Games
Don't get caught in a... bind... with this Valorant map
If you want to get good at Valorant, you have to do your homework. Valorant is a mix of both Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch, pairing heroes with deep map knowledge and marksmanship. It's not enough just to know your hero or to have the ability to click heads. To win in Valorant, you'll need all three. Read, digest and prepare to win more games.
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General
Bind is possibly the most open map on Valorant, so you’ll need to be acutely aware of how to manage the spaces if you want to be a success. Other maps have much clearer vantage points, blind spots and areas to attack, while Bind is more about understanding the routes which spread across the map. It also has the most interesting gimmick - the teleporters - which are explained a little further down. Because of the more open nature of this map, it leans harder into the abilities of your hero than to the raw gunplay. You’ll still need to be a good shot, but there’s a lot more room for you to take advantage of each hero’s unique abilities too. Cypher is a good choice to use the Spycam on the teleporters, as well as Sage’s Barrier Orb to block the teleporter exits. Someone like Jett to Cloudburst the open spaces won’t go amiss either.
Gimmick
Bind’s big gimmick is the dual teleporters, which can help you get around the map much faster. Be warned, they may be either guarded or blocked; at the same time though, they’re an effective way to quickly get the drop on your opponent, if you can use them to your advantage.
The first teleporter is at the south side of Spike Site A (assuming the defenders spawn point is north), and cuts through the - empty - middle part of the map. It’s basically like walking through walls and is most effective if you’re approaching Spike Site A and suddenly need to switch to B - to defuse or defend a recently planted Spike, for example. It’s useful, but it feels less like a teleporter and more like a one way corridor. The second teleporter though, is located halfway up the west of the map just below Spike Site B and teleports you all the way to the south east corner, near the attacking spawn point. It feels like it’s hauling you away from the action, but if you’re fast enough, you can use this long teleporter, rush to the other teleporter and come out back at Spike Site B from another angle. It can also give you a chance to clear out opponents stranded in the middle of the map. It’s risky, and only really works when the opposing team has their numbers depleted, but if you can keep your wits about you it can totally disorient even the best of your enemies.
Spike Site A
A Tower is absolutely crucial to Spike Site A. For the defending team, having someone here is an absolute must. The only reason to not have someone stationed here is if all the action is happening at Spike Site B. Even then, if you have the numbers, it might be worth hanging fire, especially with the teleporters in play. A Tower, known in the fanbase as ‘Heaven’, gives you a vantage point to both of the attacking routes into Spike Site A: A Bath (aka ‘Showers’) and A Short. If you can guard off these passages, Spike Site A will not fall.
That doesn’t mean it’s game over for the attackers though. If you’re approaching from A Short as a defender, you might want to keep going and hit A Lamps, or even try to sneak right the way around and clear out A Tower itself. If you hit Spike Site A in numbers, you might be able to reach the central cover before A Tower can take you out, but again, it’s risky.
The other option is A Bath, which should definitely not be hit in numbers. While A Short and A Lamps have decent corner cover while remaining spacious, A Bath is a bottlenecked corridor. As well as the threat of A Tower, a well placed defender with a powerful ability at the top of A Bath can clean out your team if you get trapped there.
Spike Site B is the clear go to for attackers on Bind, but because of that, there’s likely an abundance of defenders at B too. A remains an effective target if the defenders are too fixated on B; it’s up to you if it’s worth that gamble.
Spike Site B
Spike Site B is one of the most interesting locations in all of Valorant. There are a lot of defensive vantage points, but too many for a five person team to reasonably hold; especially when they should also be committing players to guarding Spike Site A and have the two teleporters to contend with.
The den just off the exit of the short teleporter, known as ‘Hookah’, is a great spot for eliminating any attackers emerging from said teleporter. Because it’s close enough to the Spike Site itself however, any defenders there might be drawn into a fire fight in the arena; this means anyone emerging from the teleporter can get the drop on them and take them out fast. While the short teleporter isn’t particularly inspired, it often leads to close quarters combat and exciting gameplay.
As for the other teleporter, you’ll want to control B Long; this goes for either attackers or defenders. Approaching from the attacking side, you have straight shot up the corridor and will want a mid to long range gun, ideally. As for defending it, holing up in the garden and trying to exploit the corner at the end of B Long provides cover and a decent vantage point.
Once the attackers push past the Garden, they can either head straight for Spike Site B or continue on around the elbow and into B Hall. This makes the Elbow another key defensive stronghold, as it offers some sight lines to the teleporter but also gives you a shot at Spike Site B and anyone emerging from B Window after clearing out defenders at Hookah.
Spike Site B is easier to attack, all things considered, as you get far more options. Learning how to defend them can wipe out the offensive advantage however. With teleporters in play though, the real key to taking Bind is knowing when to switch targets and being able to do it quickly and effectively. Listening out for the sounds of the teleporter hum is a good indication that the other team are changing their tactics on the fly.
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