Spectre is one of the most frequent go-to buys when you have some considerable cash to spend, but are saving for the next round (staying above ~4000 credits). Why the Spectre reigns supreme, today we will attempt to explore why, at least in some situations, the Ares may be the better choice. At the same price point, this comparison is worthwhile, and you very well may discover your new favorite go-to eco buy weapon in Valorant.

Comparison of Statistics

Firstly, let’s have a look at a side-by-side comparison of the two guns’ statistics in Valorant. We know that both weapons cost the exact same, 1,600 credits. The Spectre is an SMG, while the Ares, being Odin’s younger brother, is a Machine Gun.

At first glance, the Spectre just seems to be the obvious choice. It has a higher fire rate, deals more damage, you run slightly faster with it, you equip it faster, and it has a faster reload speed. On top of that, it is a silent SMG, making tracers invisible, as much as it cannot be heard over a 40 meter distance. That’s great, the Spectre is a fantastic gun in Valorant. However, let us have a look at where the Ares holds the upper hand.

The main stats show that the Ares has a larger magazine size, a whopping 50. It also has a lower damage drop-off over a 30 meter distance. A shot to the head from the Spectre over 20 meters will deal 66 damage, to the body 22. The Ares keeps its stronger numbers of 72 to the head and 30 to the body up to 30 meters. After that it deals 67 to the head and 28 to the body. This makes the machine gun definitely a better choice for a medium to long range battle.

However, there is more, and this is where the Ares truly shines in comparison to the Spectre. While aiming down sights (ADS), the Ares maintains 100% of its firing speed while slightly having its spread and recoil reduced. Plus a 1.15x zoom. To add to that, Ares’ rate of fire increases over time as you fire it. This means that maintaining a medium distance from your enemies and using ADS, may be a sweet spot for the Ares as you unleash a bullet rain over your enemies.

A case could be made that while using ADS on the Spectre, it still has a higher fire rate of 12 rounds per second. That’s true, but only initially, as the Ares speeds up the longer you hold left click. Plus, Spectre’s damage drop off is much larger at a shorter 20 meter distance. We highly discourage using ADS on the Spectre, as much as we discourage getting into medium to long range battles while wielding it. If you plan on doing that, get the Ares.

When to get the Ares

From the analysis, we have come to the following conclusions about when to get the Ares machine gun:

• On the Defensive side when holding medium range angles
• Especially if you’re expecting a rush from the attackers
• When you like being loud with your gun
• For that additional wallbang potential

When to get the Spectre

On the other hand, these are the scenarios where we deem the Spectre to be the better option:

• When you may engage in close-quarters combat, such as in Hookah on Bind
• When expecting to lurk or push unexpectedly
• For a team rush onto a certain bombsite
• On the attacking side

These are our feelings on the two guns. Both can be extremely viable. When used correctly, that eco round, may in the end turn into an unexpected win for your side. Think about how you will play the eco round, and make the right choice.

Tune in to Run it Back for all your latest news, extensive guides, and exclusive interviews in the world of Valorant. Also join our Discord to enter competitions and win prizes!