It’s been months since Clove was added to VALORANT, but some players believe this addition has ruined the game.
Back when Clove joined VALORANT in Patch 8.05, players were hyped for a more aggressive controller agent with ways to heal themselves and come back to life. The immortal agent quickly became a popular pick that is often instalocked, but other players have grown frustrated, saying, “Clove being added to VALORANT has done irreparable damage to the quality of ranked games.”
Similarly, players in an Aug. 9 Reddit thread discussed the issues with Clove and how they can be easily resolved. As pointed out by the original poster, Clove is recognized as the worst agent for their role as controller with the shortest smoke duration. Sure, they’re great for fragging and they have the unique ability to place down smokes even after they die, but they can’t control as much space as Viper or Harbor walls, for example. Plus, Clove just feels more limited than Omen, Astra, and Brimstone. And yet, tons of players will still lock in them instead of other controllers, which often puts your team at a disadvantage.
On top of having the worst smokes among controllers, it’s not uncommon to encounter Clove players who don’t know how to use their smokes effectively. This could be because they don’t usually play other controller agents, or they’re too busy chasing down kills with the more aggressive abilities in their kit. In other words, Clove often ends up being a more selfish pick rather than a team player, and it can feel like your team has no reliable smokes to work with.
Now, these frustrations are valid, but it’s not entirely Clove’s fault. In fact, some players are calling it more of a skill issue than an agent issue. Many suggest having a second controller on your team if someone locks in the immortal agent. In this way, you don’t have to fully rely on Clove’s subpar smokes.
Better yet, if you feel confident in your smoking capabilities, take matters into your own hands and lock in smokes first or be that additional controller for your team. After all, you can’t always assume your teammates will be willing to fill if they aren’t comfortable with certain agents or roles. That’s why I often end up filling with Omen, Viper, or Brimstone to ensure my team has decent smokes. And if I intentionally avoid playing controller, I can’t really complain about what my Clove does.
