The dynamic world of Valorant continues to evolve, presenting gamers with new scenarios and inquiries routinely. Among these inquiries is a pertinent question – ‘Is Iso, in your eyes, a duelist?’
Summary
- Confusion around the role of Iso, typically considered an Initiator, potentially overlapping as a Duelist.
- Debate over the nature of a ‘Duelist’ and the conventional role they play in entering a site.
- A shift in the understanding of ‘Duelist’ role with the argument that not all Duelists are necessarily designed to be the entry.
Dissecting Iso as a Duelist
Contrary to the orthodox assumption that Duelists are made to initiate battles, Papy_Wouane’s comment puts forth a novel perspective by saying, ‘Some duelists are designed to be the entry. Some aren’t. Iso is a side-grade (downgrade?) from Reyna. Very much a duelist, very much useless if what you’re asking from them is to entry site.’ This resonates with the sentiment that perhaps the gaming community’s general assumption about the roles of characters may not be beyond question.
Exploring the Dual Nature
There seems to be a sizable consensus that suggests Iso has characteristics of both an Initiator and a Duelist. SAM13768 provides a handy analogy explaining that Iso is a bridge ‘in between due and ini’ thanks to his wall ability that helps isolate fights. Echoing a similar sentiment is MakimaGOAT’s take stating that while Iso does remind him of an initiator, overlapping roles such as Viper being a controller-sentinel hybrid isn’t unusual in Valorant.
Quality of a Duelist
The crux of this discussion lies in comprehending what truly qualifies a character as a Duelist. One of the most on-point explanations comes from vivikto, saying, ‘Duelists are not made to enter the site alone. They are made to enter with the help of initiators. Iso is made to win duels. Which is why he’s a “duelist.”’.
Taking a step back and looking at this discussion, it becomes apparent that in Valorant, nothing is set in stone. The versatility of characters allows them to shape-shift into different roles, depending on the gameplay and strategy. Perhaps Iso is, after all, the duelist we never saw coming.
