Sova Lineups Guide

Dominant Initiator with the best info-gathering toolkit in Valorant. Sova's Recon Bolt and drone provide unmatched intel for your team.

Recon Bolt Lineups

Sova's Recon Bolt is the most impactful ability in the game when used right. One good dart can give your team wallhacks for 8 full seconds, turning a defensive stance into an aggressive push. The key is knowing exactly where to shoot from and at what angle, so the arrow lands in a spot that reveals the most territory.

On Ascent, the default dart from attacker spawn through B Main reveals heaven, back site, and market. A single bounce off the heaven wall covers B site entirely, allowing your team to clear site with full knowledge of defender positions. From A Main, a double-bounce dart off the back wall reveals A site, tree, and heaven simultaneously.

Haven is Sova's best map. From attacker spawn, a max-power sniper dart over the garage wall reveals the entire B site and both cubbies. From CT spawn, a single-recharge dart through the A short window reveals A site, long corner, and the back of A default. The three-site layout means one well-placed dart can cover an entire bombsite.

Bind requires specific lineups due to its teleporter mechanics. From attacker spawn, aim at the radio dish above B site — a full-power arrow bounces off and reveals B short, cubby, and back site. For A site, stand at the teleporter exit and aim at the top-left corner of the screens — the arrow reveals A short, hookah connector, and default plant.

Double-shock lineups are Sova's secret weapon for securing kills on defuser. The classic double-shock on Bind: stand at cubby, aim at the metal beam above the spike, fire one shock, count 1 second, fire the second. Both shocks land simultaneously, dealing 130 damage before the defuser can react.

Drone Usage and Positioning

The Recon Bolt is only half of Sova's info toolkit. His Owl Drone is equally critical for clearing tight corners and dangerous angles that arrows can't reach. On Fracture, drone the A drop area before your team jumps down — a Jett or Chamber waiting in cubby will punish an unprepared entry.

Always ping-tag enemies you see with the drone. A tagged enemy is visible to your entire team for 3 seconds, and the tag persists through smokes and walls. This is especially powerful on Icebox where multiple tight corridors make it impossible for defenders to dodge the tag.

Bait the Operator with your drone. On Ascent B site, fly the drone through B Main while your team watches mid. If you hear an Operator shot at your drone, the enemy has revealed their position and spent at least one bullet. Your team now knows exactly where the OP is and can trade that information for a pick.

Use the drone to clear cubbies before committing to a site execute. On Haven, drone A long before your team pushes through — if no one is spotted, you know the defenders are playing retake from CT or back site. This saves your team from dry-peeking dangerous angles.

Hunter's Fury — Wallbang Lineups

Sova's ultimate fires three piercing blasts that reveal and damage enemies through any wall. Each blast deals 80 damage to the first target hit (48 if the second blast, 24 if the third). Knowing the right wallbang spots turns this ultimate into a round-winning tool.

On Ascent post-plant, stand at A short and fire your first blast through the box near default plant. The second blast toward heaven stairs catches anyone rotating. The third blast through the back wall of site covers the CT rotation path. This triple-wallbang covers every approach angle.

On Breeze, stand at the back of B site and fire through the double doors toward the defender spawn entrance. The first blast tags anyone playing back site, the second covers the cubby, and the third nails the rotation from A site. Breeze's thin walls make it Sova's best ultimate map.

Post-plant lineups are critical. After planting on Bind B site, position yourself at cubby and aim at the wooden crate near default plant. Fire all three blasts through the crate — they spread to cover the defuse area, the cubby, and the back of site. Any defuser will take at least one blast.

Map-Specific Lineups Reference

Split is challenging for Sova due to verticality. For A site, stand at A Main and fire a single-bounce dart off the ropes tower to reveal ramp, default, and heaven. For B site, use a double-bounce through the B main corridor — first bounce off the left wall, second off the right, landing at back site.

On Pearl, the open mid area calls for unique lineups. From B link, a single-recharge dart bouncing off the pillar reveals B site, art, and back site. From the A art area, a max-power arrow through the double doors reveals the entire A site and the cubby behind default.

On Lotus, the rotating doors add complexity. Stand at A Main and wait for the door to open, then fire a full-power arrow straight through — it clears A site, back site, and the stairs to A link. The arrow's path through the door makes it unpredictable and hard to shoot down.

Practice these lineups in custom games. Use the Practice Range to memorize crosshair positions, then move to actual maps. The difference between a good Sova and a great Sova is knowing the exact pixel alignment for every map's key positions.