5 tips to make the most of the Phantom in Valorant

Riot Games' Valorant offers a flexible arsenal of weapons for players to yield alongside powerful abilities. The popular tactical hero-based shooter features an incredible balance of gunplay and utilities, making the game a favorite among fans of the FPS genre.

One of the most popular weapons in Valorant is the Phantom, a silenced powerhouse that costs 2900 credits to purchase. Players yielding the rifle can make use of a host of benefits. The bullet tracers are not visible to the enemy, letting players fire through any visual barrier without showing their exact location.

The pricey rifle is less effective in long and mid-range due to its falloff multiplier. As a result, some players who can vouch for their aim placement and accuracy prefer weapons like Vandal and Guardian.

To counter Phantom's disadvantages, one may adopt a few tips to help utilize the weapon's full potential in Valorant.

Note: The article reflects the writer's opinion.

---

Here are a few tips for mastering the Phantom in Valorant

1) Try holding close angles with the Phantom

The Phantom is exceptionally potent in close range and, at times, in the medium range too. However, it doesn't have the same advantages in long-range fights where a Vandal or a Guardian triumphs. Counter this disadvantage by forcing enemies to approach you from close range in Valorant.

Hold tight angles as a defender instead of peeking at the mid-section or a long pathway. As an attacker, try approaching the site through a path that encourages close-range fights instead of taking the usual long/main entrances. Phantom may not be an ideal weapon in Breeze, where most encounters tend to happen in long range.

---

2) Spam away with the Phantom in Valorant

Ever wondered how you get hit on the head through smoke? It's probably because you have given out your location by firing through the barrier with a weapon featuring bullet tracers. Avoid spraying through visual barriers using a Vandal, as it will give out your location, letting enemies get their revenge on you.

Spamming bullets as a defender is a popular and valuable tactic and may even get you some free kills. To make it more effective, use a Phantom to spam and hit surprisingly accurate shots.

---

3) Aim at neck level when using a Phantom in long range

Phantom isn't unusable in long range, but its falloff multiplier requires players to hit an extra shot alongside a headshot to kill an enemy. To tackle this issue, aim at neck level when using a Phantom in Valorant.

If you aim at your enemy's head with a Phantom, the force from the burst will cause the bullets to go over the target. Thus, aiming at your opponent's neck will help score those two lethal headshots at long-range and maintain head-level accuracy with the weapon.

---

4) Viper's Pit = Phantom

Whether you are a Viper in her Ultimate or someone looking to tackle a Viper in her Ultimate, try picking Phantom over Vandal. The latter may be lethal on the head at all ranges, but Phantom sports higher accuracy and fire rate, which are essential advantages in close range.

Needless to say, Viper's Pit exclusively calls for close-range fights. Hence, the Phantom is a beast inside the much-dreaded large mass of poison clouds. Even when looking to tackle an enemy Viper inside her Pit, use a Phantom to spam bullets in expected positions. The absence of bullet tracers makes the silenced weapon a hero in such situations.

---

5) Play aggressively but take calculated fights

Due to its close-range supremacy, Phantom is highly beneficial for holding chokepoints. Retakes are often easier with a Phantom than a Vandal, as the former allows players to adopt an aggressive approach from close range.

Unlike Vandal, Phantom will require much-more calculated decisions from its owner. For example, one yielding a Phantom is always at a disadvantage in long-range against Vandal, which doesn't feature a falloff multiplier. Hence, make sure not to take fights that are unfavorable to your situation.

Phantom is also friendlier with movement than Vandal in Valorant. Running and gunning with Phantom at close range can offer players a significant advantage. Duelist Agents like Neon and Raze can make excellent use of the rifle in combination with their movement skills.