Tejo is an agent who redefined the standard initiators and, as of March 2025, is the latest character added to the game in the initiator role. Upon release, Tejo dominated not only matches of casual players who don’t strive for the top but also high ranks in ranked mode and the professional scene. At Masters Bangkok 2025, he ranked first in pick rate. Due to this, developers were forced to nerf him, but he remains strong, and to use him to his full potential, our personal Tejo guide will help you.

In this guide:

• Breaking Through Impenetrable Defense
• Tejo’s Unique Features
• Tejo’s Abilities and Tips for Using Them
• Best Maps for Tejo
• Synergy with Other Agents
• Pro Tips
• Conclusion

Breaking Through Impenetrable Defense

Tejo is an initiator who, thanks to his abilities, can easily put site defenders in an uncomfortable position. His abilities, Stealth Drone (C) and Guided Salvo (E), allow him to locate enemies, force them to reposition into a less advantageous spot, and destroy traps. Below are some short and useful tips for playing Tejo on both defense and attack:

Defense Tips:

• Use Stealth Drone (C) to gather and mark enemies, giving your team more time to react to the enemy's plan for the round.
• Deploy Guided Salvo (E) in front of enemies, especially in tight corridors, to delay their advance or deal significant damage.
• Special Delivery (Q) can be combined with the abilities of teammates who deal damage, such as Viper, Killjoy, Brimstone, Breach, and others. Tejo's ability will stun the target, making them easy prey for high-damage abilities in a small area.
• Guided Salvo (E) can also be used to buy time by deploying it in a spot where an enemy plans to plant or has already started planting the Spike, forcing them to retreat or take lethal damage to finish planting.
• If you have Armageddon (X), consider giving up the site temporarily to regroup with your team and easily retake it, as enemies will be forced to flee from this deadly ultimate.
• Keep in mind that all of Tejo’s abilities deal damage and stun his own teammates as well.

Attack Tips:

• Launch Stealth Drone (C) ahead of your team to gather intel on enemy locations and mark them, making it easier for your duelists to eliminate them.
• Guided Salvo (E) can be used to destroy Killjoy and Cypher’s traps, so don’t hesitate to use charges if you suspect their presence. Removing these will give your team an advantage.
• A quick combination of Special Delivery (Q) and Guided Salvo (E) can neutralize an enemy hiding behind cover.
• If you secure the site easily and still have a Guided Salvo (E) charge left, position yourself in a safe spot to prevent the enemy from defusing the Spike in the post-plant phase.
• Try to plant the Spike as often as possible and collect Points scattered around the map to quickly charge your ultimate, which can turn a round in your favor.

Tejo’s Unique Features

Tejo stands out due to his versatility. His toolkit includes a drone that not only reveals enemy locations but also disables their abilities, a grenade that stuns everything in a wide radius, and Guided Salvo (E) and Armageddon (X), which deal massive damage.

Tejo’s Abilities and Tips for Using Them

Stealth Drone

Stealth Drone (C) is a small ground-based spy drone with a limited vision range. When you press LMB, it reveals all enemies in its radius who are not hidden and disables their abilities.

Useful Tips:

• If you don’t press LMB, the drone will disappear without marking anyone.
• Marked enemies are revealed to the entire team and receive a suppression debuff, preventing them from using abilities or weapons.
• Before activating, the drone jumps slightly, so take this into account. You can, for example, hide behind a low box, activate it, and it will jump to reveal an enemy behind the box.
• The drone becomes visible to enemies only when they get close to it.
• If Tejo takes damage while controlling the Stealth Drone, its effect ends prematurely.

Special Delivery

Special Delivery (Q) is a grenade that doesn’t deal damage but applies a stun effect to all within its radius.

Useful Tips:

• The ability has an alternate fire mode (RMB) that allows the grenade to activate after one bounce.
• It stuns teammates as well, so use it carefully.
• It can be combined with Guided Salvo (E) or other damage-dealing abilities to quickly eliminate cornered enemies.
• The stun effect applies even if enemies are behind cover within its radius.

Guided Salvo

Guided Salvo (E) is a missile barrage that explodes three times upon landing, damaging all within its radius, including agent abilities, devices, and traps.

Useful Tips:

• It has two charges, so don’t waste them—use both effectively.
• Place them so that an enemy stepping back will be forced into the second charge and die.
• Guided Salvo destroys abilities like Cypher's traps and Killjoy's mechanisms, making it useful for clearing enemy defenses.
• Missiles take time to reach their target, and they maneuver around walls, so consider this when using them.
• You can fire both charges at the same spot for double damage.
• The ability breaks destructible doors, such as those on Ascent.
• Use Guided Salvo (E) on an enemy defusing the Spike to buy time for your team.

Armageddon

Armageddon (X) is an ultimate similar to Breach’s, but instead of stunning, it deals massive damage. The impact zone is selected on a tablet, similar to Brimstone’s. Two ticks are enough to kill an unarmored enemy, while three are needed for those with light or heavy armor.

Useful Tips:

• Use it to clear enclosed areas where enemies may be hiding.
• Position it carefully so that teammates do not get caught in the damage zone.

Best Maps for Tejo

Tejo is a strong and versatile agent, making him effective on any map. However, maps with limited space play to his strengths. The best maps to pick Tejo on are:

• Lotus
• Ascent
• Fracture

Synergy with Other Agents

Thanks to his versatile abilities, Tejo pairs well with many agents. He helps duelists enter sites and defenders hold them. Some of the best agents to duo with Tejo are:

• Omen
• Raze
• Breach

Pro Tips

We selected a match where professional player Mert "Wo0t" Alkan from Team Heretics played an incredible game, scoring 17 kills and finishing at the top of the scoreboard as an initiator. Watching this video will help you understand Tejo’s mechanics and pick up useful tricks, especially on Pearl.

Conclusion

Tejo is one of the strongest and most versatile initiators in Valorant, capable of pressuring defenders, opening sites, and helping his team gain map control. His abilities are effective for both attack and defense, and mastering his toolkit can turn rounds in your favor. Despite recent nerfs, Tejo remains the top initiator, and even with further nerfs, he will likely stay relevant, as his mechanics are too powerful, much like Sova’s.