LOADING VALMAUK
The original Controller and still the cleanest set-execute smoker in Valorant. Here is how Brimstone deploys his browser smokes, mollies, stim and Orbital Strike to lock a site down.
By Mauk HK
Brimstone is the agent that taught Valorant how to smoke. He has no mobility, no flash and no reveal. He is pure area denial delivered from a top-down tactical map, which makes him the most beginner-friendly Controller in the game and, on the right maps, one of the most powerful. If you can read a minimap you can place a Brimstone smoke, and because his clouds drop almost instantly he is the king of the set execute: call the smokes, throw a molly, and walk your team onto a site through a wall of grey.
| Ability | Key | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stim Beacon | C | 200 credits (as of the current patch) | INSTANTLY toss down a stim beacon. Upon landing, it creates a field that grants players a Combat Stim and a Speed Boost. |
| Incendiary | Q | 250 credits (as of the current patch) | EQUIP an incendiary grenade launcher. FIRE to launch a grenade that detonates as it comes to a rest on the floor, creating a lingering fire zone that damages players within the zone. |
| Sky Smoke | E | First charge free, extra charges ~100 credits each (as of the current patch) | EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to set locations where Brimstone smoke clouds will land. ALT FIRE to confirm, launching long-lasting smoke clouds that block vision in the selected area. |
| Orbital Strike | X | Ultimate, ~7-8 points (verify in-client for the current patch) | EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to launch a lingering orbital strike laser at the selected location, dealing high damage-over-time to players caught in the selected area. |
Brimstone wins rounds before the first bullet is fired. On attack, agree a default execute with your team and learn the exact map-cursor positions for it so all three smokes land where teammates expect. The instant deployment means you can smoke reactively too. If a duelist dry-peeks and dies, you can blanket the angle and let the team re-take control without losing tempo. The Incendiary is your stall and your post-plant: drop it on the plant or on a choke to deny a defuse for its full duration.
On defence, the smokes become delay tools. A single cloud in a choke buys your team time to rotate or stack, and the molly punishes a fast rush. Hold Stim Beacon for the moment you want to swing aggressively. The fire-rate and movement boost turns a re-peek into a real advantage. Save Orbital Strike for post-plant denial or to flush a stacked site; it is one of the highest-value clear-the-bombsite ultimates in the game.
"Brimstone does not ask the question; he answers it. You do not out-aim a perfectly timed molly on the defuse.
Brimstone tends to shine on maps with tight, well-defined choke points where his short-range smokes cover the whole entrance. Bind and Ascent are long-standing favourites, and he is comfortable anywhere a default execute is the plan. He struggles on large, open maps where a single set of smokes cannot stretch across the space. Treat any specific map call as patch-dependent and check the current competitive picks before locking him in.
Tip: bind your Sky Smoke placement to muscle memory by practising your team default in a custom game until you can confirm all three clouds without looking at the cursor. The faster you confirm, the less time you spend exposed on the tac-map.
Low. Brimstone is the recommended first Controller: the mechanics are forgiving and the value comes from communication and timing rather than aim or movement. The ceiling lies in smoke timing and Orbital Strike usage, not in execution.