Support play is a crucial part of any tac-FPS esport, especially VALORANT, given the importance of strong fundamentals and the impact that utility has on the way the game is played at a high level. This article will give an indication of what proper support play looks like from a numbers perspective and just how impactful it can be (and therefore why it is so easy for you duelist players to look good). It will do so by breaking down four key areas in which supportive play can be measured: number of assists; the amount of utility used in supportive ways by teams, KAST percentages of players playing supportive roles and the impact of their deaths. By analysing these four areas using the data available, it is possible to draw conclusions about what good support play looks like and how much of an impact it can have.
(All data taken from playoffs at Stage 1 Masters 2022.)
<aside> 📚 “No one is bigger than the team and individual brilliance does not automatically lead to outstanding results.” - James Kerr (’Legacy’)
</aside>
<aside> 📚 “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” - Phil Jackson
</aside>
As a result of all of those numbers and words, it is clear that there are many factors that constitute effective support play and this project does not claim to present an exhaustive list of them. However, there are a few things we can learn from this: