Dead by Daylight is a horror fan’s dream, or you can say nightmare, come true with its original and iconic Killers at the helm. The game has definitely cornered the market for the asymmetric-multiplayer genre. Now, this being a live-service game that is constantly adding new content into the mix there is bound to be a bunch of stuff to buy. And speaking of stuff to buy you need a bunch of currencies to confuse players.
From amongst the many currencies in Dead by Daylight, Iridescent Shards is one of the most important for buying valuable items and a currency that doesn’t require your hard-earned money to be bought and can simply be acquired by indulging in some good old gameplay.
But because Iridescent Shards are so valuable, they are one of the more challenging currencies to earn. So to make things easier for you we have a bunch of tips that you can use to get a good flow of Shards going.
The short and simple answer to getting Iridescent Shards is to play the game regularly as both Survivor and Killer to take advantage of the first match bonus. Always play as many matches as you can, but try to keep them going for 10 mins at most otherwise you are wasting valuable time.
More details will be provided below, so read along.
What Are Iridescent Shards In Dead By Daylight?
Iridescent Shards or IS is one of the 6 in-game currencies in Dead by Daylight and is directly linked to the Player Progression. This currency is used for:
- Purchasing Teachable Perks from the Shrine of Secrets as an alternate method to leveling a character in the game.
- Teachable Perks usually cost 2,000 Iridescent Shards or 2,700 Iridescent Shards when appearing in the Shrine for the first time.
- Purchasing Original Characters from the in-game store.
- Characters can cost 9,000 Iridescent Shards
- Purchasing Cosmetic/Customization items from the in-game store like skins.
- Skins’ cost varies from 1,000 to 30,000 Iridescent Shards depending on the developers.
- It can also be exchanged for Bloodpoints.
- If a Player has already unlocked one of the Teachable Perks available for purchase, buying that Perk again from the Shrine of Secrets will instead grant 150,000 Bloodpoints, or, if that Perk is from a Character of a recent DLC, it will grant 250,000 Bloodpoints.
Iridescent Shards are acquired by gaining Experience Points from playing Trials and progressing your Player Account Level. In Dead by Daylight Mobile, Iridescent Shards may also be obtained by completing Daily and Weekly Rituals. The amount of Iridescent Shards you get for leveling up is dependent on your Player Account Level. You can see the amount of Shards you receive as per level and XP in the table below:
| Level | Required XP per Level | Required XP Total | Awarded Iridescent Shards per Level | Awarded Iridescent Shards Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Level 2 | 720 XP | 720 XP | 50 IS | 50 IS |
| Level 3 | 900 XP | 1,620 XP | 65 IS | 115 IS |
| Level 4 – 6 | 1,200 XP | 5,220 XP | 85 IS | 370 IS |
| Level 7 – 14 | 2,100 XP | 22,020 XP | 150 IS | 1,570 IS |
| Level 15 – 24 | 2,700 XP | 49,020 XP | 195 IS | 3,520 IS |
| Level 25 – 34 | 3,300 XP | 82,020 XP | 235 IS | 5,870 IS |
| Level 35 – 49 | 3,750 XP | 138,270 XP | 270 IS | 9,920 IS |
| Level 50 – 99 | 4,200 XP | 348,270 XP | 300 IS | 24,920 IS |
Related: How to Unlock Your FPS in Dead By Daylight
How To Get Iridescent Shards In Dead By Daylight
As stated above this currency is given or rewarded to players for playing the game essentially and to break it gently there is no way to farm this currency other than just playing Dead by Daylight regularly. So you just have to put on your shoes and get to work. Now that isn’t all bad news as this game is quite fun and if you just happen to know some tips on how and from where to effectively get Iridescent Shards, you will be swimming in this moolah in no time.
Emblems
At the end of each match/trial, players receive four emblem scores. These emblems will determine the amount of XP you receive and since Iridescent Shards are linked to player-level progression and XP, this makes getting them all the more viable.
