What Makes a Hunter S-Tier?
Pulling from 985 survivor and 138 hunter data points, S-Tier means 30+/35 overall. Think 75% pick/ban rates, like Dream Witch. Breaking Wheel racks up 80% bans in tight, confined metas. Sculptor? She's at 34/35 for straight-up decoding chaos. Pros aim for first elim under 120s, 75% cipher coverage, and 80% trait switches. In chases, it's all about that 65% escape block—Dream Witch's followers nail it—plus killer area denial, giving Shadow a 15-20% edge on Moon River wins.
Ranking the S-Tier Elite
#1 Dream Witch: The Unmatched Queen
Dream Witch sits perfect at 35/35. She's got 75% pick/ban dominance and 65% better escape prevention on Lakeside Village (where she's picked 75% of the time). First elims? 90-120s, outpacing Breaking Wheel by 65% on big maps. Core numbers: 75% IJL Fall bans, 80% trait switches. How to execute: 1) Drop a follower on central ciphers in 15s flat; 2) Pincer with body patrols; 3) Leech those survivor clusters in 8m zones.
Stacking Up Against A-Tier
Dream Witch edges out Opera Singer (33/35, also 75% bans) with god-tier map control. Breaking Wheel (35/35) smokes Disciple (26/35) on 80% faster 2-hit elims. Shadow (35/35) teams with Dream Witch for 15-20% win spikes, leaving Geisha's teleports in the dust. (Editor's take: These matchups feel like data-backed prophecies—I've seen 'em play out in countless ranked queues.)
Dream Witch: Post-Peddler Mastery
Her followers shred Peddler's 35m vines through smart pincer rotations. Blink and Trump Card let you reposition like a ghost. Endgame benchmark: 75% cipher coverage. Rock-solid build—Persona 36 (Borrowed Time + Tide Turner) for 20s rescue invincibility, bumping duo wins by 15-20% at 49% chair timing. Loadout: Trump Card, Detention, Insolence, Giant Claw, Control Freak. Play it like this: 1) Patrol outer ciphers early; 2) Leech mid-game against aggressive or passive squads; 3) Plant followers at gates before the final cipher, then pop Detention (120s duration).
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Breaking Wheel: Pure Execution Beast
80% execution speed. 14s Energy Charge. 20% faster nails, 5s cooldown. Wheel pallets? Immune. Brother spikes dish damage, traps, slows, and AoE hell. She owns Red Church at 80% speed. Steps: 1) Energy Charge early to force those 80% bans; 2) Swap brothers every 5s cooldown; 3) Zero in on Arms Factory. Pro tip: Dodge overcommitting spikes with Persona 129's curved paths—saves your bacon.
Sculptor: Cipher-Shattering Savant
At 34/35, Sculptor deploys Wisdom/Agility/Nobility sculptures plus Bonbon AoE on spots like Global Hieroglyphic Graveyard or Red Church. Ciphers get wrecked horizontally, vertically, or homing-style. +15-20% edge against duos on multi-level maps. Run it: 1) Drop homing sculptures for 98-99% disruptions; 2) Pair with Bonbon to stonewall decoding; 3) Lock down 65% escape prevention.
How Peddler Reshapes Hunter Balance
Peddler's T1 hits 12m range; T2 drops speed penalties. Street Sweeper shreds followers; Wanted Order tracks like a hawk. 75% Lakeside pick rate—he counters rotations by hugging perimeters. Since arrival: 15-20% win boosts on large maps. Dream Witch? Now squeezes in 2-3 early deployments.
S-Tier Builds That Win Games
Persona 129 (Flywheel + Knee Jerk + Borrowed Time): 0.5s dash immunity, 20-30% vault speed, 60s kiting against Breaking Wheel—nets 15-20% large-map wins. Persona 36 pumps 50% HP/speed for beastly rescues. Blueprint: 1) Pick Dream Witch, Breaking Wheel, or Sculptor; 2) Stack Flywheel/Trump Card; 3) Grind Lakeside/Red Church for 75% coverage.
Counters and Key Matchups
Dream Witch headaches? Group-leech removal, Seer owls (+20s chases), doll destruction. Breaking Wheel? Persona 129 kites 60s easy. Geisha post-buffs: Watch eye contact, audio cues. Peddler: Stay perimeter-aware against 8m absorb. Maps matter—Lakeside/Moon River boost Dream Witch/Geisha (+15-20%). Red Church/Arms Factory? Breaking Wheel/Sculptor territory. Pro hacks: 1) Ban Dream Witch (75% rate); 2) Specialize for 65% blocks; 3) Pivot to Mechanic's 200% remote decodes.
Pro Insights from the Trenches
IJL Fall data: Dream Witch at 75% bans, Sculptor as a staple. 85-90% ciphers covered. S-Tier (≥34/35) stops 65% more escapes. Dream Witch: 65% prevention. Breaking Wheel: 80% confined bans. Duos decode 7 ciphers in 81s, gates in 18s.
Looking Ahead: Predictions and Hotfixes
Nov 20, 2025 hotfix (08:00 UTC+8) buffs Geisha—watch out. Stay sharp: 1) Track duo peak times (6:00-12:00, 14:00-19:00, 21:00-0:00); 2) Replay review weekly; 3) Main S-Tier. Peddler? He's shoving large-map S-Tiers toward 80% dominance.
FAQ: Quick Hits
S-Tier hunters in Identity V 2025?
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% pick/ban), Breaking Wheel (35/35, 80% speed), Sculptor (34/35), Shadow (35/35).
Peddler's meta shift?
35m vines/8m absorb supercharge S-Tier on Lakeside (75% picks); 15-20% win boosts by countering rotations.
Best S-Tier for newbies?
Breaking Wheel—80% execution spikes on Red Church, 5s cooldown swaps dodge overcommits.
Hunter tier list post-update?
S-Tier: Dream Witch/Breaking Wheel/Sculptor (after Sep 17 Season 39, Nov 20 Geisha buffs).
Counters to Peddler?
Perimeter awareness vs. T1 12m/T2 no-penalty; Dream Witch pincers rule edges.
Top 2025 ranked win rates?
Dream Witch: 65% escape prevention; Persona 129 adds 15-20% vs. Breaking Wheel on big maps.
