De Mauvais Augure: The Coming Storm on the French Sentinel
With every new agent comes another chance to change the state of the game. Here is all the current discussion on VALORANT’s newest agent, Chamber.
A new addition to a game always brings a sort of electricity to the player base. Cool character trailers, voice-lines, aesthetics accompanied by new playstyles and potential meta changes. VALORANT is no different: With every new agent there is a massive wave of opinions, analysis and speculation that circulates around their viability. Some new agents break how the game is played, like Astra. Whereas others rarely see any time in the pro scene, like Yoru. No matter where they fall, it is always interesting to read the discourse on a new agent.
Chamber’s discussion, however, seems more in line with Astra’s discussion: the possibility to revolutionize the game in its current state. The discussion is typically split into two schools of thought: either he will break how the game is played, or he will be a very middle-of-the-pack agent. The former leans on how powerful he is on economic rounds and his somewhat selfish nature, the latter compares him to Sage and Killjoy. A good example is on Plat Chat:
The purpose of this article is not to come to a conclusion, rather, it is to present both sides as well as provide further analysis. Think of it as a sort of “literature review”. A literature review establishes familiarity with and understanding of current research in a particular field before carrying out a new investigation (Edinburgh). These are typically done by PhD students, and are the baseline for a dissertation. The point is that it is objective, an unbiased look at the field. This will act as such: a “literature review” of Chamber speculation.
Le Catalyseur – Chamber will change the way VALORANT is played
In this area of thinking, people point to the sheer oppressive power in his kit and in his economic potential.
His Kit Is Powerful
First, let’s get one thing straight, Chamber is an Oping agent. Tour de Force is quite literally an Operator, with an added slow on-kill. His Rendezvous is also similar to a Jett dash but improved. It is on a 15 second cooldown, does not need kills in order to refresh, and can be placed in multiple areas. Thus, Chamber can take super risky plays, such as peeking into an aggressive push, or jumping around a corner to peek for information, as he can just teleport away. This can also enable Chamber to potentially nab multiple kills simply by teleporting to a different place. In this sense, he acts like a Sentinel Jett.
However, he differentiates himself with his other two abilities. His Trademark creates a slow field that is incredibly potent for staving off aggression. We already know the power of a Sage Slow Orb, pair that with Headhunter or Tour de Force and Chamber can reliably get at least one kill. While his kit may seem simple and lacking creativity, it is only as creative as the player. The more consistent the player is at hitting those key shots, the more power Chamber has.
There is also discussion on whether or not Chamber is actually a Sentinel. To quote the VALORANT team, Sentinels, “are defensive experts who can lock down areas and watch flanks, both on attacker and defender rounds.” Sentinels are made to be space maintainers and stabilizers: able to anchor an area easily. This is why Viper (and, on occasion, Astra) are often considered part Sentinel as well.
Chamber reflects this vision with gunplay, rather than pieces of utility. His Trademark and Tour de Force kill slow both push aggressors back. A Chamber player being alive also means that there is always a chance that you will get killed and pushing into a site where he is set up is a dangerous game. So, while Chamber does not have as many pieces of utility that directly deny space, I think it is a fair assumption to say that shooting someone in the face is surprisingly effective.
He will just give way more variety to a certain type of plays and will allow making more mix and interesting lineups.
His Economic Potential Could Change Eco and Semi-Eco Rounds
Rather than try to explain it myself, G2 Lothar said it quite well on his stream. Here is a link with the clip along with some reactions on Reddit.
For those who do not want to watch the clip, here is a quick little tl:dr: Chamber offers a similar economic benefit that Jett on an eco-round does. They can both purchase a weapon for a teammate or save the money and use their ultimates. When combined, a team essentially has one free buy round every half, which can be used to further a lead or break a losing streak. And given the extreme power that Tour de Force and Blade Storm offer, they don’t need to worry about getting other guns.
It’s this sort of economic pressure that is unique to Chamber in the Sentinel class. Every other agent has to buy some gun or utility in order to have an impact with their ultimate. What point is there to resurrect an ally if you only have pistols (unless it’s to grab a gun), and what use is there to use Lockdown if you only have Classics and Sheriffs? With Chamber, you don’t need good guns, you already have one: a free Operator.
