Clove

Clove is a unique Controller who blends smoke utility with duelist-style self-sustain. Her Ruse ability lets her place smokes from anywhere on the map, and critically, she can still place one smoke after dying — a game-changing passive for post-plant scenarios. Meddle fires an orb that decays enemies for 75 health over 3 seconds, softening them up for engagement. Pick-Me-Up grants 100 temporary health and 15% bonus fire rate on kill, making Clove surprisingly effective in direct duels. Unlike other Valorant controllers who rely on team support, Clove can play aggressively and still provide smoke value even after dying.

Clove performs well across the entire map pool thanks to her flexible kit. On Split, her post-death smokes are especially valuable for B Site retakes — she can smoke heaven after dying to help teammates retake. Ascent's A Site benefits from Meddle orbs that decay enemies hiding in A Short or under Heaven. Bind allows Clove to play aggressively in teleporter rooms and still provide smoke support after death. She struggles least on open maps compared to other controllers because her self-sustain makes her less position-dependent. Valorant controller meta analysis shows Clove has one of the highest pick rates in ranked play due to her forgiving playstyle.

Clove's unique kit allows her to pair well with both aggressive and passive team compositions. With duelists like Jett or Reyna, Clove can take frontline fights and still provide smoke utility for the team after dying. Meddle's decay effect sets up easy kills for initiators like Sova or Fade — a decayed enemy takes more damage from all sources. On defense, Clove works well with sentinels like Killjoy by surviving longer in fights and providing smoke support for retakes. The Clove Valorant Fandom page covers optimal team compositions and how her self-sustain changes traditional controller positioning strategies.

Mastering Clove requires balancing aggressive plays with smoke management. Use Pick-Me-Up aggressively — the 100 temporary health gives you effective 250 HP, winning most 1v1 duels. Always save one smoke for post-death usage; dying with a smoke unused is a wasted opportunity. Meddle orbs pass through walls and have a generous radius — use them to check corners before peeking. Clove's smokes regenerate over time, so don't hesitate to use them early. On attack, play closer to your duelists than a traditional controller would. Liquipedia's Clove guide has VCT pro match analysis showing optimal aggressive controller positioning.

Playing against Clove requires focusing her before she gets kills. Deny her Pick-Me-Up procs by avoiding isolated 1v1 fights — coordinate with teammates to trade kills quickly. Kay/O's suppression is extremely effective against Clove, preventing her from activating any abilities including post-death smokes. Sova's recon dart can reveal Clove's position through her smokes, negating her cover advantage. burst damage agents like Raze or Breach can kill Clove before she activates Pick-Me-Up. On Valorant Fandom you can find strategies for shutting down Clove's aggressive playstyle and preventing her from snowballing through Pick-Me-Up resets.