Valorant Viper Guide: How To Play Viper Like a Pro [25 Useful Viper Tips You Should Know]

Updated:

08 Oct 2022

Have you ever wanted to use Viper but were overwhelmed with her playstyle? Did you pick her that one time and find out she’s different from other controller agents? Or are you one of those who already uses her and wants to do better?

You've come to the right place because I'm here to help you up your game with Viper. Here are 25 tips to make you a pro with Astra.

25. Learn The Swoop Peek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCvOmw4G4b4

One of the best things to learn if you want to be a pro viper is the swoop peek. This can be easily done by throwing down your poison orb, activating it, then picking it up and instantly catching enemies off guard.

This is especially effective when you know an enemy's location. Enemies will think that the poison orb is just blocking their vision, but in reality, you are there to ambush them.

Be sure to not always use this trick, as enemies can catch on and punish you for it.

24. Learn Viper’s Role In The Team

https://youtu.be/FalmEYfjVyA?t=439

The first thing you should learn if you want to be a pro Viper is to learn what her role is in the team. Viper is a controller agent and is usually the one who sets the pace of the game.

As a Viper player, you must know when to use your utility, when to lurk, and stay alive as long as possible because your kit is essential in both defending and attacking.

23. Learn Snake Bite Lineups

https://youtu.be/6431OpfR480?t=288

Another best thing to learn as Viper is her snake bite line-ups. Learning Viper lineups is key to her gameplay, as it can do clear angles and deny the defuse easily, giving you the advantage.

Be sure to learn lineups for clearing angles and post-plant situations.

22. Learn Poison Cloud Lineups

https://youtu.be/6431OpfR480?t=52

Learning poison orb lineups will greatly benefit not only you but also your team in the long run. Having lineups for common angles where enemies will come from will greatly improve your Viper gameplay.

Be sure to learn multiple lineups so as not to get countered by your enemies.

21. Learn Wall Lineups

https://youtu.be/6431OpfR480?t=25

Astra's wall is one of the best controller skills in the game as it can cover a wide area of the map. Vipers' walls can also make enemies vulnerable when they pass through them, which makes them easier to kill for a short amount of time.

With that in mind, it is essential to learn wall lineups on every map as they can help you and your team immensely in both attacking and defending. Be sure to have multiple wall lineups for every map to keep your enemies guessing.

20. Learn Ultimate Spots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey3oUkA3XOg

Viper's ultimate is one of the strongest ultimates in the game wherein it can easily win you the round if used properly. Keep in mind that learning the ultimate spots on every map for both attacking and defending is critical if you want to be a Viper pro.

Be sure to learn the lineups for all sites on the map for you to up your game as a Viper.

19. Learn Site Executes

https://youtu.be/6431OpfR480?t=72

After you have learned the lineups for both your wall and poison orb, you should learn how to execute them properly on each site. Learning how to execute your wall and orb lineups as fast as possible will give you an advantage as it can catch enemies off guard.

Be sure to practice your lineup execution on all maps and improve the speed of your setup so you can help your teammates more quickly.

18. Learn One Ways

https://youtu.be/6431OpfR480?t=234

Viper's poison orb can also be used for one way smokes at certain locations on the map. Learning one way spots can make it harder for your enemies to enter the site, as you have an advantage when they peek at an angle.

Be sure to learn one way on every map to give you an advantage for your next games.

17. Know When To Use Lineups

https://youtu.be/pCNYdGZU7nc?t=100

Viper's post-plant lineups are one of the best ways to stop a defuse. It's so strong that when played at the right time, it can win you the round with no counterplay at all.

Learning when to do post-plant lineups is essential to Viper's playstyle. You, as a viper, need to know when to stay and help your team or go for your lineups. If you always play for lineups, they can easily be countered by enemies if you do it too often.

Playing lineups can always make it harder for your teammates to hold the site as they are outnumbered because you are out of the site.

16. Play Around Your Ultimate

https://youtu.be/e19zqtNHRW0?t=448

Viper's ultimate can secure you the round if you use it properly. Learning how to play around your ultimate is key in improving your Viper gameplay.

Knowing when to go out of the ult and knowing where to position yourself inside the ult will keep enemies guessing and net you easy kills, allowing you to win the round easily.

15. Learn Shotguns

https://youtu.be/Uxl6VC2jJiE?t=51

Viper's skill can cause your enemies to be in a vulnerable state, which makes them easier to kill for a short period of time. With that in mind, a shotgun is one of the best guns to use as Viper, as you can kill them easily with one shot.

Having a shorty as your secondary gun most of the time can get you easy kills when enemies walk past your wall. With shotguns, you can also use your ultimate skill even on half-buy rounds with either a bucky or a judge.

14. Learn The Phantom

https://youtu.be/FalmEYfjVyA?t=706

Viper as a controller agent usually sits behind her smoke or orb, so practicing a phantom will make your life easier as it has no bullet tracers, unlike the vandal.

Practicing the phantom will make it easier for you to spam through your smoke and wall without letting the enemy know where you are on the other side. Phantoms' bullet count and spray pattern also help you immensely when enemies are rushing through your wall.

13. Play Around Your Wall

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=650

One of the best ways you can utilize your walls is by playing around with them. Using the wall not only to block the enemies' path but also catch them off guard to get easy kills.

One particular trick you can do is stay beside the wall and wait for enemies to cross. This will make them vulnerable and easier to kill. You can also cross the wall to catch them off guard and get the kill. Be creative with how you play around your wall and do different strategies every time to confuse your enemies further.

