Hello everyone :-)

I came up with an idea to sum up my Valorant experience in a series of short articles about principal aspects of the game. I’m sure every casual player will find some value here – minimum words, maximum content.

Without any doubt killing enemies in direct aim duels is one of the most important factors which decide about winning a round. It is surely not the only one, nevertheless improving your aim shall always reflect positively on the quality of your games. So, only one simple question arises about this subject: how to shoot properly?

1. TRAINING

Just like every other skill, if you want to master shooting you need to TRAIN. Two things about a training – best results come when your training is REGULAR and DIVERSIFIED. Simply, that means you should practice often and change your training schedule from time to time. Don’t push yourself too hard on this, muscles memory develop when you rest. Here you have some most popular platforms to train shooting for Valorant:

- Valorant’s PRACTICE MODE

- Valorant’s DEATHMATCH MODE

- any external aim training software, for example available on Steam for free – AIMLAB

- other FPS games

Of course, don’t forget to check the results of your training by testing them in a Default Mode of Valorant. And remember that in your training besides developing good shooting habits it is equally important to recognize and eliminate your bad habits.

2. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT?

As it comes to pure mechanical duel, the most important rule would go as follows:

a) STOP

Just like in any other FPS games, shooting and moving make your bullets not land at the spot you have currently your crosshair on. When you start shooting before your character fully stop – you will miss your first few bullets and by the time your moving error fades – recoil inaccuracy will pop up which will make your shooting most likely ineffective. Therefore, unless you are in a very close range or using Pistol/Shotgun (which both have lesser moving accuracy error), you have to calm your nerves and wait just a little brief longer before going from moving to shooting.

b) AIM AT THE HEAD

Bullet in the head deals 4x times more damage than body shot. Unless you are in the safe spot or your opponent is really low on health – you just have to attempt headshot. In many cases one precise bullet in the head will end your opponent’s miserable life, or at least really scare him. Also, you would have more bullets in the magazine to deal with other potential enemies in sight. Concentrating your shooting serie at the body often gives enemy chance to react, also you will have to adjust later to increasing recoil error and rapidly emptying magazine. So just shoot them in the head, lol (Regular Silver, A.D. 2021).

c) SHOOT AND KILL :-)

3. PREPARATION

There are some aspects that needs to be cared of before you hop into the First-Person Shooter game.

a) check your Sensitivity

Pay a little attention to this setting. Experiment with different options and find the correctest one that makes your flicking and tracking most natural for you. Remember to include the size of your mouse pad and your technique of flicking (finger-flick/wrist-flick/arm-flick) when making calculations.

b) Warmup

A little exercise before the main game may go a long way. It kills competing anxiety, awakens muscle memory, sets a brain to correct mode. One unrated game, quick Deathmatch/Escalation, several minutes on Practice Mode shall do the job.

c) Relax

One of the most important aspects of any shooting game. To consecutively win aim duels you get to stay flexible and alert. Both your hand and your brain have to be at certain state of ease to perform correct decisions. So, before, during and after the game you should try to loosen your hand muscles and close your eyes for a moment to calm your brain. Believe me, you don’t want to get tilted and turn into lose-oriented braindead.

d) correct Mindset aka Winner Psychology

It may seem laughable, but when you pay close attention to it you will notice that your KDA changes when you/your teammates/your opponents see you as a good shooter. So make everyone believe. Stay positive. Be fierce. Let them admire you, let them fear you. You are the winner.

e) know your Gun

Before you turn into Terminator, you should do your homework. Know the weapon you are using. Know its damage, know its recoil, know its firerate, know its magazine. You have to FEEL its weight, like you would be holding it yourself in real, then you will know how to use it effectively.

