VALORANT team missing a controller? Here’s how to go ‘no smokes’ in ranked

Back when I was a Gold-ranked VALORANT player, I’d run into the most bizarre team comps in my games. From running into four duelist instalockers to carrying three bottom-fragging sentinels on my team, my Gold-en era in the game mostly consists of nightmares I want to forget. 

But nothing can get worse than those times when I didn’t have a controller on my VALORANT team. Thankfully, I have always been a controller main, and I didn’t have to endure this pain much. But honestly, there’s nothing I wouldn’t give to know how to play without smokes back then—just for the times I wanted to play other roles for a change.

Riot Games describes the controller role as “experts in slicing up dangerous territories and setting up their team for success.” Simply put, they are responsible for blocking the enemy’s line of sight, offering cover from critical chokepoints, and helping their team’s duelists and initiators take control of space.

From the sound of it, the controller role appears to be an inevitable pick—if you want to win matches. But what if I tell you that VALORANT isn’t exactly ‘impossible’ without smokes? After all, the game lets you choose agents from any role you want to, whether or not there’s already another agent of the same role on the team. 

To top it off, if you are in low Elo, be ready to run into a team comp without a controller every now and then.

Controllers make it easier to enter, defend, or retake the plant sites. That said, you can still do the same things in their absence—with other agents—albeit not as efficiently. For example, agents like Jett, Neon, Sage, Cypher, and Killjoy can help mitigate the disadvantage of not having a smoker on your team. 

Jett’s Cloud Bursts are extremely helpful in providing instant, flexible cover, and despite the recent nerfs to her smokes’ duration, they still remain useful for quick protection when switching positions. Neon’s wall, Fast Lane, is great for slicing up a site’s space while offering cover for her team.

Cypher can use his Cyber Cage to sneak into the site or restrict line of sight—similar to a controller but for a shorter time. Sage can wall to restrict line of sight and even bend bullets. Killjoy’s Ultimate, Lockdown, can clear an entire site. Even Deadlock’s Barrier Mesh is incredibly powerful at denying space, although it can’t block line of sight or bullets.

The best way to tackle a controller-less match is by keeping a positive mindset. You can’t win a VALORANT match if you give up mentally early on. Instead, play to your team’s strengths. 

If you have five duelists on the team, try pushing the enemy team unexpectedly—you have flashes, deadly ultimates, and whatnot to facilitate aggression.

If you have multiple sentinels, have them take responsibility for one site and play to their defensive prowess. They can also be excellent lurkers on the attack, and post plant is almost sorted if you have more than one sentinel on the team.

You might also want to consider playing for picks when you don’t have a smoker on your team. Rushing into a site aimlessly can backfire, even if you have five duelists on the team. Be alert of when and how the enemies might offer you an opening. 

You can also lurk cautiously to try for an opening kill. Since you don’t have a smoker on the team, the enemy team may not expect risky moves from your side. For example, if there’s no smoke in Ascent’s Mid Bottom, as much as it allows the defenders to hold the chokepoint freely, it might also misguide them into thinking that there’s no one around in Top Mid. 

Ultimately, VALORANT’s playstyle will always side with those who take risks and win them out.