Confidence is Key for Duelists in VALORANT
Would you rather have a confident instalock duelist on your VALORANT team, or someone who fills in but understands the role? Melanie “meL” Capone of Shopify Rebellion believes that becoming a duelist requires more confidence than technical skill.
During an interview at the Red Bull Instalock, a VALORANT tournament featuring a quirky “three instalock duelist” format, meL expressed her opinion on the importance of confidence in playing the duelist role. When looking for a great duelist player, she believes that confidence should come first. Technical abilities and knowledge are necessary, but they are rendered ineffective without the confidence to fight first and implement strategy.
Unlike other players, duelists fight head-on to secure space for the squad. Their ability to enter sites fast, capitalize on their colleagues’ support, and aim correctly is greatly reliant on their courage. While game intuition is useful, confidence remains the most important aspect.
Based on her experience as the in-game commander of one of the greatest pro VALORANT teams, meL believes that confident duelists understand which fights to engage in and which to avoid. Taking on an unfavorable combat might occasionally flip the tide in the team’s favor.
When asked about Shopify Rebellion’s star duelist prodigy, Florescent, meL praised her as a confident, technically adept, and knowledgeable player. Having someone like her on a VALORANT team is quite desired.
However, many players dislike the instalock trend in ranked games because it interferes with strategy and team composition. While confidence may be a motivating factor for instalocking, it does not ensure expertise or willingness to play the role effectively. To offset this, meL advises adopting a cascade agent choose system similar to Apex Legends, which would give all players an equal opportunity to select their favorite role.
Clove, a controller agent intended to be played as a pseudo-duelist, made an appearance in Episode Eight of VALORANT. Clove’s kit, according to meL, still has to be tweaked before it can be used professionally. She believes that some ability times, such as her ultimate and overheal, should be improved. However, she believes Clove will become a popular agent in ranking matchups.
Clove’s presence in the neighborhood also signifies an effort toward inclusivity. While it is crucial to recognize and promote marginalized genders, meL underlines the importance of protecting these people from discrimination. Visibility without protection can turn them into targets.
The VALORANT esports space still lacks strong co-ed lineups. Despite Riot’s commitment to representing its community, co-ed tournaments should be marketed outside of show matches to encourage players of all genders to participate on an equal footing.
Finally, duelists’ performance in VALORANT is heavily influenced by their confidence. Technical talents, knowledge, and game sense are all valuable, but without confidence, they are useless. To create a more balanced atmosphere, the instalock issue should be addressed and inclusivity fostered throughout the community.