As VALORANT has evolved over the course of the last few months, the game’s meta has reached a point where certain agents are fitting into a tried-and-true groove. Engagers, controllers, smokers, and info-gatherers alike have all settled into their respective spots on the game’s tier list after nearly nine months of sample size.

However, if there’s one character that has truly stuck out head and shoulders above the rest of the cast in terms of intrigue, versatility, and overall strength and prowess during VALORANT’s lifespan, it’s Phoenix. The agent made an early case as one of the strongest characters on the roster when the game first launched a few months back, and since then, has had trouble finding his own place in the ranks of the VALORANT roster. Still, his unpredictability and general fluidity in the meta has made him stand out as a versatile pick over the course of the last few months on both the ranked ladder and in competitive play.

Perhaps what makes Phoenix so viable is the fact that most of his kit relies on logic and fundamentals. Although he’s easy enough to learn, Phoenix might just be one of the hardest characters on the VALORANT roster to master. The fate of a Phoenix player’s performance relies entirely in their own hands, making him one of the most excitable agents in VALORANT with one of the highest skill caps in the game.

In this guide, we’ll go over the ins and outs of Phoenix’s kit, what makes him particularly strong in the current meta, and how you can utilize the hottest agent in the game to blaze a path to victory.

What Makes Phoenix Strong

Phoenix’s strengths mainly come from his ability to engage at a rapid pace and change the tone of a given round. A good Phoenix player can shift the dynamic of a round with a quick flashbang and wall combo to obscure the vision of the enemy team and give his own time a sense of cover, as well.

Perhaps what makes Phoenix so strong is his ability to change the tempo of a skirmish within seconds. Not only will abilities like Curveball and Hot Hands give him an advantage in terms of positioning, but they give his teammates opportunities to capitalize on offensive engagements.

Whereas other skirmishers on the roster are designed with both offense and defense in mind, Phoenix’s kit relies heavily on the prospect of engaging and finding picks when pushing. Playing Phoenix on defense is a challenge in of itself thanks to the character’s lack of defensive-oriented abilities. If you’re going to find any sort of success with Phoenix on defense, it’s going to be through your ability to rely on your fundamentals. Game sense and gunplay will go a long way on defense, especially when your main tools are designed to give you advantages in duels.

Utilizing Phoenix’s Kit

Phoenix has one of the most traditional kits in the game. What this means is that FPS players who are used to games like CS:GO will find Phoenix slightly familiar. The presence of a flashbang and molly are two fundamental pieces of Phoenix’s foundation as a character. Using those two abilities in conjunction with each other is going to be a huge party of what makes you stand out as a Phoenix player.

Additionally, since many of his abilities are very straightforward and easy to use, Phoenix is one of the best characters in the game for new players. His relatively simple kit allows you to focus more on your fundamentals and game sense, rather than out-of-the-box abilities. With that being said, the key to finding success with Phoenix’s kit is going to be actually finding success through your fundamentals first.

While other characters like Killjoy, Cypher, and many others use their various abilities to consistently gain the upper hand going into skirmishes, Phoenix can use his abilities to build upon a lead after finding various kills across the map. While there are certain elements of his kit that are strong, Phoenix himself will only find that strength if the player controlling him actually has solid enough fundamentals to exploit those points of power.

Finally, try to be one of the first players on your team to engage a skirmish. While other characters like Omen, Sage, Cypher, and others need to rely on their abilities to get the upper hand in extended fights, Phoenix doesn’t necessarily need to place the focus on his own well-being to find success. While you should obviously play with a decent sense of strategy, you don’t need to be overly cautious, as it’s Phoenix’s job anyway to lead the way into a battle during any given round. If anything, your abilities, if used well, should give you the upper hand when engaging.

Finding Success with Run It Back (Ultimate)

The ability to essentially get an extra life for free might seem like one of the strongest ultimates in the game, but there is actually a ton of strategy surrounding Run It Back. Phoenix’s ultimate should mainly be used for two purposes: gathering information or getting the advantage in gunfights — all without the risk of dying.

If you don’t know where an enemy player might be hiding, you can use Run It Back to peek around a corner or force yourself into a choke without losing your life. If you’re immediately shot down by a lurking opponent, you actually gain a bit of information by trading away your ultimate. That’s a trade you should be taking every time.

Beyond that, if you actually know where an enemy player is hiding, you can use Run it Back to give yourself the advantage in the coming gunfight. Essentially speaking, with your ultimate active, you’ll have an extra health pool to work with, in addition to any extra information you were able to gather in the moments prior. Having a full free life on top of all of the HP you already have is a massive advantage going into any skirmish, whether it’s a clear 1v1 battle or a full-blown team-wide fight.

Additional Tips and Tricks

Try to use Blaze in conjunction with other vision-denying abilities. Using it to extend a Sage's wall or provide extra cover inside of Viper’s poison clouds are smart moves for players looking to double down on either obscuring the enemy team’s vision or providing cover for their allies.

Hot Hands isn’t strong enough on its own to be considered one of the better molotov-like abilities in the game. Although it’s a decent zoning tool, you should try using it in conjunction with other AoE abilities like smokes or secondary molotovs.

Phoenix excels in quick, burst-focused skirmishes. Try to purchase rifles and SMGs when possible, as he’s going to be at his strongest in up-close situations. Weapons like the Phantom and Spectre should be your go-to choices when prepping for a gunfight.