Recently, a completely new group of smokers has appeared in society who have no intention of quitting. They believe their addiction can save the lives of millions who smoke every day. These are vapers, or e-cigarette smokers, and they claim that the vapor they inhale along with nicotine is much safer than the tar and chemical alloys in tobacco cigarettes. And this new subculture of smokers is already obsessed with e-cigarette technology. Some vapers are willing to spend thousands of dollars on their fancy “cigarettes.”

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1. “You don't make your smoking experience any less enjoyable,” says one e-cigarette website. “You get something more.”

2. “You get an accessory, colors, scents. You can customize your smoking experience.”

3. At a recent vaping convention, tobacco was banned. Everyone who was found with “analog cigarettes” had to take out a pack and step on it.

4. But vapers are also lovers of technical innovations. At the last convention, you wouldn't have seen a single vaper with a regular e-cigarette purchased at a gas station or supermarket.

5. These cigarettes do not have rechargeable batteries, and they do not have a container with special liquids, so-called. "juice" that can be filled several times. The latest craze among vapers is the one-of-a-kind personal smoking pipe.

6. Dozens of companies immediately appeared that offer a huge variety of accessories for electronic cigarettes, with which you can create your own unique pipe.

7. “If you’re just a vaper, that’s cool, but if you want to be considered a real enthusiast, you’ll have to get a unique pipe,” say experts in this matter.

8. An electronic cigarette has five main parts: the body, the tip that the user “smokes,” the battery that powers the cigarette, the atomizer that heats the liquid and vaporizes it, and the container for the “juice” and the atomizer.

9. This juice is usually a mixture of two main elements - propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. Propylene glycol is present in all non-toxic antifreezes and is considered a safe food preservative in the United States. Glycerin is used as a sweetener and preservative in food. E-cigarettes also typically use nicotine and food flavorings to give the vapor flavor.

10. At a recent vaping convention on Long Island in New York, these same cigarettes looked more like automatic sex toys.

11. Most of them are long and smooth metal cylinders, but there are also unique specimens. The color palette is simply amazing - choose to suit your taste. By law, by the way, in the United States, manufacturers of electronic cigarettes are prohibited from saying in advertising that they help people quit smoking. The Food and Drug Administration still classifies inhaling even odorless vapors as smoking.

12. But vapers claim that the combination of “healthy” chemicals in e-juice is much safer than the chemicals in modern tobacco cigarettes. Many also claim that e-cigarettes have helped them quit smoking.

Let's talk about the tough mid laner and some of the other Viper lanes! This is one of the most popular characters. He hasn't always been strong, no matter the patch or meta.

Viper is great at every stage of the game right now and he is very dominant in the lane. He's tanky, his damage is terrible, and he's difficult to fight in open combat. The frequency of selection and victories on Viper is the best on the Dota rating from 2,000 to 4,000 MMR, and it starts to decrease somewhere from 5,000k, where they already find approaches to the Persian.

This is because Viper is relatively easy to play, but there are also those who can confidently counter its main strength in solo or team situations. However, even at the top MMR Dota 2 he is still strong, but pro players usually know when to choose him.

Counter picks for Viper in Dota 2

Taking everything into account, you should take Viper against heroes with low mobility who cannot escape effectively. Since Viper can deal a large amount of damage to single targets, casting his ultimate on an enemy hero can result in an easy kill in most cases.

However, targets such as , Queen of Pain, and many others can effectively evade opposition by hiding from Viper thanks to their abilities. You can safely write them down as a counter.

But what gives us the most trouble is Gulya, who simply turns on the rage and tears off pieces from our character without receiving damage. Viper is strong against single heroes, naturally, it will be difficult for him to fight with heroes like Terrorblade, who have many copies and illusions.

When to pick Viper in Dota 2

If your team composition consists mainly of physical damage, then it is worth taking a hero who deals even more magic damage. Try to always keep it all in balance! If you don't have strong magic damage dealers, then Viper can be a great character to balance out magic and physical damage.

Top 1 Dota Viper in Ranked MMR

Viper hero abilities in Dota 2

Poison Attack skill. Adds magical poison to each attack, costing 25 mana at level 4. Players slow down and their hand attack speeds become slower.

Nethertoxin skill. The earth around a certain area is covered with a toxic substance. Enemies take damage per second, passives do not trigger, and resistance to magical attacks is reduced.

Skill Corrosive Skin. Our Viper is becoming denser and is no longer afraid of enemy attacks as before, because he himself is ready to inflict damage in response. A dangerous skill that slows down attack speed.

Ultimate Viper Strike. The hero significantly slows down the attack speed and deals huge periodic magic damage

How do the top 10 Dota 2 players upgrade their skills on Viper?

Viper Talents in Dota 2

• At level 10, everyone takes 8 percent lifesteal from all skills, and not 20 to attack speed.
• At level 15, choose 6 units for Corrosive Skin, and not 100 for attack range.
• At level 20, they take almost all 100 damage per second from the ult, and not 1 skill for buildings.
• At level 25, it is pumped up that Nethertoxin does not allow you to use skills, and not 120 damage from your hand.

How to play Viper early in Dota 2

You have chosen the powerful Viper, and your opponents are already panicking. What to do next? Since Viper is extremely strong in lane, he can go to any lane he likes.

However, his best lane is mid lane. He is great against almost all enemy mid heroes. Farms better and gains more experience. A quick purchase of his essential items will allow him to snowball the game. He will become a real threat to the enemy team.

