Summary
It’s easy for newerValorantplayers to feel intimidated when the likes of Iso threaten the meta with a moving impenetrable wall, a Vulnerable projectile, and even an Ultimate that forces a one-on-one duel. However, newcomers to the acclaimed FPS don’t necessarily need to dash into a fight with the new Duelist recklessly, especially if they start learning how to use the game’s more accessible Agents.
Learning how to use their abilities properly can help players rise through the ranks, eventually mastering key gameplay styles that will eventually aid them in using more specialized Agents such as controlled flashes with Skye, more aggressive bombing with Raze, and map mastery with Omen. AmongValorant’s easiest Agents to learn include the game’s resident firestarter, an acclaimed engineer, an infamous archer, and even a popular lurker.
Updated July 19, 2025, Mehrdad Khayyat:The more Valorant grows, the harder it becomes for new players to enter the game and enjoy it. The abundance of unique Agents in Valorant makes new players wonder what their character is capable of and what the opponents can do to counter them.
Let’s make it straight in the beginning that every Agent in Valorant requires time and effort to master, however, some Agents have no barriers at the entry-level, while some others like Jett or Raze are quite difficult to start with, putting the player under pressure from the teammates.
Duelist
Basic Ability 1
Contingency:Release an indestructible and bulletproof wall that moves forward a certain distance.
Basic Ability 2
Undercut:Release a bolt that applies Vulnerable to players that it passes through. This passes through all solid objects such as walls.
Signature Ability
Double Tap:Equip a shield that absorbs one damage from any source. Killing enemies while the shield is active will release an energy orb in the air. Shooting this will refresh the shield.
Ultimate Ability
Kill Contract:Release a field that sends Iso and an enemy in it to a separate arena. They duel to the death.
Despite recent buffs to this Duelist, the aim-heavy kit ofIsomakes hisattack-heavyValorantgameplayideal for players who want to focus on gunplay instead of abilities. The infamousDouble Tap (Signature)grants a shield that absorbs any one attack, and the shield can be refreshed if Iso shoots the energy orb that spawns from the enemy killed while in this state. Earning the moniker “Aimlabs,” this “shoot the random orb” requirement to fully take advantage of Double Tap will train Iso users to shoot accurately and while under distress.
The rest of Iso’s kit is tailored towards giving him and his allies an easier time entering the Site for frags. Thanks toUndercut (Basic 2), Iso can grant Vulnerable to everyone hit by his orbs, making its 4-second window a vital timeframe for fast kills. Meanwhile, hisContingency (Basic 1)is an indestructible wall with a small angle that he and his allies can hug for surprise attacks, or can be used to bait enemies. Lastly,Kill Contract (Ultimate)pits Iso and a target in a duel to the death. This Ultimate should be used carefully, however, as it can be dodged by jumping or releasing a Yoru clone. Likewise, enemies can simply sneak up to Iso’s location to kill him as soon as he returns - although allies can do this to the enemy’s location as well.
Sentinel
Passive
Fuel:Passively generates Toxin over 8s or 12s, with full 30s needed to replenish total Toxin.Toxin:Anyone who touches Viper’s abilities get -30 HP Decay and -10 Damage/sec throughout their exposure.
Snake Bite:Equip a chemical launcher. Fire to launch. It shatters into a poison AOE, applying 2s Vulnerable and dealing 12.5 Damage/s over the course of 6.5s.
Poison Cloud:Equip a gas emitter. Fire to throw the emitter. Its placement is permanent. Reuse to create a toxic gas that consumes Fuel. Can be Reused multiple times in the round, but can only be Redeployed before Round Start.
Toxic Screen:Equip a gas emitter. Fire to deploy a line of poison gas. Reuse to create a Toxin wall that consumes Fuel. Placement is permanent per round. Can be Reused multiple times in the round.
Viper’s Pit:Equip a chemical sprayer. Fire to spray a cloud that surrounds Viper. Hold to disperse early. Enemies inside are Nearsighted and Decayed. Ability stops after 8s if Viper is outside. Ability doesn’t stop as long as Viper is inside.
PoisonerVipermight be everyone’s next-door crush inValorant, but her kit is one of the trickiest to use in the game. As a Sentinel, Viper is a potent defender, and can even execute interesting strategies if her kit is utilized properly. She’s known for herToxic Screen (Signature), a wall-penetrating poison wall that damages enemies upon passing, making it a nifty cover for sites and may even be used as a fake setup to trap lurkers. Meanwhile, herPoison Cloud (Basic 2)is a persistent molly that can provide effective cover for retakes, isolate the Spike, or damage aggressors. Lastly,Snake Bite (Basic 1)is a decent AOE that punishes opponents for trying to get to her territory.
