Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Phantom and Vandal are bound to divide opinions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dot Esports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg?resize=768,432\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"432\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Jeroheath\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DotEsports\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jerome Heath\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5\"},\"headline\":\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\"},\"wordCount\":514,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Hide From Homepage\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Valorant\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\",\"name\":\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":864,\"caption\":\"Image via Riot Games\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Dot Esports\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5\",\"name\":\"Jerome Heath\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/53ce4bca1247d5efac93f7ce0ff19dec\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"caption\":\"Jerome Heath\"},\"description\":\"Jerome has been in and around the gaming industry for the last eight years, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jeroheath\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/jeromeheath\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","description":"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","og_description":"The Phantom and Vandal are bound to divide opinions.","og_url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","og_site_name":"Dot Esports","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","article_published_time":"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":432,"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg?resize=768,432","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Jeroheath","twitter_site":"@DotEsports","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant"},"author":{"name":"Jerome Heath","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5"},"headline":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","datePublished":"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant"},"wordCount":514,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","keywords":["Hide From Homepage"],"articleSection":["Valorant"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","name":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00","description":"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","width":1536,"height":864,"caption":"Image via Riot Games"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","name":"Dot Esports","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization","name":"Dot Esports","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"Dot Esports"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5","name":"Jerome Heath","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/53ce4bca1247d5efac93f7ce0ff19dec","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","caption":"Jerome Heath"},"description":"Jerome has been in and around the gaming industry for the last eight years, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/Jeroheath"],"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/jeromeheath"}]}},"raw_content":"Picture this scenario in VALORANT: You load into the buy phase with just the right amount of creds for heavy armor, a couple of abilities, and, most importantly, a rifle. But which gun do you choose: Phantom or Vandal? The decision between the two has been a divisive talking point since the game was released in 2020, with players on both sides rigorously defending their preferred rifle. The Vandal fans love it for the insta-kill headshot damage and long-range viability, while the Phantom lovers enjoy the recoil and spray stability. Related: VALORANT players agree on which Vandal and Phantom skins \u2018feel\u2019 the best But which rifle is truly the best? Decide for yourself. Here's how the two guns stack up against each other. Phantom vs. Vandal: Stats, pros, and cons According to Riot, the Vandal is the more commonly used rifle between the two, used in over 70 percent of full buy rounds across players in both competitive and pro play. But the Phantom delivers more kills on average at shorter ranges (up to 20 meters) compared to the Vandal, while the Vandal delivers more kills at long range (20 meters and up). Phantom Phantom stats Cost: 2,900 Fire mode: Fully automatic Head damage: 156, 140, 124 Body damage: 39, 35, 31 Leg damage: 33, 29, 26 Range: 15\/30\/50 meters Magazine size: 30 Fire rate: 11 Penetration: Medium Phantom pros Faster fire rate Thrives in close to medium range encounters Controllable spray Larger magazine Suppressed fire No bullet tracers Better spray transfer Phantom cons Damage falls off at 15 to 30m mark Damage reduced again at 30 to 50m range Headshot not an instant kill at 15+ meters Vandal Vandal stats Cost: 2,900 Fire mode: Fully automatic Head damage: 160 Body damage: 40 Leg damage: 34 Range: 50 meters Magazine size: 25 Fire rate: 9.75 Penetration: Medium Vandal pros Better damage range with no damage falloff at longer ranges One-shot, one-kill headshots up to 50m mark Perfect for tapping Vandal cons Slow fire rate Erratic spray More difficult to control Smaller magazine Unsuppressed Worse spray transfer Is the Phantom or Vandal better? Image via Riot Games If not accounting for personal preference, neither the Phantom nor Vandal is overall better than the other, but each is certainly more preferable in certain situations. For longer-range encounters and for players with pinpoint headshot accuracy, the Vandal is the superior option. While the spray control and transfer control of a Vandal are less superior than the Phantom, these aren't as important when it comes to long-range head taps. Related: TenZ explains why he thinks Phantom is better than Vandal in VALORANT But for close encounters and smoke sprays, the Phantom is the more viable choice. The Phantom's fast fire rate and five extra bullets add up to a great deal of damage. The Phantom's lack of bullet tracers also gives it an advantage. It easily wins out when spraying through smokes or when running and gunning. It's also better for spray transfers. Even after those frustrating 140 damage headshots, Phantom users still win those duels 78 percent of the time, according to Riot.","apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245063"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1720"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245063"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":866441,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245063\/revisions\/866441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/633402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"invoiceable_action","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/invoiceable_action?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"internal-label","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-label?