Sova vs Skye in Valorant: Which agent is the better Initiator in Ascent?

Team composition in Valorant is an important aspect of the game that can aid players in their victory. The 17 agents featured in the game occupy 4 different roles, namely - Duelist, Initiator, Controller and Sentinel.

Initiators are agents who comprise of an ability toolkit that can assist the whole team in various functions of the game, such as entering bomb sites, retaking a site after the spike plant, or defending a site post-plant.

Valorant offers a choice of 4 different Initiator agents to players - Sova, Skye, KAY/O and Breach. This article compares the performance of agents Sova and Skye with respect to their performance in Ascent.

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Sova vs Skye in Valorant: Facts, abilities, skills and pick rate

Sova

Sova is a Russian agent who takes up the role of an Initiator in Valorant (Image via Riot Games)

Facts

Since: Beta

Role: Initiator

Origin: Russia

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Abilities

Basic Ability 1 (C): Owl Drone

Sova can launch an owl drone and take control of it while his body is stationary and vulnerable to attack. The drone flies for 10 seconds and can shoot darts at enemy agents to expose their location for 3.6 seconds.

Basic Ability 2 (Q): Shock Bolt

An explosive arrow that deals 10-90 HP damage to enemies caught within its radius. Sova can control the range of the arrow, as well as adjust its bounce.

Signature Ability (E): Recon Bolt

An arrow that can bounce off walls and stick to any surface to reveal the location of every enemy agent within its line of sight for 3.2 seconds. Enemies can either destroy the bolt or get cover behind a wall to avoid exposing their location.

Ultimate Ability (X): Hunter's Fury

Sova can equip his bow and release up to 3 long-range energy blasts that can penetrate through walls and deal 80 HP in damage per blast. The ability lasts for 6s, after which Sova cannot use his remaining charges, if any. Hunter's Fury requires 8 ultimate points.

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Skills

Sova is one of the most popular Initiators in Valorant due to his straight-forward location reveal ability. While Sova doesn't have any blinding abilities, his recon bolt (E) is sufficient to gain entry into bomb sites, and can also act as a productive defensive tool similar to his owl drone (C).

Sova's shock bolts (Q) often come in handy due to their damage-dealing nature. The agent can add as many as 2 bounces to his arrow, making it an efficient post-plant tool. Similarly, Sova can use his ultimate (X) in post-plant situations in addition to various other scenarios in Valorant.

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Pick Rate

Sova had a pick rate of 64% across all maps for the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 3: Masters Berlin, increasing to 95% on Ascent. As for Valorant's casual community that enjoys competitive matchmaking, Sova witnessed a pick rate of 36.9% in all maps, with 44.3% on Ascent since the game's 3.06 patch update.

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Skye

Hailing from Australia, Skye is one of Valorant's Initiator agents. (Image via Riot Games)

Facts

Since: V1.11

Role: Initiator

Origin: Australia

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Abilities

Basic Ability 1 (C): Regrowth

Skye can equip a trinket that heals teammates within its range. She cannot heal herself. This ability can be reused until the 100 HP healing pool is empty.

Basic Ability 2 (Q): Trailblazer

The agent deploys a tiger trinket that she can control for 5s in order to find nearby enemies. While in her tiger form, Skye can pounce on enemies to confound them for 2.5-4 seconds, while dealing up to 30 HP in damage.

Signature Ability (E): Guiding Light

A destructible hawk trinket whose direction can be controlled by Skye. Coupled with that, she can activate it to her wish. On explosion, the hawk blinds nearby agents for 2 seconds.

Ultimate Ability (X): Seekers

Skye releases 3 seeker orbs together, upon activating her ultimate. The seekers move in the direction of their nearest enemies and near-sight affected agents for 3s. Seekers require Skye to collect 7 ultimate points.

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Skills

Skye's guiding light (E) is one of the most versatile flashing abilities in Valorant, and can prove pivotal in gaining access to various bomb sites in the game. Her regrowth (C) makes her one of the only two healers in the game. Skye's trailblazer (Q) comes in handy as a recon tool, similar to her ultimate.

Seekers (X) is a flexible ability that provides the whole team with information about enemy agents, proving useful in various scenarios. Skye's abilities are tailored to obtain information for the team to assist duelists in their entry into gunfights.

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Pick Rate

In the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 3: Masters Berlin, Skye had an overall pick rate of 58%, with a 68% pick rate on Ascent. In Valorant's competitive matchmaking, Skye's pick rate stands at 25.1% across all maps which decreases to 21.1% on Ascent, as per stats provided by valorbuff.

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Why is Sova preferred ahead of Skye for the role of an Initiator in Ascent?

Sova and Skye are two of the most popular Initiators among all ranks in Valorant's competitive matchmaking, according to stats from valorbuff and blitz.gg. Both have a unique skillset that aids the team in obtaining information.

Due to the structure of the map, Ascent favors teams on the defensive end. The long corridors that lead to both bomb sites work in favor of defenders. The open middle of the map is a dangerous area that is renowned for turning into a battlefield when Valorant agents from both sides collide.

Both sites also have a mechanical door that helps either team contain the site and makes it incredibly difficult for the opposition to impose themselves.

Skye's abilities in Valorant allow her to perform functions like flashing and healing, while contributing to the team as their primary source of recon. On Ascent, every agent will be forced to adapt to long-range fights and ability usage. This reduces the potential for Skye to use her toolkit to the best of her ability.

Sova, on the other hand, gains the advantage due to the long-range potential of the map. His recon bolt and shock bolt are highly effective on Ascent due to their maneuverability.

Sova has a multitude of line-ups for both, allowing him to deny spike plants or defusals from various parts of the map. The walled structures covering both bomb sites work to his advantage while executing his ultimate.

In conclusion, Ascent is a map that favors agents with a skillset that aids them in long-range situations. Among Valorant's choices for an Initiator, Sova emerges as the most proficient in handling situations from afar, and can take the upper hand over Skye in Ascent.