At the beginning of the skating, it is very important to work efficiently and not miss last hits. You have to finish off not only your own creeps, but also try to finish off every single one of the strangers. It is important to get gold and have a higher net worth than your opponents. We must dominate and crush the enemy. He must call for help.

For example, let's say you and the enemy hero you're facing are both level 5. If you have more money, you will get to level 6 faster than your opponent. Everything you have is ult, the enemy is subconsciously afraid and an even greater advantage begins. Be efficient and make the most of the initial stage. All our strength is here!

Maintain balance in the lane, do not push the line too much. It is important to have creeps on your side of the map, as they are easier to finish off later. Yes, and you can retreat without problems in case of ganks.

This can also create kill opportunities for the enemy mid laner as it forces the enemy out of their save position.

Take advantage of the Corrosive skin when you exchange blows with your opponent, in most cases the exchange of damage will be in your favor. They will deal a fixed amount of damage, while your damage will increase from both Nethertoxin and Corrosive Skin. Also, don't forget that Corrosive Skin slows down your speed and attack speed, thereby reducing mobility and damage per second, allowing you to win most 1v1 fights.

What to do in the midgame on Viper in Dota 2

Once you reach level 6-7, you can start looking for gank opportunities on the map. You strive to finish off enemies while helping your teammates win their lanes. Viper shouldn't have any problems in the early game as he is very durable and his damage is intimidating to most opponents, so take advantage of it!

Look at the map, try to gank and evaluate your lane dominance. In the mid and late game, you have the same concepts that you must remember and follow religiously. In a 5 vs 5 fight you can always get killed if you are out of position.

Be sure to play with your team and use your abilities to your advantage. Since you are very durable and reduce the movement speed and attack speed of enemies with your hand when attacking, you can take advantage of this by remaining on the front line in battle.

Since you are the biggest threat most of the time, the enemy team will try to focus on you and kill you quickly before you can release the poison.

Try to position yourself in such a way that the enemies are focused on you, but you will still be able to use all the skills while the pressure is taken off the rest of your team. This will allow them to fight and be as effective as possible. Even though you may die in some fights, it is important that your team wins the fight and achieves its goals afterwards.

How to behave at the end of the game on Viper in Dota 2

Let's take a typical game scenario as an example. You push mid with your team, trying to destroy the T3 tower and destroy the enemy barracks. In this case, you can either slowly demolish the tower from a distance, push it under the tower, or wait until the enemies begin to actively act.

Either way, when your team starts. Try to slow down the most unpleasant enemies with your caustic skin. In addition, always in battle try to establish which target is the highest priority, perhaps it will not be alone in the fight.

For example, are you facing a strong Phantom who mows down your team with several hits? Ultate at her, it will greatly impair her mobility! Use your purchased ICB and deal as much damage to her as possible. If you kill her quickly, the enemy's damage will be greatly reduced!

Phantom Assassin is not in your range and enemy supports are active? They are squishy, ​​finish them off quickly and then move on to the Phantom! Learn from each match and try to review them later, finding and correcting mistakes.

Dandy, when the best Dota 2 players in the world ride Viper hard!

What to collect at the beginning of the game on Viper in Dota 2

Wraise Bend. A great starting item to increase your damage and durability! Since this is a relatively cheap item, you can buy two or three of them at once to increase your stats!

Tango. Should give you plenty of health regeneration early in the game. Feel free to buy a flask or 2 sets of tango if you need some serious early regeneration. That's all there is to say about the initial choices.

Fri is the most correctly selected item on Viper. The attack speed pairs well with your poison power, and you can switch between stats when you need more HP, agility, or intelligence.

What items to buy on Viper in the middle of the game

Rod of Atos is currently my favorite item on Viper. The statistics speak for him. Everyone takes it and uses it in a fight to control and deal early damage to the hero and area.

Dragon Lens. Strength, agility, and attack range are all the Viper needs as a ranged carry. Make sure that you can then assemble the Hurricane Pike without any problems.

Sasha and Yasha. Even more strength and agility, but this time we get other bonuses. Movement acceleration and attack speed will be high, which is a big plus for the slow Viper.

Black King Bar. An item that allows Viper to free up his hands in battles! He will protect you from the heroes who will try to disable us and hold us back. Actively use Black King Bar for magical immunity! Beware of abilities like Savage Roar, Black Hole and anything that penetrates BKB.

Halberd. Strong counter against carries with hard physical damage. You can disassemble Sange and Yasha to buy an additional halberd. However, if you decide to do this, be sure to then bring Yasha to Manta Style.

Blade Mail. You return damage when you are attacked within a few seconds! If you are playing against heroes who deal heavy damage from proc, then try to make their life harder with Blade Mail.

Crimson Guard. I haven't seen this item purchased too often, but it comes in handy sometimes. This will protect you and your teammates from physical damage and increase your durability. An excellent item against heroes like Phantom, who rely heavily on physical damage.

Manta. Great when you need extra pushing power. In addition, activation dispels many negative effects and silences.

Paipa. If you have trouble dealing with magic damage, then Pipe of Insight is one of the best options in this situation. This will make you even stronger against magic casting and protect your teammates with magic shield.

Solar Cross. Minus armor is good against Dragon Knight and Sven, it will reduce their damage and significantly reduce their armor, thus making them easier to kill and survive themselves.