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=245063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Phantom and Vandal are bound to divide opinions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dot Esports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg?resize=768,432\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"432\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Jeroheath\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@DotEsports\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jerome Heath\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5\"},\"headline\":\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\"},\"wordCount\":514,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Hide From Homepage\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Valorant\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\",\"name\":\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00\",\"description\":\"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":864,\"caption\":\"Image via Riot Games\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dot Esports\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Dot Esports\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5\",\"name\":\"Jerome Heath\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/53ce4bca1247d5efac93f7ce0ff19dec\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96\",\"caption\":\"Jerome Heath\"},\"description\":\"Jerome has been in and around the gaming industry for the last eight years, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jeroheath\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/jeromeheath\"}]}<\/script>\n","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","description":"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","og_description":"The Phantom and Vandal are bound to divide opinions.","og_url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","og_site_name":"Dot Esports","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","article_published_time":"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":432,"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg?resize=768,432","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Jeroheath","twitter_site":"@DotEsports","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jerome Heath, Scott Robertson","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant"},"author":{"name":"Jerome Heath","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5"},"headline":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","datePublished":"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant"},"wordCount":514,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","keywords":["Hide From Homepage"],"articleSection":["Valorant"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","name":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","datePublished":"2023-05-15T18:44:40+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-15T19:17:35+00:00","description":"Here's how the two rifles stack up against each other.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","width":1536,"height":864,"caption":"Image via Riot Games"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","name":"Dot Esports","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#organization","name":"Dot Esports","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/05103313\/logo-dot_esports-mark-black.png","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"Dot Esports"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DOTesports\/","https:\/\/x.com\/DotEsports","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dotesports\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCckaIn-3KqLYfppkj4DeTAw"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa482614f154566fd05291e03d7039b5","name":"Jerome Heath","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/53ce4bca1247d5efac93f7ce0ff19dec","url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/6MLfk7pD_400x400-96x96.jpg?resize=96%2C96","caption":"Jerome Heath"},"description":"Jerome has been in and around the gaming industry for the last eight years, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/Jeroheath"],"url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/author\/jeromeheath"}]}},"raw_content":"Picture this scenario in VALORANT: You load into the buy phase with just the right amount of creds for heavy armor, a couple of abilities, and, most importantly, a rifle. But which gun do you choose: Phantom or Vandal? The decision between the two has been a divisive talking point since the game was released in 2020, with players on both sides rigorously defending their preferred rifle. The Vandal fans love it for the insta-kill headshot damage and long-range viability, while the Phantom lovers enjoy the recoil and spray stability. Related: VALORANT players agree on which Vandal and Phantom skins \u2018feel\u2019 the best But which rifle is truly the best? Decide for yourself. Here's how the two guns stack up against each other. Phantom vs. Vandal: Stats, pros, and cons According to Riot, the Vandal is the more commonly used rifle between the two, used in over 70 percent of full buy rounds across players in both competitive and pro play. But the Phantom delivers more kills on average at shorter ranges (up to 20 meters) compared to the Vandal, while the Vandal delivers more kills at long range (20 meters and up). Phantom Phantom stats Cost: 2,900 Fire mode: Fully automatic Head damage: 156, 140, 124 Body damage: 39, 35, 31 Leg damage: 33, 29, 26 Range: 15\/30\/50 meters Magazine size: 30 Fire rate: 11 Penetration: Medium Phantom pros Faster fire rate Thrives in close to medium range encounters Controllable spray Larger magazine Suppressed fire No bullet tracers Better spray transfer Phantom cons Damage falls off at 15 to 30m mark Damage reduced again at 30 to 50m range Headshot not an instant kill at 15+ meters Vandal Vandal stats Cost: 2,900 Fire mode: Fully automatic Head damage: 160 Body damage: 40 Leg damage: 34 Range: 50 meters Magazine size: 25 Fire rate: 9.75 Penetration: Medium Vandal pros Better damage range with no damage falloff at longer ranges One-shot, one-kill headshots up to 50m mark Perfect for tapping Vandal cons Slow fire rate Erratic spray More difficult to control Smaller magazine Unsuppressed Worse spray transfer Is the Phantom or Vandal better? Image via Riot Games If not accounting for personal preference, neither the Phantom nor Vandal is overall better than the other, but each is certainly more preferable in certain situations. For longer-range encounters and for players with pinpoint headshot accuracy, the Vandal is the superior option. While the spray control and transfer control of a Vandal are less superior than the Phantom, these aren't as important when it comes to long-range head taps. Related: TenZ explains why he thinks Phantom is better than Vandal in VALORANT But for close encounters and smoke sprays, the Phantom is the more viable choice. The Phantom's fast fire rate and five extra bullets add up to a great deal of damage. The Phantom's lack of bullet tracers also gives it an advantage. It easily wins out when spraying through smokes or when running and gunning. It's also better for spray transfers. Even after those frustrating 140 damage headshots, Phantom users still win those duels 78 percent of the time, according to Riot.","apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/13021313\/valorant.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245063"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1720"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245063"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":866441,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245063\/revisions\/866441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/633402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"invoiceable_action","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/invoiceable_action?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"internal-label","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-label?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=245063"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=245063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Rokurou

{"id":245063,"date":"2023-05-15T13:44:40","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T18:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/?p=245063"},"modified":"2023-05-15T14:17:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T19:17:35","slug":"phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dotesports.com\/valorant\/news\/phantom-vs-vandal-whats-the-best-rifle-in-valorant","title":{"rendered":"Phantom vs. Vandal: Which is the best rifle in VALORANT?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture this scenario in VALORANT<\/em>: You load into the buy phase with just the right amount of creds for heavy armor, a couple of abilities, and, most importantly, a rifle. But which gun do you choose: Phantom or Vandal?<\/p>

The decision between the two has been a divisive talking point since the game was released in 2020, with players on both sides rigorously defending their preferred rifle. The Vandal fans love it for the insta-kill headshot damage and long-range viability, while the Phantom lovers enjoy the recoil and spray stability.<\/p>

But which rifle is truly the best? Decide for yourself. Here’s how the two guns stack up against each other.<\/p>