John Paul Santiago – Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs https://playerassist.com Player Assist has you covered with all the latest gaming news along with in-depth reviews, features, videos and release dates! Fri, 12 May 2023 12:13:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://playerassist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cropped-favicion-img-32x32.png John Paul Santiago – Player Assist | Game Guides & Walkthroughs https://playerassist.com 32 32 Forza Horizon 5: How to Fix Understeer https://playerassist.com/forza-horizon-5-fix-understeer/ https://playerassist.com/forza-horizon-5-fix-understeer/#respond Thu, 29 Apr 2021 22:00:07 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=230697

Cars can quickly understeer after an engine power upgrade in Forza Horizon 5. When a vehicle is in an understeer situation, the car will not follow the intended turning radius relative to your steering angle. In simpler terms, understeer is when you try to turn the wheel, but your car turns farther away from the corner instead.

Forza Horizon 5: How to Fix Understeer

We say understeer is a common post-engine upgrade behavior because less experienced drivers often fail to realize their car is pushing speeds much higher than when it was stock. Many racing game players will blame poor suspension settings when their poor driving technique is causing the understeer problem in the first place.

Why Do Cars Understeer?

2 16
Lancer Evolution VI pushing out of the corner

Understeer can result from several factors. If we disregard tuning setups and focus on driving technique instead, then understeer tends to happen when going too fast around a corner. Slow down enough to get the front of the car pointed towards the inside of the turn with the right speed, and only then should you hit the throttle to exit the corner.

However, if you slow down too much to get the car’s nose to point inward towards the corner, or the car “pushes” out of the corner when getting on the gas, there might be a problem with the car’s suspension setup.

Different types of understeer

There are three different sections where an understeer situation can arise. These are:

  1. Corner Entry Understeer
  2. Mid-corner Understeer
  3. Corner Exit Understeer

Corner entry understeer refers to the inability of the car to turn into the middle of the corner. This might be caused by coming into the corner too hot and not slowing down properly before turning.

However, if you find you are slowing your car too much compared to your competitors, then your car probably needs a suspension setup to get the car to “rotate” into the turn at corner entry.

Mid-corner Understeer is a car’s inability to hold a consistent line in the middle of a turn. Cars are easier to turn when they are going at a slower rate of speed because the tires are given less load for accelerating and braking and more for turning. 

Also, with the wheel turned at the same angle, a car going at 30MPH will make a larger turn radius than a car going at 10MPH.

With that in mind, mid-corner understeer indicates an improper front to rear suspension setting that can easily be changed in-game.

Lastly, Corner Exit Understeer refers to a car’s excessive “straightening-out” behavior during the corner exit. Do not get us wrong, though, because you want to understeer a little bit on the corner exit because you want to go as straight as possible to lay down all your car’s power to the ground. However, if your car has improperly tuned suspension settings, it will understeer too much and “push” itself out of line and go wide, forcing you to slow down and re-straighten the car.

FR or rear-wheel-drive cars tend to oversteer the most, and FF cars tend to understeer the most. Cars with the AWD layout tend to understeer as well.

How to Fix Understeer in Forza Horizon 4

1 75

Now that you know the different types of understeer situations on the different turn sections, here are some tuning setup guidelines to help you correct or fix your understeer problem in Forza Horizon 5.

Note: You need to have full-suspension adjustability to change these settings. Upgrade your car’s suspension to “Race” to unlock most, if not all, of these settings.

  1. Corner Entry Understeer
    • Increase Front-Camber
    • Increase Toe-out
    • Reduce Anti-roll Bar Stiffness
    • Increase Front Shock Stiffness
    • Reduce Front Ride Height
  2. Mid-Corner Understeer
    • Increase Front Anti-roll Bar Stiffness
    • Increase Front Spring Stiffness
  3. Corner Exit Understeer
    • Increase Rear Anti-roll bar Stiffness
    • Stiffen Rear Spring
    • Stiffen Rebound
    • Raise Rear Ride Height

Adjust each parameter according to the type of understeer your car is experiencing. We advise you to change each parameter in small increments and then go for a test run after each change.

Worse Than Oversteer

3 13

Understeer is rarely a good thing. Sure, understeer situations give drivers a more controlled and safer feeling when driving a car, but an understeering car will be slower than an oversteering car.

An understeering car can not clear a turn at speed because it will not turn towards the direction the driver wants it to go. A car that tends to oversteer more can be erratic and wild, but it can rotate and point its nose towards the direction it wants to go to by using the throttle.

With that in mind, change your suspension settings using these guidelines to reduce understeer and instantly set faster lap times in Forza Horizon 5!

]]>
https://playerassist.com/forza-horizon-5-fix-understeer/feed/ 0
Valorant: The 5 Best Sova Recon Bolt Lineups on Ascent (Attacking) https://playerassist.com/sova-recon-bolt-lineups-ascent-valorant/ https://playerassist.com/sova-recon-bolt-lineups-ascent-valorant/#respond Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:49:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=207744

VALORANT is a unique take on a tactical shooter. Thanks in no small part to the presence of Agent Abilities. These abilities are distinct from one agent to the other, making some agents viable in certain situations, while others are eschewed in favor of other characters that could better suit the map currently being played.

Valorant: The 5 Best Sova Recon Bolt Lineups on Ascent (Attacking)

Regardless of the map, or even level of competition, some agents have become a staple in any team composition in VALORANT.

Sova is one of those heroes.

The Russian Initiator: Sova

Sova
Born in Russia, Sova is the 6th Agent to be added to the VALORANT Protocol.

Today we take a look at a very powerful and versatile Initiator: Sova.

Sova’s brief description in-game reads:

Born from the eternal winter of Russia’s tundra, Sova tracks, finds, and eliminates enemies with ruthless efficiency and precision. His custom bow and incredible scouting abilities ensure that even if you run, you cannot hide.

RIOT GAMES

In VALORANT, Sova is one of the top-picked Agents of all time. There is good reason for this: Sova can mark and reveal enemies with his Owl Drone, fire accurate, electrically-charged arrows with his Shock Bolt, reveal an entire site with his Recon Bolt, and snipe off fleeing enemies across the map with his Ultimate Ability – Hunter’s Fury.

With enough practice and experience, Sova can become a scary Agent to play against. His ability to reveal enemy locations and tag them with his abilities can help his team confidently and aggressively take enemy sites with ease. Sova makes sure that even if your enemies try to run, they definitely cannot hide.

Signature Ability: Recon Bolt

sovarecon

Recon Bolt is arguably the most important tool in Sova’s Russian Bag of tricks. With this ability, Sova can reveal a sizeable amount of space that often drives back defenders and gives his team the information they need to enter any site confidently.

With that said, today we will be looking at some of the most valuable Recon Bolt lineups when attacking on Ascent. These are lineups that can reveal some of the most crucial corners, cubbies, and spaces on Ascent’s attacker side. Once you learn these lineups, they will become a staple in your Sova gameplay and make winning easier for your team. Plus you’ll look really cool doing them.

1. Ascent A Site – Staple Recon Bolt

site reveal a

Ascent A-back site is one of the most important areas to clear when seeking to take control of Ascent A-Site. Enemies often hide around Generator, Dice, Heaven, Hell, Tree, and the stacked blocks to the right of A-Main Entrance.

This Sova Recon Bolt reveals almost the whole A Site. This includes “Generator“, “Dice“, “Switch“, and the close right from A Site Entrance. You might argue that enemies could be lurking around Heaven, Hell, etc. but these areas can be easily blocked off with your teammates’ smokes.

How to line up Ascent A Site – Staple Recon Bolt

Lining up the Ascent A-Site Recon Bolt is simple:

  1. Stand on this corner in A-Main.
god arrow flower box

2. Look for this flower box.

A main god arrow flower box
Flower Box on High Detail Quality

Note: It is impossible to do the lineup with “Detail Quality” set to “High” as high settings add plants to the flower box. The area where you should be placing your crosshair will become blocked and make it hard to execute the lineup consistently. Medium or Low settings will remove the plants.

a main god arrow flower box low 1
Flower Box on Low Detail Quality

3. Place your crosshair in the middle of this yellow line.

flower box highlight
image 17

4. Maximum charge with 1 bounce.

lineups a site 1
recon fly

5. The Recon Bolt should land around this area right here:

recon land a

6. If done properly, the Recon Bolt should reveal most of the A-Site.

site reveal a 1

This is a better Recon Bolt than other Recon Bolt lineups for Ascent A-Site because this gives you time to reposition to A-Main Entrance right after. You get more value from this Recon Bolt because the enemy team has to react to it, while you and your teammates can swing towards A-Main and hopefully get an easy kill while they are revealed and distracted.

2. Ascent B Site – Site/Defender Spawn/Stairs Recon Bolt

bsitereveal1

The next line-up on the list is Ascent B – Site/Defender Spawn/Stairs. This Recon Bolt line-up is valuable for gaining information about enemy locations around B-site, some areas at Defender Spawn, and Stairs.

How to line up Ascent B Site – Site/Defender Spawn/Steps Recon Bolt

This line-up is easy to do as long as you communicate with your teammates and clear B-Main together. B-Main has to be cleared since enemies could be lurking around the B-Main cubby or B-Main Entrance.

clear1 1
clear 2

After those areas are cleared, lining up Sova’s arrow for B-Main Staple is fairly easy:

  1. Look for this box inside B-Main.
bmainbox

2. Stand on this corner.

bmaincorner

3. Look for this electric cable.

bmainline

4. Line up your crosshair just below the first white line on the electric cable.

image 10

5. Maximum charge with one bounce.

bmainlineup

6. The Recon Bolt should land on the control box like this:

bsitelinup
controlbox

7. If done correctly, the Recon Bolt should reveal most of B Site, some of Defender Spawn, and Stairs.

bsitereveal1 1

3. Ascent B Site – Logs/Lane Recon Bolt

bsiteclose5

This Recon Bolt is great for clearing Logs, Lane, and most of the initial B-Site. These are crucial spaces to clear since some players tend to get very cheeky and play these spots using shotguns or machine guns which could spell disaster for you and your team when entering or rushing B-Site.

