PLEASE READ FIRST:I originally wrote this on Word doc, so it's a bit of a mess on reddit. I'll leave the link to a google doc for easier viewing. I also wrote this for a specific team comp we ran at a school, so it's an unusual set of agents. But nonetheless might help someone out there struggling on icebox. [Link to a better format of the same post](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oDc_sQ8m9nxHY-N5_qQG3NCdqTYqwdtD0hu9gTwkQQg/edit?usp=sharing) May or may not delete the post, don't want my schoolmates to find this lol

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First and foremost!

The most important take away is to have fun! The more you learn about Valorant, the more you start to see how complex it can become. At first, it might seem like a game of checkers, but the better you get, the more it becomes a game of chess. This is mainly just for icebox, but some aspects can be applied to other maps. Feel free to add or change any of the below 😊

CommsGood comms vs bad comms: Stating numbers help teammates get a better picture of what’s going on. Try to use numbers or even agent names when possible. Bad comms can lead to getting killed, over rotating, etc.

I hear 2 B main. Viper wall B and droning. At least 3 B main.

I think its B. They’re coming!

I’m leaving you (teammate), anchor B.

I’m smoked off, can’t help.

I hear 3 on A, let’s go B.

Dropping wall, flashing in 3.. 2.. 1.., Droning, dogging, etc.

Peek off my contact

Swing with me, 3.. 2.. 1..

Planting A.

They haven’t committed yet.

Phoenix used both flashes

They’re out on site.

(You hit chamber for 120) Chamber hit for 120

Chamber 30hp

Chamber one shot

(3 enemies remaining) Last 3 B main.

2 B main, 1 unknown.

Both B main. They’re B main.

Numbers!

- When you have an even number or more (ie. 3v3, 2v2, 4v2, 2v1)

o You generally want to play together and trade each other.

o No need for risky plays

o You want to keep the advantage if possible.

- When you’re down on numbers (ie. 1v2, 2v5, 3v4)

o You want to do your best to even things out, which means taking risky peaks and playing aggressive.

§ Ie. It’s currently a 1v3. Best way to raise the chances of winning: playing aggressive to isolate fights. You’re more likely to win three 1v1’s rather than one 1v2 or 1v3

Attack in general:

- Taking space: If you’re with someone, try to stick as close to them so you can trade them! If you’re the one in front, check to see if teammates are close enough to trade you before swinging common angles.

- Default: The main idea is to get a feel for the map. We poke and prod the map to see who’s playing where. (Maybe farm some orbs) We use that info to see what’s the easiest site to take.

o Example: Cypher[cages and trips] and sage[slows and wall] are playing on the A site? That is an incredibly difficult site to take. So we would go try to take B site instead.

- Off contact: Don’t make any noise. That means steps and util. You walk up until a teammate makes contact.

o Counter: Since you walk up(no util) this means you dry peak everything, so shouldn’t be done when enemy could be/are oping. Dry peaking op = dead teammate.

- Split push: Split into 2-3 or 2-2-1 and hit a site from mid and main. Both parties need to keep pace. If main is ready to execute, mid should be too. Controller needs to be careful not to smoke off their own teammates on split pushes.

- If you are 1 shot and don’t have any useful util for that round, opt to be to take the entry role(or first contact) It is far more likely you get traded than you trading someone else.

- If site is not cleared, do not plant. Help your team clear site first.

o I’m sure you’ve seen it in ranked. Teammates get on site, planter tries to plant immediately. Only to get killed by a guy hiding on site, and possibly lose the round.

- ***Planter. Your priority is to always plant for post plant. In a spot where teammates can fight off site. Whenever possible.

- Post plant:

o if planted default (you cannot see the spike from off the site)

§ Everyone should be playing site. Or hold an angle to stop them from pushing into site.

§ Best to hold an angle that a teammate is not holding, or ready to swing off their contact

· If a teammate is holding left side, hold his right for him.

o If planted for off site

§ Get off site if you’re able to

§ Enemy will have to take their time and util to clear site

· That’s less time for time to defuse and less util they have

§ You do not need to take fights/peek until they are on site/tap the spike.

· Happens in immortal games all the time; ego peeking for no reason, giving 1v1s to the enemy

§ The key is to buy as much time as possible. Use that util first. Jiggle it. What ever you can to secure the round!

Defense in general:

- If your teammate is fighting, you should be fighting.

o You also have the upper hand, enemies will naturally focus toward your teammates during that brief moment

o 2 people peeking have a higher chance of winning vs. 1 person peeking

- Don’t peek the same angle if you don’t need to. They will be expecting the repeek

- Always play different angles. If you only play 2 angles every round, they’ll probably expect you to play one of those 2 angles again.

- The side with more people should play aggressive angles or even push. *Not every round*

o By doing so, you condition them to clear those angles the following rounds. This will force the enemy to spend more time clearing angles; and possibly use util to clear those angles. That’s less util used on you when they try to take the site.

