Viper is one of the best controller agents in VALORANT, who can win you many games if played effectively. This article will cover all the essential setups an aspiring Viper main needs for the map Ascent.
VALORANT is a tactical shooter, with each player properly fulfilling a specific role in the team, so while picking Viper, you must first know about her abilities, role in the team, playstyle, and how you can utilize her effectively to secure victory for your team.
Viper
Introduction
Sabine Callas Aka Viper, is a Scientist from the United States and held a key position in the Kingdom Corporation. After the events in Rabat, Morocco, Sabine sought vengeance and co-founded the VALORANT protocol, becoming their second agent. She uses her advanced tech and poison to block off enemy pushes and sightlines.
To start playing her effectively, all you need to learn is a basic defending and attacking setup for each site of each map, along with a few lineups.
Role
In VALORANT, Viper is classified as a Controller agent. Viper’s kit focuses on taking control of the battlefield, with emphasis on supporting the rest of the team by blocking enemy vision and delaying the enemy with her poison.
In-game Impact
In a tactical shooter like VALORANT, maps have open sightlines and multiple points of entry, making both defending and attacking hard because of so many angles. Therefore Agents are required who are capable of blocking enemy vision and taking control of areas. Viper’s job is to do exactly that.
When attackers are pushing the site, Viper can block off the choke as well as alternate pathways to put them at a disadvantage. While attacking, she can split the site with her toxic screen, denying enemies vision from their secure positions. She can also use Snake bite lineups to pull off some big-brain plays.
How to Unlock
Viper can be unlocked by completing her Agent Contract up to tier 5.
Abilities
- Snake Bite (Basic): When C is pressed, it equips the Snake Bite. Fire to launch a projectile that explodes into a pool of poison on contact with a floor. Damages as well as debuffs enemies with Vulnerable.
> Cost: 200 credits
> Damage: 12.5 HP/second (Vulnerable enemies take double damage)
> Duration: 5.5 seconds (Vulnerable 2 seconds)
> Charges: 2 - Poison Cloud (Basic): “Q” Equips a device that releases an activatable gas cloud when thrown. It can be used with some lineups to make one-way smokes.
> Cost: 200 credits
> Duration: 10-15 seconds (Depends on Fuel)
> Cooldown: 8 seconds in between activations - Toxic Screen (Signature): “E” Equips a line of gas launchers that stretch across large portions of the map, blocking enemy vision and applying toxin when activated.
> Cost: Free
> Duration: 10-15 seconds (Depends on Fuel)
> Cooldown: 8 seconds in between activations - Viper’s Pit (Ultimate): “X” Equip and activate a big cloud of toxin that severely limits the enemy’s line of sight and applies toxin damage. Leaving the cloud for too long or pressing X deactivates it.
> Cost: 8 ult points
> Duration: Indefinite whenever Viper is within, 8 s timer if she exits
General Playstyle
As a Viper, while defending, your job is to set up your wall and poison cloud across key chokes in the map. While the enemies are rushing, use your snake bites or ultimate defensively. While attacking, use your wall to split a site or location your team wants to push. You can use your poison cloud to cover an extra region your wall does not cover or use it on the spike to play post-plant. You can use your ultimate on-site. Use your snake bites to clear cubbies or prevent enemies from retaking a site. They can also be used post-plant with lineups to prevent defuses.
Viper Strategies: Getting Started
Viper is a unique agent who is smart, strategic, and equipped with the deadliest of poisons. Her abilities are Toxic Screen, Poison Cloud, and Snake bite.
While casting her toxic screen, take note that it travels through walls outward in a projectile motion dropping gas emitters as it goes. So if you aim low, the wall will not reach its full length even if it is shown on the map.
This is why it is always suggested to aim high while casting her wall.
Best Viper strategy for Ascent
Now that you have an idea about all of Viper’s abilities and general playstyle, let’s dive right into the nitty-gritty details about playing Viper in Ascent. While defending, use it to cover multiple chokes and while attacking, use your wall to split sites. Poison clouds can be used in arch or short to take control of mid. Snake bites can compromise enemy defenders’ positions and also prevent them from defusing.
