GUIDE: Expert Level WAYLAY Secrets and Tricks

March 6, 2025 Joshua Brunhoff

Waylay, released as a brand-new Duelist on March 6, 2025, brings a fast-paced, high-mobility playstyle to Valorant

Hailing from Thailand, she is intended as a movement Duelist who utilizes quick reflexes to evade fire and stay alive. Waylay excels at unpredictability and is designed for fast, aggressive plays and entry. Mastering her requires smart ability usage, precise timing, and strong team coordination. While she is a powerful pick in the right hands, some players feel her abilities can seem familiar or "copy-pasted" compared to other agents. Waylay is not always a self-enabling duelist like agents such as Jett or Reyna; she often depends on teammates to set her up for success.
To truly dominate with Waylay, you need to go beyond the basics and understand the nuances of her kit.

Waylay's Abilities Overview

Waylay's kit is built for aggression and mobility, allowing her to engage quickly, reposition, and outmaneuver opponents.

Refract (Basic Ability – Free Every Round): Waylay starts each round with one free charge. Activating it marks a circular area on the ground. Reactivating the ability within a few seconds instantly teleports you back to the marked spot.
Saturate (Buyable Ability): A throwable projectile that bounces off walls and detonates on impact or after a short delay. The explosion creates an AoE effect that inflicts the "Hindered" status, slowing movement speed and fire rate of anyone caught inside, including teammates.
Lightspeed (Buyable Ability): Waylay's primary mobility tool. Left-click performs two rapid dashes, while right-click executes a single dash. The first dash can be aimed upward, allowing for vertical height gain, but the second dash is always horizontal.
Convergent Paths (Ultimate Ability): Waylay's Ultimate unleashes a large AoE field after a short charge-up. Enemies and allies caught inside are Hindered (slowed movement speed, fire rate, and reloads), and Waylay herself gains a significant speed boost.

Expert-Level Waylay Tactics

Refract: More Than Just an Escape Button

Safe Entry: Place the beacon in a secure spot before peeking a dangerous angle or entering a site.
Info Gathering: Jump through a smoke and recall back instantly to scout.
Don't Always Recall: Hold forward positions if they’re valuable.
Invulnerability: Cannot be damaged or affected by abilities while teleporting, unless suppressed.
Use While Jumping: Adds vertical repositioning options.

Saturate: Setting Up, Not Stunning

Trajectory Like Phoenix's Hothands: Familiar lineups apply.
Line of Sight-Based: Can be dodged by hiding behind objects.
Not a Duelist Stun: Doesn’t reduce accuracy, only fire rate and movement.
Combo Potential: Great for stall or paired utility setups.
Know the Range: Arcs like a Molotov.
Friendly Fire: Affects teammates too.

Lightspeed: Positional Advantage, Not Just Dive

Jump Dash: Use it for reach and vertical mobility.
Corner Clearing: Swivel mid-dash to check angles and gather info.
Compare to Other Dashes: Less fluid than Jett or Raze; not ideal for direct attacks.
Versatile Movement: Can dash in and out of positions quickly.
Commitment: Double dash is a locked path; single dash offers more control.

Convergent Paths (Ultimate): The Blitzing Force

Push the Hinder: Your speed + enemy slow = big advantage.
Boost Duration: Once charged, you retain the speed buff after leaving the AoE.
Tight Space Effectiveness: Best in choke points and bomb sites.
Combos: Great synergy with area denial or execute tools.
Longer Debuff: Lasts longer than Saturate’s hinder.
Friendly Fire: Affects allies too.

Ability Combos and Team Synergy

Waylay thrives in coordinated team environments where utility clears space or gathers info:

Basic Combo: Saturate → Lightspeed dash → fight → Refract to escape.
Best Allies:
- Gekko: Dizzy helps track enemy positions.
- Reyna: Leer helps blind defenders.
- Tejo: Ultimate combo potential is very strong.

Playstyle and Considerations

Not Always a Main: Choose Waylay for favorable maps and comps.
Best Maps: Lotus, Haven, Fracture, Bind, Sunset, Ascent, Split.
Avoid on Large Maps: Breeze, Abyss favor agents like Yoru or Jett.
Kit Mastery Required: Lightspeed and Refract have nuanced movement timing.
Unlock Requirements: 200,000 XP or 1,000 Valorant Points. Agent contract includes cosmetics.

Conclusion

Waylay offers a dynamic, high-mobility playstyle focused on outmaneuvering opponents and creating space. By mastering her Refract resets, strategic Saturate usage, Lightspeed positional plays, and game-changing Ultimate combos, players can become an unstoppable force on the battlefield. While she may not be a perfect self-sufficient agent, coordinating with teammates, especially Initiators, unlocks her full potential. Practice her unique mechanics and look for creative ways to engage to dominate with Waylay.