A Beginner's Guide to Valorant: Tips and Tricks

Are you interested in playing Valorant, but uncertain if you have what it takes? Or perhaps you've already started playing, but struggle to stay alive for more than a few minutes. Or do you simply want to become a better player? Look no further than OdinBoost's Beginner's Guide to Valorant, your go-to resource for becoming the best player you can be.

Getting Started in Valorant 

Jumping straight into your first competitive match may be tempting, but in Valorant, it's essential to master the fundamentals first. This includes practising your aim and movement, adjusting your settings, and familiarizing yourself with your surroundings. While it can be overwhelming at first, OdinBoost has compiled some tips and tricks to help you quickly improve in Valorant.

Aiming and Movement

Aim and movement are crucial skills to master in Valorant. To become better at playing Valorant, practice your aim on stationary and moving targets as well as your spray control, and test out different weapons. Spend as much time in training mode as possible before signing up for a death match.

In addition to your aim, movement is a crucial aspect of Valorant gameplay as well. Practise different movement techniques such as strafing, crouch walking and bunny hopping before you start playing.

Strafing refers to your moving left and right while shooting to make yourself a more difficult target to hit. Crouch walking can be useful for sneaking up on enemies or hiding from them. Bunny hopping involves jumping and strafing simultaneously to move quickly and unpredictably. By mastering these movement techniques, you can move around the map more effectively and gain an edge over your opponents.

Get to Know Your Agents

You can unlock the full potential of your agents by understanding and mastering all of their skills! That way, you will be able to develop your ultimate winning strategies and learn when to deploy each agent for maximum impact. Try out different agent's to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. It will help you to know how they best fit into team compositions. You will also learn which style and agent you prefer and work with most comfortably.

The following agents are great choices when you are just starting to play Valorant. They have versatile skills that can be used in a variety of situations and are pretty easy to play effectively. 

Sage: A support agent who can heal and resurrect herself and her teammates. Sage can create barriers and slow fields, which can be used to block off areas and hinder enemy movement.

Brimstone: A controller agent who can call for airstrikes to damage and disorient enemies, provide his team with a smokescreen to obscure enemy vision, and use a stim beacon to increase his teammates' fire rate. 

Sova: A recon agent who can gather information about enemy positions and movements. He can shoot arrows that reveal enemy locations, shoot a drone that can fly around and scout out the area, and use his ultimate ability to launch a devastating shock arrow to damage and stun enemies.

Adjust Your Settings 

Sensitivity

One of the initial steps in Valorant is to review your game settings, particularly your sensitivity. Professional players often lower their sensitivity to make it easier to spot targets against the less detailed background. If you are able to perform a 180-degree turn by moving your mouse from the left to the right side of your mouse pad, your sensitivity is appropriate. By adjusting your sensitivity, you can achieve better crosshair placement and improve your chances of hitting your targets accurately.

Crosshair 

Having good crosshair placement in Valorant means that most of your enemies will be in front of you, eliminating the need for constant 360-degree turns. Even then, it is important to pay close attention to where you are aiming and keep your crosshair at head level whenever possible, since Valorant is a game that heavily relies on headshots. Aiming for the head can greatly improve your chances of success.

We suggest you follow the crosshair settings guide to help you achieve consistent headshots.

In the crosshair tab, select:

• Crosshair colour: Green or Cyan
• Inner lines: 1
• Opacity: 1
• Length: 4
• Width: 2
• Offset: 2
• Firing error: off
• Outer lines: 0
• Center dot: off
• Fade on movement: off
• Thickness: Personal preference (recommended: 1-2)
• Crosshair size: Personal preference (recommended: 2-3)
• Outline opacity: Personal preference (recommended: 0-1)

By using these settings, you can improve your accuracy and increase your chances of scoring headshot after headshot in your next match.

Map

To fine-tune your map settings in Valorant, you can head to the general tab in the settings menu and navigate to the map section. Here are the settings that we recommend:

• Map Orientation: Fixed
• Map Rotation: Always the same
• Show Map Region Names: Off
• Map Zoom Level: 1.2
• Map Size: 9
• Show Map Grid: On
• Keep Player Centred: Always

By adjusting these settings, you can optimize your map experience in Valorant and gain a more in-depth understanding of your surroundings during the gameplay. The fixed orientation and rotation options can prevent confusion caused by a constantly rotating or flipping map, while the zoom level and size can help you easily identify specific locations on the map. Additionally, enabling the grid and keeping the player centred can provide extra visual aids to help you navigate and coordinate with your team.

Valorant can be intimidating for beginners, but with the right mindset, attitude, and preparation, anyone can become a skilled player. This beginner's guide to Valorant provides a comprehensive approach to mastering the fundamentals, like understanding your agents and adjusting the settings. Following this guide can improve your performance and make you an asset to your team. Remember to stay patient, focused, and persistent, and always aim for the head. We hope these tips and tricks will help you on your journey towards becoming a top-tier Valorant player. Good luck, and have fun on the battlefield!

FAQ

1. How can I get better at playing Valorant?

• Here are some tips for new Valorant players to instantly improve their performance:
• Don't move or crouch when you're shooting.
• Always aim for the head.
• Never shoot more than three bullets at a time. (Practise tap firing!)
• Adjust your game settings (sensitivity, crosshair, map).
• Watch your replays, recognize your mistakes, and identify areas for improvement.
• Warm up before playing, either in the shooting range or with an aim training software.
• Communicate effectively with your team to call out enemy positions or share info.
• Know when to buy, when to save your credits, and when to force-buy weapons.
• Study the map layouts, different angles, choke points and callouts.
• Don't forget to have fun!

2. What are some good agents for beginners to start with in Valorant?

A few good agents for beginners to start with in Valorant include Sage, Brimstone, and Sova. Sage can heal herself and teammates, making her an asset. Brimstone is great for players who want to support their team from a distance. Sova is the perfect agent to gather intel and help your team make informed decisions.

3. Which gun should I use as a beginner in Valorant? 

Start with easier-to-use weapons, such as Vandal or Phantom. They are versatile and effective at medium to long ranges. Vandal causes more damage per shot, while the Phantom has a faster fire rate and a silencer attachment.