Here are 4 tips for winning more aim duels in Valorant

Fariha Bhatti Published 17/07/2021

Do you ever whiff easy shots in Valorant even after spending hours on the practice range? You may be neglecting other crucial factors while focusing too much on your aim.

Winning a duel isn’t all about pointing your gun at an opponent’s head and clicking. While it is a significant part of defeating an enemy in a one-on-one, you may want to consider other aspects to let your aim shine through. Often, ace snipers find themselves losing easy duels despite having a high headshot rate on Aimlabs and other practice ranges.

Here’s how you can ensure that you win most of your one-on-ones in Valorant.

Always be mindful of your positioning

Off-angles are your best friend in Valorant.

It’s recommended to keep switching positions and take off-angles before picking fights. An off angle is any position that will force the enemy to flick to you after they turn a corner, for example being on top of boxes while watching an angle rather than being on the ground.

Pushing in recklessly, no matter how good your aim, is never a great idea. Before picking a duel, you need to evaluate your position. Often, players succumb to enemies due to predictable angles that a skilled opponent would always check. For example, holding Radianiate boxes on Ascent’s A short is basically inviting an enemy to shoot you in a blink.

Don’t be afraid to back off and reset

One of the easiest ways to catch enemies off guard is by being quick. The reason why many players prefer Jett in Valorant is because her kit can save her a lot of trouble in messy situations. While people focus in on the offensive capabilities of her movement, its defensive application is no less important.

If you mess up your spray in a one-on-one, or get the kill and see other enemies coming in behind them, don’t be afraid to back off, reset, and try to make another play.

Watch your crosshair placement

Stick your crosshair to the edges.

Even when you’re not in the middle of a firefight, you need to pay attention to your aim placement. You don’t want your crosshair to be far from the edges of an object or a wall when an opponent peaks, otherwise you won’t be able to make the split-second play to take them down or deal serious damage. It’s always best to have your crosshairs on the edge of the corner you’re watching at head level.

This trick works in all situations, except when you have enough intel to push an enemy aggressively. In this situation, try pre-aiming angles in anticipation of an enemy being around a corner.

Reaction time is still important

You can’t afford to be slow in shooter games. Always be faster than your enemy to win more duels.

Instead of shooting stationary bots in practice range, try shooting moving targets in Aimlabs or a similar field. Reaction time is key in first-person shooter games. Shooting moving targets will sharpen up your peripheral vision and, in turn, allow you to focus better and gain an edge over slower enemies.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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