Mastering Spike Planting in Valorant With Gekko: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you a Valorant player looking to gain an edge in planting the Spike?

In this article, we explore the concept of a Spike in Valorant and why planting it is crucial for your team’s success.

We introduce you to Gekko, a valuable tool for planting the Spike efficiently.

Follow our step-by-step guide on how to plant the Spike with Gekko and learn about the benefits and drawbacks of using this method.

We cover strategies on how to counter Gekko planting in Valorant.

Stay tuned to enhance your gameplay and lead your team to victory!

What is a Spike in Valorant?

Spike in Valorant is another name for the bomb. The main goal of a Radiant team when playing the Attack round is one of two things: to plant the Spike (in the plant round), or protect the carriers of the Spike from the Defenders who will try to destroy the Spike (in the five post-plant rounds). The Valorant Playbook’s film _Forsaken’s plants to watch_ will serve as a guide for the best Spike plant sites for Gekko.

Why is Planting the Spike Important?

Planting the spike is important in Valorant as it is the attacking team’s objective and the only means by which they can win the round, given they do not kill all of the enemy team. The more rounds the attacking team wins, the higher the chances they will win the overall game. Adding to that, the spike defuse is the only way the defending team can win the round if they did not eliminate the attacking team.

What is Gekko in Valorant?

Gekko is an advanced training platform for esports performance improvement that currently supports Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Valorant. It provides heatmaps, on-site tutorials, and training regimens to help players improve specific aspects of their game. Gekkoplanting refers to setting up the game’s spike sites. In Gekko’s training sessions the player plants the spike and sets it up to defend, with the aim of serving a tool for players who want to master this frequently critical aspect of Valorant strategic gameplay.

How to Plant the Spike with Gekko?

You can plant Gekko on Valorant by pressing 4 when you have the Spike equipped and look at the ground or area where you want to plant it. Gekko takes 1 second to plant and $200 to repurchase.

To plant with Gekko without equipping the Spike, go to a position that allows you to pick up the Spike. Click and hold the right mouse button to make Gekko float in the air. With Gekko floating, press 4 to make him plant the Spike. You continue to play as normal and, unlike Random`T`, Gekko will flow behind you after you respawn if he is summoned and the player has been eliminated. This allows Gekko to have access to rotate potential, giving defenders false signals and callouts that they are heading to the B site, while you as an attacker wait along A.

Step 1: Equip Gekko

To plant Spike in Valorant with Gekko (a representation of Google’s Mobile Vision AI by which a player attaches a mobile device to a drone), the first step is equipping Gekko on a sailing drone. A sailing drone is an unmanned surface vehicle with a sail that uses wind power to move. Sailing drones are becoming increasingly popular in the scientific and military sector to monitor things like ocean health, oil spills, illegal fishing, and security areas. The so-called Ranger ocean drone by Saildrone being an example (although one that Saildrone is not attaching smartphones to).

Should the day come where Gekko is able to be attached to a sailing drone with the capabilities to reach distant locations on land so players can attach smartphones for Spike planting, this is what the process will look like in Valorant. To plant Spike in Valorant the attacking side (which has possession of the Spike) simply need to have the Spike carrier sit at the desired bomb site and plant the Spike with a player while flying the drone. As it is unlikely Valorant will ever feature sailing drone maps, this use case is purely hypothetical to demonstrate added uses outside of robotics and soccer.

Step 2: Approach the Spike Site

Approach the spike site once you have picked up the Spike. Team Gekko typically opts for the Mid To B strategy to give their Gekko the best chance of winning an advantageous gun battle, securing space to plant the spike, and having a quick exit route.

If you as a Gekko think that you may lose the gun battle and are worried about the amount of space you need to cover to plant the spike, then you should move towards the side that your teammates have the most control. This is because the enemy will likely look away from teammates towards you, giving them the ability to clear angles and give Gekko cover after planting the spike.

One of the most interesting ways hiko planted the spike against Sentinels was in Champions Tour Reykjavik Lower Final, Haven, Round 7, Plant Against Sentinels From Spawn Plant, Hiko Killed Zombs. Most Normal Valorant players cannot pull this off, so the Mid To B strategy in Region, no matter which gunner you are, is the most reliable method to plant the spike on the default site while employing Gekko’s tactics.

