Best VALORANT Agents for Beginners: Easy and Effective Choices
Everyone has their own take on the best VALORANT agents for beginners. Here, I’m sharing my personal recommendations based on a few key factors: how easy the agent is to learn for someone new to VALORANT, their overall impact in a match, and how forgiving their abilities are if used incorrectly, especially in terms of team impact.
I’ve grouped the agents by their roles, so you can choose based on what suits your playstyle or current mood, whether you’re looking for something more passive or proactive. In some roles, I’ve included two agents, as I believe even support roles in VALORANT can be played either way, depending on how you want to engage.
List of Best VALORANT Agents for Beginners
Below is the list of the best VALORANT agents for beginners:
Role | Agent | Reason |
Initiator | Tejo | Tejo’s abilities are easier to use compared to other Initiators, making him great for clearing corners or playing post-plant scenarios. |
Controller | Clove | Clove is a beginner-friendly Controller that allows for a proactive playstyle, letting you focus more on your own gameplay rather than fulfilling a traditional support role. |
Brimstone | Brimstone fits the role of a classic support agent and is better suited for a more passive, team-focused playstyle. | |
Sentinel | Sage | Sage, while typically a support agent, can also be played proactively, allowing you to make impactful plays while still supporting your team. |
Cypher | Cypher is ideal for players who prefer a passive style, holding down sites or watching flanks with minimal direct engagement. | |
Duelist | Raze | Raze makes the list due to how easy her abilities are to use. She can deal significant damage without the risk of accidentally blinding or stunning your teammates. |
In-Depth Analysis
Below is an in-depth analysis of why I chose the agents. Some of these agents won’t be available right away if you’re using a new account, but they’re still great choices for beginners. Try unlocking them early so you can start using them in your matches.
Initiator
The role of an Initiator in VALORANT is to help clear corners and create ideal conditions for the team to take control of key areas on the map, including plant sites. Playing this role effectively requires a good understanding of your team’s playstyle and how to use your abilities to complement it. It requires strong game sense, and if you can play Initiators well, it’s possible to climb to Silver or Gold ranks (or higher), even without exceptional aim.
Read More: All VALORANT Ranks: Listed and Explained.
Tejo
Now, why is Tejo the best Initiator for beginners? His abilities don’t require memorizing lineups and can significantly disrupt opponents. Plus, if misfired or mistimed, they don’t cause “major” damage to teammates.
Here are Tejo’s abilities:
- Guided Salvo (Signature Ability)
- Stealth Drone
- Special Delivery
- Armageddon (Ultimate Ability).
Tejo’s Guided Salvo is great for clearing corners or playing post-plant, and it’s easy to use through a simple interface. It’s a fire-and-forget ability, and you know exactly where it will land.
The Stealth Drone is also easy to operate while being highly effective. It can be deployed from a safe distance, moves faster than Sova’s Owl Drone, is harder to spot from afar, and can suppress nearby enemies.
Special Delivery is another straightforward, point-and-shoot ability with a decent blast radius that can stun enemies within its range.
Similarly, Tejo’s Ultimate, Armageddon, is a fire-and-forget ability that clearly marks its impact zone, giving you full control without needing precision setups.
Overall, Tejo’s abilities are beginner-friendly, easy to use, effective, and require no memorization of lineups like those of Sova or Fade. This makes Tejo one of the best VALORANT agents for beginners and the best Initiator for beginners.
Controller
The role of Controllers in VALORANT is to provide strategic cover and block sightlines, allowing the team to safely execute plays or hold positions. Like Initiators, Controllers require a solid understanding of the map, their abilities, and the team’s playstyle.
Controllers play a vital role in any team composition. Timing is critical for Controllers because deploying smokes or walls too early may cause them to fade before your team pushes, while deploying them too late can leave teammates exposed to dangerous angles and lead to early eliminations. In a balanced match, lacking a good Controller often puts the team at a significant disadvantage.
Clove
Most of Clove’s abilities are tailored for individual, proactive gameplay, allowing players to break away from the traditional Controller role of solely supporting the team. Clove enables a more aggressive and self-sufficient playstyle.
