Wondering how to use the Ares in Valorant, and whether or not it’s a good gun worth buying? Here’s a everything you need to know about the now-controversial LMG.
While Agent abilities can help you rise to the top of the ranked leaderboard in Riot Games hit FPS, Valorant, you can only get so far without decent gunplay.
If you’re struggling to hit your shots with the Operator, however, or are falling victim to the tricky recoils associated with the Phantom or Vandal, you may feel the urge to throw caution to the wind and pick up the Ares, one of Valorant’s heavy weapons.
Before you do, however, be sure to check out how to use the Ares with this handy guide, as well as a rundown of whether or not it’s good this time around.
Contents
- What is the Ares in Valorant?
- Is the Ares a good gun in Valorant?
- Ares damage stats
- How to use the Ares
What is the Ares?
The weapon is one of two heavies in Valorant, the other being its much more expensive counterpart, the Odin. Thankfully, though, you won’t have to break the bank in order to unlock the Ares and its destructive potential.
Since it’s one of the two primary weapons in the game that are meant to spam bullets, what you lose in accuracy you make up for in a cheap, full-force offensive weapon that can devastate a disorganized team.
Is the Ares a good gun in Valorant?
Following patch 4.0 and the arrival of Episode 4, Act 1, the Ares is one of Valorant’s best guns. Having removed the spin up so that the gun fires almost immediately, it has a deadly fire rate of 13 rounds per second instead of the original 10.
Considering its decent price point at 1,550 credits, this fearsome weapon can mow down enemies in the early game.
Ares damage stats
- Magazine capacity: 50
- Wall Penetration: High
- Fire rate: 13 round/sec
| Location | Damage at 0-30m | Damage at 30 – 50m |
| Head | 72 | 67 |
| Torso | 30 | 28 |
| Legs | 25 | 23 |
Spray pattern
Being a weapon that relies more on its rate of fire than pure marksmanship, aiming down sights isn’t really necessary with the Ares. While it does provide a hint more accuracy when ADSing, this generally goes unnoticed beyond 15 meters.
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In the video below you can see the Ares’ fire pattern, which sways back and forth from left to right as you empty the clip. This happens whether you’re shooting from the hip or aiming down the sights, so if you do open it up and go full auto, be sure to keep a steady hand and pull down slightly on your mouse as you fire to counter the recoil.
How to use the Ares in Valorant
When to buy the Ares
At only 1,550 credits, the humble Ares is what we call a ‘transition weapon,’ meaning it can be purchased as a follow-up to pistol rounds before teams have the opportunity to full-buy. Don’t be shy to buy into it, but also recognize the consequences of losing that round.
The machine gun can handle itself just fine during Attacking rounds, but it’s on Defense that the weapon really shines. Its wall penetration paired with the scouting ability of Agents like Sova makes it possible to hold doorways and key choke points without ever putting yourself directly in the enemy line of fire.
Ares tactics
You’ll usually find yourself choosing between the Spectre and the Ares, since both weapons will set you back around the same amount (1,600 for the Spectre, 1,550 for the Ares), and are both good alternatives when your team is on a half-buy round or worse.
It’s definitely no Operator, but the Ares does actually have a longer effective range than the Spectre. Plus the weapon’s fifty-round magazine will let you have a chance to survive in case multiple opponents come out from a corner.
Don’t be shy to pre-fire walls if you know the enemy team has been favoring the same spots around the map. Use the first magazine and a half to see if you get a couple of wall-bangs, but don’t get careless either.
So that’s everything you need to know about the Ares in Valorant! Looking to dominate Future Earth? Check out our other Valorant guides:
What is the Night.Market? | How to get Gun Buddies | What is Econ Rating? | How to get free loot drops | Is Valorant on Mac? | How many people play Valorant? | When is Valorant on Mobile coming out?