Valorant Sidearms: How to Take Your Game to the Next Level

Valorant Sidearms: How to Take Your Game to the Next Level

Valorant features 17 different weapons, with 5 of them being sidearms. Though you can’t aim down the sights with any of them and they’re much cheaper than rifles and machine guns, the sidearms can really pack a punch in the right hands and are by no means bad if used properly.

Let’s explore the 5 sidearms in more depth, and dive into both weapon stats and strategies for all of them.

Classic Sidearms

Stats and info

The Classic is the default pistol sidearm that every player receives at the start of each round for free. It’s simple, easy to use, and despite being free is actually regarded as one of the best sidearms in the game, for a few reasons which we’ll explore.

Check every Classic weapon here.

Below are the full weapon stats:

  • Fire mode: Semi-automatic
  • Bullet penetration: Low
  • Magazine size: 12 (36 reserve)
  • Fire rate: 6.75 rounds per second
  • Equip speed: 0.75 seconds
  • Reload speed: 1.75 seconds
  • Run speed: 5.73 meters per second
  • First shot spread: 0.4 degrees

As well as the standard mode of fire when left-clicking, the Classic has an alternate right-click mode of fire where 3 rounds are shot at once.

  • Alt-Fire Rate: 2.22 bursts per second

Lastly, the damage drop-off stats for the Classic are below:

  • 0-30m
    • Head – 78
    • Body – 26
    • Legs – 22
  • 30-50m
    • Head – 66
    • Body – 22
    • Legs – 18

Using the Classic

With two modes of fire, the Classic is quite a versatile weapon, and players often prefer it over the other sidearms. The standard firing mode works well in mid-range encounters, while the alternative mode of fire is best for short-range encounters as the weapon behaves similarly to a shotgun.

In pistol rounds, many choose to purchase shields and/or abilities instead of upgrading their sidearm because of how well-rounded the Classic is. If in doubt about what sidearm to use, it’s best to stick with the Classic.

Shorty Sidearms

Stats and info

The Shorty is a shotgun sidearm and can be purchased for 150 credits at the start of each round. The weapon isn’t great in most situations but excels in a few niche scenarios.

Check every Shorty weapon here.

Below are the full weapon stats:

  • Fire mode: Semi-automatic
  • Bullet penetration: Low
  • Magazine size: 2 (10 reserve)
  • Fire rate: 3.33 rounds per second
  • Equip speed: 0.75 second
  • Reload speed: 1.75 seconds
  • Run speed: 5.4 meters per second
  • First shot spread: 4 degrees

Additionally, the damage drop-off stats for the Shorty are below:

  • 0-7m
    • Head – 24
    • Body – 12
    • Legs – 10
  • 7-15m
    • Head – 16
    • Body – 8
    • Legs – 6
  • 15-50m
    • Head – 6
    • Body – 3
    • Legs – 2

Using the Shorty

As you can see from the damage drop-off stats, the Shorty is terrible at mid to long ranges, so it is best saved for close-range encounters where you can get right up in your enemy’s face – and we mean that quite literally. If you try to shoot someone from more than a few meters away, the bullet spread will let you down and you’ll get killed easily while doing almost no damage at all.

Oftentimes, waiting around a corner for an enemy to walk past is the way to go with this weapon, though you can also play more aggressively if you want e.g. by rushing blinded players or pushing through smokes.

Frenzy

Stats and info

The Frenzy is a fully automatic sidearm that can be purchased for 450 credits at the start of each round. The gun shoots very quickly, but also has high recoil and a low magazine count, so should be used carefully.

Check every Frenzy weapon here.

Below are the full weapon stats:

  • Fire mode: Full auto
  • Bullet penetration: Low
  • Magazine size: 13 (39 reserve)
  • Fire rate: 10 rounds per second
  • Equip speed: 1 second
  • Reload speed: 1.5 seconds
  • Run speed: 5.73 meters per second
  • First shot spread: 0.45 degrees

Additionally, the damage drop-off stats for the Frenzy are below:

  • 0-20m
    • Head – 78
    • Body – 26
    • Legs – 22
  • 20-50m
    • Head – 63
    • Body – 21
    • Legs – 17

Using the Frenzy

While fully automatic, the Frenzy has terrible recoil, so it’s best to shoot short bursts of rounds when using the weapon, especially when aiming for targets at a distance.

Because of the recoil, we’d also recommend using the Frenzy predominantly at short ranges, though if you aim carefully and hit a headshot at a longer distance, you can do some real damage, and even get a kill if you hit your next few shots.

Ghost

Stats and info

The Ghost is a silenced sidearm that can be purchased for 500 credits at the start of a round. It is a popular sidearm among many Valorant players, with many choosing to purchase it during pistol rounds because of its one-shot-kill potential on players without any shields.

Check every Ghost weapon here.

Below are the full weapon stats:

  • Fire mode: Semi-automatic
  • Bullet penetration: Medium
  • Magazine size: 15 (45 reserve)
  • Fire Rate: 6.75 rounds per second
  • Equip Speed: 0.75 second
  • Reload speed: 1.5 seconds
  • Run speed: 5.73 meters per second
  • First shot spread: 0.3 degrees

Additionally, the damage drop-off stats for the Ghost are below:

  • 0-30m
    • Head – 105
    • Body – 30
    • Legs – 25
  • 30-50m
    • Head – 87
    • Body – 25
    • Legs – 21

Using the Ghost

You cannot aim down sights with the Ghost, but that doesn’t matter, because it is incredibly accurate even at longer ranges. The only thing to remember is to keep your shots slow and controlled because shooting wildly will cause your bullets to go all over the place.

As mentioned before, players will often purchase the Ghost during pistol rounds because of the one-shot-kill potential, but it’s also a popular choice during eco rounds as the weapon can really do some damage even when up against fully automatic rifles.

Also, the Ghost has a silenced feature, meaning that its tracers aren’t visible to enemy players. This feature is incredibly useful for not revealing your location to others and is one that many players forget about. Try and take advantage of it if you can!

Sheriff

Stats and info

The last sidearm on our list is the Sheriff, which is a revolver-like weapon that can be purchased for 800 credits at the start of a round. It is the most expensive sidearm in the game, but also the most powerful one in most situations.

Check every Sheriff weapon here.

Below are the full weapon stats:

  • Fire mode: Semi-automatic
  • Bullet penetration: High
  • Magazine size: 6 (24 reserve)
  • Fire Rate: 4 rounds per second
  • Equip Speed: 1 second
  • Reload speed: 2.25 seconds
  • Run speed: 5.4 meters per second
  • First shot spread: 0.25 degrees

Additionally, the damage drop-off stats for the Sheriff are below:

  • 0-30m
    • Head – 159
    • Body – 55
    • Legs – 46
  • 30-50m
    • Head – 145
    • Body – 50
    • Legs – 42

Using the Sheriff

If you’re really good at aiming, then the Sheriff will serve you well, especially whenever you’re on an eco or half-buy round. This beast of a sidearm can one-shot-headshot all enemies up to 30 meters away, making it incredibly satisfying to use (and frustrating to play against if you’re the player getting one shot).

For pistol rounds, you can use the Sheriff if you want, but it’s generally better to not as you can easily get one shot by a ghost and lose it. You are better off buying abilities/shields instead and buying a Sheriff in an eco or half-buy round as mentioned before.