In Valorant, all agents are sorted into four different role categories:
Duelist,
Initiator,
Controller, and Sentinel. Today, let's hone in on what it means to be a Sentinel and how it affects the way someone plays the game and works with their teammates. Spoilers: Sentinels are kind of a big deal.
What is a Sentinel?
In Valorant, Sentinels exist to support their teammates and be defensive experts. Since their powers lend to more defensive strats, they also are often expected to be strategic leaders. They should use the information they and their teammates accumulate to assess a situation and devise a plan of attack or a solid plan to defend the bomb sites.
Even though their abilities are still used to manipulate the battlefield, theirs often work best to protect a point or to ensure the safety of specific paths that their teammates use a lot.
The Sentinel Agents
As far as each Sentinel goes, they both have specialties: Sage is a fantastic mobility manipulator and healer. Her abilities slow or block certain paths, as well as help keep her teammates alive. Cypher is better suited for defensive information that protects his teammates' fronts and backs. His skills help him have an understanding of where enemy agents may be coming from, letting the team prepare for any oncoming attacks.
Let's give a couple of specific examples of support and defense:
Sentinels should be played by altruistic, observant gamers. They still need to be able to shoot, but accuracy isn't as important as in other roles. Instead, Sentinels need to pay close attention to their teammates, the map, and the strategies that will help their team survive.