Diving into Season 40's Hunter Meta After the Patch
Quick Patch Rundown: Nov 27 Changes
Hell Ember unlocks Queen Bee alongside the season start. That Nov 20 hotfix juiced Geisha's butterflies—normal range 2.95m, charged 3.21m, miss recovery 0.66s, hit 0.95s—bumping her from C to A. Talents got love too: Addiction at 8/24/40% stun, Famine with 16m/-12% decode, Inertia +5% recovery. Back in Season 39 (Sep 17), chair saves sped up 10-15%, but healing tanked to 165% from 250%.
Hit up in-game notices post-Nov 27 for the exact launch. Grab Queen Bee with those 4508 Clues or 858 Echoes. Test her—or Geisha—in 20-30 Quick matches during peak hours (4-6am, 12-14, 18-22) to chase that 60%+ win rate.
Why Bother with Tier Lists as a Hunter?
S-tier means 30+/35 rating, 65-75% Grandmaster wins—like Dream Witch's 75% pick/ban dominance. A-tier sits at 26-33/35, shining on specific maps.
Grind 50-100 matches for 60%+ wins. Main 2-3 hunters. Track 81s decodes, 80-90% rescues, 60s+ kites.
Log your stats—+9 rank points for 3+ escapes (Worker Bee-Champion survivors; Tarantula-Dragon hunters). Slot 129 Persona (Flywheel 0.5s immunity + Knee Jerk 20-30% vault speed) for a solid 15-20% win bump.
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The Full Hunter Tier List: S+ Down to C
S+ Tier: Queen Bee Make the Cut?
Queen Bee lands S+—20% faster loops, demolishes 60s kites (15-20% wins). Dream Witch (35/35, 75% pick/ban) rules Follower pressure. Breaking Wheel (35/35, 80% Execution: 14s charge, 20% nail speed, 5s switch CD). Sculptor (34/35, kiting wrecker: horizontal Wisdom, vertical Agility, homing Nobility). Shadow (35/35, area denial king).
Ban Dream Witch or Queen Bee first in Legendary (2 bans per faction). Pre-drop Queen Bee swarms on loops and gates.
S-Tier Stars
These hit 65-75% IVL win rates, 20% chase edge over A-tier. Lakeside loves Dream Witch/Priestess portals; Red Church amps Breaking Wheel/Sculptor loops.
Pick Breaking Wheel on tight maps—spike traps force pallet commits. Against duos? 36 Meta Borrowed Time + Tide Turner (20s rescue invincibility, 15-20% wins).
A/B/C Tiers + Hidden Gems
A-tier: Geisha (33/35, Swallowtail teleports); Opera Singer (33/35, mid-air speed demon); Disciple (26/35, cats cling on Swoop, Intimidate disables, Paralysis 2-hit KO). Naiad (30/35, 5%/s Humidity decay after 10s, 40s Surging Tides CD).
Counter Geisha with eye contact and audio cues for butterfly reads. Disciple build: Sabotage for 30s lock-down chases.
Queen Bee Breakdown: S+ Locked In?
Pre- vs Post-Patch Numbers
Unlocks Nov 27. Swarm Predatory (18 Energy drain/survivor, +18% MS for 2s, 1s CD, +10% vault recall). Hive Pathing 15 m/s (28m range); Stinger 35 Energy (unlimited 0.5x damage); Reflexive 15 Energy after Reciprocate; Instant 20 Energy post-Cluster.
Budget run: 4508 Clues, swarm focus. Premium: 858 Echoes + Memory Scar S essence (Season 40 E1).
Buffs and Nerfs? Spoiler: She's Golden
No nerfs—Predatory drains cover her energy. Season 40 heal cuts (-5-10%) amp her anti-kite game. Hive Cluster (Tier 2, 18s CD: 12 m/s, 6 Energy/s drain); Reciprocate (Tier 1, 18s CD: 15 Energy fly + Synergy + Reflexive).
Go aggressive: Predatory bursts + Stinger. Or balanced: Cluster/Synergy for endless pressure.
High-Rank Domination
15-20% wins on Moon River; COA VIII owns S27/39 hunters. Pre-deploy 28m Hive on gates—shreds Lanternist (Predatory 18 Energy drain, Cluster eats Static, skips 1.5s pallets).
Combo 1: Pathing → Reciprocate → Reflexive → normals (18s CD).
Combo 2: Gate Path → Predatory → Reciprocate + Reflexive for the down.
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Patch Risers and Drop-Offs
Top Climbers (Naiad Buffs, Etc.)
Geisha hits A-tier off Nov 20 butterflies. Opera Singer banned hard on multi-level spots. Disciple buffs: Rage 7/15/20%, Touch 16/28/40% accel. (编辑观点: Geisha now rivals Bloody Queen's teleports—feels fresh.) Breaking Wheel ignores control.
Test risers on Arms Factory (Axe Boy turf). Stack dual Final Talents (40 points, 3/6/9 paths).
