How to Play Valorant: Complete Beginner Guide
valorantguidetutorialbeginner

How to Play Valorant: Complete Beginner Guide

How to Play Valorant: Complete Beginner Guide

This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know to start playing Valorant, from basic mechanics to competitive strategies.

Getting Started

System Requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7/8/10 64-bit
  • RAM: 4GB
  • VRAM: 1GB
  • CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400

Recommended:

  • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
  • RAM: 4GB
  • VRAM: 1GB
  • CPU: Intel i3-4150

Installation

  1. Visit playvalorant.com
  2. Download Riot Client
  3. Create Riot Games account
  4. Install Valorant (free-to-play, ~20GB)
  5. Complete tutorial

Initial Settings

Video Settings:

  • Resolution: Native monitor resolution
  • Display Mode: Fullscreen
  • Graphics Quality: Low-Medium for performance
  • Anti-Aliasing: MSAA 2x or off
  • Anisotropic Filtering: 4x
  • Target FPS: 144+ (if your monitor supports it)

Mouse Settings:

  • Sensitivity: 0.2-0.5 (800 DPI)
  • DPI: 400-800
  • Raw Input Buffer: On
  • Mouse Acceleration: Off

Audio Settings:

  • Master Volume: 50-70%
  • Enable HRTF for better positional audio

Understanding the Basics

Game Objective

Attackers:

  • Plant the Spike at A or B site
  • Protect Spike until detonation (45 seconds)
  • Eliminate all defenders

Defenders:

  • Prevent Spike plant
  • Defuse planted Spike (7 seconds, 3.5 with half defuse)
  • Eliminate all attackers

Round Structure

  1. Buy Phase (30 seconds): Purchase weapons, armor, abilities
  2. Barrier Drop (15 seconds): Barriers drop, round begins
  3. Round Timer (100 seconds): Complete objective or eliminate enemies
  4. Post-Round (7 seconds): Results shown, prepare for next round

Winning Conditions

  • First team to 13 rounds wins
  • Switch sides after 12 rounds
  • Overtime at 12-12 (win by 2 rounds)

Choosing Your First Agent

Beginner-Friendly Agents

Sage (Sentinel)

  • Why: Simple abilities, team support, forgiving
  • Abilities: Healing orb, slow orb, wall, resurrection
  • Role: Hold sites, support team, anchor positions

Brimstone (Controller)

  • Why: Straightforward smokes, team utility
  • Abilities: Sky smokes, stim beacon, incendiary, orbital strike
  • Role: Block vision, support pushes, post-plant

Phoenix (Duelist)

  • Why: Self-sufficient, healing abilities, forgiving ultimate
  • Abilities: Flashbang, fire wall, molly, resurrection ultimate
  • Role: Entry fragger, self-heal, aggressive plays

Sova (Initiator)

  • Why: Information gathering, team utility
  • Abilities: Recon arrow, shock dart, drone, hunter's fury
  • Role: Gather intel, support team, long-range damage

Agent Unlocking

  • Start with 5 free agents
  • Unlock additional agents through:
    • Agent contracts (XP-based progression)
    • Valorant Points (premium currency)
  • Focus on one agent initially

Basic Controls

Default Keybinds

Movement:

  • W/A/S/D: Move
  • Shift: Walk (silent)
  • Ctrl: Crouch
  • Space: Jump

Combat:

  • Left Click: Fire
  • Right Click: Aim Down Sights (ADS) / Alt Fire
  • R: Reload
  • G: Drop weapon
  • B: Buy menu
  • Y: Inspect weapon

Abilities:

  • Q: First ability
  • E: Second ability
  • C: Signature ability
  • X: Ultimate ability

Communication:

  • V: Voice chat (hold)
  • Z: Radio commands
  • Enter: Text chat

Weapon Fundamentals

Starting Weapons

Classic (Free Pistol)

  • Right-click: 3-round burst
  • Decent at close range
  • Always available

Essential Weapons to Learn

Vandal ($2,900)

  • 160 damage headshot (one-tap any range)
  • 25 bullets
  • Higher recoil than Phantom
  • Best for: Tap firing, long-range duels

Phantom ($2,900)

  • 140 damage headshot (one-tap close range only)
  • 30 bullets
  • Easier spray control
  • Silenced, no tracers
  • Best for: Spray control, close-medium range

Spectre ($1,600)

  • Best SMG for eco rounds
  • Run-and-gun viable
  • 30 bullets
  • Good for: Force buys, aggressive plays

Sheriff ($800)