How to line up Ascent B Site – Logs/Lane Recon Bolt

This line-up is simple and quite similar to the previous line-up. It is also easy to remember how to do this line-up since you will be standing around the same area as the previous line-up. Don’t forget to clear B-Main before you go to these spots to line up your Recon Bolt.

  1. Look for this box in B-Main.
bmainbox 1

2. Stand on this corner.

bsiteclose1 1

3. Look for the letter “P”

bsiteclose2

4. Place your crosshair just above the letter “P”.

image 11

5. Do a max charge with one bounce.

bsiteclose3

6. The Recon Bolt should land around this area.

bsiteclose4
land

7. The Recon Bolt should reveal Logs/Lane/B-Site.

bsiteclose5 1

4. Ascent Middle – Lower Middle/Short Recon Bolt

middleinfo5

Ascent Middle is the most important area of the map for both Defenders and Attackers to take control of. For Attackers, mid-control opens up opportunities for either an A or B-site take depending on which side of the map the Defenders gravitate towards. Attackers can take the site which is less heavily guarded when they have control of “Middle”.

How to Line-up Ascent Middle – Lower Middle/Market/A Short

This lineup will be the easiest to execute on this list since it only requires you to point and shoot your Recon Bolt directly at a designated target.


This lineup will reveal most of Lower Middle, some of Market, and some of A Short. This simple Recon Bolt will help you gain easier mid-control.

  1. Go to this area in Mid.
middleinfo

2. Look for this brownish-colored wall.

middleinfo1
image 12

3. Do a max charge with no bounce.

middleinfo2

4. The Recon Bolt will land here:

land2

5. The Recon Bolt should reveal most of Lower Middle, some of Market, and most of A Short.

middleinfo5 1

5. Ascent Middle – Lower Middle/Market/Defender Spawn

middleinfo12

This last Recon Bolt might seem quite similar to the previous Recon Bolt line-up because they are. What makes this Recon Bolt special, though, is its ability to reveal practically all of the middle area. That includes close corners in Lower Mid, Market, and even a little bit of Defender Spawn. This Recon Bolt is great for taking mid-control if you plan on going B-site since you can weed out Defenders from Market and Lower Middle. The connector between Defender Spawn and Middle is also a choke point. This will make it easier to catch rotating players from A-Site. 

How to Line-up Ascent Middle – Lower Middle/Market/Defender Spawn

This is a simple but effective line-up that can help immensely with taking Middle Control. This Recon Bolt will reveal almost all of Lower Middle, Market, and some of Defender Spawn. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Look for this barrier at A-Main before the round start.
middleinfo6

2. Go to the leftmost corner.

middleinfo7 1

3. Place your crosshair just underneath this lamp here.

middleinfo8
image 15

4. Do a max charge with one bounce.

middleinfo9

5. When done right, the Recon Bolt should land here.

image 16

6. It will reveal Lower Middle, Market, and some of Defender Spawn.

middleinfo12 1

Sova in Valorant = Awesome

Sova is a fun agent to play in VALORANT. He not only looks cool (let’s admit it, he is the coolest looking Agent), but in the right hands, he can be downright terrifying to play against. A good Sova can reveal and weed out defenders from practically any spot on any map given his ability set. A skilled Sova will know where to place his Recon Bolts to gather information and coordinate strategies with his team to make site entries easier and safer.

These five Sova Recon Bolt line-ups are some of the most basic out there, but don’t let that fool you. These are also some of the most valuable line-ups you will come across in Ascent. These line-ups will reveal most of, if not all, the crucial cubbies, spaces, and angles in A-Site, B-Site, and Middle where enemies could be holding. You will be able to take space safer and quicker when you master these Recon Bolt Line-ups.

Ascent is a map that (although covered with towering buildings and fixtures) is a relatively open map in terms of spike sites and site entry points. It is not as bad as a map like Split, for example, where the Spike Sites are so small, and the angles are so tight that it is hard to get any value from your Recon Bolt.

The line-ups featured here are sure to give your team valuable information when Attacking on Ascent. Coordinate with your team, plan your attack, and reveal these areas for your team to ensure your victory!

Your babushka told you not to brag, but after you master these line-ups, you will surely be making an exception!

]]>
https://playerassist.com/sova-recon-bolt-lineups-ascent-valorant/feed/ 0
Beginner Aim Training Guide for Valorant https://playerassist.com/aim-training-guide-valorant/ https://playerassist.com/aim-training-guide-valorant/#respond Fri, 24 Sep 2021 22:20:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=207542

VALORANT is a tactical shooting game that requires good hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes, and good game sense. Even though VALORANT tries to differentiate itself from other tactical shooters through special player abilities, there is no denying the fact that precise gunplay is still the most important aspect of the game.

Beginner Aim Training Guide for Valorant

Why Should I Train My Aiming?

Even though certain abilities present in-game can inflict damage to opponents and teammates alike, the only reliable way of eliminating opponents in VALORANT is through the use of guns. Without the ability to reliably eliminate enemies with your gun through your aim, you will have a difficult time winning games in VALORANT.

Training your aim is similar to practicing a musical instrument; you will be unable to play better if you do not practice and build the required muscle memory for you to be able to play more efficiently and effortlessly. Therefore, aim training and having a good aim in general, is an essential aspect to mastering VALORANT. If you want to win consistently and climb the competitive ladder faster, you’ll need to put the time in.

It is important to note, however, that just the act of practicing is not enough. Doing something slowly but surely will yield better results than doing something quickly but sloppily.

Train Your Aiming at the Range

A selection of aim training apps are available online for players to download, like AimLab, but for simplicity’s sake, we will stick with VALORANT’S in-game aim training course aptly named “The Range.”

image 1

The Range offers a plethora of settings, scenarios, and configurations that help you create situations that will best suit the type of aim training you are trying to achieve. The Range is good enough for practicing aim basics and even more advanced aiming techniques.

Inside The Range, the player has access to unlimited guns, ammo, and abilities. Unlimited targets called Bots are available to use as training dummies.

Since we will be focusing on aim alone and not on Agent Abilities, any agent you choose on The Range home screen will suffice.

image 2
botscontrol
Once inside, you can access the training bots by using the control panel right in front of your character.
botscontrol1
The panels to the left show your current configuration for the Shooting Range.
botscontrol2
Speed dictates the frequency at which the bots spawn in the Shooting Range.
botscontrol3
Streak sets a target elimination goal against the clock
botscontrol4
You can set bots to either strafe or stay still.

The Two Models for the Shooting Range

  1. Start – Spawns single targets that appear and disappear slowly or quickly depending on the chosen speed.
  2. Practice – Spawns an army of bots that continuously respawn every time one is destroyed. Depending on the configuration, the bots can either be stationary or mobile.

Shooting Range Configurations

Speed – offers Easy, Medium, Hard settings. Controls how fast targets appear and disappear, tests reaction time as well as accuracy when flicking.

Streak – sets either a 50 or 100 kill counter against a running clock. This test evaluates how quickly you can move your crosshair to an area and eliminate targets consistently one after another.

Bots – dictates how the bots behave. Bots can either move left to right (Strafe) or stand still (Reset).

Bot Armor – enables or disables Armor on Bots. Simulates actual game scenarios where players might have bought armor for their characters. Bots are hard to kill when on and easy to kill when off.

(This is true for body shots. Headshots can be one or more hits to the head with or without armor depending on the gun and the distance you are shooting.)

Infinite Ammo – toggles unlimited ammunition on or off. “Off” is useful for practicing scenarios where you have limited ammo or are unable to reload.

Aiming Techniques for Valorant

Different in-game scenarios call for aiming techniques which we will briefly discuss. These techniques are usually called Flicking, Tracking, Bursting, Spraying, and Counter-strafing.

Flicking – Flicking is the act of quickly swiping your mouse towards the direction of your target. It is usually a single move action. Quick and Precise. Most prevalent movement while using scoped rifles. Although nasty flick shots can be done using just about any gun in-game.

Quick swipe to the left

Tracking – Tracking is the ability to keep your crosshair on your target regardless of their movement. Useful for targets that are on the move.

keep your crosshair on the head

Bursting – This is one of the most important techniques in VALORANT. Bursting is simply quickly shooting a small amount of ammo (3-4 bullets) towards a target, to minimize the amount of recoil. This keeps your shots accurate and resets your recoil faster, which then enables you to quickly unload another set of accurate burst fire shots in case you are faced with multiple enemies at the same time. 

burst
Check out how tight those bullet holes are #Bursting

Spraying – Spraying might be the most unreliable gunfight aspect of VALORANT. VALORANT simply does not have a reliable recoil pattern that players can learn and master. Most of the recoil in VALORANT is random. Therefore, while some guns in-game will benefit from Spraying, most of the time you are better off just firing off a quick burst of ammo than unloading your whole clip on a target. You will be more accurate and have a better chance of eliminating your opponent. With that said, it does have its place in some situations, such as up close and personal encounters.

spray
Bullet holes are all over the place

Counter-strafing – is the act of stopping either left or right movement by pressing the opposing movement key. (Quickly pressing “A” key to stop moving to the right. Vice-versa.) Although it is worth noting that Counter-strafing is not as crucial in VALORANT since simply not pressing the movement key in-game will stop the character from moving almost instantly anyway.

press a
When moving left, press A to quickly stop moving
D 1
When moving right, press D to quickly stop moving

Easy Aim Training Routine for Valorant

Aim training routines will eventually boil down to personal preference. After you have played enough games, you will realize how some drills translate better in-game than others.

However, if you are relatively new to VALORANT or tactical shooters in general, you might not know what to work on to improve your aim.

Let’s start with an easy routine that will help you get used to your current in-game sensitivity, build the discipline to find those headshots, and help you place your crosshair where you want it.

NOTE: Make sure that you set your in-game sensitivity to one where you are comfortable. One that offers you control without sacrificing speed and mobility. Avoid frequent DPI/sensitivity changes. These will only hinder you from developing good muscle memory.

