How to effectively use your abilities in Valorant

When you start playing Valorant, the whole concept of the game can seem completely baffling. We’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you effectively use your Agent’s abilities to destroy the competition. 

Taking your first steps onto Future Earth can certainly be a pretty daunting experience, especially when you consider that you not only have to pop off with your gunplay but also these mysterious new abilities.

Unique to every Agent, each ability has its own different functions to help enable that Agent achieve their goal efficiently and effectively. After you’re a Duelist you’re hardly going to be sitting back using turrets like Killjoy.

Below we’ve outlined the best ways to use your Agent Class’ abilities. So whether you’re an Initiator or a Sentinel, a Duelist or a Controller, we’ve got you covered.

How to use your abilities: Duelists

The most important thing to remember with Duelists are that they are the front line. The Duelists are your team’s primary attackers, so it’s safe to say that you’ll be playing pretty offensively.

• Read More: Valorant Duelist tier list

Take Phoenix for example. His Curveball can be great when you throw it around corners, but if you throw it straight onwards you often wind up being caught in it yourself. Instead, try throwing it a little higher or a little lower to make sure you maximise its effects.

Then we have our favorite wild and wonderful Brazilian Raze. Those Paint Shells are certainly a menace, but only if you land them right. As there’s no sky cap in Valorant it’s worth learning your angles and lineups by tossing some of the infamous little grenades around, and watching where the smaller bombs that follow drop once the big boy has hit the ground. This is useful for helping you understand Raze’s angles and trajectories.

Initiators

Initiators do exactly what their name suggests, they help the Duelists start fights on the front lines by disrupting the battlefield and breaking through enemy lines. They’re the support every Duelist needs when rushing head on into the bomb site.

• Read More: Valorant Initiator tier list

Initiators are a fun mix of defensive and offensive playstyles. Take Skye for instance, her Trailblazer is great for seeking out enemies that are either intent on holding a specific angle, or are coming right towards you. Once you know where you are, you can throw Guiding Lights to blind them then let your Duelist swoop in for the kill (if you haven’t already jumped in yourself.)

A similar story can be told with Sova, whose Recon Bolts wreak havoc for stealthy Duelists who are getting ready to launch an attack. One of the most important parts of playing Sova, from the mouth of Sova guru Jonas ‘AverageJonas’ Navarsete, is to learn your lineups. Knowing the best placements for your Recon Bolts will really help you garner all the information you need to start firing off your Hunter’s Fury.

Controllers

Controllers are the backbone of a good Valorant team. Their job is to shape the battlefield so that their allies can execute the enemy team quickly and easily. Don’t you love it when a good plan comes together?

• Read More: Valorant Controller tier list

The key to doing this is having some patience, as well as a knowledge of each map. After all, it’s pretty hard to control a map you don’t know. Take a scout around and see where the best spots are to wreak havoc from.

Omen, Brimstone and Viper all have one thing in common (other than that they’re controllers): smoke. Effectively using your smokes is the best way to control the battlefield. If you’re playing Viper, the best way to cut off the enemy is by throwing her Poison Cloud at a choke point when you’re defending, or over the Spike if your ally is trying to diffuse it. That smoke isn’t going anywhere, so it’s great for hiding in.

Sentinels

Sentinels have one main job: defense. They’re for players who believe that the best offence is a good defense, and are happy to stay behind the lines and help their allies to victory with either healing or essential information.

Cypher is the obvious choice for this, but his Spycams are a tricky beast to tame. Make sure you’re throwing them higher than ground height, as if they’re spotted it’s easy for the enemy to jump them and for you to lose some vital information.

• Read More: Valorant Sentinel tier list

Killjoy’s Ultimate also has a lot of skill to it. If you’re going to start locking people down, make sure they can’t find your Lockdown device. There’s a seven second wind up before the enemy is locked in the Killjoy cage of doom and this lag gives them plenty of time to find it. Make sure you drop it somewhere where it can be effective whilst remaining hidden at the same time.

---

So that’s our guide to using your abilities effectively! It’s key to remember what the Agent you’re playing is hoping to achieve. If you fancy playing a Sentinel after maining Duelists, you’ll have to completely rethink the way that you play.

Variety is the spice of life though right? So give these tips a spin!