Shadow Blade. If you don't have stealths on your team, you can gather SB for aggressive play. This will allow you to scout the map and get easy kills. The item will force the enemy team to spend a lot of gold on the widget. Be sure to upgrade to Silver Edge later.

Guardian Greaves. Lately, lassos have been bought for Viper, then Mek and Greaves. Remove Silence and treat everyone using CD. A great midgame item.

Assembling items in the late game on Viper in Dota 2

Travel. The maximum movement speed you can get from any boots, plus the ability to teleport to allied structures and units.. Be creative and keep an eye on the map because Boots of Travel allows you to have greater dominance and presence at any point.

Hurricane Pike. You already have a Dragon Lens, so the item is easier to assemble. It will give you more mobility and you will be able to effectively attack melee enemies. This item has a win rate of about 58%!

Butterfly - agility, damage, attack speed and evasion. The strongest item with a chance of winning up to 70% when purchasing Viper!

Viper is a mid-game hero with very strong abilities. The best position for him is mid or double hard. He doesn't have any fast farming skills, which makes him a semi-carry. But even though he loses to many heroes in the late game, at the beginning and middle of the game he has few opponents. His set of spells is very strong against heroes with low attack and movement speeds. And if the enemy also has no escapes, then he is doomed. In this guide we will tell you how to play Viper correctly in the mid and hard lane.

Start of the game

The best lane for Viper is mid. On it we will quickly get the experience we need and the initial items needed for ganks. Yes, Viper is an excellent ganker, one of the best in the game, but he farms extremely poorly. For farming he only has Nethertoxin, but this will not save us. We need kills, because without them we will not be able to dominate the mid and late game.

Most often, Viper will go to mid, and the main part of the guide was compiled with this calculation in mind. Of course, there are other options - we will look at them below.

We buy at the start Wraith Band And Tango. We don't have much damage at the first level, but Reif Bend will give us 9 damage, 3 intelligence and 3 strength.

Provided that our team has wards and the enemy supports or jungler don’t control them, then we take Bottle. Another significant fact: you don’t need to take bottle, if you are playing against Techisa. These three goblins could ruin our whole game. At all, Techis- this is an excellent counter to all gankers and those who like to run around the map.

We buy for ourselves Boots of Speed, which we then improve in Phase Boots- these are the best boots for mid Viper. 24 damage, good movement speed with which we can catch up with low-speed opponents. Just what you need. Power Threads, of course, will give us 30 attack speed, but Viper is a terribly slow hero. Without additional speed, we will be a turtle. The most important task when ganking is to hook the character with our poison. We attack him with Poison Attack, and if the target tries to resist us, then he receives Viper Strike. So, if we don’t have enough speed, we simply won’t be able to hook some characters.

Since we are a ganker, we don’t need to stand in the mid lane for a long time and farm, like an exort, for example. .

Tactics guide for Viper in the Early Game

We look at either where our team is losing, or where there is a 100% opportunity to kill. With the sixth level and good, we go to kill. Hasta or DD at such a moment it will be the best rune. If the enemy has a forester, then this is just food for us. Heroes like Doom, Enigma, Bloodseeker, , Beastmaster, Legion, Ursa, Chen will die in seconds, provided that they do not have the sixth level. Furion not included in this list due to ability Teleportation. We have a good opportunity to kill the enemy mid player with rune of invisa. Just go behind the back and attack with Poison Attack + Viper Strike.

Viper requires aggressive play. Standing in the mid lane, you can never just farm; you always need to deprive your mid opponent of creeps. When we are facing a melee soldier, we simply go to his hg and spam Poison Attack. Viper is much stronger than most popular midlaners.

Mid game

To solve the problem with a large mana cost on ultimate improve Wraith Band V Ring of Aquila. If you managed to realize the initial potential of the Viper and made a couple of frags, then it would be a good purchase Shadow Blade, with which we will become a real horror for supports and heroes without escape. Yes and us lothar will save you more than once. We improve it in Silver Edge, when there are not enough lives, or there is , Huscar, Specter. will be a real headache for Viper and our team. Because of Phantom Strike And Blur she doesn't feel ours first skill, and her ultimate, with good luck, takes away half of our hit points. A Huskar Without his passive, he cannot fight at all.

Next we collect Yasha, which costs only 2050 gold and gives us 16 agility, a little attack speed and 8% movement speed! Very important for Viper. We gank and try to get as many kills as possible so as not to become useless in the late game.

End of the game

In the late game, our entire game depends on how many frags we were able to make. We don’t have the ability to farm, but we need items to be strong in the end. Now we need to improve Yashu V Manta Style for stats and illusions. By the way, our Corrosive Skin works on illusions.

In addition to stats, we will get a very important thing - the ability to remove enemy debuffs like Orchida or Amplify Damage Slardara, and also dodge stuns Sven or Reif King.

Since at the end of the match the enemy carry may already have a lot of damage items, we need more HP. You need to choose one of three items: Heart of Tarrasque, Satanic, Eye of Skadi.

Satanik cannot be taken against illusionists, because health is not restored from illusions. Tarasca will be a great choice when team fights last more than a minute, because with it we can constantly leave and return to the fight. Skadi- this is the best option. WITH Eye of Skadi our slowdown from the first skill and freezing Skadi it will be 75%! Plus additional mana and HP.
If the enemy's carry is not bought Monkey King Bar, then we take Butterfly. A little damage, extra speed and most importantly - survivability!