  • 145 headshot damage
  • 6 bullets
  • High skill ceiling
  • Best for: Eco rounds, skilled players

Operator ($4,700)

  • One-shot kill to body
  • Slow movement
  • 5 bullets
  • Best for: Holding angles, long-range

Shooting Mechanics

Movement Accuracy:

  • Standing still: 100% accurate
  • Walking: ~70% accurate
  • Running: ~10% accurate
  • Jumping: ~5% accurate

Critical Rule: STOP MOVING BEFORE SHOOTING

Counter-Strafing:

  1. Move right (D key)
  2. Tap left (A key) to stop instantly
  3. Shoot while stopped
  4. Continue movement

Spray Patterns

First 3 Bullets:

  • Relatively accurate
  • Aim at head level
  • Burst fire for precision

Full Spray:

  • Pull down to compensate for vertical recoil
  • Slight left-right adjustments
  • Practice in Range

Tap Firing:

  • Single shots at long range
  • Wait for recoil reset
  • Most accurate method

Economy Management

Understanding Credits

Round 1 (Pistol): 800 credits Round 2:

  • Win: 3,800 total
  • Loss: 2,700 total

Loss Bonus:

  • 1st loss: 1,900
  • 2nd loss: 2,400
  • 3rd+ loss: 2,900

Buy Strategies

Full Buy ($3,900+):

  • Rifle (Vandal/Phantom)
  • Heavy Armor (1,000)
  • Full abilities
  • When: You have enough credits

Light Buy ($2,000-$3,900):

  • Spectre or Sheriff
  • Light/Heavy Armor
  • Some abilities
  • When: Forcing after loss

Eco/Save ($0-$1,500):

  • Classic pistol only
  • Maybe light armor
  • Save for next round
  • When: Can't afford full buy

Force Buy:

  • Spend everything to win crucial round
  • Usually round 2 after pistol loss
  • High risk, high reward

Team Economy

Coordinate with team:

  • "Can anyone drop me?"
  • "Let's save this round"
  • "Full buy next round"
  • "Force buy, we need this round"

Ability Usage

Ability Economy

Unlike weapons, abilities must be purchased each round.

Signature Ability:

  • Recharges automatically or through kills
  • Free or low cost
  • Use frequently

Purchasable Abilities:

  • Must buy each round
  • 100-400 credits each
  • Budget accordingly

Ultimate Ability:

  • Charges through kills, orbs, objectives
  • Game-changing impact
  • Use strategically

Ability Fundamentals

Smokes (Controllers):

  • Block enemy vision
  • Execute onto sites
  • Post-plant positions
  • One-way setups

Flashes (Initiators/Duelists):

  • Blind enemies before peeking
  • Support teammate entries
  • Turn away to avoid self-flash

Info Abilities (Initiators):

  • Reveal enemy positions
  • Clear angles safely
  • Coordinate with team

Defensive Utility (Sentinels):

  • Hold flanks
  • Delay pushes
  • Gather information
  • Anchor sites

Map Knowledge

Learning Your First Map

Start with Ascent - most balanced and beginner-friendly.

Key Areas to Learn:

  1. Callouts: Learn location names
  2. Bomb Sites: A and B layouts
  3. Mid Control: Central area
  4. Choke Points: Common engagement areas
  5. Rotation Paths: How to move between sites

Essential Callouts

General:

  • Site: A or B bomb plant location
  • Spawn: Starting area
  • Mid: Central area
  • Heaven: Elevated position
  • Hell: Lower position
  • Cubby: Small hiding spot

Ascent Specific:

  • A Main, A Lobby, A Heaven, A Hell
  • B Main, B Site, B Heaven
  • Mid Courtyard, Mid Pizza, Mid Catwalk

Minimap Usage

Check minimap every 3-5 seconds:

  • Teammate positions (blue)
  • Enemy positions (red, when visible)
  • Spike location (yellow)
  • Ability usage indicators

Crosshair Placement

The Golden Rule

Always keep crosshair at head level

Pre-Aiming

Before peeking:

  • Anticipate enemy position
  • Place crosshair where head will be
  • Minimize mouse movement needed

Clearing Angles

Systematic approach:

  1. Clear one angle at a time
  2. Don't expose yourself to multiple angles
  3. Use abilities to clear safely
  4. Communicate cleared areas

Common Positions

Learn common holding spots on each map:

  • Default positions
  • Off-angles (unexpected spots)
  • Peek advantages

Game Sense and Strategy

Attack Side

Early Round (0-30 seconds):

  • Default spread across map
  • Gather information
  • Take map control
  • Don't over-commit

