The Valiant 2 has been out for a few months now and has been received well with several key features added over the original Valiant series that make these reels more usable for more anglers. The biggest difference is the addition of the internal centrifugal cast control system, if you've ever used a reel with it you'll definitely appreciate how easy these reels are to cast without worrying about backlashing. I have a Accurate Tern 2 with a similar system and it is one of my favorite cast and retrieve reels, even beating out the larger low profiles that are popular these days. These reels are still super light compared to anything else on the market, while retaining the durability you expect.

Another performance feature that is well appreciated is the new drag stop to keep you from pushing all the way up into full on accident, this is especially nice when fishing lighter line since the original cam stop's provided little resistance so it was easy to overshoot strike. All of the standard models come with the larger rubber handle knob which will be the most comfortable for most anglers, but the ball, Xtreme and SPJ knobs are available and sold separately.

Apart from those main changes these reels just have a more refined feel to them compared to the original Valiant series, they feel smoother, the cam is easier to turn, the drag lever feels nicer to move and they just inspire more confidence. The best way to describe it is to liken it to the higher end Dauntless series that they've discontinued, it was probably the nicest reel to spool on the machine, everything just behaved like it should and these reels feel just like that.

They haven't made any size changes besides the more recent addition of the 500N Plus size so you'll be able to find a size that works for your application whether that's light jigging or heavy high speed trolling.