In the late game you no longer need to spend your ultimate for supports, our target is mid or carry. An enemy carry under our ultimate will not be dangerous, unlike support heroes, who just need to hit the stun or another skill. They don't hit with their hands.

When to pick Viper

Our hero is countered by those whom he cannot kill. You should absolutely not pick Viper against Anti-Mage, Vivera, Lycana, Timbera. Yes, we can easily win the lane against them, but what if we can't capitalize on the advantage? Anti-Mage easily leaves us with the help of a blink, Vivera The maximum speed of movement in invisibility, which cannot be slowed down. Lycan runs even faster with his ultimate Shapeshift. If we do not demolish their base in 25 minutes, then we will be useless against them. Timbera is not interested in our passive - all of his skills, except the first, deal pure damage, which means they are not cut Corrosive Skin. And his Timber Chain won't even give us a chance to kill him.

A viper is an electronic cigarette smoker who considers his hobby an original way of self-expression and receiving aesthetic and physical pleasure. Vaping, according to its supporters, eliminates the destructive habit of smoking, changes the way of life and, moreover, indicates a certain elitism that every vaper feels.

Rapidly gaining popularity, vaping is spreading among fans of fashionable trends, attracting unusual paraphernalia, modern style and statements about benefits and complete safety. Meanwhile, the real consequences of the “vaping” hobby, although not yet fully studied, are already frightening - the facts available to doctors give rise to justified concern for the health and psychological state of fans of electronic cigarettes.

How does a viper differ from a regular smoker and is using an e-cigarette harmful? Let's try to figure it out.

Not just smoke

Vaping and regular smoking - what's the difference? There are no difficulties in the design of an electronic cigarette (also called a “vape”). It includes the following details:

• frame;
• mouthpiece;
• battery cell;
• atomizer (element for spraying);
• container for atomizer and smoking mixture.

As we can see, the device really has no resemblance to regular nicotine cigarettes. But what is its effect, and how does the vaper get the “smoking” effect?

The current generated by the battery heats the liquid and leads to the formation of a thick vapor, similar to smoke, but quickly dissolving into the air. It is this “fog” that we see in photographs promoting vaping, and it is in it that every viper hides.

Of course, the main effect of “vaping” lies in the compositions for vaping - the aromas that lure smokers depend specifically on the liquid used. But it also contains the main harm of an electronic cigarette, which is usually ignored by a dedicated viper.

Who invented vaping, and how did electronic cigarettes manage to gain such incredible popularity without prohibitions and restrictions?

The history of "hovering" as a movement

The world's first electronic smoking device was created in 2003 by a pharmacist from Hong Kong. The inventor of the electric cigarette was named Hon Lik and had the best intentions. The pharmacist's father abused real nicotine cigarettes and died due to the consequences caused by smoking. Experiencing the loss of his father, wanting to protect the world from the harm of a destructive habit, Hon Lik invented a unique device that allows you to smoke and at the same time regulate the amount of nicotine entering the body.

The appearance and principles of operation of the new device were repeatedly refined. The first samples did not look like cigarettes at all, but later the manufacturers decided to give the products a cylindrical shape familiar to smokers. Businesses, always keenly aware of the opportunity to promote a new product and make a profit, appreciated vaping and paid great attention to the development of vaping liquids, creating formulations with both zero and an impressive amount of nicotine.

And then... Then businessmen began active propaganda - after all, there is no ban on advertising of e-cigarettes in the laws. Vaping was presented to the consumer as an opportunity to quit smoking by regulating the amount of nicotine consumed, and at the same time look stylish and modern. Buyers who love originality readily believed the advertising, and by 2007, electronic cigarettes were actively sold in retail outlets around the world.

By now, unfortunately, in any city in Russia there are companies selling liquids and devices for electronic smoking. And, since the vaper sees the vaper from afar, fans of flavored vapor began to unite, creating a separate subculture with its own rules and principles - vaping.

Thus, standard electronic smoking devices are no longer considered sufficient. Each viper tries to outdo its fellow in the design of the device, the unique composition of the liquid, and the external attributes that vaping is so proud of. The steam billows, no thought is given to the harm, device manufacturers are enriching themselves, and the voices of those who doubt the benefits of the electronic cigarette (both with and without nicotine) are almost inaudible.

Since there is currently no law regulating the issues of electronic smoking, at present we can say that vaping, wipe culture, and the very concept of “viper” are marching throughout our Russia without prohibitions.

In the West and here

Smoking electronic cigarettes is extremely common in the West. For example, by 2017, sales of e-cigarettes in America are projected to surpass sales of conventional cigarettes. Aggressive marketing, popularization of the hobby among schoolchildren and youth, and the growth of the “vaping” process with its own customs, rules, and fashion lead to an incredible increase in the popularity of vaping in the West. Celebrities also set a bad example, willingly posing for the paparazzi in clouds of steam in places of rest and work. However, it should be noted that society and public figures have a fairly calm attitude towards vaping - the famous tolerance works here too.

But doctors in Western countries still doubt the safety of vaping (in the spring of 2016 in the United States, the law prohibited the sale of electronic cigarettes to persons under eighteen years of age, and in New Zealand, by law, a vaper is not able to buy liquid for an electronic cigarette containing nicotine).

