In a game that currently boasts a roster of 11 playable agents, an agent with a 100% pick ratio in every match is guaranteed to attract attention. So, it certainly comes as no surprise that Sage continues to be picked in every ranked or unranked match- either by you or your opponents- in Riot Games’ Valorant.
Sage might initially come off as a mere healer but she has an incredible amount of carrying potential as well. Her Barrier Orbs and Revives are some of the most irritating abilities to deal with during a match as they act as a big ‘nope’ button for attackers who want to aggressively push onto a site.
Much like Brimstone, she is quite a balanced agent (only after the nerf in 1.01 as she was outright broken before) and is considered by many as an S+ Tier agent in Valorant.
So, if you want to master her, then here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Sage Abilities in Valorant
Nationality: China
Agent Description:
“Sage creates safety for herself and her team wherever she goes. Able to revive fallen friends and stave off forceful assaults, she provides a calm center to a hellish battlefield.”
Abilities:
Sage possesses a series of cool abilities in Valorant
- Slow Orb - Sage throws out an orb which breaks when hitting the ground and creates a field that slows enemies down when they walk on it. Apart from getting slowed down, any enemy movement will also make some noise.
- Barrier Orb - Sage will be able to create a large solid wall which cannot be passed through but can be broken or jumped on top of. Right-clicking before casting will rotate the orb in all directions.
- Healing Orb - Sage can either heal herself or an ally that she targets with the cursor to full health over a few seconds.
- Resurrection - Sage will be able to target the corpse of a fallen ally and then revive them to full health after a short delay.
Gameplay Tips and Tricks
#1 Block off potential entrance points
Block off potential entrance points in Valorant
While in defence, Sage’s abilities are amazing at stalling out enemy pushes and helping your team rotate faster onto a site, especially if they see that the attackers are predominantly focusing on one site.
Her Slow Orb will be able to create a surface on the ground that will slow down opponents when they try to walk over it. The wall can also block off entrances and seal enemies in, forcing them to lose precious time.
These two abilities alone allow her to hold off plant sites in Valorant all on her own.
#2 Wall can act as a vision blocker
While Sage might not be as potent in attack as she is on defence, she does have qualities that help in certain attacking situations in Valorant.
One of her most important qualities is her ability to apply the Barrier Orb to create a wall, which cuts off enemy vision.
Post-plant, you can even get cheeky with the barrier and use it to completely guard off the spike. Defenders will then have to shoot through the wall to gain access to the spike, wasting precious defuse time, and giving away their location to the rest of your team.
#3 Don't feel shy to heal or revive
Most inexperienced Sage players in Valorant will either hold on to the Healing Orb for themselves or use it on allies when they’re very low. This is a bad habit to have in the game and will often make you lose rounds rather than win them.
It’s important to heal your Valorant allies whenever you see them get hit below the 60% mark. Do not wait for it to be around 20% as they can easily get killed by a single stray bullet by then.
Always revive when you get the chance. Unless it’s a 1v5 situation on either side, reviving an ally will benefit you in the long run. However, do not revive an ally in front of an enemy or they will be shot down immediately.