Riot Games' much discussed fps shooter has opened the doors of the closed beta to a very small number of players. If you are one of the lucky ones to have gotten your hands on Valorant, you can't miss our tips and tricks to get you off to a good start
The game will officially debut in the summer of this year with a date yet to be defined, probably based on the feedback received from the beta. The game looks good right now, with a good number of agents and excellent stability from this first release. Fast, super-tactical and ruthless, let's see together what are the tricks and tips that are essential to better approach a Valuing.
Without fail
As already mentioned, Valorant is the new fps from Riot Games. Unlike CoD: Warzone or Overwatch, from which the game takes some mechanics, Valorant is a tactical shooter more like Counter-Strike. This means that accuracy is key, teamwork is key, and every single bullet is potentially fatal. If you have never played a tactical shooter in the past, want to learn the "tricks" of the trade or are simply curious to know what differentiates Valorant from the rest of the shooters in circulation, listen to our advice to start off on the right foot.
First of all, matchmaking - Valorant: tips and tricks to get you started
Each match sees two teams of five players compete against each other to the last bullet (or skill). Before the game starts, each player chooses a character, called Agent, each with a well-defined skill set. Each team can only have different agents, you will never find team with two or more identical agents. Matches are divided into rounds, and the first team to win 13 rounds wins the match.
Each round features one team "Attack" and a team "Defence", once 12 rounds (plus matchpoint) have been completed, teams switch sides by exchanging tasks. The attacker's goal is to place the “Spike”, a powerful bomb, in one of the predetermined points marked on the map. The defense's task (obviously) will be to prevent the bomb from exploding, preventing opponents from placing it or detonating it before the countdown drops to zero. Any team can win the round even by eliminating all opponents.
At the beginning of each round there is the "Purchase Phase", during which each player will be able to buy his equipment. In fact, by winning rounds and making eliminations and assists you will earn money, which you can spend to buy weapons and shields, or reload skills.
Rule No. 1: walk, don't run - Valorant: tips and tricks to get you off to a good start
Let's start with the first of our tips. Whenever you run in Valorant (which is the default movement mode) the steps you take really a lot of noise. Running is so loud that Riot has placed a marker on the map that shows you how far your footsteps go. The solution, therefore, is to walk while holding the key Shift, or squat with Ctrl. Walking is obviously slower but also much quieter, making it easier for you to get around enemy defenses. Walking or crouching will make you completely silent, so keep this advice in mind.
One of the key tricks for alternating walking modes is coordination. Generally it suits you walk most of the time in Valorant, unless:
- You are certain that there is no enemy in your vicinity
- The enemy already knows your position, so you need to get away quickly or move to an advantage
- You have to get to a distant area of interest quickly
If you are sure you are not taking any chances, switch to the combat knife: it will allow you to run even faster.
Rule No. 2: either run, or shoot - Valorant: tips and tricks to get you off to a good start
Keeping rule # 1 in mind, you can guess that running and shooting at the same time they don't travel well together, so you should try to avoid to make sure you take out the enemy. If you are running and see an enemy aiming at you, your best bet is to stop completely before shooting. It will take a while to get carried away with this mechanic, as the aiming mechanism is it is not instantaneous, but once you get used to it you will be able to guess some shots will be accurate and which will not.
As mentioned, it will take a while to get right into this mechanic, but facing a firefight while running and then being relentlessly defeated is one of the most common mistakes in Valorant. Even walking and shooting at the same time does not prove to be the best choice: The first shots you fire at the enemy will be accurate, but as you continue to shoot you will find that the aim will become more and more unstable.
Rule No. 3: money rules the world - Valorant: tips and tricks to get you started
The first few times you approach Valorant, it is natural to spend all credits in the purchase phase for the best weapons and armor. In the long run, this choice turns out to be absolutely wrong. Instead, you should try coordinate credits to spend in combo with your team, to save for later rounds and still get good fire coverage. For example, if the whole team has a gun and you have a shotgun, you will definitely not be able to win the game. Instead, by saving credits and sharing them in the next round with your teammates, you will surely have a better paraphernalia and consequently more chances of winning.
Whenever you survive a round, you start the next round with the weapon you finished it with, so if someone drops a better weapon than yours, pick it up quickly and without thinking. Each time you die, however, regardless of the outcome of the round, you lose all your equipment. This means that you will have to buy again weapons, armor and skills. Saving skills will also save you credits as a result.
There are several types of rounds that we recommend that you choose before entering the fray. You can communicate your intentions to the team in voice chat, or thanks to the texts that Riot has inserted in the shop menu. Each round can be:
- Save Round: Everyone saves credits. This means that no one will buy anything, or at most a gun and a skill
- Full Buy Round: Everyone buys powerful weapons (usually assault rifles or snipers) and armor, and some skills with the remaining credits
- Force Buy Round: You don't have enough credits for Full Buy, so take the best you can afford while hoping to surprise your opponents
- Partial Buy Round: Only one or two members of the team buy a gun, with the certainty that in the next round they will all be Full or Force Buy
Rule # 4: Always use protections - Valorant: tips and tricks to get you off to a good start
We understand what weapons are the most appetizing thing in a shooter and Valorant is no exception. But one of the most important tips we can give you is to buy the shield every round. A good weapon is useless dead. Armor should be always the starting point of your Full Buy Round, with priority over everything else. Remember, there are no tricks that will spare you a bullet in the skull. There are two types of armor in Valorant: that from 400 credits, which gives you 25 extra life, and that from 1000 credits, which gives you 50 extra life. Both absorb the 70% of the damage.
Rule # 5: Always aim for the head - Valorant: tips and tricks to get you off to a good start
One of the key mechanics is: the less you have to move the mouse, the faster you are in aiming. As you walk, therefore, you should imagine the height of your enemies' heads and keep the reticle at that height. Most players (in all shooters, not just Valorant) have a bad habit of keeping the sights pointed at the ground. But suddenly finding yourself in front of an opponent, you will be forced to raise the aim before shooting, to be more precise.
Having the reticle already at head level, however, you only need a short movement to take aim at the target and put a bullet right between the eyes. A good way to practice this can be to hold the front sight line at head level of your companions before the start of the round. This can be a great starting point for honing your aim.
The most valiant
Well Agents, we've come to the end of this guide with our tips and tricks to get you started in Valorant. Remember that practice makes perfect, so choose your favorite agent wisely and join the fray armed to the teeth. We hope we have made your start a little easier, and as always we invite you to stay tuned to Holygamerz for more guides, reviews, news and much more on the world of video games. Hello and happy Easter!
