The Valorant Protocol has a lot of mysterious agents in its ranks, but few reach the anonymity of
Omen. Absolutely nothing is known about his origins. As an Valorant agent, codenamed Wraith, Omen is highly mobile and shrouded in darkness.
So let’s give the best tips on how to play Omen, Valorant’s shadiest controller.
Omen Basics
In combat, Omen uses shadow tactics to block sightlines, flank enemies, or provide cover/distractions for his teammates. Omen’s greatest ally is the element of surprise, and all his abilities reflect that. Whether he’s using the shadows to move around or blinding enemies with darkness, he can be a hard foe to keep track of.
Shadow Step (C)
Omen equips his shadow walk ability and picks where to teleport to (within his sight and ability range). Then, with a quick animation, he appears at the new location. Shadow Step is great for repositioning, giving him a better vantage for firefights. However, the enemy does hear a sound when Shadow Step is used, indicating its usage, so it likely won’t go unnoticed.
This ability costs 100 credits and a player can only keep two in their inventory per round.
Paranoia (Q)
Omen shoots a projectile straight forward, reducing the vision of anyone it touches for a short period of time. It can shoot through walls, so a player should consider that when they want to use it. If it isn’t safe for Omen to try to teleport around enemies, Paranoia is great for blinding them and giving Omen an upper hand.
This ability costs 200 credits and a player can only keep one in their inventory per round.
Dark Cover (E)
Omen’s signature move is Dark Cover. He equips a shadow orb and, depending on the Omen’s range and the area, shoots it to a specific, visible spot. A spherical shroud of purple and black mist appears, making a visual void. Its smoke lasts for 15 seconds before disappearing and putting the ability on cooldown.
Unlike the other abilities, Dark Cover not only has a 35 second cooldown, but also two charges, so it can be used multiple times within a single round. Both can be recharged after the cooldowns end. In practice, Dark Cover is very similar to moves like Jett’s Cloud Burst.
From The Shadows (X)
Omen opens a tactical map and can choose anywhere to teleport. Wherever he chooses, his body will appear as a shade until the travel animation ends and the player enters the new body. If an enemy destroys the shade, it will cancel the teleport.
This ultimate ability costs 7 points and should be used to surprise the enemy, flank defensive positions, and move around the map. However, always be careful of your teleport placement and the threat of enemies waiting for you on the other side.
Team-Based Tactics
Omen does his best in team situations. Though he seems like the loner-type, he’s actually a fantastic team support. His Paranoia and Dark Cover are perfect for providing cover for his teammates and blocking lines of sights while approaching key points.
Once his cover is down, Omen can also be a great help during a group attack. For example, Omen can teleport behind the enemy for a pincer attack or he can teleport on top of Sage walls, making him a key part of surprise attacks. Omen’s best work is done when he uses his abilities to be where the enemy least expects him.
Solo Combat Tactics
If Omen is left on his own, he should apply all those team-protecting tactics to himself. Using Dark Cover and Paranoia, he can get the drop on enemies by making them lose sight of him and giving himself the combat advantage. The element of surprise, unsurprisingly, applies just as well to solo tactics.
Because of Omen’s unique mobility and sight-blocking, he also is a great candidate for being a shotgun master. All a player needs to do is to be able to effectively close the gap between them and another player and a quick pull of the shotgun’s trigger can do the rest.