Also be careful with playing around the smoke as they can still shoot you even when your on the other side.

12. Learn Post Plant Timings

https://youtu.be/e19zqtNHRW0?t=81

As a viper, you must learn to time your plays after you plant the spike. Staying alive as long as possible is essential as it will make it easier for you to win the round with your skills.

Knowing how long the spike will detonate will help you know when to use your skills to prevent your enemies from approaching the site. The spike will detonate after forty-five seconds of planting, and defenders will need seven seconds to defuse the spike. Viper can deny the defuse for thirteen seconds with her post-plant lineups.

11. Use Snake Bite At The Start Of The Round

https://youtu.be/e19zqtNHRW0?t=351

Learning to use your snake bite aggressively can help you fend off enemies easily. Using snake bite in areas where enemies are likely to appear will deter them from pushing because it will make them easier to kill.

Using the snake bite at the start of the round will give you an advantage as it will make your enemies vulnerable, giving you an easier time in your gun duel. Be sure to only use this if you are sure that enemies will be there so as to not waste your snake bite.

10. Learn Peek Timings

https://youtu.be/e19zqtNHRW0?t=553

Learning one-way smokes and wall lineups without knowing the right time to peek will just make your skills go to waste. Knowing when to peek with your skills is essential as it is a large part of Viper's playstyle.

One of the best ways to get your timing right is by looking at patterns in how your enemies play from the previous round. With information on how your enemies play, you can get a sense of where they will look and time your peek when you know your enemy is not looking in the direction of your peek.

9. Learn to Lurk Properly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkcpo0uujWM

Viper has one of the best lurks in the game because she can already provide support for teammates with her wall, making her a great agent to lurk without sacrificing too much.

When you are the defender, you can lurk as Viper when enemies are on the other side of the map and your teammates have already cleared areas of the map. You can then lurk to catch enemies off guard or wait around the choke points to kill them.

When you are attacking, you can lurk as Viper after you have already done your site execute. After doing this, you can then lurk to catch enemies rotating or enemies waiting for your wall to come down.

Make sure to use different lurks each time so your enemies don't figure out where you're coming from.

8. Know When To Use Your Ultimate

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=92

Learning when to use Viper's ultimate at the right time can lead to you winning the round or losing the round easily.

During defending, get information from previous rounds or allies' skills before using your ultimate to make sure you use your ultimate when enemies are around to make them back off. You can also use your ultimate to retake the site, giving enemies a hard time defending the spike.

When you are on the attacker side, only use your ultimate after you have planted the spike. This will make it harder for enemies to retake the site as it will be covered with your ultimate.

Don't be afraid to use your ultimate even if you are outnumbered, as your ultimate can give you advantages as you can see them first inside your ultimate.

7. Be Patient

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=122

Learning to be patient with Viper is key if you want to be a pro with her. Viper's skills control the pace of the game, and if you play aggressively and die early, your team will have a hard time holding or attacking a site.

Viper's playstyle is slower than other agents', and you must learn to survive as long as possible to get the maximum value from your skills.

6. Learn When To Turn Off Your Ultimate

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=159

One thing you can do with Viper's ultimate is cancel it early to put down your smoke. Simply hold the ultimate button for a few seconds, and your ult will be canceled and deactivated.

This trick can be used to catch enemies off guard, giving you an advantage and killing them easily. Knowing when to cancel your ult is especially effective when you want to kill the spike defuser. You can also cancel your ult to fake a rotation and make your enemies rotate to the other side.

Learn to be creative with your ult cancel and keep your enemies guessing.

5. Wait For The Lurker

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=175

Viper is best known for holding down one site with her skills. With this in mind, Viper is often left on one site alone to hold. Sometimes enemies send one player to lurk on one site to clear it for an easier rotation.

Viper is great at dealing with enemy lurkers because she can hide and play around her skills. You can also not activate your skills to make the enemy lurker think that the site is clear and kill him/her and the teammates that rotate by catching them off guard.

4. Communicate Wall Timings

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=220

When playing Valor, communication is key, especially when playing as a viper. Viper skills have a gas bar which decreases when you use your skills.

Telling your teammates in advance that your wall or orb will go down will prepare them for enemies on the other side properly.

3. Let Others Plant

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=315

During the attacking phase, one agent needs to hold the spike and plant it on the site. Viper's skills are great for covering common places where enemies will come from.

Letting your teammates plant the spike is better, as you can protect them better with your skills. This is especially great when you have an ult, as you can see enemies first inside your ultimate.

2. Use Utility Creatively

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=532

Viper's skills are much more complex than they look like. You can use your skills in various ways, not just for lineups and site executes.

Learn to be creative with your utility usage. One such thing is that you can use Viper's orb to deny enemies flashes. You can also throw your orb with a right click before you peek to confuse enemies who might think it's a flash. The possibilities are endless with her skills, so be creative.

1. Learn To Hold Pushes

https://youtu.be/-SRZn-s7v6U?t=835

Viper is one of the best agents for preventing enemy rushes. Learning how to prevent rushes from enemies will help your teammates rotate to the other site without the enemy even getting inside.

This can also help your lurker move in while your enemies are distracted or catch them rotating. Be sure to learn how to prevent rushes on every map, as it will be very beneficial in improving your Viper game plan.

That’s it! Those are the 25 tips that can elevate your game with Viper. Be sure to always practice and put in the work, and you’ll be radiant in no time!