10 Best Valorant Weapons: Ranked in Order

Imagine getting killed by a Classic at long range.

Anwell Patdu
Anwell Patdu - CS2 & Valorant Expert
11 Min Read

There are 17 unique weapons in Valorant. While all of them are useful in the right scenarios, you can’t exactly use all of them at the same time. You’ll still have to choose what to buy for every round.

The question is, are you spending your valuable credits on the right ones? Luckily, we’ve got your back. Today, we’ve decided to rank the 10 best Valorant weapons you should use.

1

Phantom

An image of the Standard Phantom weapon in Valorant.

Price: 2,900 Credits
Magazine: 30/90
Fire Rate: 11 rounds/sec

The top spot on our list was a tough choice. The Phantom and the Vandal are basically neck and neck as the best Valorant weapons. However, we’ve decided to give a slight edge to the Phantom.

The Phantom just has a higher fire rate, more bullets, an easier recoil, and is silenced. At close to medium range, there’s no question that the Phantom is definitely the superior weapon. Considering that most of the active Valorant maps are composed of short to medium range skirmishes, it’s a no-brainer for the Phantom to top our list.

Best way to use the Phantom: Controlled sprays at close to medium range and short bursts at longer ranges.

2

Vandal

An image of the Standard Vandal weapon in Valorant.

Price: 2,900 Credits
Magazine: 25/75
Fire Rate: 9.75 rounds/sec

The runner-up of the best Valorant weapon belongs to the other top rifle, the Vandal. The Vandal is the weapon of choice for those looking for those insane clips because of its ability to one-tap at any range. This is where most of the Vandal’s value comes from.

The Vandal deals more damage per bullet than the Phantom. However, it does have a smaller magazine size and fire rate. The Vandal is perfect for players who have great aim and can take advantage of the one-tap potential. It’s also recommended to use a smaller crosshair if you’re planning on primarily using the Vandal.

Best way to use the Vandal: Controlled bursts or taps.

3

Operator

An image of the Standard Operator weapon in Valorant.

Price: 4,700 Credits
Magazine: 5/10
Fire Rate: 0.6 rounds/sec

The Operator is Valorant’s counterpart to CS:GO’s AWP. The two are actually very similar in multiple ways. They’re both slow-firing but powerful snipers that offer one-shot kill potential to the body and the head. The Operator is a staple in any game of Valorant. A good Operator player can make it almost impossible to cross angles without using utility.

The biggest caveat is that the Operator requires a huge investment for your team. It costs a whopping 4,700 credits, which means you better get a lot of value for it. Buying the Op can quickly destroy your team’s economy if you can’t use it to hold sites or get kills. This is mainly why we don’t consider it the best Valorant weapon.

Best way to use the Operator: Hold long angles.

4

Spectre

An image of the Standard Spectre.

Price: 1,600 Credits
Magazine: 30/90
Fire Rate: 13.33 rounds/sec

The Spectre is the ever-reliable 2nd round, and bonus buy weapon. It’s a relatively cheap yet powerful weapon in close to medium range battles. It can even outclass stronger weapons like the Phantom or Vandal at times.

The Spectre offers decent damage, a great fire rate, and a relatively easy recoil. Unfortunately, the Spectre’s power declines the further away you get from an opponent. It definitely can’t be a substitute for rifles, but it will at least give you a solid fighting chance.

Best way to use the Spectre: Spraying at close to mid range fights. It’s also a good run-and-gun weapon.

5

Sheriff

An image of the Standard Sheriff.

Price: 800 Credits
Magazine: 6/24
Fire Rate: 4 rounds/sec

We have the first pistol on our list. Of course, it’s none other than the one-tap highlight weapon, the Sheriff. The Sheriff is a semi-automatic pistol that’s usually bought during save rounds or semi-ecos. It’s a powerful weapon that can easily turn the tides in your favor with just a few headshots.

The Sheriff is by far the best pistol because of its damage potential. Although it can be hard to spam it because of its small magazine size and slow rate of fire, it’s still perfect for those Valorant players out there with insane aim.

Best way to use the Sheriff: Slow and controlled shots while trying to aim for the head.

6

Marshal

An image of the Standard Marshal.

Price: 950 Credits
Magazine: 5/15
Fire Rate: 1.5 rounds/sec

Next up is another Valorant weapon that’s usually bought during semi-ecos or save rounds. The Marshal is the Operator’s little brother and is a lever-action sniper with a single zoom. It’s insanely powerful against enemies with no armor because it can one-shot them even with body shots. It’s basically a budget Op, during an opponent’s save rounds.