Access the Shooting Range menu by pressing “F3” on your keyboard. 

Key points to consider when doing the aiming routine:

  • Aim for the head
  • Slowly but surely
  • Speed is the enemy. Accuracy is your friend. (Speed will come, accuracy is more important)
  • Take a 30-second break for each drill
  • Keep your mouse movements smooth and straight. Avoid unnecessary movements.

Routine Set 1: Use the Sheriff only! Headshots only!

  1. Start – Easy Bots – 3 sets
  2. Start – Medium Bots – 3 sets
  3. Start – Eliminate 50 + Strafe – 2 sets (follow the target with your crosshair for 3 seconds before you shoot)
easy1 3
Sheriff Only – Easy Bots – 3 sets
easy2 3
Sheriff Only – Medium Bots – 3 sets
easy3 1
Sheriff Only – Eliminate 50 + Strafe – 2 sets

Routine Set 2: Use the Sheriff of Guardian only! Headshots only!

Routine Set 2 is Routine Set 1, but with a twist: you have to keep moving left and right using the “A” and “D” buttons while shooting the targets. You are only allowed to stop to take a shot. Otherwise, you are moving at all times.

  1. Start – Easy Bots – 3 sets
  2. Start – Medium Bots – 3 sets
  3. Start – Eliminate 50 + Strafe – 2 sets (follow the target with your crosshair for 3 seconds before you shoot)

Routine Set 3: Use the Sheriff or Guardian only! Headshots only!

Routine 3 will take us out of “The Range”, and into “Deathmatch”. Here, we will only employ the tracking aspect of Routine 1 and 2. This means that we are only going to track enemies with our crosshair almost all game. Although whenever you get a clear and easy shot, take it. Why not have a little fun too?

Training Routine Rationale and Why Sheriff or Guardian only?

Routine 1 is to help you create a habit of placing your crosshair on the opponent’s head. Headshots are the quickest way to get kills in VALORANT. The better you are at finding heads, the more kills you can consistently contribute to your team.

Routine 2 helps you incorporate some movement into your shot. A non-moving target is an easy target. The side-to-side movement will make you a more difficult target to hit.

Routine 3 or the “Deathmatch” aspect of the routine pits you with real players, with real reactions to how you move and shoot. This helps you visualize more clearly how players might tend to move in a real game. Here you will learn to adjust to their movement accordingly, and incorporate what you have learned from Routines 1 and 2.

The Sheriff and Guardian are arguably the most difficult guns to use in the game. VALORANT is a low-time-to-kill game, which means that encounters never really last more than a few seconds. The Sheriff and Guardian only really rewards its wielder if, and only if, the wielder has pinpoint accuracy, and can land headshots consistently.

Body shots are a no-go for this gun, as you will need to land three body shots (two for unarmored) to kill an enemy, and by the time you land two, you would have already died. Add that with the high recoil and high accuracy-reset time, that makes the Sheriff and Guardian good for one thing and one thing only: Headshots.

This routine will help you land headshots consistently, which is the fastest way to net kills in VALORANT anyway. The Sheriff and Guardian introduce high visual and firing recoil (the screen visibly moves around a lot for every shot). This will help train your mind to focus on your target’s head regardless of whatever is going around the screen. Once you move over to the big boy guns such as the Phantom and the Vandal, their visual recoil is nowhere near as absurd as it is with the Sheriff. This will make it easier for you to land those easy headshots with almost any gun.

Hit ‘Em Fast

VALORANT is a very technical game that rewards accurate and consistent aim. The creators even market it as a game with “Precise Gunplay”. Landing headshots in VALORANT is satisfying and addicting.

Almost anyone who plays tactical shooters wants to have the best aim, but not everyone is willing to train for it. Discipline and consistent training is the key. So, if you want to improve your aim and rise through the ranks slowly but surely, then try out this basic aim routine. It will surely help you achieve better aim and reach higher ranks as you gain more experience in-game.

Last but not least, take it easy! Remember to have fun! VALORANT is just a game to be enjoyed with friends. You might even find that you aim considerably better when you’re just enjoying the game and not overthinking everything in the game. GLHF!

]]>
https://playerassist.com/aim-training-guide-valorant/feed/ 0
The Best Starter Cars in Forza Horizon 4 Ranked https://playerassist.com/forza-horizon-4-the-best-starter-cars-ranked/ https://playerassist.com/forza-horizon-4-the-best-starter-cars-ranked/#respond Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:10:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=209130

Forza is a very popular name in the Racing Simulation/Arcade genre. Synonymous with racing and car culture, Forza has become one of the most successful franchises in the history of racing games.

The Best Starter Cars in Forza Horizon 4 Ranked

Throughout the years, Forza has featured hundreds of real-world, high-performance machines and numerous iconic real-world tracks such as the Nurburgring Nordschleife, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Now Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca), and many more.

Ranking The Best Starter Cars in Forza Horizon 4 (Street Cars)

Right at the start of Forza Horizon 4, the player is given three cars to choose from. These cars are neither slow nor fast, but all three of them are very distinct from each other in terms of their handling characteristics and power delivery. The car you choose here will be used to complete a few events before you are given your next free car.

It is important to choose the right car at the beginning of the game because the car you end up choosing will give you specific handling behaviors that you need to learn and become familiar with to become a better driver overall.

Note: Everything that follows is within the context of these difficulty settings:

cr

3. The Uncle with A Midlife Crisis: Dodge Charger R/T

Dodge
Dodge Charger R/T

The Dodge Charger R/T is an American Muscle Car that American automaker, Dodge, made from 1966 to 1978. It features a 7-liter, naturally aspirated V8 engine coupled with a four-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

Under the hood, the Dodge Charger R/T makes a respectable 425 horsepower and 490 ft-lbs of torque. The Dodge Charger R/T weighs 3671 lbs, making this car the heaviest starter car on this list.

On paper, the Dodge Charger R/T may seem like the most powerful and fastest car on this list, but like Uncle Ben said: “With great power comes great responsibility.

How it feels in-game:

In-game, the Dodge Charger R/T feels as expected from an older American Muscle Car: Fast, powerful, but boaty.

The Dodge Charger R/T was never known for its handling characteristics since this car was made to rip up straight roads one quarter-mile at a time. The Dodge Charger R/T feels old when turning and slowing down. It is unbearably lethargic on switch-backs as well. On power, it kicks out the rear wheels like it’s a day job – it will do it all day. The whole package makes driving the car a very wild experience, not to mention hard to control.

You might say that “Hey, this is the best car to learn in then. It makes life hard now, so life can be easy later on.”

Yes, but no.

The problem is that the Dodge Charger R/T is not very competitive when you turn the difficulty up. Beginners will find it very hard to control the muscle car when it’s already going at a high rate of speed. In comparison to the other cars on this list, the Dodge classic feels like it’s got the power, but doesn’t have the springiness to back it up. Kind of like an uncle with grown-man strength, but “beer-belly” agility.

It does have the best exhaust note from this bunch, though.

2. The Boring Gentleman: Audi TTS Coupe

audi
Audi TTS Coupe

The Audi TTS Coupe is a 2-door sports coupe from German Automaker: Audi. It features a futuristic look and sharp styling that is very eye-catching and modern.

Under the hood, the Audi TTS Coupe packs a 2.0L turbocharged inline four-banger that makes 310 horsepower and 280ft-lbs of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission. It weighs just 3053 lbs.

The Audi TTS Coupe is probably the most boring car to drive among the three cars on this list. Don’t get me wrong, it is relatively fast, turns corners well, and has enough stopping power. The problem with this car is that it is too behaved. It understeers a lot so it is a lot harder to turn while you’re on the gas. Situations wherein you have to correct oversteer on corner-exit are almost non-existent.

Is that a good thing?

You could argue that different drivers have different driving styles. Some prefer oversteer so they can kick out the rear wheels and point the car where they want to. Some even prefer understeer to give the car a more planted feeling during corner exits. The problem lies within the goal I alluded to in the intro: which starter car can give you the most complete handling characteristics package that will help you hone your skills early on in the game. With that said, the Audi TTS Coupe will not give you oversteer situations that can help you catch slides or induce slides later on in the game.

For that reason, the Audi TTS Coupe is the worst starter car in Forza Horizon 4. It handles like it’s on rails. It feels stable and safe during both corner entry and corner exit. It gives you zero drama. It just does the job and does it well enough. The car is like that gentleman you meet at the high school prom; he is too kind, too well put together, he knows his thing, he treats you well, but man he is boring.

1. The Energetic Teenager: Ford Focus RS

focus
Ford Focus RS

The Ford Focus RS is a small sporty hatchback that Ford Motors made from the years 2016 to 2018. It features all-new styling for the 2016 model year, an all-wheel-drive system, and a Ford Mustang engine. Yep, you read that right, it sports a Ford Mustang Ecoboost engine under the hood.

The Ford Focus RS features the 2.3L turbocharged inline-four that was first used in the sixth-generation Ford Mustang. This gives the Ford Focus RS 350 horsepower and 350 ft-lbs of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a 6-speed transmission. It weighs 3446 lbs which makes it heavier than the Audi TTS Coupe and is almost as heavy as the V8-powered Dodge Charger R/T.

How it feels in-game:

In-game the Ford Focus RS feels the most energetic and ready in terms of handling. It accelerates and stops quickly. Changing directions feel very direct and instantaneous. It turns corners very well and holds racing lines like it’s on rails.

Now, you might be thinking: “Hey, that sounds a lot like the Audi TTS Coupe! You hated on that car!” – and you’d be right.

They are both AWD cars, so their handling characteristics will most likely be identical. What makes the Focus RS different is the way it behaves when driven hard: When braking before a turn, the Focus RS will shift its weight up-front in an almost exaggerated manner. This takes the weight off the rear wheels and transfers it to the front. The lack of weight on the rear wheels reduces friction, and in turn, reduces grip. With the added grip upfront, the Focus RS will effortlessly point its nose towards the middle of the corner and hold. With the reduced rear weight, the Focus RS will try to slide the rear tires, but since it’s an AWD car, the front wheels will also try to straighten the car up. The result is a weird kind of controlled drift or a powerslide if you will. It’s like the Charger R/T and the TTS Coupe combined.

