New Viper buffs let her dominate Ascent in solo queue

Fariha Bhatti Published 05/04/2021

If you’re struggling on Ascent’s attack side, Viper’s your best bet to turn the game around.

The poisonous agent was always one of the most self-sufficient controllers, thanks to her damage-focused kit. Brimstone also carries a molotov, but Viper’s wall gives her an edge over other controllers. The extended screen paired with her toxic smoke allows Viper to break open any site.

Ascent can be a tricky map to play on the attacker side, but not when you have Viper on your roster. The controller can singlehandedly block multiple angles and open bomb points when required. Using her Snakebite, Toxic Screen, and Poison Cloud, Viper can clear out Ascent’s bomb point A for the attackers. Here’s how.

For Toxic Screen, stand near the bicycle and lay down the wall while aiming at the pillar. This simple wall will bar short doors in a way that enemies won’t be able to camp behind it. Next, prepare your Smoke for Haven to block the AWPer’s line of sight.

Aim down at the tile next to the drain and then align your E ability UI with the green electric box, as shown in the image. Jump and throw the smoke, but don’t deploy it yet.

Once you have your wall and smoke all set, call on whoever you can to start pushing. While they prepare to rush, line up two crucial molotovs to wipe out the sneaky enemies. Squeeze in the corner of the green crate and aim up at the sky. Place your crosshair in the middle of the cloud’s crack and throw the molotov. This will land behind the wooden box, one of the usual hiding spots for enemies.

The second molotov goes behind the default double boxes. From the same position, align your HUD line with the roof’s edge and release the poison launcher.

This is how the setup should look:

This setup will allow a safe plant for attackers, as all critical angles are shrouded by Viper’s abilities and anyone that tries to hold their ground will be damaged. Once you have that plant, sneak back into safe areas before Viper’s poison charge runs out. The passive setup prevents unnecessary duels, allowing a team of five to prepare for the retake attempt. Thanks to Viper using all her poisons, the rest of the attacker agents can utilize their abilities to annihilate defenders as they attempt to push in.

Did Viper get buffed in Valorant?

Viper was released in Valorant’s original agent roster but was quickly overshadowed by stronger duelists and controllers. Despite several buffs, players refused to use her in ranked queues. However, patch 2.06’s buffs seem promising as they bolster all the weaknesses of her toolkit. The agent’s smoke and wall now deal more damage on contact, and her molotov can be equipped faster in the new patch.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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