Tier Droppers
Sculptor clings to 34/35 post-nerfs; Naiad's Humidity decays 5%/s after 10s. Season 39 heal nerfs expose their mobility holes.
Rotate 2-3 mains against bans. Watch big maps (Dream Witch/Hermit thrive).
Crunching the Numbers: Wins, Picks, Bans
Grandmaster Data
S-tier: 65-75% wins. Dream Witch 75% pick/ban, Mechanic 80% ban (decoding threat). Asian servers see 15% more rescues, global ciphers 12% faster; KPM at 0.86s avg rescue.
Hit 98-99% ciphers (3s CD, 5/7 success, -2-4% fail). Mechanic's 200% robot decode nails 81s benchmarks.
Season 40 Vibes
15-20% S-tier wins on large maps; +65% team comps (Mech+Priestess+Merc+Seer). Rock 1-1-1-1 (kiter Antiquarian/Forward, rescuer Merc, decoder Mech, support Seer/Priestess).
Ban Seer (damage immunity)/Priestess (global rotates).
Post-Patch Builds for the Elite
Queen Bee's Killer Setup
Aggressive Predatory + Stinger; loops her energy costs. Toy Merchant +4% vault/item speed (12% cap); 39 Meta Borrowed Time + Knee Jerk (50-60s chases, 50% final cipher).
Path 3/6/9 for dual talents. Vs. duos: 36 Tide Turner (20s invincibility, 90% rescue).
S+ Backup Plans
Dream Witch leech? Group up or Seer owls (+20s chases). Breaking Wheel spike traps; Sculptor Global Hieroglyphic cipher jams, Bonbon AOE.
Geisha: Post-buff range for cipher rushes. Breaking Wheel: 14s Execution charge on Red Church.
Pitfalls and Myths to Dodge
Queen Bee Goofs
Don't eat 0 Energy Cluster—vault after recall. Unlimited Stinger laughs at loops; botch 18s CDs, lose pressure.
Skip solo vs. Antiquarian (60s kites, +15-20% evasion). Perfumer/Forward freeze Predatory.
Busting Patch Rumors
Queen Bee untouched by nerfs; Season 40 heal cuts fuel mobility. Knee Jerk +20-30% post-vault; Empathy 14% MS for 12s/14m.
Cap 1 early rescuer (<80% rescues). Flywheel 0.5s immunity owns Wheel.
Season 39 vs. 40: What Shifted?
Meta Makeover
Season 39 (Sep 17): rescues +10-15%. Now? Queen Bee tops anti-mobility. S-tier survivors: Antiquarian/Priestess/Mechanic/Seer (15-20% wins); Asian rescues +15%.
SoloQ: Merc/Seer/Antiquarian. Vs. Dream Witch: Mechanic + Prospector.
Power Creep Check
Queen Bee shreds Lanternist Static, gate teleports. Sculptor viable post-nerfs; Geisha nips at Queen.
Track 400 EXP cap; 0 points on draws/losses -8.
Tough Matchups and Counters
Survivors That Wall Queen Bee
Perfumer/Forward freeze; Antiquarian 129 (+15-20% evasion); Priestess stuns/portals (+20s delays, 15-20% wins). Mech+Priestess+Merc+Seer (+65%); Cluster rips Lanternist ciphers.
Vault post-recall; sidestep Cluster. Ban Queen Bee/Dream Witch/Sculptor.
Team Comp Tips
Vs. Dream Witch: group leech clears. Big maps: 60s kiting vs. Wheel; 1 max rescuer. Ban Opera; prioritize Mechanic decodes.
What's Next? Predictions
Patch Guesses
Season 40 heal nerfs stick; Queen Bee S-tier anti-mobility. Eyes on IJL Nov 15-16 tourney updates.
Watch Asian servers' +15% rescue trends. Prep 129/39/36 Personas.
Poll Buzz
Dream Witch 75% bans, Opera common. S-tier 20% chase edge; A-tier 50-60% wins.
Queen Bee? Viable at E1.
FAQ
Is Queen Bee still S+ in Identity V Season 40?
Yes, S+ with 20% faster loops, energy-efficient combos post-Nov 27 unlock.
What are the best hunters after the Nov 27 2025 patch?
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% ban), Breaking Wheel (80% speed), Sculptor (34/35), Queen Bee.
How did the Season 40 patch change hunter meta?
Nov 20 hotfix buffs Geisha to A-tier; adds Queen Bee dominance, heal nerfs boost mobility.
Queen Bee build guide post-patch Identity V?
Budget: 4508 Clues swarm; Premium: 858 Echoes + Memory Scar. Combos: Predatory → Reciprocate → Cluster.
Top S-tier hunters Season 40 ranked?
- Dream Witch, 2. Breaking Wheel, 3. Queen Bee/Shadow (35/35 ratings).
Best counters to Queen Bee Season 40?
Antiquarian/Priestess (60s kites, +20s delays); Mech+Seer (+65% wins); freeze Predatory.
