Valorant, the new competitive first-person shooter from Riot Games, is one of the most popular games Twitch has ever seen. Their beta access drop was wildly successful, so much so that Twitch had to change their Reward System guidelines to prevent streamers from exploiting the system. If you’re reading this, the game is already on your radar. So before you get started, let’s take a look at the best Valorant weapons.
There are six classes of weapons, including Sidearms, SMGs, Rifles, Shotguns, Snipers, and Heavy. Each of these weapons have their own uses, but some are better than others. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what weapons you should be using and why.
Best Valorant Weapons
- Phantom
- Vandal
- Operator
- Sheriff
- Spectre
- Ghost
- Classic
Let’s break down each of the best Valorant weapons by type. Different situations call for different loadouts, so it doesn’t make sense to just tell you one weapon is the best for all situations.
Best Valorant Pistols
Classic
All players start with a Classic sidearm, a semi-automatic pistol that deals 26 body damage, 78 head damage, and 22 leg damage. It’s not bad against an enemy that has no armor. Sticking with this pistol on the first round allows you to pick up some light armor for 400 Creds, and a couple skills for your agent.
Ghost
At 500 Creds, the Ghost is a silenced pistol that deals 30 body damage, 105 head damage, and 26 leg damage. You can take out any player with two headshots from this weapon, making it a great alternate weapon to buy on the first round. Having a silencer is an added bonus because it might take the enemy a few seconds to figure out where you’re shooting from.
Sheriff
The Sheriff is the beefiest pistol of the bunch. If you are a flick shot master, this might be the pistol of choice for you. Aim for the head, and get one-shot kills. It’s 800 Creds so buying this on the first round is probably not an option for you. This is a go-to for save rounds, where you want to try and get at least one kill and maybe snag an enemy weapon.
Best Valorant SMGs
Spectre
The Spectre is an all-around solid SMG that costs 1600 Creds. It has a high rate of fire at 13.33 rounds/sec, with a slight zoom magnification and moderate damage. Headshots deal 78 damage at 0-20 meters, so you can really melt just about anyone from medium to close-range. You will want to pick this gun up when your team is buying but you don’t quite have enough for a rifle.
Best Valorant Rifles
Vandal
The Vandal is the AK-47 of Valorant, with very high damage and good wall penetration. You will want to use either this gun, the Phantom, or perhaps the Guardian if you are a rifler. Recoil is a bit high, so you need to make sure you know how to do recoil control. It was recently buffed by reducing horizontal recoil while crouched. This gun is good to tap fire at enemies at long range and spray in bursts at medium range.
At 2900 Creds, it’s a bit more expensive than the Phantom but some players prefer that it doesn’t have as much damage falloff at long range. Getting good with the Vandal and Phantom will pay in dividends at higher ranks. It also has a 1.25x right-click zoom modification.
Phantom
Next up is the Phantom, a go-to full auto rifle for many Valorant players. Between this and the Vandal, you’ll probably want to pick one and master it. The recoil is a lot more controlled, and the only downside in comparison to the Vandal is a bit of damage falloff at long range. At close range you’re looking at 156 damage headshots, at medium range you’re looking at 140 damage, and finally 124 damage at 30-50 meter range.
At 2900 Creds, the Phantom is the same price as the Vandal and just as effective, maybe even preferred by many players. Practice with this and the Vandal and decide which one you prefer. It really comes down to personal preference.
Guardian
The last rifle we recommend is the Guardian. This is a semi-automatic rifle great for one-shot headshots if your aim is on point. There is no damage follow on this one, so you can get one-shot headshots from any distance. It’s a hard weapon to master, but incredibly effective if you can aim well. At 2700 Creds, it’s the second cheapest rifle option aside from the Bulldog, a weapon we don’t recommend for many situations.
Best Valorant Snipers
Operator
The Operator is the go-to sniper rifle in Valorant. Modeled after the AWP in CS, it’s a one-shot kill anywhere except the legs if the enemy has armor. It costs quite a bit, so make sure you are a good shot if you want to spend all your creds on this weapon. Great for holding angles at long-range, and a big step up from the Marshal in terms of damage.
An Operator will cost you 4500 Creds, making it the most expensive weapon in the game. The damage it puts out makes it all worth it, though. If you love to sniper, this is the weapon for you.
Best Valorant Shotguns
Judge
Shotguns are good for close-range combat only, and the Judge is the best in the game at 1500 Creds. If you want to hold a tight angle and take out one or two enemies before going down, this is your best bet. It an automatic shotgun that shoots 12 pellets at 3.5 rounds/sec in a spread that widens at distance. The higher magazine capacity of 7 puts this in a tier above the Bucky.
Best Valorant Heavy
Odin
Valorant is unique in that Heavy Weapons are actually kind of viable, whereas in other FPS games they are just filler weapons. The Odin is the best in Valorant, with extremely high wall penetration and bullets that shoot faster the longer you fire. Headshots will lands for 95 damage at medium to close range, and 77 damage at long range. With a 50 bullet magazine capacity, it’s a solid heavy weapon.
You won’t see heavy weapons used much when you get into higher ranked competitive games. It’s the second most expensive weapon in the game, and for that reason, a lot of people don’t like to buy it.
