Vandal is probably the most important weapon to master in Valorant. And so, let's learn all the essential information about it!
If you are interested in climbing ranks and getting into Radiant, you must know Vandal like the back of your hand, period. In this article, you will find the essential information about the weapon that will help you better understand the operation of this weapon. Without further ado, let's dive right into the topic!
Vandal: Damage & Statistics
To begin with, let's look at all the statistics that come with Vandal:
General
| Stat | Value |
| Cost | 2900 Credits |
| Fire Mode | Fully Automatic |
| Magazine Size | 25 bullets |
| Range | 50 meters |
| Fire Rate | 9.75 |
| Wall Penetration | Medium |
Damage
| Body Part | Damage |
| Head | 160 |
| Chest | 40 |
| Legs | 34 |
So, as you can see, a headshot will always kill your enemy, no matter if they have Heavy Shields equipped or not.
Vandal: Weapon Recoil
Vandal's spray pattern is a classic AK-47 pattern we know from Counter-Strike; it's that "mirrored 7". At first, the pattern goes up, and then shifts to the left:
As with all spray patterns, to control it, you have to mirror it – meaning that you have to move your mouse down and then to the right.
Vandal: Spraying vs. Tapping
Whether you should spray or go for one-taps with Vandal depends on the situation you find yourself in and especially on your positioning. Vandal's spray is pretty chaotic on its own, so in long-range encounters, one-tapping will often be just better.
And in close-range encounters, we would typically consider bursting instead of spraying. If you haven't killed your opponent in a first couple of shots, your go-to play will often be to stop the spray, counter strafe and then burst again. Again, this spray can go super random sometimes, so depending on it will usually not be a good idea.
Vandal: When To Buy
Even though Vandal is considered to be the strongest weapon in the game, you shouldn't just buy it every time you have Credits for it; it is a bit more complicated.
For example, you will often have Credits for it after a pistol round, even with the Shields. In theory, buying it can give you a significant advantage against the enemy team that doesn't have the Credits. However, in practice, if you lose that round, you risk being super behind economically for the next two rounds.
Plus, you should definitely always buy Vandal with Shields. If you can't buy vandal + Shields in one round, it just means that you should go for a cheaper setup for this particular round.
More Valorant Content: