Diving into Season 39's Hunter Meta
You rush ciphers in that first 81s window. Rescue at 49% chairs—especially efficient on Asian servers (+15%). Pair up with aggressive hunters to slash survivor sustain by 5-10%.
cheap Identity V echoes top up on BitTopup: instant delivery under 5 mins, 20% below market, 99.9% safe with encrypted tx. S-Tier means 20% more efficient chases, 2-3 quicker downs over A-Tier's 50-60% wins.
Nov 20 hotfix? Geisha got buffs (2.95m/3.21m butterflies, 0.66s/0.95s recovery), bumping her to A-Tier (33/35). Game-changer.
How We Built This Tier List
We score on a 35-point scale: camp strength, chase prowess, map control. S-Tier? 30-35/35—Dream Witch nails a perfect 35. A-Tier hangs at 25-29. Pulled Mammoth+ stats, where pros pick/ban S-Tier 85-92% of the time for those 65-75% wins (80% on Dream Witch/Breaking Wheel). Community poll Nov 14: 985 survivors, 138 hunters chimed in. Asian queues see +15% rescues; global cipher speed up 12%.
Prioritize 65%+ escape prevention. Track 98-99% cipher disruptions in ranked. Grind peaks: 4-6am, 12-2pm, 6-10pm duo queues. (Editor note: Those off-hours? Pure magic for climbing.)
S-Tier Hunters: The Real MVPs
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% pick/ban, 6.08m/s, 92% pro usage, 80% win rate). Spawn 2-3 followers in the first 30s at cipher clusters. Ambush for 85-90% chairs. Counters leeches or group/Seer owls (+20s chases). 75% IJL bans Nov 15-16 (12:00-20:00 UTC+9); +20-30% edge on Lakeside Village.
Breaking Wheel (35/35 S+, 80% exec speed, 8.03m/s wheel, 14s charge, instant pallets, spikes). Tourney darling at 88-92% picks—synergizes with brothers (Reticent traps/Pessimistic blasts).
Spikes at pallets on confined maps.
Switch forms on 5s CD while camping.
Ramp up 20% nail speed immunity.
Sculptor (34/35). Wisdom for corridors, Agility on multi-story, Nobility homing ciphers. 81s cracks, 120s detention. 98-99% decode interrupts, Bonbon AOE synergy.
Horizontal corridors. Vertical stories.
Red Church/Arms Factory ciphers. Global Hieroglyphic Graveyard kiting blocks.
Shadow (35/35, 8.44m/s Yithian): Area denial king, pairs brutally with Dream Witch. Hermit (32/35): Teleports/AoE stuns (15-20% cipher delay). Bloody Queen (33/35): Mirrors for >60s chases.
Ever notice how these picks just own the meta?
A-Tier: Solid Backup Plays
Geisha (33/35 post-Nov 20). Mid-air butterflies at 2.95m/3.21m, C-A jumps cut kiting 40%; direct gaze counters.
Butterflies over vaults/open maps.
Dodge that audio cue—0.66s recovery.
Target multi-story bans.
Opera Singer (33/35): Chase speed, aerial mobility, 75% bans, anti-kite illusions. Disciple (26/35 post-buffs): Swoop anti-kite, Paralysis 2-hit KO.
Nerf Breakdown: What Really Changed
Healing's 165% cap? Slices 5-10% survivor efficiency, fuels 81s rushes. Hullabaloo 14s→15s, Trapeze 19s→20s. S-Tier thrives (Dream/Breaking) on lower sustain; faster chairs boost burst/control by 10-15%. Post-Sep 17, S-Tier +20-30% on favored maps.
Exploit 81s for 49% rescues.
36 Meta's 20s invincibility (+15-20% vs duos).
Watch hotfixes: Oct 30, Nov 13/20.
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Map Matchups That Matter
Large maps (Lakeside Village, Moonlit River): Dream Witch/Hermit +20-30% with followers/teleports. Confined (Red Church, Arms Factory): Breaking Wheel/Sculptor own pallets/sculptures. Multi-story (Chinatown, Leo's Memory): Opera/Sculptor/Geisha bans spike.
Lakeside: Early Dream followers.
Red Church: Breaking spikes.
Asian servers: +15% rescues (Wax Artist/Geisha).
S-Tier Builds & Tips
36 Meta: Borrowed Time + Tide Turner (20s invincibility, 90% doubles); Trump Card + Detention. 129 Meta: Flywheel (0.5s immunity) + Knee Jerk (post-Nov 20: +8% MS/4s, +20-30% vaults) + Borrowed Time. Dream Witch: Early spawn/switch control. Breaking Wheel: Instant pallets/spikes. Sculptor: Precise placements.
129 shreds Lakeside vs Breaking (+15-20% wins).
Shadow + Dream for denial.
Grind 50-100 games (+9/-8 pts, 3+ elims).
(Pro tip: Knee Jerk's buffs? Still sleeping on 'em at your peril.)
Pitfalls to Dodge & Key Counters
No pre-50% rescues against Hermit stuns. Interrupt Sculptor beams at 10s. Counters: Dream Witch (group leeches/Prospector/Seer owls); Breaking Wheel (curved paths/Prospector); Geisha (direct gaze/audio dodges).
Practice >60s kites, 18s gates.
Specialize 2-3 S-Tier.
IJL shoutout: Glory Team 9-2 on Hermit, BaiLu MVP Geisha.
Looking Ahead: Predictions & Patch Watch
Knee Jerk buffs stick; Hermit nerfs looming? S-Tier rules to Nov 27's Season 40 launch. Lanternist Oct 10 (+10% speed); Queen Bee incoming. Balance drops every 2-3 months; ranked bans peak 4-6am.
Monitor Nov 27.
Adapt to 81s ciphers.
Eye IVL Autumn Oct 2-Jan 1.
FAQ
What are the best S-Tier hunters in Identity V Season 39?
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% ban), Breaking Wheel (35/35, 80% speed), Sculptor (34/35), Shadow (35/35); 65-75% wins.
How did healing nerfs change the hunter meta?
165% cap enables 81s cipher rushes, S-Tier +20% efficient chases vs sustain drops.
Which hunters rose after chair nerfs?
Chairs 10-15% faster favor Breaking Wheel/Sculptor (90% 49% rescues); Geisha A-Tier post-Nov 20.
Best counters to top S-Tier hunters in S39?
Dream Witch: Seer owls (+20s); Breaking Wheel: Prospector curves; Sculptor: avoid multi-level.
Top hunter picks for ranked Nov 2025?
S-Tier 85-92% pro picks; grind peaks for 2-3 downs/match.
Impact of Season 39 patches on hunter rankings?
Sep 17 nerfs + Nov 20 Geisha buffs: S-Tier 65% higher escape prevention.
