Winning your 1v1s: Three tips to help dominate skirmishes in Valorant

Every Valorant player has been in this scenario. Your toxic teammates all die, trading off their kills, leaving you to pick up the spike and face the last standing defender. You try to outmanoeuvre him by switching sites, but he gets the upper hand and hides, waiting for you. He comes out, and you lose your trigger discipline and the round.

A lot of Valorant players go through this kind of situation, and many new players still find it challenging to win a 1v1 situation, which can be the little difference between Victory and Defeat. This article will give you a few tips you can use when in a tense 1v1 situation, whether as a defender or an attacker.

Focus on the aim at hand

So many players tend to get into the zone of the 1v1 that they forget the real aim of the round. Remember that Valorant is a tactical shooter for a reason and is significantly different from other FPS titles. You need to plant the spike as an attacker, and for a defender, you must defend the spike where ever the location is. There is also a situation where the last enemy player is heading towards the site to plant. In that situation, your focus should be on defending that site too.

Focus on planning ahead by setting up traps and keeping your crosshair at where he will show up. Most players forget these things and start searching for the attacking player. This can lead to him sneaking past you and taking site.

As an attacker, you need to be quick. Get to the site, and make sure you use your recon dart or other information utilities to get info on his location. Always focus on the objectives, and be sure you can get the kill before being aggressive. If you are not, then focusing on your aim is your best bet.

Use your utility

An average valorant player already knows how to shoot, but the pros know how to use their utility. There are many clips of line-ups that take out your opponent in a 1v1 situation, and using your utility can give you an edge over your opponent. Using your agent’s smokes can cover your entry and confuse the enemy. Using other abilities that can divide the site, like Astra’s stars and Harbor’s abilities, can help too.

You can also blind the enemy using your Duelist’s utilities too. If you are a defender, you can use your abilities in a more defensive way, like using Phoenix’s Blaze. This ability creates a wall for your opponents to pass through and give you a chance for easy pickings.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You might think you can become better at 1v1 situations without practice and simply spamming countless games and dying several times. However, if you have terrible aim or movement, you will die before it becomes a 1v1. You need to learn your Lineups and understand your favourite agent. By practising, it comes down to raw skill in shooting and strafing. You can secure the win, and it will also boost your confidence and allow you to be more aggressive with your strategies.

Conclusion

Using Utilities, practising and focusing on the aim at hand can help you secure the win in a one vs one situation in Valorant matches. By following this page and learning how to increase your ACS in Valorant, you will find more tips on how you can get better at Valorant in general.