Thanks to its manual activation trigger, Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenades are possibly the most unique molly ability in VALORANT. This characteristic makes it valuable as a post-plant deterrent and serves as a trap for enemies rushing into Killjoy’s site. The manual trigger gives Killjoy an option to activate the Nanoswarm Grenades from anywhere on the map.
Since Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenade is still very much a projectile ability in VALORANT, the grenade shells can easily be thrown and lined up to land at specific spots on the map. Think of how Viper or Sova can play post-plant using their projectile ability (Sova) and projectile molly (Viper) to defend the bomb.
Today, we look at another way of using Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenades; Grenade Lineups for Post-plant. This will serve as an alternative post-plant molly for post-plant situations in Ascent. Let’s get it on!
Genius German Sentinel: Killjoy
Killjoy belongs to the Sentinel-class of Agents. As such, her abilities allow her to lock down bombsites entirely on her own. Allies can rely on the German Prodigy to stall or even stop an enemy team’s push on her own to buy her teammates enough time to rotate over to her bombsite.
Killjoy uses her superior knowledge and skill to employ robots and gadgets to fight on her behalf. Her skill set consists of nanobots, an alarm bot, and a sentry bot she can set up to give her the best chance at holding down a bombsite. Her ultimate ability allows her to cover a large enough area to cover entire bombsites, giving Killjoy the ability to detain anyone caught in her ultimate.
In the VALORANT lore, Killjoy is known to have a father-daughter relationship with Brimstone. While neither character is related by blood, Brimstone still sees fit to guide Killjoy.
Killjoy is in-charge of almost all of the non-Sentinel VALORANT Agents’ tech. She oversees repairs and tech innovation for every Agent. Taking some of the Agents’ voice lines into context, Killjoy seems to be a natural-born tactician, using data she gathers from engagements as inspiration for her next inventions and strategies.
Killjoy Nanoswarm
Killjoy’s Nanoswarm is a molly-type ability that deals quick damage over time to a large radius. Killjoy’s Nanoswarm ability can be equipped at the beginning of each round for just 200 credits each and a maximum of two charges.
What sets Killjoy’s molly ability apart from other molly-type abilities like Phoenix’s Hot Hands, Viper’s Snake Bite, and KAY/O’s FRAG/MENT is Killjoy’s ability to place the grenades before the start of the round and activate them at any time within the same round. After placing the Nanoswarm Grenades, they will become completely invisible until enemy players stand next to them.
Among the other molly-type abilities present in VALORANT, Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenade is the only molly ability in VALORANT that does not activate upon landing. However, a slight caveat is that KJ’s Nanoswarm Grenades shells can be destroyed when damaged with guns or abilities. Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenades also emit a subtle buzzing noise when enemy players stand close enough to the Nanoswarm Grenades.
Nanoswarm Lineups versus Setups
Humans are adaptive creatures; we assimilate and extrapolate information fairly quickly. Patterns are pretty easy to figure out for us intelligent creatures.
Many abilities in VALORANT require players to “set up” or place Abilities in strategic areas to give their team the competitive edge. Enemies can shoot to destroy most of these abilities in VALORANT. However, because the most effective “setups” in VALORANT try to use space as efficiently as possible, these abilities are often placed in specific spots around the map. After a round or so, the enemy team will most likely figure out where an Agent such as Killjoy is placing her traps and abilities around the map.
Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenade gives her the freedom to either plant the grenades in specific spots around the map or line up the grenades to land on specific spots on the map. Therefore, it is important to have variations upon variations of setups and lineups in VALORANT. Mix up planting and lining up Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenade for post-plant play in any match to keep your opponents guessing.
Ascent A-site Generator Post-plant Nanoswarm Lineup
The spot just in front of the Generator in Ascent A-site is one of the most common planting spots for Ascent A-site. Upon site entry, the priority is usually to have the Spike planted for post-plant so that you and your team can reposition to safer locations before the Defenders can rotate.
The generator offers the safest and quickest Spike plant spot because the angle is not immediately visible from any player at the rafters.
