Time and time again, it’s been proven that agent ability utilization is the key decider at the highest levels of VALORANT competition.
Although memorizing and mastering ability line-ups can often be seen as excessive by the common player, it’s impossible to deny that they can be the difference between winning games—and in G2 Esports’ Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan’s case, winning best-of-three series.
During a pivotal map three between G2 and Oxygen Esports in the lower bracket semifinal of the VALORANT NA Challengers Mid-Season Face-Off, Shahzam’s Ascent Sova dart line-ups sealed a massive thrifty round that ended up helping his team complete the 4-9 comeback and keep their tournament hopes alive.
On round 14, things were looking bleak for G2 with their Mid-Season Face-Off lives on the line. Not only did they already lose the first half 4-8, but they also dropped the second pistol round. In most instances, this is a surefire recipe for defeat. But despite G2 being down a player and only having Classics, a Shorty, and Sheriff in hand, ShahZaM still found a way to take over.
In a post-plant situation with the Spike planted at the generator on A, ShahZaM posts up patiently in A Wine. Meanwhile, Oxygen cuts off vision of the site from A Main, and split pushes out of heaven and tree.
G2 Maxim “wippie” Shepelev manages to shotgun two players during the initial retake, but promptly falls alone on site. As Oxygen goes to tap the Spike, G2 Michael “dapr” Gulino’s Killjoy Nanoswarm grenades deal a ton of extra chip damage on two of OXG’s previously unscathed retakers. Soon enough, dapr is picked off as well.
Throughout this chaos, ShahZaM prepped and launched his last-ditch two-bar, two-bounce effort. Right before getting shut down while peaking the Spike with a Classic, ShahZaM’s first Shock Bolt takes down two Oxygen players sitting on the defuse.
For added flair, with the Spike already too far gone to defuse, ShahZaM’s second shock dart takes out Oxygen’s final player.
“Oh, they win it!” Mid-Season Face-Off caster Ethan “Sully” Tran shouted. “There’s no way they win it! ShahZaM’s bounce shock dart line-up!”
After the thrifty clutch, G2 ended up stringing together five rounds in a row and winning three of the final five to take the map 13-11.
G2 then followed up that dramatic series win with another 2-1 decision over The Guard to advance to the Mid-Season Face-Off grand finals against M80.
