Identity V Season 41 introduces Hernando Romero (Matador) on February 5, 2026, as a Difficulty Level 2 Contain Assist Survivor with rechargeable skill mechanics. His Muleta Mastery provides 16m dash coverage with 50% hunter slow, Gaonera Pass reduces hunter interaction speed by 10%, and Faena Passive creates 6m debuff zones. This guide covers frame data, energy management, hunter counters, and competitive strategies for mastering Matador's rechargeable skill system.
Why Matador's Rechargeable Skills Changed Season 41 Meta
Hernando Romero launches February 5, 2026 at 08:00 UTC+8. Unlike fixed cooldown survivors, Matador operates on Courage-based rechargeable mechanics that fundamentally change resource management. Base speed: 3.8 m/s (standard), but his three-ability kit creates unprecedented kiting potential.
The rechargeable system separates Matador through dynamic resource generation. Courage accumulates at 2 points/second within 16m of hunters, 1 point/second beyond that range within Terror Radius. Muleta cleave hits grant 40 Courage each, creating strategic depth around aggressive versus conservative play.
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Core Mechanics Breakdown
Muleta Mastery grants +10% Interaction Speed, reducing decode time from 81s to 73.6s and rescue animations from 0.86s to 0.77s. This passive applies continuously.
Faena Passive creates 6m radius zones: -10% hunter movement speed (4.6 m/s to 4.14 m/s), +10% survivor vault speed. High Speed Vaults drop from 1.06s to 0.95s, windows from 1.15s to 1.03s, medium vaults from 1.48s to 1.33s.
Gaonera Pass requires 100 Courage. 2 charges per match, 25m range, 8s duration, decreases hunter Interaction Speed by 10%. Critical for basement rescues and gate openings.
Rechargeable vs Traditional Cooldowns
Traditional abilities (Seer's Owl, Mercenary's Elbow Pads) use fixed timers. Matador's Courage system introduces variable regeneration influenced by positioning and aggression. Passive accumulation: 50s to reach 100 Courage at distance, drops to 25s with 2-3 successful Muleta cleaves.
Muleta operates on 11s cooldown with 2 charges (70s duration). Initial 6m dash extends to 10m (16m total) with 2.5m cleave radius active for 0.6s. Successful cleaves apply 50% slow for 2.5s, reducing hunter speed from 4.6 m/s to 2.3 m/s.
This dual-resource system demands constant tracking: Muleta charges for immediate kiting, Courage for Gaonera Pass deployment.
Tier Ranking Across Ranks
Worker Bee - Manticore: Straightforward dash mechanics and forgiving Courage generation allow consistent performance. +10% Interaction Speed provides value for newer players.
Griffin - Titan: Vulnerabilities emerge against specific hunters. Dream Witch (6.08 m/s) and Breaking Wheel (8.03 m/s) overwhelm Muleta timing. High-rank hunters bait premature usage through feints.
Competitive: Leverage support capabilities over pure kiting. Gaonera Pass synergizes with rescuer-heavy lineups. Optimal trait build: 129 mobility, 39 kiting, 36 rescue.
Rechargeable Skill Mechanics Deep Dive
Frame-by-Frame Analysis
Muleta activation window: 3-4m hunter distance. 0.6s cleave duration requires precise timing—hunters can animation-cancel to bait dash then resume pressure.
Energy Generation Math:
Within 16m: 2 points/second (120 points/minute)
Beyond 16m (Terror Radius): 1 point/second (60 points/minute)
Muleta cleave: 40 Courage instantly (= 20s close-range generation)
70s Muleta charge duration creates strategic windows. 2 max charges + 11s cooldown = back-to-back dashes. Depleting both creates 11s vulnerability.
Frame Data (60fps):
Muleta cooldown: 660 frames (11s)
Initial dash: 24 frames (0.4s) covering 6m
Extension: 36 frames (0.6s) covering 10m
Total animation: 60 frames (1s)
Hunter slow: 150 frames (2.5s)
At 4.6 m/s reduced to 2.3 m/s, hunters cover 5.75m during slow versus normal 11.5m. Combined with Matador's 3.8 m/s movement = 15.25m effective separation.
Energy Optimization Formulas
Maximum Muleta Uptime: Alternate charges on cooldown. Use one charge every 11s maintains 1 reserve for emergencies while maximizing cleave opportunities.