The situation is somewhat different in Russia. The fashion for vaping has spread throughout the cities of our country with amazing speed, but public opinion, to put it mildly, does not approve of such a hobby. The authorities take a similar position. And while a Russian vaper posts photos in steam clubs on social networks, while a schoolboy viper, without hesitation, “soars” during recess, while more and more new vaping establishments and clubs are opening, the law is considering the possibilities:

• prohibit vaping in public places;
• prohibit advertising claims that vaping is beneficial or even simply safe, and that it can positively affect smoking cessation success and a person's personality;
• levy a fine for involving minors in the process of using electronic cigarettes.

Why does vaping cause such wariness and fear among the law and authorities? What are doctors and psychologists trying to prove to frivolous “vapers” when they talk about the dangers of vaping? In order to find out, we will have to return to the issue of the dangers of vaping liquids.

What's inside?

What are the health risks of e-cigarettes? All liquids that the viper uses to operate an electronic device have the same composition:

• glycerol;
• propylene glycol;
• flavorings;
• nicotine (if the liquid contains it).

Liquids can differ from each other only in the proportions of glycerin and propylene glycol content (manufacturers indicate these parameters on bottles of liquids).

The influence of this composition and the consequences that e-cigarettes have on human health have not been fully studied. The modern viper seeks support from the statements of certain independent experts who claim that electronic cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. Indeed, vaping liquids do not contain resins that provoke the development of cancer, but they can cause harm to the body after a long time and for completely different reasons.

Thus, some researchers believe that the real harm to the “vaping” is not caused by the vapes themselves, but by some of the constituent elements of their refill - for example, the same flavorings. Viper can consume flavorings with food relatively safely, but no one knows for sure what consequences they will cause when heated and evaporated. The study is certainly being carried out, but it will take a lot of time. Whether vaping causes cancer or not, scientists will also be able to find out later, which means that while vapor fans are thoughtlessly risking their health.

Battery voltage, as well as the time of use of the vape, are quite capable of increasing the amount of toxins and causing harm. In addition, the researchers found that the steam contains harmful chemicals, including propylene oxide and glycidol (probable carcinogens).

Another group of scientists substantiated the dangers of electronic smoking, coming to the conclusion that the thermal decomposition of glycerin and propylene glycol causes the release of acrolein and formaldehyde - substances that are toxic and have negative consequences for the functioning of the central nervous system, causing lacrimation and irritation of the respiratory tract.

Unfortunately for those who fear for the health of their loved ones who are addicted to smoking e-cigarettes, there are currently no large and long-term studies on the effects of vaping on the human body, and the adoption of a law banning it is still only planned.

And now we can only hope for the law being considered in the State Duma and that vaping will go out of fashion - like other momentary hobbies for those seeking dubious benefits, demonstrating pseudo-originality and non-standard behavior.

Well, for those who are already interested in smoking an electronic cigarette, we advise you to be more attentive to your well-being and not follow the lead of marketers who are trying their best to prove that vaping is cool. If the vaper looked at his hobby with an open mind, he would understand how pointless it is, and that it is all due to ordinary advertising and herd mentality.

There is no doubt that vaping is an extremely bad habit, embellished with the flair of current fashion and style.

Take care of yourself!

Expert opinion

E-cigarette vapor is not safe. in most cases it contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. Propylene glycol is actually used in small doses in the food industry, while the content of propylene glycol in electronic cigarettes is more than 1000 times higher than the norm. Electronic cigarettes use artificial flavors that contain diacetyl, a provocateur of popcorn sickness.

Electronic cigarettes can be considered as a replacement for regular cigarettes, but it cannot be said that they will help you become free from addiction.

He is one of the most versatile, powerful and interesting heroes in Dota 2. Viper can easily dominate the lane due to high damage and good control. In general, the hero does not depend much on artifacts and can be made into a very durable fighter. Viper can be a great addition to a team that primarily focuses on teamfights.

Pros:

Cons:

• Viper is severely lacking in AoE damage and basically cannot farm quickly. Low movement speed and lack of mobility skills also have a bad effect on farming. Thus, if you take Viper, it means that your team will play very aggressively and the game will end quickly. If both teams start passive farming, then in the end Viper will begin to be much inferior in terms of farming speed and this will not lead to anything good.
• Viper is a slow hero, without any mobile abilities. Several disadvantages follow from this. Firstly, your movement on the map will be very predictable and it will be difficult for you to gank enemies without special artifacts. Secondly, poor mobility leads to the fact that you become very vulnerable to ganks and with good damage, enemies will kill you, regardless of your survivability.
• In general, Viper is only suitable for a specific situation. The hero requires a lot of experience and farming, so Viper can only stand solo and only on the lane where he can dominate from the very beginning of the game. Considering the poor farming speed, the beginning of the game is crucial for Viper. If you fail to take the initiative at the beginning of the game, then gradually all your advantage will disappear. Essentially, Viper is a good option for a team that imposes team fights and starts pushing lanes from the very beginning of the game. At the same time, Viper himself is not a good pusher, a split pusher or an ideal initiator.
• Viper does not have reliable control skills. In fact, it can only slow down a lot. Viper also does not have the ability to disrupt enemy skills or use of teleport. If, for example, you throw an ult at an enemy, then he can immediately use a teleport and fly away.

