Vandal vs Phantom: the best rifle in Valorant, pros and cons
There is a large variety of rifles in Valorant, and each one has its own speciality. Vandal and Phantom are the most discussed meta weapons: we must use the right one based on our skills and needs.
Phantom overview
Comparable to the M4A1-S in CSGO, the Phantom is the most expensive rifle in Valorant, matching the price of the Vandal.
The Phantom boasts the highest rate of fire among rifles, and it is the most effective at ranges from 0 to 15 meters. It represents the bridge between Rifles and SMGs.
Pros:
Largest magazine out of all rifles.
Fastest rate of fire out of all rifles.
One-tap between 0-15 meters.
Easy to control spray pattern.
Good in CQC and ranged conflicts.
Cons:
Anything outside of 15 meters requires two head shots to kill.
Poor eco value.
Medium wall penetration.
ADS reduces spread, and reduces rate of fire dramatically - hip fire whenever possible.
Vandal overview
Comparable to the AK-47 in CSGO, the Vandal boasts large magazine size, one-tap potential at any range, and more effective time to kill versus the Phantom between 30-50 meters.
The Vandal’s rate of fire is much lower than the Phantom, causing more difficult encounters when faced in CQC.
Pros:
One-tap potential at any range.
Second fastest rate of fire among rifles.
Cons:
Difficult CQC encounters.
Poor eco value.
Medium wall penetration.
Difficult recoil pattern to master.
ADS with the Vandal causes slight spread reduction and slower rate of fire.
Vandal vs Phantom
The debate between the Vandal and the Phantom is ongoing, and most likely it will last for the entire life of Valorant, such as Counter Strike’s M4 versus AK-47 one.
However, there are a few stats that can help you determine which one you would like to master, and which one you should use for your character and play style.
The chart below, created by Reddit user MisterEskere_, show the average “Time to Kill” (TTK) with Vandal and Phantom.
The Phantom is a shorter ranged, accurate, speedy weapon that favors aggressive play, but fails to deliver at long distances as often as the Vandal does.
In the 0-15 meter category, the Phantom has a faster TTK at all amounts of HP. This shows us that in CQC the Phantom will beat out the Vandal every time by equally skilled players with equally strong accuracy.
In the 15-30 meter category, the Vandal squeaks by as the faster TTK on all armored targets, but still loses to the Phantom against unarmored ones.
In a more likely scenario, this means that if your ally has broken the enemy’s armor, whether or not they heal back up with Sage or Phoenix, the Phantom is the most optimal weapon. This makes the Phantom the superior gun when retaking a site, against most opponents.
In the 30-50 meter category, the Vandal has a faster TTK on all armored targets once again, especially with the ability to one-tap at any distance. However, the Phantom still maintains its top spot against damaged and unarmored targets.
When to use Vandal or Phantom
If you like to play slowly using Sage or Cypher, or to get right in the enemy’s face or hold tight angles with Phoenix or Breach, you will probably find the most success with the Phantom.
However, if you have high aim and accuracy, and you are confident in your abilities, you should prefer the Vandal because of its one-tap potential. It doesn’t matter if you can kill a full armored enemy at 50 meters in 0.45 seconds if you simply get one-tapped in 0.00 seconds.
I believe it is best to choose your favorite, and stick with it, learning its recoil pattern and getting used to how long it generally takes to kill. Also, keep in mind your positioning: If you are holding long angles, you might want to purchase the Vandal instead of the Phantom.
It’s also worth it to note that the Phantom’s recoil is easier to manage, so those who don’t have good accuracy may find it easier to kill enemies at longer distances, even with the longer average TTK.
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Credit to Drowsy Boar who provided the information for this article.
