What is the bonus round? with HyP
If you follow the Valorant esport, you may have already heard about the bonus-roundWithout really understanding what it is, and what it means in-game. Don't worry, HyP, our Captain, is here to explain it all to you in this guide!
To better understand the following information, we recommend that you read our guide to the economy in the first instance.
What is the bonus round?
A bonus round only occurs if a team wins the first two rounds. This happens very often, as the team that wins the first round has the financial advantage to win the second.
The bonus round is therefore the third round of each period of the game (rounds 3 and 15). This is a round in which the team that has already gained an advantage in the first two rounds is expected to lose to opponents. From the point of view of the leading team, winning a third point or dropping weapons on the opponent is a bonus.
- We will explain this step by step:
If Team A wins the first round, it has an economic advantage over Team B. Team A will want to use this advantage to buy mid-level equipment. Even though team B may try to buy equipment (which is then called a force-buy), it is not worthwhile for Team B to spend their savings, as they can only mathematically afford less equipment (spells, weapons, shields) than Team A.
By saving on this round, Team B will most likely lose the round, but will have a larger prize pool than Team A. When the 3rd round starts, team A can again buy intermediate equipment, while team B, having saved money, can now buy advanced equipment. Team B, which has saved money, can now buy advanced equipment and has a material advantage over team A for one round.
During the bonus round, one team is under-equipped compared to the other. "The famous bonus round comes in the next round, round three. While the leading team will keep some of its average gear, the opponents will be able to full-buy and take advantage of the power of the Vandal and the Phantom..
This round is decisive for the rest of the first period. In the event of a win, it allows one team to dominate more, or offers a chance for the other team to come back and even take the lead.
Victory and defeat: what consequences?
As you can see, the bonus round is a particularly critical round :
- Either Team A, which won the first two rounds, wins and takes an even greater lead in the first half.
- Either team B turns the tables with their new equipment and wins the round. They can then come back to score.
In Valorant, the team at a material disadvantage usually loses the round. This is why those first rounds where the economic advantage shifts from one team to the other several times are particularly important, especially in the case of the bonus round. "The bonus round is often difficult to win because of the difference in firepower. If the disadvantaged team manages to bring down a few weapons, the economic impact is monstrous, it is a small victory despite the defeat. In practice, it is considered that the team makes a good bonus round if it loses by eliminating at least three enemies. If they lose without dropping any weapons, that's no big deal either. In this situation both teams are more or less at the same economic level.
Nevertheless, it sometimes happens that team A emerges victorious from this bonus round and wins its third round. "This new victory has a major impact on the rest of the first half. Not only does the gap in the score widen, but the opposing team finds itself in financial difficulty. As a result, they will find it difficult to buy all the equipment they need to get back on track in the next round. It is likely that a team that wins the first 3 rounds will win the 4th or even the 5th round by the time the struggling team can accumulate sufficient resources to compete in terms of equipment.
How to play the bonus round?
During this particular round, the objectives of the two teams are quite different.
- Team A's objectiveTo knock down as many of the opponent's weapons as possible.
"Winning the round is not a priority for this team, although it is interesting to keep this objective in mind, explains HyP. In order to eliminate as many enemies as possible, you must avoid fighting at a distance and stay together. By spreading yourself thin on the map, you risk getting into duels that are difficult to contest. Also, attacking or defending aggressively can be a good choice. Since you have little to lose, you can take risks. However, be careful. Your opponents may expect this tactic and react accordingly.
At this point, you may be wondering whether the A team could simply buy weapons to stand up to their opponents.
This is not necessarily possible. Assuming that team A has already spent its money at the beginning of round 2, it has similar financial means at the beginning of round 3. They can, at best, buy the same intermediate equipment that they already bought in round 2. But this equipment will be inferior to that of a team that has saved money over two rounds.
However, this is not an absolute rule: "The buyout is totally dependent on the economy. It is quite possible to acquire a few weapons, provided you have enough money to buy spells, shields and a Vandal or Phantom in the next round.".
- Objective of the B team, now well equipped To win the round by minimising losses.
Overall, your team must be carefulIt must avoid another defeat, and lose strong weapons. It must avoid another defeat, and lose strong weapons. "In Defence, don't be too aggressive and just defend the sites by holding positions to your advantage. Prepare the ground, in order to counter a possible opponent's rush, for example with Killjoy's nanites or Sage's wall. In Attack, take duels at a distance, to avoid bad surprises in a corner. Act as a team and communicate. This is important!".
Example of a bonus round
To get a better idea of the reality of the fight during a bonus round, we suggest you watch the following fifteenth round, played against the BDS team:
Nevertheless, it is not always the B team that wins in this bonus round, as Mandatory brilliantly demonstrated in this game against MAD Lions:
You now have all the information you need to better understand the interest and impact of this bonus-round. If you want to learn more about how Valorant works, please refer to our dedicated guides. We wish you a good game!
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