Both the Killers and Survivors have 4 different categories to earn emblem points for. It is highly recommended that you try to carry out as many actions pertaining to each and all of the categories regardless of whether you are playing a Killer or Survivor. The more actions you perform in the least amount of time the better the XP payout will be at the end of the trial. Using Perks to your advantage will also help you rake in these points, for example, Empathy can help survivors find injured teammates and thus earn Benevolent points.
Killers and Survivors can earn points in the following categories:
| Killer | Survivor |
|---|---|
| Devout: Killing survivors, using killer power | Lightbringer: Completing objectives (repairing generators/cleansing totems), opening exit gates |
| Gatekeeper: More points awarded for fewer generators completed by survivors; more points for less time spent in trial | Unbroken: More points awarded for more time alive; can only achieve max points if the survivor never enters the dying state |
| Malicious: Injuring survivors, grabbing survivors, hooking survivors | Benevolent: Altruistic actions such as unhooking, healing others, bodyblocking |
| Chaser: Finding survivors, injuring survivors quickly | Evader: Hiding from the killer, winning chases/being chased without being injured, pallet stuns |
Keep An Eye Out For Special Events
Much like most ongoing multiplayer games, the developers of Dead by Daylight celebrate special events and holidays by giving away free gifts to their players. These special-event rewards players with a plethora of goodies like limited-edition cosmetics, offerings, Tomes, and the valuable topic at hand Iridescent Shards. So it goes without saying that being active on these special days will certainly benefit you.
Behaviour Interactive has put in a lot of effort recently to improve their offerings for the players with past events like the annual Anniversary Event, winter Bone Chill event, and Halloween events giving out as many as 500 Iridescent Shards per day just for logging in. With so many events around the year, you are expected to rake in a good chunk of Shards and XP bonuses.
Regular Attendance Is Important
There is a “First Match of the Day” bonus in Dead by Daylight where players will receive an extra 300 XP for playing as a Killer and as a Survivor each for every new day you play. This means that if you play as both a Killer and Survivor each day you will net 600 XP every day. If you are a fan of the game and a consistent player then you will be getting and adding this bonus to your leveling-up pool and in turn, getting Iridescent Shards quickly.
To make this rather tedious task more enjoyable you can always choose to play with a character or test out new perks that you haven’t played with much. You can always experiment with Killers that are different from your regular playing style or are just overall challenging to handle.
Related: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Dead by Daylight
More Matches = More Iridescent Shards
The primary way to get your hands on Iridescent Shards in Dead by Daylight is by accumulating as much XP as you can and leveling up your player account and the best way to do so is by simply playing as many matches as you can. The game is designed in a way that rewards the players that put in the most time and effort to go home with the most reward which also includes a constant stream of Bloodpoints.
When a player has gained enough XP from playing matches, they increase their Devotion level. The higher a player’s level, the more Iridescent Shards they will be rewarded (as you must have seen in the table above). Players should note that the Devotion level, which is displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the lobby screen, is separate from each Killer and Survivor character’s individual level, which only affects their own perks.
Try To Wrap It Up In Ten Minutes
As per the previous point, it is crucial that you play as many matches as possible for the most XP payout, there is one more mechanic in Dead by Daylight that adds a bit of nuance to this. This game awards XP for the time you spend in a match BUT the XP caps out after 10 minutes. This means that any time spend after 10 mins is useless and players who are focused on Iridescent Shards should not let a match stretch beyond that. Spending time below this threshold like 7 or 8 mins will not give the maximum output so it’s best you stick to a 10 min cycle.
Survivor players should focus on completing all generators as quickly as possible, while Killer players should focus on killing all survivors. Using Perks to keep the match going for 10 mins is great for Survivors while the Killer shouldn’t be too aggressive to quickly finish off the opponents before the clock hit the 10 min mark. Time balance is key here and if the match is prolonging too much then it’s best you choose to lose to cover your losses.
Sadly there are no farming methods for getting tons of Iridescent Shards, you just have to roll with the punches all the while enjoying the game (which is the point of playing a game right!). You just have to play the game and matches regularly to soak up as much XP to level up faster and get those sweet Shards. Play the game with those emblems in mind so that your actions will be according to them and stay alert for the upcoming special events to get a chance at acquiring those gifts. With all these things at play, you will be swimming in Iridescent Shards in no time.