VALORANT Guide 2023- Best Cypher Pearl Setups

Our latest Valorant guide includes the best Cypher Pearl setups to help improve your game

With a mere 18% pick rate in the ongoing VCT Master Tokyo, Cypher may not be the most sought-after choice among professional players. However, he can be a real trouble to deal with in regular ranked games. The Moroccan Spy is a defensive expert with the ability to transform any site into an impregnable fortress.

Cypher or Agent 5 has been present since the game’s release and may appear relatively straightforward to use. However, if you strive to unlock his complete potential, that is when it gets tricky. His toolkit includes two trapwires, two cages, and a spy cam, all of which serve multiple purposes, whether it's fortifying sites or maintaining flank surveillance. While securing cheeky kills with the nerdy trap-cage setups is fun, Cypher's value extends far beyond that.

Learning all the lineups to place your Spy tools can be quite a hassle on your own. Thus, celebrating the Pearl map's first anniversary, we present to you the definitive guide to the best Cypher setups on Pearl to outplay your opponent.

What are the best defensive Cypher Setups on Pearl?

Cypher may not be an agent suitable for every map, but there are certain ones where he excels at. Take, for instance, the Pearl map, characterized by its numerous angles across each area, including the two bomb sites. In such maps, Cypher's toolkit is the most effective. Whether utilizing the camera to gather crucial information in the expansive mid area or lock down the sites with the trapwires, a well-executed setup will undeniably contribute to the team's success.

Here are some setups for Pearl A-site

A site

Among all the sites in Valorant, Pearl's A site stands out as one of the most compact and confined, making it an ideal location for Cypher's trapwires.

Setup #1

Firstly, you generally would want a trapwire at the site's entrance as it serves multiple purposes. In addition to providing valuable information on any attempts to breach the site, by coordinating the tripwire with a cage, potential rushes can be swiftly shut down. It is crucial to position the second trapwire within the site, as depicted in the image above. Once the enemy infiltrates the site to plant the spike, unless they are shift-walking, the likelihood of them noticing this hidden trap is minimal. Capitalizing on this element of surprise, any enemy caught in it becomes an easy target for elimination.

For this setup, you should position yourself in the Dugout area. From there, play off of your trip-cage setup, as it allows you direct vision to both trapwires. You can even wall-bang the revealed opponent spamming from there.

Setup #2

In the event that your opponent team becomes familiar with your initial trap-cage setup and successfully neutralizes it before attempting to breach the site using utilities, you can make slight changes to the setup. One effective alteration, as demonstrated in the provided image, involves repositioning the trapwire to the cubby area. This adjustment is particularly effective since it is a common location for the enemy team to position themselves. Again, playing from the dugout, you can get an easy spam kill.

Cam Setup

As for the spy cam on A site, place it on this wall with Agents' graffiti at A-link. From here, you can monitor potential enemy movement around both A-main and the Art-area.

B site

None of the sites across all Valorant maps have faced as much abuse and exploitation as the B site on Pearl. It reached such an extent that Riot Games was compelled to implement changes to address the imbalance. Unsurprisingly, these changes, intended to bolster the site's defense, played into the hands of Cypher mains.

Same as A site, put a trapwire at the entrance for info gathering. Put the other tripwire near the default plant area, as depicted in the provided image. To execute this setup effectively, you have the flexibility to choose between playing from B-link or B-back. From your chosen position, deploy a cage in front of you and activate it promptly once the tripwire reveals the enemy. This use of the cage allows you to swing wide without being directly visible to the opponent, significantly reducing the risk of getting traded.

Cam Setup

If the opponent constantly rushes B site, you will need both trapwires to hold off-site. However, that leaves the B-link area wide open to lurks. Getting shot in the back by a lurker and losing an otherwise won round is arguably the most tilting part of Valorant. To stop it, place your spy cam here. In addition to showing you anyone trying to lurk his way in through double doors, you can watch part of B-long with it.

Mid

If you are the sole sentinel on your team, relying solely on heavy site setups can backfire on you. It would not be long before the opponent begins exploiting the Mid-area of the map. With its numerous angles and entrances, Pearl can be challenging to defend effectively once the enemy starts playing for picks and gains crucial map control. In that scenario, you need to set up your utilities accordingly. 

Place the spy cam in the Art area, as depicted in the provided image. With this Cam, you can defend A-site while simultaneously having complete visibility over the Art area.

This setup involving trapwires and cages in both the Art and Double Doors areas can be implemented for a more aggressive approach. In the Art area, position the tripwire at the bottom of the stairs and drop a cage on it. Similarly, place a tripwire in the Double Doors, as shown in the provided image, and position yourself in mid connector close to the doors. This strategic arrangement allows you to engage the enemy and secure easy kills actively.

For more guides, previews, news, and other content on Valorant, visit us here on ESTNN.