The Best Pistol Round Buys for Every Valorant Agent

Best Pistol Round Buys: Key Takeaways

• Everyone starts with 800 credits.
• A Ghost and an ability are one of the most common pistol round buys.
• You’ll have to choose between upgrading your weapon or maximizing your utility.
• Buying a Sheriff is never recommended during pistol rounds.

The Pistol Rounds are one of the most important buy rounds in Valorant. They set the tone of the game and can help you get a quick lead over your opponents. Although it may seem insignificant, it can quickly snowball and lead to multiple rounds.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows what to buy during pistol rounds. Luckily, we’re here to help. Join us as we explain what pistol rounds are and the best pistol round buys for every Valorant agent.

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What is a Pistol Round?

Let’s start things off by explaining to new Valorant players what a pistol round is. There are always two pistol rounds in every game. They are the rounds that start the game and start the half when you switch sides.

Everyone starts with 800 credits and can only buy pistols or abilities, which is why it’s called the “pistol round.” Don’t confuse this with saves or eco rounds since they are completely different and require a different set of strategies.

The Importance of Pistol Round Buys

Pistol rounds are one of the most overlooked things in Valorant. Most people think that it’s only one round and that it wouldn’t affect the outcome of the game. However, having this mentality is completely wrong.

In fact, pistol rounds are actually the most important rounds since they set the tone of the game and generally dictate how the half plays out. Winning the pistol round means that you get money to buy upgraded weapons in the following round, while your opponent should be left with very weak buys.

This means that pistol rounds actually translate into two rounds. On the third round, your team should be doing a “bonus round.” After that, your economy should be set for at least one full buy round. That’s at least three additional rounds where you’ll have better or identical loadouts to your opponents. That’s all thanks to the pistol round.

If you lose the pistol round, you’ll have to save the following round, which you’ll often lose as well due to the weaker buys. This already puts you at a 0-2 disadvantage. You’ll need to win the 3rd round with most of your team still alive, or else your eco will be ruined, and you’ll have weaker weapons than your opponents for the 4th round. 

This is the domino effect that most people fail to see during pistol rounds.

The Best Pistol Round Buys for All Valorant Agents

Here are the best pistol round buys for all Valorant agents and some alternative options.

Agent	Best Pistol Round Buy	Alternative Pistol Round Buy
Astra	Ghost + Stars x2	Frenzy + Stars x2
Breach	Flashpoint x2 + Aftershock	Ghost + Flashpoint
Brimstone	Stim Beacon + Sky Smokes x2	Ghost + Sky Smokes x2
Chamber	Trademark + Headhunter Bullets x4	Trademark + Ghost
Cypher	Ghost + Trapwire + Cyber Cage	Frenzy + Trapwire + Cyber Cage
Fade	Ghost + Prowler	Frenzy + Prowler
Gekko	Ghost + Wingman	Light Shield + Wingman
Harbor	Cove + Cascade	Frenzy + Cove
Jett	Ghost + Cloudburst	Sheriff
KAY/O	Ghost + FLASH/drive	Light Shield + FLASH/drive
Killjoy	Light Shield + Alarmbot + Nanoswarm	Ghost + Nanoswarm
Neon	Frenzy + Fast Lane	Ghost + Relay Bolt
Omen	Ghost + Dark Cover	Ghost + Paranoia
Phoenix	Ghost + Curveball	Frenzy + Curveball
Raze	Ghost + Boom Bot	Frenzy + Boom Bot
Reyna	Ghost + Leer	Ghost + Devour/Dismiss
Sage	Light Shield + Barrier Orb	Barrier Orb + Slow Orb x2
Skye	Ghost + Regrowth	Light Shield + Regrowth + Guiding Light
Sova	Light Shield + Owl Drone	Ghost + Shock Bolt x2
Viper	Ghost + Snakebite	Light Shield + Snakebite + Poison Cloud
Yoru	Ghost + Blindside	Ghost + Fakeout + Gatecrash