Overview
Arguably the main character of VALORANT, if that’s even a thing, Phoenix is a flashy (heh) duelist whose primary strength is his ability to heal himself and then eventually even have two lives, like, well, a phoenix. His array of fire-based abilities can create a lot of havoc on the field, and he’s an agent who’s great at taking fights in close corridors.
Role: Duelist
Duelists are the primary entry agent for your team.
On defense, they look to hold early angles opponents might peek from to get information, or they may work with your team’s initiators to make aggressive plays on defense. They also are the ones most likely to push through an opening to find a flank.
On attack, they are expected to be the first person to break an angle. Many duelists come equipped with tools that enable this, which means duelists are usually the agents who will see the most gun fights throughout the course of a game.
Tips and Tricks
The most common tactic for securing kills on Phoenix is to sit close on a corner and Curveball [Q] as you hear enemies approaching. In cases where they’re walking up to you silently, you have to gamble on timings and flash to peek.
When you swing with Phoenix after a flash, enemies will sometimes just spray at the corner you flashed from as a last resort. You can try to counteract this by flashing again or by swinging out wide to avoid the shots.
Blaze [C] can go through walls, which allows you to establish some creative pockets to play in. This can also bait enemies into those pockets, which you can then Curveball [Q] through to secure a kill.
Run It Back [R] is one of the easiest ultimates to get in the game thanks to it only requiring 6 charges. The ultimate’s main function is to clear a path for your teammates, but it also has some nifty utility in that you can retrieve the spike or guns with it, and it will also bring you back to 100 HP.
Once you learn some lineups, you can toss Hot Hands [E] into the air and once it lands on an enemy angle, you can then Flash to get them to either sit in the fire or move erratically to avoid it, at which point they becoming free pickings for you.
You can find Phoenix lineups here.
