Valorant agent Harbor: Abilities and 4 reasons why he isn't popular in rank-up games

Harbor, Valorant's new Indian-origin Agent, was released in October, and most gamers have already played him at least once in a ranked match. He is a Controller who derives his powers from an ancient and powerful artifact that grants him water-related abilities.

Fans appreciated the addition of the character initially, but his popularity waned over time as fewer people began choosing him in rank-up games. This article will explore his abilities and assess why he isn't a fan-favorite.

Note: This article contains the author's opinions.

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Agent Harbor has four water-summoning abilities

These are the abilities that this Controller brings to the table.

High Tide

This is a wall of water similar to Viper's wall that can be guided based on the player's needs. One has to guide it towards the crosshair, which is visible on the map. It helps to block enemies during attacks. High Tide is his only reusable ability.

Cove

The Cove is a bullet-blocking sphere of water that can help you plant the spike. Quite a few bullets are required to destroy the shield; the number varies based on the weapon. Certain abilities can directly pass through the shield, so you have to be on alert.

Cascade

The Cascade is a wave of water that acts like a wall. As it rolls forward, it can push enemies away and offer a moving cover. The wave moves on a predetermined path, and you can stop it anywhere you want. It is important to remember that the Cascade is not bulletproof and will only remain until the site is pushed. The ability is not reusable, but you can purchase two charges.

Reckoning

Reckoning can be used to concuss enemies who have fallen under the jurisdiction of Harbor. It moves forward for a set amount of time in front of him, covering a large, circular area. Those who are inside the Reckoning are repeatedly concussed with the help of geyster strikes. This ability is useful for retaking a site and even post-planting while the enemies are defusing the spike.

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Why is Harbor not a popular choice for rank-up games?

The agent is not a competitive favorite (Image via Riot Games)

Harbor has not been able to overtake other Controllers like Omen and Viper in the popularity contest despite having effective abilities. Here are a few possible reasons why that's the case.

Limited reusability of powers

Viper walls can be used repeatedly in short intervals. On the other hand, Harbor’s Cascade can only cover small areas at a time while his Hide Tide wall can be reused only after a 40-second cooldown. He is unable to provide you reliable protection in many cases.

"Ultimate" Reckoning is not always effective

While Reckoning covers an entire area, opponents that can move from their position can easily avoid being concussed by dodging. It mostly proves useful when someone is hiding in the corners.

No scope for hiding in smoke

With Harbor, it becomes difficult to play around with smoke because one cannot hide or take cover behind his walls.

Similar abilities

Apart from Reckoning, Harbor's abilities are quite similar to each other. High Tide and Cascade are water walls, while Cove is a water sphere. Hence, a combination of the three is not very effective. On the other hand, Viper, Brim, and Omen have a diverse range of abilities that allow for more strategic and interesting gameplay.