Poison Attack- Viper's poison is his main weapon for effectively harassing the enemy. Firstly, due to this skill you can constantly poison the enemy. Poison deals additional damage over 2 seconds (total damage 20 | 32 | 44 | 56) and significantly slows down the enemy. The effect of the poison does not stack, that is, if you attack the enemy more than once every 2 seconds, then you will simply refresh the effect of the poison. Poison Attack is a unique attack modifier, meaning a poison attack will not work with lifesteal for example. The attack can be used in two modes. In the first case, you simply activate the ability and use it on the enemy. In the second case, you right-click to activate the ability and each of your attacks will use poison. It’s better to immediately forget about the second option and not use it at all. The fact is that when you activate the skill manually, that is, you control every shot, you spend mana correctly and, more importantly, this way you will not provoke enemy creeps in the lane. Although the ability only requires 20 mana, this does not mean that they are boring to mindlessly spam. If you have any artifacts for mana regen (for example), then of course you can use the ability often. Otherwise, you should constantly monitor your mana reserves and not waste it thoughtlessly. An important advantage of the skill is that it allows you to greatly slow down enemies, and if opponents do not have the skills to quickly escape, then it will be extremely difficult for them to escape from Viper. The poison will not work on enemies who are immune to magic, and the effect of the poison can also be removed by purification.

Nethertoxin- this passive is very interesting and somewhat unique. Essentially, Viper deals more damage to enemies who do not have maximum health. The bonus is doubled for every 20% of enemy health lost, and heroes receive more additional damage than creeps and neutral monsters. Below is a table of additional damage for every 20% health. The value for creeps is indicated in parentheses.

• 100% - 80%: 2.5 | 5 | 7.5 | 10 (1.25 | 2.5 | 3.75 | 5)
• 80% - 60%: 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 (2.5 | 5 | 7.5 | 10)
• 60% - 40%: 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 (5 | 10 | 15 | 20)
• 40% - 20%: 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 (10 | 20 | 30 | 40)
• 20% - 1%: 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 (20 | 40 | 60 | 80)

Keep in mind that the bonus damage applied even to buildings is only half, but even this is very useful when pushing. Another very important point is that the extra damage can crit. This passive is Viper’s main tool at the beginning of the game for effectively finishing off creeps in the lane. If, for example, you attack a creeper who has less than 20% health, then even at the first level of the ability you will deal an additional 20 damage and this will greatly simplify the finishing process. In fact, this damage can be compared to what you already have, for example. When attacking an enemy hero on the line, at first the effect will not be greatly felt, since the enemy will try to keep his health reserve at the maximum level, but sooner or later he will run out of consumables and each of your attacks will cause more and more damage. In team battles, it is very beneficial for Viper to focus on enemies with low health, since in this case his attacks will deal huge additional damage and quickly kill opponents.

Corrosive Skin- although this ability is passive, it largely determines Viper’s game. The fact is that the skill significantly increases the hero’s survivability. Additional magic resistance will reduce the damage of enemy skills, and the slowdown from poison will reduce the effectiveness of heroes with physical damage. The mechanics of how the poison works is very simple. As soon as Viper receives damage, poison is triggered on the enemy, and any damage is counted, even from abilities. An important advantage of the passive is that the poison works even through immunity to magic (except for damage), which, in combination with the ult, allows Viper to very effectively fight enemies who are heavily dependent on BKB. Viper's summoned illusions will also have a passive effect.

Viper Strike- the mechanics of using the ult are very simple: you select a target and release poison. In this case, the enemy will receive damage every second, and his attack and movement speed will be significantly reduced. Thanks to his ult, Viper can kite enemy heroes very well, especially if they have a melee attack and cannot quickly close the distance. Unfortunately, in patch 6.85, Viper lost the ability to slow down enemies with magic immunity and thus all enemies with BKB became a real problem. The ultimate, in combination with Viper's other skills, can significantly reduce the enemy's attack speed. This allows you to win most duel battles against carry heroes who specialize in dealing damage with basic attacks. During the duration of the ult, Viper is able to deal a total of 300 | 500 | 725 magic damage, which also helps in killing enemies. An enemy with Viper's poison hanging on him can be finished off by his allies. Thus, you should not use the ult as an independent skill and hope that the enemy will die somewhere in the fog of war. There is a high probability that he will meet allies along the way who will finish off their comrade and you will not receive gold and experience for killing. Viper's ult can be very well improved with the help of an artifact. First of all, the cooldown of the ult is reduced to 12 seconds, which in turn allows you to use it very often, like a regular skill. And during a major battle you will be able to use your ult more than once. Secondly, the mana consumption for levels 2 and 3 of the ult is reduced, which is also useful given that Viper is a hero with agility and has no extra mana. And thirdly, the range of the ult almost doubles, which is also very useful in team battles and when you need to catch up with some fleeing enemy.

Below we will look at various situations when it is worth picking Viper.

Allies

Pushers:

Due to the fact that Viper has good survivability and high potential for early fights, he combines well with various early game tactics, such as pushing. Accordingly, the hero can be an excellent addition to a team that specializes in early lane pushing. The most interesting allies in this case are:, or.

Heroes that can restore health:

Considering his good tank qualities due to the Corrosive Skin passive, Viper goes well with heroes who are able to maintain his health reserves and allow him to stay in battle longer. Hillers include: , and .

Heroes with good control:

Viper himself does not have reliable control skills, only a powerful slowdown. Thus, it is beneficial for Viper to be in a team with heroes who can stop the enemy for a while and allow Viper to fully realize his combat potential. Good allies in this case would be:, or.

Heroes who need fighting space:

Due to its good tank qualities, Viper can even stand on the front line and create space for his less tenacious allies. For example, heroes such as:, or, can benefit from Viper.

