How Your Personality Affects Your Agent Choice in Valorant
Valorant is a popular tactical shooter game that features a diverse roster of agents, each with their own unique abilities and playstyles. But how do you decide which agent to pick for your team? And how does your personality influence your decision?
In this article, we will explore some of the factors that can affect your agent choice in Valorant, and why it matters for your performance and rating.
The Four Temperaments
One way to understand your personality is to use the four temperaments model, which is based on ancient Greek philosophy and psychology. The four temperaments are:
- Sanguine: You are optimistic, cheerful, sociable, and energetic. You enjoy variety, excitement, and fun. You are adaptable and spontaneous, but also impulsive and easily distracted.
- Choleric: You are confident, ambitious, assertive, and decisive. You like to take charge, lead, and achieve. You are competitive and goal-oriented, but also impatient and domineering.
- Melancholic: You are thoughtful, analytical, cautious, and organized. You value quality, accuracy, and perfection. You are loyal and dependable, but also pessimistic and self-critical.
- Phlegmatic: You are calm, relaxed, patient, and cooperative. You prefer stability, harmony, and peace. You are diplomatic and supportive, but also passive and indifferent.
Of course, these are not rigid categories, but rather general tendencies that can vary depending on the situation and context. However, they can still provide some insight into your preferences and motivations.
The Agents of Valorant
Valorant has 22 agents as of July 2023, each belonging to one of four roles: Duelist, Initiator, Controller, or Sentinel. Here is a brief overview of each role and some examples of agents:
- Duelist: These are the aggressive agents who excel at taking fights and getting kills. They have abilities that help them engage or disengage enemies, such as flashes, dashes, or heals. Examples: Jett, Reyna, Phoenix.
- Initiator: These are the agents who create opportunities for their team by gathering information or disrupting enemies. They have abilities that help them scout or control areas, such as drones, recon bolts, or blinds. Examples: Sova, Skye, KAY/O.
- Controller: These are the agents who shape the battlefield by blocking or denying vision or movement. They have abilities that help them smoke or wall off angles or chokepoints, such as smokescreens, barriers, or mollies. Examples: Omen, Viper, Astra.
- Sentinel: These are the agents who protect their team by holding or retaking sites. They have abilities that help them delay or prevent enemies from advancing or planting/defusing the spike, such as traps, turrets, or slows. Examples: Cypher, Killjoy, Sage.
The Best Agent for Your Temperament
Now that we have a basic understanding of the four temperaments and the four roles in Valorant, we can try to match them based on their compatibility. Of course, this is not a definitive guide, but rather a suggestion based on some common traits and characteristics.
Here are some possible matches between temperaments and roles:
- Sanguine: If you are a sanguine person, you might enjoy playing as a duelist, as they offer the most thrill and action in the game. You can use your creativity and adaptability to surprise your enemies with your flashy moves and skills. You might also like playing as an initiator, as they allow you to explore different parts of the map and find openings for your team. You can use your sociability and energy to communicate effectively with your teammates and coordinate your attacks.
- Choleric: If you are a choleric person, you might enjoy playing as a controller, as they give you the most control and influence over the game. You can use your confidence and ambition to dictate the pace and strategy of the round, and your assertiveness and decisiveness to execute your plans. You might also like playing as a sentinel, as they allow you to demonstrate your leadership and achievement skills. You can use your competitiveness and goal-orientation to secure sites and win rounds for your team.
- Melancholic: If you are a melancholic person, you might enjoy playing as a sentinel, as they suit your careful and organized style of play. You can use your thoughtfulness and analysis to anticipate enemy movements and set up traps or defenses accordingly. You can also use your loyalty and dependability to support your teammates and clutch out difficult situations. You might also like playing as a controller, as they require precision and perfection in placing your smokes or walls. You can use your quality and accuracy to create optimal conditions for your team and deny opportunities for your enemies.
- Phlegmatic: If you are a phlegmatic person, you might enjoy playing as an initiator, as they fit your calm and cooperative nature. You can use your patience and relaxation to scout and gather information without exposing yourself to unnecessary risks. You can also use your diplomacy and supportiveness to assist your teammates with your abilities and callouts. You might also like playing as a duelist, as they challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and take more initiative. You can use your adaptability and spontaneity to react to changing situations and seize opportunities.
Why It Matters
Knowing your personality and how it affects your agent choice in Valorant can help you improve your performance and rating in several ways:
- It can help you find the agent that suits your strengths and weaknesses, and allows you to play to your full potential.
- It can help you understand your teammates and enemies better, and how to communicate and cooperate with them effectively.
- It can help you avoid frustration and boredom, and increase your enjoyment and satisfaction with the game.
Of course, this does not mean that you should limit yourself to one role or agent, or that you should never try something new or different. Valorant is a dynamic and diverse game that rewards versatility and creativity. However, having a general idea of what works best for you can give you an edge over your opponents, and make your gaming experience more fun and rewarding.