The Best Cenobite (Pinhead) Builds in Dead by Daylight

Thanks to Behaviour, Pinhead isn’t just a menace in Hellraiser anymore. Our favorite cactus-browed killer brings a couple of deadly abilities to The Entity’s Realm. When he’s not seizing survivors with his chains, he’s stalling the game with his deadly puzzle box. Getting peak value from the Lament Configuration takes the right loadout as well as a ton of skill. Despite being an M1 (basic attack) killer, Pinhead can be a pub stomper in the right hands. Here are some of the best builds for The Cenobite in Dead by Daylight.

Meta Gen Regression

The best builds are those that prevent the generators from ever getting done. The key for most killers is gen regression, and Pinhead is no exception. If you’re putting together the best Cenobite build in the current Dead by Daylight meta, you’ll want a mix of information, lethality, and simple stalling. Although it requires perks from three other killers to create, the result will help you stomp most lobbies, SWF or otherwise. Finding the Lament Configuration early with Lethal also helps get the Trial off to the best possible start.

Lethal Pursuer reveals the Auras of all the survivors at the start of the Trial, allowing you to start your first chase right away. It also helps you pinpoint the Lament Configuration’s probable spawn point, far from you and survivors. Surge damages nearby generators when you down a survivor. Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance damages the most progressed gen when you hook a unique survivor. Combined with Grim Embrace, which blocks generators when you hook a unique survivor, escaping Pinhead becomes the most difficult puzzle of all. This build pairs well with the Greasy Black Lens and Original Pain.

Generic Build

Of the game’s M1 killers, The Cenobite ranks among the strongest, even without others’ perks to help. Deadlock and Gift of Pain are both good slowdown options, and Plaything can hand you some easy wins as well, though it struggles against coordinated teams. This build is arguably the strongest that Pinhead can be while using only his own perks and generic ones. There’s plenty of lethality and a bit of stealth here, but with only Deadlock to slow things down, you’ll need to keep a close eye on generator progress.

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Hex: Plaything creates a Hex Totem when you hook a survivor, leaving them Oblivious until it is cleansed. Deadlock blocks the generator with the most progress when another generator is completed, slowing down survivor progress overall. Sloppy Butcher slows healing and causes partial healing to regress if survivors are interrupted. Hex: No One Escapes Death gives you a speed boost and the ability to insta-down after the generators are completed. This build pairs well with Original Pain and Impaling Wire.

Hex Build

Hexes are high risk and high reward. If you defend them long enough, their powers can hand you a win on a silver platter. If survivors destroy them early, you’re fighting an uphill battle without perks. In this build, Pentimento lessens your fear of Boon-hungry Mikaelas by giving you a back-up plan. It also includes one non-Hex perk from Chucky for information and lethality throughout the game. While other builds may be more reliable, few are stronger, making it one of the best Cenobite builds in Dead by Daylight.

Hex: Ruin causes generators to automatically regress when they aren’t being worked on. Hex: Face the Darkness causes survivors to scream periodically, interrupting their attempts to solve the Lament Configuration. Friends ’til the End reveals the Obsession and Exposes them whenever you hook another survivor. Hex: Pentimento allows you to rekindle broken Hexes to enact a series of punishing debuffs. This build pairs well with Original Pain and Engineer’s Fang, letting The Cenobite show survivors the true nature of suffering.