Which Initiator Is Best On Bind In Valorant

While shooting and movement mechanics are great for an FPS like Valorant, proper use of utility is arguably more important. With the right team composition and combination of abilities, squads can easily take control of every round without needing the sharpest aim or impossible movement. With the variety of maps available, different compositions will work better than others.

The Initiator role comes with big shoes to fill. On different maps, an Initiator may need to support the team with blinds, information, stuns, and more. That said, not every Initiator works best on every map and utility should be considered when selecting the perfect one.

1 Abyss: Sova

With so many spots for enemies to hide behind, Sova makes a great Initiator on the map Abyss. On A, Sova can help spot enemies hiding back site for attackers, and he can also check front site with the Owl Drone or the Recon Bolt. It’s also powerful for retaking A as a defender.

On B, Sova can help get intel on anyone hiding in that cheeky corner back site. His ultimate Hunter’s Fury and his Shock Bolts are also very powerful tools for killing spike defusers from a safe post-plant angle.

2 Ascent: Sova

Sova is a great pick on Ascent as well because of how many walls are thin enough to shoot through on the map. The wall in between B site and Garage is a popular spot for a Sova to use his Recon Bolt to spot enemies and use an Odin to pummel them with bullets.

All the walls in Mid can also be shot through with a strong enough gun. A Sova that can combine this fact with his utility can help a team secure that entire area easily.

The Recon Bolt is also an essential piece of intel-gathering utility for every area of the map. With the right lineups, it can capture plenty of corners in A, B, and Mid. Also, Hunter’s Fury works great on Ascent. It can be used to get defusers off the spike in Generator and to stop attackers from flooding in through B Garage or B Lane.

3 Bind: Skye

It’s essential for every team on Bind to have a Skye. Her Guiding Light can flash any angle on the map effectively, and it can alert if there are any enemies caught by it too. It’s also effective to use this flash to catch enemies scaling up B Long.

Her Trailblazer is also a good ability to send out to scout for enemies hiding in Lamps and Hookah, which is where a lot of shotgun fans like to play. Her Seekers are also very powerful because of the multiple tight spaces and how great lurking is on the map.

4 Breeze: Sova

Once again, Sova is the Initiator to pick when it comes to Breeze and it should be no surprise given the size of the map. Sova’s Recon Bolt that can reach distant areas can help teams that need to clear backsite on either A or B, especially since the path to get there is very long.

His Shock Bolts are also great for supplying additional damage to corners that are too far or too dangerous to peek. Of course, it goes without saying that the Shock Bolt’s ability to destroy Cypher Trapwires and other Sentinel utilities is essential for getting into the sites.

5 Haven: Sova

Sova is also the best Initiator when it comes to getting information on Haven. As an attack-sided map, a defender Sova can help the team benefit by using his Recon Bolt to check for enemies in A Garden or Lobby and C Long. It’ll also help get intel on where enemies are when retaking a site.

On attack, Sova can help the squad easily take any site as well with the intel his Recon Bolt provides. It can alert the team if a sniper is watching A Long or C Long. It can also help spot enemies hiding in the different corners of a site, such as the platform on the C site.

6 Icebox: Sova

On Icebox, Sova is also powerful. His Recon Bolt can help spot players hiding behind B Yellow and those standing in at least half of the A site. His Owl Drone will help players scaling up B Green to make sure no one is there holding a cheeky angle with a Judge.

With how tight a lot of the areas are on Icebox, Sova’s ultimate can also deal so much damage. From Mid, he can use the Hunter’s Fury to stop pushes or to displace enemies holding in different spots. It’s also very powerful as a piece of post-plant utility.

7 Lotus: Fade

With the right line-ups, Fade is a great Initiator to pick on Lotus. She can get intel on where enemies are better than Sova because her haunt can be thrown to land on high spaces to scout the area ahead for the team. Her Prowler is also good for clearing different spots such as A Tree, A Link, and C bend.

Fade can also use Seize to catch enemies hiding in C Bend, A Drop, and other similar areas. Then, a grenade or a molly can be used afterwards to take them down.

One of the abilities she has that makes her a powerful agent on Lotus overall is her ultimate, Nightfall. Given how small the sites are, Nightfall can help the team easily spot where each enemy is, making it great for taking or re-taking a site.

8 Pearl: Fade

Fade is also great when it comes to the map Pearl. Her Haunt can be thrown to check for enemies on site all the way from B Long or from A Main. She can even do it safely by throwing it above a wall with the correct lineup. On defense, the Haunt can also check for enemies lurking up from A Restaurant to A Main.

Fade’s Prowler is also perfect to send ahead for areas such as B Link and A Art. It’ll also help the team find enemies hiding in B Halls, A Flowers, A Secret, and A Dugout.

9 Split: Skye

Skye’s kit works perfectly as an Initiator on Split. With her Trailblazer that can be sent ahead through Mid, the team can safely scale up towards B Heaven or Mid Vent. The Guiding Light is also great when the team is running a dive composition, because a duelist like Raze can quickly follow up the flash with a quick kill.

A great way to pair the Skye’s Guiding Light is to send it up A Ramps and have a Raze double satchel there kill anyone flashed while holding that spot.

The Seekers can also help the team find out if anyone is lurking or where the enemy team’s numbers are skewed towards. Given that lurking is rewarding on the map, this skill will be very helpful.

10 Sunset: Sova

On Sunset, a Sova works as a great Initiator. First and foremost, Cypher is a powerful Sentinel on the map. With the Sova’s Shock Bolts, the Cypher Trapwires can be easily dealt with so that the team can take space safely.

If you have space for a second Initiator, a Breach can be paired with the Sova for the stuns and the blinds he can give to complement with the intel Sova provides.

The Recon Bolt is also a good way to quickly clear spots on site. Great ways to use the Recon Bolt would be to get intel in A Elbow, A Site, B front or back site, and B Market as an attacker. On defense, the Recon Bolt can be used to spot people out mid or in B Lobby.