Brimstone is actually one of the best picks for a Controller Agent in the game, so learning how to play him can really help you with your climb!
If you are looking for a solid Controller Agent that is also pretty easy to play, then Brimstone will probably be your go-to. However, you can't just go on autopilot with him — you need to know a couple of things. And so, here they are; here's everything you need to know before starting your ranked climb with Brimstone.
Valorant Brimstone Abilities
Stim Beacon
Official Ability Description: INSTANTLY toss down a stim beacon. Upon landing, it creates a field that grants players RapidFire and a speed boost.
| Default Key | C |
Cost | 200 Credits |
| Charges | 1 |
| Movement Speed Boost | +10% |
| Equip Speed Boost | +10% |
| Reload Speed Boost | +10% |
| Fire Rate Boost | +15% |
| Recovery Speed Boost | +10% |
| Beacon Duration | 12 seconds |
| Boost Duration | 4 seconds |
As you can see, this ability is lots of buffs. What it essentially does is it turns your allies into mini Neons with a fire rate boost. Even though it's strong, placing it randomly won't really work most of the time, and considering a fact that you only have 1 charge of it, you have to be smart about it. You usually want to use this ability when your Duelists are nearby so that they can get frags and occupy the Spike Site as fast as possible.
Incendiary
Official Ability Description: EQUIP an incendiary grenade launcher. FIRE to launch a grenade that detonates as it comes to a rest on the floor, creating a lingering fire zone that damages players within the zone.
| Default Key | Q |
| Cost | 200 Credits |
| Charges | 1 |
| Equip Time | 1.1 seconds |
| Radius | 4.5 meters |
| Duration | 8 seconds |
Maximum Damage | ~450 |
If you have played other FPS games, you know what this ability is all about – it is simply a classic molotov grenade. Once the grenade explodes, it creates a field that damages everyone inside of it for 8 seconds. If you are Brimstone mains, then we recommend that you learn lineups for this ability because you can win rounds with it alone. Its most common use is in post plant situations when we want to protect Spike from being defused.
Sky Smoke (Signature Ability)
Official Ability Description: EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to set locations where Brimstone’s smoke clouds will land. ALTERNATE FIRE to confirm, launching long-lasting smoke clouds that block vision in the selected area.
| Default Key | E |
| Cost | 100 Credits per charge |
| Charges | 3 |
| Equip Time | 0.8 seconds |
| Deploy Time | 1 second |
| Radius | 4.1 meters |
| Duration | 19.25 seconds |
Sky Smoke is Brimstone's Signature Ability, so you are guaranteed one charge for free, and you can buy two more at the store for 100 Credits per charge. Again, it's a similar ability that you may associate with games like Counter-Strike, except that this smoke is even better! Here, you don't have to worry about your grenade not landing correctly because you have complete control over it thanks to Brimstone's tactical map.
Orbital Strike (Ultimate Ability)
Official Ability Description: EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to launch a lingering orbital strike laser at the selected location, dealing high damage-over-time to players caught in the selected area.
| Default Key | X |
| Cost | 7 Ultimate Points |
| Maximum Cast Range | 60 meters |
| Maximum Damage | ~450 |
| Radius | 9 meters |
| Duration | 3 seconds |
Brimstone's Orbital Strike is actually one of the better Ultimate Abilities in the game. As you've probably already guessed, it's brilliant when we have accurate information about where our enemies are because that's just a lovely recipe for some free kills. But you don't even need to have that information! You can also use it in places where you don't want your opponents to be, such as in a post plant situation to defend Spike from being defused.
3 sec ace #Valorant #VALORANTbeta pic.twitter.com/Pa0ckIfmEx
— Noak Wallenberg (@NOAKWALLENBERG) April 12, 2020
How To Play Brimstone?
Brimstone is a relatively easy Agent to play. However, if we were to give some tips on how to play him, we would go for these two:
Learn Post Plant Lineups
It's a piece of advice that will work on virtually any rank, and maybe we would even say it's a must for any Brimstone main. You can use post-plant lineups not only on the Attackers' side, but also on the Defenders' side as anti-plant lineups. Moreover, since most maps are unfavorable for playing on the Attackers' side, it will serve as an additional tool for you to win rounds.
- Stuck in Gold? Check out this article: How To Rank Up From Gold in Valorant?
Don't Take Unnecessary Risks
Well, it's a strange piece of advice, but it can be shortened to "stay alive". As mentioned earlier, your abilities are unique and can be really useful at different points in the game. That said, you don't want to peek and take risks when you don't need to.
Even if you stay with your teammate in a 2v5 situation, if you still have all your ability kit, the round will often be winnable. All in all, play it safe, and you will be alright with Brimstone.