Logged in and started… Only with which weapon? Riot’s tactical shooter Valorant is still hyped – and here, besides the agent skills, the weapons are crucial. In our big weapons guide, we want to take a closer look at them. This time we’re talking about a run-and-gun talent: the Judge.

Currently, there are 17 weapons in Valorant, and the variety is great: from the sniper to the shotgun, to the assault rifle… The shooter lives up to its name. But which weapon is suitable for which agent? Which strategy should be followed with which weapon? And what is the firing pattern, how high is the damage, and the rate of fire? We reveal.

The Judge – sentences the opponents to death

“Rise, the Judge is here.” Yes, the Judge (German: Richter) passes a harsh sentence on its opponents, if you know how to use it properly. That’s because unlike the other shotgun in Valorant, the Bucky, this weapon reloads quickly and, as full auto, fires significantly more shots in succession. Take out an entire enemy team? Yes, that’s possible with the Judge.

Damage, rate of fire, shot pattern

The shotgun convinces in-game with its magazine of seven rounds, each of which shoots 12 bullets. With a firing rate of 3.5 per second, the shotgun rattles quite well in a row and thus also makes quite a bit of damage, especially in close combat: Up to ten meters, a headshot does 34 damage, a shot into the body 17 and into the legs 14. Between 10 and 15 meters, the values drop to 26/13/11 and between 15 and 50 to 20/10/9. It should be taken into account that the Judge loses its aiming accuracy over the time of continuous firing – at medium to long distances, the mouse should therefore not be held down, because the opponent hardly suffers any damage that way. In addition, there is already a firing pattern to the upper right or left after a few bullets. However, this is slow and can be compensated well by moving the mouse in the opposite direction. Nevertheless: Continuous fire only on enemies in the immediate vicinity!

Judge Strategies

It is a wonderful weapon for defenders, nice for flanking and can eliminate an entire enemy team if you surprise them. Since the Judge is designed more for close combat, it is less likely to end up in the hands of attackers. One shot one kill doesn’t work here, but for a shotgun, you have many shots available in succession and reloading also works quite quickly – perfect for fast and unprotected run-and-gun gameplay. It also allows you to keep enemies at a distance or kill attackers from a hidden angle as they run around the corner. So if you like to hide behind walls and wait for the enemies, you can easily take them down one after the other.

When should you buy the Judge?

At 1,500 credits, the Judge is cheaper than any rifle and is also well suited as a beginner’s weapon – simply because it has many rounds and can be reloaded quickly. So you are not defenseless for a longer period of time. Nevertheless: 1,500 is 1,500… You don’t have as much leeway after buying it to acquire skills and/or a shield at the beginning of a round. We recommend to buy the Judge only if you have more money than your opponents. This way you can further extend your own advantage by further limiting the enemies’ purchase pool by buying “mediocre” weapons – plus you save credits yourself.

The Best Agents for the Judge

As a defender weapon, it is also advisable to choose defender agents for the weapon. Among the best for the Judge are probably Sage, Cypher and Sova. They can hold a point well on their own, especially with a trusty companion like the Judge.

Next week Sunday we’ll continue with the next part of our Valorant Guide. Until then, we’ll have plenty of Valorant news and more tips & tricks on the weapons in Riot’s tactical shooter:

• Valorant Weapons Guide: Marshal
• Valorant Weapons Guide: Vandal
• Valorant Weapons Guide: Bulldog

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.

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