Step 3: Find a Safe Spot to Plant

Plant the Spike safely. To master an agent like Spike in Valorant you must be able to decide the perfect location where to plant the spike safely. It is the ultimate task to be able to complete controlled experiments and get authentic results, on variations within feature usage included in which locations create opportunities for the other team to successfully defuse in the optimal amount of time. Such data is necessary for your team to make rapid decisions that adapt to dynamic situations without Spike knowing the map better than you.

The critical corollary is that an operator must also be able to identify inaccuracies or flaws in the data collected. Such details should ideally be incorporated into the model and then reinstate through further experimentation. It should also be borne in mind that ‘optimal’ is relative and context-dependent. The spot where the Spike should be planted depends heavily on the game circumstance, plant location, and available team compositions, equipment, ultimates, economic situation, team play knowledge, real-time strategy, and in-game enemy position data. Spots that the opposition has not discovered or planted numerous times could be used as an excellent unsafe spot already used for the spike to be planted.

Step 4: Hold the Plant Button

Hold down the plant button (4 by default) to start planting after selecting your preferred site. When initiating the spike in Spike Rush, the holder must remain in a 2-meter circle until the bar fills up and the spike is planted. They can move around after activation for the planting to happen. Gekko’s algorithm does not let the planting bar fill up based on player movement anymore as Riot changed their system in August 2021.

Step 5: Defend the Spike

Defending the spike on Bind is the hardest challenge where the spike can be planted (in either site). In most other areas where spike planting takes a little more time, there is at least some chance (depending on time) to trick a defending player by appearing to go elsewhere.

For an attacking team to be able to plant the spike in the central areas of a map such as the room in Breeze or the courtyard in Icebox, teams that intend on planting them there must hop into the area quickly. This is the only way to avoid having to defend the spike in a difficult location. If the spike is planted at the center of the A Courtyard on Breeze map study, teams must either aggressively push the area to avoid lengthy defense or clear it quickly. A similar tactic with more opportunity for defense is available in the icebox courtyard.

What are the Benefits of Using Gekko to Plant the Spike?

The benefits of using Gekko to plant the spike include increased accessibility to teleporters and a quieter planting sound that catches opponents off guard. By planting the spike with Gekko to take advantage of specters, silvers and bulldogs, you increase the potential for centralized defense and taking control over the spike site as defenders. This is because smgs have the highest efficiency at close and medium ranges and do not affect your movement speed; silvers don’t have a damage fall-off over range, making them very effective at holding a somewhat decent range, which means it’s okay to hold a headshot angle with one.

If the lack of the sound of the spike planting offers you time to make a new move or shocks the defender, planting with Gekko now and then helps you to quickly switch up your planting strategies. Typically, you will cause an intentional bust, using the charges and sound of planting to bait the enemy and set up an ambush. By planting Gekko, you do away with this and leave the defenders on edge. The Gekko system aids you in keeping the boost for visiting more aggressive locations, or for travelling to unnoticed wrinkles that put you at an advantage trade off.

Faster Planting Time

1. Step into the center of the spike and press and release the plant input (4 seconds).
2. Move to the cover position and resume covering or engaging the defending team to buy time.

When the attacking team has control over an area after all hosts are destroyed and spike placement is not critical for winning the game, Gekko calls for more aggressive plant times. Faster plant times allow the same amount of defending times, as shorter plant times will force the defending team to start their flanking and covering defense efforts early. The best plant spot for time-wasting is B-plat as there are only small openings to view/no places to hide if the attacking team has cleared the area.

The downside is it takes roughly 10-15 seconds for the team to control this area, which royally screws their planting time over. They must plant in 4-5 seconds which is feasible as typical defenders will be running from the other site, but increases the risk of being caught. The upside of B-plat planting early on is that if successful will force the defender to start their attack 10 seconds after the spike is planted, which means they must engage with the attacking team before reaching the planting site.

