Introduction
Developed by Riot Games, VALORANT is a first-person shooter game where two teams of 5 characters rival each other to win the match. The game offers types of new valorant agents, each having different abilities and qualities. The four kinds are duellist, sentinel, initiator, and controller. Each performs a unique function, such as attacking, defending, creating openings, and controlling areas.
Different factors influence the decision of choosing the best agent for valorant. The factors include your personal preferences, the chosen map, the composition of the team, the mode, and the skills you have. Furthermore, the latest updates are released frequently, which can shift the game’s balance; thus, staying updated with the latest updates is important. Download valorant and play the game select your agent. The article will provide you with a guide on what agent to choose based on your play style.
Factors That Affect The Agent Choice
1. Personal preference:
The most important factor is your preferred gameplay style and concept role , i.e., what is your approach toward the game? Whether you want to play defensive, aggressive, freestyle, or supportive. Every style has pros and cons and requires different strategies and skills.
Aggressive play style:
Your play style is aggressive if you want to start the fight, take risks, and deal damage to the enemies. For this style, you should have the skills of exact aiming and enough confidence to move ahead. For this gaming style, the best agents are duellists, and the most famous duellists are Phoenix, Jett, Raze, and Reyna. These agents are known for creating chaos, healing themselves, engaging enemies, and escaping danger. But they also have some disadvantages, such as activating their abilities, they need to kill more, can easily be controlled by the crowd, and have less utility.
Defensive play style:
If you prefer to play safe, hold position and protect the attained objective, you are a defensive player. To be a defensive player, you must be well aware of the maps, positioning and have patience. For this style, the most suitable agents are sentinels, and among them, the most famous are Killjoy, Astra, Sage, and Cypher. These agents specialise in defending areas, gathering information, reviving teammates, and delaying enemy attacks. Their drawbacks include their passiveness, requiring time to set up, and less mobility.
Supportive play style:
If you prefer to support your team, manage the map and provide utility, your style is supportive. To be this agent, one must have good communication, vision, and coordination. The best-suited agents for this style are controllers, and among them, the most famous are Brimstone, Omen, Viper, and Skye. They can generate smoke, flashes, and walls for their team members, and their disadvantages are that they depend on the team, have low damage, and need to take action at perfect timing.
Versatile play style:
If you are a player who can easily switch from one role to another and easily adapt to different situations, then your style is versatile. A good understanding of the game and creativity is required to play as this agent. The best agents for this style are initiators; the most famous are Kay/O, Breach, and others. They have multiple abilities, like sniping enemies, stunning them, and disrupting their abilities.
2. Team composition
The second factor that influences your decision to choose an agent is the composition of your team. The team must be balanced, and roles should be divided; for example, duellists, initiators, controllers, and versatile, thus all having different roles and functions, must be part of the team.You can use valorant tracker to check the the stats, ranks, and agents of your enemies and teammates during and before the game. Below are the functions of the four agents:
Duellist:
He is good at dealing with the damage and fighting on the front. They enter the battleground and push the enemy away. Their abilities help them to initiate fights, escape dangers, or create chaos. Some famous duellists are Reyna, Phoenix, Jett, and Raze.
Sentinel:
Sentinels are specialised in protecting the attained objective and holding the angels. They leave a site after all others have left and can defend areas, gather the required information, and revive the injured team members. Some famous sentinels are Killjoy, Cypher, and Sage.
Controller:
These agents are specialised in controlling the map and providing utilities to the team. They mostly heal the team members and plant smokes, flashes, and walls. They can block the vision, create a cover, support allies and deny entry. Some famous controllers are Brimstone, Omen, and Viper.
Initiator:
Initiators are agents who specialise in disrupting enemies and creating openings. Their abilities include stunning the enemies, scouting enemies, or sniping the enemies. They also can reveal the locations, secure kills, and turn off defences. Some famous initiators are Breach, KAY/O, and Sova.
3. Map
The third factor for selecting the agent is the map you selected to play the game. The selection of an agent must depend upon the map’s features. Different maps have different features; thus, different agents have the expertise to perform well on different maps. Below is the list showing which map is best suited for which agent:
Breeze:
Breeze is a huge map with two sites and many long-range angles. The agents who can cover huge distances, scout the enemies and create cover are the best suited for it. Some of them are Jett, Sova, and Viper.
Bind:
It consists of two sites and is without any mid-area. It has a medium size. The agents can control teleports, defend the sites, or flank the enemies. Some examples are Killjoy, Astra, and Cypher.
Haven:
It is a very large map having three sites and one mid-area. This map suits those agents who are good at initiating fights, supporting their teammates, and disrupting enemy lines. Some examples are Kay/O, Breach, and Skye. Heals, knives, flashes, and snipes are the best-suited features for this map.
Icebox:
It is a medium-sized map with two sites with so much verticality. The map is best for agents with access to high altitudes, can restrict entry, or can block vision. Some of the best agents for this map are Sage, Viper, and Omen. Use walls, explosives, and smokes on the map.
Split:
This map is medium and has two sites and a mid-area. The best used on this map are agents who can break into the enemy lines, revive injured teammates, and stun the enemies. Breach, Reyna, and Sage are some of the best agents on this map. The abilities best suited for this map are heals, stuns, and flashes.
