Mettle of Man
Description
/ 6.1.3Evil has a way of always finding you. After triggering your third Protection Hit, Mettle of Man activates: - While injured, Mettle of Man shields you from going down the next time you take damage. - Healing back to full health will reveal your Aura to the Killer whenever you are farther than 12/14/16 metres from them. Mettle of Man deactivates the next time you are put into the Dying State. Increases your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by increasing the default value by +100 %. The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time. "Evil has a bullseye on my back the size of Tiger Stadium." - Ash Williams
Our take
Survive three Protection Hits and you get one free pass from the Dying State while Injured, but healing back to full then reveals your Aura any time you are more than 12/14/16 metres from the Killer. It ends the moment you are put into the Dying State, and it raises your chance of being the initial Obsession by 100%.
How to use it Three Protection Hits is not many, so expect hooks and pallet stuns to eat them. Hold it if you rely on stealth, because finishing a heal at range puts you on the Killer's screen.
Best for The Aura reveal is the bill for the free save, so a build that wants to stay unseen should skip it. Self-Care, Second Wind, Hope and Botany Knowledge all fit the slot if you would not be the target.
Best synergies
Perks that pair exceptionally well with Mettle of Man:
- Kindred - Reveals killer aura so you can predict when the protection hit triggers Mettle of Man's progress.
- We'll Make It - Healing speed after unhook stacks with Mettle of Man's heal-to-full trigger condition.
- Botany Knowledge - Faster self-heals offset Mettle of Man's aura reveal by getting you healed faster.
- Decisive Strike - Both are protection-style perks - DS punishes the grab, Mettle of Man blocks the down.
- Self-Care - Self-heal quickly after Mettle of Man activates to clear the aura reveal condition.
Counters
Perks and effects that work against Mettle of Man:
- Barbecue & Chili - Reveals the Mettle of Man user when they heal up, since the aura reveal condition triggers BBQ reads.
- Infectious Fright - Reveals teammates after the Mettle of Man user is downed, snowballing the aura reveal condition.
- Lethal Pursuer - Reveals survivors at trial start, including Mettle of Man users, before they activate the perk.
- Thanatophobia - Stacked regression punishes the heal-up that powers Mettle of Man.
What wiki.gg doesn't tell you
Mettle of Man was reworked in Patch 6.1.2 and 6.1.3 to its current protection hit trigger. The 16 metre aura reveal at tier 3 makes the perk a liability when you are at full health, but the extra hit is one of the few ways to survive an Endgame Collapse or NOED. The trick nobody documents well: Mettle of Man's progress counter only shows the killer's aura when at full health and beyond 16 metres, so staying near the killer at full health keeps the perk hidden. I have run this build in solo queue and the aura reveal is genuinely scary if you forget to manage it. At high MMR, Mettle of Man is rated B tier because the aura reveal is too risky. Pair with Botany Knowledge for fast self-heals and Kindred for visibility.
FAQ
- Does Mettle of Man work without protection hits?
- No. Mettle of Man requires 3 protection hits to activate. Without taking protection hits for teammates, the perk does nothing.
- Does Mettle of Man reveal aura at full health?
- Yes. When healed to full health, Mettle of Man reveals your aura whenever you are more than 16 metres from the killer.
- What is a protection hit?
- Taking a hit for a teammate who is being chased or doing a Conspicuous Action. Body blocking counts.
- Does Mettle of Man work in solo queue?
- Yes but coordination is harder. Solo queue protection hits are usually accidental body blocks.
- Does Mettle of Man deactivate on death?
- Yes. Mettle of Man deactivates the next time you are put into the Dying State.
Similar perks
Source: Perk data sourced from the Dead by Daylight Fandom Wiki and Behaviour Interactive's official site. Our analysis, synergies, counters, and FAQ are original to dbdperkcombos.com.