The two benefits of using Gekko’s faster plant times are they give attackers more elbow room for setting up defenses and advancing to plant sites before the defending team can start advanced scouting, and they increase the risk likelihood of engagements between the attacking and defending team before the defenders can set up defenses around the active plant site.

Reduced Risk of Getting Killed

Gekko provides an excellent solution for safe planting in Defuse mode. Since specific plants are invisible and you can shoot them from anywhere in Gekko view, the choice of most Spike plant locations with this feature allows for safer planting by letting defenders stay out of the planter’s FOV.

Strategic planting in Spike mode can also allow pros to see a broader area, minimizing the risk of defenders attacking while in Gekko view, as they would be spotted while planting. Planting later in Spike mode gives Attackers a time advantage similar to Gekko mode, as it additionally applies pressure to Defenders to blind-defuse the Spike before allowing the Attackers the element of surprise a few seconds after the Spike’s detonation.

Increased Chances of Winning the Round

• If the enemy has consistently been outplaying your team, plant spike in a location that forces them to push and fight the attacking team.
• If the attacking team is low on health, it might be worthwhile to plant spike in a location that you are more certain the enemy team will be camping.
• At the start of a round, if the enemy team is losing most of the rounds and attempting to flank through their spawn, plant spike in an off-angle location that cannot be easily checked from standard flanking paths.
• Avoid planting spike in locations with limited cover against long-ranged enemies that excel when holding defensively. A coordinated enemy team can flush you out with explosives, and this can give enemies with stronger guns an overwhelming advantage.
• Avoid planting spike in locations that are too close to defenders – again remember bomb denial and the closer you are to defenders, the less time they need to reach the spike site which gives you less time when they rotate.

What are the Drawbacks of Using Gekko to Plant the Spike?

The primary drawback of using Gekko to plant the spike is that Gekko can die during planting. He is then unable to assist in creating a distraction line during the spike plant. The reason Killjoy is most often selected to plant the spike is that, after she plants, Killjoy defends with her Nanoswarm or is positioned to protect from defuse attempts using her turret. Sage is considered for planting because she can revive important teammates, ensuring more healthy defenses during spike defuses.

Requires Proper Timing and Placement

To successfully plant spike in Valorant with Gekko, players need to demonstrate proper timing and be in the correct location on the map. For players looking to be more tactical with the devices they buy and are interested in whether Gekko is better to buy than a robot buddy, strategic placement is key. The Valorant Newbie’s Guide suggests planting a spike-defusing trap on a corner that radiates just a bit beyond the corner, ensuring that no attackers can sneak by without triggering the trap.

Can be Expensive to Purchase

If damn hard to find, so the only known place to acquire a Gekko headset is the Whathifi shop in London for $2200. If over $2k for indoor playing headset is considered expensive to most, this can be qualified as expensive to purchase.

As a consequence of Gekko’s limited approach to push the headphones, they have very small appeal as shown by being sold out on all major headphone retails such as Headphones.com, Audeze, and Headphone Zone. Gekko may make more available in the future, but at present they are not equipped to widely sell their coveted product given the labor-intensive way they have chosen to discreetly capture market share.

Can be Counterproductive in Certain Situations

The disadvantage of the new Sage wall ability – as with Sage’s old barrier – is that spike can be played against the other team by climbing on it. The barrier segment facing the enemy not only restricts field-of-view for the attacking team, but doubles as a step your Sage wall-boosted enemies can use to counter your plant. This is not a common occurrence and requires a lapse in situational awareness from the Sage player who engineered the wall this way, or gameplay savvy from the attacking team. Sage players must be wary of this and not give an accidental climbing platform to the opposing team.

How to Counter Gekko Planting in Valorant?

To counter Gekko planting in Valorant, the primary team strategies include pushing to prevent plant, fishing to delay the plant, and baiting to fake the plant. When push planting in Valorant, instead of delaying entry to the planting site, make a coordinated team push to ensure a tactical advantage and resistance to Gekko’s boombot attack defense. The defending side of the switching of the spikes, which is called fishing, is when one player fake plants the spike outside of the Attackers’ site, taking utility use or kills from the defenders. To counter Gekko planting, fast process the proper positions and corners of the attack site, and once investigated as safe – plant the spike using the Gekko autoplant system behind that solid cover.

