All agent roles play an important part in Valorant. And Initiators aren't to be underestimated. So if you wanted to start playing an Initiator agent, now's your perfect time!
Initiators have been the topic of discussion about Valorant roles forever. Unlike Controllers, Initiator agents differ a lot from each other, presenting different strategies and tactics in gameplay. But their role is the same as in their name: initiate battles. So let's go ahead and take a look at how you can play Initiators in Valorant!
Valorant Initiator Agents Overview
There are currently 5 Initiator agents in Valorant. Some agents help the team by flashing the enemies' vision like Skye, while others give out information like Sova. You can check out each individual Initiator agent here:
Initiators' presence among pro players is unavoidable because of the strategies they represent. So you'll learn how to utilize those Initiator agent strategies unlike any other!
How To Attack With Initiators In Valorant
Initiators are more important when attacking rather than defending. You should be the first one to initiate battles and take the site. The first thing you should consider when attacking is information gathering. Knowing where the enemies are located on the site is a key factor since you and your team will know which corners and angles to check to defeat the enemies. Sova does this best, although KAY/O with his knife and Skye with her flash can also gather information about the enemies' location and strategies. The Phantom will do the rest once you know where the enemies are.
Not only will you profit from the info, but it'll enable your Duelists to make an easy entry onto the site. So you shouldn't aim to be the showoff and get kills instantly, but let your teammates utilize that information. Aside from telling your team where the enemies are located, you can also make it easier to kill them. So that should be your next goal with an Initiator agent: flash and disable the enemies as much as possible. This is especially true for Breach since his kit is full of flashes and concussions and no information-gathering abilities. It'll make it harder for the enemies to see you and kill you, with which you'll have a big advantage in taking the site easily.
Gathering information and disabling the enemy team of their vision and abilities is what Initiator agents are all about when attacking. Taking a site and planting a spike should be as easy as pie when you're a good Initiator agent, which you'll be with this Initiators guide!
How To Defend With Initiators In Valorant
Defending with Initiators is a bit trickier since their abilities aren't the best for it. Your goal with an Initiator agent when defending is to keep the enemies away from the site until your team arrives for a fair fight. You'll first check if the enemies are trying to attack the site which you are defending with a Sova Recon arrow or KAY/O's knife. If you locate 4-5 enemies with your abilities, then be assured the enemies are attacking your site with their Vandals or Phantoms.
If the enemies aren't attacking your site, rotate to help your teammates on the other site. Although if they are, your next job is to flash, concuss, and disable the enemies, so they won't be able to enter your site easily. Once your team rotates, you'll be able to defend the site easily. Abilities alone won't help you out so much, so you should definitely practice your aim.
Valorant Initiator Tips and Tricks
Here are some Initiator tips and tricks that'll help you easily master the agent role:
- Use your abilities with the right timing: don't rush to just use your abilities and be done with the game. This can lead to the enemies predicting your movement, thus making your abilities useless. For example, if you're defending with Sova and send a recon bolt that won't scan enemies, you'll think they're taking the other side. But in fact, they may just be hiding
- Communicate and help your teammates: Initiators' role is better when utilized with your team. Strategize together and play as a team, so your abilities' worth can be much more
- Learn more Initiator agents: each Initiator agent presents different strategies. Diversifying your information gathering and enemy disabling skills will help you more in the long run. Some Initiator agents are better than others on some maps
- Learn your setups: learning a lineup or two will make it easier for you to defeat the enemies. This is especially true for Sova and KAY/O's post-plant molly
This Initiators guide is everything you'll need to start playing and become better with Initiator agents. So if you hit some good clips with an Initiator, you should visit our Discord server and share your clips!