Enemies

Below we will look at some heroes against whom it makes sense to take Viper.

Heroes who focus on one goal:

Due to his ultimate and powerful slowdown, Viper can reduce the effectiveness of heroes who have a melee attack and can be easily kited. Such enemies include:, or.

In general, Viper is very good against many melee heroes, as the powerful slow allows him to contain them very well.

Please note that after patch 6.85, Viper stopped slowing down enemies with BKB and became somewhat less effective against heroes who buy BKB very early.

Heroes with intelligence, without long control skills and without pure damage:

Thanks to the Corrosive Skin passive, Viper can not only resist mages, but will also constantly slow them down, as they will damage Viper using AOE skills. This way it can focus on such targets and quickly kill them before they can reach their potential. For example, Viper can very well resist such heroes as: , , or . In principle, all heroes with a small supply of health and without any escape mechanisms can be included in the same group. Due to its powerful slowdown and good damage, Viper is able to easily kill various supports, mages and frail carry heroes.

A special mention can be made to the hero, since Viper is able to very quickly break Lanai’s shield and calmly outplay this enemy in the lane.

Of course, Viper is not a panacea for all occasions and this hero has a number of disadvantages, which in turn give rise to a huge number of counter picks. Below we will look at the most dangerous groups of enemies.

Mobile enemies:

Viper does not have reliable control skills and can only slow down enemies. This makes it difficult for him to kill enemies who run away from him in a matter of seconds, regardless of the slowdown. For example, Viper will have a hard time against: , or . Some of the heroes listed aren't exactly tough counter picks, but Viper will still struggle with mobile heroes all the time.

Split pushers:

Viper absolutely cannot fight split pushers. He has no AoE damage to quickly kill creeps, no mobility or control skills. If we add here the generally poor farming speed, then we get that enemy split pushers will receive a huge amount of gold, and Viper will only fly somewhere with his allies and look for opportunities to fight. The most dangerous split pushers in this case are:, or.

Enemies that summon illusions or creatures:

The lack of AOE damage and, in general, the ability to quickly kill a large cluster of enemies, Viper is a bad hero against all sorts of illusionists and opponents of summoning creatures. For example, Viper should not be picked against: , or .

Of course, there are also all sorts of individual heroes who do not fall into the groups described, who can effectively resist Viper, but first of all you need to be wary of precisely those enemies that we listed above.

Initial purchase:

When making your initial purchase, you should definitely take care of medical consumables. Viper gains good vitality only after leveling up Corrosive Skin. In addition, it is important to maintain your health reserve at the maximum level, since Viper is absolutely not protected from ganks. Thus, you should definitely take: or. Although Viper has an excellent passive Nethertoxin, which allows him to deal additional damage to creeps when finishing off, he may have problems in the lane due to his low base damage of 44-46. Thus, it is very good to use cheap artifacts for damage, and in this case all the components from which it is assembled are ideal. Also a good solution would be to buy a ring for protection. But you should only take it if you plan to improve it in the future. This purchase will be especially relevant if you start the game from the side line, since in this case it will be possible to improve directly on the line using the side store. The remaining gold is best spent on twigs.

Main subjects:

Below we will look at the main items that are used by Viper in various situations and which will be very effective for this hero.

Start of the game

Mid game

End of the game

Option 2:

The second option is to go for a quick Aghanim and attack enemies early using your ult.

Starting purchase

Start of the game

Mid game

End of the game

Option 3:

The third option is specialized in quickly getting Meka and starting to actively push lanes with your team. This option is suitable for a quick game, providing that the composition of your team will be appropriate.

Starting purchase

Start of the game

Mid game

End of the game

Nethertoxin, which allows you to deal additional damage to targets with incomplete health. Thus, Viper can calmly stand against most heroes in the lane and calmly farm.

The main reason why Viper is a very strong lane hero is because of his ability set. For example, with the help of Poison Attack you can constantly poison the enemy from a distance of 600 and even enemy creeps will not react to such attacks. Constantly harassing the enemy leads to the fact that the enemy will be forced to constantly retreat back and let creeps pass or even lose experience. Even if you yourself sometimes miss creeps, it’s not a big deal, since you can compensate for this with very good harassment of the enemy. During harassment, you should first of all learn how to use the Poison Attack ability correctly and on time, since it is key. Even if in the first minutes of the game the enemy resists, he will very quickly lose all his consumables and will simply be forced to stand at the maximum distance from the creeps so as not to receive damage. The most important thing here is to follow the map. Viper is very vulnerable to ganks and if you die, you will immediately lose all your accumulated advantage.

Overall, Viper has good solo kill potential. The main problem of the hero is that he does not have reliable control skills, but can only powerfully slow down. Thus, before trying to kill the enemy and launching a decisive attack, you need to properly harass him. Of course, ideally, you should wait for the ult to appear, since it will be much easier to kill enemies with it. If you have reduced the enemy's health to 60%-70% or even half, then before using your ult, check whether the enemy has a teleportation scroll and whether you have enough damage to kill the enemy before he can escape. The advantage of Viper is that he begins to deal good additional damage when the enemy becomes low on health and sometimes the enemy simply does not expect that each of your attacks will take away so much health. If we summarize all of the above, we can say that Viper is only capable of killing an incautious enemy who is not able to appreciate your potential and makes mistakes himself. Of course, the ideal option for killing is a little help from your allies. Moreover, just some kind of control skill is enough to briefly delay the enemy or prevent him from using teleport.

