Icebox is yet another map where everyone’s meta-favorite Sentinel/Controller hybrid in Viper truly shines.
Think of the following scenario for a while: Even if Viper is slapped with an imaginary handicap where she can only use her Toxic Screen and Snake Bite molly on Icebox, she will still be able to contribute and give a ton of value to her team versus someone like, say, Yoru. Perhaps this imaginary scenario is a testament to how powerful Viper’s kit is or a reminder of how useless Yoru is right now in the meta.
Imaginary scenarios aside, Viper is without a doubt at home on Icebox. Icebox’s bomb sites are fairly spacious, and because of the excessive verticality on Icebox, there will always be a ton of angles and corners to clear upon site entry.
Viper can aid in site entry and post-plant defense with her Toxic Screen and Snake Bite molly. For today, though, let’s look at some useful post-plant Snake Bite lineups for Icebox.
Viper Snake Bite
Viper’s Snake Bite is the most powerful molly ability in-game in terms of overall potential damage. Not only does Snake Bite deal decent damage over a few seconds, but it also applies a unique debuff called “Vulnerable.”
Vulnerable is simply a double damage debuff applied to anyone affected by Viper’s Snake Bite. (includes teammates as well) Vulnerable amplifies the damage received from basically any source in-game, which means bullets will also deal double damage to anyone affected by Viper’s Snake Bite. Vulnerable lingers for two more seconds after the molly area is vacated.
Viper’s Snake Bite costs 200 credits each and can be equipped for a maximum of two charges per round. Snake Bite has a smaller radius than other molly abilities in the game, but it has a decent duration at 6.5 seconds.
Icebox A-site – Default Plant Post-plant Snake Bite Lineup
Default plant spots on just about any map in VALORANT are the most common spots to plant the Spike for two reasons:
- The spot provides quick cover from the rest of the site. Planters can confidently run over to the spot and plant the bomb while their teammates clear out the rest of the site.
- Default spots are easy to defend and easy to call out. Everyone knows where a Default is by now.
Icebox’s A-site Default is the spot just under the Defender side nest and to the right of the Radianite box. Here is a quick post-plant molly lineup for A-site Default:
- Look for this cable just below A-Nest:
2. Pull your mouse down until the crosshair does not move anymore. Align yourself vertically with the cable:
3. Align the horizontal line of your crosshair with the topmost line of the cable:
4. Look up towards the broken glass on the A-site rightmost wall:
5. Aim for this small triangular crack on the wall:
6. Launch Viper’s Snake Bite Molly:
When done properly, Viper’s Molly should land on Default:
Icebox A-site – Rope Snake Bite Lineup from Attacker Spawn
The spot just a little to the right of Default is another great spot to plant the Spike on A-site. This spot gives post-plant Attackers a direct sightline of the Spike from way back at Belt and behind Pipes.
Your teammates can hold from behind Pipes and Jail as well. Both spots give a direct sightline of the planted Spike as well.
Of course, Viper can help defend the Spike post-plant with the help of a simple molly lineup from the safety of Attacker Spawn. This is one of the safer post-plant molly lineup spots for A-site, as flanking Defenders will easily be punished since most of your teammates (assuming most of them are still alive to play post-plant) are all bunched up at the Nest/Belt area.
- Look for this wall near Belt/Ramps
2. Center yourself on the right side edge of the wall:
3. Look up towards the A-site ceiling and look for this corner:
4. Place your crosshair on the same corner:
5. Launch Viper’s Snake Bite Molly:
When done properly, Snake Bite should bounce off of the back wall and land on the spot just below Defender Nest:
Icebox A-site – Default Snake Bite Lineup from Boiler
Viper is very vulnerable whenever she is out and lining up her mollies for post-plant. Each of her mollies lasts 6.5 seconds, which means that she has to wait 6.5 seconds after the first molly to launch the second one. 6.5 seconds is enough time for enemies to find Viper and eliminate her.
We cannot stress how important it is to have variations upon variations of the same lineups in the game, whether it’s a Sova Recon Bolt lineup or a Killjoy Nanoswarm Molly. VALORANT is a game of patterns, and, like any capable human being, sooner or later, your enemies will figure out exactly where you are lining up these Snake Bite mollies.
With that in mind, here is yet another molly lineup for A-site Default, which will be lined up from Boiler.
- Look for this wall at Boiler:
2. Align yourself with this line on the wall:
3. Turn around and look for this line on A Screen:
4. Place your crosshair just a little above this line:
5. Launch Snake Bite:
When done properly, the Snake Bite molly should bounce off of the wall and land on Default:
Icebox B-site – Default Snake Bite Lineup
Icebox’s B-site Default is a plant spot that can give your team a very good chance at winning the round, thanks to its advantageous position for Attackers.
A Default plant in B-site is easy to defend from behind Yellow and Green. Defenders are also forced to enter heavily contested territory to access and defuse the Spike.
Viper can easily split B-site into two by using her Toxic Screen. The Controller/Sentinel hybrid agent can also help secure the bomb plant by directly throwing mollies towards the bomb or lining up a few mollies for post-plant.
The recent change to the boxes covering B-site Default (boxes can no longer be wall banged from the other side) just made this area a whole lot more attractive spot for Attackers to plant the Spike at.
- Go to this doorway at B-Garage:
2. Align yourself with the bottom left line on the floor:
3. Turn around and look for the Orange Crane:
4. Place the dot on the Snake Bite left-click indicator on this corner on the Crane:
5. Launch Snake Bite:
When done correctly, Snake Bite should land nicely at B-Default:
Icebox B-site – Safe Plant Snake Bite Lineup
If your team has full control of the B-site, including the Snowman area, then it might be a good idea to plant the Spike inside the “Tube.”
Once again, this spot can easily be covered from both Yellow and Green. The wall surrounding the Tube can easily be wall banged if Defenders start defusing the Spike.
This spot is pretty easy to defend with some Snake Bite Mollies. Here’s how to do it:
- Look for this cubby at B-Green:
2. Stand in the corner:
3. Turn around and look for this spot just under the large Crane:
4. Place your crosshair on this spot:
5. Launch the Snake Bite molly:
The Snake Bite vial should bounce off of the Crane once and eventually land at the planted Spike inside of the Tube:
Icebox B-site – 2nd Floor/Top site Snake Bite Lineup
Icebox’s Top Site is another great spot to plant the Spike in B-site. Not only does this spot force Defenders to use the ropes to access the Spike, but it is also quite an open spot where post-plant Attackers can easily defend the Spike from B-Yellow, Mid-Blue, and even B-Green (wall bang).
Viper can easily help defend the Spike with her Snake Bite molly, which she can easily and safely line up from behind B-Yellow.
- Look for these boxes behind B-Yellow:
2. Stand in the corner between the box and the wall:
3. Turn around and look for the tip of this line on top of the B-Top site:
4. Place your crosshair on said tip:
5. Launch Viper’s Snake Bite molly:
When lined up properly, the Snake Bite molly should land on Topsite without any problems:
Cold Embrace
Icebox is a strong map for Viper Mains as site entry into either of the two bomb sites is practically impossible without proper smokes.
Viper can help make quick work of site entry thanks to her Toxic Screen, which can effectively split bomb sites into two halves. The amount of space that Toxic Screen covers in Icebox makes it very easy for Viper’s teammates to enter bombsites safely.
On the other hand, Viper’s Snake Bite molly is a strong piece of utility in just about every map in VALORANT. On Icebox, a few simple Snake Bite lineups can help ensure a successful post-plant defense every time.