Ascent:
It is a very large map having a mid area besides two sites. The best-suited agents can collect information, remove the enemy’s abilities, and control the doors. Some of the best agents for this map are Sova, Kay/O, and Raze. At the same time, its best abilities include using cameras, explosives, and arrows.
4. Game mode
The fourth factor that needs to be considered is the game mode you will play. The agent should be selected keeping in mind the game mode. Every mode in the game differs from others regarding objectives and rules, such as economy, the time for a round, abilities, and weapons. If the agents’ abilities match well with the map, there is every chance that those agents will perform well. Below a list of those agents is given who can perform well on different modes:
Unrated:
It is the standard mode of the game. In this mode, two teams of five members compete to win 13 rounds. Agents who possess the qualities of versatility, utility, or consistency are the best suited for this game. The best agents of the mode are Sova, Omen, and Skye. The best abilities to be used in this mode are flashes, heals, and smokes.
Competitive:
This is a game mode that is ranked in this. There are two teams, having five members each, who try to subdue the opponent and win by killing all the enemies or winning 13 rounds. Agents who can create impact and have an advantage are the best suited for the mode. Some examples are Chamber, Reyna, and Jett. Snipes, mobility, and autonomous abilities should be used in this mode to win over the enemy and rank up the team.
Spike Rush:
This mode is fast-paced in which two teams try to defeat the other by winning four rounds. The best-suited agents can survive longer, deal damage, and use orbs. Some of these agents are Yoru, Raze, and Viper. The abilities that should be used to win the match are deception, explosives, and walls.
Deathmatch:
In this game mode, 14 players compete with each other to attain the goal of 40 kills or get the most kills in the given 9 minutes. The best-suited agents for the mode are who can disrupt enemies, kill faster and escape danger. Some best agents are Reyna, Kay/O, and Jett.
5. Skill level
The fifth and last factor to be taken into consideration for choosing the best agent is the skill level you have and your learning curve. Consider this while choosing the agent, as different levels of skills and game understanding are required for different agents. The difficulty levels of agents vary as some are very easily mastered while others are a bit difficult to do so. Moreover, all agents have pros and cons. Below is the list of agents according to their difficulty level as well as their pros and cons:
Easy:
These are the agents that require very few skills. They are simple and easy to play with without requiring any special abilities. These agents are mostly used by beginner players who play the game to have fun. Some easy agents are Skye, Cypher, and Sage. They offer the benefits such as the provision of information or utility without requiring any specific skills. But they come with drawbacks. The easy agents could be more exciting and varied in their potential and impact.
Medium:
The abilities of these agents require some expertise to use them. They need coordination, timing, and aim. Regular or intermediate players use these agents for the improvement of their skills. Some medium agents are Sova, Viper, and Omen. The pros of these agents are that they can deal good damage or support their teams by controlling. Their cons include being challenging, inconsistent, and dependent upon their team members.
Hard:
The agents in this category require advanced and complex operating abilities. They need very good aim and coordination. These agents are selected by the players who are experts at the game and use these agents to become masters in their gameplay. Some hard agents are Kay/O, Chamber, and Jett. The benefits of the hard agents are that they are very good at mobility and self-sustaining and prove advantageous for their teams. Their drawbacks are that they are very demanding, risky, and rely heavily on their skills.
Some general tips and best practices for choosing an agent:
The selection of the best agent can make you win the game, the checking of valorant stats helps you, and it is not a one-time selection; rather, you learn it through experiment and experience. But making the right selection of your agent is the foremost task, so here is a guideline that can help you in choosing the best agent:
Experimentation on various agents:
If you are looking for an agent that suits you the most, then you need to try each agent, which will let you know the pros and cons of each agent. Then you can easily decide which agent is perfect for which situation. You can explore their range, abilities, skills, and mechanics. This experimentation can familiarise you with many techniques and strategies of each agent, with their weaknesses and strengths.
Keep an eye on streamers’ and pro players’ gameplay:
This is another interesting way to learn about agents. Pro players and streamers imply many strategies and tactics while playing the game, letting you know how to use such strategies. You can also learn much about the agents by watching pro tournaments and matches. This way, you can also learn the ongoing trends.
Information about current guides and reviews:
Reading guides and reviews can make you understand which agent suits your needs for any gameplay. You can easily access these through blogs, social media, opinions, and even feedback from other players. Patch notes and updates can also be read from Riot Games, which inform you about the current changes and how those changes can affect your gameplay.
Have fun:
It’s not all about the game and being too much serious in it. You should enjoy the game with your teammates while having fun. You should try new agents and always be respectful to your team members and opponents. Sometimes, you should think out of the box. You should not focus more on winning and losing; rather, make it enjoyable and play in a stress-free environment.
While looking for the best agent, you should know some tips and tricks and many other factors that are involved. It can make your gameplay better and more enjoyable.
FAQs
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Final Analysis
Understanding the best VALORANT agent is a big task and complicated as well. The selection of the best VALORANT agent depends on many things, such as map, mode, team, and skill. It is important to note that each agent has various strengths and weaknesses. Over time, many changes take place, which you have to keep an eye on because these changes also affect the performance of each agent. Lastly, the best agent gives you confidence, suits your gameplay, and makes the game enjoyable.
