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Top 2025 Builds for The Shape in Dead by Daylight

Author:Kristen Update:May 28,2025

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The Shape, known to many as Michael Myers, was the first licensed Killer introduced to Dead by Daylight. His chilling presence in the game is marked by his relentless stalking of Survivors, building his ferocity before striking with lethal precision. This sinister approach to gameplay makes The Shape a truly terrifying force, capable of eliminating players systematically.

In this comprehensive guide for Dead by Daylight, we explore the most effective builds for The Shape, including both teachable and non-teachable perks. These builds cater to players of all skill levels, ensuring everyone can maximize their potential while playing as 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 introduced in Patch 8.4.0 have significantly enhanced his capabilities, making him a more viable option. With these updates, it's the perfect time to delve into the best builds and add-ons for this legendary horror figure.

The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)

Navigating the trials without other Killers' perks can be challenging, but with the right strategy, The Shape can still dominate. This build leverages Save the Best for Last to shorten chase times, while Sloppy Butcher passively slows down the game. Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death then allow for a devastating endgame without the need for constant stalking.

  • Save the Best for Last (The Shape) – Gain a token (up to eight) for hitting a non-Obsession Survivor, reducing your basic attack cooldown by 4% per token (up to 32%). Hitting the Obsession removes two tokens.
  • Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk) – Once the final 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. When the last generator is done, all Survivors' auras are revealed for 10 seconds.
  • Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Inflicts Mangled and Hemorrhage status effects with basic attacks, reducing healing speed by 25% and causing regression if healing is interrupted.

The Shape: Best Build (2025)

This build emphasizes slowing down generator progress while providing a strong start to the game. The Shape, known for poor early-game performance and limited map mobility, should focus on controlling a cluster of generators. The Artist's Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and The Cenobite's Deadlock help in disrupting generator progress, while The Nemesis's Lethal Pursuer aids in quickly locating Survivors for an effective stalking strategy. Coup de Grâce enhances The Shape's ability to navigate loops.

  • Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – At the match start, see all Survivors' auras 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 a 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 with a white aura.
  • Coup de Grâce (The Twins) – Gain two tokens per completed generator. Use a token to increase lunge attack distance by 80%.

The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)

Memorial Flower

The Memorial Flower is the top common rarity add-on for Michael Myers, offering an 11% boost to his stalking rate, enhancing his already formidable stalking ability.

Dead Rabbit

The Dead Rabbit may seem like a risky choice, but reducing the Terror Radius by 25% during Evil Within II is crucial. However, since it increases the Terror Radius in Evil Within III, pairing it with a perk like Monitor and Abuse can prevent early alerts to Survivors.

J. Myers Memorial

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

Hair Bow

The Hair Bow increases The Shape's threat level during Evil Within III. Combining it with the J. Myers Memorial allows for consistent map pressure through multiple Evil Within III activations.

Tombstone Piece

The Tombstone Piece is arguably The Shape's most potent add-on, enabling instant kills at Evil Within III, functioning similarly to an old Memento Mori. This capability can drastically shift the game's momentum and outperforms the Ultra Rare Judith’s Tombstone by avoiding the accompanying speed penalty.

Lock Of Hair

The Lock of Hair adds 40 seconds to Evil Within III and boosts the stalking rate. While the Hair Bow is generally preferred, the Lock of Hair is a solid alternative, especially when used with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.

Fragrant Tuft of Hair

Despite reducing the stalking rate by 200%, the Fragrant Tuft of Hair grants infinite Evil Within III, eliminating the need to manage power levels and allowing for instant downs without stalking.