Phantom vs Vandal – Which is the Best VALORANT Rifle?

Introduction

---

If you’ve played VALORANT for more than a few hours, you’ve probably asked yourself the question: in the Phantom vs Vandal debate, which is best? They both cost 2,900 credits, and both can absolutely shred in the right hands. But they don’t feel the same. One rewards patience and pixel-perfect aim, while the other rewards spraying. Let’s dive into what makes these rifles different and, more importantly, which one might be your true partner in crime. 

Images in this article were taken from the Dawn of the Duelist Cinematic.

Phantom vs. Vandal: The Key Differences

---

If you’re not interested in a theoretical explanation, we’ll give you a quick overview of the differences between both rifles in a handy table:

	Vandal	Phantom
Fire Rate	9.75 RPS	11 RPS
Magazine	30	25
Spray control	Harder to control, punishes misses.	Smoother, easier to manage.
Damage	One-tap potential at all ranges.	One-tap up close, falls off after 15m.
Sound & tracers	Loud and flashy, you’ll give away your spot instantly.	Silenced shots, no visible tracers. Great for smoke spam.

The Phantom: Silent, Sneaky, Spray-and-Pray Friendly

---

Phantom is, in simple terms, forgiving in recoil but lacking in one-tap potential.

First, its fire rate. At 11 rounds per second, it’s faster than the Vandal, and it makes spraying actually viable. If your tracking isn’t godlike or you’re not hitting crispy one-taps every round, the Phantom has your back. It has less recoil, so spraying is easy and actually advised. The recoil also resets quickly, making it easy to switch from one enemy to another.

Then there’s the damage model, and that’s where the first trade-off becomes obvious: the Phantom can’t guarantee one-tap headshots past 15 meters. That’s a big downside. But if you’re playing close angles, spraying through smokes or vision-blockers, or playing off-angles, that doesn’t really matter. Then there’s also the fact that movement error is quite forgiving, and that spray transfers are quite easy.

This makes the Phantom a short-to-medium range beast, but it definitely isn’t the best weapon for long-distance engagements.

Aside from the hard damage and distance numbers, the biggest advantage of the Phantom is the suppressor. It does produces less noise for starters, but that’s not the key benefit; it’s the lack of bullet tracers. You can essentially spray a full magazine through a smoke, and the enemy won’t know where you are.

The Phantom also has a bigger magazine, with 30 rounds per magazine compared to the 25 in the Vandal. While that seems like a small difference, in a game like VALORANT, where you can die in 3-4 shots, 5 bullets make a lot of difference.

In short, the Phantom is faster, more consistent, and has more bullets. But it doesn’t one-tap enemies.

The Vandal: The AK-47 of VALORANT

---

The Vandal is the gun that you pick if you have crisp aim. The Vandal rewards good aim, but it can be punishing if you’re having a bad day.

The Vandal deals 160 damage to the head, which is an instant kill. There is technically a damage falloff range, but no map is big enough for the damage falloff to occur. That means you are guaranteed a one-tap kill most of the time.

But the Vandal can be unforgiving. Its fire rate is slower than the Phantom’s (9.75 rounds per second), which makes spraying less reliable. The recoil also feels harsher, so if your first few bullets miss or you mess up the movement, the Vandal pretty much goes out of control. In short, the Vandal is not suited for spraying; the best you can do is burst sprays of 4-5 shots.

Plus, it’s loud. No silencer here; when you shoot, everyone knows exactly where you are.

Still, the Vandal’s consistency with one-taps makes it perfect for players who thrive on accuracy, or for players who prefer to engage enemies at longer distances. It’s not a gun for everyone, but in the right hands, it’s terrifying.

What Should You pick?

---

Final answer? It depends on you. That’s actually the great part about VALORANT: both ‘main rifles’ are equal. Simply put, if you have good aim and are good with one-taps, then the Vandal is the best choice for you. Otherwise, the Phantom might be the better rifle.

There is another side too. The weapon choice also comes down to which side you are playing. It’s often said in VALORANT that “Vandal is for attack and Phantom for defense,” and it makes sense. Phantom is great at dealing with multiple enemies, which is what you usually see on defense. On the other hand, Vandal thrives at 1v1 duels, making it a great pick for entry frags or getting those picks.

Which weapon you should pick also depends on the situation. If you’re going to be holding mid on Ascent, you may want to go for the Vandal’s long-range potential. But, if you’re playing close positions like tree or garden on Ascent, you could consider the Phantom.

What do the Pros Pick?

---

In Pro Play, there is a (generally) a preference for the Phantom, and it’s because fights in pro matches aren’t usually fair. You don’t get many 1v1 opportunities; teams play together, and they often fight multiple opponents. They usually don’t have time to line up clean headshots, so a well-placed spray is what you normally see.

That’s not to say the pros hate the Vandal though. A lot of pros still use Vandals in pro play, which is a testament to how well-balanced these rifles are.

Conclusion

---

The Phantom vs. Vandal debate will never end, and honestly, that’s the beauty of it. These rifles aren’t just weapons, they’re playstyle statements. The Vandal is the preferred choice of fraggers with solid aim, whereas players who thrive in strategy and game sense prefer the Phantom.

In the end, it’s about practice, playing style, and your position on the map. Go with what makes sense to you, and try not to think about it too much. Both weapons are pretty much equals, so if you play the game smartly and your aim is on point, you will rack up kills regardless.