Why this matters:

The Focus RS strikes a balance between control and chaos. It oversteers and understeers when you want it to. This is what we are looking for in a starter car: One that gives you enough control while at the same time induces enough out-of-control situations that keep you engaged and keep your driving techniques sharp.

Forza Horizon 4 includes off-road and rally races as well, new players need to be able to control slides well enough to become more competitive at the different races the game offers.

Pick Your Horizon

horizon

While we placed the Focus RS on top of this list, we also discussed how driving styles can differ. That’s not the only factor at play here as well: Players might simply prefer the look and sound of one car versus the other. In the end, Forza Horizon 4 is a game that is meant to be enjoyed, so pick the car that you think will give you the most enjoyment. After all, these are only 3 of almost 400+ cars available in-game. You’ll never know which cars await in the Horizon.

]]>
https://playerassist.com/forza-horizon-4-the-best-starter-cars-ranked/feed/ 0
Valorant: The Best Omen One Way Smokes on Icebox (Defending) https://playerassist.com/valorant-the-best-omen-one-way-smokes-on-icebox-defending/ https://playerassist.com/valorant-the-best-omen-one-way-smokes-on-icebox-defending/#respond Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:55:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=208757

In VALORANT, Omen is a Controller best known for his knack for out-playing opponents using his smokes, blinds, and his teleporting abilities. As a Controller, Omen is naturally equipped with a blueish-purple cloud of smoke that he can use to block off enemy vision within certain areas of the map, stall enemy pushes, or cunningly lurk behind enemy lines to secure easy kills for his team.

Valorant: The Best Omen One Way Smokes on Icebox (Defending)

Agents with any type of smoke ability are some of the most valuable Agents in VALORANT. Smokers like Omen are capable of blocking off crucial entry points toward any site. This helps your team reposition accordingly and take advantage of the angles that enemies would otherwise be holding, which is key to successfully attacking or defending any site.

Omen’s Dark Cover

omen smoke
Omen’s smoke ability: Dark Cover
omen smoke ethereal form vs real form
Dark Cover Toggle View

Omen’s Dark Cover costs 100 credits. He passively receives one for free during the start of each round. This makes Dark Cover a very cheap but powerful tool that Omen can use right from round one, and every round after that. The free charge also replenishes every 40 seconds.

Since each match in VALORANT is timed for one minute and forty seconds, Omen can theoretically place two more Dark Covers after he exhausts the first two at the start of the round. This gives Omen even more options for retakes and site takes as the game timer runs down.

Although Dark Cover is very good at covering and blocking enemy sightlines, it is actually hollow inside. Players need to be careful since enemies can lurk inside of these smokes and catch you by surprise.

Dark Cover can be placed at almost any location inside the map using either the Etheral View or the Normal View. Ethereal View is arguably the better choice when placing these smokes, as the Ethereal View gives Omen players an x-ray view of the surrounding buildings. Under Ethereal View, players can use Dark Cover with pinpoint accuracy and help players find the ideal “clipping spots” to land these smokes. This will serve a vital role in setting up Omen’s one-way smokes.

What Are One-way Smokes?

One way’s are smokes that are placed in such a way that only one person can see the other behind the smoke. This makes it a very valuable type of smoke that can net your team very easy kills while staying relatively safe since the opponents cannot see you behind the smoke but you can see them.

The way this works is with the Angle Advantage element that is present in VALORANT and just about any other tactical shooter. Basically, the closer the opponent is to the wall or any type of cover, the easier it is for another person situated somewhere farther away from that angle to see you. You can’t see them, but they can see you. This is a high-value tactic that many pro players use.

Get Sneaky Peeky With The Phantom

Since we are going to be taking advantage of the element of surprise with these smokes, it is very important to keep a low profile when trying to peek angles using Omen’s one-way smokes.

To do this, you will need a weapon that won’t alert the enemies of your exact location. The best weapon for the job is the Phantom.

The Phantom is an automatic rifle in VALORANT. It has three 30-bullet magazines for a total of 120 rounds. The gun sports some of the fastest firing rates in VALORANT as well as having no bullet tracers when firing. The gun costs 2900 credits.

No bullet tracers when firing means that you can take full advantage of the cover that one-way smokes provide. you can basically spam rounds and peek through the smoke safely. This will definitely help Omen players net easy kills and run back to safety while the enemies wonder what just hit them.

phantom 1

How to Do Omen One-way Smokes in Icebox (Defending)

We will show you a couple of the most useful one-way smokes in Icebox that you can use when playing as Omen on the defender side. These smokes are relatively easy to do, but some admittedly require some practice to get consistent at.

Nevertheless, these one-way smokes not only give you the unfair advantage of seeing the Attackers before they can see you, but they also provide a reasonable amount of coverage that you and your teammates can hide behind safely in case of fast/aggressive enemy pushes. Let’s begin!

beltsmoke
Broken one-way smoke. Enemies on the other side have zero visibility. Zero.

1. Omen One-way Smoke in Icebox B Green

B-site ‘Green‘ is one of only two reliable entry points to get into B-site. (The other entry point being B Orange.) This means that B Green is a very crucial space to defend when playing B-site. This works to Omen players’ advantage, as B Green is visibly very narrow, and is almost a chokepoint before Attackers can enter B-site.

Adding a touch of one-way smoke will only add insult to injury to the Attackers, and that works in our favor.

icebox green narrow
Very narrow entry points at B-site Green.
bgreen pov

There are two important smokes in B Green that you need to learn. This first one-way smoke will get you an easy kill when the enemies are not aware of the one-way smoke. This works best in low-elo (Iron-Silver) where most players are not aware of these mechanics. Still, it is possible to surprise even seasoned veterans with these one-way smokes when they are paying less attention to the game.

Here is the first smoke

  1. Look for this box in B-site:
yellow box green

2. Stand on top of this box and look for this doorway within the Ethereal View of Dark Cover. Press “E” to activate Dark Cover. Press the “R” key to switch views.

box
doorwayy b green

3. Click the left or right mouse buttons to adjust the distance of Dark Cover.

Move Farther

4. This is where you are going to have to find a fine line. A tip to find it faster is to align the green arrow so that it sits on top of the blue sphere indicator. Like this:

greenarrow
omen execute green

5. Press “E” to deploy Dark Cover

dcfly

When done correctly, the smoke should look like this:

darkcoverdeploygreen 1
useetheycant

This is the Attackers’ POV:

greenenemypov

As you can see, the enemies barely have vision over anything beyond the doorway, but you, on the other hand, can see their legs. This is enough information for Defenders to start shooting through the smoke and hopefully get a cheeky kill. Remember to use the Phantom only so you can mask the location where your shots are coming from.

2. Omen One-way Smoke in Icebox B Green (Retake)

Bombsite retakes are sticky situations that require careful team coordination to successfully execute. To make things easier for your team here is an easy but quite powerful Dark Cover that can turn the tides in your favor.

  1. Look for this container van in B Green:
container

2. Press “E” to enable Dark Cover and position the green arrow right on this edge of this container van.

containervan

3. Place the smoke once you have positioned it neatly. It should look like this:

containvan

Here are the Attackers’ POV behind the smoke:

green3
Attackers from Green cannot see the site
pov4
Defenders can see Attackers’ legs from Green
green2
Attackers can’t see enemies from this spot.
pov5
Defenders can see the legs of Attackers at Green.

3. Omen One-way Smoke in Icebox B Orange

As mentioned before, one of only two direct entry points into the B-site is through Orange which is a much narrower entry point compared to Green. Here is a one-way smoke for B Orange:

orange1
orange 2
  1. Press “E” to deploy Dark Cover.
orange2

2. Left-click or right-click to move the Dark Cover further or closer to you:

Move Farther

3. Position the blue center sphere on the top-left corner of Tube and place the green arrow above the letter “E”:

orange3

4. Deploy the Dark Cover:

orange4

If done properly, it should look like this:

orange5

Attackers’ POV from the other side of the smoke:

orange6

As you can see – they can’t. Attackers from Blue cannot see anything inside Orange at all while Defenders will clearly see the legs of the incoming Attackers. This can help you and your team eliminate potential threats from Blue-Orange before the enemies can even see you.

4. Omen One-way Smoke in Icebox A Pipes

This next one-way smoke blocks off multiple Attacker sightlines in A-site, including Headshot, Pipes, Top-Site, 410, and Gen if they are coming from A-Main. From Nest, Attackers will not be able to see 410, Top-Site, and Maze. From Belt, Attackers’ vision towards Maze is also blocked.

The one-way aspect of this smoke lies with the Defender playing Gen or the cubby in front of Gen. Here, the Defender holding Gen can see the Attackers’ legs while they are making their way towards the Orb. You can net your team easy early kills from this one-way smoke. It is also fairly easy to do. Here’s how you do it:

  1. Look for these rectangluar lights at Pipes:
pipes

2. Press “E” to enable Dark Cover. Switch to the alt view by pressing “R”.

pipes2

3. Align the small green position indicator arrow towards the middle of the right-side light. Like this:

pipes3

4. Deploy the Dark Cover:

pipes4

If done correctly, it should look like this:

pipes5
Defenders can see Attackers’ legs from this position.

Enemy POV from Pipes:

pipes6
Attackers can barely see anything beyond this area.

As you can see, Attackers from this area are at a great disadvantage if they choose to continue to push this area. They will only be gunned down for easy kills by any Defender holding Gen. This is a very powerful one-way smoke that you can easily employ every round to lock down A-site.

5. Omen One-way Smoke in Icebox A Belt

beltsmoke
Broken one-way smoke. Enemies on the other side have zero visibility. Zero.

