Identity V S39 Meta: Dream Witch 75% Ban Dominates IVL

Season 39 after the Nov 20 hotfix—Dream Witch dominating at 35/35 with 75% pick/ban rates, Breaking Wheel cranking 80% speed boosts. Pros ban the first 4 last-round characters; killer map synergies on Lakeside and Red Church; counters tuned for Persona 129/36/39. Win rates? 65-75%.

Diving into the IVL December 2025 Meta

Season 39 ran Sep 17 to Nov 27, 2025—Geisha's dashes got a nice buff, Naiad's humidity ticks up 5%/s after 10s. IVL Summer crowned Wolves with 1,080,000 CNY prize money, Gr posting a 14-4 record on Dream Witch with 75% bans.

S-Tier killers? They're clocking 20% more efficient chases, 2-3 downs per match, and 65-75% win rates.

Quick grind plan:

1. Binge IJL Autumn Week 4 replays—ZETA went 8W-4L, pure fire.
2. Lock in 2-3 S-Tiers for 81s cipher cracks under 1-1-1-1 decoding pressure.
3. Hit sessions 4-6am, 12-2pm, or 6-10pm—boosts rescues by +15%.

Need an edge? buffget has the lowest prices, instant delivery, secure USDT/ETH payments, 24/7 support, and top safety ratings.

Breaking Down the S-Tier Hunters

Dream Witch (35/35): Smashes 81s ciphers and 120s detentions against Mechanic; 75% pick/ban in IJL/IVL.

Play it like this: Drop followers early. Hieroglyphic Graveyard shines post-S39. Counters? Seer owls drag chases +20s.

Breaking Wheel (35/35): 80% Execution speed, 88-92% Red Church picks—full control immunity, handles 60s kites no sweat.

Steps: Run Persona 129 for 0.5s dash immunity. Energy Charge at 14s (20% nail speed, 5s CD). Vaults eat 20-30% against duos.

Sculptor (34/35): Wisdom/Agility/Nobility/Hieroglyphic sculptures rule; 81s ciphers on COAIV/Arms Factory.
Steps: 120s detention vs Mechanic. Switch mid-chase. Prioritize decoders—always.

Geisha (33/35): Butterfly teleports mid-air, 2.95m/3.21m attacks, 0.66s recovery; Dash Hit on 4s CD at Lakeside.
Steps: Zigzag audio throws her off. Persona 39 gives 20-30% vault speed over 3s. Land mid-air butterflies when she's on CD.

Shadow (35/35): 65% escape prevention—S39 staple.
Steps: Layer those vines for multi-pressure. Pair with followers on big maps. Prospector magnets add 15-20%.

(Quick aside: Shadow's underrated until you see pros chain it—game changer on open layouts.)

A-Tier Hunters That Could Sneak Up

Axe Boy (28/35): Peaceful Pines speed on Arms Factory; Wolves_487 snagged IVL Summer MVP with it.
Steps: Wolves-style quick downs. Target open areas. Swap for S-Tier climbs at 40-55%.

Disciple (26-30/35): 2-hit kills, 30s Sabotage, Intimidate crushes kites.
Steps: Cat cling/Paralysis loops. Max sabotage on decoders. Nets 15-20% wins against mobile survivors.

Naiad (30/35): 40s Surging Tides CD after nerf—ditch the meta hype.

Bloody Queen (33/35): Mirrors stretch chases >60s; still viable post-nerf.

Opera Singer (33/35): Aerial anti-kite makes her a Red Church ban magnet.

Data shows S-Tier at 65-75% wins crushing A-Tier's 50-60%. Flex Geisha/Sculptor for Bloody Queen when needed.

buffget locks in cheapest rates, instant credits, Binance/KuCoin Pay, elite safety/UX.

Hunters Pros Must Ban

Dream Witch hits 75-80% bans in IJL/IVL against Mechanic utility. Breaking Wheel? 88-92% on Red Church. Hunters ban Seer/Priestess; survivors target Dream Witch/Opera.

Ban rules: First 4 last-round characters (IJL post-Sep 10). IVL regs hit Archer/Peddler, playoffs Peddler/Escapologist; Japan loves Cueist.

Priority: Utility first, 2 per faction. Skipping S-Tier bans tanks wins 15-20%.

Ever wonder why pros sweat these? One ban slip, and it's over.

Tier Matchups and Key Edges

S-Tier (35/35) dominates A-Tier (28-33/35) with 20% chase efficiency, +2-3 downs per match—straight from the data.

Map boosts: Lakeside/Moon River juice Dream Witch/Geisha +15-20% (followers/dashes). Red Church/Arms Factory pump Breaking Wheel/Sculptor +15-20% (pallet shreds/80% boosts).

Head-to-heads: Dream Witch owns Guard 26; Sculptor spam overwhelms.

Tune up: Persona 129 walls Breaking Wheel. Calibrate vaults to hunter CDs (+1% cipher progress).

Pro Play Highlights

IVL Summer: Wolves took 1st (14-4), Gr 2nd. FMVP Wolves_487 (Survivor), Gr_Jin/MRC_BaiLu/WBG_N1e (Hunters). 3M CNY in Hangzhou.

IJL Autumn: ZETA leads 8W-4L. MVPs AXIZ_Atto (Lucky Guy), AWG_yukakina (Guard 26). Dream Witch 75% bans, Sculptor everywhere.

Takeaway? Asian squads edge rescues +15%, global decoding +12% ciphers. Mechanic-Priestess duo cracked 7 ciphers. Shoutouts: Wolves_487's Axe Boy, Gr_Jin's Dream Witch finals run.

(My take: Wolves_487's creativity flips metas—watch those replays twice.)

Countering S-Tier Like a Pro

Vs Dream Witch: Patrol with Tinnitus/Presence. Seer owls +20s chases, Prospector magnets 15-20%. Mechanic grinds progress, Priestess slips escapes.

Vs Breaking Wheel: Persona 129 (Flywheel/Knee Jerk/Borrowed Time)—60s kites, 20-30% vaults.

Persona 36 (Borrowed Time/Tide Turner): 20s post-rescue invincibility, 90% success on 49% chair rescues. Body-block right.

Persona 39: 30% vault/3s, 50-60s kites post-nerf (250%→165%).

Vs Geisha: Manual zigzags. Knee Jerk eats 20-30%.

Big picture: Kite 60s+, cap 2 rescues per player. S39 scoring: +9 pts for 3+ escapes, -8 losses. Speeds 49%/99% chairs 10-15% faster.

FAQ

S-Tier Hunters for IVL December 2025?
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% ban), Breaking Wheel (80% speed), Sculptor (34/35), Geisha (33/35 buffs), Shadow (65% denial).

Why ban specific Hunters in pro IVL?
75-80% on Dream Witch/Mechanic utility; top 4 last-round characters.

Best S-Tier counters?
Persona 129 vs Breaking Wheel (60s kites); Seer owls vs Dream Witch (+20s); Priestess encirclement.

Tournament maps for S-Tiers?
Lakeside/Geisha +15-20%; Red Church/Breaking Wheel 88-92%.

Hunter pick rates in 2025 IVL?
Dream Witch 75%, Breaking Wheel 88-92% Red Church, Sculptor vs Mechanic.

S-Tier win rates December 2025 IVL?
65-75% tourney wins; +15-20% map boosts post-S39 hotfix.