- Retake

o If they already have site, don’t retake alone or peek. Wait to retake with your team.

o Someone needs to tap the spike as soon as possible. This forces the team to either peek or use util to stall.

- Unless someone explicitly says, “planting” or “committing A” someone should always anchor the other site. If a sentinel is present, sentinel should ideally be the anchor.

o If you’re not sure whether to rotate, ask “Are they committing? Are the last three there? Etc.”

Agents:

o Each util in the game can be used in so many ways. Consider how you can pair it with teammate’s util for other effects (fade seize + raze nade/sage slow + brim ult/ etc.) Knowing your agent and learning to maximize the use of each util will net you kills and rounds.

Icebox:

★When playing against a sage(on both attack and defense) break any wall that’s placed ASAP. Note: Careful of getting peeked when breaking it

- Longer it’s up, the more it works against us and for them.

- Exception to this would probably be the sage wall in tube. Impractical to shoot 2-3 blocks of her wall every round.

★If their initiator throws util at the start of the round, always break it. Deny that space and information. Letting it scan gives them more map control for free, and we don’t want that

★If they smoke, try spraying common angles/edges of the smoke. You’d be surprised by the number easy kills/damage you can deal. Especially planters.

Attack:

- Viper (this is a long one… Viper’s a tough agent on Icebox. Her util is unlike other controllers, is rather inflexible. So working around her util can be very difficult at times.)

o Always smoke mid; forces enemy to worry about a potential lurk, spreading them thin.

§ If they don’t hold it, that’s a golden ticket to a free round.

o *Extremely important*Viper wall is like an alarm. If it gets deployed mid/late round, they know you are close and trying to execute the site. So if the team is trying to work up quietly, the wall shouldn’t be deployed unlessA. team is close enough to execute the site(so at the chokepoint).B. team makes contact and they know you’re there.

If deployed too early, enemy can use util to stall for teammates to rotate in. Which can cost you the round.

§ If you deploy the viper wall prior to the round starting, then you can put it up at random times to divert attention. You can also play a late lurk since you don’t need to be present to activate the wall for the team.

o *Situational* If the team has a hard time taking sites, you can help by using your mollies at common angle enemies peek. This will force them to peek other angles or fight in a molly.

o Viper ult: In most scenarios, the spike needs to be planted before we deploy the ult.

§ Typically, teammates can cover while we try to plant, but not inside a viper ult. It denies your team vision and allows enemies to spray towards the sound of the plant from outside the ult. Usually killing the planter.

o When you ult, your main objective is to stay alive as long as possible to stall for time. This means:

§ Someone other than viper needs to plant the spike

§ Viper should be the last point of contact with enemy.

§ Teammates should work as the first line of contact.

§ Your mollies are incredibly deadly in combo with your ult. Try to time them to stall for time.

· *Situational* If you have mollies, you don’t necessarily need to fight them. If it’s far enough into the plant, your mollies can buy enough time to make it impossible to defuse.

o If enemies counter wall during execute. Drop your wall to recharge (our wall is ineffective while their wall is up). Put the wall back up when the enemy smokes go down.

o Post plant without an ult: Viper’s util is still incredibly strong!

§ If planted for lineups or belt, play off site and stay alive. You can molly off tap to buy a lot of time.

o EXTRA:

§ Spike is up for 45 seconds till it explodes.

§ Takes 7 seconds to defuse. 3.5 seconds for halfway

§ Viper’s molly last 5.5 seconds each.

§ That means19 seconds, correctly timed mollies in an ult will secure you the round. (easier said than done though)

- Duelist

o The duelist is the spearhead on executes. Wait until your team is close enough to trade/follow. Then be the first one in. Trust your teammates to trade you and create chaos on site

o Your util is designed to help take space/take on fights. You could, if needed, coordinate with the initiator to take space with a combo of util

o Entry with the initiators utility.

§ If the team has an eye or dart; try to time it so you either dash(or flash) as their util lands.

§ If team is dogging or droning, follow it closely to trade whatever it pings or kills it.

o Oping; Only viable with a Jett; but even then extremely risky to op on attack

§ To maximize an op on attack as the only duelist, you need to get first blood ASAP. 3 potential peeks:

· Belt, B main, or mid

§ If you’re unable to get that pick, chances lower drastically. Your team also loses their only agent designed to taking space/entry. Putting the team at a disadvantage

§ There’s also the potential of giving the enemy team a free op breaking our econ and helping theirs

- Chamber

o Always trip flank depending on where we are set to go. If you can’t afford trip, let your teammates know that you don’t have trips that round.

o Utilize your tp. A few different ways.

§ Against aggressive enemies, take unusual angles like on top of container mid, or even spawn.

§ Lurk and try to cut off rotates.

§ Play one and done angles on post plant

o You are the shining star on eco’s try to work your head hunter to possibly gain a weapon for the team. Bait teammates if needed to get that kill. Your headhunter is more likely to get a kill than a teammates classic

- Cypher

o Always trip flank, and tell your teammates if you can’t afford trip

o If you know they are oping, or possibly oping, use your camera to clear the initial oping angle. Think of it like a drone in a sense.