Here are Clove’s abilities:
- Ruse (Signature Ability)
- Pick-Me-Up
- Meddle
- Not Dead Yet (Ultimate Ability).
Ruse is Clove’s smoke ability. They are standard flush smokes that are easy to place using the in-game interface, giving you clear control over their placement. Clove has the unique ability to still use Ruse after dying, though only within a limited radius around where they were eliminated.
Pick-Me-Up temporarily regenerates Clove’s health and grants haste (increased movement speed). It can only be activated after eliminating an opponent, and its effects apply solely to Clove.
Meddle inflicts decay on opponents within a certain radius. It’s simple to use, just throw it toward the desired location. It can bounce once off a wall and detonates on contact with any horizontal surface.
Not Dead Yet, Clove’s Ultimate, allows for self-resurrection after death. However, after being revived, you must eliminate an opponent within a few seconds. If you don’t, Clove will die again and the ultimate will be used up.
Most of Clove’s abilities are made for solo, proactive gameplay, except for the smoke. This makes Clove one of the best VALORANT agents for beginners who want to play proactively and focus on their own actions instead of only supporting the team.
Brimstone
Unlike Clove, Brimstone’s abilities are better suited for a passive playstyle, where your main focus is to support your team. He plays more like a traditional Controller—helping during site executions and holding positions in post-plant situations.
Here are Brimstone’s abilities:
- Sky Smoke (Signature Ability)
- Stim Beacon
- Incendiary
- Orbital Strike (Ultimate Ability)
Brimstone’s Sky Smokes are traditional flush smokes. While they don’t recharge over time, he starts with three and can deploy them all at once if needed. These smokes also last longer than most others, the longest of any Controller in VALORANT.
The Stim Beacon gives a speed boost and increases the fire rate of teammates within its radius. Brimstone’s Incendiary and Ultimate ability, Orbital Strike, are particularly useful in post-plant scenarios.
Brimstone plays a crucial role in both attack and defense, so staying alive and supporting the team is key. Because of his straightforward abilities and supportive role, Brimstone is one of the best VALORANT agents for beginners who prefer a passive, team-focused playstyle.
Sentinel
Sentinels in VALORANT are defensive agents and usually don’t lead the charge while attacking. Their main role is to lock down areas, watch flanks, and support the team by gathering intel. While Sentinels are mostly associated with passive gameplay, there are some agents which can aid you with proactive gameplay, and hence, I have two agents under this section.
Sage
Sage was one of the first agents introduced in VALORANT during its beta stage. She is a versatile agent, suitable for both passive and proactive gameplay. There’s a reason the term “Battle Sage” was coined and remains widely used.
Read More: When Did VALORANT Come Out?
Here are Sage’s abilities:
- Healing Orb (Signature Ability)
- Barrier Orb
- Slow Orb
- Resurrection (Ultimate Ability).
Sage’s Healing Orb can heal any injured but alive teammate, or Sage herself. This makes it useful both for personal survival and team support.
Barrier Orb is a wall that can block angles, while Slow Orb greatly reduces the movement speed of anyone standing in its area (both teammates and enemies). Both are highly effective on attack and defense. While attacking, they can make it harder for enemies to hold angles or escape. On defense, they can stop an enemy push almost single-handedly.
Sage’s Ultimate, Resurrection, brings a dead teammate back to life.
All of Sage’s abilities are easy to use. Most can be used to support your team or for your own benefit, with Resurrection being the only one designed exclusively for helping teammates.
These are the reasons which makes Sage one of the best VALORANT agents for beginners if you are interested in playing a Sentinel role.
Cypher
Cypher is probably the most traditional Sentinel in VALORANT, with abilities that strongly support passive gameplay. He excels at holding sites, watching flanks, and gathering valuable information about enemy movements across the map.
Here are Cypher’s abilities:
- Spycam (Signature Ability)
- Trapwire
- Cyber Cage
- Neural Theft (Ultimate Ability).
