Valorant’s initiator and flash agent, KAYO, has a powerful kit of throwable utility that is extremely effective on both attack and defense for scouting enemy positions and slowing their advance. But to get the most out of him you’ll need to learn a few handy lineups. Here we’ve put together a guide running through the best KAYO Lineups on Ascent, which is one of his best maps.
Update 06/07/2022: This article has been updated with new and improved lineups that have been tested in Valorant ranked and scrims at Immortal+ elo.
Best Valorant KAYO Lineups on Ascent
Kayo Ascent Attack
As an Initiator Agent, KAYO’s primary role when attacking is to use his utility to prepare a site for entry.
His ability to scout areas using his knife, which also disables their own utility, is hugely powerful because it both gives away their positions and makes them much less effective at holding a site.
He is also able to use flashes to deny their line of site, and an AOE grenade (which will be referred to as a “molly” in this guide) to deny space. Let’s review some of the best strategies, shall we?
Note: Lineups are typically performed by lining up part of a utility symbol on a landmark. For some of the more tricky lineups, we have taken a screenshot Once deployed, keep looking at the mini-map on each video to note where it lands and why it is effective.
A Site Execute
Above you can see two very useful lineups that I typically use when setting up the A site for execute. The knife suppresses anybody in Tree, Garden, and on-site if they happen to be behind or close to the generator.
Speaking of the generator, directly after throwing the knife, pull out your molly and use the lineup there in combination with a jump throw (jump then throw immediately). Anybody hiding there will be toast.
The lineups are HUD lineups that are hopefully clear enough in the video. One requires you to touch the white hud line with the white paint on the steel box. The molly lineup requires you to put the arrow on a little red notch also on the steel box.
B Site Execute
Here are three lineups that you can use to prepare B site for an execute:
- The knife lineup is valuable for confirming whether an enemy is hiding back site, and it will obviously suppress anybody around that area as well.
- The molly is designed to stop any aggressive enemies from peeking out from market. It’s good in combination with a smoke.
- The pop flash is a tricky lineup but is more or less impossible to avoid for anybody watching B main from market, CT, or logs.
For a knife lineup that is faster landing and hits closer to stairs, simply stand in b main (more or less in the same position as in the video above) and aim at the tree which is visible through the window. Jump in the air and throw the knife.
Best Valorant KAY/O Lineups on Ascent
Kayo Ascent Defense
KAY/O’s knife is brilliant for scouting enemy positions, and since it recharges you generally want to throw one at the start of every round. That said, it is sometimes best to hold onto the knife and instead have it ready to slow a fast execute if you sense one is likely to occur.
Of course, KAY/O’s flashes can be used defensively or aggressively to stop enemy executes in their tracks, while the molly is good for buying time for your team to rotate or isolate a duelist who has entered the site from the rest of their team.
In my opinion, Kayo’s best position as a Defender is to hold from A site, and therefore my lineups are generally from this side of the map. Initiators such as Sova and Fade are better suited to holding B site, where their reveal abilities can be used to wallbang enemies.
A Knife Fast & Slow
These two Kayo knives are primarily for reconnaissance. The first is a fast lineup designed to catch enemies who are quickly pushing through A Lobby, while the second is slower and lands in a location where it is safe from being destroyed — it is best used to catch lurkers or enemies playing a slow default.
A Retake Molly
If you and your team have opted to play retake, or you’re just arriving late to A after the enemy is on-site, this molly is excellent for denying the plant. Simply line up the top of the knife symbol as shown in the video. You can also combine this with a knife if you have one, which will give you intel and remove enemy utility.
The lineup is easy enough; just approach the wall and line yourself up with the line as shown above, then aim at the right-hand side of the tree. For the second, tuck yourself into the corner, then align the right edge of the ultimate icon on the hud with the corner of the wall shown above.
B Main Knife From A
This knife is excellent for B reconnaissance, as well as suppressing enemies who are pushing B Lobby. If your team only has a single initiator then you may need to use this to provide information at the start of the round sometimes.
The lineup requires you to align the top of the knife icon with the section of the lamp that I have pinged in the video above. It takes around 4 seconds to land, so keep that in mind.
B Retake Mollies
The above molly is an anti-plant lineup that will kill anybody planting so long as you time it correctly. Line yourself up with the markings on the wall, then turn and aim at the steel structure on the wall above B site as demonstrated. You need to jump and throw for this lineup; it can be a little tricky because you should jump and then throw fairly methodically (as opposed to rapidly pressing the two buttons consecutively).
The above lineup is designed for retaking B site. As you can see, it lands backside and essentially stops anybody from peeking lane as your team retakes while also having the added benefit of causing damage.
Anti Killjoy Ultimate Mollies
The above video shows two very handy lineups to destroy Killjoy ultimates, one to destroy an ultimate used by an attacking enemy team on A Lobby, while the other destroys defending teams using an ult to retake A site.
Because these two lineups are so tricky, I’ve included two screenshots to help you pinpoint exactly what to lineup with.
That does it for Twinfinite’s Valorant guide compiling the best KAY/O lineups on Ascent. For more on the game, you can search the site or check out some of the suggestions below.
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