Optimal Courage Generation: Maintain 12-16m distance (2 points/second) + 1 cleave per 20s = 100 Courage in ~30s. Balanced approach provides Gaonera Pass for mid-game rescues.
Pallet Integration: Drop pallets at 8m hunter distance, use Muleta at 3-4m during break animation guarantees cleave. 2.5s slow allows 12-15m transition to next tile.
Audio/Visual Cues
Muleta charge ready: Subtle cape flutter sound, glowing red cape accents
Courage meter: Numerical counter with visual fill bar, real-time updates
Gaonera Pass: Large red circle at target location, pulsing boundaries, 8s countdown visible to all
Faena Passive: No explicit indicators—recognize through movement speed changes
Advanced Tech: Animation Canceling & Input Buffering
Frame-Perfect Cancel Windows
Muleta recovery: 15 frames (0.25s). Cancel window: frames 10-15 (5-frame/0.083s window). Successfully canceling into pallet drop reduces commitment from 1.25s to 1.05s—0.2s advantage = 0.76m additional distance.
Window vault cancels: Input buffer accepts commands during final 18 frames. High Speed Vaults (1.06s base, 0.95s with Faena) + animation cancel reduces Muleta-to-vault from 2.06s to 1.8s.
Combo Chain: Dash at 3m → cancel into pallet drop at 4m → vault. 3-action sequence: 2.5s total versus 3.2s without cancels (0.7s efficiency gain).
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Input Buffer Timing
Game engine accepts buffered inputs up to 0.3s (18 frames) before action availability. During Muleta recovery, input vault at frame 52 of 60-frame animation = immediate vault execution upon completion.
Optimal Sequence: Dash at 3-4m → buffer vault during frames 52-60 → complete vault with Faena bonus → drop pallet on landing. Total: 2.8s covering ~15m.
Gaonera Pass can be buffered during rescue animations. Input during final 0.3s of rescue = immediate zone creation upon completion, guaranteeing protection against interrupts.
Ping Compensation (50-150ms)
50ms: Activate dash 0.3m earlier than 3-4m range
100ms: 0.5m compensation
150ms: 0.7m adjustment
At 100ms+ ping, rely on audio cues over visual feedback for cleave confirmation. Sound occurs closer to server timing.
Gaonera Pass at high ping: 0.1-0.15s deployment delay. Hunters at 4.6 m/s travel 0.46-0.69m during activation. Lead placement by this distance.
Undocumented Hitbox Interactions
Sculptor: Statues grant 0.6s invincibility negating cleave if timed precisely
Ripper: Foggy Blade limited to <16m when Matador maintains optimal distance
Geisha: Dash as she teleports tracks starting position, not endpoint (6m+ separation)
Faena radius: Calculates from center point, but larger hunters (Violinist) experience slow at ~6.3m; smaller hunters (Hell Ember) require ~5.7m
Energy Management for Ranked
Early Game (0-80s)
Prioritize passive accumulation over risky cleaves. First 80s focus on decoder progress—+10% Interaction Speed more valuable than aggressive kiting. Maintain 16m+ distance for 1 Courage/second safely.
Mid-Game (80-180s)
Shift to active generation once hunters commit. 2-3 Muleta cleaves during first chase = 80-120 Courage, enabling first Gaonera Pass for rescues. Timing typically coincides with first chair situations.
First Chase Strategy: Target cleave hits over distance. Each 40 Courage = 20s passive generation. Aim for 2 cleaves to reach 80+ Courage before kite ends.
Endgame (Final 60s)
Bank both Gaonera Pass charges for final moments. 10% hunter Interaction Speed reduction transforms 20s gate opening to 22s—often the difference between escape and elimination.
Gate Opening: Deploy Gaonera immediately upon starting interaction. 10% slow extends opening but critically forces hunters to commit extra seconds to interruption.
Overcharge vs Immediate Usage
Overcharging past 100 Courage wastes generation. Deploy immediately to begin second charge accumulation. Delaying past 120 Courage (20s wasted) sacrifices second charge availability.
Immediate Muleta usage maximizes total match usage. 70s charge duration + 300-400s matches = 10-15 total dashes possible. Holding charges for perfect moments wastes potential.
