Ultimate Guide: How to Buy in Valorant – Tips and Tricks

A long-standing debate has existed in the Valorant community between Phantom users versus Vandal users. Many believe the Phantom is the most versatile gun and are loyal to the popular weapon because of its exceptional ADS accuracy, fast rate of fire, modest damage that holds up at long ranges, and minimal recoil. However, the Vandal is still a top-tier gun known for its high damage and boastful one-tap potential. Both of these guns are widely used and respected among all players and are seen as top-tier choices on any map both attacking and defending.

Sidearms

Sidearms are the cheapest weapons you can buy during valorant rounds. A player may use sidearm weapons as a game strategy, serving only as the back weapon, leading to higher expenditure on primary weapons or equipment. Or a player can choose to mainly buy sidearms to save up for more expensive ones. Sidearms are often suitable as the first weapon to buy during the 2nd round of halves when one is low on credits.

REVOLVER, CLASSIC, SHORTY, FRENZY, GHOST, SHERIFF, USP-S, P2000, P250, CZ-75 Auto, and TS2020 are sidearms available to both attackers and defenders with costs ranging from 200 credits, up to 800 credits in the case of the Sheriff and CZ-75 Auto. The additional categories of double pistols and melee devices are also categorized under sidearms. Melee tools are usually for previewing weapons, used during missions, or used to search for damaged enemies. Double pistols are used as a joke weapon of sorts until the classic is scored.

SMGs

Submachine guns (SMGs) are primarily used as an economic solution for a team down a round or two. They are heavier than pistols and offer a better chance against more advanced weapons while still being cheap (1000-1600 credits). Including armor, you can buy a typical SMG and have change left over to upgrade when your team has won a few rounds. Buy it with light shields if your economy is struggling because a win if you survive secures $300 bonus income and perhaps one or two more.

Rifles

Rifles are a mix of SMG and sniper weaponry, offering more accuracy and kill potential compared to SMGs, but less mobility. They serve versatile, all-around roles and have capabilities fit for a wide variety of combat circumstances.

Three rifles are availble to buy in Valorant:

• Bulldog (2100 Creds)
• Guardian (2400 Creds)
• Phantom & Vandal (2900 Creds)

Shotguns

You can buy the Bucky and the Judge for Booster bonus credit amounts of $900 ($2000 if you add armor) and for the bonus region powerup credit of $1300 ($2400 if you add armor). Those prices correspond to 80% and 100% of players’ average non-existent economy at the end of the first and second rounds, respectively, according to Contributor of THESPIKE.GG’s “Valorant Money Guide – Winning the Economy Game” guide published on February 23, 2021.

Against armor, the Bucky is still a one-hit kill out to 8m, two-hit kill out to 16m, three or more out to 16m+. For the Judge, that range is extended to 10m, two-hit is extended to 20m, three or more hit but nearly dead at 20m+

Sniper Rifles

Sniper rifles in Valorant provide precise and powerful kills at very long range. Sniper rifles are the most expensive weapons at 4700 (Marshall) and 5000 (Operator) credits. If you are skilled with them, it is important to secure these weapons when you have enough credits to ensure you do not miss shots. They provide a high payback rate vis-a-vis their price.

Heavy Weapons

Heavy weapons include the Ares and Odin lmgs which have limited strategic use and there is no reason to focus purchases on lmg weapons over rifles in valorant. The Ares and Odin costs 1600 and 3200 Creds are not gratefully less costly, have high DPS and penetration, and are useful in situations where one must lay suppressive fire on several opponents or penetrate walls. On the other hand, heavy weapons have an exceptionally large spread which leads to fire that is mostly inaccurate.

What are the Different Types of Equipment in Valorant?

The different types of equipment in Valorant are as follows:

