Paper Rex qualifies for 2023 Champions grand finals thanks to VALORANT’s forgotten duelist

Over the year, Pacific powerhouses Paper Rex have come up with a new Pearl composition to shoot fear into their foes. While simple on paper, making it work is a different story, and the team just used it to beat top-ranked Evil Geniuses and secure their spot in the VALORANT Champions 2023 Grand Finals.

Ever since the early days of 2023, Paper Rex have put their star duelist Jinggg on Phoenix, one of the most forgotten duelists alongside Yoru.

Both were seen in their match against EG on Aug. 24, but the Phoenix came on top due to multiple different factors that the Pacific team played around perfectly.

The series itself was a barnburner, with each team having moments of brilliance and despair in equal measure. Where Paper Rex choked their lead to lose map one on Ascent, EG did the same on Bind to keep the series tied. It all came down to Pearl, where overtime decided who would go to the finals.

Thanks to clutch moments from both mindfreak and f0rsakeN, they won it 15-13, but they wouldn’t have gotten that far without their unique composition⁠—Jinggg on Phoenix.

Phoenix offers several things other duelists don’t. First off, his Run It Back ultimate is cheaper than any other ultimate, only needing six ult points to collect. Then, he’s the only duelist with a molly; his Hot Hands does damage over time on a small area. Add those with Pearl, a map where the orbs are easily contestable from both sides, and you have two reasons to play Phoenix: to farm his ult for information and a free push, plus to molly post-plants or chokes.

Related: VALORANT Patch 7.04 could open new duelist meta following sweeping agent nerfs

Looking at the VOD for the Paper Rex/EG matchup on Pearl, you’ll see almost every round begins with Jinggg getting an ult orb, usually from A main. That is thanks to abilities like Phoenix’s Blaze wall, Jett’s Cloudburst, or even a flash. This lets Jinggg ult two to four times per half, which almost always gets value.

That isn’t all, though. One thing that’s key to note about Phoenix’s molly is it has a set distance before it drops. You can’t throw it for a long lineup like Killjoy’s Nanoswarm, but you can still do select lineups. 

For example, when pushing through B link, Jinggg throws a molly specifically to hit the inside corner in B link, forcing a player who is ratting there to swing. It didn’t lead to a kill, but it is a smart way of using this limited VALORANT molly for a useful lineup.

Then, for attack on either site, Phoenix is strong because of his Blaze wall and his Hot Hands molly. Normally, other agents like Viper and Harbor allow players to get on site and plant, as well as play long distance and prevent defuses. 

Related: ‘RIP Jett’: VALORANT players mourn agent’s impending nerfs in Patch 7.04

Phoenix can wall himself on site while playing aggressively and even use his molly on spike if need be. He turns from duelist to controller in seconds, and can be the perfect sacrificial lamb with his ultimate to gain information, like Yoru but with more kill potential. The areas with long sightlines but constant corners are where Phoenix is best, and Pearl has just that on both sites.

It’s not like other pocket picks like Reyna or Yoru, where your flashes and aim matters most. Phoenix strives on smart plays with his utility, and add onto that a near un-dodgeable flash and you got a good pick on Pearl, even if Riot doesn’t change Phoenix as much as other duelists.

Paper Rex will face the winner of the lower bracket finals between LOUD and EG on Aug. 26 to crown a new VALORANT champion for 2023.