In Valorant there is a new insider tip among the weapons used in anti-eco rounds and save rounds. The Ares machine gun is currently very popular among professionals. Find out here why the Ares is so great when money is tight.
What is special about the Ares? In the Beta of Valorant, heavy weapons are quite useful, even the “smaller” machine gun Ares. The weapon showed its full potential in the T1 Valorant Invitational tournament on April 16, 2020. There, the pros used the MG excellently in rounds where they had to save or play in an anti-eco round. These are rounds where the opponent buys nothing or very little, so you have an advantage with a little more investment.
Previously, the SMG Spectre or the small assault rifle Bulldog were the favorites in such rounds. But here you will learn why the Ares is the better choice for cost-conscious players in both cases.
The Ares also has its firm place in our Valorant tier list:
The Ares – Top weapon for little money
The stats of the Ares: Here are the characteristics of the Ares at a glance:
| Cost: | 1,700 |
| Magazine: | 50 |
| Wall Penetration: | High |
| Rate of Fire: | 10 – 13 shots/second |
| Damage 0 – 30 meters (Body/Head/Leg): | 30/72/25 |
| Damage 30 – 50 meters (Body/Head/Leg): | 28/67/23 |
| Primary Fire Mode: | Fully Automatic |
| Secondary Fire Mode: | Zoom Mode |
What makes the Ares special? The Ares is a lightweight MG with a large magazine, high rate of fire, and decent damage. The weapon is solidly average in its category.
The Ares fires quickly and penetrates walls well. However, its damage is somewhat weak. You cannot perform instant fatal headshots, and at distances starting from 30 meters, the damage decreases further.
You definitely need at least 4 body shots to kill an unarmored opponent. 2 headshots kill unprotected and lightly armored opponents, and with 3 headshots, any opponent is down.
What to watch out for: The deviation pattern (spray pattern) of the Ares is quite wild. The weapon sprays its bullets in a chaotic pattern when you fire from the hip. The shots escalate further upward and spread out more.
However, when you aim in the alternative fire mode, the pattern becomes much tighter. It works even better if you kneel, which may not be feasible in every situation. But if you aim properly, the Ares should perform well at medium and even long distances.
Keep in mind: The longer you shoot with the Ares – and the thick 50-round magazine encourages this – the less accurate and wilder your spray becomes. So, shoot in small bursts of about 5 rounds. This way, you can also take down heavily armored opponents with body shots. If the opponent is relatively close or comes as a horde, then feel free to unload!
Why the Ares is superior to other cheap weapons: Comparing the Ares to the two other affordable top weapons, the Spectre and the Bulldog, you quickly see the advantages of the MG:
- The Ares has more ammunition with 50 shots than the competition – Bulldog (24 shots) and Spectre (30 shots)
- The Ares fires faster. It can shoot up to 13 shots per second, while the Bulldog maxes out at 9.15. The Spectre has about the same rate of fire.
- The Ares does somewhat less damage than the Bulldog, but more than the Spectre. Together with the higher rate of fire, the Ares is overall superior here unless you are hitting many headshots with the Bulldog.
- The Ares has high wall penetration, while the competition can only penetrate through medium walls at maximum. Opponents in cover have a problem against the Ares.
With its price of only 1,700 credits, the Ares is much cheaper than the Bulldog at 2,100 credits and only 100 credits more expensive than the Spectre. So, if you want the ultimate value-for-money gun, you can confidently grab it when money is tight, but you still want a solid weapon from the shop.
However, once you have enough money again, you should ideally buy an assault rifle. These weapons are still the kings of the battlefield due to their usefulness and deadly headshots. Especially the Phantom and Vandal are the top choice here.
