Valorant is a team-based, tactical FPS created by Riot Games, and currently has multiple unique characters in the Agent pool for players to choose from. Divided into four specific classes — Duelists, Controllers, Sentinels, and Initiators — each agent has a specific role in the game. Viper is arguably one of the strongest Controller Agents in the game, but can initially be tough to play.
Here's our comprehensive guide on how to play as Viper in Valorant.
Read More: Valorant: How Agent Contracts Work
Is Viper Good in Valorant?
Viper's backstory in Valorant involves her being an American chemist. She is a part of the Valorant Protocol team and reports directly to Brimstone.
Her field expertise is shown in her toxin-based abilities, and makes Viper a significant threat in Valorant. Her abilities are designed to cut off portions of the map and take control, while also damaging enemies simultaneously. She is a popular choice for players of all ranks, and one of her strongest abilities is her capability of controlling a site post-plant with her ultimate.
Is Viper Good for Beginners?
To play Viper, players must unlock the Agent first, as she is not immediately available. Needless to say, she is not the best choice for a beginner, as it takes a little experience to master using her abilities. However, with just a little practice, a beginner can easily master Viper and dominate matches.
The current meta in competitive matches is that games are dictated by the number of Controller Agents in a team, or how a team plays around them. Viper is a popular pick for most ranked teams because of her strong set of abilities as a Controller.
How To Play As Viper — Abilities & Skills
Here are all of Viper's abilities:
Snakebite - Viper equip a chemical launcher. Fire to launch a canister that shatters upon hitting the floor, creating a lingering chemical zone that damages enemies and applies Vulnerable, doubling incoming damage. Vulnerable lasts for 2 seconds upon leaving the area of effect.
Poison Cloud - Viper equip a gas emitter. Fire to throw the emitter that perpetually remains throughout the round. Re-use the ability to create a toxic gas cloud at the cost of fuel. This ability can be re-used more than once and can be picked up to be redeployed. Poison Orb goes on a 6-second cooldown after being deactivated.
Signature Ability: Toxic Screen -: Viper equip a gas emitter launcher. Fire to deploy a long line of gas emitters. Re-use the ability to create a tall wall of toxic gas at the cost of fuel. This ability can be re-used more than once. Toxic Screen burns through walls, placing emitters at all valid locations (e.g., the ground) over its length.
Ultimate: Viper’s Pit - Viper uses a chemical sprayer. Fire to spray a chemical cloud in all directions around Viper, creating a large cloud that reduces the vision range of players and maximum health of enemies inside of it. Hold the ability key to disperse the cloud early. Lasts forever if Viper returns to refuel it every 15 seconds, or remains inside.
Viper's Best Weapons
The best weapons to select for any Agent in Valorant will depend on their role and the player's play style.
So if you're aggressively pushing sites with Viper for entry, then these weapons will be the best choice.
- Ghost
- Stinger
- Spectre
- Phantom
- Frenzy
- Sheriff
In case you are hanging back and adopting a passive play style with Viper, then work your way around with the following weapons:
- Bulldog
- Marshall
- Guardian
- Vandal
- Odin
- Operator
During Viper's ultimate, it is better to use a weapon like Phantom or Spectre to ensure that the enemies cannot see your bullets. Simultaneously, using these two weapons will give Viper an edge over the enemy at close range.
Tips for Playing Viper in Valorant
Viper is equipped with a smoke that players can place strategically to force enemies to go in different directions. Alternatively, players can use the smoke to cover the bomb (when her ultimate isn't available) and activate it once the opponent starts defusing it. Poison Cloud combined with two well-timed Snakebites can stop the enemy from defusing the Spike, especially since they do damage.
During defensive rounds, Viper can hold down a site almost on her own. Using Snakebites at choke points will slow down the enemy, and give your teammates more time to rotate quickly. Similarly, using her Toxin Screen allows Viper to hide behind the wall, and wait for enemies to walk through it, so she can attack. Players should be careful to not rely on this and risk becoming predictable.
To top it off we have Viper's ultimate which is perhaps the strongest Controller ultimate in-game. Unlike Brimstone, Omen or Astra, Viper's ultimate focuses on a specific area and allows her to take charge of the entire site. When available, Viper can use her ultimate ability to close off a site, protect the spike, and make enemies more vulnerable if they attempt to get close.
Opponents entering Viper's ultimate will always be at a disadvantage because their health will be brought down to 1HP. At the same time, players on Viper's team can go in and out of her ultimate to reposition themselves, but Viper must return inside her pit within 15 seconds for it to remain active.
Similarly, while defending, you can use Viper's ultimate early in the round to funnel enemies to the other site. This way, your teammates can cut them off at choke points or just camp the other spike site to get easy kills. Alternatively, it can be used after an enemy team has planted the spike to make them vulnerable, get kills, and defuse.
Overall, timing is the essence of Viper's kit. Knowing when to pop her smoke and when to let go will separate a good Viper from a great one!
Viper's Weaknesses
Viper's abilities are based around toxin fuel, all of Viper's abilities (except for her ultimate) will drain of fuel after use and require time to recharge. Inexperienced Viper players will make novice mistakes of not preserving their toxin fuel, and thus, enemy players can counter this.
At the same time, some Agents can counter Viper's ultimate with their own. For instance, Brimstone, Breach, and Killjoy can use their ultimate to force Viper out of her pit. Additionally, Yoru can enter Viper's pit using his ultimate and still remain at 100 health. This way he can scout and locate Viper and kill her to cancel out her abilities. Skye can also use her ultimate to find Viper inside her pit, and then flash inside the pit to easily peek and kill her.
In conclusion, Viper's set of abilities are significantly strong, especially for the post-plant meta. However, a well-coordinated opponent team can easily find ways to strategise against her.
That;s all you need to know about playing as and countering Viper in Valorant! To find who is best for you to play as in Valorant, check out our tier list of all agents here.
This article was updated on 17th November 2021 by Kelsey Raynor.