January 22, 2023
Sova is part of Valorant’s Initiator class. He helps the team by gathering intel to start fights with less risk. Sova is all about taking advantage of angles to use his abilities in creative ways. His recon arrows are great for gathering information, but only if you know where to put them. Sova’s drone can also mark opponents, but it is easily destroyed and can give away your position quickly.
This guide will help you better understand Sova’s abilities so that you can utilize this character to his full potential.
Shock Bolt (Q Ability)
Equip a bow with a shock bolt. Fire to send the explosive forward, detonating upon collision and damaging players nearby. Hold Fire to extend the range of the projectile. Alternate Fire to add up to two bounces to this arrow.
This is a versatile ability, meaning there is no wrong answer on when you should let these arrows fly. Just make sure you’re not out in the open. Shock bolts can be charged for added distance, and you can add bounces at your discretion. This ability is helpful in early rounds before anyone has bought a shield, as it could be a one-hit kill. If your opponent has a heavy shield, this ability can still soften them up for further attacks.
This is also a good answer to Cypher’s Trapwires, as it can destroy them without giving away your position if you use a ricochet shot.
Recon Bolt (E Ability)
Equip a bow with a recon bolt. Fire to send the recon bolt forward, activating upon collision and revealing the location of nearby enemies caught in the line of sight of the bolt. Hold Fire to extend the range of the projectile. Alternate Fire to add up to two bounces to this arrow.
There are many ways Sova’s Recon Bolt can be used effectively. If you are not confident in your angles, you can always aim for a high wall with less obstruction. Recon Bolt only works if opponents are within the vision of where it lands, so it is best to place it as high as you can.
The effects of a well-placed Recon Bolt can set your team up for a takeover. A well-placed bolt that is not easy to destroy can cause the other team to stall, giving your team the perfect opportunity to push. Even if the enemy does manage to destroy the bolt, this can still cause them to be caught off guard for a brief second.
This ability will take some playing around with to learn the best lineups for the most precise readings. Before long you’ll be able to fire this bolt off quickly in well-known and commonly traversed spots on the map to let your team push safely.
Owl Drone ( C Ability)
Equip an owl drone. Fire to deploy and take control of the movement of the drone. While in control of the drone, Fire to shoot a marking dart. This dart will reveal the location of any player struck by the dart.
Using this ability can be a gamble, as it comes with a loud audio queue that can alert your enemies to your position. However, this can force the enemy team to back off their push or risk giving away their position as well.
This ability is good for checking corners, and if you do manage to stick an enemy with a bolt, you will make their location known to the whole team.
This Owl Drone can also be used as bait. Having a teammate follow the drone can lead to a surprise attack when the enemies’ focus is on destroying the drone. The enemy can easily be caught off guard allowing your team to trade the drone for an enemy.
Hunter’s Fury (X Ability/Ultimate)
Equip a bow with three long-range wall-piercing energy blasts. Fire to release an energy blast in a line in front of Sova, dealing damage and revealing the location of enemies caught in the line. This ability can be re-used up to two more times while the ability timer is active.
This ability is great for defending planted spikes. It has a long-range and goes through walls. This is best used with your other scouting abilities, like the recon bolt or owl drone, so you know where to use Hunter’s Fury.
This ability can also be used at the start of a round if you can guess where the opposing team will be pushing from.
Tips and Tricks
- Practice your angles. Knowing the best locations for Recon Bolts will give you the upper hand in gathering intel for your team.
- Keep the Owl Drone low and be ready to dart an enemy on site, or have a teammate tail the drone for an easy pick.
- Shock bolts are best used for softening up the enemy, so stick to corners and follow up with a scouting ability to capitalize on the enemy’s injury.
- Hunter’s Fury is best used for spikes or on long pathways.
Sova is a great agent to have on your team as they can gather precise information. However, he requires some work to optimize his kit fully. If you’re thinking of becoming a Sova main, it would be best to spend some time practicing and memorizing the angles and placements for recon bolts in order to make the most of your playtime. Information is the most valuable asset in a round of Valorant, and Sova can provide the most accurate intel if used correctly. Learning how to use Sova can be pretty intimidating, but he is one of the best offensive scouts in the game, so don’t get discouraged. You’ll master him in no time!