His Synergy with Jett Is Incredibly Strong
One strong argument in favor of Chamber is that he synergies well with Jett. Mentioned in the previous subsection, combining both agents can do wonders for a team economically, even if they are not doing the best overall. In addition, the prospect of having an Operator on both sides of the map (or two out of three sites on Haven) forces teams to play drastically differently, or risk getting one tapped from a far range. They can even follow up on each other, chaining Tour de Force on-kill slow with an Operator on a different angle to take out several targets at once.
If Jett can lock down a site by getting kills and getting aggressive, Chamber can lock down a site with getting kills and using the slows to his advantage. This property is unique to Chamber, in that he is a very selfish Sentinel. Every Sentinel has teamplay aspects and typically gives a team more than they can give themselves. Chamber, on the other hand, thrives on fragging by himself, quickly charging Tour De Force and denying pushes with gunplay.
In this area, Jett and Chamber are the same: they are both incredibly selfish, which leads to self-reliance. During the VALORANT Beta, many thought Jett would never work simply due to the fact that she was too selfish. However, her kit to her allows her to frag consistently, which means she functions perfectly in solo Duelist comps. Even when paired with another duelist, she can consistently get frags.
If Jett’s power is strong on attack and retake, Chamber’s is after the initial push or on Defense. They perfectly mirror each other, and complement each other, which could be a potent combination. It could be the next Jett-Reyna, Astra-Viper, or Sova-Skye.
This synergy was already considered by the VALORANT team. In an interview with a VALORANT Dev, Ryan Central asked him about this comparison, to which the dev replied:
“Is that an actual viable strategy? ... What maps are people doing it on, how are people playing against it? … In a world where teams use both, I don’t think it is inherently a problem.”
So the devs are aware of this combination, but they feel as though there are ways to counter this sort of power. The question is: what is the counter, and is it reliable enough to counter the sort of power these agents bring?
Sans Grand Intérêt– Chamber might be picked, but won’t be meta defining
As we move into this area, many arguments in this group can boil down to “yes but is it enough?”
First, consider what Sage and Killjoy actually do for a team. And for that, I asked people who are smarter than me and do this for a living.
KJ is a more straightforward Sentinel with damage dealing abilities, meaning she combos well.
Killjoy is a pure Sentinel that locks down a sight with damage and effects. Her Alarmbot and mollies provide AoE denial, while her Sentry Turret allows her to gain information on location, whether it be lurkers, pushes, or info while pushing into a site. Her ultimate embodies the definition of a Sentinel, locking down an entire site or forcing out risky plays.
On Split, I like Sage… while on almost every other map I think an anchor Sentinel like Killjoy is better… (She) is just easier (than Cypher since) I don’t have to worry about checking cam all the time.
Sage is actually more of a Duelist-Sentinel, which may come as a surprise to some people.
Her abilities are two sided, they can be used passively or aggressively. The passive route is the Sentinel side, allowing her to be a team player, following up on space created and forcing back aggression with Barrier Orb and Slow Orb. The more aggressive route is the Duelist side, taking space with off-angles, forcing pushers to deal with Slows and catching them off-guard, and healing herself to take 1v1s. A skilled Sage balances between the two, being, to quote Sage, “both shield and sword.”
Sage can take duels relatively freely because of her self-heal while also providing more to the rest of the team with her wall.
This is where Cypher starts to lack in pro play, he doesn’t really fit these sort of archetypes that teams are used to. Cypher is definitely a strong pick, as his utility can anchor entire points with a single Trapwire. Consider the three-map monstrosity that is Haven. On that map, it can be easy to bait out quick defender rotations and then go to a different point. A deep Trapwire on point C and one on (or in) Garage and you have a third of the map locked down with utility to spare.
However, unlike Killjoy, his ultimate does not clear out areas as well. While he can give information, with the large amount of information with Sova, Skye and Killjoy running around, it isn’t really necessary. And, unlike Killjoy, his Trapwires do not refresh after being destroyed, so once they are gone, they cannot be redeployed.
If an enemy walks into the Sentry Turret’s LOS, it triggers, giving the Killjoy and the team valuable information. A Trapwire requires someone to walk into it or destroy it to give information. So, if an unlucky soul doesn’t watch an area, a player could lurk right up next to a Trapwire. In addition, a Killjoy (or team member) can peek off her turret, since it is autonomous. You can’t lurk up on Killjoy’s utility, which, in a way, makes her utility more certain than Cypher’s.
