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The Shape, famously known as Michael Myers, was the first licensed Killer introduced to Dead by Daylight. His eerie presence and relentless stalking of Survivors make him a formidable force in the game. Michael's ability to increase his ferocity by tracking his prey adds a thrilling layer of tension, making him a favorite among horror fans and new players alike.
This comprehensive guide aims to enhance your gameplay with The Shape by detailing some of the best builds, including both teachable and non-teachable perks. These strategies will help players of all skill levels maximize their potential as this iconic character.
Updated on January 13, 2025, by Siddarth Narasimman: Despite being considered one of the weaker killers, Michael Myers remains a popular choice for beginners. The recent buffs in Patch 8.4.0 have significantly improved his effectiveness, making it an opportune time for players to explore the best builds and add-ons for this horror legend.
The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)
Playing The Shape without access to other Killers' perks presents a unique challenge, yet it's far from insurmountable. This build leverages Save the Best for Last to reduce chase times, while Sloppy Butcher passively slows down the game. Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death enable The Shape to dominate the endgame without needing to stalk Survivors for instant downs.
- Save the Best for Last (The Shape) – Hitting a non-Obsession Survivor grants one token, up to eight. Each token reduces the cooldown on successful basic attacks by -4%, maxing out at 32%. Hitting the Obsession loses two tokens.
- Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk) – After the last generator is completed, Survivors suffer from the Exposed status, and players gain a 4% Haste effect until the Hex Totem is cleansed.
- Bitter Murmur (General Perk) – Each completed generator reveals the auras of Survivors within 16 meters for 5 seconds. After the last generator, all Survivors' auras are revealed for 10 seconds.
- Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Basic attacks inflict Mangled and Hemorrhage, slowing healing by 25% and causing regression if healing is interrupted.
The Shape: Best Build (2025)
This build is designed to slow generator progress while providing a strong start to the game. The Shape, with limited map mobility and a weak early game, benefits greatly from this setup. The focus is on territorial control over a cluster of generators, using Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and Deadlock to hinder Survivors' progress.
Lethal Pursuer helps quickly locate Survivors for effective stalking, crucial for The Shape's early game. Coup de Grâce enhances The Shape's ability to navigate loops, where he typically struggles.
- Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – At the match's start, see the aura of all Survivors for nine seconds, with all aura-reading duration increased by two seconds.
- 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) – Completing a generator blocks the generator with the most progression for 25 seconds, revealing it with a white aura.
- Coup de Grâce (The Twins) – Gain two tokens per completed generator. Use one token to increase the lunge attack distance by 80%.
The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)
Memorial Flower
At common rarity, the Memorial Flower is the best add-on for Michael Myers. Though not flashy, it boosts The Shape's stalking rate by 11%, a valuable enhancement to his slow stalking speed.
Dead Rabbit
Though it seems like a risky trade, the Dead Rabbit reduces The Shape's Terror Radius by 25% during Evil Within II. However, since it increases the Terror Radius in Evil Within III, pairing it with perks like Monitor and Abuse is advisable to manage early alerts to Survivors.
J. Myers Memorial
This add-on grants a flat 25% bonus to stalking gain, making it the second-best choice for The Shape. It's commonly 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 is a powerful choice. When combined with the J. Myers Memorial, it helps maintain consistent pressure across the map through multiple Evil Within III activations.
Tombstone Piece
Arguably the strongest add-on for The Shape, the Tombstone Piece allows Michael to instantly kill any Survivor in Evil Within III, functioning similarly to a Memento Mori. This ability can dramatically shift the game's momentum and is superior to the Ultra Rare Judith’s Tombstone due to its lack of speed penalties.
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 paired with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.
Fragrant Tuft of Hair
Despite reducing the stalking rate by 200%, this add-on grants infinite Evil Within III. This means no need to manage power, allowing for instant downs of Survivors without prior stalking.