This is by far the most broken one-way smoke I have ever discovered here in Icebox. This basically shuts down A Belt and deters any future attacks coming from this area. This angle is best held with an Operator so you can one-shot kill basically anyone who dares push this angle, although the Phantom can also do the job just as well. This is how you do it:

Note: This is by far the most complicated and trickiest smoke on this list. Practice will be mandatory to consistently place this smoke but the reward will be very sweet.

belt one way
Anyone holding this angle is basically a blind man.
  1. Stand on this area in Top-Site:
belt1

2. Look for these markings on Top-Site. Place your crosshair at approximately the middle part of this yellow-triangular marking. Make sure to hug the back wall.

belt5

3. Press “E” to activate Dark Cover. Make sure it is in Ethereal View, press “R” in case it isn’t.

belt3

4. Use the left or right mouse buttons to adjust the distance of Dark Cover.

Move Farther

5. Take the upper right corner of this “E” indicator, and align it with this corner of Nest.

belt4
belt6

7. Now, here is the trickiest part: Once you have aligned the “E” indicator to the aforementioned corner on Nest, you now have to quickly tap “W” to inch forward little by little until the green arrow sits between the Distance Bar and the Blue Middle Sphere. Like this:

image 116

8. Press “E” to deploy Dark Cover:

belt7

It should leave a small enough gap so you can see the Attacker’s feet/legs:

image 117
It should look more or less like this. Practice practice practice.

Enemy POV:

belt8

Though it might seem very tricky and difficult to consistently land in an actual match, remember that you have a few seconds before each round starts. That should be enough time for you to get to this spot and line up this one-way smoke. This is a good one-way smoke to master since Attackers love to peek from this angle, and this is one of the most common places that Attackers peek from.

Leave Your Enemies in The Dark… Cover.

That is about it! These are some of the most valuable one-way smokes you can learn on Icebox. These smokes are not all of the one-way smokes that exist in Icebox for sure, but you shouldn’t really be throwing one-way smokes exclusively with Omen anyway. His standard full-coverage smoke is still one of the most useful smoke covers in the game. Plan and smoke accordingly.

It is also worth mentioning that some of these smokes are definitely a one-off. Enemies will most likely adapt and devise new ways to enter bomb-sites to avoid being hosed down by the Phantom through your one-way smoke of doom.

Still, these smokes are fun to execute and play around with. There’s just something confidence-inspiring with knowing that while they can’t see you, you can see them. Use these smokes along with Omen’s other highlight-reel capable abilities with your own combos, and you’ll be leaving your opponents running like they’ve seen a ghost. Oh, wait.

]]>
https://playerassist.com/valorant-the-best-omen-one-way-smokes-on-icebox-defending/feed/ 0
VALORANT: How to Make A Circle Crosshair https://playerassist.com/valorant-make-circle-crosshair/ https://playerassist.com/valorant-make-circle-crosshair/#respond Mon, 04 Oct 2021 11:55:07 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=210733

Crosshairs are onscreen indicators seen mostly in first-person shooter (FPS) games. Crosshairs are usually displayed as an adequately sized cross in the middle of the screen, hence its namesake.

VALORANT: How to Make A Circle Crosshair

Different games have employed variations of this basic crosshair type throughout the years. As FPS games have evolved, developers have continuously added additional game information indicators into the basic crosshair, such as movement, friendly fire, hit confirmation, etc.

In VALORANT, crosshairs are not extensively customizable in-game, unlike CSGO. CSGO with the Community Map “Crashz Crosshair Generator” offers more crosshair customizability. Players are stuck with whatever the VALORANT in-game settings have on offer.

Those who want a one-of-a-kind crosshair will have to get creative with the in-game settings to make the funky-looking crosshairs they would like to see.

One unique crosshair gaining popularity recently in VALORANT is the see-through Circle Crosshair. You’ve come to the right place if you’ve always wondered how to make this crosshair your own.

What Makes a Good Crosshair

More experienced players will tell you that crosshairs are purely a matter of preference. A player might play great with a certain crosshair, but the moment they switch over to another crosshair, they start playing like hot garbage.

Finding a good crosshair with the ideal shape, color, and size is important. Some crosshairs might look great in Icebox but feel unusable in a close-quarters combat map like Split. VALORANT features maps with elements and backgrounds that have varying color palettes.

There are certain guidelines that players might want to follow to find a crosshair that works for almost any situation.

A good crosshair:

  1. Should be visible against any color background/player ability.
  2. As much as possible, be big enough to easily keep track of chaotic situations but small enough to be precise even from a distance.
  3. Should not be distracting. (Dynamic crosshairs are great for players learning movement and firing errors. Once they understand when they are accurate versus when they are not, they should probably turn this off.) Dynamic crosshairs are not recommended as they add visual clutter to the middle of the screen.

Considering the guidelines above, the Circle Crosshair doesn’t seem very good because it is small and slim. Some players might have difficulty keeping track of this crosshair when Abilities and Agents are flying across the screen.

6
Raze flying across the map. Just usual VALORANT things.

Still, if you want to try this unique crosshair, the next section will teach you how to make your own Circle Crosshair.

How to make a Circle Crosshair

The Circle Crosshair is very easy to make in VALORANT. Let’s begin:

  1. On the VALORANT Home screen, click on the gear icon to open settings:
1 17
image 6

2. In the Settings Menu, click on Crosshair

2 1

3. Click on this drop-down menu:

3 1

4. Select “Create New Profile”:

image 7

5. The game will prompt you to name the newly made crosshair. We will name it “Circle.” You may name it however you wish.

image 8

6. Click on “Primary”:

4

7. Scroll down, and look for the “Outer Lines” section:

image 9

8. Turn Outer Lines to “Off”:

image 10

9. Scroll up a little, and look for the “Inner Lines” section:

5

10. Copy these settings and input them under the “Inner Lines” section:

image 12

Show Inner Lines: On

Inner Line Opacity: 1

Inner Line Length: 1

Inner Line Thickness: 4

Inner Line Offset: 2

Movement Error: Off

Movement Error Multiplier: 1

Firing Error: Off

Firing Error Multiplier: 1

You can change the color of the Circle Crosshair, or any crosshair, by scrolling to the top of the Crosshair>Primary page.

image 13
You now have a Circle Crosshair!

Make the Circle Crosshair More Visible

If you find that the Circle Crosshair is a tad too small for your liking but want the visibility advantage it offers, you might want to try out this alternative Squircle (Square+Circle) Crosshair.

image 16
Squircle, not Squirtle. Though they are of the same color…
image 14

This Squircle Crosshair is not as difficult to keep track of, unlike the previous crosshair, since it is thicker and larger than the Circle Crosshair. This might trigger some people with OCD, though, since it is neither a perfect circle nor a square, for that matter.

Simply change the Inner Line section values to:

Show Inner Lines: On

Inner Line Opacity: 1

Inner Line Length: 2

Inner Line Thickness: 8

Inner Line Offset: 3

Movement Error: Off

Movement Error Multiplier: 1

Firing Error: Off

Firing Error Multiplier: 1

Fire In The Hole

7
Where did my crosshair go?

The Circle Crosshair offers good precision and great visual confirmation of where your crosshair is on the enemy’s head. This is because the Circle crosshair is see-through or hollow in the middle. Players can simply place their enemy’s head inside the see-through gap and land headshots all day.

The Circle Crosshair is quite small, which makes it less distracting for players. The Circle Crosshair also offers reduced visual clutter in the middle of the screen, which helps players focus on the enemies, not their crosshairs. However, it might also be difficult to keep track of when the action is turned up to 10

As discussed before, crosshairs are a matter of preference. This Circle Crosshair may or may not work for you, but you should still try it. Who knows? It just might be your new main crosshair.

]]>
https://playerassist.com/valorant-make-circle-crosshair/feed/ 0
All You Need To Know About Skins in VALORANT https://playerassist.com/need-know-skins-valorant/ https://playerassist.com/need-know-skins-valorant/#respond Thu, 07 Oct 2021 17:04:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=209935

Valorant Skins are the most sought-after in-game purchases in VALORANT. Skins don’t just look cool; some even have the added benefit of having cooler bullet tracers, firing sounds, reload animations, and even kill animations called Finishers.

All You Need To Know About Skins in VALORANT

These in-game skins give players a great sense of satisfaction. Some players even experience a personal performance buff or power increase whenever they carry their favorite skin. I know I do.

We’ve seen players even go as far as to chase around other players when they find out that the latter owns multiple gun skins the former might want to try. They proceed to request in-match gun drops and have the skin owner drop them a gun with skins on it. Admit it; we have all done this at one point.

What is a Skin?

ION
Ion Phantom

In VALORANT, skins are combinations of designs and animations that add flavor to the boring default designs named Matte Black Edition skin. In-game skins vary greatly in how they look, sound, and feel from one another. 

These skins add character to your gameplay and give players a way to personalize their look in-game.

Skin Price Tier

There are five skin price tiers in VALORANT currently. These skin are denoted in unique skin icons (From cheapest to most expensive) As you go up in price tier, the skins on offer become more and more feature-packed.

  1. Select Tier875 Valorant Points Single Skins / 2930 Valorant Points Bundles
1 145
smite
Smite Odin is a Select Tier Skin

2. Deluxe Edition 1275 Valorant Points Single Skins / 5100 Valorant Points Bundles

2 31
Neuro
Gravitational Uranium Neuroblaster Classic is a Deluxe Edition Skin

3. Premium Edition1775 Valorant Points Single Skins / 7100 Valorant Points Bundles

3 32
ION
Ion Phantom is a Premium Edition Skin

4. Ultra Edition2475 Valorant Points Single Skins / 9900 Valorant Points Bundles

image 153
elderflame 1
Elderflame Vandal is an Ultra Edition Skin

5. Exclusive Edition – Prices for Single and Bundled Skins Vary

4 23
yoru comb
Yoru’s Butterfly Comb is an Exclusive Edition Skin

Expect to see better graphics, animations, and sounds when spending a little more money on purchases. More expensive VALORANT skins feature cooler, and more complex elements as you go up the Skin-Tier Ladder.

How to Acquire Skins in VALORANT:

Acquiring skins is very easy in VALORANT. Players only really need time, patience, and money.