Viper’s Pit (Ultimate)is consideredone of the game’s best Ultimatesfor its defensive capability, as not only does it mask the Spike in a cloud that Nearsights enemies, but all of them are Decayed while inside - making them easy pickings as long as Viper manages to spot them first. While Viper’s reusable abilities allow her to reuse defensible angles, she suffers the same fate as Killjoy as being rather useless if her skills don’t proc assists throughout the round. Moreover, whereas Killjoy has re-deployable abilities, Viper’s are permanently placed throughout the round.
Trapwire:Equip a Trapwire. Fire to place a trip at a target location that spans two opposite surfaces (20HP). Enemies crossing the tripwire will be Tethered, Revealed, and Concussed. They are dealt 5 Damage, suffer 1.25s Slow, 1.5s Tether, and 3s Concuss. Can be redeployed throughout the match. Triggers constantly unless destroyed.
Cyber Cage:Instantly toss a cage in front of Cypher. Activate to create a zone that blocks vision and plays audio when enemies pass through it.
Spycam:Equip a spycam (1HP). Fire to place the camera at a target location. Reuse to equip and look at its view. Fire to shoot a marking dart that Reveals still images of opponents every 2s unless they remove it. Use again after 15s when redeployed, after 45s if destroyed.
Neural Theft:Throw his hat at a target dead enemy. The locations of the enemy team are Revealed as stills over 2s and 4s.
Valorant’s resident trapperCypheris the cause of a lot of the game’s woes - especially for players who know how to use his traps effectively. However, regardless of how sleek the Agent feels after killing enemies who cross his traps, mastering their placement is more elaborate than it looks. Key to his setups areTrapwires (Basic 1)that annoyingly Tether, Reveal, and Concuss opponents that step on them. While it’s true that enemies can just avoid Cypher’s favored sites upon sensing the Trapwires, they are extremely effective deterrents for a weaker Site to force enemies to attack a better-defended location. Meanwhile,Cyber Cage (Basic 2)creates a digital wall that can act as smoke, giving Cypher nifty opportunities to initiate one-way walls to attack unsuspecting Trapwire victims. Moreover,Spycam (Signature)allows him to spot enemies and tag them for his allies.
To add salt to the wounds of his enemies, Cypher can triggerNeural Theft (Ultimate)to spot enemy locations in the map for his allies to see - allowing them to chase down enemies who try to retake or even launch a surprise attack. Despite his traps being re-deployable, Cypher’s biggest disadvantage lies in constantly thinking of lineups so enemies can’t spot where his traps are located. Not only that, his Spycam won’t have much utility if enemies spot where it is quickly. Enemies who don’t go to Cypher’s site can render most of his traps useless unless players can quickly set up a Plan B for the retake.
Controller
Shrouded Step:Equip and Fire toChannel then Teleport to the marked location.
Paranoia:Fire a blinding orb that brieflyNearsights (2s) and Deafensall players it touches. Can pass through walls.
Dark Cover:Equip a shadow orb that can be placed in a phased world. Hold Fire to move the marker away, Hold Alt-Fire to move the marker closer, Reload to reset view. Use Ability to throw the orb to create a long-lasting(15s)cloud.30s Reload.
From The Shadows:Equip a map thenTeleport (4s)to the location. Omen appears a Shade during this manner and can be destroyed to cancel teleport. Omen can manually cancel this as well by Pressing Equip.
Befitting his rather edgy appearance as aValorantAgent,Omenis also the resident representative of Controllers in the game. Of the FPS title’s combat roles,Omen secures control over the battlefield by setting smokesin any part of the map, giving his team breathing room to prepare for insertion. Key parts of his kit are hisDark Cover (Signature),which opens a 3D version of the map and allows him to set up large globules of smoke. In the hands of a trained player, Omen can set these smokes to float just a few feet off the ground, giving him full view of the feet of opponents trying to sneak inside.
The rest of his kit incentivizes ratty plays from users who become more familiar with the map. HisParanoia (Basic 2)lets him release a smoke wave that blinds anyone he hits, whileShrouded Steplets him teleport to a specific location he can see - both of which allow him to outmaneuver foes even in sketchy situations. Lastly, hisFrom The Shadows (Ultimate)can teleport him anywhere on the map, conveniently letting him steal the Spike or even attack from the rear of opponents.
Pick-Me-Up:Absorb the life-force of a fallen foe they killed or damaged. They get100 HP Overheal and +15% Speed Boost.
