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By GamGem ResearchLast updated 3 Oct 2026

Act 5 · Patch 13.06

Clove — VALORANT's Controller Who Smokes After Death

Controller · Self-sufficient smokes

Clove is the Controller who keeps smoking after dying: Ruse can still be cast from the death timer, and the ultimate, Not Dead Yet, resurrects Clove — but a kill or damaging assist must follow within a set time. Patch 12.05 cut a smoke cast while dead from 14 to 6 seconds and shrank Meddle from 6m to 4m. Mid-heavy maps suit the kit; our written situations use it on Haven, Ascent and Sunset.

Scottish troublemaker Clove makes mischief for enemies in both the heat of combat and the cold of death. The young immortal keeps foes guessing, even from beyond the grave, their return to the living only ever a moment away.

Controllers are experts in slicing up dangerous territory to set their team up for success.

Why we fit it where we do Mid-heavy maps reward a controller who can keep smoking after trading.

The four

  • Pick-me-up (C) ability iconCPick-me-upsupport

    ACTIVATE to absorb the life force of a fallen enemy that Clove damaged or killed, gaining haste and temporary health.

  • Meddle (Q) ability iconQMeddledamage

    EQUIP a fragment of immortality essence. FIRE to throw the fragment, which upon landing on the floor, erupts after a short delay and temporarily Decays all targets caught inside.

  • Ruse (E) ability iconERusesmoke

    EQUIP a view of the battlefield. FIRE to set the locations where Clove’s clouds will settle. ALT FIRE to confirm, launching clouds that block vision in the chosen areas. Clove can use this ability after death.

  • Not Dead Yet (X) ability iconXNot Dead Yetsupport

    After dying, ACTIVATE to resurrect. Once resurrected, Clove must earn a kill or a damaging assist within a set time or they will die. REACTIVATE to cancel early.

What it asks of you

  • AimMedium
  • MapMedium
  • TimingMedium
  • TeamLow

Rehearsal Anywhere · Die on purpose in a custom, then place a smoke from the death timer.

Watch out Post-death smokes run on a timer — they do not wait for the team to be ready.

Buying for it

Priority
Smokes, then armour
First utility
Ruse over the entry lane
Position
With the entry, not behind it
The mistake
Playing passively for a kit built to trade forward

Patch 13.06

Nothing in patch 13.06 names this agent. Your habits carry over — the retest list on the patch page is short and this is not on it.

Clove balance history

Riot's notes from patch 1.01 to 13.06 change Clove in 3 patches. The latest is patch 12.05, published 2026-03-17.

  1. Patch 12.052026-03-17

    Ruse

    • Smoke duration 14s >> 6s (when casted while dead)

    Meddle

    • Area of effect reduced 6m >> 4m
    Why, in Riot's words

    These changes specifically target Clove’s outsized ability to help their team win even after death.

  2. Patch 11.102025-11-11

    Ruse

    • Ruse charges are now restricted to 1 maximum when Clove is dead

    Pick Me Up

    • Overheal amount, while Pick Me Up is active, has been reduced from 100 HPto50 HP
    Why, in Riot's words

    Clove is dominating competitive queue pick rates and preventing other controllers from being picked. These changes are aimed at shaving off Clove’s snowballing power. When Clove’s team gets ahead in advantageous states, they very easily outperform other controllers.

  3. Patch 10.042025-03-04

    Meddle

    • Projectile audio has been updated to fit this new behavior.

    Ruse

    • Cooldown duration increased from30sto40s

    Pick Me Up

    • Health buff duration increased from8sto10s
    • Move speed duration reduced from8sto3s
    Why, in Riot's words

    No longer explodes after a 1.3 second timer after casting. Explodes after contact with the ground after a 0.75s timer.

Quick answers about Clove

What role is Clove?
Controller. Riot describes the role: “Controllers are experts in slicing up dangerous territory to set their team up for success.”
What are Clove’s abilities?
C — Pick-me-up, Q — Meddle, E — Ruse and X — Not Dead Yet, the last being the ultimate.
What does Clove’s ultimate do?
Not Dead Yet, in Riot’s words: “After dying, ACTIVATE to resurrect. Once resurrected, Clove must earn a kill or a damaging assist within a set time or they will die. REACTIVATE to cancel early.”
When did Riot last change Clove?
Patch 12.05, published 2026-03-17 — the latest of 3 patches that change Clove in Riot’s notes from 1.01 to 13.06.
Is Clove changed in patch 13.06?
No. Nothing in Riot’s patch 13.06 notes names Clove.
Which other Controllers are there?
6 more in Riot’s current roster: Astra, Brimstone, Harbor, Miks, Omen and Viper.

Clove on video

Situations this kit fills

  • Haven A · Deny plantA Link → A Site
  • Haven Mid · Block visionMid Courtyard → Mid Doors
  • Ascent A · Deny plantA Tree → A Site
  • Ascent Mid · Block visionMid Bottom → Mid Catwalk
  • Sunset A · Deny plantA Elbow → A Site
  • Sunset Mid · Block visionMid Bottom → Mid Courtyard
  • Haven A · Post-plantA Garden → A Site
  • Open the whole library

Other Controllers

What this page will not print

  • Pick rate
  • Win rate
  • Tier

Riot publishes no public match statistics and this product holds no sample of its own. What replaces them is on this page already: what the kit does, what it asks of you, and which situations it can fill.