While there are other ways to acquire skins in VALORANT, such as through Player Contracts and the Battlepass, the easiest way is to buy them directly from the in-game store.

The in-game VALORANT Store holds daily “Offers,” which randomize the skins on offer every 24-hours. Players will need to have VALORANT points ready to acquire the specific skins they want. Sometimes they even have to wait weeks before a particular skin they wish to buy comes around in the VALORANT Store (I’ll get you one day, Reaver Vandal).

Players can exchange real money with VALORANT Points which they can then use to buy Gun Skins.

1 66
VALORANT GO! VOL. 2 Skin Bundle

If you play VALORANT daily and are shopping for some skins, it won’t hurt to check the Store daily. You’re not going to lose money by checking the Store, except maybe if a skin you’ve been eyeing suddenly appears a few days later.

BATTLEPASS

battle

Another way players can acquire free skins, player cards, sprays, and gun buddies is through the Battlepass. However, players will need to purchase the Battlepass for 1000 VALORANT Points in order to start reaping the rewards.

Grinding for the Battlepass is fairly easy. All you need to do is play a lot of games, and keep an eye out for your Weekly and Daily Missions. Once you have completed the required amount of XP, you can move on to the next Tier in the Battlepass. You can check which Tier has which items as rewards by browsing through the catalog.

daily

Simply hover your cursor over to this side of the VALORANT home screen to check your Daily and Weekly Missions. These tasks vary from player to player, so check your personal tasks to find out what you need to do to gain XP for the Battlepass.

Some of these tasks simply ask you to Deal Damage, Use your Ultimate, or Purchase Abilities in any of VALORANT’s various game modes to gain XP. Simple, right?

NIGHT.MARKET

You might be wondering if VALORANT Skins ever go on a discounted sale. Well, you’re in luck! Now further test that luck with the limited-time offers in NIGHT.MARKET.

NIGHT.MARKET is an extension of the usual VALORANT Store but with added perks. The Skins that are available on the NIGHT.MARKET are always offered for a decent discount. The NIGHT.MARKET features six unique skins that players can acquire at a reduced price. However, we have to mention that the gun skins on offer are the only ones you can get for the entire duration of NIGHT.MARKET. It will not randomize or change its current offers daily.

The NIGHT.MARKET only stays for 12 days, so check frequently and save up! You just might be able to cop your favorite skin for a great discount!

2 29

You can access the NIGHT.MARKET When Open by:

  1. Right beside Store click on this card-like icon:
nightmarket

2. Clicking on these cards will reveal the Skins offered on NIGHT.MARKET.

nightmarket1
nightmarket2
nightmarket3

As you can see, some of the skins on offer go for as much as 47% off the original price (at least on our NIGHT.MARKET). However, these skins are not as sought after like some other skins. Maybe that’s why they’re offered at such low prices. Nevertheless, these can be had for dirt cheap and is still way better than the default skin.

How To Buy Skins in VALORANT:

So you have finally saved up enough cash to splurge on your favorite skin. Oh and, lucky you, it’s on sale right now at the VALORANT Store! Go and purchase it right now, and keep reading to find out how to replace your boring old Matte Black Default Skin.

  1. Go to the VALORANT Store by clicking Store from the home screen.
    store
  2. Click on the Skin you want to buy.
    store2
  3. It should take you to the Skin Menu.
    store3
  4. Click on Buy Skin.
    store4
  5. A Purchase Confirmation Screen will appear. If you have existing VALORANT points, you can click on the left button.
    image 154

If you don’t have VALORANT Points but wish to buy some, you can click on the Purchase button that will take you to this page:

image 155

You can easily select the mode of payment you would like to use to buy VALORANT Points.

After buying the skin, you have upgrade options that you can buy using Radianite Points.

store5
Ion Phantom Level 1

Radianite Points are an in-game currency that you can use to upgrade your Skin Levels. Sadly, that’s the only thing it’s good for right now. However, VALORANT devs have discussed in the past that Radianite Points may be used to buy other in-game accessories such as the keychain-like accessory called gun buddies in the future.

Players can also buy Radianite Points by using VALORANT Points. Although, you cannot use it the other way around. The Battlepass also gives out Radianite Points as a reward.

There are levels to which you can upgrade your Gun Skin. We recommend that you always buy the Max Level for your favorite skins to get the most value out of them:

store7
Ion Phantom Level 2
store6
Ion Phantom Level 3 features more gun animations
store8
Ion Phantom Level 4 features a Finisher Animation

How to Equip Skins in VALORANT:

Now that you have bought your favorite skin from either the VALORANT Store or NIGHT.MARKET, you may now equip it so that it shows in-game. Here is how to equip the skins in VALORANT:

  1. Click on Collection from the VALORANT Homescreen.
    equip1
  2. Click on the type of gun you want to equip the skin on. For this example, we will equip a skin on the the Frenzy.
    equip2
  3. Located below are the skins you can use on your chosen gun.
    equip3
  4. Click on the skin of your choice and select Equip Skin located at the bottom-right of the screen.
    equip4

You can now use the gun with the equipped skin in-game.

equip5

Fragging In Style

VALORANT skins are an awesome way to personalize and customize your FPS experience in VALORANT. The devs have done a great job at not only changing how the boring black default guns look in-game, but they were also able to incorporate amazing animations, sounds, and designs to most of the guns in-game.

VALORANT skins come in a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes that alter some or even the entire look of the in-game guns. There is a skin for any style of player and playstyle.

Skins are also a great way to avoid getting hosed by your team whenever you end up bottom fragging the whole game. Just drop them some flashy skins, and your teammates will surely forgive you for underperforming.

]]>
https://playerassist.com/need-know-skins-valorant/feed/ 0
How to Use The Classic in Valorant https://playerassist.com/valorant-use-classic/ https://playerassist.com/valorant-use-classic/#respond Sat, 09 Oct 2021 13:07:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=211042

In first-person shooter games, players are typically given a free starter gun of some kind. For example, pistols are the most common starter gun in any first-person shooter game, but these guns are often weak, and players tend to forgo these types of guns as the game goes on.

How to Use The Classic in Valorant

As players progress in-game and amass a collection of guns, the starter gun is usually left behind and often forgotten, never to be used again. This is especially true for games with storylines such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, and the Far Cry series to name a few.

However, in tactical shooters such as CSGO and VALORANT, pistols are some of the most essential guns in the game, regardless of whether players already have a better gun such as an automatic rifle. The time-to-kill in tactical shooter games is so short that switching to the pistol is often quicker than reloading their main weapon.

VALORANT, in particular, has one of the most overpowered free guns in any tactical shooting game ever.

Enter, Le Classique. Better-known in-game as The Classic.

The Classic

classic
P2000 + Glock = Classic

If pistol-type guns are often shunned or forgotten in other FPS games, in VALORANT, no one will ever forget getting jumping-right-clicked in the face with the Classic.

Getting insta-killed with the Classic right-click is one of the most disrespectfully-hilarious plays in a game of VALORANT.

Imagine saving up 2900 in-game credits to buy an automatic rifle only to get stuffed in the face with a free gun. That kind of thing will send you into a tilted state and will surely affect your in-game mental outlook throughout the rest of the game.

If you have ever played CSGO, you might realize that the Classic is actually Riot Games trying to be like Professor Utonium when he made the Power Puff Girls. Riot Games took every ingredient – sugar, spice, and everything nice from CSGO’s P2000 and Glock and turned it into the perfect little gun.

The result is a P2000 on steroidsand this baby is buff.

The Classic has 48 bullets in total, with 12 rounds per magazine. It is one of the lightest guns in-game that offers the fastest movement speed at 5.73 meters per second when equipped, second only to having your knife out.

Players can switch to the Classic in 0.75 seconds and fire at a maximum rate of 6.75 rounds per second. Reload time is quick at only 1.75 seconds. Finally, the first shot spread is at a 0.4 degree spread after subsequent shots.

image 22

How To Use The Classic

To learn to use the Classic to its full potential, we first must understand how the Classic works, and when, where, and how you can be most effective with it.

The Classic falls flat on its face because of its low damage output and its inaccuracy at longer ranges. That is expected since it is a pistol, and it is a free gun, remember?

4 2
I shot this guy thrice. Three times on the chest. He is still alive.

Classic vs. Ghost

When comparing the Classic versus its counterpart Ghost, the Classic has the advantage in reload speed and bullet spread, despite their indicated stats.

The Ghost, on the other hand, will have the advantage at longer ranges. Its suppressed gunfire and overall damage are also better than the Classic, not to mention the greater bullet capacity.

image 26
Classic (Left) and Ghost(Right)
image 27
Classic (Left) and Ghost (Right) shot from long range

While shooting as fast as possible from a standstill, the Classic has the visually tighter bullet grouping regardless of the distance you are shooting from. However, you still have to remember to pace your shots and find the right balance between firing speed and accuracy.

image 23

The Classic is still purely a close-to-mid-range weapon at best, though. Players have to remember that the Classic only deals 78 damage to the head, 26 to the body, and 22 to the legs at 0-30 meters. While that damage slightly drops off beyond 30 meters to 66, 22, and 18 to the head, body, and legs, respectively.

Players will need to land at least two headshots at close range and three for longer ranges. Let’s not even talk about how many body or leg shots you need to land before you can kill anybody with the Classic.

Therefore, the Classic is a terrible weapon for long-range gun duels. This is why the Classic is often eschewed in favor of the Ghost on maps with longer sightlines.

1 19
Even Bots won’t die from one Classic bullet at close range. Smh

Don’t Make me Right-Click You

The Classic’s piece de resistance is its three-bullet burst alt-fire.

With the Classic’s right-click (or alt-fire), players are able to shoot a three bullet burst-fire. Each Classic bullet deals 78 damage to the head at 0-30 meters, so landing two lucky headshots with the right-click will almost instantly kill anyone at close range.

2 5
Three bullets right on the head.

