The only healer in the game, Sage is a Sentinel who excels at defending sites and supporting allies from the backline. Her tool kit allows her to slow the pace of the game down with her barrier and slow orbs as well as heal allies who have taken damage and resurrect them with her ultimate ability.
She does take some time to get used to, which is why she’s taking the number 5 spot, but her heals and ability to slow enemy rushes are what make her such an important agent to learn.
The only agent in the game with a heal, Sage is an essential agent in almost every team composition
With her ultimate, Sage can revive a fallen ally and turn the tide around in a losing battle
Her slow orbs are extremely effective in halting enemies from charging a site when used well
Although her barrier has been nerfed hard since Valorant’s closed beta, it’s still useful in blocking enemy sight and gunfire and can be used to help her revive allies in open areas
Pick Sage if...
Sage should be picked in almost every map and every team composition. There are instances where she’s not essential, but those cases are rare
4. Sova
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Don't let Sova catch you out with his well-placed Recon Bolts. It could mean your death.
This agent is great for scouting out enemy positions and retrieving intel for his team. His tool kit revolves around the use of his bow, with which you can shoot Recon Bolts or Shock Bolts. The latter is a bit trickier to use, so hold off on using them until you get accustomed to the bounce and bow power.
He’s a very simple agent to use and great for offense and defense. His Owl Drone is great in clearing corners and collecting information on where the enemies are...or aren’t. His ult, Hunter’s Fury, will need some practice to get used to and should be used in tandem with his other abilities.
His signature ability, Recon Bolt, is amazing to help you scout enemy locations. Some of his arrow lineups require time and practice to learn, but the pay off is substantial as harder lineups make it more difficult for the enemy to destroy it before it finds them
Whether on the attacking side or defending side, Sova’s Owl Drone and Recon Bolts will help your team tremendously in terms of gathering information
The Owl Drone allows you to tap somebody with a tracker that will reveal them for three ticks, and this is usually the best time to pull out his ultimate and get a quick kill
Pick Sova if...
Like Sage, Sova is a versatile agent that can fit into any map, so it’s never a bad idea to bring him into your team comp
3. Raze
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Raze is a tremendously fun agent to play and she's easy to pick, so why not?
A demolition expert, Raze hails from the Duelist class and can secure kills without ever landing a headshot. She comes equipped with cluster grenades, satchel charges, and a boom bot that will chase enemies in its line of sight to deal a great deal of damage. She’s a straightforward agent to pick up, but you will have to unlock her in the game by activating her contract.
The nice thing about Raze is that she can get kills with her abilities alone when used correctly and creatively. Her signature ability, Paint Shells, AKA the cluster grenades, forces enemies to reposition and are crucial in taking a site. If the enemy’s in a tight spot, you’ll more than likely even get the kill.
Her ultimate, Showstopper, is almost always a guaranteed kill. It’s a rocket launcher that can go any distance and will always kill if it’s close enough to the enemy. Extremely useful in tight corridors with multiple enemies
The Blast Pack can be used in a variety of ways. They do deal damage to enemies and allies alike, but their best use is to help Raze reposition by launching her into the air or popping her around a corner quickly
Pick Raze if...
Raze is a great duelist whose tool kit revolves around dealing damage. She’s best used in tight spaces or corridors, but with the right player behind her, Raze is useful on any map
After a few rounds in a game, most players know the enemies’ preferred hiding spots. Showstopper is a great way to get an opening frag or two if you’re lucky
2. Phoenix
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A master over fire, Phoenix comes with a well-balanced set of abilities to help you frag out.
Also hailing from the Duelist class, Phoenix is great for new players due to his abilities not requiring much setup or knowledge of the map. His whole theme is based on a mastery of fire, and his abilities fit the theme appropriately. He comes with a blind that curves around corners, a fireball that lights up the ground to either heal you or deal damage to enemies, and a fiery wall that lets you change the trajectory with your aim.
Phoenix is unique in that he can heal himself with his abilities. The fireball, Hot Hands, is used just as much to heal himself as it is to hold off corners and angles. His wall, Blaze, will also heal him if he stands close enough to it.
Phoenix’s ultimate, Run it Back, is a great tool to enter a site and find out enemies’ locations. The ability sets a marker where he used the ultimate and will bring Phoenix back to this location once the ability ends or if he dies. It also heals Phoenix to 100 health if he’s low on health
His blinds are used to mostly clear corners since they curve left or right only. Use with care so as not to blind yourself or your teammates
Pick Phoenix if...
Great for new players trying to learn how to play Duelists and get entry frags for their teammates
He’s a very easy agent to use; the only ability with a high skill-cap is his wall, Blaze. A great wall can be the difference between a win or a loss
Phoenix is also great if your team doesn’t run a Sage as he can just heal himself
1. Brimstone
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A great agent to build your team's attack around, Brimstone is useful in many situations.
The only Controller on this list, Brimstone is one of the easiest agents to pick up. He comes equipped with smokes, an incendiary fire that can hold off enemies, and a stim beacon that grants allies a boost in fire rate. Brimstone has arguably the most straightforward kit, as all it takes to get used to him is the wrist-mounted map that he uses when placing smokes.
As a Controller, Brimstone’s main job is to smoke off choke points and angles to help his team enter or defend a site. He’s a great agent to build your attack around and he’s equally adept at holding a site with his Incendiary and Sky Smokes.
The Sky Smokes are the core part of Brimstone’s kit. They are some of the best smokes for their long duration and wide area they can cover
Brimstone’s ultimate, Orbital Strike, calls down a rain of fire that deals heavy damage-over-time to players within the range. It’s great to stop enemies from defusing your spike or from planting it as well. There’s a variety of uses with the ult and gives new players a smooth, simple ult to get accustomed to.
Pick Brimstone if...
Almost all of these agents are great on any map, and Brimstone is no exception. He’s not as indispensable as a Sage, but his tool kit makes him a valuable asset to any offense or defense
The simplicity of his abilities makes Brimstone great for newcomers to focus more on the game itself rather than worrying about how to use his tool kit effectively
