How to play Raze, VALORANT’s explosive duelist

If you’re looking to bring a rocket launcher to a gunfight, then Raze is for you.

VALORANT features a roster of unique agents who each have a different set of skills. Raze focuses on fragging and dealing as much damage as possible, using explosives to her advantage. While this kit might upset CS:GO players, learning to use the agent’s explosives well can devastate an opposing team. 

Here are some tips for playing VALORANT’s explosive duelist.

Boom Bot (C)

Raze’s Boom Bot deploys a small robot that travels in a straight line, locking onto enemies in its frontal cone and exploding when it reaches them. Though it’s slow and sometimes predictable, using it wisely can make the difference between a good and bad Raze.

Simply put, Boom Bot adds another target for enemies to focus on. And with VALORANT’s short time to kill, that split second of hesitation can end in your favor. Enemies that peek have to choose between shooting you or the bot. But players can simply fall back into cover and shoot the bot when it turns the corner.

A good scouting technique is to start the round by sending your Boom Bot into enemy lines. If it doesn’t lock on to an opponent, chances are there aren’t any surprises waiting for you around the corner. If your bot gets shot down, on the other hand, you know where at least one opponent is.

The Boom Bot’s cone of vision doesn’t go too far, however. So players can still be hiding further back without the drone seeing them.

Blast Pack (Q)

Blast Pack allows players to instantly throw an explosive that sticks to surfaces which damages and moves anything hit when detonated. This ability shares commonality with Junkrat’s Concussion Mine from Overwatch. Raze can use the pack to propel herself in any direction, even allowing her to double up on the bounces with a second charge.

The obvious way to use Blast Pack is to propel yourself around corners, throwing off enemy sightlines who expect their targets at ground level. But shooting mid-air can be difficult. Players can also use Blast Packs to push enemies away or towards their team.

Landing a perfect bounce is a bit harder than Junkrat’s Concussion Mine, which shoots Overwatch players further. The learning curve on this skill is fairly high, but bamboozling enemies is a reward of its own. 

Paint Shells (E)

Paint Shells gives Raze a charge of cluster grenades, which explodes and leaves a trail of smaller sub-munitions for an after-effect. 

Not too much skill is needed in slinging an explosive grenade at enemies. The throwable distance on Paint Shells is pretty far, allowing players to bounce it off buildings and land them on enemy lines. And right-clicking to throw the grenade will cast it a shorter distance, good for throwing it around a corner when unsuspecting enemies draw near.

Raze players can also time Paint Shells with their allies’ abilities. Sage’s Slow Orb, for example, creates an ice field that slows enemies caught in its radius. Slinging a cluster grenade on top of them will make it nearly impossible for them to escape.

Showstopper (X)

Showstopper is definitely one of the most controversial abilities in the game—and for good reason.

This rocket launcher deals tons of damage and has a big area of effect, potentially able to kill multiple enemies. Since the rocket has a travel time, players shooting it still leave themselves susceptible to being shot at while wielding it. To counter that, use a Blast Pack to propel yourself upwards when turning a corner. Not only will that catch enemies by surprise, but you can also get a better vantage point on their hiding spot. Once you have a general sense of their direction, shoot away.

Raze’s Showstopper can also be used when you suspect multiple enemies are stacked down a lane. Shooting it towards the corner they’re hiding can land you kills without them ever seeing your face.