Highlights
- Avoid over-rotating on defense to prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerable bomb sites.
- Track enemy agent picks, economy, and ultimates to adjust defensive strategies accordingly.
- Communicate clearly and coordinate abilities to effectively defend bomb sites.
In Riot Games’ notoriously challenging tactical FPS, Valorant, players are tasked with defending or attacking bomb sites. The primary objective of a defender is to deny spike plants. However, in any Valorant match, the defending players must make many high-stakes decisions, from utility usage and economy management to effective communication and adaptability.
While there is a lot to juggle on the defensive side, there are vital tips that players can follow to excel as defenders. Mastering these strategies can make players invaluable to their team and the key to holding the line and securing victory.
10 Avoid Over-Rotating
Defenders often react to enemy presence at a bomb site by rotating to help. However, a common mistake players should avoid is hasty rotations based on limited information, which can leave the original site vulnerable to lurking attackers and concede map control prematurely.
If attackers notice the defenders are over-rotating, they can easily exploit this by fake pushing one site while attacking another left free by the defenders. To avoid this, players can site-anchor, meaning they maintain their position until the enemy is definitely committing elsewhere. The defensive utility kit of Valorant's Sentinel agents makes them the most effective at anchoring.
9 Track Ultimates, Economy and Agent Picks
Players should get into the habit of analyzing the enemy team's agent picks at the start of every match, as this can provide valuable information on what to expect as they push sites. For example, if the offensive team has a Sova, defending players should anticipate breaking his Recon Bolt, or if there is an enemy Skye, they should play anti-flash.
Likewise, at the beginning of each round, players must keep a close watch on the enemy team's economy and Ultimates as well as their own. This can guide them on how to play the round and what they need to counter.
If the enemy team is on an eco round, defending agents should play long distance and avoid peeking at the start of the round, as the offensive team is likely grouped up and equipped with less powerful short-range weaponry .
8 Don't Be Predictable
If the attacking side can read the defender's playstyle, it becomes easily countered, meaning their strategies are less effective. Players should, therefore, ensure the enemy team cannot easily predict their positions by refraining from repeating tactics.
Players can enhance their defensive game by switching bomb sites with a teammate, varying their positions and set-ups, altering their game plan, and ultimately making choices that ensure the enemy is left guessing and unable to adapt to the defenders' tactics.
7 Group Up To Retake
A crucial tactic for defenders is grouping up to retake rather than fighting one-by-one on-site. This strategy is essential if an enemy or ally teammate has a round-changing Ultimate, such as Killjoy's Lockdown, Breach's Rolling Thunder, or KAY/O's NULL/cmd, which would make it optimal to play off-site and as a team.
If defenders can coordinate with their teammates, it makes regaining control of the bombsite far more accessible and more likely to be successful.
6 Adapt To The Enemy's Playstyle
Just as predictable defenders can lead to inevitable defeat, predictable attackers are quickly shut down by adaptable defenders. Defenders should ensure they track the enemy's strategy and be bold in adjusting their approach accordingly.
For example, if the offensive team has post-plant lineups, the defenders should flank to disrupt their position and counter their utility usage. Likewise, defenders can utilize a Sentinel to anchor the site and hold down a consistently exploited lane if the attackers tend to have a player lurking.
5 Communicate Clearly And Concisely
Valorant is a game that thrives with voice chat, as information is crucial, especially for players on the defensive side. However, keeping communication clear and concise is paramount.
Players should ensure their call-outs are timely, to the point, and clear. For example, a player saying 'footsteps A' when they only hear one enemy's movement can cause teammates to over-rotate based on misleading information. Players should prioritize uncomplicated, swift, and calm comms for success in any match.
4 Combo Abilities
Abilities in Valorant become even more substantial when utilized with effective team coordination. There are plenty of game-changing ability combos players can harness to improve their defensive strategies.
From aggressive plays, such as Sage's Barrie Orb and Jett's Blade Storm, to unstoppable and high-damage zone control combos, like Breach's Fault Line and Brimstone's Orbital Strike, there is unlimited potential for coordinated utility. When teams successfully synchronize their abilities, they can easily lock down sites and disrupt the enemy team's plans.
3 Play Time
In Valorant, attackers can secure victory by either detonating the spike or eliminating all defenders. Defensive players should always avoid offering an easy path to the latter route. Instead, they should "play for time" when appropriate.
"Playing time" refers to strategically letting the clock run down to secure a round rather than taking a duel with the remaining attackers. This strategy can be crucial at the end of a round and requires restraint from defenders to not rush into engagements and instead force the enemy into desperate plays as they run out of time.
2 Set Your Teammates Up For Success
Players can often fall into the habit of playing for themselves. However, the most successful team will always be setting up their teammates.
On defense, setting up one's teammates can entail breaking utility for them, holding a different angle, double swinging, cross-firing, or providing utility for their play. Valorant gameplay centers around teamwork, so players should always look for opportunities to support their teammates, especially when playing the Initiator or Controller role, as coordination can often be the difference-maker.
1 Take Map Control
Gaining and maintaining map control is essential for defenders to succeed in Valorant. Players should take space in uncontested areas of the map, taking favorable positions that make it challenging for the offensive players to attack as they become confined to limited space and must hold flanks.
Establishing dominance over the map allows the defenders to dictate the game's pace better and drastically increases their chance of victory.
Valorant is currently available on PC.