Valorant ranked guide: 5 tips for pistol rounds

Pistol rounds are a crucial part of Valorant's competitive matches. It helps teams understand the adversary's playstyle early in the game. It also helps a team analyze their strengths in the ongoing match and how they can be improved.

Many players tend to ignore the importance of the first round, but winning a pistol round can deliver fruitful outcomes for a team.

Note: These tips are subjective and reflect the author's opinion.

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Five tips to win every pistol round in Valorant's competitive game mode

A pistol round can be responsible for not only setting the momentum for any team but can also help influence the mindset for the very next round. A first win can easily reinforce their confidence that it can lead to victory. Mentioned below are five tips that players can utilize to win every pistol round in Valorant.

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1) Do not save Credits

Saving usually works when a team does not have enough Credits to purchase a weapon in the next round. Winning a pistol round gives enough Credits to a team so they can purchase an SMG afterwards. However, losing the round and saving with utilities does not provide any benefits.

Upon losing a pistol round, the team should ideally save their Credits for the third round in a half. This is to ensure they have enough money to buy a rifle. Saving a pistol for the second round makes it absolutely useless as now the player will not get any extra Credits.

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2) Purchase the right abilities

Pistol rounds can be extremely effective in a half. Hence, winning the round should be a top priority for any team. Agents in Valorant can afford utilities in the first round that can easily ensure victory. For example, Controllers and Initiators must buy their smokes and recon utilities to flush out enemies off the site.

Many players make the mistake of purchasing absolutely nothing that eventually leads to a heartbreaking loss in that particular round. The main goal of the pistol round is to overwhelm your opponents with utilities as they also have nothing but a sidearm to stop the enemies.

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3) Buy a weapon based on your Agent

Valorant currently features five total sidearms suited to certain Agents and their respective playstyles. Purchasing a pistol also revolves around getting the correct ability for the character. Agents like Jett and Sova can go for a Sheriff in the pistol round if they can deal enough damage to the opposition.

Usually, it is recommended to purchase a weapon like Ghost or Frenzy so some Credits can be used to purchase a piece utility. Good utility can be paired with a pistol to make the most out of an Agent's kit.

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4) Avoid purchasing Shorty

Shorty is a pocket shotgun in Valorant that can only fire two buck shots at short range, which makes it a liabilty in long-range fights. Moreover, Shorty needs to be reloaded after only two shots. It can be purchased for a price of 200 Credits, but the weapon comes with a significant amount of drawbacks. Players should avoid using Shorty in the attacking half as taking gunfights against enemies from multiple angles is not the weapon's forte.

However, it can be a good pick on defense for a few free kills. It is recommended to drop the weapon on the ground before the buy-phase ends so the player can go back to their Classic when needed.

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5) Purchase Shields based on enemy team's composition

If opponents are running Agents who can dump a lot of utility, buying armor can prove to be a good investment. Armors can negate damage from lethal utilities such as Brimstone Mollies, Viper Snake Bites, and Raze Paint Shells.

It is understandable that purchasing Shields does not take priority over essential utilities, but it can still help players live another day when going up against an overwhelming amount of opponent abilities.

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Players can use the aforementioned tips to ensure they come out triumphant on the other side of a pistol round in Valorant. Some of these can also be altered depending on the gamer's playstyle.