4. AIM EXERCISES

a) Crosshair Placement

All professional players and coaches agree on this: properly presetted crosshair when head of the potential opponent may pop up shall ensure you a lot of easy kills. This is without a doubt a thing that you should constantly remember and practice: raising your crosshair to the head-level of potentially peeking opponent. Shooting without actually aiming too much – don’t rely on super accurate and fast flicks, just preset your crosshair on head level and let the opponent walk into it.

b) Counter Strafing

What if I told you that there is actually a technique that will make you 100% accurate faster when stopping? Sounds interesting, right? Well, that is exactly how counter strafing works. Preset your crosshair at head-level of potential opponent and peek corner by holding only left or right arrow. When you spot your target hit opposite arrow direction and after that click shoot INSTANTLY. You shall fully stop and your shooting will instantly be 100% accurate. There are many variations of this technique, one of my favourite includes combining it with Jiggle Peek to allow you to shoot 2-3 accurate bullets and almost instantly hide again behind an obstacle.

c) Spray Control

Sometimes you will find yourself in a situation when you have to hold your shooting button for longer to secure a kill. That is called “spraying”, when recoil inaccuracy plays a significant role. In Valorant, algorithm of recoil shoot pattern is in some way random, but at first it always makes bullets go up. Then, to redirect bullets again at the enemy you should lower your crosshair a bit after shooting few bullets, when recoil error starts to pop up. Practice it to shoot as many bullets in the same spot as you can while holding “shoot” button. Observe where bullets go, learn how the algorithm of recoil inaccuracy works and stop shooting when bullets start to go too wild to control.

5. PEEKING

There has to be said something about properly peeking the corners to maximize your chance of winning a potential duel:

a) learn to spot the enemy by using techniques of Jiggle Peeking, Shoulder Peeking, Jump Peeking. When you safely spotted an enemy, make up your mind if you should take a duel with them

b) don’t peek a corner while crouching or walking – enemy shall see you faster than you will see them, therefore they will have a little time advantage from the start. Making a run-step won’t trigger a sound.

c) learn to peek with a certain purpose, that is to check potential enemy spot, adjust proper crosshair placement

d) there is something called Peeker’s Advantage in FPS games caused by the delay in server responses between players' communication. That indicates, moving opponent that peeks can see stationary player a little bit faster than the stationary player will see them basing on their ping ratio. Remember about it and adjust accordingly

e) if you peek a corner widely, you will usually have to commit to a fight if you spot an enemy. Unless it is a part of your mind game, peek short and play around corners where you may hide quickly if your first peek would put you in too much of a disadvantage

f) you should move your crosshair just a little bit off the ledge when doing a peek. Remember that your reflexes will never be instantaneous

g) when checking a corner for hiding enemy, always make it from the furthest distance possible, you can sometimes spot their gun before they even see any part of you, which should grant you an easy kill

6. OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

a) We can specify 3 types of shooting:

- Tapping, shooting one bullet by rapidly tapping shoot button

- Bursting, holding shoot button a little bit to burst several bullets before recoil inaccuracy triggers too much

- Spraying, holding shoot button longer triggering recoil inaccuracy pattern after several bullets

Good shooter focuses on securing a kill with first two options. Spray only when absolutely necessary that is when you just need one bullet to finish off enemy or you are doomed to die anyways. You can Tap/Burst multiple times, readjust your crosshair at head-level and repeat.

b) Scoping is only a viable option on longer ranges with Tapping and Bursting, don’t scope on short and medium distance and don’t spray when scoping

c) Don’t shoot while walking or crouching, opponent will have it more easy to headshot you, only exception when you crouch to control recoil when you commit to spraying

d) Remember to reload in a safe place, also don’t reload if it is not necessary. Reloading triggers sound and makes you vulnerable to rushing enemy

e) Instead of reloading you can be faster by switching to your pistol or picking up weapon from the ground to finish off weak opponent

f) Choose potential duel place accordingly to the guns possessed by you and your opponent. For example, Ares would have a better chance against a Rifle from longer distances, if you bought a Shotgun - lure opponent to a close combat

g) Don't insta-commit to a duel as soon as you spot an enemy. Choose proper time and place to your advantage.

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That would be it for first “short” article. Stay tuned for the next parts.