Duelists are the most popular agent class in Valorant, and you can’t exactly blame people for wanting to play as one. Flashy, dangerous, and deadly, these damage dealers are the best way to climb to the top of the leaderboards. Each duelist has a game-changing ability that can win games and make you feel like an absolute legend for pulling off a clutch win against all odds.
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Getting better at dueling in VALORANT
When you think of improving your skill in Valorant, your first thought is to get better at aiming or movement, and for good reason – if you move well and can shoot straight, you’ll climb the ranked ladders faster. But, one thing that a lot of players forget to practice is their dueling skills.
The ability to know when to get into a gun duel and how to get out of it alive (and hopefully with at least one frag) is criminally underrated.
So, before everything else, you’ll want to learn how to get better at dueling in Valorant by using these tips:
- Always prepare by learning the ins and outs of the map
- Proper crosshair placement and pre-aiming are key
- Understand the different types of peeking and when it’s best to use each one
- Be comfortable with frequently changing your positions and angles while shooting
- Learn how to strafe and counter-strafe
- Timing is everything
- Tap, don’t spray
While these tips aren’t definitive by any means, they should serve as a useful guide to help you walk away with a “W” from duels more often than not:
Read: Top 5 Valorant Crosshairs Used By Pros
Who are the duelists in VALORANT?
- Jett
- Neon
- Reyna
- Raze
- Yoru
- Phoenix
Who is the best Valorant duelist-class agent?
Phoenix is the best Valorant duelist for beginners, but his ceiling is capped because he doesn’t offer anything better when compared to other duelists. As the name suggests, Phoenix gets an extra life. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to counter. So, while you might want to give Phoenix a try if it’s your first time playing Valorant, you don’t need to bother mastering this agent.
Thankfully, Phoenix is the only must-avoid agent in Valorant. The rest are fairly good. Yoru isn’t the best, but he’s the exact opposite of Phoenix. Yoru is a complicated agent that’s best left for advanced-level players who are confident in their skills.
You’re better off mastering Raze, an explosive agent with a penchant for clearing out enemies in one fell swoop with her Paint Shell grenades and Boom Bot. However, in the current meta where Pearl is king, Neon is a better pick since she’s far too disruptive to contain in the right hands. The same goes for Reyna, whose flashes can determine the outcome when breaching sites as a team.
Finally, for the best duelist in Valorant, the honour goes to Jett. She works well in every situation and on any map.
Which map is best for duelists in VALORANT?
Valorant is designed to make every agent work depending on the map. However, just like in every other game, some characters excel better in certain situations. In this case, we’ll talk about the best duelists for each map in Valorant.
As a good rule of thumb, Raze plays well on every map in Valorant. You’ll have to choose between Jett and Raze in Breeze. But, if you are more comfortable with Raze, you’ll have a better time than forcing a Jett pick if you’re not as experienced with the said agent.
Ascent
The standard two-site map has three routes, but you can only access the B site from one side. This gives the defending team a significant advantage while waiting for attackers to push into the B site. The other route, the A site, takes significantly longer to go through and gives defenders more time to set themselves up. There’s also a third route in the middle which is an open section that’s best used by the team in control.
As a map that values verticality and manoeuvrability, your best bet here is Jett. This agent can reach several hard-to-reach spots on Ascent with ease and hide in the said places to surprise opponents.
Unfortunately, the amount of space in Ascent makes Yoru the worst duelist since you can’t teleport around without being seen.
Haven
The first Valorant map with three sites, Haven opened up different kinds of players. This is a particularly difficult map for defenders as they have to cover multiple entry points and be ready to move around at all times. Because of this, Raze is an ideal pick since the Boom Bot can flush out players who are hiding. Not to mention, the Showstopper is a godsend for closing out the several short corridors on the map.
Bind
Bind is a unique map in Valorant because the two sites are distinct. Either way, Raze benefits from the structure of Bind the same way that she does from Haven except it can feel like the map is built exactly for her. Her utilities can be extremely useful, regardless of whether she’s on the offensive or the defender.
Of course, you can play other duelists in Bind, just not Yoru. The map is effectively designed to make teleporting useless. This leaves Yoru’s only use being flashing enemies, which can also affect teammates.
Icebox
Mobility is key to success in Icebox. On one hand, you have an A site that’s conducive to close-quarters combat. On the other hand, the open area of the B-site is perfect for slower playstyles. Both sites are chock full of chokepoints, which isn’t ideal for any duelist. Raze and Jett work well if you have to play a duelist in Icebox.
Breeze
The long corridors and spike sites of Breeze are best for an Operator specialist. Since it’s important to take control of mid in Breeze, it’s best to pick someone that can get an opening pick or two safely. This is where Jett comes in. However, Breeze is a bad map for Phoenix and Reyna since their short-range abilities aren’t as useful when players can simply back up to avoid their effects.
Fracture
Unlike other Valorant maps, Fracture starts defenders off from the centre where you can choose to defend either site. Meanwhile, attackers will zipline across the map and pick which site they want to attack. In such a case, an agent that can be useful for both scenarios is a good choice, which is why you should pick Neon.
Neon can sprint across the map faster than most other agents, which is vital since quick rotations are important here. Neon can also provide additional cover for herself and her teammates with Fast Lane and Relay Bolt.
Pearl
Duelists aren’t built to succeed in Pearl, but Jett and Raze shouldn’t do badly. Their kits are versatile enough to help their respective teams take control of mid and fight at a range at the long B corridor.
Conclusion
The word “passive” shouldn’t exist in the vocabulary of a duelist. As the entry fraggers of Valorant, duelists should always go first. Their goal is to create space, wreak havoc, and take first blood. This way, opponents will feel confused and find it difficult to clear angles.
With these tips, you’ll find it easier to win duels and get better at playing duelists in Valorant. And if you’re eyeing a certain item or weapon in Valorant, make sure to get some Valorant Gift Cards from OffGamers here today!
