Valorant: A counter-strafing guide

If you think shooting games are a walk in the park, think again! The unique mechanics of every title raises the overall skill roof for every shooter to come out. When it comes to mechanics, barring a few features, Valorant and CS: GO are very much alike.

Counter-strafing is the best way to use the first-shot accuracy in Valorant. This skill refers to the fact that the first bullet you shoot while standing still will land right where you aim. For those who are stepping into the world of competitive shooters, counter-strafing may sound useless and borderline intimidating. You must still learn this technique if you want to have a good run in the multiplayer circuit.

Counter-strafing in Valorant

To break it down in simple terms, consider you're moving to the right in Valorant by pressing the 'D' key, and then you immediately press 'A' to move to the left without losing any velocity. When you're making the transition from right to left, your character temporarily stops for a tiny moment, and the shot you land at this moment is going to be deadly accurate.

If you haven't tried it before, head over into the shooting range in Valorant, pick up an auto rifle, and try it out. You'll notice the change in accuracy as you begin getting used to it.

Once done with the basics, you'll want to start working on the duration of the stop. You can choose to reduce the workload by shooting only when you're counter-strafing from right to left while hitting the same spot. It's about muscle memory. Once you've eased up in one direction, it'll automatically translate to the other direction.

Bear in mind that counter-strafing counts only for the first shot. So, spraying would be counterproductive in this situation.

Image Credits: pcgamesn.com

The other method in Valorant is known as 'ADAD counter-strafing.' Since this game doesn't allow peeking at corners, this method will let you peek with ease, although you have to get accustomed to it before doing it effectively.

In a nutshell, all you need to do is spam your movement keys in low intervals, allowing you to peek effectively. Instead of counter-strafing here, you'll be moving off in the same direction by stopping at very short intervals.

Wherever they run, may you find them!