VALORANT’s Weapon Meta: The Rise of the Guardian
As the esports scene continues to evolve and players improve their skills, the weapon meta in VALORANT is constantly shifting.
The Vandal and Phantom have long been considered the go-to choices for buy rounds, but another weapon is gaining recognition and breaking through the stereotype.
In a recent Reddit post, a player highlighted the advantages of using the Guardian in a VALORANT loadout. They emphasized its high damage output and potential to counter the light shields meta.
The light shields meta, popularized by Fnatic, involves using light shields instead of heavy shields since they offer the same amount of protection against the Vandal and Phantom.
However, in esports and high Elo play, it doesn’t matter which shields you wear because most skilled players will headshot you regardless of the weapon you use. The Phantom does counter the light shields meta with 140 headshot damage, but pros usually prefer saving the extra credits over considering this scenario.
But the Guardian changes the game. It can one-shot an enemy with a headshot and requires only two body shots with 130 damage each to kill an enemy wearing light armor. It’s perfect for holding long lanes and maps like Breeze and Haven.
Some players, though, believe that picking the Guardian over the iconic Vandal or Phantom may be more disadvantageous than it initially seems.
One major disadvantage of the Guardian is its semi-automatic firing mode compared to fully automatic weapons. It also costs 2,250 credits, while the Vandal and Phantom are priced at 2,900. It can be useful for a light buy loadout but is too expensive for an eco round. These points are enough for many players to stick with the Vandal and Phantom in most cases.
When I’m having an off day and missing shots with the Vandal or Phantom, I often switch to using the Guardian to improve my aim. However, most players don’t want to sacrifice their kill count for aim practice.
Getting the most out of the Guardian in VALORANT requires practice and patience. Only those with excellent aim and the willingness to commit to it over traditional weapon choices will find success. It’s not a gun for lower Elo players.
VALORANT, weapon meta, Guardian, Vandal, Phantom, light shields, esports, competitive gaming, aim practice, buy rounds, headshot damage