Dream Witch at a perfect 35/35, boasting 75% pick/ban rates—Geisha's buffs have her right there too. Healing nerfed to 165%, chairs popping 10-15% faster. We're talking Season 39 (Sep 17-Nov 27), where Persona builds spike wins by 15-20%. Rack up +9 points with decoding speed boosts, those ≥60s kites, and clutch rescues.
Diving into the November 2025 Balance Patch
That Nov 20 hotfix hit hard: Geisha's attack range bumped to 2.95m normal/3.21m charged, miss recovery down to 0.66s/hit from 0.95s, Dash Hit CD and Soul Departure both at 4s. Naiad took hits—Humidity decay at 5%/s after 10s, Surging Tides on a 40s CD. Season 39 chairs? They're saving 10-15% quicker at 49% and 99% cipher progress. Quick plan: Check notices right after maintenance. Then grind ranked during server peaks—4-6am, 12-2pm, 6-10pm. S-Tier hunters? They're preventing escapes 65% more effectively.
How We Built This Tier List
We score on a 35-point scale: camping, chasing, control. S-Tier nails 35/35; A-Tier sits 28-33/35, pulled from solo/5v5 stats, IVL tourneys, ban rates, and fresh post-Season 39 data. These top dogs deliver 20% more efficient chases, 2-3 faster downs per match, and 65-75% tourney wins. Dream Witch owned 75% pick/ban in IJL Fall (Nov 15-16). Track it yourself: Log win rates over 20-30 matches per hunter. Asian servers see +15% rescues (Geisha shines here), Global gets +12% cipher speed. Bans tell the tale—75% Dream Witch, 80% Mechanic. Geisha? She's climbed to 33/35 after buffs.
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S-Tier Hunters: The Absolute Meta Kings
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% IJL pick/ban). Breaking Wheel (35/35, 80% Execution Wheel speed, pallet-destroying beast). Sculptor (34/35, 81s cipher cracks/120s detention). Geisha (33/35 post-buffs). Shadow (35/35 area denial). Dream Witch cranks escape prevention 65% higher. Breaking Wheel dominated 88-92% IVL Autumn picks on Red Church. Geisha's mid-air teleports? Game-changers.
Facing them? Vs Dream Witch: Patrol Tinnitus/Presence for statues. Breaking Wheel: Watch for brother spikes, traps—Energy Charge at 14s with 20% nail speed/5s CD. Main 2-3 S-Tiers after 20-30 matches for 65-75% wins. Dream Witch erases Lakeside Village pressure. Breaking Wheel owns small maps with traps. Sculptor? Bonbon synergy is chef's kiss.
A-Tier Hunters: Reliable Climbers You Can't Sleep On
Axe Boy (28/35, speeds through Peaceful Pines/Arms Factory). Disciple (26/35, cat swoop/Paralysis for 2-hit kills, 30s Sabotage). Naiad (30/35 post-nerf, water slows). Bloody Queen (33/35, mirrors for >60s chases). Opera Singer (33/35, aerial anti-kite mastery). A-Tiers snag 50-60% tourney wins; Naiad's Humidity/Surging Tides chew complex maps.
Pro moves: Track Bloody Queen mirrors by audio cues. Disciple's Intimidate shuts down kites. Swap from Bloody Queen to Geisha/Sculptor for 40-55% climbing edges.
Map Tweaks That Flip the Script
Big maps like Lakeside Village or Moon River? Dream Witch and Geisha tack on 15-20% wins with followers and dashes. Tight spots—Red Church, Arms Factory—go to Breaking Wheel and Sculptor for pallet shreds. Persona 129 (Flywheel + Knee Jerk) handles 60s kites vs Breaking Wheel on larges; Sculptor feasts in Arms Factory.
Draft smart: Dream Witch for Lakeside multi-pressure. Breaking Wheel hits 80% speed boosts on Red Church. Map-synergy picks? +15-20% wins, easy.
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Your Climb Roadmap & Killer Builds
Master 2-3 S-Tiers (30+ rating). Go aggressive post-healing nerf. Persona 36/129/39? 15-20% win spikes. Break it down: 36 (Borrowed Time + Tide Turner)—50% health/speed on final cipher, 20s post-rescue invincibility, 90% 49% chair rescues. 129: 0.5s dash immunity, 20-30% vault speed for 60s+ kites. 39: Knee Jerk at 3s/40s CD.
Steps to glory: 1-1-1-1 decoding hits 81s ciphers, 5/7 in 6-7 min (Mechanic at 200% decode). Kite ≥60s with zigzags in Terror Radius—stop at 98-99%. Comp strong: Mechanic decodes, Mercenary rescues, Seer supports, Priestess utilities vs Dream Witch. Grind those 4-6am peaks. (I've climbed solo queues this way—trust me, it works.)
Counters & Those Pro Tips You Need
Dream Witch? Group leech removal, Seer owls for +20s chases, Prospector magnets (15-20% win boost). Geisha: Direct gaze, audio zigzags. Breaking Wheel: Persona 129 for 60s kites, dodge traps. Sculptor: Camera/audio counters—avoid >80% risky multi-rescues.
Rescue smart: 1 dedicated rescuer, pre-plan routes. 49% timing + body-block in 20s immunity. Tide Turner for duo hunters. These counters? 15-20% boosts, no cap.
Pitfalls to Dodge & Meta Evolutions
Post-Nov 2025: Chair buffs push aggressive plays, Knee Jerk's huge; healing down 5-10% favors chip damage. Ditch nerfed Naiad. Geisha's C-to-A glow-up. Bans: Dream Witch/Seer (2 per faction). Replay hunt for 60s kites. Adapt to S39 Logic Path reset Nov 27. (Editor note: I've burned hours on replays—game-changer for adapting.)
FAQ
Who are the top S-Tier hunters post-November 2025 patch?
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% bans), Breaking Wheel (35/35, 88-92% picks), Sculptor (34/35), Geisha (33/35 buffed), Shadow (35/35).
How did the November 20, 2025 hotfix change hunter meta?
Geisha buffs (range 2.95-3.21m, faster recovery); Naiad nerfs (decay 5%/s); healing to 165%, chairs 10-15% faster—rushes/chip damage.
Best hunter to climb ranks in new meta?
Dream Witch map control; master 2-3 S-Tiers, grind peak hours, Persona 129 for 15-20% wins.
Key counters to S-Tier hunters?
Dream Witch: Seer owls +20s; Breaking Wheel: Persona 129 60s kites; Geisha: gaze/audio interrupts.
Map-specific top picks?
Lakeside: Dream Witch/Geisha (+15-20% wins); Red Church: Breaking Wheel (80% boosts).
Persona builds for climbing?
36: Tide Turner rescues (90% success); 129: Flywheel kites vs Sculptor; 39: Knee Jerk vaults (20-30% speed).