Published March 2026 · By CFM Team
Being shaman is the best and worst thing in Transformice. You have the power to save every mouse in the room — or accidentally launch them all into the void with a badly placed plank. We've been tracking shaman saves on the CFM leaderboard since 2010, and the top shamans have figured things out that most players never think about.
There are four shaman modes in Transformice, and they change how you play completely. Check the skill tree to see how points are distributed across modes.
Normal Mode — the default. You can attach objects to the map with red nails (fixed) or blue nails (rotatable). Most new shamans start here. The key skill is learning which nail type to use where: red nails for bridges and stable structures, blue nails for moving platforms and elevators.
Hard Mode — no red nails. Everything you place can rotate, which means your structures are inherently unstable. Hard mode separates good shamans from great ones. You need to understand weight distribution and counterbalancing — put a box on one side of a plank and it tips. Put two boxes on opposite sides and it stabilizes. The physics aren't perfectly realistic, but they're consistent, which is what matters.
Divine Mode — unlocked at 1,500 saves. You can place objects without any attachment to the map. They just float wherever you put them. This sounds easier but it's actually harder to be precise because objects drift. Divine shamans need to predict where mice will be, not just where they are now.
No-Skill Mode — no skill tree perks. Back to basics. Some competitive players prefer this because it levels the playing field.
You have a limited toolkit, but each object has specific uses that aren't always obvious:
Planks — your bread and butter. Short planks for bridges, long planks for ramps. The angle you place them at matters hugely. A plank at 45 degrees makes a ramp. A plank at 0 degrees makes a bridge. A plank at 89 degrees makes a wall. You can customize plank skins in the dressroom shop section.
Boxes — small boxes are steps. Large boxes are platforms. Stack them carefully — they have weight and will push other objects around. Two small boxes stacked with a plank on top makes a basic elevated platform.
Balloons — attach to mice or objects to make them float. One balloon lifts a mouse slowly. Two balloons lift faster. Three balloons and the mouse is basically a rocket. The strategic use is to balloon mice across gaps that would otherwise need a complex bridge structure.
Anvils — heavy objects that fall fast. Mostly used as counterweights or to push things into position. Some maps require anvil drops to activate mechanisms. Also useful for the "anvil god" shaman style — dropping anvils on mice is frowned upon, but the title exists for a reason.
Cannons — they launch a ball in a direction. Can push mice or objects. Advanced shamans use cannons to create momentum-based solutions — a cannonball hitting a plank that swings mice across a gap. It's physics playground territory.
We've seen thousands of shaman rounds through the forums and stat tracking. The three most common mistakes:
Over-building — new shamans place way too many objects. Every object you place adds weight and instability. The best solution is usually the simplest one. Two planks beat five planks every time.
Wrong nail type — using blue nails where red nails would work. Blue nails are for when you WANT rotation (elevators, catapults). If you just need a bridge, use red.
Not reading the map — every map has an intended solution path. Look at where the cheese is and where the hole is. The shortest physical path between them is usually where you should build. Don't fight the map layout.
Your shaman save count is tracked on the leaderboard and visible in your player profile. The "Goddess Shaman" title was historically given to the #1 shaman saves holder. These days, the Hall of Cheese tracks seasonal shaman performance — check it to see who's leading this season.
Pro tip from watching the top players: the fastest way to build saves isn't being fancy. It's being fast AND reliable. Get mice to the hole quickly on easy maps, and don't lose mice on hard maps. Consistency wins over flashy builds.