This Shape of Dreams Memories Guide organizes every Memory you shared into practical groups and then turns them into real builds you can take into runs. The focus is on what each Memory actually does in combat, which tags matter (Hard CC, Mobility, Heal, Shield, Attack), how elements interact (Light, Dark, Fire, Cold), and which combinations produce reliable clears and safe boss kills.
I have also included Traveler‑specific picks, Identity passives, and Evasion choices so you can lock a full kit without guesswork.
Shape of Dreams Memories Tier List
Early picks that overperform (Commons that feel Rare)
Backstep is a low‑cooldown escape that drops three bombs and stuns for a second. It is both Mobility and Hard CC in one key, which is exactly what you want while learning patterns.
Pressure Point is your first wall‑combo tool: the pushback sets up a guaranteed stun if the enemy collides, and the follow‑up hit hurts.
Dark Spear pulls to center and applies Dark Melee damage with Hard CC; it is the cleanest way to group trash for your AoE.
Glacial Stomp combines a 1.5 s stun, Cold AoE, and a scaling shield per target hit. It is your safest button for mistakes.
Ice Shield gives targeted shielding and on‑break detonation plus healing per enemy hit; it turns swarms into sustain.
Beam of Light is sustained Light DPS that heals the lowest‑HP ally each second. It bridges fights and steadies duos.
Purgatory is the best common “clear and top‑up” in mixed pulls: wide AoE plus heal per enemy, with triple healing on bosses.
Use these to stabilize any run before you own epics and legendaries.
Rare memories worth building around
Ignite (3 charges) is perfect for weaving extra Fire damage and splash when targets already burn. It is also your best trigger for Fire‑conditional passives.
Lightning Strike hits hard Light damage and stuns; its 50% chance to inflict Burn lets Light join Fire routes.
Pillar of Flame supplies immediate Fire hit plus a short DoT window for follow‑ups like Ignite or Flame Jet later.
Great Frost Sword punishes single targets with a damage tripler and knockback; it doubles as control in corridors.
Glacial Hammer pulls inward and spikes the center hitbox—excellent into Static Discharge or Winter Dive.
Static Discharge charges quickly for heavyweight Light burst and knockback; full value at one second is efficient.
Repulsive Shield blocks frontal damage and reflects; slot it when learning midgame bosses to turn errors into damage.
Black Arbalest pierces, scales damage per target pierced, and procs Attack Effects. Clear lines and boss adds with it.
Frostbite accelerates the next two Attacks and wraps a small shield around the first—good for melee rhythm.
Unlock tip: Flaming Whip resets its own cooldown when you cast a different Memory. With practice, you can whip → core skill → whip again for very high Fire uptime.
Epic memories that define midgame
Anti‑Gravity lifts, then slams for big damage. This is your universal “everything stops now” button and opens free headshots or
Pressure Point wall stuns.
Blink is a short‑CD teleport that damages in Fire and refunds cooldown per enemy hit; this is both a dodge and a DPS key in packs.
Chain Lightning (unlock: deal 1,000+ in a single hit) starts strong and keeps bouncing. It is a Light engine for rooms and bosses with adds.
Clutches of Malice pulls multiple targets and deals extra to pulled enemies; enhance it to grab more targets and widen radius.
Flame Jet (unlock: defeat 250 burning enemies) is sustained Fire beam DPS that erases clustered packs when you already apply Burn.
Rewind refunds time on your last cast and enhances your next Memory. It is the most flexible “bridge” in the game: pair it with anything on a long cooldown to loop win‑conditions.
Searing Charge scales damage and range with Movement Speed and fully resets on kill; it doubles as Mobility and assassination.
Umbral Edge grants a Dark weapon buff with Crit Chance and on‑hit Dark damage. Melee Travelers get extra value.
Winter Dive leaps, slams Cold, and stuns—use after grouping tools for maximum hit count.
Legendary memories that close runs
Arrow Storm is a six‑second window of extra arrows, Attack Speed, and Movement Speed. It stitches together on‑hit builds and keeps Attack Effects flowing.
