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The Skull Merchant

The Skull Merchant

Difficulty: Hard · Patch 10.2.2, data from October 28, 2026.

The Skull Merchant is a tactical Killer, able to place Drones that detect and debilitate her targets.

Power

Eyes In The Sky

Eyes In The Sky

Eyes in the Sky: 6 drones scanning a 10 m radius; 3 Lock On stacks apply a Claw Trap.

Full power text

Inspired by the dark mangas created by her father, The Skull Merchant relentlessly hunts her prey using the latest in surveillance technology.

The Skull Merchant begins the match with six Drones. Press the Power button to deploy a Drone. Recalling a Drone grants Undetectable for 8 seconds. Once detected by a scan line, a Survivor gains scan immunity and cannot be detected by other scan lines for a few seconds.

Survivors can attempt to hack Drones. Failure partially fills their Lock On meter; Success disables the Drone for 45 seconds.

SPECIAL ABILITY: RADAR

Press the Ability Button to open a Radar to see the locations of Survivors detected by Drones and those with Claw Traps. The Radar can be used to change a Drone's rotation direction or to recall a Drone.

When a Survivor is detected by a Drone shortly after its deployment or change in rotation, The Skull Merchant gains 5% Haste for 8 seconds.

SPECIAL EFFECT: LOCK ON

The Lock On meter fills when scanned by a Drone and when failing to disable a Drone. When the meter is full, the Survivor receives a Claw Trap, becomes Injured, and suffers from the Broken status effect. Additional scans briefly apply a 10% Hindered status effect.

A Claw Trap broadcasts the Survivor’s location to the Killer and is only removed when its battery dies.

Killer perks

  • Game AfootGame Afoot
  • THWACK!THWACK!
  • LeverageLeverage

Builds

MetaHigh confidence
  • Corrupt InterventionCorrupt Intervention
  • Turn Back The ClockTurn Back The Clock
  • Barbecue & ChiliBarbecue & Chili
  • Knock OutKnock Out

Add-onsUltrasonic SpeakerUltrasonic SpeakerVital Targeting ProcessorVital Targeting Processor

Knock Out (buffed in 10.2.0: 20% Hindered) punishes leaving a pallet, and the drones punish staying.

MetaMedium confidence
  • Corrupt InterventionCorrupt Intervention
  • Scourge Hook: Pain ResonanceScourge Hook: Pain Resonance
  • Turn Back The ClockTurn Back The Clock
  • Dead Man’s SwitchDead Man’s Switch

Add-onsVital Targeting ProcessorVital Targeting ProcessorUltrasonic SpeakerUltrasonic Speaker

No-limits build. CI and Turn Back the Clock also appear in the top-winning build. DMS nerfed in 10.2.0.

BudgetHigh confidence
  • DeadlockDeadlock
  • LeverageLeverage
  • A Nurse's CallingA Nurse's Calling
  • Brutal StrengthBrutal Strength

Add-onsAdaptive LightingAdaptive LightingUltrasonic SpeakerUltrasonic Speaker

Skull Merchant's Leverage slows healing, A Nurse's Calling finds healers. Base Nurse / Trapper perks.

FunMedium confidence
  • Celestial WitnessCelestial Witness
  • NemesisNemesis
  • RancorRancor
  • Keep Them Waiting

"Obsession Roulette" build: Celestial Witness rotates the Obsession every 30s, Nemesis reveals the new one, Rancor makes them ever easier to find. In the endgame drones help you close in for the mori.

How to counter

  • Crouching, standing still or fast vaulting inside a drone area prevents detection.
  • Hacking a drone disables it for 45 s; failure adds a Lock On stack: only attempt it when safe (30 s limit).
  • A Claw Trap has a 45 s battery and shows you on her 32 m Radar: stay out of range to avoid being seen.

Add-ons to know

  • Expired Batteries
    Expired BatteriesFirst Claw Trap at 50% battery, second at 100%.
  • Iridescent Unpublished Manuscript
    Iridescent Unpublished ManuscriptUndetectable for 15 s when a drone is disabled.
  • Powdered Glass
    Powdered GlassHaemorrhage and Mangled for 70 s on a Claw-Trapped Survivor hit.

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