Sage: The Underrated Sentinel in VALORANT
In VALORANT, not everyone wants to play with simple agents, but often, they are necessary for success. While some characters may be more exciting to use with interesting abilities, they don’t always guarantee victory.
Sage stands out as one of the most impactful Sentinels in the game, boasting the highest win rate among Radiants with a 54 percent win rate, according to VALORANT stats aggregate Blitz. However, she only has a meager 4.8 percent pick rate, ranking ninth among the top players in the game.
Despite this, Sage remains in the top five for win percentages, surpassing popular picks like Phoenix, Raze, Neon, and Brimstone. This is because she brings valuable utility that can be the deciding factor between a won and lost round.
Sage’s kit includes a massive ice wall and a slowing field that can impede enemy advances. Her healing ability is also crucial, allowing allies to stay in fights that they would otherwise have to disengage from due to sustained damage. Furthermore, her ultimate ability can resurrect a fallen teammate, which can turn the tide in game-deciding rounds.
One major reason why Sage isn’t played as much is because she isn’t the most exciting agent to pilot. As a Sentinel, she mostly focuses on providing support and defense for her allies, rather than engaging directly with enemies.
Additionally, Sage players often face pressure from teammates to heal or resurrect them, even when it may not be the best decision in the current situation. Consequently, Sage players may receive unwarranted blame for losses if they are unable to heal or use their ultimate quickly enough.
VALORANT, Sage, Sentinel, win rate, pick rate, utility, abilities, gameplay, support, defense, healing, resurrect, teammate