1. Weapons: These are the primary form of Damage Dealing in Valorant.
   • Sidearms: Glock – free pistol. Sheriff (CZ75) – 800 credits at round 1. Ghost (Glock default after SWAP + armor) – 500 credits at round 1. Classic (free v2) – free gun.
   • SMGs: Stinger (Bizon) – 950 credits. Spectre (MP9) – 1600 credits.
   • Rifles: Bulldog (FAMAS) – 2,100 credits. Guardian (Engima, Gorilla, 4 Year) – 2,300 credits. Vandal (AK-47) – 2,900 credits. Phantom (M4A1) – 2,900 credits.
   • Snipers: Marshal (SSG) – 1,100 credits. Operator (AWP) – 4,500 credits.
   • Shotguns: Bucky (Nova) – 900 credits. Judge (Mag-7) – 1,500 credits.
   • LMGs: Ares (Heavy) – 1,700 credits. Odin (M249) – 3,200 credits.
2. Shields: Protect Walls a.k.a. armor. Light Body Armor – 400 credits. Heavy Armor (defuse kit) – 1,000 credits. Steel if you are amazing and never let the enemy kill you lookin ass.
3. Buy-phase equipment: These do a variety of things like healing, reviving, and stunning. Bots, Orb, Artifact.
4. Sidearms: Any weapon other than the player’s primary vandal or phantom. Unequipped is called “Pistols.” Classic (Default) – 0 credits.
5. Agents: These are what the player plays as.

Jet is the most played agent in Valorant among NA professionals (between Sentinels, 100 Thieve, and TMN-T1). According to Spike standings, Jet was the most played agent among NA professionals at 48%, with other top ranked agents of Reyna at 21%, Kay/O at 19%, and Sova at 12%. Jet’s abilities to escape with UPDRAFT, mobility with her AIR DASH and get out of sticky situations with her TAILWIND which further allows players to get used to the mechanics of Valorant without getting punished too much. Concurrently, her BLADE STORM ultimate, is a very powerful tool to eliminate enemies with.

Here are four different types of equipment in Valorant from the buy-phase.

• Both types of armor protect the player’s walls and are a must buy in each round.
• Ghost (default pistol) is the favorite starting small arms in both professional and regular Valorant play throughout all multi-server regions. The Sheriff is the siding piece of equipment every OMEN, Brimstone, Viper, or anyone else not named Sova and Sage will buy in every round to provide themselves with a chance to kill from the beginning.
• Marshall (SSG sniper) is a good choice for a rifle at the start of the round or as a throw away option when players are short in cash, lasting all the way to the end of the half. Situational like Reyna’s Empress or aggressive in maps like Bind where picking is available off the start.
• Opener is the right choice for getting the best out of the marksman in the rounds when they have money. A pack that is so versatile that it provides the player to scope into being a valuable fragger in crucial rounds when reputable service is required.

Shields

Shields provide 50, 100, or 150 additional hit points depending on whether a player purchases light armor, heavy armor, or shields with no armor. When either health or armor is decreased to zero, the shield or armor points need to be repurchased.

Light armor costs 400 credits and absorbs 66.66% of the damage taken, while heavy armor costs 1000 credits and has an absorption rate of 50%, and basic shields cost 500 credits and absorb 50% of the damage taken. The person who buys the basic shields must then buy additional light armor for 300 credits after the shields are depleted, or heavier armor for 800 credits once the basic shield is gone. This makes the basic shield the cheapest option at the beginning therefore the most popular option.

Shield strategy: At the start of the match, when players and teams have few funds, consider purchasing basic shields instead of heavier armor. When heavy damage shields are destroyed, switch to lighter armor instead of replacing with more expensive heavy armor. Brigadier General is a good example of someone who plays well in T-side, as he has the cheapest shield and doesn’t buy a new armor suit even though he was shot.

Abilities

There are typically Total 5 abilities in Valorant, 2 basic abilities, purchaseable ability known as a signature ability, 1 ultimate ability, and primary abilities purchased from the arms dealer menu. Abilities are part of the tactical layer of the game and are equally as important as weapons since they can turn a game around and provide advantages. Many of these abilities are utility-based, rather than dealing damage. There are two primary ways to use abilities besides enhancing specific weapons through attachments (e.g. attaching Viper’s abilities with Spectre, or Phoenix abilities with Ghost, etc.) In general, abilities in Valorant are used to gather information, reconnaissance and scouting, prevent enemies from getting into certain locations and creating opportunities.

