October 5, 2023
Phoenix is gifted with a versatile kit that creates opportunities to protect yourself from flanks and rotations, and heal yourself. You can blind opponents as well, which may keep you alive after fights.
His Curveball flash is pretty easy to use and not easy for the opponent to avoid looking at. His Blaze wall can help wall off angles allowing you to move forward or slow down retakers after a plant. His Hot Hands ability has multiple uses, like choking off entry points or chasing enemies out of hiding spots, or healing yourself.
Having each of these tools at your disposal is an ideal kit if you are just starting out in the game. Learning how to shut down the number of angles you can be taken from with Hot Hands or Blaze is a great skill to master early on.
This guide is here to help go over Phoenix’s abilities as well as guide you through some of the best strategies for beginners.
Curveball (Q Ability)
Equip a flare orb that takes a curving path and detonates shortly after throwing. Fire to curve the flare orb to the left, detonating and blinding any player who sees the orb. Alternate fire to curve the flare orb to the right.
Curveball is a great way to blind your enemies, but it may take some getting used to. This ability should be used mainly at corners of entry points because of its short range. This makes it perfect for entry frag. However, you have to be mindful of how close you are to the corner. The closer you are, the further it will travel around the corner before detonating. Also, if you are too close to a corner when throwing it out, it may only partially blind the enemy.
If an enemy is hugging the wall you plan to push in on, it may be best to use a Curveball in the opposite direction. This may result in it partially hitting you, but it will detonate in front of the enemy and give you time to take the shot.
A drawback of this ability is that it will announce your presence to the enemy. It may be best to switch up tactics here and there so the opposing team does not get wise to your plays. You also need to be mindful of your teammates while using the ability, as they can be affected by its blinding effect as well.
Hot Hands (E Ability)
Equip a fireball. Fire to throw a fireball that explodes after a set amount of time or upon hitting the ground, creating a lingering fire zone that damages enemies.
This ability is used mainly to block areas for a short time and can force enemies in corners to reposition. This can alternatively be used for self-healing. You should also be mindful of your teammates while using this ability, as it can damage friends and foes alike.
The ability lasts approximately four seconds, so it won’t keep the enemy back for long. However, if you place it where you know the team is rushing you, it can delay their push long enough for your team to reposition.
Hot Hands will deploy as soon as it hits the ground, so you do have the opportunity to get creative and bounce it off walls to surprise the enemy when it lands.
Blaze (C Ability)
Equip a flame wall. Fire to create a line of flame that moves forward, creating a wall of fire that blocks vision and damages players passing through it. Hold fire to bend the wall in the direction of your crosshair.
This ability is used mainly to prevent entry in a line. It can also be used for self-healing. This is another ability that will harm enemies and teammates alike who come into contact with it; however, it can heal Phoenix for a total of sixty-nine hit points.
This ability is extremely useful as it allows you to wall off entire sections of bomb sites and allow you and your team to converge on a point without giving away positional information to the enemy.
This ability also allows for a more aggressive stance on whichever side of the flame wall you choose to push as you try to isolate a 1v1. If no one is on your side, you can peek through your wall or fire or rotate around to the far side to take a different angle while the enemy is paused.
Run it Back (X Ability / Ultimate)
Instantly place a marker at Phoenix’s location. While this ability is active, dying or allowing the timer to expire will end this ability and bring Phoenix back to this location with full health.
This is mainly used to try and pick off enemies with no risk or to scout out enemy locations. For beginner players, learning when to pop the ultimate will be the biggest challenge. It is not ideal to use on retakes as you may win the duel, but you could end up losing the round once you are sent back to your starting location. You’ll also need to make sure to use this in a safe space, as using the ultimate does leave you vulnerable for about two seconds while the animation is going on.
When on offense, this ability is best used as a low-risk way to push. On defense, it can be used to hold aggressively to prevent a quick push by the opposing team without having to worry about trades.
Tips and Tricks
- Curveball is mainly used at corners of entry points because of its short range. Blinds the enemy and is perfect for entry frag. However, be mindful of how close you are to the corner.
- Hot Hands can be used to block areas for a short time and also force enemies in corners to reposition. Alternatively, it can be used for self-healing.
- Blaze is used to prevent entry in a line. Can also be used for self-healing.
- Run it Back is used mainly to pick off enemies while there is zero risk. Alternatively, it can be used for scouting.
Phoenix is a versatile agent, which makes him perfect for beginners. His kit allows him to do mixed roles such as support or entry fragger, and his ultimate allows him to scout without consequence. His kit can also be used in combination with most agents available, making him a good choice for the team.