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The Shape, also known as Michael Myers, is Dead by Daylight's first licensed Killer. His terrifying gameplay revolves around stalking Survivors, building ferocity, and delivering swift, deadly attacks. This relentless pursuit makes him a truly formidable opponent.
This Dead by Daylight guide explores optimal builds for The Shape, covering both teachable and non-teachable perks to cater to players of all skill levels. We'll help you maximize your potential with this iconic horror character.
Updated January 13, 2025, by Siddarth Narasimman: While often considered one of the weaker Killers, Michael Myers remains a popular choice, especially for newer players. Recent buffs in Patch 8.4.0 have significantly improved his viability, making this an ideal time to explore effective builds and add-ons.
The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)
Mastering The Shape without access to other Killers' perks presents a challenge, but it's certainly achievable. This build utilizes Save the Best for Last to shorten chase times, while Sloppy Butcher passively slows the game. Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death dominate the endgame, eliminating Survivors efficiently without relying solely on stalking for instant downs.
- Save the Best for Last (The Shape): Hitting a Survivor who isn't the Obsession grants a token (up to eight). Each token reduces basic attack cooldown by 4%, to a maximum of 32%. Hitting the Obsession costs two tokens.
- Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk): After the final generator is completed, all Survivors are Exposed, and you gain a 4% Haste effect until the Hex Totem is cleansed.
- Bitter Murmur (General Perk): Completed generators reveal nearby Survivor auras for 5 seconds. After the last generator, all Survivor auras are revealed for 10 seconds.
- Sloppy Butcher (General Perk): Basic attacks inflict Mangled and Hemorrhage, slowing healing by 25% and regressing unfinished healing.
The Shape: Best Build (2025)
This build prioritizes generator regression, providing a strong early-game boost to compensate for The Shape's limited mobility and weaker early-game performance. Focus on controlling a generator cluster, tracking progress, and utilizing The Artist's Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and The Cenobite's Deadlock to hinder repairs.
Lethal Pursuer from The Nemesis helps locate Survivors quickly for a strong start. Coup de Grâce enhances performance around loops, addressing a common weakness.
- Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis): See all Survivor auras for nine seconds at the match start. All aura-reading durations are increased by two seconds.
- Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist): Start with four tokens. Each Survivor hooked on a white Scourge Hook consumes a token and regresses the most progressed generator by 25%.
- Deadlock (The Cenobite): A completed generator blocks the most progressed generator for 25 seconds (revealed by a white aura).
- Coup de Grâce (The Twins): Gain two tokens per completed generator. Spend one token to increase lunge attack distance by 80%.
The Shape: Best Add-Ons (2025)
Memorial Flower
At common rarity, Memorial Flower is The Shape's best add-on. Its 11% stalking rate increase significantly improves his slow stalking speed.
Dead Rabbit
While seemingly counterintuitive, Dead Rabbit's 25% Terror Radius reduction in Evil Within II is highly beneficial. However, its increased Terror Radius in Evil Within III necessitates pairing it with perks like Monitor and Abuse to manage Survivor awareness.
J. Myers Memorial
This add-on grants a 25% bonus to stalking gain rate, often paired with Tombstone Piece to mitigate the increased time to reach Evil Within III.
Hair Bow
The Hair Bow enhances The Shape's threat level in Evil Within III. Combining it with J. Myers Memorial allows for consistent map pressure through multiple Evil Within III activations.
Tombstone Piece
Arguably The Shape's strongest add-on, Tombstone Piece allows an instant kill on any Survivor upon reaching Evil Within III, regardless of hook state—functioning similarly to the old Memento Mori. This ability can dramatically shift the game's momentum and surpasses the Ultra Rare Judith’s Tombstone due to its lack of a speed debuff.
Lock Of Hair
Lock of Hair adds 40 seconds to Evil Within III (10 more than Hair Bow), while also increasing the stalk rate for Evil Within III. While Hair Bow is generally preferred, Lock of Hair is a viable alternative, especially when used with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.
Fragrant Tuft of Hair
Despite a significant 200% reduction in stalking rate, this add-on grants infinite Evil Within III. This eliminates power management concerns and enables instant downs without prior stalking.