Abilities are purchased by spending credits (by pressing the Buy Phase Button or B key). Up to 2 basic abilities and a signature ability (unique to each agent and denoted by a yellow icon in the Buy Phase menu) can be purchased at the beginning of a round. Complexity Gaming lists several agents with signature abilities including

• Viper – Poison Cloud,
• Breach – Fault Line,
• Omen – Shrouded Step,
• Jett – Cloudburst,
• Raze – Paint Shells,

and so on. The simplest way to purchase agents in-game is to open the Buy Phase menu during a round. You can open the Buy Phase menu by pressing B. The game default shows the list of agents you can purchase in the top center above the weapons’ names. When you select an agent to unlock, it will show a color indicator if that agent has special abilities in addition to the default attributes all agents have. For example, if you select Brimstone buy from the menu, a blue indicator that Brimstone has special abilities should appear, and you can use the buy the agent kicking the plus sign next to his name or pressing his shortcut key.

Ultimate Abilities

Ultimate abilities – called Ults – are extremely powerful team-shifting abilities unique to each agent in the game. Ultimate abilities can only be used after an agent’s ultimate ability bar is fully charged. This bar fills up by Ult Points which are gained by buying equipment and deaing and taking damage. While some agents like Killjoy can get her ult in less than 5 rounds because of the turrets that build up points, some support or initiator agents can go over 10 rounds to get their ults (so save them for important moments).

Ultimate abilities are one of the biggest factors behind winning rounds in Valorant. The value of ultimate abilities changes based on their deployment and intended use but some values are fixed. Players cannot continue to maintain their economy simply to not have to use their ultimate abilities to try consistently to build momentum. As such, it may be better to use an ultimate ability during a save round than to see rounds during a buy phase interrupted over and over.

How to Use the Buy Menu in Valorant?

The buy menu in Valorant is accessed by pressing the B key by default. To access the buy menu while in a match, players can press Escape and press the button to switch from matching-making lobbies to the main menu screen which will show a store.

In the buy menu, players can purchase weapons, gear, and abilities using the money they have earned.

The buy menu allows the player to purchase in increments of one or multiple units of their currency or purchase everything they can afford at once.

The store in the main menu shows players weapon skin options or additional Agents they can buy.

Understanding the Buy Menu Interface

The valorant buy menu is the default opening screen you see after that shows the default tab purchase buy weapon menu with currency on the right. The entire buy menu screen consists of a map at the bottom, a purchase gun and armor menu on the lower left, a money balance on the lower right, gun attachments on the middle left, the user’s agent on the right, the user’s weapon on the upper right.

The default skin on the user’s weapon called the Buddy. The B-planted atom visual on the center right slot. Two information screens on the middle and upper right, and a series of tabs that open up different ways to use the buy interface on the right and tabs to show profiles, and friends lists, game notes, and tournaments on the left.

Purchasing Weapons and Equipment

All agents start the game with 5000 credits on Locked & Loaded and 800 credits on Basic when playing ranked, so each round you have to decide intelligently what to purchase based on the expected strategies.

In general, players will buy 50 credits of extra each time. Always make sure you have enough money in the next rounds to purchase a weapon even if you lose the current round. And coordinating with your teammates to decide to eco round or half-buy is equally important.

Selling Weapons and Equipment

Selling in Valorant does not cast a wide range of weapons and equipment. The game allows you to sell any weapon by re-buying a different one after you have purchased it, but you will only receive 50% of its cost back. Because of this, it is not recommended to sell expensive weapons as you will lose much of your money and ability to buy new weapons. Heavy shields and spike carriers are imbued with features that do not allow them to be sold whereas pistols and are low cost to buy, so it actually makes more sense to sell them and replace them with more expensive weapons. Naturally, this is a trade-off between personal money and survival factors.[source?]

Requesting Weapons from Teammates

Valorant allows a player to request weapons from teammates and can compensate them with cash if given the weapon. However, allies will also need to buy their own weapons to have something to give you.

Players can request a weapon from a teammate in Valorant by moving to close proximity to them. The teammate must then drop the weapon with the G key to give the requesting player a choice to pick it up. Players can also use the voice communication system to request specific weapons.

The easiest way to buy long-range rifles in Valorant is to request a teammate to purchase one for you. This can be done by dropping a weapon in a safe area or tossing the teammate the money to buy it for you. Always use voice or chat to confirm any trade with a teammate to ensure there is no miscommunication, as money can be tight in Valorant, and you want to make sure your team is on the same page.

If you are a player who has purchased Spectre versus a team full of automatic rifles, consider dropping your weapon to ask a teammate for an upgrade. They will either purchase the weapon you request for you, or give you cash to save your ultimate orb money.

What is the Best Strategy for Buying in Valorant?

