Is Brimstone the Best Controller in Valorant? A Deep Dive
The question of who reigns supreme as the best controller in Valorant is a common debate among players. While each controller agent brings unique strengths to the table, Brimstone often finds himself at the center of this discussion. The short answer? While not universally the best for every situation, Brimstone’s consistent reliability, ease of use, and impactful utility make him a top-tier controller and a strong contender for the title. He offers a blend of aggressive map control and supportive team enhancements, making him exceptionally valuable in a wide variety of team compositions and game situations. Let’s delve deeper into why Brimstone is such a powerful force in Valorant.
Brimstone’s Strengths: The Pillars of His Control
Brimstone’s kit is designed for precise, area-denial tactics combined with potent offensive boosts. His abilities aren’t as flashy as some, but their consistent effectiveness is where his strength lies.
Incendiary: Area Denial and Zone Control
Brimstone’s Incendiary is a powerful area-of-effect molotov that denies space and forces enemies out of chokepoints. This ability is perfect for clearing tight corners, flushing enemies from behind cover, and preventing aggressive pushes. When combined with his other abilities, the Incendiary becomes a crucial tool for both offensive pushes and defensive holds.
Stim Beacon: The Power of Rapid Fire
The Stim Beacon is a unique asset that provides his team with a significant advantage in gunfights. When deployed, it creates a field that grants players RapidFire, enabling them to overwhelm enemies with increased firing rates. This is particularly effective when pushing onto sites, engaging in tight engagements, or retaking an area. The Stim Beacon can turn a potentially even fight into a decisive victory for Brimstone’s team.
Sky Smoke: Consistent and Reliable Smokes
Brimstone’s Sky Smoke is where his role as a controller is most apparent. He can deploy three smoke clouds simultaneously, making him exceptional at securing control of key chokepoints. These smokes are versatile, capable of cutting off enemy vision from various angles and facilitating safe entries into dangerous areas. He doesn’t need to be on the frontlines to deploy them, which provides an additional layer of safety.
Orbital Strike: Area Control and Map Coverage
His ultimate ability, the Orbital Strike, allows him to unleash a powerful laser beam at a targeted area. This is extremely versatile, working both offensively to clear out entrenched enemies from a point or defensively to prevent a push from a certain direction. It is an ultimate that can turn the tide of a round and adds another level of map control to Brimstone’s already powerful kit.
Why Brimstone Isn’t Always the Best Controller
Despite his strengths, there are situations where other controllers might be more suitable. His lack of mobility makes him vulnerable to flanks, and his abilities have a limited range which requires good positional awareness. Other controller options like Omen are more flexible with their movement, or Viper who excels in chokepoint denial, might be better suited for certain map and team compositions. However, for consistent, reliable site control, Brimstone remains a top contender.
Is Brimstone the Best? The Verdict
Ultimately, calling Brimstone the “best” is subjective and highly dependent on playstyle, team composition, and map. However, he is undoubtedly one of the strongest and most versatile controllers in Valorant. His ability to control space, enhance his team’s firepower, and consistently deliver reliable smokes makes him an essential pick in many scenarios. He shines especially in coordinated team play where his strengths can be amplified with good communication. The consistency of his abilities makes him easy to learn but difficult to master, adding to his appeal across a wide range of player skill levels.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Brimstone good on every map?
Brimstone performs strongly on maps with tight chokepoints and defined site entry points. He excels on Bind and Haven, where his smokes and molotovs can effectively control key areas. However, his effectiveness may be slightly lower on more open maps with varied angles.
2. Who is the best controller on Bind?
Viper is often considered the best individual controller on Bind due to her ability to effectively cut off large parts of a site. However, a team will often pair her with Brimstone or another controller to offer more site coverage and variety in utility.
3. Is Brimstone hard to play?
Brimstone is relatively easy to pick up and play, making him a great choice for beginners looking to learn the controller role. His abilities are straightforward to use, focusing on precise smokes, area denial, and team enhancement. However, mastering his positioning and timing requires practice and strategic thinking.
4. Is Brimstone weak?
Brimstone isn’t considered weak, but he has vulnerabilities. When using his abilities, he is temporarily exposed and immobile, making him susceptible to being attacked. However, his consistent utility far outweighs his vulnerabilities, if played with sufficient caution and positional awareness.
5. What role is Brimstone?
Brimstone is primarily a controller agent, focused on controlling enemy lines of sight and giving his team an edge in gunfights. He can manipulate the battlefield with his smokes and denial abilities, acting as a central pillar of team coordination.
6. Does Brimstone’s damage scale?
The provided text refers to his damage increasing via the “tears” stat which is a New World reference. Within Valorant, Brimstone’s abilities deal a static damage value. These damage values may get adjusted by the game developers periodically but they do not scale in real time with stats in game.
7. Where should I smoke as Brimstone?
For offensive pushes, smoke key chokepoints and entrances to isolate defenders and create safe pathways. For example, when attacking A-site on Bind, smoking the choke points is essential. Defensively, smoking key entry points will limit the enemy’s ability to push effectively, giving you more time to react and secure positions.
8. Is Brimstone good on Split?
Yes, Brimstone is very good on Split. His smokes are very useful to gain access to either site, especially A site. There are a lot of choke points that he can control.
9. What is the best way to play Brimstone effectively?
Effective Brimstone play involves:
- Strategic smoke placement: Anticipate enemy positions and smoke off crucial sightlines.
- Aggressive molly usage: Use the Incendiary to control space and deny aggressive pushes.
- Coordinated stim beacons: Deploy the Stim Beacon at the right time to give your team a crucial advantage.
- Good positioning: Always ensure that you aren’t overly exposed when deploying abilities.
10. What is the best rated controller (Hardware)?
The text provides a list of gaming controllers for PC and console, such as the Xbox Core Wireless Controller being the best overall choice and options like the PlayStation DualSense Edge. These are not to be confused with agents in Valorant.
11. What is the number one gaming controller (Hardware)?
According to the article, the Xbox Core Wireless Controller is currently considered the top choice for PC gaming due to its build quality and user experience.
12. Is Brimstone a good agent overall?
Yes, Brimstone is one of the most well-rounded agents in Valorant due to his versatile abilities, allowing him to shine in both offensive and defensive situations. His ability to reliably control space, support his team, and deny enemy pushes makes him a consistently valuable pick.
13. Is Brimstone killjoy’s dad?
While not biologically related, Killjoy and Brimstone have a close bond. Brimstone acts as a mentor or role model to Killjoy, often referring to her as “kid.”
14. Which pro gamer controller is best?
Pro gamers typically favor controllers that allow for customization and competitive advantages, such as those offered by Scuf Gaming, which is an official partner for various major gaming leagues. FaZe Clan uses modified SCUF Reflex controllers.
15. What is the oldest controller?
The earliest gamepad is considered to be the device used with the 1962 video game Spacewar!, which initially used toggle switches built into the computer readout display.