour Hope, the other hex perks all assist in maintaining this strategy up. Hex: Haunted Ground spawns two trap totems, which upon being cleansed make survivors exposed for 60 seconds and may aid in quickly downing them, accelerating the process of gaining stacks of Devour Hope. Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt and Hex: Undying respectively slowdown cleansing time, making it easier to defend totems, and prevent Devour Hope from being the first totem cleansed. You may swap Hex: Haunted Ground with Hex: Pentimento for the "Pentimento" version of the build, maintaining the same core strategy but introducing a fallback plan to slow down generator progress if survivors efficiently deal with your totems. Regarding add-ons, two approaches are possible. Since your primary strategy revolves around keeping the Devour Hope totem active, you might use box control add-ons, such as Frank's Heart and Larry's Remains, to interrupt survivors attempting to solve the Lament Configuration and maintain a Chain Hunt active as much as you can, rendering totem cleansing impossible. Alternatively, upon reaching the third stack of Devour Hope, you might use Chatterer's Tooth to start picking up the box. This will interrupt survivors attempting to cleanse totems and you could utilize the undetectable status effect to stealthily approach and down them. Chatterer's Tooth can be paired with Frank's Heart to help defend totems from afar.

Screaming Hybrid Hex Build

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Perks: Hex: Face The Darkness, Hex: Ruin, Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt, Sloppy Butcher.
Add-ons: Iridescent Lament Configuration, Chatterer's Tooth.

A Hybrid Hex Build revolving around making survivors scream, revealing their locations and interrupting their actions. This build takes advantage of the effect of Chatterer's Tooth and can be a nightmare for solo survivors to deal with. Begin the match by playing as a hit-and-run killer to activate Hex: Face The Darkness. Once active, this perk curses the first injured survivor and causes all other survivors outside of your Terror Radius to scream every 25 seconds, revealing their locations. With Hex: Thrill Of The Hunt active and all five totems still on the map it takes 28 seconds to cleanse a totem, making it impossible for a survivor outside of your Terror Radius to destroy it as long as Face The Darkness is active. This, combined with using the Lament Configuration which you can pick up to remove your Terror Radius, will provide information on survivors' locations and maximize the effectiveness of Hex: Ruin. Face The Darkness deactivates when the cursed survivor is healed or put into the dying state, so Sloppy Butcher will help maintain their injured status and keep it active for as long as possible. For the same reason, you should largely ignore the cursed survivor, as if they were the obsession while using Save The Best For Last, because putting them into the dying state will deactivate Face The Darkness until another survivor is injured. For add-ons, you can pair Chatterer's Tooth with Iridescent Lament Configuration to impede survivors from picking up the box and enhance the likelihood of activating a Chain Hunt.
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Conclusions

Thanks to Arrandom for helping testing and recording footage :D

I hope you enjoyed reading this guide and that you’ll be a more successful Cenobite player as a result. The satisfaction derived from mastering this character, especially when your strategies begin to align with the desired outcomes, is very rewarding. So, no matter how much you’re struggling, keep training and you’ll eventually get there. It can take time to understand all the nuances of this killer's abilities.

I will try to keep this guide up to any new relevant content that might be introduced in the future so that anyone who has an interest in this character will have a reliable resource that reflects the current status of Cenobite as a killer at any point in time. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to discuss specific aspects of this guide or if you need further clarity on any matter!

Changelog

In this section you will find a comprehensive list of all the updates made to the guide. This allows you to quickly identify new additions and changes.

Patch 7.5.0

• Added patch number of the last update in the basic guide information.
  
• Added box search paths data for The Shattered Square and Temple of Purgation in “The Box Search Approach” section.
  
• Modified “When to Teleport” section to include that you can preemptively open a gateway during the teleport animation.
  
• Updated the gen defense perks matrix in “Build Advice” to include Grim Embrace.
  
• Revised the effective perks list in “Creating a Versatile Build”.
  
• Revised the effective hex perks list in “Creating a Hex Build”.

Patch 8.0.1

• Unified the sections talking about the beginning of the match to make them easier to read.
  
• Changed the metric to define box search paths. Instead of showing a path having a probability of finding the Lament Configuration above a certain threshold, the path will now go through all the possible box spawns and it will be ranked based on its average weighted length.
  
• Removed the links to Google Sheets files containing data about the box spawns. Added in their place a link to a site with the same informations presented in a more polished way. The site is also designed to be quickly used in game while in the killer loading animation to know the box path of a specific spawn point of a map.
  
• Added box search paths data for Fracture Cowshed, Wretched Shop, Wreckers' Yard, Father Campbell's Chapel and Rancid Abattoir, as well as updated the box search paths for Lampkin Lane after the map rework (you can now find all the paths in the site).
  
• Refined the images explaining strategies to effectively use Summons of Pain in the most common tiles.
  
• Revised the effective usage of Summons of Pain on TL Walls and added a video example.
  
• Revised the Add-ons sections.
  
• Revised the “Creating a Versatile Build” section after some perk nerfs.
  
• Revised the “Build Examples” and the “Hex Build Examples” sections.

Patch 8.5.2

• Removed the Midwich problematic teleport example. After the remove of the breakable wall teleporting there is no longer problematic.
  
• Revised the “Build Advice” section.
  
• Revised the “Creating a Versatile Build” and "Creating a Hex Build" sections.

With the changes to survivor spawns announced by the developers in the upcoming patches, all work related to box search paths is on hold until the new spawns are implemented.
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[criaitley]

Thank you for this guide with cenobite leaving dbd i picked him up and really want to learn/play this pin man

[Karma]

10/10 guide, explained everything pretty well

[Gennifer Loopez]

The amount of detail on your guide is very impressive. I got into playing Cenobite recently after finishing my achievement. I think you did the perfect job of showing how flexible this killer is in terms of the different paths people can take for unique play styles. You inspired me to experiment more with perks and addons. Thank you for this art piece of a guide

[Reaper]

Incredibly well-done written guide. one thing though that you should add that either I missed or didn't see talked about, you can start charging the gateway out of a teleport with a well-timed press on your mouse (that also sometimes ignores the movement speed slowdown and lets you move full speed right after teleporting) and lets you hit a player almost instantaneously after a tp. It's really effective.

[Lino]

Thanks! Appreciate it <3

[Antitied]

I hate cenobite and your personal preferences regarding this killer and his addons. But your guide is very detailed and may serve as a directive for many other killers. So thumbs up

[AndrewDrone]

)

[I LOVE PUS]

!

[Arrandom]

Look mom, I'm on TV

Impressive work!

[Sherum]

A very detailed guide, appreciate your hard work