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 first licensed Killer to grace Dead by Daylight, The Shape—better known as Michael Myers—is a formidable force driven by a chilling obsession. This iconic slasher from horror cinema thrives on stalking Survivors from a distance, gradually amplifying his ferocity before striking lethally. This relentless pursuit defines The Shape's terror, as he systematically eliminates players.

This comprehensive Dead by Daylight guide dives into the most effective builds for mastering The Shape, covering both teachable and non-teachable perks. Whether you're a seasoned player or a newcomer, these strategies will help you maximize your gameplay with this sinister character.

Updated on January 13, 2025, by Siddarth Narasimman: Despite being considered one of the weaker Killers, Michael Myers remains a favorite among new players. Recent buffs in Patch 8.4.0 have significantly bolstered his capabilities, making him a more viable choice. This guide reflects the latest updates and provides the best builds and add-ons for horror's iconic figure.

The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)

Playing The Shape without access to other Killers' perks presents a unique challenge but can still lead to triumphant trials. This build leverages Save the Best for Last to swiftly end chases while Sloppy Butcher passively slows down the game. Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death empower The Shape to obliterate remaining Survivors in the endgame without needing to stalk them for an instant down.

• Save the Best for Last (The Shape) – Gain a token each time you hit a Survivor who isn't your Obsession, up to eight. Each token reduces your basic attack cooldown by 4%, up to a maximum of 32%. Hitting the Obsession loses two tokens.
• Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk) – Once the final generator is completed, all Survivors suffer from the Exposed status effect, and you gain a 4% Haste effect until the Hex Totem is cleansed.
• Bitter Murmur (General Perk) – Every time a generator is completed, the auras of Survivors within 16 meters are revealed for 5 seconds. Upon the last generator's completion, all Survivors' auras are revealed for 10 seconds.
• Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Your basic attacks inflict the Mangled and Hemorrhage status effects, reducing healing speed by 25% and causing regression when healing is incomplete.

The Shape: Best Build (2025)

This build is designed to slow down generator progress while providing a strong start for The Shape, who struggles with early-game mobility. By focusing on controlling a section of the map with key generators, The Shape can effectively disrupt Survivor progress using The Artist's Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and The Cenobite's Deadlock.

Lethal Pursuer from The Nemesis allows The Shape to pinpoint Survivors early on, facilitating his stalking strategy. Coup de Grâce enhances his ability to handle loops, where he would otherwise falter.

• Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – At the game's start, see the auras of all Survivors for nine seconds. Additionally, all aura-reading durations are extended by two seconds.
• Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist) – Start with four tokens. Hooking different Survivors 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 generator with the most progress is blocked for 25 seconds and highlighted with a white aura.
• Coup de Grâce (The Twins) – Gain two tokens per completed generator. Use a token to increase your lunge attack distance by 80%.

The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)

Memorial Flower

At the common rarity, the Memorial Flower is an exceptional add-on for The Shape. Though not groundbreaking, the 11% increased stalking rate significantly boosts The Shape's otherwise sluggish stalking speed.

Dead Rabbit

Despite its eerie nature, the Dead Rabbit's ability to reduce the Terror Radius by 25% in Evil Within II is invaluable. However, its increased Terror Radius in Evil Within III necessitates pairing it with perks like Monitor and Abuse to manage Survivor alerts effectively.

J. Myers Memorial

As The Shape's second-best add-on, J. Myers Memorial provides a substantial 25% bonus to stalking gain rate. This add-on pairs well with the Tombstone Piece to mitigate the increased time needed to reach Evil Within III.

Hair Bow

Enhancing The Shape's threat during Evil Within III, the Hair Bow is a solid choice. When combined with J. Myers Memorial, it allows for consistent pressure across the map through multiple Evil Within III activations.

Tombstone Piece

Arguably The Shape's most powerful add-on, the Tombstone Piece enables instant kills at Evil Within III, functioning like the old Memento Mori. This game-changing ability surpasses the Ultra Rare Judith's Tombstone by avoiding its accompanying speed debuff.

Lock Of Hair

Lock of Hair extends Evil Within III by 40 seconds, more than the Hair Bow, and increases the stalk rate for Evil Within III. While the Hair Bow is typically preferred, Lock of Hair is a strong alternative when used with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.

Fragrant Tuft of Hair

Though it drastically reduces the Shape's stalking rate by 200%, the Fragrant Tuft of Hair grants infinite Evil Within III. This means you can continuously down Survivors without the need for stalking, revolutionizing your gameplay strategy.