Ascent is the latest map introduced in Valorant. It strongly reminds Venice and has one peculiarity: doors that close when activated. A double-edged mechanism that can be used by both defenders and attackers when the bomb is planted.
In addition to these mechanical doors, there are many other special features to know to master the map. Everything you need to know is just below!
The special features of the card: doors and a real mid
Each map has its own design but also its own particularities. Players must take them into account to develop the best strategy. If Bind has its teleporters, Haven its three BP and Split its ropes, Ascent has its mechanical doors!
Doors that close at will
Each site has its mechanical door which can be closed and opened at will. To do so, simply activate the lever located nearby. They are very practical to defend a point. Because in addition to blocking the passage by forcing longer rotations, they are also precious for gaining information. Here are 5 details that may be important.
- The doors are not very solid and can be destroyed: 5 small stabs are enough. Originally blue, the doors change color depending on the damage dealt to it. The redder they are, the closer they are to being broken. Once destroyed, they can't be restored or closed again until the end of the round.
- You can't prevent a door from closing with Sage's wall or with the body of a player.
- Doors make noise. When they are destroyed but also when they close and open. Open your ears wide to act accordingly.
- Doors take a few seconds to close. Both allies and enemies have a little time to rush before being blocked behind. In addition, when opening and closing are initiated, the order cannot be canceled before it has come to an end.
- Doors can open and close on request until they're destroyed.
A real mid to compete
Until now, Valorant's maps haven't offered a very convincing middle ground battle. There is no real midlane on Bind, nor even on Haven since the mid is a BP in its own right. In Split, the middle is often underused since it is very difficult to attack head-on. It is very favorable to defense with lines of sight easy to hold in addition to being very narrow.
Ascent, on the other hand, is a paradise for those who like to fight. The mid offers two long diagonals that promise fierce territory disputes. Very open, the mid is also garnished with minimalist decor elements, meaning that no side is really favored. Everything will depend on the weaponry and the skills invested in the fight.
Beware of the relief: Ascent does not look like it, but it allows you to work around a small relief. There is a small, slightly raised esplanade, which opens up some interesting angles. In addition, if the mid is normally a no man's land, some may choose to infiltrate it by squatting and following the edge of the platform.
A Point
A rich site with many decorative elements. There are a lot of choices for planting and different boxes allow you to cover yourself while taking lines. Especially in defense, the 'heaven' and the 'hell' are key spots.
- Heaven: difficult to access, you have to climb on several boxes and make several successive jumps. It is impossible to climb there during a fight. It can also be accessed from the CT spawn, but it takes a lot of time. Also note: the scaffolding in paradise covers the line of sight, but not the bullets. This is an expected position and you can easily lose hit points.
- Hell: a good little hiding place that offers two corners and two very defensive angles. Ideal for being discreet and taking your enemies by surprise. Be careful however, this is a well-known position and an AoE skill can quickly put you in trouble.
To access the point, there are three possibilities:
- Long A: a basic and clear corridor where you can easily hear yourself running. Its only particularity is its "wine cellar" which offers a tiny corner to hide in defense. It is an off-center position which is not always verified on a fast-rush. However, it is a risky defensive position with almost impossible repositioning.
- Short A: a passage leading to the MID which is guarded by a mechanical door. Aggressively you can position yourself in the mi storage room and more defensively in the tree of A. Very flexible, this position offers many choices.
- Spawn CT: it is inaccessible at the start of the round for terrorists. To get there, you will need to have full control of the middle of the map and choose to do the longest rotation. Another solution is to go through Short A and break a window. A good shortcut that's also dangerous because you'll make a lot of noise.
B Point
Unlike the other site, B is a quite simplistic spot. Aside from a few crates, there isn't much to hold lines or hide in the mud. Above all, from the BP, information gathering and rotations are extremely limited. It's more the areas around the PO that are interesting:
- The courtyard: very rich in decorative elements and hidden corners to hide. It is a buffer zone where the majority of the clashes will take place. It also closes the door to the Market. But beware, the activation lever is at the other end of the courtyard.
- The workshop: it is the hiding place of despair with the most remote and defensive position possible. Unconventional in defense, it is however a strong position to offset as a post-plant terrorist.
- BP: as said before, only mud and boxes. There is not much to say about or to do on the site. We will still note a box on which we can climb in a corner, to offer a small exploitable angle.
As often, there are also three paths:
- Short B: is a death row where rests a multitude of bodies, victims of aggression, and greed. It is an immediate point of contact between attackers and defenders. It is very risky, especially since you can through anything through the open windows.
- Market: the market overlooks the mid. It is a very simple spot which is however very important in defense. It allows rapid rotations while supporting both the mid and the BP B as required.
- Spawn CT: A long line of sight with a little relief. Impossible to access in Attack, it offers in addition to a secure rotation in defense an unconventional positioning to keep the death row.
Attack Strategy
Since the map is wide-open, controlling the mid is extremely important — especially since it gives access to A Heaven.
You need to be patient and hold the line until you manage to win duels. Take the time to build your attack well and make your choice based on the information gained on both sides.
The fast rush is not the easiest. The large number of positions in A to check makes things complicated. In B, you can be more successful in quick executions, but you will have to win the death row battle. A risky bet but one that can pay off.
In most situations, rushing the middle is most of the time pure suicide due to the lack of cover and vision.
Attacking is harder than defending on Ascent, which also makes retaking sites after you planted a bomb a real pain. Try to use your knowledge of the map as a defender to position accordingly, and use doors at your advantage!
Defense Strategy
You must have 2 players in A (one Long and one Short), on player mid, and one player in B to keep the death row.
The 5th player is rather flexible and must choose according to his character and the strategy to be adopted. Generally, he will support on B since the point of contact is immediate.
As long as you have control of the mid, you will have all the information you need to start fast and secure rotations from the back of the map.
The retakes are not very simple with the mechanics of metal doors. As the card seems a priori fairly balanced in attack as in defense, there is no secret to defending well if it is not to hold lines of sight and win duels.
A dataminer has found new Valorant weapon skins. We don't know when they'll be available or even if they ever will be, but still, four collections have leaked.
Original content by "Tipsalewo".
