VALORANT, like any first-person shooter, comes with its own set of nuances. Is my crosshair placement too high? Am I spraying too much or not enough? How can I master counter-strafing? And is my sensitivity right?
The more you play VALORANT, the more your mechanics should improve. Things like flicking heads and jiggle peeking should become second nature as you rack up hours of gameplay and build that muscle memory. But some players might struggle to identify their mistakes, while others may plateau and find themselves hard stuck on the ranked ladder.
Image via Riot Games
I wanted to polish my mechanics while also getting some help picking out common errors that might be holding me back. So I booked a one-on-one coaching session with Gamer Sensei, an esports coaching platform that offers lessons in a plethora of games. And I was instructed by FPS analyst Lukas Sankala, who’s also a coach for MENA powerhouse Team RA’AD.
To give a bit more context around my personal skill level, I’m a Platinum-level player who had never played a tac shooter until VALORANT. I don’t have too much time to grind the ranked ladder, evidenced by the fact that the only Act Rank Badge I completed was in Episode One, Act One. But I’m still constantly trying to improve my Vandal game and I hit Plat in every episode. 사설토토사이트
My coaching session with Sankala began with a simple display of skills—a game of Deathmatch. Nervous as I was, I began the match by missing four headshots on an AFK player. And those nerves eventually led to a mediocre sixth-place finish. But Sankala was quickly able to diagnose my strengths and weaknesses, gather a better sense of my playstyle, and assess what errors I needed to work on to improve my mechanics.
CS:GO analyst Marko Stojmenovic and Lukas Sankala | Photo via Krystian Pilawa
Sankala believed that my sensitivity and crosshair placement were good and my flicks were “quite nice,” allowing me to “hit a lot of headshots.” But I wasn’t using the right shooting strategy for various distances. My coach found that I was one-tapping or short-bursting at all distances, always trying to eliminate my target with a headshot. And while that may work if I tap my opponent’s head, it can set me back if I miss.
I was always under the impression that you shouldn’t spray with the Vandal, leaving that tactic to the more-forgiving Phantom. But at short distances, following up a missed headshot with a short spray is actually quite useful for finishing off your opponent. Learning to control my spray would also help in picking off enemies on the move, rather than trying to take the head off a running target.
At medium distances, however, spraying too much can be risky. So Sankala recommended strafing a step after missing a headshot to recalibrate my aim, following up with another burst of five to six bullets. And at long range, movement is even more important at giving you a second chance. So shooting a quick burst, taking a step, and then bursting again is the ideal strategy when out in the open. Doing this from behind a wall is an even safer tactic.
