The Warden is VALORANT’s automatic rifle for players who want a scoped, long-range option without leaving the standard rifle tier. Riot Games’ Patch 13.06 lists a 2,900-credit price, 50 damage per body shot at every range, 200 damage for a headshot, and 42 damage for a leg hit. It carries 18 rounds, includes a 2x scope, and has medium wall penetration. Those are Riot’s published specifications, not independent test results, so treat later balance patches as authoritative if any value changes.
What is the Warden in VALORANT?
The Warden is an automatic rifle introduced as a distinct long-range choice. Riot describes its purpose as “a new tactical choice” that brings “a distinct long-range option to your arsenal.” That wording explains the weapon’s identity: it is meant to give rifle users another way to hold distant angles while retaining automatic fire.
It is not classified as a sniper rifle. The Warden occupies the rifle category and uses a conventional magazine, reserve ammunition and automatic firing model. Its optic and damage profile are the features that separate it from the other rifles, not a different weapon class.
All figures discussed here come from Riot Games’ VALORANT Patch Notes 13.06, published in 2026. Riot’s notes are the appropriate reference for the listed specifications; no independently measured accuracy, recoil, time-to-kill or competitive win-rate dataset was identified for these figures.
How much does the Warden cost?
The Warden costs 2,900 in-game credits. This is the same credit tier Riot uses for the Vandal and Phantom, so choosing it is a role decision rather than a cheaper-rifle decision. The amount is an in-match currency cost and has no direct real-world price.
| Weapon | Riot-listed credit tier | Characterization in Patch 13.06 |
|---|---|---|
| Warden | 2,900 credits | Automatic rifle; described as a distinct long-range option |
| Vandal | 2,900 credits | Named by Riot as a rifle in the same price tier |
| Phantom | 2,900 credits | Named by Riot as a rifle in the same price tier |
Because the purchase consumes the same headline budget as the Vandal or Phantom, the Warden is most sensible when its scope and long-range focus fit the round. Buying it on a weak economy can leave too little credit for armor, abilities or a sidearm, while buying it on a full rifle round lets you evaluate it on its intended terms.
What damage does the Warden deal?
Riot lists 50 damage per bullet at all ranges, 200 damage for a headshot and 42 damage for a leg hit. The phrase “at all ranges” is important: the published body-shot figure does not drop between close and distant range bands in the Patch 13.06 specification.
- Body: 50 damage per bullet at all ranges.
- Head: 200 damage per bullet.
- Leg: 42 damage per bullet.
Against a target with 100 base health and no mitigating effect, that arithmetic means two body hits are enough to exceed the base health total, while three leg hits are required. A headshot’s listed value is above that same base-health total. Armor, temporary health and other damage modifiers can change the practical result, and the patch note does not provide a complete armor interaction table.
The all-range body value gives the Warden a predictable damage model for players who prefer to hold a long sightline. It does not, by itself, prove that the rifle kills faster than every competing rifle: fire rate, hit placement, recoil control, armor and the opponent’s movement all affect an actual engagement.
What are the Warden’s magazine, firing and handling stats?
Patch 13.06 lists the following additional specifications. Riot gives the firing-rate and timing figures as numeric game values; the notes do not attach an independent measurement methodology to them.
| Specification | Riot-listed value | What it means for a player |
|---|---|---|
| Magazine | 18 rounds | Fewer shots per reload than a typical full-size rifle magazine, so missed bursts consume the magazine quickly. |
| Reserve ammunition | 36 rounds | Two additional full 18-round magazine loads if the reserve is available in full. |
| Firing rate | 6.5 | The published rate value for its automatic fire; do not treat it as an independently timed benchmark. |
| Reload timing | 2.5 | Riot’s listed reload-timing value. |
| Equip timing, normal | 1.0 | The standard equip value listed by Riot. |
| Equip timing, fast | 0.6 | The fast-equip value listed by Riot. |
| Equip timing, instant | 0.2 | The instant-equip value listed by Riot. |
| Wall penetration | Medium | The rifle can interact with penetrable surfaces according to the game’s medium-penetration category. |
The 18-round capacity makes ammunition discipline more important than it is with a larger magazine. Firing a long automatic spray at a distant target can force an early reload, and the reload timing is especially dangerous if you begin it while exposed. Short, deliberate bursts preserve ammunition and keep the rifle aligned with its long-range purpose.
How does the 2x scope change the Warden’s use?
The Warden has a 2x scope. That optic gives you a magnified aiming option for distant lanes, but it does not turn the rifle into a sniper weapon or guarantee better accuracy. The scope is best understood as an alternate sight picture for taking measured shots at range.
Use the unscoped view when clearing close corners, entering a site or fighting at short distance where a wider field of view helps you track movement. Switch to the 2x view when you are anchoring a long angle and need to identify a small target area more clearly. Moving between those views should be deliberate: changing the sight picture in the middle of a close fight can cost more time than it saves.
Because the damage specification remains constant across the listed ranges, the scope’s value is primarily target acquisition and angle management. It helps you see and hold a distant line; it does not add a separate long-range damage bonus.
Is the Warden better than the Vandal or Phantom?
