Phoenix: a guide to the fiery Valorant Duelist

Valorant has an entire roster of combat-ready agents who can handle an entire team on their own, but few are as fiery as Phoenix (literally). This hotshot Brit is a Duelist who is just as self-sustaining as he is a powerful pyromancer.

So let’s give the best tips on how to play the agent with great hair, Phoenix.

In combat, Phoenix uses fire-based abilities to damage and disorient enemies. Meanwhile, thanks to Phoenix’s passive, those same abilities can help firestarter heal himself and survive rounds with ease. When he’s standing in Blaze or Hot Hands’ burning flames, he heals 1 hit point per 0.16 seconds.

But whether he’s burning an opponent or firing up his own health, Phoenix is the self-care response to overtly aggressive Duelists like Jett.

Phoenix equips a flame wall. The player then presses C again to place it. The wall will have an 8-second duration. It can block enemies’ line of sight, but they can walk through it if they want. If they do that, though, they will take 1 HP of damage per .033 seconds (meaning they take 3HP damage per second!). So, they’ll have to decide if the calculated risk is worth it.

This ability costs 200 credits, and a player can only keep one in their inventory per round.

Phoenix equips a ball of fire. Firing it with Q, it curves around a corner and blinds anything in its radius. That includes enemies and allies. Curveball lasts for 1.1 seconds, but that’s enough to do a lot of damage.

This ability costs 200 credits, and a player can only keep two in their inventory per round.

Phoenix’s signature ability is Hot Hands. This move lasts 4 seconds. With a ball of fire in hand, Phoenix shoots it at a spot on the ground or can bounce it off a wall for a clever trick shot. If a player gets good at the physics of the ability, they can accomplish some oppressive volleys.

Unlike the other Phoenix abilities, Hot Hands has a unique price: kills. After using it once in a round, Phoenix has to kill two other players to be able to use it again. So, unless a Phoenix player can rack up kills, and fast, they probably can only use Hot Hands once per round.

Like Blaze, Phoenix can use Hot Hands to heal himself.

Phoenix hits X, and a marker is placed at Phoenix’s location. From there, Phoenix has 10 seconds to run around the corner or break into an area and attack the enemy. When the 10 seconds are over or Phoenix dies, the player is taken back to that initial marked spot with their previous amount of health. Be careful, though. If the enemy finds the red marker while Phoenix is away, they can shoot him down the second he reappears.

This ultimate ability costs 6 points and should be used to break into defended areas, clear out a well-hidden enemy, or do some damage/cause some chaos before the team proverbially “storms the castle.”

As a Duelist, Phoenix should be leading in kill counts. In team situations, that means Phoenix relies on disruptive abilities (his own and fellow teammates’) to engage and break defensive lines. Then, Phoenix can sweep in and clean up. It’s Phoenix’s job to see those openings and take advantage of them. For some examples, Curveball is vital to pushing past choke-points, and Run It Back helps clear out defenders on the point.

When defending points, Phoenix is a key player in tracking down the enemy and doing damage before they can even get to the point. Blaze is perfect for blocking their way, and Hot Hands is great for dealing damage or forcing them to back off.

If Phoenix is alone, he should focus on using their abilities to pick off enemies and keeping his health sustainable. Not everyone is just protecting points, so if he goes behind enemy lines, he can do a lot of great work to thin out the opposition.