October 5, 2023
Viper was among the first agents to be released with Valorant. As a sentinel, she supports her team by using her utility to create environmental and positional advantages. However, her kit can be challenging to get used to as it requires good coordination and map knowledge. To make the start of your Viper journey easier, I have assembled a guide, including an overview of her kit and additional tips.
Abilities
Passive
Viper’s passive abilities make her a unique agent. The toxin allows her and her team to gain map control and kills more quickly. In contrast, her fuel adds a difficult component to her gameplay. Although fuel management is important to play Viper efficiently, it is best learned through experience. Moreover, do not be discouraged by the number of metrics involved in Viper’s kit. You do not have to memorize all of them to get familiar with Viper. Instead, I just added them to give you a general idea of her ability’s impact and cost.
Signature
Viper’s Poison Screen allows her to split wide and open areas or those with multiple lines of sight. This way, Viper can slow incoming pushes or provide cover and protection while she and her team enter specific areas. Keep in mind that this ability can pass through walls as you deploy it, but make sure to aim it high enough to take advantage of its entire range.
Basic
When people think of Viper’s Snake Bite, they commonly think of lineups. While denying enemy plants or diffuses by shooting a Snake Bite from afar is impactful, it is good to consider other uses of this ability. For example, it can also effectively slow enemy engagements or clear corners and smokes where you suspect opponents. If you are interested in learning lineups, I recommend checking out this video for the most common lineups on various maps. For in depth-map guides, I suggest the LineupsGuide YouTube channel.
The Poison Cloud is a bit like a Poison Screen that takes a different shape. Therefore, it is used in similar scenarios but different positions. The Poison Cloud is most effective when covering narrow doorways or sight lines. One advantage of the cloud is that its emitter can be placed on the ground and on ledges and objects to create all kinds of coverage.
Both the Snake Bite and the Poison Cloud bounce off wallsl before landing. This mechanic enables them to be used creatively by taking advantage of the environment.
Ultimate
Viper’s Pit represents the peak of her defensive capabilities. It is one of the most powerful tools to defend a site after planting the spike. However, sometimes it is also used aggressively to take control of a site. In this case, make sure to never be the first one to enter the site. When Viper dies, her Pit goes down with her, so letting your team push in first to stay alive is crucial. On defense, Viper’s ultimate excellent for locking down one side of the map.
Finally, I have some things to remember when incorporating Viper’s Pit into your matches. First, her ult highlights enemies inside in red, giving you a competitive edge. Second, the Pit takes a few seconds the reach its full form after activation.
Best Maps
Since Viper is at a good place in Valorant’s current meta, she is a valuable contribution on many maps. She provides a lot of useful utility for her team. If you enjoy playing her, feel free to select her whenever you want! That being said, if you do care about the competitive side of Valorant, it is good to know on which maps Viper excels. Icebox, Breeze and Bind are where her utility shines brightest! Additionally, she is occasionally seen on Split and Fracture in pro play. However, her use on these maps highly depends on your team’s overall composition and playstyle.
Conclusion
I hope you have found this guide helpful. I know Viper can be overwhelming at first, but I promise once you get used to her abilities, you will have a blast! If you are now hungry for more Viper tips and tricks, here is an in-depth guide.