Snipers

A fundamental mechanic of Snipers in any shooter is for it to be considered a high-risk, high-reward weapon and Valorant doesn’t stray too far away from this generalization. From the 17 guns currently available in the arsenal, only two populate the Sniper category namely Marshall and Operator.

Each Sniper rifle is equipped with a single or double zoom scope allowing players to toggle their preference based on the enemy’s range. Apart from the similarities rooted within each rifle based on the Sniper’s category, they boast distinct features that justify their purchase during a matchup. Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into each of these rifles:

Marshall:

Available at a cost of 1,100 credits, this weapon isn’t the most lethal in terms of damage, considering the fact that it is one of the cheaper primary guns in the Valorant arsenal. However, your accuracy can turn the tides in your favour within an instant as it deals 202 damage on a headshot.

In the unlikely case of your opponent being unarmored or having taken damage from other teammates, a body shot should also suffice in eliminating them. It has a significantly low fire rate and requires manual reloading after each shot. The best use-case scenario for this weapon is from long-range and only if your aim is extremely accurate, or if the opposing team does not possess enough economy to purchase armor.

Operator:

As for the Operator, it has found a reputation for being one of the best weapons in the game especially in the competitive scene where exceptional talent from around the world demonstrate their insane mechanics and earning one-shot eliminations regardless of the opponent being armored or otherwise. Bearing such a fatal capacity, it is bound to have some cons and perhaps the largest concern is its cost coming in at 4,700 credits.

Using your eco that aggressively and failing to capitalize can swing the momentum of the matchup in the opposing side’s favour. Furthermore, close-range combat on the Operator is extremely difficult to manage and a Secondary weapon isn’t usually as effective especially when the other person might have a rifle or an SMG.

Usage in recent events:

At the three International LANs conducted during the recently concluded VCT season, Operator consistently placed at 6th for the most used weapon while Marshal was in the lower half of the table with infrequent usage driven mostly by the desire to turn low-eco rounds over. For purpose of comparison, VCT 2022 - Champions Istanbul saw Operator being used 946 times while Marshal saw only 162 use cases.