2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
1 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
9 | 10 | 13 | 14 |
6 | 11 | 16 |
15 |
I want to keep this guide short and sweet. I'll try to keep the logical explanations short and hope you catch on b/c I know some of you just want to get back to the game.
Something to note is that dotafire's spell descriptions of Viper's abilities are not 100% correct and some are missing information.
Poison Attack is good for harassing as well as strong ganking, but don't fall into thinking it is viper's most valuable spell. Do not waste your mana last hitting minions with it as you want to be able to use its attack/movement slow to get kills. Remember that in an intense situation the fastest way to switch this to auto-cast is Alt-Q. Remember to turn auto-cast back off because it is possible to burn through your mana before realizing it when you have a lot of attack speed later game.
Nethertoxin is what makes viper a hard carry, very good at last hitting, and very powerful from the start of the game. The tool tip doesn't mention that for every 20% health the enemy, the damage stacks. A good Viper player will always max this first as it is Viper's bread and butter.
To be good with Viper means realizing how powerful this spell is in all stages of the game. Once you have some experience, this passive allows you to be moderately to very aggressive in the early game whether you are with a lane partner or solo. You must keep in mind what the enemy will often forget- your damage will keep increasing as the fight goes on. Often times this means that you can have guaranteed kills by the time they start to run. (Which won't be possible if you remembered to save mana for Poison Attack.)
Corrosive Skin is an ability that is tempting to get early. I advise you hold off on it until level 9 or so, although I sometimes grab a single point earlier in the case that I'm being harassed by melee auto attacks early. When you have boots complete, even 10% slow is enough to get of there when it stacks with your Poison Attack's slow. The stacking of these two abilities is what gives Viper so much survive ability for a hero that does this much damage.
Viper Strike is, in my opinion, just the icing on the cake. With some experience you will know when to use it and when it isn't necessary to secure a kill. Some things to consider are: what hero you are fighting (possible escape abilities) and where their teammates are. The 360dmg at lvl 6 and the stacking slows should score you a kill every time you use it. The 30sec CD at lvl 16 is amazing, but as a result I find myself going out of mana often in the later stages of a long push. Don't be afraid to go for a kill if this ability is down, as it isn't your bread and butter.
I intend to add an in depth play-style guide to viper in the future.
I realize that some of you may have different opinions than what I have stated here, but this is what I've found best after trial and error with Viper. One of the biggest mistakes I've made and seen other people make is getting a Vanguard on a hero like viper and then thinking they are invincible.
Thanks for reading! Do your part to make the Dota2 community better by communicating effectively, and trying to teach rather than troll!
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