Cypher’s Spycam is a powerful ability for gathering and holding information about enemy movement on a specific part of the map, whether you’re attacking or defending. A common way to get the most out of it is by placing it in a hidden spot and checking it occasionally to see if it spots any opponents. You can view the camera from anywhere on the map, so you don’t need to be in a risky or forward position.
Trapwire lets Cypher lock down an area and forget about it. Enemies either get caught in it or have to destroy it, revealing their location. While some agents like Jett and Omen can bypass it with abilities like Updraft or Shrouded Step, Trapwire is still a great passive tool that provides info without putting you in danger.
Cyber Cage is similar to Jett’s Cloudburst, providing temporary cover when needed. What makes it special is that it also gives an audio and visual indicator when enemies move through it, helping you track their movement.
Finally, Cypher’s ultimate ability, Neural Theft, is one of the strongest in the game, in my opinion. It reveals the location of all remaining enemies on the map once you use it on a dead opponent. This informs your team on what the opponents are trying to execute in the particular round.
All of Cypher’s abilities are easy to use and highly impactful, making him one of the best VALORANT agents for beginners. They don’t require aggressive play and provide information that helps your team react smartly and plan accordingly.
Duelist
Duelists in VALORANT are the spearhead of your team. They’re usually the first to take fights while attacking, with teammates using their abilities to support and increase the chances of a successful entry. Duelists are designed for proactive gameplay and have abilities that deal damage or disrupt enemies, making them ideal for aggressive plays.
Raze
I’ve chosen Raze as the best agent for beginners interested in the Duelist role. I know this might be the most debated pick on the list, and I understand why, but I have my reasons. Let me explain.
Here are Raze’s abilities:
- Paint Shells (Signature Ability)
- Boom Bot
- Blast Pack
- Showstopper (Ultimate Ability).
Raze’s Paint Shells are grenades that she can throw at any spot in her line of sight. They explode after a short timer, whether they land on the ground or not. If timed and placed well, they can deal heavy damage, often eliminating opponents. You start with one Paint Shell, but it recharges after you get two kills. If you accidentally throw it near your teammates, it can hurt them too, but the damage is much lower compared to what it does to opponents.
The Boom Bot is a small robot Raze can deploy and forget. You don’t have to control it; it moves forward, bouncing off walls or obstacles. If it detects an enemy nearby, it chases them and explodes when it gets close, unless it’s destroyed first. It’s a great tool for clearing tight spaces safely.
Raze’s Blast Packs are small explosives with many uses. They can damage enemies, throw them off position, or even launch Raze into the air to reach new spots. However, launching yourself takes some practice, and beginners may find it tricky. Still, even without the movement tricks, Blast Packs are useful for disrupting enemies.
Her ultimate ability, the Showstopper, is a rocket launcher. It deals massive damage and can wipe out multiple enemies if aimed well. It’s easy to use, equip it, aim, and shoot. The blast radius is big enough that you don’t need perfect aim. Just firing in the general direction of opponents is often enough to get kills or deal serious damage.
Of all her abilities, the only one that takes some skill is the Blast Pack, but the rest are simple and effective. They don’t risk blinding or stunning your teammates if used incorrectly, and they hit hard when used right. That’s why, in my opinion, Raze is one of the best VALORANT agents for beginners and the best Duelist to start with.
Some people might say that Jett or Phoenix are better Duelists for beginners because they’re also easy to use. But in my opinion, unless you already have a good grip on the game, they aren’t as impactful as Raze. That said, Reyna can be a good alternative to Raze for beginners if you have solid aim.
Conclusion
This completes my in-depth analysis of my selection of the best VALORANT agents for beginners. Whether you prefer to play passively, support your team, or charge in and take fights, there’s an agent that matches your style. As you gain experience, you’ll naturally explore more agents, but starting with the right ones can help you learn the game faster and make it more enjoyable. Pick what feels right, experiment with roles, and most importantly, have fun playing!
If you agree with my selection, or have a different opinion, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and let’s discuss! Explore our Gaming Forum for a wide range of information on games, including VALORANT.
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Very nice and detailed, thank you for sharing.