- Look for the double Radianite box at A-Lobby:
2. Stand in the corner between the double Radianite boxes and the wall:
3. Look for the rift in the Sky. Keep your crosshair aligned vertically with the tip of the rift, and place your crosshair in the space between the two clouds:
4. Left-click-throw the Nanoswarm Grenade:
When done correctly, the Nanoswarm Grenade should land just in front of the Generator. Activate the Nanoswarm Grenade immediately after it lands to stop anyone from defusing the Spike.
Ascent A-site Post-plant Dices Nanoswarm Lineup
Dices/Double Box is another common Spike plant spot in Ascent A-site. This spot gives Attackers an easy post-plant vision of the Spike. The spot is also very smoke friendly in the sense that even if the enemies decide to smoke off the A-site entrance, your team can ping the Spike location and spam a bunch of ammo towards the Spike’s area.
Killjoy can easily line up a Nanoswarm Grenade that lands conveniently around the Dices/Double Box area from the safety of A-Lobby, though.
If you or your teammate decide to plant the Spike at Dices/Double Box, use this lineup to stop the Defenders from defusing the Spike at the Double Box area and hopefully score an easy kill on the unsuspecting defuser.
- Stand in the same corner in A-Lobby as the previous Nanoswarm Lineup:
2. Place your crosshair on the rightmost tip of the rift in the sky:
3. Left-click-throw the Nanoswarm Grenade:
When done correctly, the Nanoswarm Grenade should land just in front of Dices/Double box in A-site:
Ascent B-site Default Post-plant Nanoswarm Lineup
B-site’s Default Spike plant spot is the triple boxes in the middle of B-site. This spot in B-site offers the best cover from enemies when quickly planting the spike in Ascent B-site.
As a Killjoy player, you might not even have to enter B-site yourself, as you can line up her Nanoswarm Grenades from B-Lobby to land on B-site Default. As a bonus, holding from B-Lobby can help you stop any flanker coming from Ascent Middle.
This lineup will be thrown from B-Lobby, which means you will have to ask one of your teammates to plant at Default if you plan on using this lineup.
- Stand in this corner at B-Lobby:
2. Look for the rift in the sky:
3. Place your crosshair on the tip of the second spike from the right:
4. Left-click-throw the Nanoswarm Grenade:
When done properly, the Nanoswarm Grenade should land on B-site Default:
Ascent B-site Chiuso Nanoswarm Post-plant Lineup
Chiuso is an underrated Spike plant spot in Ascent B-site. The double boxes covering Chiuso from Spawn and Stairs are wall bang-able, which can catch unsuspecting defusers off guard. The Switch area is surrounded by a fairly thin wall, which means players can potentially wall bang Chiuso from Switch. When done properly, the Nanoswarm Grenade should land on B-site Default:
A Chiuso plant also blocks any vision of anyone from Stairs, thanks to the awkward angle. Attackers can jump out of the double boxes and catch the defuser off guard.
However, since Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenades are the stars of this show, here is a post-plant Nanoswarm Lineup to help defend a Chiuso plant.
- Stand in this corner at B-Lobby:
2. Place your crosshair on the tip of the second spike in the rift from the right:
3. Jump-throw the Nanoswarm Grenade:
When done correctly, the Nanoswarm Grenade should land just close enough to cover Chiuso.
Lineups Are All The Rage
Molotov abilities in VALORANT are potent. In CSGO, players can quickly extinguish a Molotov fire by throwing a smoke grenade towards the fire. In VALORANT, molly abilities will last for their entire duration and cannot be stopped short by any Agent Ability or utility. This makes molly abilities in VALORANT overpowered and, when used properly, can almost guarantee a free round.
Post-plant molly lineups such as Viper’s Snake Bite are extremely useful for post-plant play. When timed properly, these abilities will leave the enemy team hopeless as they will be left with almost no time left to defuse the bomb.
Killjoy’s Nanoswarm Grenade can be used in pretty much the same way as any other molly ability in VALORANT. Killjoy’s Nanoswarm’s greatest asset is its remote activation. However, when the situation calls for it, Killjoy can skillfully throw her Nanoswarm Grenades to land on an area around the planted Spike and suck the enemy team dry of any hope of defusing the Spike.
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