Meddle:Throw a molly that erupts after a short delay. It inflicts 90 HP Decay on all targets inside the burst radius.
Ruse:Launch up to two smoke clouds. One charge refills after 30s, and can be used even when Clove dies.
Not Dead Yet:After death, Clove can resurrect. Earning a kill or assist within 12s will revive them, or else they die permanently.
NewcomerCloveispraised for making Controller plays more fun with theirValorantmechanics, practically making them a more aggressive Omen or a tactical Reyna. Players who want to train their smoke plays can useRuse (Signature)to release up to two smoke clouds via a Brimstone-style tactical map. Clove can even extend their utility after death, as Ruse allows them to release smoke clouds within their body’s vicinity - potentially aiding in post-Plant retakes and defense.
In combat, Clove can rely onMeddle (Basic 2)to Decay enemies with a bursting orb, paving the way for faster kills. This works perfectly with theirPick-Me-Up (Basic 1),gives them a 100 HP Overheal and a much-needed speed boost for faster next kills. Upon death,Not Dead Yet (Ultimate)lets them get a temporary 12-second revive that becomes permanent if they assist or kill someone. The aggro-oriented kit of Clove can make them a perfect training ground for more serious smoke plays or tactical gunfights, allowing newcomers to get used to both Controllers and Duelists at once.
Cascade:Fire to send a wave of water that becomes a wall. Enemies hit areSlowed for 30%. Lasts7s.
Cove:Release a sphere of shielding water.500HP,0.8 windup, 15s Duration.
High Tide:Create a wall of water. Fire to send forward, Alt-Fire to curve. Players hit areSlowed for 30%. 2s Windup, 40s Duration.
Reckoning:Summon a geyser pool on the ground. Enemies are targeted by successive geyser strikes. Affected enemies getConcussed for 2s. Ability has9s Duration.
Walling remains one of the most essential skills of aValorantAgent and is something thatHarborcan teach with hiswave-heavy kit. At its core, walls can block enemy sight from entries (and fake entries), allowing Harbor and his teammates to secure sites for entry and defense in a myriad of ways. Key to his arsenal is hisHigh Tide (Signature), perhaps the most flexible wall in the game for its ability to both curve and adjust based on elevation. With the right aim, Harbor can have High Tide block either “hell” or a “heaven” in a location with vertical spaces.
Harbor can also rely on a “smaller” wall viaCascade (Basic 1)which moves in front of him and can be stopped at will, perfect for pushes and fake pushes. He can throw an orb withCove (Basic 2)that surrounds an area in a temporarily bullet-proof dome, perfect for protecting planting and defusing allies, as well as becoming a pseudo-smoke. Lastly, hisReckoning (Ultimate)envelops an area with water that triggers a concussion in areas enemies are standing on, making it unadvisable for them to remain in the area.
Initiator
Globules:Skills except Mosh Pit become Globules after usage. Can be picked up and reused after a set duration. Ult can be reaccessed once.10s Reload.
Mosh Pit:Release a grenade or Alt-Fire to lob and release a damaging area.10 Damage/sec during 3s windup, then 25/50 (Outer/Inner) Damage per tick for 3 picks within 0.2s
Wingman:Fire to send Wingman (80HP) to seek enemies, Alt-Fire to auto-plant or auto-defuse for a regular duration when in range of a Site/Spike. Gekko must have Spike to plant with Wingman.5s Speed when seeking enemies, 2.5s Concuss.
Dizzy:Fire to send Dizzy (20HP) soaring to a direction and blinds enemies after detection.0.35 windup, 2.5s duration, 1s Blind.
Thrash:Release Thrash (200HP) and steer through territory. Fire to lunge forward and explode,Detain 6sall players caught in the radius.
Thanks toGekko,Valorantgameplay bridges the gap between FPS andPokemongameswith his “buddies.” Gekko’s creatures becomeGlobules (Passive)after usage, with the Agent capable of reclaiming them and using them another time after a short cooldown. The “rechargeable” nature of most of Gekko’s kit can be explained by their straightforward abilities, such as floatingDizzy (Signature)that temporarily Blinds enemies that look at it with plasma blasts orMosh Pit (Basic 1)that releases a toxic surface that deals damage over time before exploding.
Where Gekko shines as an Initiator isWingman (Basic 2), who can alternate between Concussing the first enemy he sees and planting or defusing the Spike. Gekko’s area control is improved even further withThrash (Ultimate),which releases a beast he controls that can stun all players (ally or enemy) in an area. Gekko’s nature as an Initiator-Sentinel hybrid makes him a worthwhile Agent to learn for newcomers who want to explore Agents that accommodate multiple roles.
