VALORANT’s new patch 1.03 just went live with some bug fixes, UI improvements, a new Orb for the spike rush game mode, and a revamped Guardian with a reduced price tag.
Guardian was supposed to be a long-range one tap machine for players with a really good aim. However, with the asking price of 2700 credits, it was almost near the price of both Phantom and Vandal which easily outperformed the Guardian.
Furthermore, with its increased fire rate players were actually using it to fight at a pretty closer range than it was originally intended. With these factors paired with a high price range, it suffices to say that it was not a very popular choice for players.
New Guardian after patch 1.03:
- Price reduced from 2700 >>> 2500
- Rate of Fire reduced from 6.5 >>> 4.75
- Penetration power increased from Medium >>> Heavy
- Input queue updated from 0.083 >>> 0.1175
With the patch 1.03, Riot finally decided to unleash Guardian’s true potential by dropping the price from 2700 to 2500. Additionally, they also increased Guardian’s wall penetration values from medium to heavy. However, they decreased the fire rate from 6.5 to 4.75 so that it would be less effective at close-quarter battles.
The newly revamped guardian with heavy wall penetration and a lower price tag now makes it a more viable option than it was before. Consequently, you might encounter more tap guardian masters on the game than ever before.
Pro players at the high ELO have already started experimenting with having Guardians at early rounds with various degrees of success. While it is too early to tell how it will turn out in the long run, it is safe to assume that the price drop and increased wall penetration values have made it a good option for those ECO rounds.
