Regardless of which map you're playing in VALORANT, planting the spike is one of, if not, the most integral part of the game on a round-to-round basis. While it may seem like enough to get the spike down and begin the defending process from any potential retakers, the position where the attacking team plants the spike has more tactical potential than might meet the eye. The concept of keeping sightlines open while playing totally around angles is an extremely important part of the initial stages of a round. Getting the spike down in a spot where it's going to keep the attacking team in an advantageous position as they transition to defense is a massive factor in what decides the round as a whole. In this guide, we'll go over the best possible locations to plant the spike on every site for every map in VALORANT.

Ascent

A-Site

This plant location is right behind the green boxes on A-site on the side closest to the site’s far wall. It works extremely well because it gives attacking players clear sightlines from Tree, Heaven, and A Main with a direct shot at the spike should a responder get past your defenses once you take the site. Regardless of where you’re playing when looking at the spike, you should be in prime position to get a clear view of it.

B-Site

Behind the green boxes on the far end of the site is usually a safe place to plant the spike on Ascent’s B-Site. Dropping the spike here should open things up immensely as defending players looking to retake will often converge from either side of the site. With this plant, you can lie in wait, taking out any defenders with wallbangs. Alternatively, you could use the square proportions of the map to corner off anyone attempting to retake. The angular positioning of Ascent’s B-site makes this particular plant a safe bet in many situations.

Bind

A-Site

This planting location will give you the upper hand in terms of its angular disposition. Bind’s A-Site is unique in that it plays by a strict “four corners” rule. Anyone pushing onto the site is going to have to do so by one of its four entry points — Mid, Heaven, Defenders’ Spawn, or Bathrooms. Planting the spike directly in the center of the site like this covers all of those bases and gives the attacking team a clear sightline.

B-Site

Because of the varying obstacles on this site that can tend to obstruct a peeking player’s vision, it’s best to leave the spike completely out in the open here. A typical mistake that many players make in regard to Bind’s B-site is hiding the spike inside of the cargo crate, when in fact, your goal should be to do the exact opposite. With sightlines extending to Garden, Hookah, and Elbow, anyone attempting to retake the site will be left vulnerable and completely out in the open.

Haven

A-Site

As one of the more dangerous sites to plant on in VALORANT, Haven’s A-Site leaves attackers completely out in the open if they aren’t careful. While it’s tempting to get behind the centermost box and remain in cover during your plant, you don’t want to completely hide the spike from your teammates. To compensate, plant the spike slightly towards the Short-A side of the site. This will prevent retakers from coming through the B-Side of the map and having a clear sightline on the spike.

B-Site

Perhaps the most straightforward of Haven’s three sites, B-site’s most ideal plant is directly in the front portion of the site. As soon as you step onto the site after approaching from Mid, you’ll want to get the spike down. Here, it’s more about avoiding the many obstacles and obscured sightlines that the site has to offer. As long as you can get a clear view on the spike from multiple angles, your team should be in a good position against any retakers.

C-Site

At Haven’s C-Site, your goal should be to give your teammates as many sightlines as possible. A typical mistake made by many players here is planting the spike directly next to a crate or a box, strangling any angles and completely hiding the spike. Leaving it out in the open, particularly in this exact spot, gives you a view of the spike from Long, Garage, and Defenders’ Spawn.

Icebox

A-Site

Icebox’s A-Site is one of the most angular sites in the game, as it allows players to peek around countless corners and play from various angles. Planting it at this particular spot gives players an angle on the spike from every entry onto A-Site. Particularly, if you’re going to be defending against retakers, you’ll have clear sightlines on them whether they come from Defenders’ or Attackers’ spawn.

B-Site

In stark conjunction with Icebox’s A-Site, B-Site is immensely vertical. Having a ton of angles to work with will give anyone trying to retake plenty of options. Luckily, with this plant location, which is directly at the front of the site if you’re approaching from Link or Lobby, you’ll be safe enough to get the spike down and have several angles to defend it from. Anyone approaching from A-Site could be met with an attacking team member holding down the spike from Long, Mid, or Tower.

Split

A-Site

Planting the spike at this particular location gives the attacking team a quick option when it comes to forcing a retake. Deftly inserting the spike in between the pillar and the screen on-site removes the factor of anyone defending the plant from Heaven having to shoot through the screen. Additionally, anyone coming from around the corner near screens will be met with a head-on sightline of the spike.

B-Site

Perhaps one of the most well-known planting spots in the entire game, this option on Split’s B-Site gives players defending the planted spike clear sightlines from Heaven and the back corner of the site. While there’s definitely value to be had after the plant, the true value of this planting spot comes in how quickly and efficiently certain agents can reach it after pushing through Garage. A quick dash from Jett combined with a clean wall from Sage should be enough to quickly get the spike down in this convenient location and force a retake from the defenders.