Stealth Drone:Equip a stealth drone. Fire to throw the drone forward, assuming direct control of its movement. Fire again to trigger a pulse thatsuppresses and revealsenemies hit.
Special Delivery:Equip a sticky grenade. Fire to launch. The grenade sticks to the first surface it hits and explodes,concussingany targets caught in the blast. Alt fire to launch the grenade with a single bounce instead.
Guided Salvo:Equip an AR targeting system. Fire to select up to two target locations on the map. Alt fire tolaunch missilesthat autonomously navigate to target locations,detonating on arrival.
Armageddon:Equip a tactical strike targeting map. Fire to select the origin point of the strike. Fire again to set the end point and launch the attack,unleashing a wave of explosionsalong the strike path. Alt fire during map targeting to cancel the origin point.
Tejo is the latest Agent to joinValorantand he has easy-to-use abilities. Both theSignatureand theUltimateabilities of Tejo use a targeting system on the map, which makes them quite easy to benefit from for every player that knows the map, the camping points, and the default plant spots.
On the other hand,Special Delivery (Basic 2)might need a little bit of practice for newcomers, as it is important to have perfect timing for throwing the grenade and peeking concussed enemies.Stealth Drone (Basic 1)also needs to be used when Tejo is in a safe spot, as the player will not have access to their weapons or movement while driving the drone.
GravNet:Fire a GravNet grenade. Alt-Fire to lob. Detonates upon landing.Affected players are Forced Crouched, 70% Slow. 0.4s windup.
Sonic Sensor:Equip a Sonic Sensor (20HP)and Fire to Deploy. Activates upon hearing significant noise (Footsteps, Weapon Fire, etc.).Concusses for 3.5s.
Barrier Mesh:Equip a Barrier Mesh. Fire to throw forward. Releases an X-shaped wall.-3s fortification, 30s Duration. Unfortified: 320/680HP, Fortified: 570/1200HP (Outer Orb/Central Orb).
Annihilation:Equip a Nanowire Accelerator. Aim straight or at an angle to fire. Captures first enemy in contactafter 1.1s windup.Cocooned Enemy is pulled across 7s and Auto-Kills unless Cocoon (600HP) is destroyed
Despite the current low pick rate of AgentDeadlockamong pro players,the Sentinel’s kitbalances Sage’s area denial and Killjoy’s gadget utility. A key aspect of Deadlock’s skillset is herBarrier Mesh (Signature), which creates a heavily fortified cross-shaped barrier that can fit most corners and let bullets (but not people) pass through.
Working in tandem with this wall is her suite of detection skills, withSonic Sensor (Basic 2)activating a concussive AOE when enemies near it make sounds, whileGravNet (Basic 1)detonates into an AOE that forces enemies to crouch-walk slowly. Lastly, herAnnihilation (Ultimate)wraps an opponent it catches, insta-killing them should they reach the Ult’s origin point unless enemies destroy the cocoon.
Stim Beacon:Release a Stim Beacon that givesCombat Stim (+10% Equip, Recovery, Reload Speed; +15% Fire Rate, Speed Boost) for 12s
Incendiary:Launch to fire a grenade that detonates when it lands on the floor, creating a blast zone.7s duration, 60 Damage per second.
Sky Smoke:Open a tactical map that lets Brimstone release smoke clouds. Fire to set, Alt-Fire to launch.19.25s Duration.
Orbital Strike:Open a tactical map and select a location for an orbital strike.2s windup, 3s duration, 20 Damage per tick for 6.67 ticks per second.
Fans of tool-heavyCall of Dutygames get the closest approximation to a special forces soldier withBrimstone, leader of the Valorant Protocol. As the first Controller players have access to, Brimstone’s kit trains players in some of the most fundamental aspects ofValorantgameplay: angling mollies, smoke-based map control, and timing ally buffs. Brimstone being a Controller in particular emphasizes team guidance throughSky Smoke (Signature), arguably the most accessible mini-map smoking mechanic among members of the Role.
Meanwhile, Brimstone can also aid pre-entry withStim Beacon (Basic 2)that boosts teammates’ speed (movement, equip, reload, recovery) and fire rate, which can prove crucial in encounters. The Controller can also deal AOE in tight spots with his ricochetingIncendiary (Basic 1), or assume full control over an area with a large-scaleOrbital Strike (Ultimate)that guarantees death to enemies who stay in its radius.
