Taking the competitive online market by storm, Riot's Valorant has emerged seemingly out of nowhere. Being hidden behind the "drops" of Valorant beta keys hidden behind Twitch channels, the title has taken over the streaming platform and established itself as the new big game. Combining the realistic qualities of Counter-Strike with the hero-shooter genre of titles such as Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege there is no surprise Valorant is as popular as it is. Combining two of the most addicting games ever created into one game, Valorant has a stranglehold on both the Twitch market and will certainly be a major player in the context of E-Sports.
Valorant's roster is full of unique and interesting characters, with a wide array of play-styles and gameplans. Choosing a character to master and stick with is one of the hardest choices in the entire game. One of the most interesting of the cast is the mysterious Omen. A shadowy figure with a wide variety of self-sustaining abilities. Of the cast of Valorant, Omen is the most unique in a variety of ways. The character, from a visual standpoint, is one of the most appealing among the cast and provides a nice mixture of individual abilities and team-supporting abilities. His abilities have a variety of functions that are specific to Omen. This guide will provide aspiring Omen players with an overview of his abilities and the most optimal way to play the character.
Omen's Abilities in Valorant
Omen's abilities are comparable to Reaper's from Overwatch he has a variety of abilities that provide the character some unparalleled mobility options. However, Omen provides his teammate's variety of powerful abilities that restrict his enemy's ability to both see him and his teammates. Omen provides unparalleled flanking ability alongside some useful enemy denial abilities.
The first of Omen's abilities is his powerful Shadow Step. A move that allows Omen to teleport to an indicated location, allowing the character to escape to new cover, take high-ground, or simply escape the given danger. Using Shadow Step to take high ground is its primary function, as it allows the character access to some seemingly inaccessible locations. Be aware of Shadow Step's long start-up period, and take this downside into account before you use the ability to either flank or escape a combat encounter.
Omen's Paranoia is a rather unique move in the game. It allows Omen to fire a large shadow ball style attack that travels through walls and cover. If it connects with an enemy it restricts their ability to see, as if they were in the apex of a Smoke-ball. This allows Omen the ability to limit an Enemy's ability to see him and his team move towards or away from a given location.
Omen's Dark Cover is comparable to Brimstone's Sky Smoke in which the shadowy figure fires a black smoke cloud and it will land at his marked location. Dark Cover is capable of traveling through walls, similar to his Paranoia ability. Making Omen's ability to place Dark Cover nearly limitless. This move has incredible versatility during a match and allows the character to provide some solid visual cover. In conjunction with Omen's other abilities, Dark Cover can provide some sneaky synergy with Omen's toolkit. However, be aware that Dark Cover shoots from the same plane as you are standing. So if you wish to place it on high ground you will need to stand on high ground before firing the cloud.
Finally, Omen's Ultimate, From the Shadows, allows the shadowy character the ability to teleport anywhere on the map. As he is teleporting a shadowy version of Omen will appear, and if that figure is shot, his teleport is canceled. Omen can use this ability to flee, attack, flanks, or simply shift to a better position during a match. Making it one of the best Ultimates in the game and work perfectly in his arsenal. This move is incredibly useful and can be combined with some of Omen's other moves to provide some useful across map movement options.
How to Use Omen's Abilities Effectively in Valorant
The key to making Omen's tricky toolkit work effectively is through the combination of his abilities. Using his abilities in combination provides this character incredible mobility, evasion, and versatility during a match.
Shadow Step can be used in combination with Dark Cover or Paranoia to allow Omen the chance to flank or close the distance on his enemies. By throwing Dark Cover into the desired location or in a troublesome choke-point, Omen can teleport inside the cloud allowing him safe and almost free access to whatever location he wants. Similarly with Paranoia Omen can impair an enemy's vision, teleport into the given room and then freely clear the room or escape from a tricky situation. Shadow Step is not nearly as effective by itself as it is in combination with his other abilities. Learn which combos work the most effectively to maximize your efficiency with the character.
Omen's ability to through his Dark Cover through walls and cover allows Omen to cover choke-points from insanely far away. However, similar to Shadow Step, using Dark Cover in combination with his Ultimate, from the Shadow provides the character an insane amount of map control. Be sure to master this ability in order to control space and perform some powerful flanking maneuvers.
So you don't begin to become predictable, it is vital that you learn to mix up your attacking approaches. If you continuously use Paranoia or teleport into Dark Cover, enemies will grow aware and punish you for the efforts. Throwing a Dark Cover and teleporting into a nearby or location is a solid way to mix up your strategy. Simply put, playing Omen is like playing Jazz, you have to be unpredictable, once you've mastered this art of unpredictability you will become a solid threat on the battlefield.
Valorant is available in early access on PC only.