"Top Builds for The Shape in Dead by Daylight (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 as Michael Myers, was the first licensed Killer introduced to Dead by Daylight, bringing a chilling presence to the game. His ability to stalk Survivors from a distance, building his ferocity before striking, embodies the essence of terror that makes him a fan-favorite despite his lower-tier status among Killers. With the recent buffs in Patch 8.4.0, Michael Myers has gained some much-needed strength, making it an opportune time for players to explore the best builds and add-ons to maximize his potential.

This guide is designed to help players of all skill levels craft the most effective builds for The Shape, including both teachable and non-teachable perks, to enhance their gameplay experience with this iconic horror figure.

Updated on January 13, 2025, by Siddarth Narasimman: Despite being considered one of the weaker Killers, Michael Myers remains a popular choice, especially among newcomers. The recent enhancements in Patch 8.4.0 have significantly improved his viability, making it an exciting time to delve into the best strategies for this legendary character.

The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)

Playing The Shape without access to other Killers' perks can be challenging but rewarding. This build leverages Save the Best for Last to reduce chase times, while Sloppy Butcher slows down the game passively. The combination of Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death ensures a devastating endgame without relying on stalking for instant downs.

• Save the Best for Last (The Shape) – Each hit on a non-Obsession Survivor grants a token, up to eight, reducing the cooldown on successful basic attacks by -4% per token, up to 32%. Hitting the Obsession removes two tokens.
• Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk) – Once the last generator is completed, all Survivors become Exposed, and you gain a 4% Haste effect until the Hex Totem is cleansed.
• Bitter Murmur (General Perk) – When a generator is completed, the auras of nearby Survivors are revealed for 5 seconds. After the last generator, all Survivors' auras are shown for 10 seconds.
• Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Basic attacks inflict Mangled and Hemorrhage, slowing healing by 25% and causing regression if not completed.

The Shape: Best Build (2025)

This build is designed to slow down generator progress and boost The Shape's early game, where he struggles most due to limited map mobility. By focusing on a cluster of generators and using The Artist's Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and The Cenobite's Deadlock, The Shape can effectively disrupt Survivors' progress. The Nemesis's Lethal Pursuer aids in quickly locating and stalking Survivors, while The Twins' Coup de Grâce enhances his performance around loops.

• Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – At the start of the match, see all Survivors' auras for nine seconds, with an additional two seconds on all aura-reading effects.
• Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist) – Start with four tokens. Each time a different Survivor is hooked on a Scourge Hook, lose one token and cause the most progressed generator 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 per completed generator. Use a token to increase lunge attack distance by 80%.

The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)

Memorial Flower

Among the common rarity add-ons, the Memorial Flower stands out by providing an 11% increase in stalking rate, offering a modest but welcome boost to The Shape's stalking speed.

Dead Rabbit

Despite its eerie nature, the Dead Rabbit's 25% reduction in Terror Radius during Evil Within II is highly beneficial. However, its increase in Terror Radius during Evil Within III requires pairing with perks like Monitor and Abuse to prevent early alerts to Survivors.

J. Myers Memorial

This add-on is a close second in effectiveness, granting a 25% bonus to stalking gain rate. It's often used with the Tombstone Piece to mitigate the time needed to reach Evil Within III.

Hair Bow

Enhancing The Shape's threat during Evil Within III, the Hair Bow can be paired with J. Myers Memorial for consistent pressure across the map.

Tombstone Piece

Considered The Shape's most potent add-on, the Tombstone Piece allows for instant kills upon reaching Evil Within III, functioning as a powerful Memento Mori without the speed debuff of Judith's Tombstone.

Lock Of Hair

Lock of Hair extends Evil Within III by 40 seconds and increases the stalking rate, making it a strong alternative to the Hair Bow, especially when used with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.

Fragrant Tuft of Hair

While it reduces the stalking rate significantly by 200%, the Fragrant Tuft of Hair grants infinite Evil Within III, allowing for constant insta-downs without the need for stalking.