Skip to main content
Icarus provides comprehensive strategy management including multi-page support, folder organization, and file import/export.

​
Creating strategies

1

Create a new strategy

Click “New Strategy” and provide a name. A new strategy is created with:
  • A unique ID
  • One default page (“Page 1”)
  • The Ascent map selected by default
  • Current timestamp for creation and last edited dates
2

Select your map

Choose the Valorant map for your strategy. The map can be changed later if needed.
3

Set attack or defense

Toggle between attacking and defending side. This affects:
  • The default map view orientation
  • Spawn position context
  • Site labels (A/B/C)

​
Multi-page strategies

Each strategy can contain multiple pages to break down complex setups:

​
Adding pages

1

Click Add Page

Creates a new page with all elements from the current page copied over.
2

Name the page

Give it a descriptive name like “Initial Setup”, “Post-plant”, or “Retake”.
3

Modify the page

Edit agents, abilities, drawings, and lineups independently.
Switch between pages using:
  • Arrow keys - Navigate forward/backward through pages
  • Page list - Click directly on the page you want to view
  • Keyboard shortcuts - Use configured hotkeys for quick navigation
Pages are ordered by their sortIndex. You can reorder pages by dragging them in the page list.

​
Page transitions

When switching pages, Icarus animates the transition:
  • Elements that move show smooth position changes
  • New elements fade in
  • Removed elements fade out
  • Unchanged elements remain visible during the transition

​
Auto-save

Icarus automatically saves your work:
  • Save timer - Triggered after a configurable delay (default: a few seconds after edits)
  • Save indicator - Shows “Saving…” while the save is in progress
  • Debouncing - Multiple rapid edits are coalesced into a single save
Auto-save only works for strategies that have been saved at least once. Unsaved strategies need to be manually saved first.

​
Manual save

You can force an immediate save:
  1. Use the Save button in the toolbar
  2. Press the save keyboard shortcut
  3. Export the strategy to a file

​
Importing strategies

Icarus supports importing from .ica files:
1

Select import method

  • File picker - Browse and select an .ica file
  • Drag and drop - Drop files directly onto the app window
  • File path - Provide a direct path (useful for automation)
2

Load strategy data

Icarus reads the file and extracts:
  • Strategy metadata (name, map, creation date)
  • All pages with their content
  • Embedded images (if the file is a ZIP)
  • Version information for migration
3

Automatic migration

Legacy strategies are automatically upgraded to the current format, including:
  • Converting single-page strategies to multi-page
  • Migrating to 16:9 world coordinates
  • Updating ability positions if the version is outdated
ZIP-based .ica files (created by newer versions) include embedded images. Legacy JSON-only files will try to load images from a separate folder.

​
Exporting strategies

Export your strategies to share with teammates:

​
Single strategy export

1

Click Export

Choose “Export Strategy” from the menu.
2

Select location

Pick where to save the .ica file.
3

File is created

Icarus generates a ZIP archive containing:
  • Strategy JSON with all pages
  • All embedded images
  • Metadata and version information

​
Folder export

You can export an entire folder:
  1. All strategies in the folder are exported
  2. Subfolders are included recursively
  3. A single ZIP file contains the folder hierarchy

​
Strategy operations

​
Renaming

Change the strategy name anytime. The internal ID remains the same, ensuring references stay valid.

​
Duplicating

1

Select duplicate

Right-click a strategy and choose “Duplicate”.
2

New copy is created

A new strategy is created with:
  • New unique ID
  • All pages copied with new IDs
  • “(Copy)” appended to the name
  • Same folder location

​
Deleting

Deleting a strategy:
  • Removes it from the Hive database
  • Deletes the strategy’s storage folder (including images)
  • Cannot be undone
Strategy deletion is permanent. Consider exporting a backup before deleting important strategies.

​
Version migration

Icarus includes automatic migration for older strategy files:

​
Legacy data migration

Strategies created before multi-page support are converted:
  1. Old flat data structure is wrapped into a single page
  2. All drawings, agents, abilities, and text are moved to “Page 1”
  3. Version number is updated to current

​
World coordinate migration

Older strategies used 1.24:1 aspect ratio. Modern strategies use 16:9:
  1. All positions are shifted horizontally to center the map
  2. Drawings, agents, abilities, utilities, and lineups are adjusted
  3. Bounding boxes are recalculated
Migration happens automatically when loading or switching pages. The updated strategy is saved immediately.

​
Storage structure

Strategies are stored in two places:

​
Hive database

The main strategy data (metadata, pages, element positions) is stored in a local Hive database:
  • Fast access for listing strategies
  • Efficient querying for folder organization
  • Atomic updates for reliability

​
File system

Images and large media are stored in the application support directory: 
<app_support>/
  <strategy_id>/
    images/
      <image_id>.<ext>
      ...
Unused images are cleaned up when loading a strategy.

​
Best practices

Use descriptive page names that indicate the round phase or scenario:
  • “Round Start - Default”
  • “Post-Plant - A Site”
  • “Retake - 3v4”
  • “Eco Round - B Split”

​
Organization

  • Group related strategies in folders
  • Use consistent naming conventions
  • Export important strategies regularly as backups
  • Delete unused strategies to keep the library clean

​
Performance

  • Strategies with many pages may take longer to switch
  • Large images increase file size
  • Clean up unused lineups and images periodically

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us