Season 39 flipped Identity V's hunter meta on its head—aggressive multi-pressure strategies now rule the roost. With healing efficiency capped at 165% and chair saves accelerated by 10-15%, S-Tier hunters like Dream Witch, Breaking Wheel, Sculptor, and Shadow dominate through sheer area control and immunity mechanics.
Season 39 Meta Changes
When Season 39 dropped on September 17, 2025, it didn't just tweak the game—it completely rewrote the rulebook. Healing efficiency got slashed from 250% down to a 165% cap, while chair saves sped up by 10-15%. The result? Cipher rush became king over rescue gameplay, forcing hunters to exploit that crucial 81-second cipher completion window.
Here's what really caught my attention: November 2025 tournament data shows cipher completion rates jumped 12% globally. Asian servers? They're seeing 15% higher rescue success rates. That's not just a number—that's a fundamental shift in how the game's being played.
S-Tier hunters now achieve 65% higher escape prevention rates compared to their A-Tier counterparts. The IJL Fall Tournament (November 15-16, 2025) proved something fascinating—successful hunters disrupt 98-99% cipher progress rather than going for immediate eliminations. Smart play over flashy kills.
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Season 39 Hunter Tier List
S-Tier Hunters
Dream Witch (Yidhra) - 35/35 rating, 75% pick/ban rate in Legendary ranks.
Her follower system? Absolutely broken for cipher ambushes. She's been consistently banned since Season 4 in Asian competitive play for good reason—safe pressure across multiple areas simultaneously.
Breaking Wheel (Polun) - 35/35 rating, 80% speed boost in Execution mode.
Fourteen-second Energy Charge duration with 20% increased nail speed. When he destroys pallets instantly, survivors lose their traditional safe zones. No mercy.
Sculptor (Galatea) - 34/35 rating post-nerfs.
Even after the nerfs, she's still terrifying. Three sculpture types provide versatile disruption, while her Global Hieroglyphic Graveyard messes with all cipher machines at once. Map-wide pressure? Yes, please.
Shadow (Ivy) - 35/35 rating, area denial specialist.
The synergy with Dream Witch creates total map coverage. Survivors literally have nowhere safe to decode. It's beautiful and terrifying.
A-Tier Hunters
Geisha (Michiko) - The November 20, 2025 hotfix was a game-changer.
She jumped from C-Tier straight to A-Tier (33/35 rating). 2.95m normal attack range, 0.66s miss recovery, near-instant teleportation that rivals Bloody Queen. Finally viable again.
Opera Singer (Sangria) - 33/35 rating through overwhelming chase speed.
Her mid-air mobility shines on multi-story maps, though she's vulnerable to timed stuns from Prospector and Forward. High risk, high reward.
Disciple (Ann) - 26/35 rating using cats for item disruption.
Swoop clings, Intimidate disables actions, Paralysis Area enables 2-hit eliminations with teleportation. Underrated but effective.
B-Tier Specialists
Naiad - 30/35 rating with water slowdowns building Humidity for damage enhancement.
That 18m range limitation really hurts on large maps like Lakeside Village. She's situational but deadly in the right hands.
Axe Boy - 28/35 rating, surprisingly synergizes well with S-Tier strategies.
Peaceful Pines speed amplification and soul absorption provide temporary boosts, especially on Arms Factory's confined spaces.
S-Tier Hunter Strategies
Dream Witch: Multi-Area Control
Deploy followers at 2-3 cipher clusters within the first 30 seconds—this isn't optional. Use your main body for active chases while followers monitor progress. The key? Execute ambushes when ciphers hit 85-90% completion, not before.
Survivors counter by grouping for leech removal and deploying Seer owls, which can extend chases by 20+ seconds. Annoying, but manageable if you rotate followers based on movement patterns.
Breaking Wheel: Speed Dominance
Execution mode's 80% speed boost with control immunity is just unfair (in the best way). Fourteen-second Energy Charge duration, 20% nail speed increase, 5-second switch cooldown. Spike traps force damage at pallet loops where survivors think they're safe.
He absolutely dominates Red Church and Arms Factory through confined space control. No contest.
Sculptor: Versatile Disruption
Three sculpture types, three different nightmares for survivors:
Horizontal Wisdom for lateral attacks in corridors
Vertical Agility for multi-story pursuits
Homing Nobility for tracking during cipher rush
Use Horizontal Wisdom in corridors for unavoidable hits. Deploy Agility on multi-story maps. Save Nobility for cipher rush tracking—timing is everything.
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Essential Persona Builds
36 Meta Build: Trump Card + Detention
Borrowed Time + Tide Turner provides 20-second rescue invincibility, boosting win rates 15-20% against coordinated teams. That 49% chair progress resistance counters faster chair saves beautifully. The 3-6 route focuses on rescue-focused strategies.