The best strategy for buying in Valorant is adapting to the current teamwork and game situations. There are the following three main strategies for buying in Valorant.

1. Full-buy every round.
2. Save and buy every other round.
3. Force buy/key round buy.

None of these strategies is better than the others. However, the best strategy for buying in Valorant is to adapt to both teammates’ buys and the situation that your team faces to give the team the best possible chance of winning the round. This may mean full buying the most expensive guns on the defense before switching to cheap shotguns or just pistols on the attack. It may mean buying Spectres on a save round because the round is winnable, or saving for two rounds in a row to fully buy the next round.

The best strategy for buying in Valorant is to give the team the best possible chance of winning the round. Monitor how your teammates are purchasing and buy accordingly. Save when your team is weak to increase the chance to buy fully the next round. Whisper’s Buy in Valorant guide suggests this is the best strategy when you cannot full-buy. Buy the best weapons you can and try to make a winning round out of it.

Understanding Your Role in the Team

Understanding your role in the team is the foundational way to lead to long-term success when buying in Valorant. According to Thijmen Boom, a dedicated Riot Expert Valorant Youtuber and paid coach on ProGuides.com, there are three roles in Valorant: entry fraggers, support players, and flankers. In addition, players can take on a lurking role in between the others. When figuring out your purchases, measure how well they fit the role you are performing at that moment. Entry fraggers typically lead the team into a site and should have the flexibility of abilities or many weapons with pace such as personal SMGs, rifles, or sniper rifles. As a default choice in the early half of the game or when at a disadvantage, purchasing chances (ex. Stinger or full armor, and abilities such as Smoke, Heal, or Flash) is advantageous unless playing a role requiring a specific weapon. Support and lurker roles should have appropriate flanker and antagonist weapons, to always allow them to get early impact and tale advantage of distracted enemies.

Considering Map and Objective

Buying in Valorant backrow tactics should consider which map you are playing on and whether or not the round has a match deciding objective, such as planting the spike in Defusal. BYPPL’s Tier List organized around maps shows that each map has varying nuances that can influence the required economy of a strategy.` Breeze and Split have a slight attacker bias, so one can weigh higher weapons to the attacker side on these maps. Bind, Ascent, and Haven snowball much harder than the first two maps, so it’s more important to save on buy round losses. If there is a game-deciding objective, such as planting the spike, then spending more on better weapons is wise. This is even more relevant in Valroeconomy.`. Spend as much value as you can comfortably part with when the decision to buy leans toward your team, but save enough for next round in case you lose the current one.

Communicating with Teammates

Communicating with teammates is helpful when buying on both pistol and gun rounds. Inform your team when you are saving, have enough to buy the next, or need one of them to buy for you. As a rule of thumb, you should always request to not waste your ults when you are saving.

On buy rounds, decide early in the buy phase if you want to play around their ultimates (lose not more than 2 and be prepared to win the next two) or your ultimates (lose 3 with all ults or save for full buy). Do not delay in dispatching who will buy for whom during the buy phase,rather than just saying save, as it will help poorer teammates in budget management.

Managing Your Economy

Managing your economy in Valorant means making smart choices about purchases and spending discipline so you have the needed utils for upcoming rounds while tossing away minimal potential gains in delaying certain purchases. Eco is an abbreviation for the economy. A team’s eco round in a way refers to a round in which players do not purchase much equipment and save money to buy them in the following rounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Buy in Valorant?

1. What is the main way to purchase items in Valorant?

The main way to buy items in Valorant is through the in-game store. You can access it by pressing the ‘B’ key while in a match.

2. Are there different types of items available for purchase in Valorant?

Yes, there are different types of items you can buy in Valorant, such as weapons, abilities, and shields. Each item has a different cost and function.

3. Can I buy items before a match starts in Valorant?

No, you cannot buy items before a match starts. The store only becomes available once the match begins.

4. How do I earn currency to buy items in Valorant?

You can earn currency, known as ‘Credits’, by completing rounds, getting kills, and winning matches. You can also purchase additional Credits with real money.

5. Can I refund a purchased item in Valorant?

No, you cannot refund a purchased item in Valorant. Once an item is bought, it cannot be returned or exchanged.

6. Are there any restrictions on buying items in Valorant?

Yes, there are some restrictions on buying items in Valorant. For example, you can only buy items for your own character, and there is a limit on the number of items you can purchase per round.