§ Then retrieve it (once cleared) so you can use it later on.

o Play with your team and try to cage off enemy chokepoints on site takes.

o For post plant: Set up cam in an unsuspecting spot and wait for spike tap. Check to see if they’re on spike, and relay that information.

§ Try to refrain from using the camera on post plant if they don’t tap spike. If they break before tap, that’s free intel you’re missing out on.

- Initiator

o Your role is to clear angles and set your team up for fights

o Use your util to take space early into the round. Use your “E” ability to do so. Hopefully by the time the cooldown is over, you can use it again to take site.

o When you use your util to clear angles, like maze for example: Comm to teammates “XYZ follow the dog/drone in”

o It’s key to either comm or keep an eye on the map. Your utility is best used for your teammates. So make sure your teammates are in a place to work off of it.

§ If you use it too early, or no one follows up. That info gained will be useless as enemies can readjust or possibly hold angles that you thought were clear.

o In most cases, you will use util for the team to execute, resulting in being the last one on site. Depending on the current situation, try to determine the best way to help your team.

§ That could be joining them on site to clear it

§ Staying back to holding angles for your team

§ Going back to check flank.

§ Pushing further to isolate fights

o Keep in mind the util you either have left or on cooldown. Position accordingly to maximize util.

o Post plant:

§ If you have util useful for post plant, stay back.

§ If you don’t have util for post, you should be one of the first people to peek when needed

§ Keep an eye on your “E” ability cooldown.

Defense:

- Viper

o Viper always starts on B, but can leave a wall on A site. Teammates will need to call for the wall as needed.

o Mollies should be used to stall plant on B, giving your teammates enough time to rotate.

o Stay alive until help arrives!

- Duelist

o Play different angles and maximize your utility

o If you have flashes;

§ On B site. Play behind yellow or one of the cubbies. Have a teammate jiggle/bait. Easy picks with flashes

§ On A site. run to their nest and flash peek.

o Make sure your teammates know what you’re doing so they know how to help/play off of you

o (Jett) similar to chamber, you can get a pick and dash out, play aggressive angles for a potential kill and dash.

§ Ideally, you or chamber want to use an op. But never both. 2 ops on retake is too difficult and can possibly destroy your economy.

- Chamber

o Always trip kitchen and have a teammate hold the cross for under tube

o If you die, check the minimap and warn teammates of potential lurk if it’s a possibility

o Defense is your half. Always play aggressive angles with the TP ready. Get that first shot and TP out.

§ B site:

· With OP

o Top yellow

o Behind yellow

· With rifle

o Any angle

· With shotgun

o Cubbies

o On top of the box or container in B main

§ A site:

· With OP

o Start: top generator, pipes, 4-10, or nest

o End: top screens or rafter

· With Rifle

o Start: Any of the above

o Start:Push up to enemy nest(ground floor)

o End: anywhere, but stairs is a popular tp spot

· With shotgun

o Start: Maze, behind generator

o End: screens

- Cypher

o You are the anchor for which ever site you start on.

o Your util is one of the best to hold down sites.

§ Meaning it’s best to play off your util to maximize the agent.

o Cypher is difficult on icebox because there aren’t a lot of different trips you can setup. But with that said, do your best to use different trips. It’s very easy to counter a cypher that uses the same trips repeatedly.

o Cypher is one of the best agents for shotguns. Your cages allow you to close the space between you and enemies.

§ You can try to throw your enemies off by using shotguns occasionally.

o For enemies, your trips and cages are the scariest thing; but your favorite.

§ Set up trips on site with cages on top of them.

· You cage as they trip and shoot through the cage for free kills. Just make sure you’re in a spot ready to capitalize it

§ Your cam can be fully maximized when you set it up so they can’t see it until they are on or very close to entry chokes.

· When they entry, the camera is not their priority. So placing a cam really up high usually net’s you free info and a tag.

· If you place the camera to get early info, they will just break your cam after contact. They can then wait or rotate, rendering the cam’s intel ineffective.

· You could place trips further towards a choke. This would be nice for intel, but not the best use. If the trip is far from the site, it’s like enemies will be close enough to hear the trip and break it without triggering. So you will get intel, but most people would choose a dead enemy over the location of a living one. Enemies will usually be more focused on holding angles and run into the trips on site, making it the favorable spot.

- Initiator

o Use your “E” to gain early info/space

§ Try to learn lineups! Great lineups will be hard to break, land in unexpected spots to gain intel.

§ Have several lineups and never repeat them back-to-back!

§ Util destroyed before a scan is a useless util! So try to predict your enemy

o If you are heavily stacked towards B(and pushing it), use that util to get info and help your team gain map control.

o Same idea as attack. You want to maximize your util in a way that your teammates can work off of it.

§ When enemies try to execute. Flash/dog for a teammate to peek with

§ If you are retaking, comm what you are doing so teammates can play off your util