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How to lock down the map with Cypher in Valorant
Keep eyes on the enemy with Cypher, one of Valorant’s best sentinels.
Don’t you hate it when you rotate too early in a round and the enemy ends up planting the site you just left? Don’t worry since there is a fix for that, it just requires you to play Cypher, which, despite some nerfs, is still one of the best and most unique heroes in Valorant. Specializing in locking down sites by himself with a mix of traps, smokes, and his trusty spycam. This former bank robber is a great addition to any team and, despite lacking the same punch on offense, is a game changer on defense.
Trapwire (C ability)
A deployable trap which will tether any enemies within range if they don’t destroy it first. Place it high enough that an enemy can’t jump over it, and low enough that they can’t crouch under it. Head height while you are crouched is a good frame of reference to help with placement. Try to find spots the enemy might not notice right away but, keep in mind, some will be map specific, like outside of Hookah on Bind. There are a myriad of uneven surfaces you can place trapwire on that will catch the enemy off guard.
While caught in the Trapwire, the enemy is highlighted. This pairs with Cypher’s Cyber Cage, which obscures the enemy’s line of sight. Placing a cage on the trapwire to activate when someone is caught almost guarantees a pick off. Enemies can shoot it if they’re quick but, when they turn to focus on the Trapwire’s origin, you can take the chance to peek and catch them off guard. If they don’t shoot it, they are stunned and you should always try to get value out of that opportunity.
It seems mostly like a defensive skill, but don’t discredit Trapwire on offense. You can use it to prevent flankers from coming up behind you via routes no one is covering and you can lock down a bomb site after you have planted, making the enemy’s entry that much tougher.
Cyber Cage (Q ability)
Cypher deploys a cage that obscures vision similar to a smoke. It can be set before or during a round. It could be used to help push, obscure a site once you have taken it, or to give you just enough cover to rotate out of danger. Detonating on command, either in your line of sight or by using your Spycam, it can cause the enemy team to hesitate on defense and even obscure your Trapwires and other allies' snares.
What makes Cyber Cage so useful on offense, is how it also dampens sound while you are inside the cage. This lets you run, jump or change your pace without giving away any information to the other team. The main drawback to Cyber Cage is that it has no top. Anyone viewing your push from a higher vantage will be able to see you and your team pushing through.. There’s a lot of utility to be found and you will continue to find new spots and new situations to deploy cyber cages to your advantage.
Spycam (E ability)
Fire this remote operated camera onto a targeted service, and greatly expand your vision. Place it in high spots to get a long line of sight and hold sites your team isn’t looking at to see if the opposing squad is pushing or just peeking out of the bomb site. Remember to take the camera down though. The cooldown is long enough that you probably won’t get a second charge in the same round. On top of sending a dart that will highlight the tagged enemy, it will be indispensable in giving you data on the enemy team.
On defense, its use is self explanatory, and on offense you can use it in almost the same way. Check long corridors and try and discern which point is safe to push. It can also cover your back similar to your trapwire. The true value in spycam comes from the fact that you will always have an eye on site and, even if they shoot it down, you will at least know the enemy is probably pushing where your camera used to be. Remember to catch any one in your camera with a tracking dart which will give away their location until they either remove the dart or it runs out.
While the tracking dart is useful, sometimes your camera going unnoticed will be better for you. While it’s no tracking dart, you can call out exact positions for a site retake or to push a position the enemy thought was safe.
Ultimate: Neural Theft
For the price of your hat, Cypher starts an uplink that reveals all enemies left in the match. It will only be for a moment but it will show every enemy in their last known position. It’s as useful on offense as it is on defense, and can turn the tide when you are down in numbers. Valorant is a game about who has the most information and what they choose to do with it. That’s why Cypher is so strong and his ultimate is a must use at the earliest opportunity.