There is no universal winner established by the available official figures. Riot places all three in the 2,900-credit rifle tier, but the Patch 13.06 material supplies a complete set of Warden specifications rather than a full side-by-side performance table for every rifle.
The Warden is the clearest choice when you specifically want its 2x scope, all-range body-damage listing and long-range design intent. A Vandal or Phantom may suit you better when your agent, map position or preferred engagement distance does not benefit from that optic. Declaring one rifle categorically stronger would require verified comparative data on recoil, accuracy, fire rate, damage falloff, time-to-kill and real match performance, none of which is established here.
Price therefore should not decide the comparison: the purchase cost is shared. Decide based on the sight picture and handling pattern you can use consistently, then account for your team’s economy and the round’s expected engagement distances.
How should you buy and use the Warden in a round?
The buying process is straightforward, but the tactical choice benefits from a deliberate checklist.
- Check the round economy. Confirm that spending 2,900 credits still leaves enough for the armor and utility your strategy requires. A rifle without survivability or key abilities can weaken the entire round.
- Choose the rifle in the buy menu. Open the rifle category during the buy phase and select Warden. Verify that the purchase completed before the phase ends.
- Assign a long-angle job. Tell your team which lane, post-plant line or retake angle you intend to hold. The weapon’s design is most coherent when it controls distance rather than chasing every close duel.
- Start unscoped while moving. Keep the broader view for rotations, entries and corner checks. Use the 2x sight after you have reached a stable angle.
- Fire controlled strings. With only 18 rounds available before reloading, avoid spending the entire magazine on an uncertain wall or moving target. Reset your aim between bursts and preserve enough ammunition for a second opponent.
- Reload behind cover. The listed reload timing is long enough that an exposed reload can lose the duel. Fall back, use cover or coordinate a teammate’s protection before beginning it.
- Reassess after contact. If the enemy repeatedly collapses your distance, switch to a position that restores separation or use a sidearm for a close transition rather than forcing the Warden into a role it was not designed to fill.
What does medium wall penetration mean for Warden shots?
“Medium” is Riot’s wall-penetration category for the rifle. It indicates that the Warden participates in VALORANT’s penetrable-surface system, but the label alone does not specify damage through every wall, door or object.
Use penetration as an opportunity rather than a default firing plan. If you have a reliable sound cue or a confirmed enemy position behind a penetrable surface, a short burst can be reasonable. Spraying every suspected wall wastes the Warden’s small magazine and can reveal your position without producing a useful hit. The patch note does not provide a material-by-material damage chart, so do not infer exact through-wall damage from the category name.
Who benefits most from the Warden?
The rifle’s published profile favors players who can create and maintain distance, value a magnified sight picture and are comfortable managing a smaller magazine. It is a natural fit for a site anchor, a player holding a long post-plant line or anyone whose map route repeatedly produces distant engagements.
- Good fit: deliberate angle holders, disciplined burst shooters and players who make meaningful use of the 2x view.
- Potentially awkward fit: entry players who spend most fights inside short corridors, players who rely on extended sprays and rounds where the economy cannot support armor and utility after the purchase.
These are role guidelines, not a ranking of player skill. A mechanically strong player can make any rifle work, but the Warden gives the greatest return when the round creates the distance its design emphasizes.
Can Patch 13.06’s Warden numbers change?
Yes. Weapon balance is patch-dependent, and Riot can alter cost, damage, ammunition, firing behavior, timing or penetration in a later update. The figures in this guide describe Patch 13.06, not a permanent promise about every future VALORANT build.
Before relying on a remembered value in a new season, check the latest official VALORANT patch notes and look for the weapon update section. If a later note changes one statistic, use the newest note for that statistic while treating unchanged values from the current version as provisional until confirmed.
What is the practical verdict on the Warden?
The Warden is a 2,900-credit automatic rifle built around a 2x scope and a long-range identity. Its official Patch 13.06 profile combines a high listed head and body damage model with an 18-round magazine, 36 rounds of reserve ammunition, automatic fire and medium wall penetration.
Its trade-off is specialization. The same price as the Vandal and Phantom means you are paying for a different way to take rifle fights, not saving credits. Buy it when your position and aim benefit from magnification and controlled long-range engagements; choose another rifle when your round plan is dominated by close entries, constant movement or extended sprays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Warden a sniper rifle because it has a 2x scope?
No. Riot classifies it as an automatic rifle. The 2x optic changes the aiming view and supports distant fights, but it does not change the weapon’s category or make it a dedicated sniper.
Can the Warden always kill an armored enemy with one headshot?
The listed head-damage figure alone cannot answer every armor interaction. Armor and other modifiers can affect the final result, and Patch 13.06 does not publish a complete armor-by-armor table for the Warden.
How many extra magazines does the Warden’s reserve ammunition provide?
The reserve pool equals two additional full magazine loads when completely stocked. In practice, missed shots and partial reloads mean you should not assume every round will be available as a clean, full magazine.
Where can I verify the Warden’s current statistics after a balance update?
Check Riot Games’ newest official VALORANT patch notes, especially the weapon changes section. The Patch 13.06 values are a version-specific snapshot and may be replaced by a later balance update.