Mid Round (30-70 seconds):

  • Identify weak point
  • Coordinate execute
  • Use utility together
  • Trade kills

Late Round (70-100 seconds):

  • Execute onto site
  • Plant Spike
  • Set up post-plant

Defense Side

Setup Phase:

  • Standard positions or aggressive plays
  • Communicate with team
  • Hold angles patiently
  • Listen for footsteps

Contact:

  • Call enemy positions immediately
  • Use utility to delay
  • Fall back if outnumbered
  • Rotate when needed

Retake:

  • Group up with team
  • Use utility to clear site
  • Trade kills effectively
  • Defuse when safe

Communication

Essential Callouts

Enemy Information:

  • "Two A main"
  • "One mid, low HP"
  • "Operator B long"

Utility Usage:

  • "Smoking A main"
  • "Flashing for you"
  • "Sage wall down"

Strategy:

  • "Let's execute B"
  • "Fake A, go B"
  • "Save, don't peek"

Voice Chat Etiquette

✅ Do:

  • Be concise and clear
  • Call enemy positions
  • Share utility status
  • Encourage teammates

❌ Don't:

  • Backseat game when dead
  • Rage or blame
  • Talk over important calls
  • Give up early

Training Routine

Daily Warm-up (20-30 minutes)

1. Range Practice (10 min):

  • Eliminate 50 bots (medium difficulty)
  • Practice spray control
  • Practice flicks

2. Deathmatch (10-15 min):

  • Use Vandal/Phantom only
  • Focus on crosshair placement
  • Don't worry about K/D

3. Ability Practice (5 min):

  • Practice lineups in custom game
  • Learn new smokes/flashes
  • Test agent mechanics

Weekly Goals

  • Master one agent thoroughly
  • Learn one new map
  • Practice 5 utility lineups
  • Watch one pro match
  • Review your own gameplay

Ranking System

Competitive Ranks

Iron (I-III): Learning basics Bronze (I-III): Understanding fundamentals Silver (I-III): Consistent mechanics Gold (I-III): Good game sense Platinum (I-III): Strong fundamentals Diamond (I-III): Advanced gameplay Ascendant (I-III): High-level play Immortal (I-III): Elite players Radiant: Top 500 per region

Ranking Up Tips

  1. Master fundamentals before flashy plays
  2. Play consistently - same agents, same role
  3. Communicate effectively with team
  4. Review your games - learn from mistakes
  5. Stay positive - mental game matters
  6. Focus on improvement, not rank
  7. Play with consistent teammates when possible

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Running and shooting: Always stop before firing
  2. Bad crosshair placement: Keep at head level
  3. Not using abilities: Don't save them
  4. Peeking without info: Use utility first
  5. Poor economy management: Coordinate with team
  6. Ignoring minimap: Check every few seconds
  7. Tilting: Stay calm and focused
  8. Playing too many agents: Master 2-3 first
  9. Not communicating: Share information
  10. Forcing fights: Know when to save

Advanced Tips (For Later)

Jiggle Peeking

Quick peeks to bait shots without exposing yourself.

Shoulder Peeking

Show shoulder to bait Operator shots.

Off-Angles

Hold unexpected positions to catch enemies off-guard.

One-Way Smokes

Smokes that allow you to see enemies, but they can't see you.

Ability Combos

Coordinate abilities with teammates for maximum impact.

Resources for Improvement

YouTube Channels

  • Woohoojin: Game sense and coaching
  • Sero: Agent guides and tips
  • Konpeki: Ability lineups
  • Dittozkul: Comprehensive guides
  • ProGuides: Quick tips and tricks

Websites

  • Blitz.gg: Performance tracking and tips
  • Tracker.gg: Detailed statistics
  • VLR.gg: Pro scene coverage

Practice Tools

  • Aim Lab: Aim training
  • The Range: In-game practice
  • Custom Games: Ability lineups

Conclusion

Valorant rewards both mechanical skill and strategic thinking. Focus on:

  1. Master the fundamentals - Aim, movement, crosshair placement
  2. Learn 2-3 agents thoroughly
  3. Communicate effectively with your team
  4. Practice daily - Even 20 minutes helps
  5. Stay positive - Mental game is crucial
  6. Review your gameplay - Learn from mistakes
  7. Have fun - Enjoy the learning process

Start with simple agents like Sage or Brimstone, focus on one map, and gradually expand your knowledge. With consistent practice and a positive attitude, you'll climb the ranks and enjoy one of the most competitive FPS games available.

Good luck, and welcome to Valorant!

1/15/2024

Scriber