Phantom or Vandal: Which One Should You Pick in Valorant?
By Roger on Aug 31st, 2024, 07:32
Valorant is one of the most played games on the market. Your skills and overall strategy will decide whether you excel or flop in this fast-paced game.
However, one of the most important decisions you’ll make in this game is: Phantom or Vandal? Yes, this game has four rifles, but these two are the most powerful.
Moreover, you need to grind a lot of credits to purchase a rifle, so make sure you'll want to make sure you pick the right one. Through this guide, we’ll help you make the correct decision based on each game situation.
The Phantom costs 2900 credits. It comes with a 30-round magazine, a firing rate of 1 round per second, and a first-shot spread of 0.2. Its damage output varies in distance and is effective in long and close ranges. The silencer is one of its main advantages, allowing you to shoot discreetly without revealing your position.
The Phantom’s forte lies in close-range combat, but it does great at long distances as well. Its ability to clear angles and control recoil makes it a top choice among players. When you’re aiming down sights (ADS), the movement speed and first rate will decrease by 76% and 90%, respectively. However, the spread and recoil are slightly reduced, and the scope zooms in by 1.25x.
On the other hand, the Phantom does have its shortcomings: it suffers from damage fall-off. If you’re shooting from 15-30 meters, you’ll deal 140 damage with this rifle. However, it’ll drop to 124 damage if you’re shooting beyond 30 meters.
This means that when you’re up against an opponent who’s 15 meters or more away and equipped with a vandal and full armor, you’ll need to deliver two shots to secure your kill. On the other hand, your opponent will need just a single shot to take you down. This has been implemented to balance out the Phantom’s superior spray recoil, silencer, and larger magazine. You’ll need to consider this if you want to play this rifle.
● 30-round magazine
● Spray control
● Silencer
● Damage fall-off
On the other side of the shooting range, the Vandal is the louder and more powerful counterpart to the Phantom. It has a 25-round magazine, firepower of 9.75 rounds/second, and a 0.25-degree first-shot spread.
With ADS, your movement speed and fire rate will decrease by 76% and 90%, respectively. Also, just like the Phantom, aiming down sights with this rifle will reduce your recoil and spread and zoom your vision. This feature is particularly popular among players because it allows you to eliminate your opponent with a single headshot. Professional players like Yay are particularly known for excelling at taking advantage of this feature.
Unlike the Phantom, the Vandal doesn’t suffer from a damage fall-off regardless of the range. For example, if you’re facing off against an enemy at top mid, you’ll need a single shot to secure a kill.
Now, imagine you’re peeking and attacking into A main. If your opponent likes to take an early peek, you can pre-fire at them before they take their shot at you. Moreover, if your opponent is more than 15 meters away, the Vandal has a greater chance of securing a kill compared to the Phantom.
However, in some cases, the Vandal doesn’t match up well with the Phantom. One of the most obvious is its spray control which is significantly worse in comparison to the Phantom—this means the Vandal is less suitable for 1vX situations in high-level play where opponents tend to coordinate and double-peek.
Moreover, the Vandal doesn’t feature a suppressor, making your bullet tracers visible. As a result, you won’t be very successful spraying through smokes with the Vandal, as your opponents will be able to trace the shots back to you.
● Great for pre-firing angles
● No damage fall-off
● Inferior spray control
● Poor Spray Control
Now that you’re familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of the Phantom and the Vandal, you’ll need to make a decision. However, before you do that, you need to ask yourself a few questions so that you make the right choice:
What type of agent you’re playing will make a decisive impact on your choice. If you’re a duelist or a controller, the Phantom will be a superior choice, as you’ll be dealing more with close-quarter confrontations and spamming through smokes.
On the other hand, if you’re a sentinel or initiator, the Vandal will be a more suitable choice as you’ll be dealing with longer-range confrontations and playing second-entry roles.
There are many maps on Valorant, which can vary in openness and angle length, so you must consider this when choosing between the Phantom and the Vandal. The Vandal is superior for long angles, especially when scoped in. This feature makes it ideal for maps like Ascent, Breeze, Bind, and Fracture, which feature long sightlines.
On the other hand, the Phantom is more suitable for maps with tighter spaces that require close combat, such as Split, Icebox, and Haven, thanks to its faster fire rate and superior spray control. Consider this factor when choosing your rifle.
There’s no point in choosing a gun that you’re not comfortable with. Various firing rates will influence your playstyle and technique, determining your overall comfort level with the rifle.
Another important factor is your gun’s recoil. If you can’t manage it, you should choose another rifle unless you’re a highly skilled player capable of making precise adjustments.
Lastly, confidence is key. Your skills will secure kills, but most will come from your rifle. As a result, you must have the confidence to make first contact or trade your comrades whenever necessary. If you’re not confident with your gun, you won’t be able to thrive in these situations.
In most cases, you’ll focus on you and your enemy's team's economic situation when purchasing a rifle. However, when it comes to the Vandal and Phantom, you must focus on your opponent's financial situation.
The Phantom excels when your opponent is on a save round. It excels in close-quarter confrontations, and you don’t need to bother with damage fall-off since your opponents will most likely not have full shields.
The same applies when your opponent is on the force of half buy as the Phantom retains superiority thanks to its minimal damage fall-off impact.
On the other hand, the Vandal is more advantageous if your opponent can afford a full buy. Since it doesn't suffer from damage falloff, it’s capable of consistent damage, making it ideal for longer battles.
Ultimately, you’ll need to pick the gun you feel the most comfortable with, considering your playstyle and map.
Hopefully, through this blog, you’ll have the answer to whether to opt for Vandal or Phantom in Valorant. When making your decision, make sure you take into consideration the points mentioned in this blog.
Weigh the pros and cons of each rifle and focus on your playstyle, gameplay, role, the map, how much money your opponent has, and your comfort level with the gun.
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