Valorant’s gameplay has a great deal to unpack while under pressure. When you are the last alive in a round, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what to do in order to survive and win. Clutch situations can be a hard aspect to teach because of how situational and unpredictable the game can be. Most successes come from gaining experience, watching past clips, and perfecting your quick-thinking skills.

Here are some other key components to think about to get you closer to winning in those solo situations.

Tip 1: Isolate Your Gunfights

When in a situation where you need to clutch the round, the most important thing to keep in mind is how you approach the enemy. If there are multiple enemies still alive on the opposing team, it is going to be harder for you to counter them as a whole. The best way to make this easier on yourself is to isolate each enemy to kill them off one by one. This lowers your chance of dying or losing a significant amount of health. So, as you gain information on each enemy and their position, do not try to rush to kill them all while they are in the same area.

Having patience is super important in these situations. If you hear one breaking off from the pack, let them come to you. If you know there are two or more enemies in one area, swing an angle that allows you to only be seen by one enemy instead of swinging to an area with many angles to be killed from. This technique is commonly known as “slicing the pie.” This is when you peak an angle in segmented slices, so you are not exposing too much of your body.

In some cases, getting enemies killed off one by one allows you to clear areas where you know there are no enemies. This in turn gives you the opportunity to predict where the next enemy may come from by process of elimination. Isolating your enemies for 1v1s is applicable for both attacking and defending in Valorant and is essential for winning rounds.

Tip 2: Remember Past Information

One aspect of clutching that is often underestimated is the power of information. Being highly aware of everything going on each round can give you information to bounce your decisions off of to create the best-case scenario for your team. Understanding where your teammates died, how many enemies your teammates saw in a specific area or site, where enemy utility is being used, if your teammates damaged certain enemies, or any other piece of information can give you even the slightest advantage above the enemy.

Being aware can also build confidence and familiarity with situations you may have come across before. If you start seeing a pattern in enemy positioning or movement, being able to predict them will help you pick off enemies in those 1vX situations. If you aren’t sure of something, you can always ask your teammates for possible info on enemies they saw before they died. Staying alert to every piece of information is crucial for being able to clutch up when it matters.

Tip 3: Don’t Be Predictable

Being predictable is one of the hardest aspects to achieve because of not knowing what your enemy is expecting. This comes with playing the game more and experiencing many different types of situations. The most important idea to keep in mind is trying to read what the enemy is expecting of you. This means understanding what you and your team have been doing in past rounds and making sure not to keep repeating the same patterns. Keep in mind as well what the enemy can hear as you move or place utility if you are making noises in certain areas.

Make sure not to position yourself in predictable angles or spots where you can be killed easily. Being unpredictable can also help you get behind the enemy to make your gunfights easier if you aren’t as confident in your aim. On attack, if you are the last alive and have yet to plant, play patiently to make them come to you. Give the enemy time to be anxious and start spreading out to create those 1v1s. Remembering past information and trying not to be predictable go hand in hand when in solo clutch situations.

Tip 4: Confidence

Confidence is something often overlooked when it comes to Valorant in general, but really helps in clutch situations. Everyone knows how much your mental state affects your gameplay, so why wouldn’t you want to be confident in yourself as you clutch? Being too nervous and getting in your own head will only lead you to failure. Making decisions with confidence will lead you to better situations unlike making choices with uncertainty. Don’t second guess yourself; trust your instincts. Making decisions with confidence is important even if you fail because it will help you understand the mistake you made, and it will be easier to correct in the future.

Confidence does not always mean being aggressive and taking gunfights right away. It might mean deciding to go to a certain site because you know that the other has more enemies on it. It might mean knowing where to use your utilities to create more space for you to push a certain area. It might mean rotating to the other site because you know they are going to attack there instead. Overall, confidence can look like a lot of different things in Valorant, and it is important to implement it into your clutches to win.

Conclusion

In conclusion, following these tips when in those overwhelming situations can help you organize your thoughts and put you ahead against your enemies. Don’t worry about winning every single clutch round; you can’t win them all. Focus on learning from your mistakes and decisions in past experiences. Don’t be afraid to also get a second opinion on how you handled a certain clutch; asking a friend for advice never hurts. Instead of seeing clutches as stressful, try to see them as a challenge, and remember to have fun!