This is a series in which I am going to attempt to explain the various Valorant agents, what they’re good at, and how to use them. I’ve gotten many friends into this game who don’t normally play shooters, and I myself never really played much tactical shooters like CS:GO so I’d like to help even more people get into this game that I really enjoy. I am not a pro or anything but here it is.

Omen strengths

Omen specializes in paranoia and relocation. As a smoker he denies vision from the enemy and always keeps them guessing as he is also good at rotating around the map. He is different from other smokers like Brimstone and Astra in that his other abilities aid in his paranoia cultivation rather than team utility. Omen will often find himself playing with the team early and going behind enemy lines or flanking as the round plays out. Omen is good at planting the spike, flanking, and relocating after planting for effective site holds.

I got into playing Omen because I liked his aesthetic more than the other smokers (I like edgy stuff) and his mobility appealed to me a lot more than utility. His mind games and teleports make for powerful tools in the right hands and I’ve had a lot of fun learning when and how to use his abilities which feels great since I always used to be scared to do anything risky on him but now I make my opponents are the ones who are scared.

Abilities

Shrouded Step: Omen after a brief delay (in which you are still able to be shot) Omen teleports to the selected location you are aiming at after an audio cue.

This ability is in my opinion his best and most underrated. It’s great for mind games, getting into a new spot, or even escaping the line of fire if you’re quick with it. Its a powerful tool for crossing dangerous sight lines and just as good offensively to get through smokes and onto site, or behind enemy lines. Its also helpful for pushing in because you can peak from an angle the enemy is not expecting you to come out from which can be all the difference in getting kills and pushing onto site. A useful tip is to aim where you want to be looking after you teleport while it is channeling so you are looking the right way when you arrive. I have killed people staring at me while teleporting because I was looking the right way and was faster than them. You can also use it to quickly traverse ground that would give you away if you made sound in it like metal or water. You may die a lot trying to get the hang of when to use it but that’s part of the process and teleporting behind enemies and getting a few kills feels so clean that it is worth the deaths.

Their backs will be towards at least one of us

Paranoia: Omen throws a ball of shadow that near sights and deafens anyone hit by it (including allies).

Because this ability goes through walls and in a straight line the angle you use it is everything. Its pretty wide so it is great for pushing onto site as you can run in and the enemy can’t hear it or see unless they are holding the angle tight. Because it is wide you have to be careful about hitting teammates since if you’re pushing together is is hard to not unless you’re in the front. It’s an expensive ability and you only get one per round so making the most out of it is important. Since the enemy is deaf you can also shrouded step into high ground silently, or rush the enemy but they can see you if you get too close so its not very helpful pushing tight corners except for the deafen. It can also be helpful to use his ultimate ability to get into a good spot to set it up since you will be able to get a better angle on the enemy and avoid allies. With knowledge of where the enemy is it can be a round winner if you hit enough people with it. Beware using at close range, being nearsighted doesn’t matter if they are in your face.

Their fear blinds them

Dark Cover: Omen throws a long range ball of shadow that lasts for 15 seconds.

Omen’s smoke is a little different in that you can be very precise with where you put it and it has gravity to it so it can drop if you aim it high. The anchor point is in the middle so if you aimed it above some boxes it would fall until the middle is resting on the box (even though the smoke is hollow, the anchor point is invisible). Denying sightlines is crucial to not only the teams success, and is your job as a smoker but Omen’s kit works very well around it as well so even if you’re last man or solo pushing you can still use this ability to play some mind games. You have two smokes with one recharging every 40 seconds and two shrouded steps so you can leapfrog from smoke to smoke to get a nasty flank as well.

Look for my shadows, they will hide you.

From the Shadows: Omen teleports anywhere on the map.

This ability is very versatile on both offence and defense as you can quickly go anywhere you want in just a few seconds. The audio cue will tell the enemy that you are using it but they have no idea where so it instantly gets in their head. On defense you can quickly get to where the enemy is pushing if you’re at the other site for a fast rotation or flank, and on offence if you have bomb you can do some nasty rotations to get bomb down right after an ally gets a kill across the map. It can also be used to get good flanks, good views of the site and good for getting out of a tight spot if you’re pinned. While channeling you become a wraith in the chosen spot. Much like Skye dog, or Yoru ultimate your vision range is lowered so go to a spot that can’t be seen from far away or you might get gunned down right when you get there and never see it coming. You can choose to cancel this teleport if you don’t like what you see or the enemy can shoot it cancelling the teleport (or let you finish and kill you right when you arrive). This ultimate is useful for many reasons but it also denies the enemy the use of their map which can help the team during a push. Don’t be afraid to waste it as using it even for little things like a flank or scouting a location. If bomb goes down and you wanna know how the enemy is holding it you can ultimate right on top of the bomb to get a look around, and maybe even go through with it and grab bomb before the enemy can rotate if its clear. If I go for a risky back line teleport I like to smoke the place I want to go, and the place I would go on the other site (as a decoy) then teleport in your smoke. I find that to be pretty safe however leaving the smoke can be kind of risky so make sure the team is on board with the play but also be decisive as playing scared gives the enemy more time to move around the map. Using Omen ultimate to go on site to plant can be risky because if you die the bomb is in a tricky spot and it can make the round hard for your team or dying right after planting can be a lost round if your team can’t rotate in time to stop the diffuse so play safe when you’re alone with the bomb while the team regroups.

Watch them run.

What is Omens role on the team?

Omen is a smoker so your job is to deny vision and disable sight lines that make it hard for your team to get on site. It is also your job to try and deny information with smokes so its hard for the enemy to figure our where your team is before its too late. Well placed smokes deny vision and make it risky for the enemy to push through to get said information. Make them scared to push. Your job as Omen specifically besides smoking is to get into tough angles and help your team clear the site or set up flanks/ protecting the teams flank. You can accomplish this by Shrouded Stepping onto site into safe corners, or smoke with your duelists, or you can go for flanks and easily get into a good position to take the enemy out while they are rotating. The ability to deny vision, hearing, and get into crazy angles with two different teleports allow you to come from places the enemy is not expecting. Your opponents will have to get used to getting shot in the back of the head.

If you enjoyed this leave a comment and let me know who you want to see me write about next!