Valorant Harbor: Abilities & Playstyle [Our Top Picks]

On October 18, 2022, in Act 3 of Episode 5, Valorant finally decided to launch Harbor, the second new controller agent, after two years. Since Harbor is a controller, all of his abilities are related to blocking vision. Valorant agents like Brimstone, Omen, and Astra can only block vision. 

Harbor In Valorant

A new controller in Valorant was long awaited. Due to nerfs on Astra, her pick rate dropped substantially. Moreover, Valorant has been coming up with maps that cover a substantial amount of area. Therefore, a controller agent like Brimstone was useless on his own. Moreover, players were having issues with Viper’s wall, especially when they were on the defending side.

Once Viper players place a wall, they cannot get it back again. So, if they used the wall on A site but the enemies went to B site, then the wall was a complete waste. On the other hand, Omen, with only two smokes in hand, has trouble when there are more than two entries.

To overcome all these shortfalls, Valorant has finally released Varun Batra, having the code name Harbor. His abilities are entirely different from the controllers who came before him. Consider him as a water bender coming from India, ready to provide teams with a new meta.

Abilities Of Harbor

Abilities	Cred	Windup	Duration	Debuff
Cascade	150.0	N/A	7 second	30% Slow
Cove	350.0	0.8 second	15 second	N/A
High Tide	Free	2 second	15 second	30% Slow
Reckoning	N/A	N/A	9 second	2 second Concuss

Viper can induce decay in anyone who passes her wall or orb. Apart from that, Harbor has a totally different method of blocking vision, and there is a feature attached to each ability of that.

1. Cascade (C Ability): Harbor’s Cascade ability deploys a tall wave of water that can be sent forward. Pressing the C key activates this ability. The Cascade wall can extend up to forty meters, and its range is visible on the map, allowing for precise placement. Pressing the ability key again stops the wall’s movement. The cost of using Cascade is 150 Credits.

   

2. Cove (Q Ability): Cove is Harbor’s smoke ability, creating a bulletproof vision blocker. It lasts for fifteen seconds and can provide cover for strategic positioning. However, enemies can shoot down the Cove, and abilities can pass through it. The Cove ability costs 350 Credits.

   

3. High Tide (Signature Ability): High Tide deploys a long wall that can be curved by adjusting the direction of the mouse. The wall blocks vision and slows down enemies who pass through it for up to two seconds. It can be rotated 360 degrees, making it versatile for strategic placement. High Tide is Harbor’s signature ability and does not cost any Credits.

   

4. Reckoning (Ultimate Ability): Reckoning is Harbor’s ultimate ability, which creates a circular range that moves forward upon activation, covering more area. Enemies within the range are marked with golden lightning from the sky and are concussed after a short delay. This ability reveals enemy positions and disrupts their movement, making it effective for site control. However, getting too close to enemies within the ultimate’s range will also stun Harbor. Reckoning requires seven ultimate points to activate.

   

Playstyle Of Harbor

There is no doubt that Harbor will change the perception people have of controllers. Harbor has the ability to block many openings at one time. The play style of Harbor will differ depending on the side he is playing on.

For the attacking side, he needs to make as much room as possible for his teammates to plant the spike. For the defending side, he will need to push away the enemies by blocking as much view as possible. He will also delay their push due to the slow effect his Cascade and High Tide abilities have.

Attacking Playstyle

1. Utilize High Tide for Map Control: On larger maps like Pearl and Fracture, use High Tide to create obstacles for the enemy team. Bend the wall strategically to minimize enemy sightlines and make it difficult for them to peek or retreat.
2. Support Spike Planting with Cove: Use Cove to provide cover for spike planters, allowing them to plant the spike in open areas without fear of being exposed. This ensures better post-plant positioning for your team and makes it easier to defend the spike.
3. Advance with Cascade: Cascade can be used to push forward and provide cover for your team. Use it to block enemy sightlines or create opportunities for aggressive pushes.
4. Coordinate Ultimate for Entry: Coordinate with your team to use Reckoning as an entry tool. The ultimate provides valuable information on enemy positions and stuns them, allowing duelists to capitalize on the opportunity and secure kills.

Defending Playstyle

1. Control Mid with High Tide: Use High Tide to control mid and block off site entries for the attackers. Coordinate with teammates to create a strong defense and slow down enemy pushes.
2. Delay Enemy Pushes with Cascade: Similar to the attacking side, Cascade can be used to slow down enemy pushes and disrupt their momentum. Place it strategically to block off choke points and force enemies to reposition.
3. Secure Spike with Cove: Place Cove on the spike during post-plant situations to provide cover for defusers. Coordinate with teammates to ensure total safety and prevent enemies from breaking the Cove.
4. Strategic Ultimate Usage: Use Reckoning strategically during retakes to force enemies to fall back. Coordinate with teammates to cover tight corners and maximize the utility of the ultimate, making it difficult for enemies to survive.

Final Words

Since the release of Valorant back in 2020, they have released a variety of agents apart from the original ten. Until now, they released three duelists, two sentinels, three initiators, and only one controller. 

All in all, if you are a controller player in Valorant, then we recommend you unlock Harbor as soon as possible. Not only will he be more fun in the game, but you can also take advantage of enemies’ lack of understanding. The fastest way to get XP In Valorant is the best way to unlock Harbor in the game.

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