VIPER is one of the most interesting agents in VALORANT. Her toxic abilities have great range and can be utilized in several key points of the round. They deal damage, conceal your movement and force enemies to be on their toes. She’s Smoke from Rainbow 6: Siege mixed with Jade from Mortal Kombat. So, let’s explore this agent’s kit and why you should use it and how you can bite your way into victory.
Basic Ability – Snake Bite
The ability costs 100 credits.
Just as the in-game description says, Snake Bite gives you a launcher for firing small, poisonous grenades. When they detonate, a circle of green smudge will appear on the ground. It will cause damage to anyone standing directly on top. Snake Bite is a good way to flush enemies out of cover and deal damage at the same time.
Snake Bite has a very long-range. You can use that to your advantage by launching grenades into the air from behind cover, bounce them off walls and hit popular hiding spots. When you learn the map and get some training, this tactic can be used to spray the best positions preemptively, so your opponents don’t even get the chance to cause you harm. Additionally, it can hinder enemy assaults by blocking pathways. You can do that both at close and long-range, depending on your intel.
Since this ability has such a long-range, you can easily coordinate with your teammates that may have a better view of the battlefield. They can tell you where to fire. This strategy turns VIPER into a sort of artillery character. In addition to flushing enemies out of cover, it can also be used to gather intel on whether the affected zone is empty or not.
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Basic Ability – Poison Cloud
Like the name suggests, Poison Cloud creates a bubble of poison gas which you can’t see through. The ability damages players that enter it, but that damage gets regenerated once they leave. VALORANT’s interface calls this type of damage DECAY. You can place Poison Cloud on the ground and set it off remotely. Once activated, you can also deactivate and reactivate whenever you please, as long as the device isn’t destroyed. This makes the ability somewhat unique among VALORANT’s smokescreens.
A good way to use Poison Cloud is to plant it on spots that you’ll need obscured later on. Plan your defenses and surprise enemies by blocking their vision. Poison Cloud also works better than other smoke grenades due to causing damage. You can flush out enemies out of cover or prevent their attacks.
Poison Cloud can be great when attacking, but the ability really shined on the defensive. Wait for your enemies to organize an assault and throw a wrench into their plans by blocking their vision. Since you don’t have to actually the device in order to detonate it, it’s possible to plant it, do something else and rely on information from your team on when to detonate.
Special Ability – Toxic Screen
Toxic Screen launches a long line of devices that explode in a straight line of gas screens which can be used for cover. You can create a covering layer of gas through half the map. It also deals reversible DECAY damage to both enemies and teammates. You can activate and deactivate smokescreen whenever you wish, as long you have gas in your tank. This ability recharges and can be used multiple times.
Toxic Screen is a great tool for aggressive players. Just bear in mind that VIPER’s ability can affect your teammates as well. Team communication is vital. You’ll also need to learn how to aim and position the Toxic Screen. All that makes VIPER a good pick for more experienced players. One of the most satisfying strategies includes launching the screen from afar, covering up the enemy’s view and then activating it right before you’re in a position for an assault.
You can also combine Poison Cloud and Toxic Screen to disguise a plant or a defuse. The long range of Toxic Screen makes it possible that you’ll hinder your teammates, so make sure to deactivate the ability after you don’t need it anymore or when your teammates tell you it prevents them from taking part in the firefight. Also, make sure to keep an eye on how much gas you have left.
Ultimate Ability – Viper’s Pit
This ability will cost you 7 ultimate points.
VIPER’s ultimate is aptly named, as Viper’s Pit creates a defensive area dedicated to her. Anyone caught inside it, be it friend or foe, will take reversible DECAY damage. No visuals go in or out of the Viper’s Pit and all enemies caught in it will be highlighted for VIPER to see. Combined with the damage enemies take, this makes Viper’s Pit a good choice for aggressive play.
Since Viper’s Pit provides cover, it’s a good ability to use while planting or defusing the spike. You can keep the enemy team on their toes by rushing them with your pit. You can also exit its perimeter. However, if you leave for too long, the pit will run out of gas and disappear, so keep close to it if you want a more lasting effect.
While you can combine Viper’s Pit with other abilities, the gas tank they all run on will be depleted more quickly. Time is important, so make sure you combine abilities during aggressive, well-thought-out pushes. If you play defensively, you’ll need to space out your abilities to conserve gas. Both methods of play are fine, but VIPER really shines when you adopt an aggressive playstyle.
VIPER strikes quickly and poisons everyone around her
This isn’t something you want to hear about a girl you’ve just added on Facebook, but it’s perfect when picking an aggressive, fast and fun agent in an online shooter. Her fast-activating abilities, combined with the poisonous damage and her own guns make VIPER a perfect pick for the more experimental, quick and bloodthirsty VALORANT player.
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