VALORANT's Warden explained for 2026: Master this agent with our comprehensive guide

For many years, buying a rifle in Valorant meant having to pick between the Phantom and the Vandal, and most players had already chosen a side long before they hit ranked. Well, Patch 13.06 just added a third option.

Riot dropped the Warden on September 22, and it's the same 2,900 credit price point as the other two rifles. But this one has a 2x scope and body damage that doesn't fall off with distance. It's built for long-range duels that Phantom and Vandal can't match, which makes the choice between the three much more complicated now.

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Valorant's Warden adds 2x zoom for 2,900 credits

Riot designed this rifle around a job that neither the Phantom nor the Vandal was built for.

50 body damage at every range with an 18-round magazine

You're looking at 6.5 rounds per second with an 18-round magazine, 36 reserve rounds, a 2.5-second reload, and medium wall penetration. It has 50 damage to the body at every range, 200 to the head and 42 to the legs. Those numbers make it the highest-body-damage automatic rifle in the game by a pretty comfortable margin.

Three body shots kill a 150-health target

Three unobstructed body shots will land right on the threshold for a 150-health kill, and a single headshot is lethal at any distance because of the 200 damage that exceeds any health pool.

Warden vs Vandal

Most players probably check the headshot comparison first when comparing the Warden vs. Vandal.

Both rifles kill a 150-health target with one headshot

The Vandal already kills with an unobstructed headshot at any range thanks to its 160 head damage, so the Warden's 200 doesn't exactly create an extra advantage against 150-health. Both of the rifles drop you with a single headshot anyway on the map too.

Body-shot kills take around 0.31 seconds with either rifle

But the Warden pulls ahead because of its body damage, with 50 per hit vs. the Vandal's 40, so three body shots will kill instead of four. That sounds like a pretty big advantage until you consider the firing rate, because the Vandal cycles at 9.75 rounds per second compared to the Warden's 6.5. When you calculate the time from first hit to lethal hit against 150 health, both rifles take around 0.31 seconds, so bigger damage per bullet doesn't necessarily translate into faster kills.

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Warden vs Phantom

The Phantom's advantages over the Vandal and the Warden come down to close-quarters and low-visibility fights.

Close-range fights and smoke sprays still belong to the Phantom

Riot's match data found a close-range advantage for the Phantom over the Vandal. And that still applies to the Warden too, with a higher firing rate, tracerless shots through smoke, and a larger magazine. They all reward aggressive plays that the Warden's 18-round magazine and slower fire rate actively punish.

Phantom headshot damage drops to 140 beyond 20m

Phantom's current damage sits at 39 body and 156 head within 20m, but that drops to 35 body and 140 head beyond that range after patch 9.10 extended the higher damage zone from 15m. A Phantom headshot within 20m is still lethal against 150-health, but past that distance, the 140-damage headshot needs a follow-up hit, which is where the Warden's consistent long-range damage starts looking like a better option.

Favor the Warden in planned long-range duels

When you should pick this rifle comes down to the duel you're about to take.

The two-time scope helps hold long sightlines

If you're sitting on a long, predictable sightline, you'll get the most out of the magnified scope and range-consistent damage. Those kinds of situations come up on maps like Breeze and Lotus.

The 18-round magazine leaves less room for missed shots

That slower fire rate and 18-round magazine mean missed shots are expensive and close-range fights are extremely painful to watch on Valorant betting sites.

Three rifles now compete for your 2,900 credits

The Warden certainly hasn't replaced the Phantom or the Vandal, but it's now turned a two-rifle buying decision into a three-way competition. Click one of the banners on this page to see the Warden in action on one of our recommended betting sites.

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