Updated on April 2, 1:51 p.m. (GMT+8): Improved introduction.
The ability to effectively play around cover can be the difference between winning and losing in the competitive world of Valorant.
This is where Matthew “Wardell” Yu’s game-changing Sage wall comes in. With this exceptional defensive tactic in your arsenal, you can significantly increase your chances of success and outsmart attackers in your toughest ranked matches.
This is how you can take your Sage gameplay to the next level.
Wardell saved his team with an incredible Sage wall play on Ascent
Wardell shook fellow North American hopefuls DarkZero by showcasing his impressive versatility during the VCT NA Stage 3 Challengers 2 open qualifier in 2021
Known for his adept skills as an expert Operator player who mainly plays Jett, Wardell surprised by switching to Sage and utilizing her agent abilities to maximum effect. He used Sage wall for an aggressive play, as opposed to a delay tactic, which is how most players use her Barrier Orb.
As an Operator user, he always looks for the best positions and angles to take out the enemy team. However, since he wasn’t playing Jett, a duelist who could escape risky spots with her Tail Wind dash, the Op Academy founder had to re-evaluate his positioning.
In this scenario, Wardell found a way to utilize Sage’s wall and Slow Orbs to impede the enemy team’s progress by holding a closer angle where he could maneuver around his targets.
With TSM on the verge of elimination with the score tied 11-11 on Ascent, he demonstrated that even Sage can be deadly with an Operator as he clutched a vital round for his team.
At the start of the 23rd round, the team’s stand-in Sova main player Aleko “Leviathan” Gabuniya used his Recon Dart that spotted team DarkZero making their way to A-main of Ascent.
Wardell reacted quickly and put up Sage’s Barrier Orb which had a small gap, which allowed him to spot the incoming attackers.
Players often use Sage’s wall to boost themselves up to get a better angle for a kill. However, Wardell simply waited for his opponents to walk into his crosshair and shot through the small gap he created.
Knowing that the remaining attackers were nearby, he threw Sage’s Slow Orb so his opponents wouldn’t be able to overwhelm him. This allowed him to get four much-needed kills to secure TSM the round.
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