While Cypher does have an AoE ability in his cage, it does not have the clearing power of Killjoy’s Nanoswarm, nor the aggression denial of a Sage Slow Orb. His Trapwires are great for locking down a corridor, but they don’t have the certainty of a Barrier Orb or the pressure of an Alarmbot. And finally, his Spy Camera is great, but it is outdone by Sentry Turret. And with the massive amount of information gathering that Sova and Skye provide, his Neural Theft is not as necessary or impactful as a Lockdown or Resurrection.
While this may feel like a tangent this sort of analysis is fundamental to the argument of Chamber: if we break down, ability by ability, what Chamber can do when compared to Sage and Killjoy, does he do enough to enact a meta shift?
Killjoy v Chamber: Damage through Utility to Damage through Gunplay
Killjoy’s lockdown ability is through the threat of damage or effects. In this way, Chamber and Killjoy are quite similar: the passive threat of getting killed or chunked down to dangerous levels requires extra care until they are taken out. However, it is in their execution that the debate lies: Killjoy does not have to peek in order to follow-up on her utility. An Alarmbot-Nanoswarm combo just needs a Killjoy player to press a button behind a wall and she could get a kill. Chamber needs to be watching his Trademark in order to follow up on it.
Not a single ability in Chambers kit does damage unless he is in a tradeable spot. By contrast, two of Killjoy’s abilities allow her to do damage without being in the line of fire. Chamber’s Tour de Force requires him to put himself into sight-lines in order to shoot. Killjoy’s Lockdown can be placed behind walls or barriers, and typically takes somewhat serious utility investment in order to be destroyed.
It is in this aspect that many don’t think he will take Killjoy’s spot. The role that she fills doesn’t fit the kit that Chamber brings. If teams wanted to switch out Killjoy for Chamber, they would have to change how the team plays. This doesn’t mean that he won’t be switched out at all, but Killjoy’s playstyle gives a form of certainty behind walls that Chamber cannot fit.
Now, will there be some maps where he is picked over Killjoy? Yes, but those are maps where she is not picked as much anyway, like Bind or Icebox. These are maps where an Operator is very strong, and a Chamber fits this bill. In this regard he will be competing with Sage more, that is in the next sub-section.
In terms of information gathering, Killjoy and Chamber are fairly similar. Both have utility that doesn’t ping how many enemies are there, just that there is something. This needs to be play tested, but there is a possibility that Yoru’s Fakeout could trigger Chamber’s utility, like it does for Killjoy. But that is a bit of a non-issue since Yoru is never seen in the pro setting. But, like with the Cypher discussion, information is not the biggest factor when it comes to a Sentinel, it is the silent pressure applied by utility. In this aspect, at least in how Killjoy is played now, Chamber cannot fill Killjoy’s shoes.
Sage v Chamber: Half-Duelist to Pseudo-Duelist
This comparison is more competitive, since they both have Duelist aspects. With Sage, a player has the ability to be both passive and aggressive, which gives her a pretty unique niche as a Sentinel-Duelist depending on how the player decides to play her. While Chamber is also a Sentinel-Duelist combo, this is more required than by choice. A Chamber will take duels regardless of if he is passive or aggressive. It’s in this aspect that we run into a conflict: will Chamber’s duel demanding nature overcome Sage’s dynamic playstyle?
If we consider the team-play aspect of Sage, Chamber cannot compete. Barrier Orb can create instantaneous space, wall-off options for enemies, and create angles that Chamber would not be able to replicate. Her Slow Orb can be thrown, meaning that you can add it to lineups or throw it into angles where one thinks enemies could be pushing. It has more options, more range, and more teamplay potential than Trademark simply because it has more horizontally and vertically range. One could argue that Trademark can watch your flank, which is a valid point, but Sage isn’t used to watch the flank with her utility. She walls it off, then moves on to help her team.
In terms of dueling potential, Sage has more longevity than Chamber. Headhunter and Tour de Force are great for burst duels. They have more sudden impact and are great right as a fight is starting or ending. However, as time goes on, he will take hits, which leaves him more vulnerable to utility. Sage, while having lesser guns, can heal herself. This means that she can have more impact later on in a duel since she can take more hits than he can.
