Best Early Game Perks In 7 Days To Die

Summary

Choose perks wisely in 7 Days To Die to survive the Blood Moon and gather resources more efficiently.
Increase survivability with perks like Parkour, Cardio, and Lucky Looter to handle zombies and exploration.
Invest in perks like Miner 69'er and Daring Adventurer to gain an edge in mining, combat, and trading with traders.

7 Days To Die is an action-packed game that is filled with bears, wolves, and zombies that are seeking to chow down on the player at the first possible opportunity. Selecting the right perks early on can help the player survive the first few days and come out the other side relatively unscathed.

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By Benjamin Joe

There are many different directions that players can go in when it comes to perk selection. Some are good for ranged weapons, others for looting, and some help the players in ways that aren't clear at first glance. Skill points can be hard to come by, so it's important to spend them wisely.

1 Parkour

Tumbler

Perk Effects: Safe fall distance increased by one meter. Reduces the stamina cost of jumping by 10%

Investing a point in Parkour can be a real lifesaver. The first level of this perk reduces the cost of jumping by 10%. This can be particularly useful when trying to jump out of reach of a horde of aggressive zombies.

It also increases the distance the player can fall before taking damage. This can save the player from some sticky situations. In 7 Days To Die, there are lots of buildings that aren't exactly structurally sound. Should the floor give way while the player is exploring an abandoned building, then they could end up with a nasty injury that could slow them down.

2 Cardio

Hiker

Perk Effect: Increases stamina regen by 10% while sprinting

For some reason, day 1 characters are incredibly unfit. They are barely able to run a few feet without needing to take a rest. In the early stages, players won't have a mode of transport, so they will need to go everywhere on foot.

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By Mark Sammut

The first level of Cardio increases the player's stamina regeneration speed by 10% when sprinting. What this means is sprinting will cost less stamina, so the player will be able to run for longer without getting out of breath. This makes Cardio a must-have perk.

3 Mother Lode

Paydirt

Perk Effect: Harvest 20% more ore while using a tool

Gathering resources early on can be a bit of a challenge. Players will need to work quickly to gather enough materials to put together a base that can handle the first Blood Moon. Because efficiency is key, Mother Lode is great for making mining a little bit more profitable.

The first level of this perk will allow players to harvest 20% more ore when mining. Provided the player is using an axe, pick, shovel, chainsaw, or auger, players will gather more materials. This also applies to trees, so players with this perk will be able to harvest 20% more wood than normal.

4 Lucky Looter

Slim Chance

Perk Effects: Add 5% to loot bonus. Looting is 10% faster

The first level of Lucky Looter will add 5% to the player's loot bonus, and it allows players to loot things 10% faster. The 5% bonus doesn't really do a lot in the early stages. The reason why this perk is a good choice in the early stage is its bonus to loot speed.

Split image brandishing appliance at zombies in Dead Rising, standing in doorway with weapons in 7 Days To Die, and two cast members from Left 4 Dead standing together

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By Ewan Lewis

Players will open up countless storage containers and search inside numerous vehicles every day. Being able to loot 10% faster can not only help with quick getaways when there are nearby zombies, but it will also help increase the player's efficiency. In 7 Days To Die, good time management is a crucial part of the player's day-to-day life.

5 Miner 69'er

Tool Nipper

Perk Effects: Increase tool damage by 10% and block damage by 30%. Stamina cost reduced for attacking and power attacking by 8% and 15%, respectively

Miner 69'er is another perk that can help the player increase their efficiency while mining materials. The first level of this perk will increase the player's tool damage to ores and trees. When used in combination with the first level of Mother Lode, it dramatically increases how fast the player will gather vital resources.

The fewer hits it takes to gather certain resources, the more time and stamina the player will have to do other things like base building and completing missions for the traders.

6 A Weapon Damage Boost

An Option For Everyone

Perk Effects: Depending on the player's choice, the weapon damage output of a weapon group will be boosted

Most players will have a certain weapon type that works best for them. In 7 Days To Die, there's at least one perk for each of the game's weapon types. So, after killing a few zombies with each type of beginner weapon, players should try to pick which weapon suits their playstyle and invest a perk point in that skill. The perks for each of the base weapons that the player is likely to have access to are shown below:

Pummel Pete: Clubs And Bats
Skull Crusher: Sledgehammers
Spear Master: Spears
Brawler: Fists
Archery: Bows
Deep Cuts: Knives And Machetes (Not Axes)
Electrocutioner: Batons

Each perk listed above will boost the damage output of the corresponding weapon type. It will also reduce the amount of stamina that it costs to perform both regular hits and power attacks.

7 Daring Adventurer

Looter

Perk Effects: Gain access to better trader items. Earn 10% more Dukes for completing missions

Completing missions for traders is a great way of earning XP in the early stages of the game. It's also great for earning rewards that can help players improve their skills. The first level of Daring Adventurer will increase the amount of Dukes the player earns for completing a mission by 5%.

Also, it will increase the quality of products that traders stock. So, not only will the player gain extra rewards for completing a mission, but they can also spend their extra Dukes on better quality items sold by the trader.

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