Some background info, I started as an Iron player and peaked this act around Plat 2.

For a lot of higher skilled players, platinum is still considered low elo but from my personal experience there was so much growth/learning in between these ranks.

I wanted to share to those who believe they are “hardstuck” a general guide I created through trial and error. I wish I could have had this from the beginning rather than learning from experience. If you don’t believe in these points, then you are not “hardstuck”; you are exactly where you belong

From most important to least (5 main points)

1. Crosshair placement/aim training

• play A LOT of deathmatch before comp

• Use the vandal first, it teaches better habits than the phantom however I will admit the phantom is the superior rifle

• headshot level

• DONT crouch. Master strafing and knowing when crouching is necessary (close range fights, still aim for the head first).

• Aim where the enemy can appear. Watch VODs of pros and you’ll see how they glue their crosshair to the side of walls

2. Body mechanics

• Master jiggle peaking, clearing angles with the “A” and “D” keys (strafing mechanic)

• Stop exposing yourself to multiple angles when peeking

• Utilize off angles

• On defense, if you aggressively peek and miss your shot then fall back to your next position and play life

• You literally don’t have to peek angles for kills, you can peek for info

3. Game Sense

• If you win the first round, then FULL BUY to secure the 2nd round (idk why this is so difficult for people to understand)

• PLEASE DON’T UNNECESSARILY BUY AN OP TO JUST DIE AND GIVE THE ENEMY TEAM IT; CONGRATS YOU JUST SOLVED THEIR ECO PROBLEM

• intel/map control is everything in this game

• On defense, 1 kill + death = bad 2 kills + death = good 1 kill + LIFE = good

  know when it’s optimal to flank/play aggressive the importance of anchoring your site (map control, over rotating) Stop shift walking when you have to be running for plant defusal and stop running when you have to be quiet for plant defusal shift walking to site is slow and there’s physically not enough time so there’s no point in doing it, your element of surprise is not real Realize it is harder to carry on defense

• On attack, 5 man rush pistol round 5 man team strategy on eco advantage rounds to utilize gun/shield lurk/rat/default on eco rounds (lurk on some gun rounds to establish the threat, default when the enemy is shutting you down, you need intel and/or bait util***) Understand 5 MAN RUSHING ISNT THE ONLY WAY TO PLAY ATTACK and LEARN “DEFAULTING” Rotating after a failed attempt in 5 man rushing is one of the riskiest strategies because you have 0 map control and now you have to clear everything Make the guy with the OP retake

4. This is a separate point because low elo is so guilty of this

• WHEN YOU PUSH THE SITE, DON’T SIT IN MAIN/LOBBY OR EVEN MID; MAN UP AND TRADE (this is why your duelist won’t entry for you)

5. Utility

• how to flash, smoke, wall, set up traps for site and flank, etc

I realized that you can play any agent/role if you master the first four points. At the end of the day, Valorant is an FPS and being efficient at fragging will carry you out.

Ego is what keeps most people “hard stuck”. They believe if they perfectly execute what they want to do even if it’s incorrect it’ll work.

Also, watch a lot of VODs of pros (full games not highlights) and study what they do and ask yourself why.