We will talk about a few basic strategies, which will be all you need in most scenarios while playing Viper in Ascent. This will include a basic attack and defense strategy for each site, as well as snake bite lineups. Viper is a decent pick for this map, and if you can utilize her correctly, you’ll end up securing the victory for your team.
So let’s get started on the attack and defensive setups for Ascent, including post-plant lineups you all know and love. We will show an easy-to-follow but highly effective setup that will work in all general scenarios and combo well with your teammates.
Attack
Viper Ascent A site Attack Setup
A site has good vantage points, including heaven, site, and garden. So you’d want to use your abilities to block vision from as many of these positions as possible. Use your wall just after the round starts from the corner of green box. Use it in such a way that it goes through the edge of garden, covering heaven as well.
You can push behind your allies and take the site. Throw a basic poison cloud on where the spike is planted.
Viper Ascent A site post-plant lineup
Now let’s talk about what you guys really love, Viper’s snake bite lineups. After planting in A generator, head back to A lobby and stand in the corner of the green box again.
Align your HUD element (top dot above the LMB icon) with these grates in the ceiling. When you hear a defuse sound, activate your poison cloud with Q and press LMB to throw the snakebite. After a few seconds of delay fire the second one. You can peek back in from A main if there is a lot of time remaining. Make sure to not wait too long or else’s the opponent might defuse the spike.
You can get kills on the defuser in multiple rounds with this lineup.
Viper Ascent B site Attack Setup
While attacking B, get started by casting your wall from tiles standing at the corner of the flower pot. Then aim high and keep an eye on the mini-map so that your wall covers Defender’s spawn on B site. With your team already pushing into garage, use and activate this wall. It will block enemies in cubby, market, and defender base; effectively splitting the site in half.
This will leave only lane, switch, stairs, and site to be cleared while entering the site. Plant default and use your poison cloud. Head back by garage to set up for the posts-plant lineup.
Viper Ascent B site post-plant lineup
For the plant at B site default box, head back to B lobby for the post-plant lineup. Stand in the corner of the wall and get ready to use the lineup. Since the location is quite far, you can use the lineup early and push into garage for the follow-up.
Align your snake bite HUD icon with the broken building’s left window and fire.
The snakebite will bounce off a tree and land perfectly on the planted spike, killing enemy defusers.
Viper Ascent Mid Attack Setup
Mid is the most vital aspect of Ascent, so it is often a good idea to take control of mid. As Viper, you can use your abilities to help your team towards that. From the back of A lobby, use your wall to cover the arch, market, and short.
Have your team push up and take control of mid. Go for trades and use your snake bite if enemies start getting aggressive.
Defense
Viper Ascent A site Defense Setup
To defend A site, a classic wall is shown below, covering not only A choke but also short and mid. During the buy-phase, from the left edge of A choke, use the wall. Look at the minimap and make sure to aim slightly on the left of the white lines of the mid arch. Use your snakebites and poison clouds to delay enemy pushes, allowing your team to rotate.
Viper Ascent B site Defense Setup
Enemies love rushing B site, and it’s almost always the first thing enemies are likely to do in the initial rounds. Viper is more suited to A site because of her wall, but you can use her to defend B as well. A very simple B setup is shown below.
Throw the poison cloud simply at the choke and activate it if you hear footsteps in garage. If you sense a rush, then use your snake bites here as well.
Go back to market and fire this wall. Do not activate this immediately, but only do so if enemies already have taken control of mid or are pushing towards A choke.
So now that you’re equipped with all the knowledge regarding Viper’s setups for Ascent make sure to try them all out and practice them in Custom matches before heading out into a competitive match. These will cover the basic setups, which you can bring variants to as you get more experienced playing Viper.
Continue Reading:
- VALORANT: Best Viper Lineups and Setups for Breeze
- VALORANT: Best Viper Lineups and Setups for Bind
- VALORANT: Best Viper Lineups and Setups for Pearl
- VALORANT: Best Viper Lineups and Setups for Fracture
- VALORANT: Best Viper Lineups and Setups for Icebox
- VALORANT: Best Viper Lineups and Setups for Haven
