Playing Initiators

I am planning to learn initiators especially agents like Sova/kayo.
I know I have to support duelists on entry and comm with them etc., but other than that is there any more things I need to know while I'm learning initiators?

Learn the lineups
That's the main thing on initiator

Perfect util usage including lineups and knowing ur role meaning u gotta understand in what situation or map u are extremely important for entry and executes and thus not throwing ur life away

skye is fun

Don't play breach also just do things when you need to don't think you always have to use util

Watch what your teammates are doing and predict what util you can use to help them, don't always wait until they ask you.

If you're used to playing sentinels/controllers, don't forget initiators should be 2nd or 3rd into the site. You should be the person able to trade. Don't hang back unless you've got something like a sova ult.

Maybe paradoxical, but if you start working on util, make sure that you're not only playing util, there's too many initiators that just util dump but don't take fights.

I'm playing gold 2,3. playing initiator there is worst nightmare. like if i play sova, even i said go after recon or go after drone. they run like they have fire in the ass to site before the drone goes.

the key to kayo is to remember you can make basically any play since you have flash, molly, and knife. really great for stalling for time. the key to sova is not to charge all the way to red, you usually dont even need a lineup if you think through the geometry. also sova does really well when working with smokes so get a smokes duo

80% of youtube lineup is unusable. just go watch lineup from tournament.

lineups aren't everything, learn timings on utility, comm well, on single duelist comps be ready to be second entry, be adaptive and learn to counter enemy comps

all i could think of on the spot

just a warning u may not frag out a lot and might get carried

A bit late but the biggest thing I see low elo initiators do is solely rely on their util for info. Ie playing Sova and you hear 2+ people running off rip start of round you do not need to dart for info as you already know they’re there.

Also try to mix up start of round darts with holding for exec / reclear darts. If you’re using start of round darts maybe 2-3 times a half, combo it with Sova ult when you have it or fast rotates when you don’t. The less you use start of round darts the more effective they become. Also small thing but say if you play B on ascent every round when you get ult start the round on A, if people ult track then you will have a small opportunity to take advantage.

Make sure you have multiple retake lineups for each site on each map, and mess around with shock darts to have so you can easily hit the planter - think CT on C site haven you can bounce off platform with no lineups.

Exec lineups are fine but it’s more important to be present in attack rounds so you aren’t 2 hours away from the entry. Often I will just shoot the dart in simple locations and follow the entry out rather than being further back with a lineup.

Finally don’t feel like you have to save your ult for key moments or the right time, try to use as soon as you get it or at most the round after.

as a sova/kayo enjoyer myself. lineups are important(for sova some of the more complicated ones require non-existent timing with others in ranked)

kayo flash lineups can be fucking broken if u have a duelist that asks for util(the best duelists do this alot)

Midround info gathering is very important against try hard sweats try working on it as well, granted you have lineups and comms down. Or just re-clearing areas of the map where your team has lost control and there’s a pause in the play.

just shoot heads and spare all your util to use on the last enemy alive