The Showstopper Raze is one loud duelist and with the right style of play, she’s a deadly Valorant agent Equipped with a self-destructive Roomba and deadly grenades, she’s the perfect mix of an initiator and duelist.
Raze popped out as the loud, jolly, but lethal duelist among the original 10 agents in Valorant. She was the only strong option in the role after Jett. The addition of newer, more aggressive agents may have dimmed her shine, but she remains popular among her loyal fanbase. Her simple grenades are still unique in a protocol loaded with tactical powers.
Raze’s abilities, and how Valorant fans should use them in play
Valorant agents can be complicated to learn, but Raze is likely the simplest duelist, apart from her satchels. Here’s how to play Raze in competitive games.
Boom Bot (C)
Boom Bot, also called car or Roomba, is a cute robot that runs around sniffing for enemies. It clears up tight corners, allowing Raze to push in safely. However, at 300 creds, Boom Bot is pricy. So, don’t toss it around aimlessly.
At a lower level, players often release the Roomba to gather the information, which may render it useless. It’s best to throw it as a mode of drawing out spotted enemies. Release the Boom Bot when the team’s intel-gatherer has already revealed an opponent’s location. The bot will deal damage, making it worth the investment of 300 creds.
On defense, it’s best to use the Boom Bot when you’re playing close angles. Release the bot as soon as you hear multiple enemies pushing in. It can buy time to get to safety, call for backup, or tenderize enemies.
Paint Shells (E)
Paint Shells are likely the simplest, most straightforward ability in Valorant. They work like plain-old FPS grenades, except they’re much more deadly. Raze gets them for free, and they recharge after two kills.
Paint Shells work best when combined with either Boom Bot or an initiator’s scouting tool. Toss them when you are sure multiple enemies are making their way toward you. They’re also helpful in dealing damage and sometimes finishing off enemies hiding in tight corners. Again, this is best done with information obtained from either a bot or Sova’s dart.
Blast Pack (Q)
The Blast Pack, typically known as “satchel,” is likely the trickiest part of Raze’s kit. Green players might struggle to get the hang of these toys but they’re very important as a mobility tool. At 200 creds, Blast Packs are a worthy investment.
Those who don’t know how to execute specific, situationally useful tricks should use the Blast Packs to get a positional advantage. If the thought of slinging in the face of enemies scares you, do a simple jump during the buy phase to get on an elevated angle. Use Satchel to get on top of crates or walls to take down enemies pushing in from an alternate line of sight. The off-angle will warrant easy kills on weapons like Judge, Shorty, and more.
How to use Raze’s ult?
Raze’s ult isn’t the best one in the game due to the high point requirement and low success rate. To squeeze full juice out of Showstopper, players must master satchels to shock enemies within a 10-second window.
If you’re not the best at Satchels, use the ult on the attacker side before entering the bomb point. Enemies will move back instinctively upon hearing the ult cue.
Shoot it at the most predictable entry point to block it for a few seconds while your teammates plant the Spike. On defense, use it like you do grenades. Break out the Showstopper upon hearing multiple footsteps and then Satchel to safety. Though she’s an offense-focused agent, the best way to play Raze is still a style that keeps her alive more often than not.
