Valorant tactical guide: How to lurk like a pro in Riot's tactical shooter? 

Being a tactical first-person shooter, Valorant demands strategic executions alongside aim accuracy. An attacker cannot simply barge into a site without considering a defender's position. In most cases, defenders will hold certain angles, making it impossible for attackers to approach a site without casualties.

To tackle the situation mentioned above, players may choose to lurk and catch a defender off-guard. Defenders can embrace the tactic too. Lurking is a great way to secure kills and take opponents by surprise. However, it is also vital for the lurker to keep themselves safe.

Not every Agent's kit and role are built to lurk. The most suitable Agent classes for lurking in Valorant are Sentinels and Controllers. That said, there's no rule for being sneaky, and anyone confident with their aim can approach the tactic, regardless of the Agent they play.

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Here's how one can lurk like a pro in Valorant

Lurking is when a player chooses to play away from his teammates to secure important kills of enemies who are flanking or rotating or to provide essential intel. Such players usually hold unexpected positions on the map, often to cause hiccups in their opponent's plans. It's a very popular strategy in competitive Valorant.

Some players in Valorant excel at lurking, while others do better with the team. To execute the tactic efficiently, one needs to communicate with their teammates. Agents like Chamber, Cypher, and Killjoy feature traps that can easily disrupt the plan. Hence, the primary step is to dodge your opponent's traps.

One way to tackle a trap is to kill the Agent associated with it. However, that may not be possible at all times.

Agents like Astra, Viper, Jett, and Omen can smoke on the trap to avoid triggering Chamber's Trademark. Cypher's Trap Wires are not easy to dodge. So, the best way to tackle Cypher's utilities is to wait for a teammate to secure his kill. Killjoy's Alarmbot is also challenging to dodge unless one breaks it.

When lurking, destroying or triggering a trap will only alert your enemies. Hence, if you run into one, abort the plan and try a different route. If you notice a trap and cannot cross it, consider holding a safe position near it for a while without triggering it. You may catch an unsuspecting opponent passing through.

Otherwise, provide your teammates with important sound cues while holding that position. A lurker holding an important position near the choke point on the map can be an excellent source of intel for the team. If the trap is deactivated after your teammate secures a relevant kill, consider moving forward with your plan to lurk.

If a player plans to lie low and wait for the right opportunity, they must not give away their position. Make sure to walk at all times and stay alive for as long as possible. It's extremely important for a lurker to be patient.

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Which Agents are best to lurk with?

While there are no restrictions on who can lurk in Valorant, some Agents like Astra, Viper, Omen, and Cypher can be very good at it. This is because these characters can stay true to their role from the other side of the map.

Yoru, a Duelist on Valorant's Agent roster, features the perfect ability kit to sneak into a site. Chamber can also be a good lurker, owing to the firepower-heavy kit that allows him to easily pick kills from a distance.

Eventually, it all comes down to how much practice players put into their lurking skills. So, use every opportunity to lurk, and with time, you might be able to master it.