There are many weapons in VALORANT, the tactical first-person shooter made by Riot Games. In order to become a master of the game, it's pivotal that you learn to master the weapons in it. That's why we've made a series of weapon guides for VALORANT weapons discussing the weapon cost, the weapon damage, and controlling the weapon's recoil. In this guide, we'll be talking about the Sheriff pistol.

Cost

Of the sidearms, the Sheriff is by far the most expensive weapon. It costs a total of 800 credits, which is your entire starting salary at the start of an attacking or defending half in VALORANT. For just 200 credits more you already could purchase the Stinger, an SMG. The Sheriff is not a weapon you can mindlessly buy when you're low on money: you're making a real investment.

Damage

So what are you investing in, by buying the Sheriff? Damage. The Sheriff is a pack of dynamite in the shape of a revolver. Its prime characteristic is that it has the potential to take out any opponent with a headshot—even an enemy at full health with an intact Heavy Shield dies of the impact. The Sheriff rewards pinpoint precise aim. Past a thirty meter range it does just too little damage to take them out with one shot, but any slightly damaged opponent will bite the dust.

In the table below, you can see the damage done by the Sheriff at various ranges in VALORANT:

The Sheriff deals more damage than any of the other sidearms do with a single bullet. Its damage falloff is also the lowest, but there are a few tradeoffs the weapon makes. Its fire rate is incredibly slow: it can fire four rounds per second. With only six bullets in its chamber you have to make sure you hit the target, or suffer the consequence of a painfully long reload time.

Recoil

Another tradeoff the Sheriff makes is its accuracy. At close range, you can justify spamming rapid fire with the Sheriff—it'll reliably hit the target and deal lethal damage. However, starting at twenty meters already, the recoil becomes noticeable. Like all recoil in VALORANT, the Sheriff starts to drag upwards, with the bullets spreading across an increasingly wider range.

It can't be stressed enough: the Sheriff rewards precision. It's a gun meant for those who can swiftly and decisively land a shot on their opponent's head. If you find yourself in a situation where the opponent is further away than twenty meters, attempting to kill them by spamming bullets isn't a good strategy. Instead, quickly dive back around a corner, allow the Sheriff to reset the crosshair, and swing out to take another shot.

To summarize:

If you're confident in your aim and think it's better than any of the abilities your agent could purchase, buy the Sheriff. It's an extremely rewarding sidearm for those who know what they're doing in a shooter game. There are few things as satisfying in VALORANT as removing an opponent from the game with one tap of the Sheriff. It may take some practice, but it definitely pays off.

VALORANT weapon guides:

For more VALORANT content including guides, patch notes, and news, check out our dedicated VALORANT section!

Images via Riot Games