A map with suffocating choke points, various entry points, and long rotations—well, that’s Ascent for you. Being one of the oldest maps in the game, Ascent has a love-and-hate relationship with most players.
While the map is loved by many, its complex layout makes it harder to win games on it.
Even as a veteran of the game now, I have the lowest win rate on Ascent because of earlier losses. However, I have found the best Valorant agents for Ascent that can help you conquer this map easily and win games.
1. Jett (Duelist)
Jett is a very impactful agent on any map. Her aggressive kit makes her a danger to the enemy team. Her get-out-of-jail-free dash allows for early aggressive plays and getting the first blood for the team.
Furthermore, her high mobility makes her a perfect pick for maps with elevated angles like Ascent or Split.
Defense: Jett thrives on holding long angles with the operator. In Ascent, Jett can be used to hold Top Mid from Market or Mid-Link from Short.
You can also mix in a couple of early peeks from A and B Main occasionally to throw off the enemy. Her Ultimate can also be used in eco-rounds. In addition, you can double updraft to get some kills from off-angles.
Attack: On attack, Jett’s dash can be used to entry-frag into the site; combine that with some flashes and a Recon, and you have a good attack.
While attacking A or B, use your smokes to block angles and dash into enemy territory to get all the attention on you and allow your team to support you from behind.
You can also take mid-control quite easily with Jett by blocking either Short or Market with your smokes and rushing in.
2. Raze (Duelist)
Ascent has a lot of narrow spaces, and this is where Raze shines. Her nade can be quite lethal in tight spaces like the A main or B main. Secondly, her satchels can help her get to high angles or make aggressive plays.
While she may not be as good of an entry-fragger as Jett, her kit makes her quite powerful nonetheless. However, in order to play Raze efficiently, you need to have good movement.
Defense: On the defense side, Raze’s nade can be helpful for stalling pushes and dealing chip damage.
You can also use her bomb buddy for early information. Plus, she can create space using her satchels.
Attack: The attacking side is where Raze is most useful. Her AoE kit makes clearing angles easier. On A and B both, you throw a nade at a common angle, like Generator on A or stairs on B, to get the enemy out.
Then you can Bomb Buddy the other angle and satchel into the site with your team.
3. Killjoy (Sentinel)
The third on the list is none other than our German genius, Killjoy. Killjoy’s crowd control makes her one of the best Valorant agents on maps like Ascent.
With smaller sites and narrow entry points, Killjoy gets a lot of value out of her kit.
Defense: As a sentinel, defense is where KJ can substantially help her team. A good KJ setup can deny enemies entry to the site without using a lot of utility. You can also use her turret for information.
KJ works better on B than A, but even then, if played correctly, the enemy cannot enter the site without sacrificing one or two teammates.
And her most valuable ability, her ultimate, is great for retaking sites or forcing the enemy to rotate.
Attack: While aggression is not KJ’s forte, you can still get a lot of value out of her on attack. First of all, she is an excellent flank holder; with her turret or alarm bot, your team can stop worrying about late flanks or lurkers.
Secondly, her nodes can be used to play post-plants, and the ult can be used to take sites with ease.
4. KAY/O (Initiator)
Map control and early information are key to winning on Ascent, and that’s where KAY/O excels. He is an initiator and duelist combined. You can play KAY/O both aggressively and passively.
His Recon is great for getting information and stalling pushes. Furthermore, his flashes are great for pushing the site and clearing angles.
Defense: While on defense, KAY/O can use his knife to get early information on the enemy and rotate accordingly.
You can also go for aggressive plays with his flashes. The key to winning with KAY/O is uncertainty. So, try not to go for the same plays again and again.
Attack: While KAY/O is an initiator, many pro teams have switched him to an entry-fragger with Jett or Raze as the second man.
This is because of his CS:GO-like kit with flashes and nades. And his ult is great to counter enemy ults.
5. Sova (Initiator)
As mentioned before, in order to win at Ascent or any map, information is key. Knowing where your enemy is helps you strategize a good offense. And when it comes to gathering important info, there is no one better than Sova.
Defense: A well-placed recon dart can help scan the whole area for enemies. This makes it easier to take map control without risking a fight.
Secondly, his shock-darts are great at dealing chip damage to the enemy and stalling pushes. Furthermore, a good recon with a well-timed ult can land you a lot of kills early in the round.
Attack: On attack, Sova can help clear angles where enemies are camping. You can also wall-bang enemies if they are spotted by the recon.
Furthermore, a double shock dart lineup can help you post-plant as well. And to top it all off, an ult can help you win a post-plant 80% of the time.
6. Astra (Controller)
Ascent has a lot of angles to clear and take control of, especially in Mid. Hence, you need Astra. While other controllers like Omen and Brim should suffice as well, Astra’s crowd-control utility is what gives her the advantage.
And this makes her appear in this list of best Valorant agents for Ascent.
Defense: Astra on defense works more or less like a sentinel. You can lay down a set of stars for the enemy team and see them crumble as they walk in. Secondly, you can combo with your KJ to set up an even deadlier trap.
She is great at getting map control by cutting enemy sightlines with her ult. Furthermore, the same ult is great for retakes as well.
Attack: On attack, you need to communicate with your entry-fragger and then lay down smokes accordingly.
You can use your stuns to get enemies out of annoying corners like Logs on B or Under Heaven on A. Plus, her Pull ability is great for post-plants.
Final Tips for Ascent
Ascent is the only map with a proper Mid. So, in order to dominate Ascent, mid-control is essential. Why? Because it opens more ways to attack and cuts off the enemy team on rotations. While rushing blindly might work initially, but as you rank up, you need to have a proper strategy to win here.
Secondly, playing patiently on Ascent is rewarding. Since most entry points are quite narrow, a good utility setup will help you defend easily. However, you need to take as much map control as you can, especially in Mid.
A good tip is to destroy the doors on short and market as soon as the round starts. This prevents the enemy team from locking you out. And finally, communicate with your team on utilities and play together.
So, this was pretty much it about the best Valorant Agents for Ascent. I’ll be covering more Valorant maps and agent guides in the future, so do keep checking!
