How to play Viper: Breaking down the tech of controller agent Viper

Within Valorant’s lore, she’s one of the founders of the VALORANT protocol and the shade within the shadows. This is Viper, one of the first controller agents available to play within Riot’s tactical FPS Valorant. Making use of toxins, she controls the battlefield and affects her enemies with poison.

Abilities Breakdown

Much like the other Valorant agents, Viper has four abilities available to her: 2 purchasable abilities, a signature ability (replenishes every round), and an ultimate ability (earned through ult charges). Like a few other agents, she also has a built in passive ability.

Her passive, Fuel, allows her to gradually generate and replenish the toxin that fuels her abilities. Aside from her Snake Bite, all her other abilities also apply Decay on enemies, causing a health minus on initial contact and decrease in health for continued presence within the ability.

Viper’s first ability is Snake Bite, which is essentially a Molotov that applies damage and the Vulnerable status to enemies in it (double damage from all sources). Her second ability is Poison Cloud, where she tosses a gas emitter. The emitter can remain perpetually throughout the round and be picked back up. It emits a globe of smoke at the cost of Fuel. The smoke causes Decay to those who pass through it.

Her signature ability is Toxic Screen, where she emits a line that penetrates terrain. The line can emit smoke at the cost of Fuel. It cannot be picked back up and applies Decay to those who pass through. Her ultimate is Viper’s Pit, wherein Viper creates a massive toxic cloud in an area. The cloud causes Decay to all in it, and reduced vision range.

Playstyle

The nature of Viper’s kit demands a slower playstyle typically, as most of her utility requires ‘setup.’ Therefore, despite her label of controller, she often doubles as a sentinel on sites, specializing in delaying pushes with her Decay and smokes. After casting her Poison Cloud and Toxic Screen, there is a short period before the smokes emit. This means as an entry, she suffers from lack of speed and pushing power.

Where Viper shines, is truly as a supportive element to the team, providing cut sightlines, tossing Snake Bites on choke points, and delaying for the team on both sides. Moreover, her ultimate has one of the highest potentials in the game, on post plants, forcing the defender teams to walk into her pit, and on defense, blocking off chokepoints and entryways.

Team Comps

Unless on certain maps such as Breeze or Icebox, Viper tends to struggle with map control. This stems from her rather immobile kit that does not allow for quick smokes cross map. However, on maps such as Pearl and Bind, she has found a niche as a secondary smoker, doubling as site anchor due to her specialty for defense.

Tips to Level up your Viper game

Whilst she struggles getting on to sites on her own, once there, Viper is capable of creating maximum chaos. And chaos, is where characters like her thrive best. Unsuspecting Snake Bites, sudden walls, and Swoop Peeks, allow for her to get the jump on confused opponents.

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One of the most difficult yet rewarding skills to learn with Viper, moreso than any other Controller, is mastery of her smokes and Fuel. By being able to know the remaining time for smokes to remain, windows of opportunity become more apparent. Playing around her wall and Poison Cloud as well allows for unexpected ambushes.

Finally, learning Snake Bite lineups can really level up your Attack side, denying any chance of a defuse if timed properly.

Image credit: WIW Ferrera