Hysteria turns you into a self‑healing melee blender for six seconds. If you are low, the healing ramps hard; do not press it into unavoidable damage windows, press it when you can stand your ground.
Mental Corruption stacks Dark damage in a spreading field until death. Use it early in boss phases to get paid during movement.
World Cracker is a channeled Light beam with indefinite duration; set it up behind CC (Anti‑Gravity, Lightning Strike, Winter Dive), then cancel if the arena shifts.
Shout of Oblivion is an ultimate cone of colossal Dark damage with a three‑second stun; its damage scales with current Hunt Level, so it gets scarier as the run escalates.
Traveler‑specific picks and Identities
Aurena
Core buttons: Dangerous Theory for a guaranteed Crit dash with scaling on low health plus self‑heal, and Golden Burst for instant Light ping that also heals allies and can self‑amplify via Corrosion stacks.
Identity: Disintegrating Claw adds on‑hit damage and lifesteal, doubled versus bosses. It rewards sustained melee uptime.
Shell: Pair Backstep or Blink with Glacial Stomp for control. Use Rewind after Dangerous Theory to re‑enable burst quickly.
Lacerta
Core buttons: Pick either Hand Cannon (knockback, Fire AoE) or Incendiary Rounds (hasted empowered attacks) based on whether you need control or sustained DPS. Precision Shot (aimed) and Quick Draw (instant) are mutually exclusive; choose the one that fits the fight tempo.
Identity: Double Tap (more crit chance, next attack fires twice after a Memory or Nimble Dodge) is your default; swap to Salamander Powder for pure Fire chains against Burning targets.
Mist
Core buttons: Flèche or Lunge for dash damage and uptime. Parry is a high‑skill tool: brief immunity, big punish, stun, and cooldown refund when timed.
Ultimate: Unbreakable Determination resets Swift Step, grants attack speed and on‑hit lightning, and adds sustain on Masterpiece procs.
Identity: Astrid’s Masterpiece rewards rotating targets and re‑engaging after six seconds per enemy, layering small shields and burst.
Vesper
Core buttons: Cruel Sun for charge‑and‑slam stun and armor while channeling, or Discipline for a dash slam that speeds itself up as you keep attacking.
Ultimate: Sanctuary of El sanctifies ground with Light damage, a team shield, bonus defense, and attack speed; Vesper gets doubled effects and Unstoppable.
Identity: Mercy of El is an aggressive crit/AS ramp with minor self‑heal at max stacks; Resolve is the defensive variant with knockback stuns and bigger max health.
Yubar
Core buttons: Ethereal Influence is a two‑part boomerang with a root on reactivate; Supernova controls an area and detonates for growing damage as you channel.
Ultimate: Cataclysm grants a shield and Ability Power buff, then calls three meteor stuns; excellent for phase breaks. Tranquility is the utility alternative with invulnerability, haste, and global cooldown reduction.
Identity: Converging Stars gives bouncing basics after any cast; Exotic Matter stockpiles stacks for a single large AoE explosion on your next basic.
Evasion keys
Feathery Dash / Nimble Dodge / Swift Steps / Flicker are instant reposition tools with two charges on short cooldowns. Use them to bait boss windups, then counter with your CC chain.
Heavy Strike (Vesper) trades a pure dodge for a brief shield and a charge that deals percent‑max‑health damage and knockback. It is the only Evasion that converts defense into offense; pick it when you want to bully elites in corridors.
Build every kit around one reliable disengage, one reliable stun, and one repeatable damage engine. When fights feel messy, downgrade greed and upgrade control: Glacial Stomp, Anti‑Gravity, and Lightning Strike solve more problems than raw numbers. When fights feel slow, add Rewind and a windowed steroid like Arrow Storm or Hysteria to compress your damage into safe openings. Finally, align your Identity with your plan: on‑hit paths prefer Double Tap / Mercy of El / Disintegrating Claw, while caster paths love Exotic Matter / Converging Stars.