You will be the most effective with the Classic by remembering these key points:

  • Keep it short (the distance between you and the enemy)
  • Play around corners
  • Alternate between left and right-click to reset the alt-fire inaccuracy
  • Stop and shoot
  • Keep moving
  1. Keep the distance between you and your enemies short. This means that you have to play the Classic the way it is meant to be played; like a shotgun.
  2. With number one in mind, you need to find tight corners to play the Classic right-click effectively. Look for a corner where enemies will have to fully clear the corner to see where you are and then catch them off guard with a Classic Burst-fire.
  3. A little-known secret for keeping the right-click of the Classic accurate is to alternate between the Normal fire and the Alt-fireGo ahead and try this in The Range.
  4. As with any gun in the game, you are inaccurate while moving. Stop to shoot, and then move to another position to be more unpredictable.
  5. It might sound contradictory to number 4, but this plays well with the high movement speed the Classic gives players while equipped. Keep moving to make you harder to hit, but always remember number 4.
image 28
Alternating between normal and alt-fire keeps alt-firing accurate,

Free Does Not Mean Terrible

There is a correlation between the price of an item and its perceived value. People tend to associate value with high costs. The higher the price, the better the value. Right?

The Classic completely obliterates that train of thought, at least in VALORANT. You can’t hate on the Classic. Ever. The gun is free, and you paid absolutely nothing to use it.

The Classic is an amazing gun when used correctly. All you have to do is play to its advantages to reap the rewards offered by this small but terrible gun.

Never sleep on the Classic. After all, you know you couldn’t force yourself to sleep last night after you got Classic’d clean on the face.

]]>
https://playerassist.com/valorant-use-classic/feed/ 0
CSGO: Become a Headshot Machine with A Custom Crosshair https://playerassist.com/csgo-headshot-machine-custom-crosshair/ https://playerassist.com/csgo-headshot-machine-custom-crosshair/#respond Sun, 10 Oct 2021 14:55:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=208417

FPS games will often employ an aiming guide on-screen that helps players line up their sights with their enemies. The most common of which is the simple crosshair placed in the middle of the screen. There are a wide variety of crosshairs available depending on the game you are playing. Some crosshairs may be big, small, thin, thick, have a wide gap, you name it, there is a crosshair for everybody.

CSGO: Become a Headshot Machine with A Custom Crosshair

In the past, changing crosshairs to the players’ personal preferences used to be very complicated. Players had to go to and open the in-game “Command Console” to change their crosshair. Not only that, players had to look up commands (A string of words that lets players change specific parameters in-game) online to change a single element (color, for example) in your crosshair. Players had to string together a ton of commands to achieve their desired crosshair.

Whatever the reasons are for changing the default in-game crosshair, this guide will help players personalize their crosshair to the one they are most comfortable with. Let’s begin!

CS:GO Crosshair Menu

defaultcross

One of the more recent changes CSGO brought to the game was the ability to change the crosshair through the in-game menu. This finally gave players a quicker, more accessible way of changing their crosshairs to their desired shape. This is a very welcome change in CSGO since players will no longer have to look up crosshair hacks online only to open the command console and then copy then paste these strings of commands to change their crosshairs. What used to be a daunting task previously is now a much more streamlined process.

Within the Crosshair menu, the player is greeted by a selection of crosshair elements that can be changed one by one. Here is what each setting does:

Opening CS:GO Crosshair Settings Menu

  1. From the CSGO homescreen, click on the gear icon located at the bottom of the left dock.
  2. Click on the Game tab.
  3. Under the Game tab click on Crosshair

Using the Crosshair Settings Menu

  • Crosshair Type – This changes the behavior of the crosshair when running, walking, crouching, or spraying. There are five different settings to choose from:
    1. Default – This is CSGO’s current implementation of a default crosshair. The default crosshair’s “legs” contract and expand depending on the type of movement the player is currently doing. This is also an indicator of how accurate your shot will be given the current movement being done.
    2. Default Static – This is non-moving counterpart of the “Default” crosshair type. Regardless of movement or position, the crosshair does not indicate how accurate your gun will be. It is simply the “Default” design. Nothing more.
    3. Classic – This crosshair type looks a lot like the original crosshair in Counter-Strike used through the years. This crosshair comprises the main crosshair, an outside “leg” that contracts and expands depending on movement, fire rate, and position.
    4. Classic Dynamic – As the name suggests, this crosshair contracts and expands according to the player’s current movement. The main difference between this and the Classic crosshair is the lack of an outside “leg” that indicates movement accuracy.
    5. Static – By far the most popular crosshair type in CSGO. This is a simple crosshair that does not move regardless of movement. More experienced players prefer this crosshair since they already have a good idea of the exact moments when they are most inaccurate. The Static crosshair provides a clutter-free and less distracting aiming experience.

Under the Crosshair Menu, a selection of settings is available for players to change individually. Here’s what each does:

image 79
Default
image 80
Default when shooting. Indicating Recoil
image 81
Default Static
image 82
Classic. No movement.
image 83
Classic. While moving and shooting.
image 84
Classic Dynamic. No movement.
image 85
Classic Dynamic. While moving or shooting.
image 86
Static. Will not move regardless of movement or while firing
  • Center DotAdds a dot to the center of your crosshair.
image 93
With center dot.
image 92
No center dot.
  • LengthThis controls how short or long the crosshairs “legs” are.
image 94
Longer length.
image 95
Shorter length.
  • ThicknessControls how thick or thin the crosshair “legs” are.
image 96
Thicker crosshair.
image 97
Thinner crosshair.
  • GapControls how far away the “legs” are relative to the middle of the crosshair.
image 98
Large Gap.
image 99
Small Gap.
  • OutlineAdds a black outline around each of the crosshair’s “legs”. Thickness can be adjusted using the slider.
image 100
With Outlines.
image 101
No Outline.
  • RedControls how much Red color there is on the crosshair relative to Green and Blue.
image 102
Maximum Red.
  • GreenControls how much Green color there is on the crosshair relative to Red and Blue.
image 103
Maximum Green.
  • BlueControl how much Blue color there is on the crosshair relative to Red and Green.
image 104
Maximum Blue.
  • AlphaControls the opacity or transparency of the crosshair.
image 105
Full Alpha.
image 106
Less Alpha.
  • Split Distance (For Classic Crosshair only) Controls how much the inner crosshair spreads out while shooting.
image 107
Large Split Distance.
image 108
Small Split Distance.
  • Inner Split Alpha (For Classic Crosshair only)Controls the transparency of the inner “legs” of the crosshair.
image 109
Inner crosshair is brighter than outer crosshair.
  • Outer Split Alpha (For Classic Crosshair only)Controls the transparency of the outer “legs”.
image 110
Outer crosshair is brighter than inner crosshair.
  • Split Size Ratio (For Classic Crosshair only) Adjusts the ratio between the inner and outer “leg” of the crosshair. A ratio of .5, for example with give you almost equal length between the inner and outer “legs”.
image 111
Low setting = inner ratio bias
image 112
High setting = outer ratio bias
  • T-Styleremoves the top “leg” of the crosshair to give players a “T” shaped crosshair.
image 113
Removes top crosshair leg
  • Deployed Weapon Gapchanges the default crosshair gap automatically depending on the equipped gun.
image 114
AK-47 Deployed Weapon Gap
image 115
P-90 Deployed Weapon Gap

Pros and Cons of the Different Crosshair Types

The different crosshair types exist for a reason. Aside from the developers wanting to add some variety, these crosshairs help you realize which crosshairs help you better in-game as you get better. Let’s break down the qualities that make these crosshairs good or bad in their default configurations:

Default Crosshair Pros

  • Looks Cool
  • Good size
  • Friendly-fire indicator
  • Good center dot
  • Indicates Firing Accuracy
  • Indicates Recoil
  • Indicates Movement Error

Default Crosshair Cons

  • Cluttered
  • Confusing elements
  • Not very visible in some areas
  • Too much going on

Default Static Pros

  • Looks cool
  • Good size
  • Friendly-fire indicator

Default Static Cons

  • Not very visible in some areas
  • Does not indicate Firing Accuracy
  • Does not indicate Movement Error
  • Does not indicate Recoil

Classic Pros

  • Clear and visible
  • Good center dot
  • Outlines make it stand out against any background
  • Indicates Firing Accuracy
  • Indicates Recoil
  • Indicates Movement Error

Classic Cons

  • Retracting “Legs” not visible sometimes. Needs to be configured to be useable.
  • Slightly too long

Classic Dynamic Pros

  • Indicates Firing Accuracy
  • Indicates Recoil
  • Indicates Movement Error
  • The entire crosshair legs move in case of Firing Accuracy, Recoil, or Movement Error

Classic Dynamic Cons

  • Slightly too long
  • Can spead out quite far off center
  • Requires Center Dot to be useful

Static Pros

  • Simple point and shoot
  • No elements which can cause distraction when playing
  • Clean

Static Cons

  • No Movement Error indicator
  • No Firing Error Indicator
  • No Recoil indicator
  • Difficult to know why some of your shots are not connecting.

What is the Best Crosshair to Use in CSGO?

The longer you play Counterstrike you begin to realize that some crosshair styles work better for you than others. This is because the best crosshair is truly a matter of preference. There is not a single crosshair that works better than others. Although as you rise through the ranks and get better at the game, you will start to identify some of the elements that make crosshairs either good or bad.

A good CSGO crosshair should follow these simple guidelines:

  1. It is visible on any background of any map.
  2. The “Gap” is wide enough for you to accurately land headshots.
  3. The “Thickness” is small enough to be both easy to see and easy to line up on the enemies, without blocking their bodies/heads entirely.
  4. The overall size nets you easy headshots even from a distance, but not one that is so small that it almost disappears mid-gunfight.

You might also want to get rid of the Dynamic Movement in some of the crosshairs presented here. Sure, they might be valuable for learning Movement Error, Firing Accuracy, and Recoil, but as you get better at the game, you will learn exactly when you are most inaccurate while moving, learn recoil reset times, etc. These dynamic elements make for a cluttered screen and a distracting aiming experience. 