Map-Specific Positioning
Strong Maps (Top 5)
Lakeside Village: Dense housing clusters, 12-15m tile spacing. Gaonera at central boat covers multiple approach angles
Moonlit River Park: Tight corridors maximize Faena Passive. 6m radius covers entire building interiors
Red Church: Graveyard tiles + church interior. Faena radius affects 3-4 vault points simultaneously
Eversleeping Town: Vertical gameplay. Muleta dashes on staircases create 3D kiting patterns
Sacred Heart Hospital: Corridor network. Gaonera at hallway intersections creates unavoidable slows
Weak Maps & Adaptations
Arms Factory: Open factory floor demands conservative Muleta usage. Reserve charges for machinery clusters. Prioritize passive Courage generation.
Adaptation: Spawn on weak sections requires immediate rotation to strong tiles before hunter proximity. +10% Interaction Speed allows rapid decode then repositioning.
Cipher Pressure Points
Optimal decoder selection: proximity to strong kiting tiles + team spread. Claim decoders within 15m of dense tile clusters. 73.6s completion allows finishing before hunters cross typical 30m patrol distances.
Central Control: Map-center ciphers allow 6m Faena coverage of multiple teammate positions. +10% vault speed benefits entire team.
Exit Gate Control
Dual Gate: Deploy first charge at primary gate, rotate to secondary for second charge = 16s total slow across both gates. Forces impossible hunter coverage.
Single Gate: +10% Interaction Speed drops 20s opening to 18.2s. Gaonera adds 2+ seconds to hunter interruption requirements. Combined with bodyblocking = guaranteed escape.
Hunter Counterplay
High-Mobility Hunters
Dream Witch (6.08 m/s): 50% slow reduces to 3.04 m/s—only 0.76 m/s advantage over Matador's 3.8 m/s. Target follower blocks, not main body slows.
Breaking Wheel (8.03 m/s): Wheel form covers 16m in <2s even with slow. Reserve Muleta for post-dash recovery when he returns to 4.6 m/s.
Team Composition Synergies
Mercenary: Redundant kiting tools. Position Matador as decoder-rescuer hybrid while Mercenary focuses pure rescue. +10% Interaction Speed completes ciphers faster.
Gravekeeper: Coordinate shovel stun into Gaonera Pass = 10+ seconds total hunter disable. Sufficient for complete rescue + healing.
Coordinator: Flare gun + Faena Passive for extended post-rescue kiting. +10% vault speed during stun recovery allows rescued survivors to reach secondary tiles.
Seer: Owl for initial rescue, bank Gaonera for secondary rescue or gate opening. Staggers defensive resources across timeline.
Priestess: Portal synergy enables aggressive Courage generation. Use portals to maintain 12-16m proximity without direct chase = 2 points/second safely.
Persona Build Optimization
Recommended Configuration
Primary Path (8 points):
Broken Windows: 3 points (vault speed stacking with Faena)
Knee Jerk Reflex: 1 point (pallet stun extension)
Cold: 1 point (injured movement speed)
Borrowed Time: 3 points (rescue security)
Secondary Path (5 points):
Tide Turner: 3 points (rescue speed boost)
Exit Path: 1 point (gate opening speed)
Distress: 1 point (faster struggle)
Talent Synergies
Broken Windows + Faena: Multiplicative stacking. +10% Faena + Broken Windows = High Speed Vaults reach 0.85s. Enables vault-spam at strong windows.
Borrowed Time + Muleta: Post-rescue speed boost increases Muleta displacement from 16m to ~18m. Reaches secondary tiles unreachable with base speed.
Tide Turner + Interaction Speed: Rescue drops from 0.77s to ~0.65s (0.12s reduction). Determines successful rescues against camping hunters.
Situational Adjustments
Open Maps (Arms Factory): Max Cold for injured movement speed
Basement Maps (Sacred Heart): Max Tide Turner + Borrowed Time
vs Sculptor: Sticker for cipher progress security
vs Ripper: Max Broken Windows for vault-spam
High-Rank Strategies (Griffin to Titan)
First Chase Dynamics
Griffin+ hunters recognize 3-4m Muleta range and bait premature usage through feints. Delay activation until commitment confirmation.
Hunters often ignore Matador early, targeting weaker kiters. Aggressively decode during this window—complete 2-3 ciphers before first chase.
Fake Pressure Counter: Hunters approach to force Muleta usage then switch targets. Requires discipline to avoid premature activation.
Cipher Rush Prevention
Coordinated teams execute 3-cipher completion within 120s. Matador's +10% Interaction Speed contributes significantly. Hunters must interrupt within first 60s.
Gaonera at High-Progress Ciphers: Kicking within zones extends kick from 3s to 3.3s. Across 3-4 kicks = 6-8s accumulated (equivalent to 10% cipher progress).
