Guns in VALORANT, explained – Vandal vs Phantom?

VALORANT is a hero-based first-person shooter, and the developer-publisher Riot Games still champions "precise gunplay" as the core of the game. You have a lot of choices in-game, so read below for a quick rundown of each VALORANT gun. We also help you decide which side to take in the Vandal vs Phantom debate!

The guns in VALORANT are categorized per weapon type, with each having a handful of choices of varying prices.

For most of the game, you'll (ideally) have rifles equipped. You have four options: the Bulldog, Guardian, Phantom, and Vandal.

The Bulldog has a burst-fire mode that can be toggled with right-click, and is the cheapest rifle at 2,050. A headshot with it deals 115 damage at any range, meaning you won't be able to one-tap anybody who has at least a light armor.

The Guardian is a semi-automatic gun, and is the premier choice if you're confident at clicking heads. At 2,250 credits, it deals 195 damage on a headshot at any range, meaning you'll be able to eliminate most enemies with one headshot.

Now comes the long-running debate of Vandal vs Phantom. Both are priced at 2,900 credits, and the short answer to the debate is to buy whichever one you feel. Give both guns a drive in Deathmatch or the Range, and see which one feels better.

For the longer answer, the Vandal has no damage falloff, giving you more reliable kills on headshots. If you're good at clicking enemies' heads at a range, then the Vandal might be the one for you.

Meanwhile, the Phantom is a faster and more accurate rifle, but suffers from damage falloff. On some occasions, you'll be dinking enemies from afar, but the shot won't eliminate them.

In close-range scenarios, the Phantom is usually a better choice, since its headshots still deal 156 damage as long as you're at most 20 meters away from the enemy.

You have five options for pistols, or sidearms, in VALORANT. They are the Classic, Shorty, Frenzy, Ghost, and Sheriff.

You spawn with a Classic, and it's a reliable sidearm that isn't too shabby when it comes to pistol rounds. If you want to get better at the game, improving your familiarity with the Classic is a must. Its alternate fire that shoots out three bullets in a spread can also net you some cheesy elims.

The Ghost and the Sheriff are for players who trust their aim. The Sheriff, especially, is a good purchase on eco rounds. This is because it has the highest chance of winning against full-bought enemies, thanks to it dealing 159 damage on a headshot under 30 meters.

The Shorty and Frenzy are niche buys for mobile Agents or those holding a close angle.

Next category is the Sniper Rifle with three choices: Marshall, Outlaw, and Operator.

The Marshall is a good budget sniper, only costing 950 credits, and is able to kill any enemy, at any range, with a headshot. It's also accurate while unscoped as long as you're crouching.

The Outlaw is a good punisher for when the enemy buys a Light Shield, given that it deals 140 on a body shot.

Next, the Operator, probably the most popular choice out of the three, but also the priciest. The presence of this gun warps the game for the low, low price of 4,700 credits. A body shot from an Operator deals 150 damage, killing most Agents through a Heavy Shield.

There are only two shotguns in VALORANT: the Bucky and the Judge.

Both of them are useful in their own right, but familiarizing yourself with the Bucky's spread and its alternate fire won't hurt when you're using it and when you're playing against it. You'll usually see these guns picked up by players who hold a close angle or on mobile Agents.

Also with two choices, the submachine guns in VALORANT have a high fire rate but deal less damage per shot.

The Stinger is a good bug on ecos, but is usually not the best choice. Meanwhile, the Specter is a popular choice when you don't have enough credits to buy a rifle, or you want to match your team's buy.

There are two machine guns in VALORANT: the Ares and the Odin.

Both offer an insanely high fire rate, but are most effective when the shooter is not moving. For the Odin in particular, machine guns offer a high penetration rate, allowing players to shoot through walls.

In VALORANT, guns are an essential part of the game, no matter how convoluted the Agent abilities get. While reading up on these weapons helps, the most ideal way to learn and familiarize yourself with each gun is to hop on a game of VALORANT and try them all out.