Guide 2022: Playing Agent Viper abilities & tips.

Viper is one of the Agents you have to unlock in Valorant. As a Controller, she claims a combat zone for herself and make it hostile for opponents. Her mechanics are based on the management of a poison reserve that handicaps vision and kills slowly.

Rather versatile, she gets by in attack as well as in defense. She was initially to be handled with caution, because her poison made no distinction between allies and enemies. This is not the case anymore, which makes her much more interesting. She remains a relatively solo Agent, though, although excellent coordination can create some very beneficial scenarios.

Before anything else, we advise you to familiarise yourself Viper’s abilities.

Viper’s Abilities

Viper’s skills are pretty standard at first glance; a wall, a smoke bomb and a slowdown zone. There are, however, two particularities that completely set it apart: the poison and the reserve.

Let’s see the poison first. Viper’s abilities poison all opponents that come in contact with them. The poison then drops hit points fairly quickly, allowing Viper to pick off her targets once they’re vulnerable. The effects of the poison are temporary, however. Players regain their hit points as fast as they lost them a few seconds after exiting the green vapors.

Where Phoenix or Jett’s skills only take effect a few seconds after use, Viper’s can be deployed for a very long time, and several times during a round. Viper has full control of her Toxic Screen and Poison Cloud and can turn them on or off at will, as long as her reserve is not empty. When neither of these two skills is active, the reserve gradually recharges.

Snake Bite (C):

200 Credits – 2 Uses. The Snake Bite is also a great skill, but this one doesn’t take advantage of the poison pool. It is therefore temporary and disposable. Its large puddles cripple player movement, making them stay longer in your various poison zones. Note that Viper is not immune to bite damage and will also suffer the Vulnerable effect if she steps into a puddle.

The stars that you want to transform into Gravity Well are best placed a little bit in front of the entries. When opponents pass through a door, it becomes too late for them to turn back and avoid the gravitational effect.

Poison Cloud (Q):

200 Credits – 1 Use. The device deploying the Poison Cloud can be placed without being activated, allowing it to be used as a trap. Viper can also pick up the device to place it elsewhere and it cannot be destroyed. It is undoubtedly the best smoke bomb in the game, but its use requires good game vision.

The Poison Cloud can be used in many ways. This is one of the most practical tools for creating one-ways (photo on the left). Thanks to this technique, you can create useful lines for your team and which will greatly disadvantage your opponents, both in defense and in attack.

Also, this skill can be used to defend the site. Just place the trap at the default laying area (pictured right). Viper can then stay hidden and trigger her Cloud when she hears someone plant the Spike. This will force that individual to cancel the pose or step out of the orb to plant elsewhere. You then have the opportunity to make kills easily. Finally, if you prepare the ground well, it is an extremely effective method at the end of the turn, to counter the pose of the Spike.

When you are on offense, this method allows you to cover the Spike. If you combine it with a puddle of Snake Bite or a Brimstone Firebomb, your enemies are unlikely to be able to defuse it.

Finally, the Poison Cloud can simply be used to block lines of sight. In defense, to be fully effective, this use must be double. The Cloud should allow you to blur the visibility of opponents and reduce their number of hit points. Since you can activate / deactivate this orb at your leisure, block the line of sight at the start of the game, then deactivate the cloud to allow enemies the possibility of returning to the site, then activate it again when they go on the offensive. As a result, you will reduce their HP to finish them off more easily.

Toxic Screen (E):

The Toxic Screen cannot be redeployed during a round. His position is final. It nevertheless retains the advantage of being activated at any time, whether to cut off your opponents’ field of vision or to poison them. Toxic Screen is also much longer than any other skill of its kind in Valorant. With good positioning, it is possible to block several passages at once. In addition, the pose of the screen passes through walls and obstacles, which allows interesting placements at long distances.

When attacking, this screen can easily cut off enemies’ sight. Place it so that your team can move forward unhindered. However, be careful with your poison supply. If you run out of “fuel” during the rush, the wall could disappear and leave your whole team vulnerable. If you are confident, you can also decide to drop it voluntarily to surprise the opponents who would be behind.

Whether in attack or in defense, it is imperative not to hinder your allies with your wall. You could slow down or even abort an on-site rush if Toxic Wall is misplaced.

Viper’s Pit, Viper’s Ultimate

Nest of Vipers is one of the best ultimates in Valorant. By deploying its poisonous gas, Viper can claim very large areas of the map. As long as she stays inside, the cloud stays active, meaning opponents can’t just wait for the effect to wear off. All enemies who enter this gas are of course poisoned and see their field of vision reduced. Additionally, they are highlighted in red in Viper’s eyes, allowing her to spot them very clearly.

This ability is absolutely amazing on Spike sites. Whether it’s used to plant the Spike, defuse it or prevent opponents from planting it, there are several uses. Once Viper unleashes her ultimate, she becomes the primary target of her enemies.

Playing Viper in Attack

Although slightly more effective in defense, Viper remains talented in attack. Her Poison Cloud and her Snake Bite can dislodge the most hidden opponents. Use Toxic Screen combined with Poison Cloud to hide yourself from your enemies during assaults. However, be very careful not to block the vision for your own team with your abilities.

Playing Viper in Defense

This is the phase in which Viper excels. Each of her abilities can be used to trap her opponents. Place your poison emitters in hidden sneaky corners to surprise your enemies. By activating your Poison Cloud or Toxic Screen in front of the entrances to a site, you can force your opponents to enter a battleground without any visual information and with less health points than your team. Be careful not to obscure the vision of your allies or yours.