Valorant is finally out and weapons are the most important thing. In our big guide take a closer look at them. Today we continue with the Phantom.
At the moment there are 17 weapons in Valorant, but we can expect even more to be added in the future. The variety is great: From the sniper to the shotgun, to the assault rifle. The tactical shooter lives up to its name, but which weapon is suitable for which agent? Which strategy should one pursue with which weapon and what is the shooting pattern, damage, and the rate of fire? Read on to find out.
The Phantom - flexible at long distances
A strong sniper is all well and good, only the reloading and fire rate make it a bad choice for aggressive gameplay. If you like to keep all doors open and want to shoot fast, even at a long range, it's best to use a rifle like the Phantom. Whether you're attacker or defender, the Phantom will be a good choice. It can be used to secure points or to launch a surprise attack. Since it is quieter and fires faster than its direct competitor, the Vandal, it makes a perfect run-and-gun weapon.
Damage, fire rate, spray pattern
First off, yes, the Phantom is a rifle. And yes, its rate of fire is high and effective. However, one thing should not be forgotten: aiming. The difference in damage between a headshot and a body shot is immense. Where a headshot does up to 156 damage, depending on the distance, the body does a maximum of 39 and a hit in the legs does a mere 33 damage. The magazine holds 30 shots and 11 bullets are fired per second - in alternative firing mode, it is 9.9 bullets per second. Be careful with the recoil, it may be tempting to hold the trigger down, but then the gun warps significantly. At first, the phantom moves upwards and then moves in a shooting pattern from left to right. Here comes the keyword: muscle memory. The shooting pattern has to be memorized and balanced in the fight without much thinking. The recoil comes, the mouse moves with it. This is best practiced in the Valorant training area.
Phantom strategy
This weapon is perfect for players on the move, which is totally different from run and gun. Remember the Phantom is an assault rifle and not an SMG, so shooting while moving won't net you good results. Surprise an opponent, take him out, and then disappear quickly. This works because the Phantom has a silencer and won't give away your position, so you can be sneaky-beaky with it. If an enemy is close to you spraying might be the better way to go, as its fire rate is quite high. Unlike the Vandal, the Phantom won't kill with one hit to the head in long-range, so keep that in mind.
Phantom is nice #VALORANT pic.twitter.com/arqQQfXOvx
— Aaron (@MagnumRayZ) June 9, 2020
When should we buy the Phantom?
With 2,900 credits, the Phantom is no bargain. That's the same cost as the Vandal, so you'll usually have to choose between the two. It is a perfect weapon for the mid-to-late rounds. We don't recommend using this rifle right at the beginning or in the first rounds, because it doesn't pay off economically and it might end up in your enemy's hands. Make sure to communicate with your team if you're doing a full buy and wasting all your credits.
The best agents for the Phantom
The Phantom is an all-around talent, so any hero can use it, whether it's attacker or defender. There's no specific agent which benefits that much from it, but someone like Phoenix can rush in with his ultimate and come back with a fully loaded weapon. The best agent for the Phantom is you, so make sure you hit that training area and master the recoil pattern of the rifle. Once you're comfortable spraying with it, you'll have no trouble mowing through multiple enemies with a single magazine.
READ MORE WEAPON GUIDES:
As always, you can find more tips and tricks about Valorant on EarlyGame, for example about Breach and how to play him.
