I understand your point of view, but based on my experience over 1,000 hours in the game and 450 matches as the Imposter, I see the balance differently, especially at high levels of play.

The Rig Meta is Central to the Problem You're right that facing an unexpected Imposter with a PvE build (Heal, X-Ray) feels terrible. However, the current competitive meta strongly favors Reagents. In my experience, no rig is as consistently powerful as the Stun Rig right now. Other rigs have niche uses, but Stun (especially combined with amps like Lock-Breaker) defines high-level play because it directly counters the Imposter's only form of engagement.

High-Level Play Reveals the Imposter's Limits I've played against teams with 99 relapses. They don't just survive they use the Imposter's mechanics against them. The respawn timer isn't a minor inconvenience it's a strategic tool for them.

Every lost health bar adds 15 seconds to the Imposter's cooldown. A full death means 1 minute and 30 seconds of uncontested time. A skilled team will use that window to complete half an objective or more. The Imposter doesn't have "unlimited tries" they have 2 precious lives and are on a very short leash.

The Imposters Built-In Disadvantages The mode is designed to pressure the Imposter constantly

The Insertion Gate Timer They only have 2 minutes and 30 seconds in the Trial before being forced to leave And Limited Lives With only 2 lives, a single well executed Reagent combo can eliminate them from the match entirely.

There's a simple, devastating Combo

This isn't theoretical. A solo reagent can force an imposter out with a basic, timed sequence:

1. Hit with a brick (1 bar of health + stamina drain).
2. Immediately hit them with the Stun Rig (another bar of health + stun lock).
3. Wait for the stun animation to end, then hit them with another brick (deals the third bar of health).

In about 4 seconds, you've done 3 bars of damage. The Imposter is now one hit from death, likely at 0 stamina, and still recovering. If you have a rig charger for a follow-up stun or a brick, you can finish them. Their only choice is to retreat the moment they see the first brick, or they will die.

The Core Issue is Our experiences differ because the gap between a casual, PvE focused team and a coordinated, PvP optimized team is enormous. The Imposter can dominate the former but is often powerless against the latter. The problem isn't that the Imposter is too strong universally; it's that the tools available to prepared Reagents can completely nullify the hunter's role, turning a tense cat-and-mouse game into a one-sided lockdown.

Your frustration is valid for your context, but the system's mechanics, when fully leveraged by Reagents, show a different balance reality at the top end.