Valorant Phoenix Guide – How to play Phoenix like a pro

Phoenix is one of the five agents that are automatically unlocked for new players. Phoenix is a duelist with a very familiar set of abilities, making it easy for FPS and all players alike to learn how to use Phoenix in Valorant. Here, we’ll cover all aspects of how to play Phoenix in Valorant, ranging from a simple breakdown of his skills, important mechanical tips & tricks, to the agent’s strengths & weaknesses.

Image Credits | Riot Games

Valorant Phoenix guide – Skills

C – Blaze – Create a wall of fire that blocks vision. Passing through the wall of fire will heal Phoenix but deal damage to all other agents, including both allies and enemies. Costs 200 credits, only one purchase.
Q – Curveball – Throw a flash in a short distance that bends either left (left click) or right (right click). When the flash triggers, all agents in sight are blinded. Flash duration is increased when the agents are looking towards the flash and pops on their screen. Costs 250 credits, two can be purchased
E – Hot hands – Throw a fireball that burns the ground. Phoenix will heal while on top of the fire, however, all other agents including allies and enemies will be damaged on contact. One initial free use, reset after two kills.
X – Run it back – Marks your current location for 10 seconds. While active, Phoenix’s next death will restore him back to 100 health and return him to the marked location.

Valorant Phoenix tips – Improve with a few easy steps

C – Blaze – Upon casting the firewall, hold down C to slightly bend its direction. This is especially useful when using the wall for entry to block vision from key angles.
Q – Curveball – Standing close to a corner when flashing will create a longer arc / proc time, giving the enemy the advantage to dodge the flash and shoot before you pull your gun out. Stand back at the maximum distance before the flash pops around a corner. This will lower the amount of time an enemy can react to the flash, making it extremely hard to turn away from.
Q – Curveball – Named the Korean flash, instead of flashing around the corner towards the enemy, throw it the other way. This will allow you to peak the enemy quicker, as the flash is thrown behind you but in direct sight of the enemy. While you are flashed shortly, it is only for a split second as it is triggered behind, compared to the enemy which is forced to turn away or get flashed for 2+ seconds.
E – Hot hands – Phoenix’s hot hands will always drop straight on the ground after a fixed time in the air. When moving forward, Phoenix’s Hot hands will consistently land in the same range as your movement sound range on the mini-map.
X – Run it back – If you are aware the enemy is nearby, try to cast ultimate further back and around the corner. This will prevent enemies from pushing your marked location and killing you once again.
X – Run it back – Try push as far as possible and close clear corners while Run it back is active. This will allow you to gain a large amount of space for your team, and hence, better control of the site. When it is about to expire, throw Hot Hands on enemy entry points to prevent the counter push.

Strengths

Beginner friendly – Phoenix’s Valorant gameplay is quite straightforward with no major tricks or complicated line ups necessary. He is equipped with a flash and molotov of sorts similar to CS:GO, making the transition easy for those who have played FPS games in the past. Having the ability to self heal and a second chance to fight again with his ultimate also makes Phoenix a more forgiving agent than most.

Free – Phoenix is only one of two free duelists in the starting line up. Given Jett’s high pick rate, Phoenix is a great option to choose for those looking to frag out in games and climb the ranked ladder on their own.

Versatile – Phoenix is a strong agent on both attack and defense. Phoenix’s Hot hands and Run it back allows him to stall a large amount of time on the defenders side. On attack, Phoenix can solo entry by blocking vision with his firewall and flashing out to gain quick entry kills.

Counters

X – Run it back – Phoenix’s ultimate locations are often the same, and easily approximated by his loud footsteps. After Phoenix’s initial body is downed, agents like Breach & Brimstone can use their abilities from a distance to kill Phoenix for a second time, invalidating Phoenix’s ult.

Sova’s Recon bolt – When Phoenix casts Blaze, only vision is blocked, with bullets still passing through. When Phoenix’s wall is up, there will be reduced reaction time to shoot an enemy Sova’s recon arrow / dart. This most often allows the dart to scan allies on the other side of the wall, allowing Sova and other enemies for a one-sided shootout.

Astra’s Gravity Well – Due to Phoenix’s lack of mobility on entry, he can be easily displaced and made vulnerable with Astra’s gravity well.

Image Credits | Riot Games

Ending note

New to Valorant? Learn more about the Valorant ranking system. While Phoenix may not be seen often in professional play and on Valorant betting due to his playstyle, he remains a top solo queue option to climb the ranks.