How to use fiery entry fragger Phoenix in Valorant

Fariha Bhatti Published 05/09/2022

Jack-of-all-trades Phoenix can be a force to be reckoned with in the right hands. His fiery kit is designed for smaller maps that may be a handful for other duelists.

Valorant has six duelists, each suitable for different situations and maps. While most aggressive characters in Valorant require heavy support, some are self-sufficient. Reyna and Phoenix are excellent examples, as they’re perfectly capable of acquiring real estate on their own. Reyna excels at entry, but no one has mastered all trades quite like Phoenix. The fiery Brit edges out Reyna with his versatile kit that blinds, burns, and heals.

How to play Phoenix in Valorant

In the current meta, Phoenix isn’t as popular as he was at release. But his viability remains solid when used correctly. Here’s how to use Phoenix’s toolkit to win your competitive Valorant games.

Blaze (C)

Phoenix’s short barrier works similarly to Viper’s wall, as it helps slice small areas into two. Using this, the agent can gain site control on maps like Bind, Haven, and Fracture, where entry crossing doesn’t have solid barriers and is a small distance.

However, Phoenix’s ability to curve his wall makes it better than Viper’s. Hold fire to bend the wall in the direction of your crosshair, creating tricky angles against enemies. The enemy will deal heavy damage if they dare cross the barrier, whereas Phoenix can use it to heal. Blaze also comes in handy during post-plant situations as it keeps enemies away from the Spike. Equip the wall and wrap it around the Spike before starting to defuse.

While Blaze heals like any other Phoenix fire, it’s not recommended to use it for healing in most scenarios. You must stay on top of the fire in order to gain health, which can be risky. Use Blaze for healing when all nearby angles are secured.

Curveball (Q)

Curveball is Phoenix’s flash and one of the many reasons he shines on smaller locations. Unlike Kay/O and Skye, Phoenix’s blind works best in close-range duels. To squeeze full juice out of it, stick close to a solid wall and snap before peeking. All enemies on the other side will be flashed.

The snap works for both the left and right sides. Use Blaze as your temporary barrier if you don’t have a wall nearby to dodge the blind. Enemies rarely ever expect a flash coming through Phoenix’s firewall. Place your Blaze down in an open area, enter the cover, and snap your fingers to peek through it.

Hot Hands (E)

Phoenix’s healing powers come from Hot Hands, a molotov that burns enemies but restores life. However, most players use his fire to lock areas at the round’s beginning. The best way to use Hot Hands is to heal after picking up the first duels.

Instead of playing passive and slowing down enemies, consider using flash first to get intel. If you deal damage, step back and use Hot Hands to both pause a push and regain health. The lingering fire zone is large enough to block out small entrances while healing Phoenix behind cover, so use it smartly. It’s better to waste it than die, so don’t hesitate to use it defensively. Hot Hands comes back in stock after two kills, meaning it works best when Phoenix is fearless and aggressive.

How to use Phoenix’s ult?

Phoenix gets his name from his power to return to life after being reduced to ashes. His ultimate is a great way to regain full health and information and do heavy damage while at it.

Always start Phoenix’s ult from a safe area closer to the site entrance. If you begin too safe but are far from a danger zone, then the ult may run down before you can gain any value from it. Run it back stays up for ten seconds, so anticipate the distance carefully. You may also request your teammates to cover the starting point if you’re too close to danger.

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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