Highlights

  • The Shape in Dead by Daylight has access to a variety of playstyles, making him a unique and versatile killer with old-school slasher roots.
  • Halloween, featuring Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, was the first crossover in Dead by Daylight, raising the game's profile and establishing its horror game status.
  • While The Shape may not rank highly in killer tier lists, his power offers surprise and tension, especially with the Scratched Mirror add-on and the Infinite Tier 3 build.

The Shape has never been a particularly strong killer in Dead by Daylight, but he has access to some of the game's scariest tactics. With Dead by Daylight being a highly strategic game on both sides, having an array of options available to form a plan is important. What sets The Shape apart from other killers is the unique versatility in his kit, with access to radically different playstyles for a single killer. This permits him to rather fittingly tap into his old-school slasher roots, and make for some of Dead by Daylight's tensest matches.

The Shape was the first of Dead by Daylight's many crossovers. Better known as Michael Myers from Halloween, he and Laurie Strode entered the game in its early days and have been a mainstay for the game ever since. While Dead by Daylight has become famous for its massive list of horror crossovers, Halloween was the first. This early raising of the game's profile was one of the first steps towards it becoming the horror game behemoth that it currently stands as. No matter what Michael's actual performance is, he at least has that place in Dead by Daylight history alongside his movie fame.

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The Shape Isn't Strong in Dead by Daylight, But He Can Be Scary

Dead by Daylight Michael Myers

Despite Michael Myers being a famous name, Dead by Daylight killer tier lists typically have him ranked near the bottom. The reason for this is the way that his power works. Evil Within is one of the more slow-paced powers in the game. Tier 1 lowers his movement speed but makes him undetectable as a trade-off. Stalking survivors enough to reach Tier 2 makes him essentially a basic killer. Tier 3 is his strongest form, instantly downing survivors with his basic attack, but only lasts for a limited time without certain add-ons. Michael simply can't rely on his powers consistently, at least not without add-ons.

What Makes The Shape Scary in Dead by Daylight

In most matches, anyone with a good idea of how to play The Shape in DbD will try to get out of Tier 1 as quickly as possible, but the Scratched Mirror add-on completely flips his playstyle around. The Scratched Mirror keeps Michael locked into Tier 1 for the whole match, making him the slowest killer next to The Nurse. However, he also remains undetectable for the whole match, and the Mirror also lets him see nearby survivors through walls while using his Stalk. The end result is a killer that's better than any other at surprising survivors, earning him the nickname "Jumpscare Myers" among fans.

The Shape's Best Build in Dead by Daylight

Although Jumpscare Myers is fun, Infinite Tier 3 Myers is undoubtedly the best Shape build in Dead by Daylight. Using the Fragrant Tuft of Hair, Michael will never leave Tier 3 once he enters it, making every attack for the rest of the match an instant down. However, the downside is that he requires more stalk to level up, slowing his early game even more. This can be taken to the extreme in combination with Judith's Tombstone, which lets him instantly kill survivors in Tier 3, while further increasing the stalk requirements. Once fully built, Infinite Tier 3 Myers is the deadliest killer in Dead by Daylight.

Even hough Jumpscare Myers and Infinite Tier 3 Myers are among Dead by Daylight's scariest killer builds, that doesn't get Michael out of the lower tiers. Jumpscare Myers is still held back by slow foot speed, and Infinite Tier 3 Myers gives survivors a lot of time to work before its true strength kicks in. However, where they do excel is the energy that they bring to the match. Never knowing where Michael is, or knowing that he can take Survivors down instantly adds a lot of drama to a match. Regardless of actual power, Michael is one of the scariest and most entertaining killers in Dead by Daylight.