Updated on January, 9:30 a.m. (GMT+8): Added photos, edited article.
Matthew “Wardell” Yu is a popular Twitch streamer who is also one of the best Operator users in Valorant.
He used the skills he honed from CS:GO to become a Valorant one-shot sniper. The Canadian player even turned this into his brand, the Op Academy (OPAC).
Using his knowledge and experience, Wardell had put together a simple and easy beginner’s guide for players who were looking to become an Operator main just like him.
He breaks down five basic skills every player should learn to become a proficient Operator user.
5 things to takeaway from Wardell’s Valorant Operator guide
5. Easy Shots
Wardell explained that you can hit easy shots, as long as you don’t aim too fast, which could cause you to miss your target.
Improve your reaction time so that you don’t let your opponents to take their time getting a headshot against you.
He says players must also be able figure out if an opponent is going for a jiggle peek or a wide swing. A jiggle peek is when an enemy player briefly shows themselves out of the corner, without completely running out, prompting you to miss your shot.
A wide swing, on the other hand, is when a player runs out of cover completely and doesn’t stop near where they came from.
4. Crosshair placement
Wardell advises to wait for your targets to pass through your scope. This is much easier compared to tracking your target’s movement with your crosshair.
If you miss a shot, be mindful about remaining in the open. Hide behind cover after each shot and peek meticulously, gradually moving your crosshair little by little, so you’re not caught off guard when opponents decide to move out.
3. Flicks
Make sure to find the right mouse sensitivity for you. Once you figure out the right mouse settings, it’s all about muscle memory.
“So, if your sens is too low, you’ll be too slow to flick, and if it’s too fast you’re going to over-flick,” said Wardell.
Players should practice their flicks before going into a game. Get warmed up in the range and try out your flick shots, using different angles.
2. Economy guide
At the start of the pistol round, buy a Ghost and smokes. However, if you don’t get a kill in the pistol round, you can’t buy an Operator in the third round. Your team should win the second round if you want to Op in the third round.
If you win the pistol round, you could also buy a Marshall, light shields, and some abilities in the second round. Save as much as you can so that you have enough for an Op in the third round. If you lose the first round, just go for a hard save and stick with a Classic.
Also, don’t buy a Sheriff or a Bucky and try to bank up to 5,500 to 6,000 credits, and save up for the next round. Players should have heavy shields and full utility when buying an Operator.
1. Angles
Wardell recommends holding — what he calls — “smart angles,” which are spots on the map that are non-preferable and allow players to fall back if they need to. The preferable locations he’s talking about are the most common peeking angles most players take.
Through trial and error, you’ll find out if it’s a good angle or not. If you keep dying in the same spot, you know that’s a bad angle. If you keep getting kills at a certain position, then you know that’s a good angle.
Wardell also gave a bonus tip on how to go up against Operators: players can jiggle peek or jump jiggle, and bait out an Operator shot to find out where the enemy sniper is on the map.
Make sure to use your abilities like smokes and flashes to guarantee that they don’t get an easy shot on you.
Watch Wardell’s full Operator guide in the video below.
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