I Still Have No Idea What Crosshair I Want

After learning all the Pros and Cons of the different crosshairs above, you might still not know the crosshair you need or want. In that case, we can opt to just copy existing crosshairs from the CSGO community through the popular Workshop Map: Crashz’ Crosshair Generator.

image 67

Crashz’ Crosshair Generator was released two years after CSGO was launched. It was a breath of fresh air for CSGO players since this Workshop Map finally allowed them to customize their crosshairs much easier than before. Several years later, Crashz’ Crosshair Generator is still a widely used Workshop Map in CSGO and is still very valuable even though CSGO now has its built-in crosshair customization menu.

To start using Crashz’ Crosshair Generator you have to download the map from the Workshop. This is how you do it:

  1. On the CSGO main menu click on the “Play CS:GO” button.
Untitled design

2. Open the drop-down menu and select “Workshop Maps”

Untitled design 1

3. Click on “Visit Workshop”

Untitled design 2

4. This will open the Steam Browser and take you to the Workshop:

Untitled design 3

5. Type “crashz crosshair” in the search bar:

Untitled design 4

6. Look for Crashz’ Crosshair Generator V3:

Untitled design 5

7. Hover your mouse cursor to the lower right corner of the thumbnail and click on the “+” button. It should begin downloading the map.

image 70

8. After it is done downloading, it should appear on your CSGO Workshop Maps page:

Untitled design 6

9. You can now open and explore the map:

Untitled design 9
Most of the in-game crosshair settings can also be found here.
Untitled design 7
Pro players’ wall of crosshairs
Untitled design 10
Pro Streamers’ wall of crosshairs
Untitled design 11
In-house shooting range

In this custom map, players will find a wall of crosshairs that features most of the popular streamers‘ crosshair settings, as well as current and past CSGO pros‘ crosshairs. All you have to do to use these crosshairs is click on any of them, and the map will automatically switch out your current crosshair for the chosen crosshair.

Inside this Custom Map is a more simple version of the CSGO crosshair settings menu. Here the crosshair can be changed in real-time, rather than using sliders and going back and forth between in-game and the crosshair menu. You can argue that the CSGO Crosshair menu can be accessed while in an actual game, though.

You can also save and share your crosshair as you wish. There is a wall for that called the “Crosshair Manager.” This is very convenient!

Note: In case you don’t like the crosshair you are currently trying, you can always revert to your original crosshair. Simply look for the “Crosshair Manager” wall and choose restore crosshair.

Untitled design 8

There are a ton of other features in this map that can help you find the perfect crosshair for you. It even features a mini shooting gallery where you can instantly try out how the crosshair performs in real-time.

Clicking on Heads Has Never Been Easier!

There is no singular, perfect crosshair, there is only a crosshair that is perfect for you. This simply means that crosshairs are the best example of something that is purely players’ preference. Crosshairs are not game-changing in general which means that whatever crosshair you might choose in-game will not affect your team, your enemies, and the matches you play. What matters most is that you the player, are comfortable with the crosshair that you are currently using, and can perform well with it. Good luck, and have fun with your new crosshair!

]]>
https://playerassist.com/csgo-headshot-machine-custom-crosshair/feed/ 0
VALORANT: 5 Bind Recon Bolt Lineups You Should Know (Defending) https://playerassist.com/valorant-5-bind-recon-bolt-lineups-know-defending/ https://playerassist.com/valorant-5-bind-recon-bolt-lineups-know-defending/#respond Tue, 12 Oct 2021 19:19:00 +0000 https://playerassist.com/?p=212046

Sova is an essential pick for any team on most maps in VALORANT. His skill set is just too powerful to set aside. The ability to see exactly where enemies are hiding through his Owl Drone and Recon Bolt is so powerful it’s almost like you’re wallhacking. He truly is a powerful addition to any team lineup.

VALORANT: 5 Bind Recon Bolt Lineups You Should Know (Defending)

We have previously featured Sova Recon Bolt Lineups for Attacking on Ascent on the PlayerAssist website which you can read about here: Valorant: The 5 Best Sova Recon Bolt Lineups on Ascent (Attacking)

In this article, we head over to VALORANT’s hot and humid desert ruins: Bind.

Sova Recon Bolt

26 3

Sova’s Recon Bolt is arguably one of the most valuable Signature Agent Abilities in all of VALORANT.

Recon Bolt is a cooldown-based Ability that refreshes every forty (40) seconds. Players can add up to two Bounces to the Recon Bolt Arrow which opens up a world of possibilities in terms of lineups. His Recon Bolt also features a charge meter so Sova players can alter the total distance the Arrow travels before it lands.

When used correctly, Sova’s Recon Bolt is the closest thing players can get to wallhacks without the repercussions associated with hacking. When placed at certain spots within Spike Sites, Recon Bolt can reveal most of, if not everything inside the Spike Site. This makes it a very powerful tool when Attacking or Defending bombsites.

Bind B-Site Difficult to Hold, But A is easy to Retake.

2 4

We will be focusing on Defending side on Bind because the unique map layout makes for a very difficult time for Defenders on B-site but makes retakes on A-site quite possible.

A quick look at Bind’s map layout will show that B-site is difficult to defend. It is very easy for Attackers to smoke off safe defensive sightlines. It is almost impossible for Defenders on B-site to safely hold angles from B-Hall and B-Elbow.

Defenders are forced to play within B-site, but there is only so much cover in-site that players can hide behind. High-flying Agents like Jett and Raze can easily take up so much space coming from both Hooka and B Garden. B-site Defenders are dead men walking.

This is where Sova’s Bind Defense lineups come in. These lineups can give your team early information right after the round starts. This is important because the earlier we figure out where most of the enemy team players are stacking, the faster we can coordinate and rotate as needed.

A-site is easier to retake since Defenders can come from four different angles at once. That’s pretty difficult to defend for Attackers playing post-plant.

Bind Defending – B-site Fountain/B-Long Early Information

32 1

Let’s start with B-site Fountain Recon Bolt. This Recon Bolt reveals most of the Fountain Area and all of B-Long. This is a common holding spot for Attackers since they naturally will want to challenge the B-site Garden Defender to take control of B-Long and advance to B-site.

Enemy footsteps are usually very easy to hear from Hooka. So coordinating with your teammate who’s playing Hooka can help your teammates from the other side of the map rotate accordingly.

  1. Look for this corner inside B Hall:
1 60

2. Stand on this corner and look towards B Garden:

2 12

3. Place your crosshair just under this hanging plant like this:

image 73

4. Do a Maximum Charge + One Bounce:

3 9

5. It should bounce off the wall and land here:

5 5

And reveal these areas:

4 9

Bind Defending – B-Short/Market Early Info

31 1

Bind B-Short is one of two entry points into Bind B-site. An early information Recon Bolt can help you and your team quickly determine the number of players in B-short. Your team will be able to rotate as needed, or you can even set up a pincer attack on the enemy if you’re feeling brave enough.

  1. Stand on the opposite corner of the B-Fountain Recon Bolt lineup:
6 6

2. Turn around and look for this steel wire here:

7 8

3. Place your crosshair at the intersection between the wire and the wall. Like this:

image 74

4. Do 2-bar charge + No Bounce:

8 3

The Recon Bolt should land here:

10 1

And reveal some of market and most of B-Short:

9 2

Bind Defending – A-Short Early Info

29 1

A-Short is another area in Bind where the early information you can gather from a Recon Bolt can be used to help your team rotate towards A or even push Hooka to gain an advantage.

This is also very useful since you, as Sova, can play from B-site and still be able to give your team information on A-short.

  1. Stand on this corner in B Hall:
11 1

2. Turn around and look for this window:

12 1
image 75

3. Place the right circle of the Owl Drone icon in this corner of the window:

image 76

4. Do a 3-bar Charge + No Bounce:

13 1

If done correctly, the Recon Bolt should land here on A-Short:

14

And reveal most of A-Short for your team:

15 1

Bind Defending – A-Site Default Plant/Lamps Retake

27 2

The area behind Tank on Bind A-site is one of the most common planting spots in Bind A-site. Attackers can make A-site effectively smaller by cutting off vision using agents with a wall or smoke ability like Sage, Phoenix, Viper, or Omen.

Since your teammates will most likely be walled off or smoked off from Default, this Recon Bolt will give your team information about where the enemies are even if you’re rotating from B-site.

  1. Stand on this same corner on B Hall:
11 2

2. Look for this crane:

16 1

3. Take the bottom of the left diamond of your Bounce Indicator and place it on this corner on the crane:

image 78

4. Do a 3-bar Charge + One Bounce:

17 1

The Recon Bolt should bounce off of the crane:

image 79

And land here:

18 1

It should reveal off of these areas here:

19
20

Bind Defending – A Showers/Baths Early Info

30 1

The last Recon Bolt on this list reveals outside Showers/Baths area and some of Attacker Spawn/A-short. This is a very valuable Recon Bolt to learn because Showers/Baths is an important area to control for Attackers. This last Recon Bolt is easy to line up and can help give you and your team the early Showers information you need.

  1. Stand in this corner of the Triple Boxes:
21 1

2. Turn around and look for this vent:

image 80

3. Place the bottom of the right Diamond Bounce Indicator on the tip of this vent:

image 81

4. Raise your crosshair until the “Charge” bar is parallel with this building here:

22

5. Do a 2-bar Charge + No Bounce:

23 1
24 1

The Recon Bolt should land here:

25 1

And reveal most of the areas outside Showers/Baths and some of outside A-short

26 2

Every Team Needs A Sova

bind

That’s about it! These Recon Bolt lineups are mostly designed to give your team early enemy information in Bind. Whenever you find yourself on Defense in Bind, these lineups can help you play mostly from B-site and still be able to help your team at A-site.

That is a huge plus for your team because Sova can still use his Owl Drone to scout out enemies from B-site even if he decides to use his Recon Bolt for A-Short, for example.

Sova really is a very versatile and essential Agent for almost any map. Bind is just one of those maps.

Well, Sova is essential in every map anyway. (except Split maybe)

]]>
https://playerassist.com/valorant-5-bind-recon-bolt-lineups-know-defending/feed/ 0