Top Shape Builds in Dead by Daylight for 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, famously known as Michael Myers, was the first licensed Killer introduced to Dead by Daylight. His chilling presence and relentless stalking make him a formidable force, as he meticulously tracks Survivors before striking with deadly precision. This guide aims to enhance your gameplay with The Shape by detailing the best builds and add-ons, suitable for players of all skill levels.

Updated on January 13, 2025, by Siddarth Narasimman: Despite being considered one of the weaker Killers, Michael Myers remains a favorite among new players. The recent buffs in Patch 8.4.0 have significantly improved his effectiveness, making it an ideal time to explore the best strategies and add-ons for this iconic horror character.

The Shape: Best Non-Teachable Build (2025)

Playing The Shape without access to other Killers' perks can be challenging, but this build leverages his unique abilities effectively. Utilizing Save the Best for Last, you can reduce chase times significantly, while Sloppy Butcher slows down the game passively. Bitter Murmur and Hex: No One Escapes Death ensure you can dominate the endgame without needing to stalk Survivors for an instant down.

• Save the Best for Last (The Shape) – Gain a token for hitting a non-Obsession Survivor, up to eight tokens. Each token reduces the cooldown of successful basic attacks 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 become Exposed, and you 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. After the last generator is completed, all Survivors' auras are revealed for 10 seconds.
• Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Inflicts Mangled and Hemorrhage status effects on Survivors hit with basic attacks, slowing healing by 25% and causing regression if healing is interrupted.

The Shape: Best Build (2025)

This build is designed to slow down generator progress and provide a strong start, compensating for The Shape's limited early-game mobility. By focusing on a cluster of generators and using The Artist's Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and The Cenobite's Deadlock, you can effectively control the game's pace. The Nemesis's Lethal Pursuer helps you locate Survivors quickly, allowing for early stalking, while Coup de Grâce enhances your ability to navigate loops.

• Lethal Pursuer (The Nemesis) – At the start of the match, see the auras of all Survivors for nine seconds. All aura-reading effects are extended 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) – When a generator is completed, the generator with the most progress is blocked for 25 seconds and revealed by a white aura.
• Coup de Grâce (The Twins) – Gain two tokens for each 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 a top choice for The Shape, offering an 11% increase in stalking rate, which is a valuable boost to his otherwise slow stalking speed.

Dead Rabbit

Despite its eerie nature, the Dead Rabbit reduces the Terror Radius by 25% in Evil Within II, which is highly beneficial. However, it increases the Terror Radius in Evil Within III, so pairing it with perks like Monitor and Abuse can help manage this drawback effectively.

J. Myers Memorial

This add-on provides a 25% bonus to stalking gain rate, making it the second-best choice for The Shape. It's commonly used 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 excellent for maintaining pressure on the map. Combining it with the J. Myers Memorial ensures multiple Evil Within III activations.

Tombstone Piece

Considered The Shape's strongest add-on, the Tombstone Piece allows for an immediate kill upon reaching Evil Within III, regardless of the Survivor's hook state. This powerful ability can shift the game's momentum and is superior to the Ultra Rare Judith’s Tombstone due to the absence of a speed debuff.

Lock Of Hair

Adding 40 seconds to Evil Within III and increasing the stalk rate, the Lock of Hair is a strong alternative to the Hair Bow. It's particularly effective when used with Lethal Pursuer and J. Myers Memorial.

Fragrant Tuft of Hair

Although it reduces the stalking rate by 200%, the Fragrant Tuft of Hair grants infinite Evil Within III. This means you can insta-down Survivors without the need for stalking, making it a game-changer for The Shape.