Valorant: How to master Raze in 2023
Valorant’s own party girl, Raze, has been in the game since it's beta launch and is a killing machine. She can create absolute chaos in the battlefield with her abilities. The Agent is known to be interested in both explosives and paint, and her abilities resemble just that. Raze has been popular since launch, and is still a top-tier agent in Valorant despite multiple nerfs.
Raze hails from Salvador, Brazil, and her entire kit revolves around explosives. Despite of being a Duelist, she has enough utility to flush out enemies and clear corners for the team. Let’s talk more about her abilities.
A rundown of Raze’s abilities in Valorant
Raze has a total of four abilities in the game:
Her signature ability, Paint Shells (E), is a cluster grenade that bursts on impact, doing damage and creating four mini grenades that deal AoE damage after a short while. It charges upon two kills.
Raze’s second ability, Boom Bot (C), costs 300 credits and is a bot on wheels. It travels in a straight line and bounces off walls for five seconds. If it locks onto an enemy in front of it, it chases after them and bursts when close, dealing damage.
Her third ability, Blast Pack (Q), costs 200 credits per charge, and throws a satchel charge on the ground. It can damage enemies close to it and also disrupts the movement of anyone close to it. This can propel Raze in a certain direction if it bursts close to her.
Finally, her ultimate ability, aptly named Showstopper (X), needs eight ultimate points and is simply a rocket. It instantly kills enemies who happen to be within its blast radius.
How to use Raze to her maximum potential in Valorant
Raze gains map control for the team and has high damage output potential
Raze is one of the six Duelists in Valorant. Despite being one, she has one of the highest-damaging kits in the entire game. Her most annoying ability, Paint Shells, covers a large area and you can use it to clear corners or flush out hidden enemies, all the while damaging them. You can also use it to bring down opponents' health or finish off low-health enemies.
Raze’s Boom Bot can clear multiple angles for you and your team. Once it chases an enemy, you can peek along with it and make your opponent choose between you or the bot. This guarantees that you at least damage your opponent if not kill them.
Her Blast Packs can damage enemies, but it is rarely used for that purpose. She can use her Blast Packs to cover large distances within seconds and surprise enemies. This is a niche ability and it takes proper timing to execute, but you can master it with practice. Once you learn how to “double satchel” your way into gunfights, it can prove very beneficial for you.
In a game like Valorant, teamwork is a must. Co-ordinate your satchel entries with the Initiator in your team for the best outcome.
Her ultimate is very simple – shoot to kill. Despite having the one shot one kill potential, the Showstopper’s blast radius has been greatly nerfed. Now, if you want to confirm your kill with it, you need to close down the distance between you and your enemy. This is best done with your Blast Packs.
Depending on the situation, you can use Raze’s Paint Shells or Blast Packs to destroy opponent players’ utilities like Cypher’ Tripwire or Killjoy’ Nanoswarms. This makes it a lot easier for you and your team to maneuver in and out of bomb sites or sometimes even defusing the spike.
Where to play Raze?
Raze is a pretty versatile option when it comes to picking a Duelist in Valorant. There are, however, a few maps - Split, Lotus, and Bind - that best suit her playstyle. She is playable on the other maps as well, but is best on the ones mentioned.
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