Riot Games’ Valorant is an interesting mix of the gun play from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the abilities typically seen in hero shooters like Overwatch. Knowing how to best utilize each aspect is key. But first off, you’ll want to have all of your Agents unlocked.
The Agents available currently in the closed beta are Raze, Breach, Brimstone, Cypher, Viper, Omen, Sova, Sage, Phoenix and Jett. You can unlock two free Agents by simply leveling up. The first is available at level 5 and the next at level 10. The rest are unlocked with Contracts. Open up the Collections tab and select a Contract – as you earn XP, you’ll earn different cosmetics with the last level unlocking the Agent.
It’s possible to switch between Contracts without losing progress so don’t worry if another Agent catches your fancy. Alternatively, you can spend 1000 Valorant Points (which costs $10) to unlock all the levels in a Contract and immediately access the Agent.
Recommended Team Composition
So you have a number of different Agents available and are wondering about the best compositions in matches. It’s important to first know each Agent’s role, which are the following:
- Controller – Omen, Viper, Brimstone
- Initiator – Breach, Sova
- Sentinel – Cypher, Sage
- Duelist – Phoenix, Raze, Jett
It’s ideal to have one of each type on your team. However, every agent is has their own unique abilities. Duelists, for example, are your DPS heroes. Raze can throw grenades which explode into cluster bombs, deploy a Roomba that can detect players and detonate when close to them, and has a rocket launcher as her Ultimate for taking out heaps of foes.
Jett, on the other hand, can deploy a smoke cloud that reveals enemies within it, jump into the air and take the high ground, dash forward (which refreshes for every two kills) and use her Ultimate to fire knives at enemies (with kills resetting its duration). So while Raze is good for general DPS and taking out bunched up foes, Jett will offer more mobility and getting the drop on enemies, not to mention the clutch potential of her Ultimate.
Having an Initiator is key since they can provide valuable intel. Sova is pretty popular in this regard. Along with deploying a drone that can mark players, he also has a bow and arrow for firing Recon Bolts that can detect nearby players. His Ultimate, Hunter’s Fury, allows Sova to shoot through walls and any enemies caught in the arrow’s path will be revealed.
Controllers are an interesting class so let’s just focus on Viper. She can fire a gas canister that can creates a poison cloud to slow and damage enemies caught within it. A separate gas emitter can also be fired that lingers through the round and she can also create a wall of toxic gas with Toxic Screen. Her Ultimate allows her to create a giant cloud around her, reducing the health and vision of those caught in it.
Then there are the Sentinels, which are the closest to a Support class. Cypher can deploy a spycam that can be used to surveil players and mark them with darts. He can also use tripwires that will reveal and daze opponents caught in their path and Cyber Cage which slows enemies that pass through it while als blocking their vision. Using Neural Theft, his Ultimate, on a dead foe will also reveal the location of other players.
Sage is capable of deploying a barrier to block opponents and eat up damage. She can also fire an orb that will create a surface to slow enemies and even heal her teammates and herself. Her Ultimate is Resurrection, which will revive a dead player but takes some time to channel. If you’re keen on playing the most healing-oriented class, then Sage might be the best pick.
A good team composition could be Sova, Sage, Jett, Raze and Viper, providing ample surveillance along with enough damage and mobility. Combined this with area control by Viper and Sage, not to mention Sage’s Resurrection to get dead players back in the fight, and you’re covered on a number of fronts. Just remember that these aren’t hard and fast choices. Experiment with the different Agents available and see which ones can synergize well with your team.
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