How to use the Sheriff: Valorant weapon guide

Valorant’s Sheriff rivals the Vandal for its lethality at close range, but should you be adding it to your arsenal? Here’s everything you need to know about Sidearm to give you the edge in the server.

Valorant is complete with weapons from various classifications, to support an array of playstyles. With 17 different guns to choose from in six different categories, what dictates which weapon you should buy?

In this guide, we’ll cover the Sheriff and break down exactly why this Sidearm will give you enough bang for your buck — regardless of what round you’re in.

What is the Sheriff?

The Sheriff is one of five pistols in Valorant. Coming in as the most expensive pistol, there’s plenty to consider before splurging your hard-earned Credits.

With only six bullets in the magazine, you’ll have to be selective with your shots if you’re wielding the Sheriff. But providing you can rely on some crisp aim, this pistol is definitely one that you should be considering for your Agent’s rig.

Sheriff damage stats

The Sheriff is a high-octane, clamorous weapon that has an absurd head-splitting potential, considering how little the Sidearm costs. With that said, the weapon is restricted by range.

Given that the damage drops off after 30 meters, your playstyle should reflect that to ensure you can dispatch an enemy as swiftly as possible.

If your prey falls within the Sheriff’s one-shot range, then you’ll dish out 160 damage with a headshot — which is enough to put your opposite number on the sidelines even if they’re equipped with Heavy Shields.

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This makes it a great buy on a second round if you’ve just lost, or on any eco, as you can one-tap an enemy and grab their rifle.

If you land your shots below the head though, then this is where the Sheriff will cost you. If your foe isn’t equipped with shields, you’ll need to tag their torso twice in order to inflict enough damage to take them out of the round.

With any kind of shield, you’ll be forced into landing three shots — which could prove troublesome if you’re up against a rifle.

Sheriff spray pattern & movement accuracy

With only six bullets in the mag, you’ll generally want to be selective with your shots. If you end up spamming Mouse 1, the Sheriff has a nasty kick that you’ll need to adjust for.

Given the relatively slow cooldown between shots, you’ll notice that the pistol flings your crosshair north after your second bullet. To correct for the vertical displacement, you’ll want to gradually drag your mouse down to account for it. It’s worth bearing in mind that there is also a bit of random horizontal variance between shots.

In terms of the effect of movement inaccuracy, as with pretty much all of Valorant’s weapons, movement has a significant impact on how true you’ll be to your mark. To counter this, consider counter-strafing just before firing your weapon to account for the movement of your player model.

When to buy the Sheriff

Given that the Sheriff only sets you back 800 Creds, it is a weapon that is accessible in every round. Saying that, should you be buying it at all times?  If you invest in a Sheriff during a pistol round, you’ll be strapped for cash and won’t be able to acquire any Shields and/or Abilities. We’d always advise against this.

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With that said, if you can rely on your crosshair placement and aim, then this is an ideal weapon to be buying when force-buying into a round, or if you’re simply looking for a sidearm upgrade from the Classic. Remember, all it takes is one shot to upgrade from your 800 Creds pistol to a more expensive rifle.

Best Agent to use the Sheriff

The hand-cannon Sheriff is good if you back your aim. While a more passive playstyle can seemingly get the most out of the Sheriff by holding a line, you can also surprise enemies with it.

If a conservative playstyle is more your thing, Sova is most definitely the man for the job. Combine his Owl Drone and Recon Bolt and you have the perfect recipe for gaining intel — essential for nailing down your crosshair placement and popping domes.

You can also take advantage of Jett’s movement to take your shot and dash back to safety, just like using the Operator. Most duelists like Reyna and Phoenix are the same deal: use your aggressive kit to take the duels, back yourself, get the one-tap frag, and get out.

Sheriff tactics

The Sheriff is good in two ways. You can choose to play aggressively and surprise your opponents with a one-tap. You can also choose to just hold a single line.

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Staying within the weapon’s most lethal range is always something that you should bear in mind though. So while you don’t want to get too close for comfort, you most definitely don’t want to suffer from the weapon’s dropoff in damage. Stay within 30 meters, try to avoid panic spraying, and you’ll be taking heads off in no time!