Valorant: Bucky vs Judge Which One is Better?

Perhaps one of the most heated debates that's always going on in the Valorant community is which is better between the Bucky and Judge. Many people, especially those who don't use shotguns, might not know which side to take in this war of the guns, and that's what we're here to change.

Bucky and Judge are both two shotguns, but that's where the similarities end. Both have a different set of strengths and weaknesses that make them appealing to different parts of the player base. For example, the Bucky has a higher rate of fire and is effective at close range while the Judge is more effective at medium to low range but has a significantly lower rate of fire than its counterpart.

We'll be going through the advantages and disadvantages of both weapons so that you could decide for yourself which gun you want to go for.

What You Should Know About the Bucky

Firstly, let us go through both the disadvantages and advantages of the Bucky. Bucky is a shotgun that's very effective at close range. Not only does it have a very high rate of fire but it also has a wide spread that allows this weapon to take out multiple enemies at once. Because of this, it's one of the best weapons to use if you want to clear out a small space.

In addition to its high rate of fire, the Bucky also has a secondary fire mode that allows the user to fire off a more focused shot. This can be useful when the user needs to take down a single enemy at medium range or when they need to conserve ammo. This adaptability is why this weapon is so popular as it's able to dominate both in the close and medium range.

However, there are a couple of downsides to this weapon you need to keep in mind as well. Perhaps the most crucial one is that its effectiveness drops off significantly at longer ranges. The wide spread of the shotgun makes it difficult to hit targets at medium to long range, and it can take multiple shots to take down an enemy. This makes the Bucky less effective on maps with more open spaces or in situations where the enemy is at a distance.

What You Should Know About the Judge

Next up is the Judge. In contrast to the Bucky, which is very useful in close range combat, the Judge is strongest when used at medium range. It has a tighter spread than the Bucky, which makes it more accurate at medium range. The Judge also has a higher damage per shot than the Bucky, making it a more effective weapon at taking down enemies with a single shot.

However, everything that the Bucky is good at, the Judge is terrible at. Instead of having a high rate of fire, the Judge's rate of fire is really slow because of which players using this weapon might find themselves overwhelmed in tight spaces. Additionally, this weapon also has a tighter spread that makes it close to impossible to take down multiple enemies at once.

Because of these disadvantages, the Judge is less effective on maps with fewer open spaces or in situations where the enemy can potentially catch you in close quarters by surprise.

Which One is Better

With all of this being said and done, which one is better? Well, as you might have guessed, both the weapons have their upsides and downsides that make them better suited for different situations.

Therefore, it's recommended that you first look at both the map as well as the enemy team before deciding on which weapon you should use for that specific map. If it's a map where you're expecting to get up close and personal with the enemy then you should definitely go for the Bucky. However, if you're expecting medium to long range fights then the Judge is the way to go.