The Best Support Agents in VALORANT
Playing a support agent in VALORANT might look like isn’t fun as picking Reyna or Jett and pulling off 1v5 clutches or hit some nasty shots with Chamber’s Tour de Force.
But the truth is that every team needs a support agent to be able to succeed a higher levels of competition. Being the support in your ranked matches is also fun in its own way.
With the right agents, you can be an ace support for your team while still fragging at a high level. Let’s look at the best support agents in VALORANT.
What makes a support agent?
Technically, most agents in VALORANT can be played as support. Even certain duelists like Yoru and Phoenix can function as a support in some cases.
However, there are a few things that separate an okay support agent from an amazing support.
First, the ability to provide utility for your teammates. You may not realize it, but there’s a lot of agents that have pretty selfish kits. The best example of this would be Reyna. Yes, she does have a flash. However, her other skills are all for herself only.
Sentinels also don’t make for good supports, save for one particular agent. Supports are typically the guys that throw utility that allows the entry fraggers to get into the site. For most Sentinels, they don’t really have much utility to aid in a push.
The best supports in VALORANT are those that can provide different tools to help their teammates. You’ll see various examples of these agents below.
Skye
The second agent in VALORANT to provide healing, Skye is mostly used as a pseudo-duelist by most pro VALORANT players instead of a support. Her rechargeable flashes are the main reason for this. Similar to a Reyna or Phoenix, Skye can take space and enter sites by flashing herself in.
However, that doesn’t mean Skye’s supporting abilities are useless. If you like setting your teammates up for success, Skye is the perfect support in VALORANT. Her flashes, dog, and ultimate are info-gathering tools that can also hinder your opponents. Of course, she also has a heal that she can use on multiple teammates at once.
What you want to do as support Skye is to use your Q ability (Trailblazer) to scout out the enemies. Once you know where they are, you can flash your teammates in with your E ability (Guiding Light) or use your ult (Seekers) to serve as a distraction. Afterward, heal your team up with Regrowth.
TSM Subroza is one of the best Skye players in North America and you can better understand how to play Skye at a high level by watching this video: How to Play Skye From a Valorant Pro! | TSM Subroza Valorant
Astra
There’s a reason why Astra is incredibly popular amongst VALORANT pro teams: she’s one of the best, if not the best, support in the game. Her stars allow her to have a global impact on the map and allow her to do multiple things for the team. She has smokes, two forms of CC, and a bulletproof global wall.
The trickiest part to playing Astra, though, is learning how to use her kit efficiently. Most players would place down their stars at the beginning of the round, then use them all immediately once the barrier drops. That’s not really the best way of playing support in VALORANT.
Instead of popping them all in one go, use your Astra stars on the fly. Place one or two in key locations, and pop them at the start of the round to see if you can get a pick with it. Afterward, use your stars along with the intel from your team to secure sites and/or kills for your team.
SEN zombs gives you an insight on how to play Astra like a pro: How A VALORANT WORLD CHAMPION Plays Astra... | SEN zombs
KAY/O
If you come from Counter-Strike, KAY/O might be the agent that you’ll feel most comfortable playing as a support in VALORANT. While he may not be a staple pick in pro play at the moment, he still provided a lot of utility that you can use to support your teammate.
Your biggest tool as support KAY/O is his suppression, a one-of-a-kind ability in VALORANT right now. His E (ZERO/POINT) will suppress enemies in a wide radius, preventing them from using their abilities. His ultimate (NULL/CMD) also suppresses enemies, though this suppresses enemies around KAY/O, while also allowing him to be revived after being killed.
To utilize KAY/O properly, you need to learn lineups for your E and your Q flashbang. KAY/O’s Q functions similarly to the CS flashbang: you can use that to pop-flash your team into sites. Your C ability can then be used to clear corners where enemies can be hiding. When you have your ultimate, make sure to use it when you know there are multiple enemies approaching you.
MrLowlander, a Diamond content creator has this video that will certainly help improve your KAY/O gameplay: I Played Nonstop KAY/O For 1 Month, Here's what I Learned
Sage
The quintessential support agent of VALORANT, Sage is likely the first character you think you when talking about supports. It’s for a good reason: she provides a lot of supporting utility that helps the team more than it helps her.
Her E and ultimate abilities are as straightforward as possible: the E is a heal that is rechargeable and can be used on a single target. On the other hand, her ultimate is a revive that can turn the tide around when needed. Her other abilities are no joke either: her slow orb and wall will slow any push in their tracks.
To properly use her as a support, you have to be creative with her wall. You can use it in many ways: a barrier to block sight lines on attack, a way to deny information on defense, or even as a tool to secure a important rez on a teammate.
Grim, a high-ranked Sage main will teach you all the secrets to being a great Sage on this video: The Secret to Sage Walls (Grim Sage Wall Guide)
These are just four examples of agents that work best as a support in VALORANT. The fun thing about this game is that it doesn’t limit you in what you can do with your agents. Just because an agent is labeled as Duelist doesn’t mean you can’t make him/her a support. Just know that there’s more agents in the game that can be better suited to play as a support.
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