Winning in VALORANT isn’t reliant solely on your ability to aim. Besides certain important aspects like gamesense and movement, managing your economy across rounds can be crucial for coming out on top against your opponents. You’ll be surprised to see how much added benefits can proper economic management bring to you.
Every player in the game starts each half with 800 credits (in-game currency) and an equipped handgun. Credits are earned through killing opponents, planting/disarming the spike or simply through passive income at the end of each round.
A round win in VALORANT is worth 3000 creds, the round loss bonus varies from 1900-2900 creds which increases as your losing streak keeps on increasing. A kill on your enemy grants 200 creds each regardless of the weapon used and planting or disarming the spike will net you an extra 300 creds.
Pistol Rounds
Pistol rounds can easily be regarded as the most crucial rounds of any VALORANT game as it can set the course for the next few rounds and perhaps the rest of the game. Everyone individually starts the pistol rounds with 800 creds which can be used on an upgraded pistol, light armor and abilities. The most popular choice of buy in a pistol round is a Ghost due to the one-shot kill potential of the Ghost on unarmored heads and it being relatively easy to spam. The Ghost can be combined with an additional ability too. A mistake beginners are often seen doing is saving up the money from the first round for the next round – Don’t do that.
Eco Rounds
Eco rounds are essentially rounds in which you don’t buy anything that might be a hit to your economy. Generally, it is done after losing the first round to save up some money for a full buy. The primary objective of a team doing an eco round isn’t necessarily to win it, but to cause as much economic damage to the enemy team as possible. This includes picking enemies off-guard to score an easy kill or wasting enemies’ abilities. The passive income after a round ensures that you’ll be able to buy good gear in the following round.
Force Buy Rounds
My personal favourite sort of round, a force buy round is generally done when your enemy least expects it. When your economy is on a low, you can catch enemies by surprise if you fully invest in guns, abilities or armor. While you may not be able to buy the best guns, your enemies will generally be expecting your team to be on eco and the element of surprise combined with a bit of recklessness from your enemies might be enough to win you a crucial round.
Reading enemies’ economies
Reading the economies of your enemies can be hard, but important and can give you an extra edge over your opponents. Just remember the basic rules of gaining credits and try to keep track of your opponents’ budgets. You’ll soon get the hang of accurately predicting your enemies’ next buys.
Buying for your teammates
VALORANT comes with a feature that lets you buy guns directly for your teammates rather than dropping weapons in the ground like in CSGO. In the buy menu, players have the option to buy for their team or request a buy from the others.
The final round
The final round of each half should see players from both teams putting all their cards to the table. Excess credits saved up in a final round of a half don’t transfer to the next half (or the next game, for the record). Try to spend all your creds in that round, if you still have extra leftovers buy a better sidegun or ask your teammates if they want a drop.
The key here is to communicate your strategies through to your team and buy as a team. Full-buying into a round when the rest of your team is on an eco is the worst mistake you can make and is pretty much guaranteed to lose you a round. Keep these tips in mind, always be ready for what the enemy has to offer and you’ll find yourself moving up the ranks in no time.
