As an organization, TSM is synonymous with success in North American esports. And the early stages of VALORANT have been no different. The open tournament ecosystem of 2020 landed TSM several trophies, and a rivalry with Sentinels elevated the North American region.
While some aspects of TSM’s current lineup of VALORANT agents has changed from when they started, a lot of the core concepts remain the same.
Wardell on Jett
While the team has proven they are more than just “Wardell and friends,” there’s no denying that the dynamic duelist has been a massive part of their success. Per VLR.gg, his last 41 maps over the past three months have all been Jett.
In the month of February, Wardell posted an unreal Average Combat Score of 262, along with a K/D of 1.54 and a first kill/first death differential of +33. That impressive differential comes from his aggressive Operator play while getting in and out of angles using Jett’s dash ability.
Until Jett receives some serious nerfs, or until TSM as a team really start to struggle, don’t expect Wardell to be playing anything other than his go-to agent.
Hazed on Killjoy and Cutler on Sova/Skye
It would be too fitting if either of the old guys on TSM played Brimstone. But the long-time CS:GO veterans have played key support roles on the team’s VALORANT roster.
Previously the team’s Omen main, Hazed has handed off those duties to Subroza, and elected to take on the tech-based sentinel Killjoy. Killjoy first drew eyes from the competitive scene when she was utilized to great success by steel during 100T’s First Strike victory run. Given that Hazed is primarily a lurker, her utility allows Hazed to play passive and forces enemies to check every corner.
With Sova, Cutler can force enemies out of their hiding spots, affording his duelist teammates more confidence when they take or retake sites. Cutler also utilizes Skye on occasion, specifically on Bind. TSM don’t usually run Phoenix on Bind, so Skye’s precise blinding abilities fill an essential need when they play on that map.
Drone on Phoenix/Raze and Subroza on Omen
It’s no surprise Omen boasts such a high pick-rate across North American pros. His ability to smoke off essentially any spot and use teleportation to back-stab provides a ton of use to any composition. Subroza has thrived on Omen since taking his reins from Hazed, outfragging the duelists on several occasions.
Speaking of duelists, we finally come to the dual threat in Drone, who can rinse his opponents with either Phoenix or Raze. Most of the time, Drone runs Phoenix, and he is one of if not the most deadly Phoenix players in NA right now.
The most dangerous aspect of TSM’s agent picks is that they don’t even need both duelists to go off to win a map. But if they’re both cooking, it’s game over.
