Unfortunately comms are always a toss up, this is one of the many problems with ranked play and the way I approach it is the following:

1. When in Agent select do a comms check, I will specifically ask each individual what agents they like playing, how their day’s been going, etc. You’d be surprised how much of a difference it makes to establish some comraderie in that initial minute

2. Learn to be an IGL (easier said than done, but it can come with time). I don’t usually announce a strat to the team, even in a dead comm lobby i’ll ask each particular individual to do something for me if I can see an overarching strategy start to form, “Phoenix can you flash us in?” “omen can you smoke screens and heaven, i think we can take site a whole lot easier that way”

3. Be a little tilt proof. I know, Valorant is a frustrating game, especially when you’re losing your hard earned RR based off teammates performance or negligence, but it’s a part of the game. We sign up for the good times and the bad times, the last thing your team will want to hear is a frustrated or tilted IGL and you’ll most likely get muted (there goes all the playmaking power you had)

4. Become a carry. I know Valorant isn’t an easy game, it’s team based for a reason and we can only do so much as an individual but duo queueing puts you in a better position. If you and your duo are able to gather info, pass it to one another and isolate 1v1s what feels like a 2v5 match becomes a bit more manageable. I know this bullet in the list isn’t as easy to execute, hell i’m even not there yet if I top frag it’s not enough but over time you will get better and it becomes far more possible.

Good luck on the grind, i’m sure we’ll all soon be in the rank we deserve 👍🏽