Shroud's new Fade lineup on Icebox is too OP

Fariha Bhatti Published 09/05/2022

Fade is not just your regular blackmailer. The Valorant agent is also an ace trickster who exposes enemies from their hiding points, as shown expertly by FPS pro Michael “shroud” Grzesiek.

The latest Initiator Fade has turned out to be a meta-shaker. She has quickly found her footing in the intel-gatherer roster despite the master of Intel, Sova. Her fierce cats have allowed her to become a centerpiece in almost all agent compositions. It’s safe to say that Fade is the new top Initiator in Valorant.

Popular Valorant streamer and former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Shroud also appears to be a Fade fan as he’s whipped up a unique setup of his own. This particular Fade lineup on Icebox A site shows that Fade shouldn’t be taken lightly on defense.

How to play A site Icebox with Fade

shroud has demonstrated how to expose enemies on Icebox’s A site using this Haunt lineup. This sneaky setup scans all hidden attackers within the complex maze.

https://www.tiktok.com/@shroud/video/7091674574982597934?_t=8S7GtudvTDi&_r=1

Haunt is OP, but it’s also easily dodgeable in most cases. When enemies spot the massive cat, they instinctively take cover, rendering it useless. But shroud’s Haunt works because the enemies won’t see it coming. The streamer demonstrated that the E ability could be tossed through the tiny opening on top of backside A.

For this Fade lineup on Icebox, walk back on top of A haven and place your crosshair so that the Haunt can slip through the small aperture. The tiny rope will move through, hitting the top of the maze and ultimately turning into a massive cat upon hitting a solid surface. This cat will be tough to dodge, revealing enemies in all choke points. Nearby teammates can capitalize on this intel and wipe out the vulnerable and exposed attackers.

This is a highly viable setup to lockdown A. It can also be paired with the toolkits of other agents to render maximum damage. For example, Raze can toss nades on exposed areas, and Brimstone may activate ultimate if multiple enemies are stuck in an inescapable maze.

Is Fade good on Icebox?

Fade is a highly viable agent on Icebox due to the map’s verticality. Her toolkit becomes an absolute menace to play against due to the small size of the location. The terror trails follow enemies across the entire location, making her absolutely deadly.

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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