The more you can give your team this sort of information, the better. It can change the round, not only by showing where the bad guys are, but by showing where they aren’t. If a team is stacked on A and you see that with your neural theft, then you should probably plant on B. Just make sure you aren’t in danger when you deploy his ultimate. Otherwise, it’s hard to find a wrong way to use it.
Buy Strategies
On offense, don’t worry so much about stocking up your Trapwires in the early rounds. They will only be useful after planting or to cover your six from flankers. They are the most expensive ability and have far more value on defense. Focus on getting a Ghost and your Cyber Cage early, since the two will cost you the same as one of your tripwires. It’s a good trade off.
On defense, you can vary your buy slightly. A Trapwire on any round of defense is extremely useful and can give you a huge advantage in your 1 v 1. You can still afford one Cyber Cage while buying the Trapwire early, which is just as useful on defense as offense. It never hurts going into a round with at least one of each of your abilities.
Map Strategies
The best part about Cypher’s kit comes into play on defense. With a combination of his Trapwire, Cyber Cage and Spycam, he can hold a point nearly by himself. Leaving the rest of your team to overload the other point. Even if they push onto the point where you are, as Cypher you can lock down the point and stall long enough for your team to back you up. You will have to focus on defense rounds to get all of your traps in position before a round starts but after that, it's smooth sailing. Here are some locations where you will want to stay.
Haven C side is where Cypher can shut down a push easily. With only C long as a direct approach, and usually with someone covering for you in garage, you can use a combination of Trapwires and your camera to keep an eye on the site, even if you aren't there to defend it anymore. Look for elevated spots that give you more options to place your camera. The right spot can give you sight on c long and anyone pushing out of garage.
Cypher can be used in A and B but is strongest on C, or sites with less entry points. On A you can use his camera to peek A long or set it up near heaven so you can combo enemy entry fraggers with a well-timed tracking dart or Trapwire to give away their location.
Ascent is another two site map, whose main difference from other maps is its large middle area for either A or B pushes. B is Cypher's stronger side, with the only direct push being through a narrow garage. Combined with smokes and Trapwires, Cypher can push and set up a camera inside to get quick intel on the enemy.
They can also use traps farther onto the site if they're solo holding and need to wait for their team to rotate. There are plenty of spots on A to hold as well, like A long, with a tough peek for either team and a very interesting mid approach. You would have to hold this down with a teammate, compared to if you chose B instead.
Split is a narrow map with two bomb sites. With its verticality and contested middle point, you can often find yourself as Cypher holding down a point solo. On B, go for the aggressive cam in garage to know instantly if they are pushing B. You can also put it on the middle point in B heaven, for an angle into both B and mid, or place it on the pillar you play around on B.
Middle gives you fairly limited options, unless you don't mind getting your camera destroyed after firing off a tracking dart, but you can try and find a high line of sight outside of the vents to keep your Spycam out of trouble. A gives you the most options but is also a lot tougher for Cypher to hold by himself. Put cameras in the back of site A with a view of the lobby, or in rafters A, above heaven and out of sight.
Bind B will be your best bet. By jumping atop some crates, you can plant a camera with sight on B long or the window to Hookah (giving full view of the bomb site). Trapwires have great utility when put diagonally through the Hookah window.This will suspend the entrapped enemy until they destroy it, making them an easy target.
With the ability to check B long easily, this is one of Cypher's strongest points. Cyber Cage, when properly placed, obscures you and your traps will often catch the first players through a choke if they aren't careful. Depending on how good you are at placing traps, it won’t matter even if they are careful.
On Icebox, Cypher works better on site over mid, though new spots are still being revealed about the new map. You can hold an aggressive angle that looks toward spawn at the risk of your camera getting destroyed. The crates around B site can also give you an angle on the enemy without giving away your position.
You will only be able to see them once they funnel onto the B site, however. A site has far more angles for Cypher to look with his camera, thanks to small corridors as entry points. A camera facing towards your spawn could catch enemies as they make their initial push onto point. Still a new map in the rotation, always look for new spots because what has currently been discovered, likely just scratches the surface of what’s possible.