If the Sage player is also the Chaotic Evil kind of Sage, she can also resurrect a team member just to bait out an enemy. This is sort of like peeking of a Sentry Turret, but a Resurrection is much more of a high-value target. Chamber does not have the same sort of bait potential. Nothing in his kit forces an enemy to look in a different direction. So, while this is more of a niche strategy, it is something that Sage has over Chamber that differentiates her in those clutch scenarios.
In addition, let’s consider another aspect of Sage: the power that her Barrier Orb has on maps. For this, consider Icebox and Split. Her walls on Icebox (such as the one in Kitchen that clogs tube or her standard B wall) make her a near must pick on the site for their reliability to cover aggression and prevent pushes. Similarly, her wall in Mid on Split is done nearly every round. If enemies don’t break it, it’s a good 40 seconds of certainty. If they do, then that’s less bullets and less utility (if a Raze Paint Shell or Blast Pack was used). A Chamber Trademark in the same space would be like an Alarmbot thrown down into Mid on Split or in Tube on Icebox. While it could be helpful, it does not provide the same cover or utility investment that a Barrier Orb can. Similarly, if he wants to use a Tour de Force to lock an area down, he has to be physically in a spot, which leaves him open to be traded.
So, if a Chamber player is able to hit his shots quickly and consistently, then he will be able to outpace a Sage. But if he gets pushed out frequently by utility, takes damage, or the team needs someone to follow up and make space, he can’t offer the same power that a Sage player can.
While one could compare him to Cypher, Cypher is not seen much in the pro scene, and so it would be a bit of a moot point. However, some points to consider in this comparison would be the following: Does the information that Cypher brings to a team compare to Chamber’s gunplay? And since information is not as necessary for a Sentinel, does that matter in terms of the comparison between Chamber and Cypher?
If you notice, a common thread in all of these comparisons is “how Sentinels are played now.” It is not uncommon for a new agent to change how the game is played (consider Astra). But the issue at heart is if Chamber does enough to warrant such a change in play. Does his powerful Headhunter and Rendezvous make up for Barrier Orb and Nanoswarm? Can Tour-de-Force compete with Resurrection and Lockdown? In this line of argument, the answer is maybe, it would depend on the team or the comp. Some teams would be more comfortable with this set-up, while others would want to stick with the utility of Sage and Killjoy. He won’t be the “Astra” of Sentinels, rather, more of a “Skye” or “Raze.”
He's able to play a very aggressive sentinel which can move around super easily while still holding flanks relatively well. I think the main question will be is he going to be able to move Jett out of her basically "locked in" spot that she has in every comp.
If you want a more professional opinion, consider Cloud 9 Blue’s Anthony "Vanity" Malaspina on a recent episode of Upcomer’s Showstopper podcast. On it, he said, “No one is going to play that agent. He is not going to replace a Skye because he has no info. He is not going to replace KAY/O because he has no info. He is not going to replace Killjoy or Cypher because he can't hold sites by himself.”
So, if you have read all the way through, here are some questions that I am waiting to be answered as Chamber gets released and VCT 2022 comes around:
If the meta stays the way it is after Chamber is released, will he be able to fulfill the role that Sage and Killjoy fill for teams?
Is Chamber’s economic advantages and Jett synergy enough to justify not having Lockdown, or not have Barrier Orb for a whole map?
Will Chamber be a team-reliant pick, like we see sometimes with Brimstone?
If Chamber does change how a Sentinel behaves in a team comp, just how much will he see play? Or will utility reign supreme?
If teams decide to attempt a double Sentinel comp, what role will suffer? Is it even possible to replace Jett with Chamber in this scenario? If not, who will lose the spot: Astra, Viper, Skye, Sova, Reyna, or Raze?
What will happen to Cypher? Will he continue to remain in the lower echelons of play rate, or will a Sentinels meta bring about new life? Think of Breach/KAY/O or Yoru/Phoenix in the current meta, Brimstone/Omen in the Astra-Viper meta. Will Cypher drop to their levels of play?
If a Chamber meta comes into fruition, will there be counters? If so, who would come around to counter him? And would it be enough to then reverse the meta, or will it be a mirror meta?
These are questions I hope to see play out as the meta develops in VCT 2022. With Champions already near, we will not be seeing massive shifts in pro play until after then. However, it is quite possible that we will see some shift when he is released into ranked.