Communication Protocols
Gaonera ready at 100 Courage: Enables rescuer coordination
Muleta depleted: Signals need for pallet support/rotation
Courage callouts (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%): Plans rescue timing
Endgame Decision Trees
Both Gaonera Charges Available: Deploy first at primary gate → rotate to secondary if interrupted. 16s total slow forces impossible hunter coverage.
Basement Endgame: Deploy at stairs during rescue. 10% slow + Borrowed Time + Tide Turner = 15m+ post-rescue separation.
Final Cipher: +10% Interaction Speed completes 7.4s faster. Gaonera at cipher forces hunter choice: endure slow or allow completion.
Common Mistakes
Top 7 Energy Waste Scenarios
Both Muleta charges consecutively without cleaves: Depletes resources for minimal value. Use single charges separated by 11s+
Gaonera in open areas: No strategic value. Reserve for rescues, gates, cipher kicks
No early Courage generation: Passive players miss 60-100s potential. Maintain 12-16m proximity
Muleta on short transitions: Wastes 16m coverage on 6-8m travel. Reserve for 12m+ transitions
Gaonera without coordination: Solo deployment wastes 8s duration. Communicate timing
Holding charges for perfect moments: Finish matches with unused charges. Use proactively
Ignoring Faena positioning: Wastes team-wide value. Position within 6m during team plays
Skill Timing Errors
Delayed Muleta: Allows hits before dash completion. Activate at 3-4m before hunter attack animation
Early Gaonera: Deploying 8s before rescue wastes duration. Deploy simultaneously with rescue start
Faena vault timing: Must maintain 6m proximity throughout vault animation for +10% bonus
Positioning Blunders
Overlapping kiters: Creates resource redundancy. Spread across map
Excessive teammate distance: Negates Faena value. Decode within 6m of teammates when safe
Poor Gaonera placement: At chair vs approach paths. Place at stairs, doorways, choke points
Performance Metrics
Key Stats to Track
Muleta Efficiency: 1 activation per 30s (10 in 300s match). Target metric
Cleave Success Rate: 60%+ target. Below 40% = timing errors
Courage Generation Speed: 30-35s average. Above 45s = too passive; below 25s = high-risk
Gaonera Deployment: 120-150s first deployment for second charge potential
Faena Uptime: 40-50% balancing solo decode with team support
Benchmarks by Rank
Worker Bee - Manticore: 8+ Muleta, 40%+ cleave, 45-50s Courage, single Gaonera
Griffin: 10+ Muleta, 50%+ cleave, 35-40s Courage, dual Gaonera
Titan: 12+ Muleta, 60%+ cleave, 30-35s Courage, coordinated dual Gaonera
Competitive: 15+ Muleta, 70%+ cleave, 25-30s Courage, frame-perfect execution
FAQ
How do Matador's rechargeable skills work? Courage-based system: 2 points/second within 16m of hunters, 1 point/second beyond. Muleta: 11s cooldown, 2 charges. Gaonera: 100 Courage required. Muleta cleaves grant 40 Courage instantly.
What's optimal energy management? Balance passive (12-16m proximity for 2 points/second) with active cleaves (40 Courage each). Target 30-35s to reach 100 Courage. Deploy immediately to begin second charge. Maintain 1 Muleta reserve.
How to counter high-rank hunters? Delay Muleta until 3-4m with confirmed attack commitment. Reserve Gaonera for critical rescues/gates. Use animation canceling. Coordinate Faena coverage during rescues.
What are frame data timings? Muleta: 60 frames (1s) total—24 frames initial dash, 36 frames extension. Recovery: 15 frames with 5-frame cancel window. Cleave: 36 frames (0.6s). Hunter slow: 150 frames (2.5s) reducing 4.6 m/s to 2.3 m/s.
Best persona build? 129 mobility (Broken Windows 3, Cold), 39 kiting (Knee Jerk Reflex), 36 rescue (Borrowed Time 3, Tide Turner 3, Exit Path 1). Stacks with Faena for 0.85s High Speed Vaults.
How does Matador compare to other survivors? Difficulty 2 Contain Assist hybrid. +10% Interaction Speed (73.6s decode vs 81s standard). Muleta 50% slow + Gaonera 10% interaction reduction. Excels vs standard hunters (4.6 m/s), struggles vs Dream Witch (6.08 m/s) and Breaking Wheel (8.03 m/s).