Which pistol loadouts are optimal? Which weapons do you use to get picks in Eco-Rounds? And of course: Phantom or Vandal?

Your options in the Pistol Round

If you can handle the Classic, you can get a Body Armor and plenty of skills. Many players swear by the Ghost, which one-shots opponents without Armor with short to medium range headshots. If you’d rather go for close range, you’re well served with Frenzy + Body Armor, which works almost like an SMG. The weapon that consumes all of your 800 credits is the Sheriff: If you choose it, you can get a kill on any range with a headshot, but you won’t have any money for other goodies. Experiment around and try to find your best loadout, which can vary from agent to agent.

The rifle question: Phantom or Vandal? And what is the Bulldog good for?

On paper, the two best rifles don’t give each other much: The Phantom deals the same damage as the Vandal at close range (up to 15m), but has about 20% more rate of fire than the Vandal. Even when scoped, it shoots even faster than the Vandal and allows the shooter to adjust the spray pattern while firing. In addition, thanks to the silencer, it is more difficult to hear and the shots are not as visible as those of the Vandal. Thanks to this feature, it is well suited for shooting through smokes without giving away your position too much.
So for whom is the Vandal better? At long range, the Vandal is the only fully automatic weapon that guarantees a kill on a headshot at any range. Even with a poorer rate of fire and a more difficult to-control spray, the Vandal has its raison d’être on longer sight lines.

If you are short of money for a full-buy round or have won the Pistol Round, the Bulldog is a not-too-bad alternative, especially if the opponents have to play an Eco-Round. The triple shot in scoped mode can definitely lead to a one-burst kill. All in all, it has less damage output than the Vandal at the same rate of fire and can thus be seen as a budget Vandal.

How to play effectively in an Eco-Round

If you don’t have enough money for the upper rifles or the team wants to synchronize their economy, you are left with the classic alternative of the Spectre, which still has a pretty good genoa, especially when running, and can thus reward an aggressive playstyle. Shotguns are an alternative: these are also accurate when running and jumping and can thus surprise opponents quite cheaply. Aim them at the chest so that the top of the circle is at head level for maximum damage. The Bucky also has an Alternative Fire, which keeps the spread of the weapon more compact and is intended for medium distances.

For longer distances, the Marshal, is the weaker of the two Sniper Rifles, making it a very cost-effective alternative to pistols that will take down any opponent with a headshot. If your opponents are also on an eco-round and can’t or don’t want to use body armor, a body shot will suffice.

Operator = OP?

If you or your team can afford to buy an Operator, this can be a round-winning option. Enemies that sneak around corners without utilities like Flashbangs or Smokes are easy victims for the Operator. Therefore, try to change your starting positions often to surprise your opponents and set up the round in your favor with a First Blood. If you are playing against snipers with operators, try to coordinate with your teammates to run around an angle slightly delayed or to rush the opponent with the operator from several sides, unless you have the skills to overpower the enemy sniper.

Valorant Beginner’s Guide

Overwhelmed with Valorant? No wonder… Without experience in similar games (such as CS:GO or Overwatch) the start in Valorant is difficult. But don’t worry, we are here to help you with our Valorant Beginner Guide.

Valorant is a special game. Many think that getting into the game is easy, but without shooter experience, you’ll quickly be on the ropes. Even CS:GO veterans can get into trouble… In Counter Strike, there are no flying knife-throwing things-people. But that’s why we are here.

This beginner’s guide is meant to help you get started in Valorant and introduce you to the world of Valorant. After that, the most important features should be clear to you, so that the fun in Valorant is not lost.

Valorant Beginner Guide: Basics

Let’s start with the meaning behind the game. In other words: What is Valorant anyway? Valorant is a first-person shooter in which two teams consisting of five players face off. The first team to win 13 rounds wins. Both teams have a different role – attacker and defender.

The goal of the attackers is to place a spike and protect it until detonation. This must happen on one of the three spots (A/B/C). In turn, the defenders must prevent the attackers from doing so.

Each match consists of two halves. After the first half (12 rounds), the two teams switch roles. The attackers become defenders, the defenders become attackers. Easy.

Agents

Before the start of a match, each player must choose an agent. Agents have unique skills, which in most cases also require a certain playstyle (offensive, defensive, support, etc.). Currently there are 16 agents in total, but new agents have already been leaked and should be added soon.

As a new player, you can initially choose between 5 free agents: Brimstone, Phoenix, Sova, Jett and Sage. To unlock more agents, you will have to sign contracts, which is mostly done via Daily Quests or earning experience points.

Valorant Beginner Guide: The best agent to start with

Phoenix is by far the easiest agent to start with in Valorant. His skills are not too complicated, can be combined well in any situation. But watch out with the flashbangs (aka your Q skill)! You’ll probably flashbang yourself and your mates quite often in the beginning, but practice makes perfect!

Valorant Beginner Guide: The best mode to start with

Stay away from Unrated mode for the beginning. This may sound strange, but especially the beginning of Valorant might be hard for you. Frustration will lead to quick quits, which in turn will get you involved in penalties and XP loss. That’s why you should start with Spike Rush first. An average game here lasts 8 minutes, while other modes can easily go over 50 minutes. In Spike Rush, you’ll be quickly released from suffering without having to take any penalties.

In addition, you don’t have to do any eco rounds in Spike Rush. This means that you’ll be able to try out your agents’ abilities, as well as the most varied weapons. Spike Rush is a great mode to learn the basics of Valorant. When you feel like you’re firmly in the saddle, you can try your luck in Unrated mode. After 20 matches in Unrated mode, you’ll gain access to Competitive mode, where you can earn ranks.

Heroes&WIKI, Valorant, ValorantGuide, ValorantGuides