Fade’s all-seeing eye will reveal and mark your enemies’ location on Pearl.
Sova fans were probably worried when Fade entered the VALORANT roster in Patch 4.08. The fan-favorite Russian recon specialist received a few nerfs that ultimately pulled down his ability to land deadly double shock darts and reduced his Owl Drone’s energy capacity, effectively helping Fade shine just a bit more as the premiere Initiator Agent for Episode 4.
However, both Agents share fairly similar popularity among the community in Episode 6, with Sova edging out Fade with a 24.0% pick rate. In comparison, Fade trails behind with a 20.3% pick rate, according to Valorbuff. Despite this, both Agents share a similar win rate of 47.7% and 47.8% for Sova and Fade, respectively.
Whichever of the two Initiator Agents you go for on Pearl, having a few staples and reliable lineups will help immensely with your team’s retake efforts on the underwater map. Since we’ve already covered Sova Lineups on Pearl, we turn towards Fade this time and learn a few valuable lineups for retake situations on Pearl.
Fade Retake Lineups on Pearl A-site
At the start of the round on A-site Pearl, the Defending team will have control of the A-Art area and the A-site. The Attacking team will want to Attack both lanes to secure their A-site take and deny the Defending team rotational lanes toward A-site.
You can expect most of the Attacking team to take the A-Main route toward A-site and then populate A-site and A-Main on post-plant.
As a Defender playing Fade, you must save your Haunt ability for retake situations. Haunt is one of the most powerful recon abilities in the game that can spot, tag, and track enemies it spots upon landing, making it perfect for retake recon duty on Pearl.
A-Main Fade Haunt Retake Lineup
- Stand along the edge of this wall in A-Link:
2. Aim for the bottom right corner of this brick on the wall:
3. JUMPTHROW Fade’s Haunt while standing:
When done correctly, Fade’s Haunt should land on top of one of the roofs in A-Main. This lineup should clear A-Main, including the popular hiding spot in the small cubby in A-Main.
A-site Fade Haunt Retake Lineup
- Align yourself with this small pillar in Defender Side Spawn:
2. Place the rightmost tip of the right HUD line on this line on the wall:
3. Run forward, then JUMPTHROW Fade’s Haunt:
When done correctly, Fade’s Haunt should land on the A-Flowers roof. This lineup should reveal almost all A-site, including A-Dugout, A-Default. and A-Main.
Fade Retake Lineups on Pearl B-site
B-site Pearl is arguably more difficult to attack than A-site due to the long and predictable sightline the Attacking team has to pass through to get to B-site (B-Long). The Defending team should have the edge when Defending B-site on Pearl.
Unfortunately, all it takes is one cracked Jett and a few competitive Controllers, such as Brimstone or Viper, to completely shut down B-site on Pearl. Your team will have no choice but to play retake in these situations.
As Fade, it is your job to scout enemies with Haunt and drive them away using your Prowlers on the retake.
B-Long/B-site Fade Haunt Retake Lineup
- Stand in this corner in B-Short:
2. Aim for this corner of the roof:
3. Run forward, then JUMPTHROW Fade’s Haunt:
When done correctly, Fade’s Haunt will land on top of B-Pillar:
This lineup should reveal enemies hiding around B-Long and some of B-site.
B-Long/B-site Alternate Retake Lineup
- Stand in this corner in B-Link:
2. Place the upper right corner of the Haunt mouse indicator on the right corner of the roof:
3. Run forward, then quickly JUMPTHROW Fade’s Haunt:
When done correctly, Fade’s Haunt will land on top of the roof:
This lineup should reveal players around B-Long and B-site on a retake.
Time for the Haunt
Fade’s Haunt is arguably more valuable than any other Initiator’s scan abilities, thanks to its ability to mark and track enemy players revealed by the eye. Haunt will be useful in retaking situations where your team has to clear as many corners as possible to regain control of the bomb site.
Knowing a few useful lineups will help maximize your Haunt placement to reveal as many corners and spaces around the map as possible on a retake. Check out the lineups featured above to make retakes on Pearl a bit more manageable.
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