The Marshal can also one-shot headshot kill opponents with full armor. It’s a tad bit more expensive than the Sheriff, but you’re getting a scoped weapon in return. It’s perfect for long-range battles and even has a relatively accurate hip fire. It also fires way faster than the Op, allowing you to quickly take multiple shots.

Best way to use the Marshal: Holding long-range angles during save rounds.

7

Odin

An image of the Standard Odin.

Price: 3,200 Credits
Magazine: 100/200
Fire Rate: 12-15.6 rounds/sec

The Odin is Valorant’s ultimate machine gun. It can spit out a whopping 15.6 rounds per second and can annihilate an enemy team’s plan of rushing. Its high penetration also makes the Odin the best weapon for wall-banging and getting those cheesy spam kills.

The Odin can be quite hard to use because of its slow equip speed. It also has a hard recoil to control with a huge spread while firing. However, there’s denying how oppressing the Odin can be when used in the right situations. It’s one of the few weapons in Valorant that you can use as a substitute for a rifle without being at a massive disadvantage.

Best way to use the Odin: Spraying through walls and zoning enemies through the sheer number of bullets.

8

Stinger

An image of the Standard Stinger weapon in Valorant.

Price: 1,100 Credits
Magazine: 20/60
Fire Rate: 16 rounds/sec

The Stinger is a weapon that Riot just can’t balance. It’s either too strong or too weak, with no in-between. Right now, it’s leaning toward the stronger side. It has an insane fire rate of 16 rounds/sec, outclassing even the Odin. However, it only has a 20-bullet magazine to limit its power.

The Stinger is very strong in close-quarters combat and can easily eliminate an enemy. Its recoil is hard to control, though and is useless at range. It’s a cheap alternative to the Spectre and is best bought during half-buy rounds.

Best way to use the Stinger: Spraying at close range, running and gunning.

9

Judge

An image of the Standard Judge weapon in Valorant.

Price: 1,850 Credits
Magazine: 7/21
Fire Rate: 3.5 rounds/sec

The Judge is the first and only shotgun on our list. It’s an automatic shotgun and is a favorite by cheese players to get aggressive picks. It excels in close-range combat and can wipe out a rushing enemy team in a matter of seconds.

Of course, close-range combat is basically the only thing that the Judge is good for. It can easily be outclassed by pistols at medium range and is practically useless for anything beyond a couple of meters. That’s why it’s near the bottom of our list because it’s only good for niche plays.

Best way to use the Judge: Holding close-range corners and cheese plays.

10

Ghost

An image of the Standard Ghost weapon in Valorant.

Price: 500 Credits
Magazine: 15/45
Fire Rate: 6.75 rounds/sec

The final entry on our list of the best Valorant weapons is none other than the reliable Ghost. The Ghost is by far the most commonly bought pistol during pistol rounds. It’s the most balanced pistol in the game that works great at almost any range. It deals decent damage, has a decent fire rate, and can also one-shot headshot enemies with no armor within 30 meters.

The Classic can overpower the Ghost at close range because of its right-click burst damage. It also isn’t that useful against rifles because it doesn’t have that one-tap potential, unlike the Sheriff. The Ghost is still a bargain at 500 credits, leaving you enough room to buy some utility on pistol rounds, and it is a decent choice for saves.

Best way to use the Ghost: Quick but controlled taps in close to medium range and slow shots at longer ranges.

Conclusion

The best Valorant weapon in our eyes is non-other than the Phantom. It’s an easy weapon to control, useful in many scenarios, has a solid fire rate, and deals great damage. It’s effective in any rank and is the perfect rifle for close to medium range battles.

Do you agree with our list? What’s the best Valorant weapon in your eyes? Comment it below.

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By Anwell Patdu CS2 & Valorant Expert
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Hey, awesome game enthusiasts! I'm Anwell, diving into the gaming world from the days of the Game Boy Advance SP with Pokémon FireRed, evolving into a pro strategist in the intense showdowns of Valorant and CS2. It's a thrill ride I never want to get off! But hey, I'm not all about the competitive scene. Sometimes I'm kickin' back with the latest indie farming sims, where my farm designs—though not award-winners—bring a quirky kind of peace. As for the tech side, yeah, I've put together a PC or two, and it's a blast. But let’s park that for now; we're all about the gaming vibes here! All this joystick joy turned me into a wordsmith in the gaming universe, with a sea of articles to my credit. And the journey, with you all by my side, just keeps leveling up. So, stay tuned, stay connected, and let’s keep this game-night rolling! Ready for more action and less talk? Onward to our next virtual adventure!
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