Hey gamers! Librarian Husky here, and today we’re going to talk about the kind of mistakes you see at every rank—from beginners to veterans with thousands of hours in the game. Some of these mistakes are pretty ridiculous, especially when you can tell the player is new and just doesn’t understand yet. But then there are mistakes made by players with 3,000 hours under their belts. Those are the ones we’re diving into today.

Frustrating Errors Players Keep Repeating

It’s like some players refuse to learn. We’re talking about mistakes so frustrating and facepalm-worthy that it’s hard to believe they’re still happening. Trust me, you’ve probably made at least one of these errors today—maybe even in your last match.

Waiting for Teammates to Win

Starting off with the first common mistake: you’re just waiting for your teammates to win the game. Players aren’t doing enough; they’re merely fulfilling the bare minimum of their role. For example, if you’re playing as Sova, maybe you’ve learned a sick Dart lineup and are using it every round. But are you actually communicating that to your team? Or waiting for them to follow up on it?

Not Supporting the Team

Maybe you’re a controller player, dropping smokes as needed, but then you sit back and hold the flank, hoping for the best. This passive approach often does more harm than good.

Taking Responsibility in Matchmaking

Many players think their duelist will do all the work, but here’s the reality: in matchmaking, you need to do the heavy lifting to win rounds. You need to be active in the fight, not just drop smokes on time. Push out and hold them, and get those crucial lurk kills across the map while your teammates are creating pressure elsewhere.

Brimstone Example on Lotus

Take this Brimstone on Lotus, for example. He drops his smokes for his team to enter B, but then just sits back, holding the flank—and not even effectively. The A players could easily slip through without him noticing. He could be entering with his team on B, holding the smoke, or lurking up C to flank enemies rotating through Waterfall. Both are solid options, but he’s doing neither.

Zero Impact in the Round

In this passive position, it’s likely Brimstone gets zero impact in the round. Sure, sometimes your teammates will win on their own, but if you’re not on the front line making an impact or at least lurking effectively, you’ll struggle to win games consistently.

Don’t Overestimate a Kill

Moving on to the second mistake: some players just can’t sit still. Sometimes, holding your position is far more valuable than any kill you might get. If you’ve got a perfect flank but your teammates are too far to create pressure, peeking will only get you killed.

Understanding the Value of Patience in Flanking

It’s really easy to cover all potential threats when nothing is happening, so the chances of landing a sneaky flank when the enemy team isn’t fighting are incredibly low. You’re probably just going to peek into three enemies staring at you. The best thing you can do is simply not die, and the best way to achieve that is by not peeking too soon.

Waiting for the Perfect Moment

You want to wait for the perfect moment to strike, which usually comes when your teammates are taking contact. Even if the enemy team knows you’re there, you should let the tension build. Don’t give them the opportunity to relieve the pressure by killing you. If they’re aware of your flank, they’ll be distracted, giving your teammates the upper hand.

The Power of Pressure

That pressure you create by being present on the flank is incredibly valuable. While your teammates are engaging the enemies on-site, one or two players will constantly worry about you peeking out. This concern can be enough to tilt the balance in your favor, as it splits the enemy’s attention.

Timing Your Peek

It’s not always about how you peek, but when you peek. This applies to coordinated site hits as well. If you’re waiting for utility like a Sova Dart or a KAY/O flash to refresh, peeking out too early and dying is one of the worst things you can do. Remember the famous SEN round on Icebox B site during VCT? They waited, held their positions, and then all peeked together, overwhelming the operator. That patience transformed the round in their favor.

The Power of Patience in Positioning

Sometimes, the best strategy is doing nothing. Take this scenario: they peek the Jett, but hardly do anything, just sit and wait. Because Jett, reclearing with an Operator, sees nothing, it looks like the opponents have rotated out. By waiting patiently, they pull not only the Killjoy but also the Viper from B site without taking any actions.

