In Valorant, each role has a very specific duty which all tie together to form a cohesive team. One of these roles is the sentinel class, which helps the team take and hold control of areas of the map, and slow the enemies' pushes.
As a role which focuses a lot on playing for map control, holding bombsites, and slowing the enemy executions, sentinel players need to be patient. They also have to prioritize the team's interest above their own and chose carefully when they can get aggressive.
Right now, there are four sentinel agents that players can choose from, with a fifth one arriving at Valorant shortly.
So, let's take a look at a guide on how to play the Sentinel role in Valorant with agents, their playstyle, tips, and more.
Valorant Sentinel Agents
So far, there are only four sentinel agents in Valorant. But as mentioned above, a fifth sentinel agent will be coming to the game. We still don't know the exact release date of that agent, but it will take place in 2023.
For a long period, Chamber completely dominated Valorant and was the strongest sentinel in the game. But since some massive nerfs, Killjoy and Cypher became more played.
Sage is also a must-pick agent in some maps but is still the sentinel that sees the least playing time.
Here are all the sentinels available right now...
- Chamber
- Cypher
- Killjoy
- Sage
Sentinel Playstyle
Trying to play aggressively with sentinel agents isn't really a goal and won't help your team in the end game. The main goal for a sentinel is to protect your allies from flanks or backstabbing.
On the attacking side, sentinels will take map control of the posing side their team is on most of the time.
This will allow your team to quickly rotate safely and also gives you more map control. Sentinels will also try to get behind enemy lines and relay information about opponents' whereabouts. This makes it easy to decide which site your team will execute into.
Sentinel also have to slow down enemies' rushes and executions. Placing Cypher's tripwire at entrances or sneaking areas will do just that.
Killjoy turret will let her know the enemies' whereabouts, with her alarm bot and nano swarms being perfect to delay rushes. Varying your Killjoy setup is crucial since it will make enemies second-guess themselves.
Sage's wall is also great to stop or at least delaying rushes. It can close one of the main entries into the bombsites, making it harder for opponents to take control of that area of the map. Her healing ability is also great to keep your teammates healthy for their duels.
Tips and Tricks for the Sentinel role in Valorant
Here are some tips and tricks for the sentinel role in Valorant.
- Identify and watch out for the duelists or flankers.
- Keep an open eye for any threats from the side or back.
- Place traps at weak spots in your team's defence.
- Close down entry points, and make it harder for the opponents to enter the bombsite.
- Vary your setups, so you become unpredictable.
- Give your teammates information on the enemy's position.
- Take solo control of one area of the map when attacking.
- Be a good lurker and try to get flanks on the enemies.
- Keep communication open and helpful.
Does the sentinel role sound like something that isn't for you? Take a look at our initiator guide to see if that works better.