129 Meta Build: Insolence + Detention
This build is mandatory for tournament play. Flywheel (0.5s immunity) + Knee Jerk + Borrowed Time creates 60-second kiting counters. We're talking 15-20% win improvements through enhanced mobility, especially on large maps.
Trump Card Detention Synergy
Enables 120-second Detention phases with double damage potential. Activate during 3+ survivor situations, combine with map control for area denial. Save it for late-game cipher defense—that's when it really shines.
Map-Specific Recommendations
Small Maps (Red Church, Arms Factory)
Breaking Wheel is king here. Instant pallet destruction and 80% speed boost? Game over. Sculptor makes sculptures unavoidable in corridors with Horizontal Wisdom.
Target tight loops early, deploy area control at chokepoints, switch modes for immunity during rotations.
Large Maps (Moonlit River, Lakeside Village)
Dream Witch excels through multi-coverage follower deployment. Hermit provides damage sharing across those massive distances. Position control abilities at cipher clusters, rotate via map edges, pressure through coordinated ambushes.
S-Tier hunters show 20-30% improved performance on large maps. The data doesn't lie.
Multi-Story Maps (Chinatown, Leo's Memory)
Opera Singer utilizes mid-air mobility for vertical pursuits. Sculptor benefits from vertical Agility sculptures. Geisha post-buff excels with optimized butterfly mechanics for near-instant teleportation between floors.
Ranked Strategies: Ban & Pick Phase
Hunter Ban Priorities
Primary bans: Dream Witch (75% ban rate), Breaking Wheel (80% ban rate on confined maps), Sculptor (high versatility).
Assess map characteristics first. Evaluate team composition threats. Adapt to regional meta differences—Asian servers play differently than global ones.
Survivor Ban Strategy
Ban Seer for damage immunity or Priestess for global rotation. Each faction gets 2 bans, so use them wisely.
Against rescue teams: prioritize camping resistance hunters. Against decoder teams: focus cipher pressure. Against kiting teams: select immunity and speed hunters.
Counter Strategies
Countering Dream Witch
Survivors group for leech removal, use Seer owls blocking hits (20+ second chase extension).
Hunter adaptation: spread followers initially, regroup at cipher completion, deploy preemptive ambushes, coordinate via quick chat. Communication is key.
Countering Breaking Wheel
Prospector magnets provide repulsion, curved movement avoids spike traps.
Hunter response: maintain distance during 129 meta deployment, time vault sequences during cooldowns, body-block pallets forcing spike encounters.
Countering Opera Singer
Prospector repulsion + 129 build (Flywheel immunity + Borrowed Time) extends chases significantly. Maintain eye contact during approach, chain vaults with Knee Jerk (20-30% speed increase), avoid turning back during mid-air pursuits.
Climbing to Hydra
Season 39 rewards specialization in 2-3 S-Tier hunters over broad knowledge. The +9/-8 point system emphasizes escape prevention, requiring 3+ eliminations for optimal gains.
Master frame-perfect timing. Adapt 36/129 builds based on composition. Prioritize utility threats over individual counters—it's about the bigger picture.
Asian servers favor rescue strategies (15% higher rates), while global servers emphasize decoding pressure (12% faster completion). Analyze 50+ matches for chase duration and map control efficiency. Test builds in custom modes against meta compositions.
FAQ
Who's the strongest hunter in Season 39? Dream Witch leads S-Tier with 35/35 rating and 75% ban rate, achieving 65% higher escape prevention through follower-based multi-area pressure. She's banned for a reason.
What's the best persona build for ranked climbing? 129 Meta build (Flywheel + Knee Jerk + Borrowed Time) provides 15-20% win improvements on large maps. 36 Meta (Borrowed Time + Tide Turner) counters rescue teams effectively.
Which hunters work best on small maps? Breaking Wheel dominates with 80% speed boost and instant pallet destruction. Sculptor's Horizontal Wisdom creates unavoidable corridor hits.
How do I counter cipher rush meta? Disrupt 98-99% cipher progress rather than going for early eliminations. Use S-Tier hunters for multi-area pressure, deploy area control at cipher clusters.
What should hunters ban in Legendary ranks? Prioritize Seer (damage immunity) or Priestess (global rotation) based on map size. Dream Witch faces 75% ban rate, Breaking Wheel on confined maps.
Is Geisha viable after November 2025 buffs? Absolutely. Geisha reached A-Tier (33/35 rating) with 2.95m attack range, 0.66s recovery time, enabling near-instant teleportation for competitive chase efficiency. She's back.