Impatience in Matchmaking

In matchmaking, this strategy almost never works because someone usually gets impatient, peeks, and dies. Then, a teammate tries to trade and also dies. Sometimes, waiting for your team’s utility and the correct timing is the best play. When the moment arrives, move together and make sure your movement is sharp.

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Rushing Without Strategy

In many games I watch, it feels like players are in a race to end the game, rushing A or B every single round. Have you noticed that? What may surprise you is that mid control is crucial on many maps. For example, on Valorant’s newest map, Abyss, mid control can give you a significant advantage.

The Importance of Mid Control

On Abyss, rotating through spawns is uncomfortable for both teams, and if you don’t have mid control, you’re at a massive disadvantage. The walk through spawn is long, and when you finally reach the site, you’re worried about getting picked off without mid control. It’s a risky situation, and mid-lurk potential is always a threat.

Mid Control as a Defender

Fighting for mid control on Abyss can feel tricky for both sides, but here’s a tip: when you look at the spawn barriers as a defender, do you notice anything? The spawn barrier on B is set far back, which creates unique opportunities. Understanding these subtle details can help you approach mid control more effectively.

Strategic Positioning in Mid

You can technically be peeked from both sides, but attackers can’t peak from the right side immediately since they start so far back. This allows you to walk up the right side of mid effectively if you have support. This could be an Operator player, a rifle, or even someone jump peeking. You can also use a smoke for extra cover.

Agent-Specific Tactics

For some agents, walking up the right side makes more sense. For example, Yoru can place a TP in spawn, walk up the right, and look for a pick. However, this tactic might not suit other agents, like Sova. Still, Sova can support someone else in doing this, which highlights the importance of teamwork in mid control.

Taking Control as Attackers

For attackers, walking up the left side of mid can be quite easy due to the Bookshelf blocking the natural angle to hold mid. By smoking off the right side and advancing up the left, it becomes difficult for defenders to cover both angles. This can force them into an uncomfortable position, making it easier for you to take mid control.

Mid Control Across Maps

Mid control isn’t just essential on Abyss; it’s critical on maps like Ascent, Split, and even Icebox. You shouldn’t ignore mid; instead, strive to understand each map’s layout and play to its strengths. Now, moving on to the fourth mistake: burning utility too early without optimizing its use. Most utility has short-lived value, so timing is key.

The Importance of Timing Utility

A flash blinds for a second or two, and a recon dart might only last a moment before it’s shot down. To get the most value from your abilities, you need to use utility right before your teammates can capitalize on it. For example, take the common Sova Dart used on Ascent: if you dart tree too early, your team won’t reach the choke point before it gets shot.

Effective Use of Abilities

Instead of darting at the start of the round, try using the dart right as your team is about to flash out of the choke. This forces the enemy to choose between shooting the dart or the players pushing at them. The same principle applies to flashes—if you flash and no one swings off it, the utility is wasted.

Maximizing Flash Impact

Flashes are one of the strongest utilities in the game, often resulting in multiple kills. The difference between a well-timed flash and a poorly timed one is immense. A poorly timed flash fades just as the enemy is ready to shoot, and by then, you’ll be staring at four opponents prepared to take you down.

Coordination and Communication

This is why initiators are considered one of the hardest roles in the game. The timing of your utility needs to be near perfect to extract value, and you must communicate with your entry players to ensure they can capitalize on it. Without coordination, your utility is essentially wasted. This tip also applies to duelists who often entry too early, before utility is properly set up for them.

The Numbers Game in Valorant

Trying to solo hold a site is a risky move. Valorant is, at its core, a numbers game. Even if you stun all five players, they can still shoot back at you. It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to stop a 1v5 push alone if the enemy team is competent. If you’re not positioned to anchor the site with a teammate, sometimes it’s better to fall back and play for a retake.

Coordinating a Retake

When playing for a retake, the key is coordination. Wait for the entire team to arrive, not just one or two players. Once everyone is ready, use your utility and push together. Many players try to retake with two people, instead of waiting for the rest, leading to failed retakes. A well-coordinated five-man retake will be much stronger than two disjointed attempts.

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