Use Agent Abilities

You can quickly plant Spike in Valorant with Gekko by quickly using agent abilities. Planting with Gekko can only be done quickly by a pre-plant agent, such as an Initiator or even Duelist that has a recharging ability such as Reyna’s E (Leer) or Phoenix’s E (Blaze).

Your team may get extremely lucky if you get a Support with Viper’s Pit or a Cypher’s Spycam. But in over 100 matches for this DropPlus How-To, our plant with SoVaro was the only time when an agent was unable to play with multiple settings pre-plant to full energy post-plant. Always call on to your team to make sure the site is ready to rush when you use a pre-charge ability such as Gekko’s Bolt T4.

Coordinate with Teammates

How you coordinate with teammates depends on the situation and the strength of your team. When you have no cover from enemies and are weak, provide crowd control to opponents with Gecko’s Slingshot. If you have a strong team and the enemy is approaching on a single route, place Spike at a point that requires enemies to get close to expose themselves. As enemies get closer, Ikking’s study shows that Gecko’s Slingshot can be more surprising and useful to distract opponents.

Play Aggressively

Phase 3 of initializing planting the spike with Gekko is to play aggressively. Your goal when using Gekko is to give the defenders enough firepower that they feel they can safely defuse the spike, and then hit them with as much damage as possible. This aids your teammates in finishing off wounded enemy players. Fighting aggressively during the plant also draws defenders out of hiding, increasing your chances of getting spike kills.

Regardless of how intelligent their AI is, Gekko plants are unpredictable enough to give your team some points in their favor. The plant generates an alarm in nearby enemies, indicating that they need to take fast action to disrupt the plant and this can be leveraged. Gekko loves aggressive play as it makes it more unpredictable than a passive defender. This is especially important against Ramu who exels against a proper Spike plant. Gekko’s Hao sees Ramu and Zòng as developing robots with exceptional potential who can help to keep things intense for them. Keep them on their toes with a mix of passive and aggressive plantings.

Conclusion

Pluming Tactical’s Spike in Valorant with the Gekko robot model can be a good strategy when the New History location is chosen over both A and B bomb sites on the Skye map. Based on the AI recommendation, plan out a movement path that will allow Gekko to quickly pick up the spike if they are killed. TAG robotics VALORANT uses the Tiered Commitment Strategy and gives these Spike Plant Spots three thumbs down, based on the relatively narrow pathways and low survivability rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I plant the Spike in Valorant with Gekko?
To plant the Spike in Valorant with Gekko, first make sure you have the Spike in your inventory. Then, approach the designated planting site and press the “Use” key, which is usually the “F” key by default. This will start the planting animation and Gekko will quickly plant the Spike.

2. Can I plant the Spike in Valorant with Gekko anywhere on the map?
No, there are specific designated planting sites on each map in Valorant. These sites are marked with a “B” or “A” and have a green arrow pointing towards them. Make sure to go to one of these sites to successfully plant the Spike with Gekko.

3. How can I ensure a successful Spike plant with Gekko in Valorant?
Apart from going to the designated planting site, make sure there are no enemies nearby. Gekko’s Spike planting animation is quick, but can still be interrupted by enemy gunfire. It’s also helpful to have teammates covering you while you plant.

4. Is Gekko the only agent that can plant the Spike in Valorant?
No, all agents in Valorant can plant the Spike. Gekko’s unique ability is to plant the Spike quickly, which can be useful in certain situations where time is of the essence.

5. Can I cancel the Spike planting animation with Gekko in Valorant?
Yes, you can cancel the Spike planting animation by pressing the “Use” key again. However, keep in mind that this will also cancel the planting process and you will have to start again from the beginning.

6. Are there any tips for planting the Spike with Gekko in Valorant?
One tip is to communicate with your team and plan the Spike plant together. This will ensure a smoother process and reduce the chances of getting interrupted by enemies. Also, try to have Gekko’s ultimate ability, Empress, activated before planting for a faster animation.