Blocking Enemy Sightlines: Top Controllers for Icebox

Icebox, despite only having two sites, is renowned as one of Valorant’s largest maps. However, many of the approaches to these sites leave players vulnerable to enemy attacks unless they can find effective ways to block them. This is where controller agents come into play. Choosing the optimal controllers on Icebox is crucial to ensure your team can safely advance towards the sites and execute successful retakes.

In order to navigate the challenges posed by the Operator and the multiple elevations on Icebox, it is essential to select the right controller agent.

In this comprehensive guide by VPEsports, we will explore the top controller agents who excel at dominating the map, strategically dividing its areas, and obstructing enemy lines of sight.

Masterful Controllers on Icebox: Severing Enemies’ Line of Sight

Viper

When it comes to Icebox, Viper reigns supreme as the most sought-after controller agent, and her popularity is well-deserved. Her kit is perfectly suited for this map, offering a range of abilities that provide exceptional control. With a replenishing toxin reserve, two of her four abilities are fueled by her unique resource.

Toxic Screen, her first ability, creates an immovable wall that can be placed once per round. Enemies passing through this screen suffer from decay, which gradually wears off over time. Viper can manipulate the wall’s placement, raising and lowering it as needed based on her toxin reserves.

Her second ability, Poison Orb, unleashes a decaying effect on enemies similar to the Toxic Screen. However, the versatility of this ability shines as it can be retrieved and reused within the same round. This flexibility allows Viper to strategically cross angles or employ it during post-plant situations.

Snakebite, her third ability, deploys a damaging molly that not only inflicts harm but also leaves enemies vulnerable. When combined with other utilities like Sova’s shock darts or Killjoy’s nano swarms, it becomes a lethal combination for flushing out opponents hiding in corners.

These abilities are also invaluable for post-plant scenarios, offering precise lineups. When combined with the decay effect from the Poison Orb, defusing the spike becomes an insurmountable challenge.

Viper’s ultimate ability, Viper’s Pit, blankets a substantial area with a dense cloud of poisonous gas. This ultimate hampers enemy vision and relentlessly decays their health, reducing them to a mere 1 HP. Whether used defensively to lock down a site or offensively to make retakes arduous, Viper’s Pit is a game-changer on Icebox.

Omen

Although Viper remains the favored controller on Icebox, Omen also offers his own distinct advantages. His abilities enable him to exploit the map’s verticality effectively.

Dark Cover, Omen’s default ability, provides him with two smokes, with the second smoke requiring a purchase at the round’s outset. These smokes create hollow areas that offer strategic opportunities for play. They recharge over time and can even be deployed as one-way smokes.

Omen’s second ability, Shadowed Step, grants him a short-range teleport that can be used twice per round. This allows Omen to teleport to elevated positions such as the rafters on A site, the mid tube, or the top of Yellow on B. It’s this unique mobility that sets Omen apart from characters like Brimstone or Astra.

Paranoia, Omen’s third ability, releases a blinding flash that also distorts sound for affected players. It covers a significant area, capable of blinding multiple enemies simultaneously.

Finally, Omen’s ultimate ability, From the Shadows, offers unparalleled map control. It allows Omen to teleport to any point on the map. However, it is most commonly used to retrieve the spike when it’s dropped among enemy forces.

While Viper may hold the spotlight as the primary controller on Icebox, Omen’s distinctive skill set and strategic prowess make him an invaluable asset when navigating the challenges of the map.

Harbor

Harbor, the second controller agent, possesses a distinctive ability that sets him apart from Viper, Omen, or Astra. While he may not be as widely utilized on the map, he certainly brings his own strengths, particularly when teamed up with Viper or Omen.

His primary ability, High Tide, summons a water wall that can be directed along desired paths. Unlike Viper’s solid wall or Omen’s smokes, this aqueous barrier does not obstruct bullets or utility but hinders vision. It also offers the advantage of customizable shaping, allowing for more flexibility compared to Viper’s linear wall.

Cascade, Harbor’s secondary ability, deploys a directional wall that travels in a straight line and can be halted at any desired location. Similar to High Tide, Cascade does not impede bullets or utility. Players can purchase two Cascade walls per round, providing tactical versatility.

Cove, another invaluable tool in Harbor’s arsenal, creates a protective sphere that can absorb a set number of bullets before shattering. This proves particularly useful during spike planting or defusing. However, it does not safeguard against utility, so caution must be exercised when facing coordinated attacks.

Lastly, Harbor’s ultimate ability, Reckoning, unleashes disruptive power, capable of assaulting sites, disrupting retakes, and denying enemy advances. By summoning a geyser pool on the ground, successive geyser strikes target and disorient enemy players within the ultimate’s coverage area.

While Harbor may not always steal the spotlight among controllers, his aquatic arsenal provides a unique and formidable approach to combat, making him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.