Dead by Daylight: Best Builds for The Shape (2025)

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• The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)

• The Shape: Best Build (2025)

• The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)

The Shape, known to fans as Michael Myers, was the first licensed Killer introduced to Dead by Daylight. His relentless stalking of Survivors builds up his ferocity, making him a terrifying force that eliminates players one by one. This guide offers the best builds for The Shape, including both teachable and non-teachable perks, to help players of all levels maximize their gameplay with this iconic horror character.

Updated on January 13, 2025, by Siddarth Narasimman: Despite being one of the weaker Killers, Michael Myers remains a favorite among new players. The recent buffs in Patch 8.4.0 have enhanced his capabilities, making him a more viable choice. This is an excellent opportunity for players to explore the best builds and add-ons for this legendary horror figure.

The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)

Playing The Shape without teachable perks can be challenging, but this build leverages general perks to create a formidable strategy. Save the Best for Last helps reduce chase times, while Sloppy Butcher slows down the game by inflicting the Mangled and Hemorrhage status effects. Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death are crucial for the endgame, allowing The Shape to finish off any remaining Survivors without needing to stalk them for an instant down.

• Save the Best for Last (The Shape) – Gain one token (up to eight) by hitting a non-Obsession Survivor, reducing basic attack cooldown by 4% per token, up to a maximum of 32%. Hitting the Obsession loses two tokens.
• Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk) – Once the last generator is completed, all Survivors become Exposed and gain a 4% Haste effect until the Hex Totem is cleansed.
• Bitter Murmur (General Perk) – Reveals the auras of Survivors within 16 meters of a completed generator for 5 seconds. After the last generator, all Survivors' auras are revealed for 10 seconds.
• Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Inflicts Mangled and Hemorrhage on basic attacks, slowing healing by 25% and causing regression if healing is left unfinished.

The Shape: Best Build (2025)

This build focuses on slowing down generator progress and enhancing The Shape's early game, which is typically his weakest phase. By using perks that hinder generator repair, The Shape can effectively guard a cluster of generators and keep track of their progress. Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and Deadlock are key in disrupting generator progress, while Lethal Pursuer helps in quickly locating Survivors to start stalking them. Coup de Grâce improves The Shape's performance around loops.

• Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – At the start of the match, see the auras of all Survivors for nine seconds. All aura-reading effects last two seconds longer.
• Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist) – Start with four tokens. Hooking a different Survivor on a Scourge Hook consumes one token and causes the generator with the most progress to lose 25% of its progress.
• Deadlock (The Cenobite) – When a generator is completed, the one with the most progress is blocked for 25 seconds and revealed by a white aura.
• Coup de Grâce (The Twins) – Gain two tokens for each completed generator. Use one token to increase lunge attack distance by 80%.

The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)

Memorial Flower

At common rarity, the Memorial Flower is a top add-on for The Shape, boosting his stalking rate by 11%, which significantly enhances his ability to build up his power.

Dead Rabbit

Although it may seem like a risky trade, the Dead Rabbit reduces The Shape's Terror Radius by 25% in Evil Within II, making him stealthier. However, it increases the Terror Radius in Evil Within III, so it's best used with perks like Monitor and Abuse to manage this drawback effectively.

J. Myers Memorial

This add-on provides a 25% bonus to The Shape's stalking gain rate, making it an excellent choice. It's commonly paired with the Tombstone Piece to mitigate the increased time needed to reach Evil Within III.

Hair Bow

During Evil Within III, the Hair Bow increases The Shape's threat level. When combined with the J. Myers Memorial, it allows for consistent pressure on the map through multiple Evil Within III activations.

Tombstone Piece

Considered The Shape's strongest add-on, the Tombstone Piece enables an immediate kill of any Survivor upon reaching Evil Within III, functioning as a powerful Memento Mori without the speed penalty of the Ultra Rare Judith’s Tombstone.

Lock Of Hair

Lock of Hair extends Evil Within III by 40 seconds and increases the stalking rate for this state. While the Hair Bow is generally preferred, the Lock of Hair is a solid alternative when used with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.

Fragrant Tuft of Hair

This add-on drastically reduces The Shape's stalking rate by 200%, but in return, it grants infinite Evil Within III. This means players can insta-down Survivors without the need for stalking, offering a unique gameplay advantage.