The age old question in Valorant is which Assault Rifle kills faster, the Vandal or the Phantom. The concrete answer is The Guardian. Sorry, jokes aside, the answer of course, is that it depends on the player. If you come from a CS background then spraying is second nature and if you do find yourself crouching down a lot then the answer would be the Phantom. Of course, there is one huge problem with the Phantom, it can be inconsistent just like the Vandal.

The question is, when to use Vandal or the Phantom in Valorant? Let’s analyse.

When To Use Vandal Vs Phantom In Valorant: Vandal Vs Phantom Analysis

Both Assault Rifles in Valorant cost 2900 Credits and is usually bought in the 3rd round by both the teams. One of these Rifles in the hands of a consistent aimer means game over for your enemies. That is why, you should not underestimate the importance of either of these weapons. However, there are certain nuances that come with using any of the two weapons.

Plus, your choice of these weapons depends on your FPS background, your playstyle, your aim training, your mood, your form and the character you are playing. To simplify it, we are going to split this analysis in two parts which will help you make your decision.

When To Use Vandal In Valorant?

The Vandal just might be for the people who are always “on one.” In Valorant terms, if you are having a good day, all shots are hitting and you feel great about yourself enough to pick your comfort character and still dominate, then you should pick the Vandal. The calculation behind it is simple, the Vandal is a one shot headshot in any range and takes four shots to the body to kill. If you are feeling confident about your aim prowess during those days then go ahead and pick the Vandal.

Aside from your form, another good time to pick the Vandal is when you are playing Duelists or Sentinels. The reasoning behind that is these characters require the power of the Vandal to dominate. Duelists make space for the team and thrive when they have the entry power of the Vandal. Suppose you are a Jett and are looking to get a frag to open up the site, it will be beneficial to have a one shot weapon in your arsenal.

From a Sentinel standpoint, it is good to have a weapon that can take care of the backlines and kill any flankers so that your team can focus on the bomb plant on the Attacker side. Now, the weapon can benefit on the Defender side for these two categories because of its power. Duelists can take fights and get out without having to be punished while Sentinels might need the weapon to fortify the site when the space gets overwhelmed by the attackers.

Now, the Vandal might thrive for Sentinels and Attackers but in what situation would you use the Phantom? Let’s see.

When To Use Phantom In Valorant?

You can use a Phantom in Valorant when you are playing a Controller or an Initiator. The reasoning behind that is it is useful for Smoke characters to spray down their own smokes during a site execute on the defense side to chip away at the stragglers. Speaking of chipping away, the Phantom is a great weapon to weaken the enemies since every shot can help your Duelists pick up easy kills and open up the site.

For Initiators, it is a great tool which they can use to take fights individually without fear since the Duelists can always pick up the slack. On a defense sided map, the Phantom is a great weapon to hold chokepoints. Another good reasoning behind it is that the Phantom is lenient when making mistakes while aiming. If you miss the initial shots, you can always crouch and spray to land damage or even get a kill. You cannot do the same with a Vandal since it has lesser shots and takes more practice to control.

Aside from these reasonings, the Phantom is a weapon for Counter Strike players who have crouch sprayed their whole life with an AK. If you can land your shots or control your sprays, the Phantom just might be the weapon for you.

The Verdict: Vandal or Phantom?

The answer is crystal clear; it depends. It depends on the roles you are playing, your form, your mood and your aiming style. If you are more of a tap person, then go with the Vandal. If you like to spray and pray, then go for the Phantom. If you are a Duelist like Jett, Reyna or Yoru, go with a Vandal while Duelists like Raze and Neon can benefit from a Phantom. There are lot of nuances within Agents as well and which weapon might benefit them better.

Regarding the nature of Valorant, there is no crystal clear answer on which weapon is better because the game itself is situational. Some Agents will work sometimes while some won’t, same goes for the weapons in question.

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