Valorant is a complex game. With the various agents and weapons at play, you’ve got a lot to master if you really want to win more games. The first decision you really need to take though is which agent to play. If you’re going to play Valorant as Omen, you’ve got a lot of options for strategy. The abilities for this Agent allow you to take hits on enemies through walls and strike from unconventional angles, you’ve also got greatly increased mobility. All of this can be fun, but you’ve got to use it at the right time.
A lot of Omen’s abilities work with misdirection. You can use them to do damage without your opponents even realizing what is happening. In the right hands, this can be really effective. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing you won’t achieve much. You can end up just trolling and being mildly irritating enemies rather than constructive. This guide covers how to properly use Omen’s abilities to avoid this fate. These tips and tricks should help you win more games as Omen in Valorant.
Omen Abilities Guide
Omen’s abilities occupy a bit of a unique space in Valorant, they’re often high risk and high reward. If you use them properly, you’ll need good reflexes. They take quite a bit more skill to use than others. This guide covers how to use them at the right times.
Paranoia – Omen Abilities
This is a projectile weapon that you can fire off and a pretty useful one compared with others in the game. It is cast directly in front of you when you use it. It travels in a straight line and if it comes into contact with any other player they will be blinded. Those players that it hits will lose their vision and their hearing. They can see slightly in front of them, but this is pretty much useless. It can slow down players and make them into an easy target. These are some tips for when to use it:
- Better Than a Grenade – This ability is kind of better than a grenade-like ability in some situations. Grenades work best for fragging out an area, while this is best used to incapacitate as you’re rolling in.
- Disruption – As well as the impact of actually hitting a player, forcing players to dodge this is a great distraction tactic.
- Support – This is a great ability to throw at an enemy already in a firefight.
- Support or Offense – Using this in tandem with your teammates is often better than using it on your own. Coordinate your use so all players can take advantage of it, using it just to get one kill yourself is a bit of a waste.
- Risk – A great way to use this is to throw it out ahead as you’re pushing into a really risky situation. With the right timing, you can get players unexpectedly and win out in a risky firefight. This requires precise timing though.
Shrouded Step
Shrouded Step is one of Omen’s abilities focused on mobility, and it is one of the most impressive. You can move horizontally and vertically to teleport to a close-by location. This isn’t as OP as it might seem though. It costs 100 credits a pop and you can only hold two at once. However, this is really quick movement that lets you drop in and out of the action. These are some tips for choosing the right moments to use it:
- Pre-emptive – You can use this move before a round starts. This way you can slot yourself into a key location. This can really disorientate an enemy team right off the bat. Let your team know where you’re going to capitalize on it.
- Behind Enemy Lines – While flanking, you can use shrouded step to move into the area behind an enemy line. This lets you mop up some kills if you act fast enough. This is a risky move since you’re isolating yourself in enemy territory. However, it is one of the best moves.
- Noise – You make a noise where you cast, but not where you arrive. This makes it pretty stealthy, but if you’re near enemies they will be aware that you’re teleporting.
- Out of bounds – You can’t use this to actually get out of bounds, but you can teleport to hard to reach areas. On top of boxes or structures can give you more of an open shot since enemies are accustomed to checking there.
Dark Cover
Dark Cover is another of Omen’s projectile abilities. This one is a smoke that travels entirely through walls and can even stretch across most of the map. This is definitely a useful projectile, but using it effectively can be difficult. Since it can go anywhere, it often ends up moving pretty randomly. It has a 30-second cooldown and comes with two charges. This is when you should use it:
- Cover – This provides great cover that progresses through the whole map. Position yourself so it sweeps across the entire line of sight for a push forward. As this moves, your team can move to take advantage of the cover. It is risky to follow the smoke all the way through a large area, but it can have a great reward.
- Mini-Map – It is visible on the minimap as it travels, so you can keep track of the thing’s movement.
- Teammates – Teammates can travel through the smoke perfectly fine, so you don’t need to worry about friendly fire.
- Combine with Other Abilities – Combining this attack with other abilities is pretty easy. Sending another projectile into the smoke can help you get some hits in without anyone noticing they’re coming.
From the Shadow
From the Shadows is Omen’s Ultimate ability. With it, you can pick a spot on the map to teleport too. When there, you’re a shade of yourself. Once killed, you just go back to your original location. This is a fun Ultimate, and it can be really useful if you think everything through. These are some general tips on when to use it:
- Head to an Empty Spot – Head over to somewhere that is completely empty and use it to flank round on an enemy as cleanly as possible.
- Bomb Sites – If you’re targeting a bomb site, use this ultimate to get behind the enemy lines. Causing problems behind the enemy team can help your teammates actually address the bomb site.
- Risk-Reward – If you want to use this in a really aggressive way, you can. You can teleport into a high-risk scenario and use this similar to Phoenix’s Ultimate ability. You can make a high-risk play for a firefight, and pop back where you started if you lose.
Who Should Play as Omen?
Omen’s abilities aren’t as focused on the single-player as they might seem. While fun for an individual, you really need an effective and qualified team to make the most out of it. Omen’s abilities can make a lot of trouble, providing your teammates can follow up. Use your abilities to create cover or get into a good location for a firefight. You’ll then need your teammates to hit too and actually follow up on your move. You should play as Omen if you’re part of a strong team and you’re willing to really communicate your abilities and plans.
Our other Valorant guides can help you master the other mechanics to this game:
- Best Valorant Weapons Guide
- Which Valorant Agent Should You Play As?
- How to Unlock all Valorant Agents
- Best Valorant Settings
- Valorant Phoenix Guide
- Valorant Tips and Tricks