Center lane (solo 1v1):

The center line is the most popular starting spot for the Viper. This is due to the fact that Viper needs experience at the beginning of the game, and on the central line he can get a lot of it. Also, on the central line, Viper will be confronted by one enemy, and Viper is very suitable for solo confrontation. He can farm well and harass the enemy in the lane. Also, the central line allows Viper to quickly accumulate gold for several key artifacts and begin to participate in team battles, imposing battle on the enemy.

The priority tasks for the central line will be: harassing the enemy and farming. Of course, you can count on killing, but only if you come across a weak opponent who constantly makes mistakes. It is important to understand that Viper himself is a very slow hero and you need to constantly monitor the map so that you don’t get ganked. You need to be especially careful on the first night, as this is the most favorable time for a gank. If enemies catch you on the water or far from the tower, then you will definitely not be able to escape. Viper has absolutely no mechanisms for a quick escape or even control skills to somehow stop the enemy.

It is worth considering that Viper is a bad ganger, as he moves slowly around the map and cannot effectively control enemies, so there is no need to mindlessly wander around the map and waste time. If you leave the line, then it is understood that you, for example, bought a Meka and, together with your allies, are going to demolish the tower on the line or take part in a major battle.

Difficult line:

It’s immediately worth noting that by difficult line we mean the line on which Viper will stand against 1 hero. If you are going to stand against a triple or double, then you should only do this if you are sure that you will gain experience and the enemies do not have many control skills. Otherwise, you'll just become fodder or a useless hero for your team. On a difficult lane, Viper's main task is to gain experience. There is no need to take risks for the sake of just one creep. In the event of an attack, it will be very difficult for you to escape, and you will not yet have good survival in the first levels. A little later (for example, with the appearance of an ult), Viper can already leave the line and begin to take part in team battles. There is no point in staying on the line for too long.

Light lane (solo 3 vs 1):

In the case of the safe lane, Viper acts the same as all carry heroes. That is, he farms as well as possible and quickly buys key artifacts. Typically, such a line formation is necessary so that Viper can, for example, farm Meka very quickly and the team can begin to actively press the lines and gain an advantage. The main disadvantage of the light lane is that due to the presence of allies, Viper will receive less experience, and leveling up abilities for this hero is very important.

In general, Viper can even play well with one ally. The most important thing is to take with you some kind of saporat with good control, so that you have the opportunity not just to harass the enemy, but to periodically kill and gain the coveted advantage.

Mid and end game:

Even with a minimal set of artifacts, Viper is a very strong hero for the mid-game. If the start was good, that is, you did not allow the enemy to farm normally and took control of the map into your own hands, starting to push lines and winning battles, then it is quite normal that the game will end at this stage. Actually, most often Viper is taken for this purpose, to finish the game before 40 minutes.

It is important to understand that Viper is not some kind of hard carry hero, but rather something in between a tank and a carry. Even the presence of artifacts will still not be able to bring him closer to the top carry heroes. Thus, your main tasks in the middle of the game will be: constant battles and pushing lines. It is worth farming only in cases where fights are not expected or there is simply no opportunity for them. Even if the start of the game was not very good, you should not abandon your team and try to farm somewhere, since you will still be inferior to your enemies in terms of farming speed.

Perhaps the key points in the mid-game for Viper are the purchase of artifacts such as: and , since these artifacts greatly help in team battles and give your team additional pushing potential. If you bought these items too late and it is already becoming clear that the game will drag on, then in this case you should think about buying artifacts for damage. Of course, Viper will be inferior to some carry heroes in the late game, but this does not mean that you become completely useless.

Viper himself is not a good pusher, but he is very well suited for a pushing strategy. He has good survivability and can calmly stand and attack the tower. The Viper only needs to stand at the maximum shooting distance and attack the tower. At the same time, your less protected allies can simply stand behind and not take risks. Even if enemies attack you, they will be slowed down due to the effect of the passive and you will immediately be able to focus on some enemy. In any case, the enemy will not be able to kill you quickly. In the case of pushing slabs, Viper is a very bad hero by absolutely all indicators. He does not have the ability to quickly kill creeps, quickly destroy buildings, he has no mobility and he cannot escape in case of danger. Just forget about split pushing. In most cases, you must act as part of your team.

Before entering a team fight, you first need to determine the Viper's potential. If, let’s say, you had a good start and managed to buy several artifacts for survivability, then you can safely attack your enemies first and stand on the front line. If at the early stage of the game things were not going well, then perhaps it is worth letting some initiators and heroes with good control go ahead. In other words, how you start a fight depends on what you have in your inventory. During the battle, Viper naturally does not stand still. Between each attack you must either step towards the enemy or step back and kite the enemy. In any case, you must realize the effect of the poison as well as possible. If the enemy team has heroes with melee attacks, then ideally they should not approach your allies at all. It is important to remember that Viper deals very good additional damage to heroes with incomplete health. Thus, it is very profitable to focus on heroes with a small supply of health and heroes that your allies have begun to focus on and have already dealt a lot of damage. Do not forget that Viper is a slow hero and cannot run away in case of danger. This way you should always be close to your allies and even if you are on the first line, your allies should be within reach to quickly react and help you. If you already have Aghanim, then at the beginning of the battle you can safely use the ult on the enemy carry hero. This will not only cause damage, but will also significantly reduce the enemy's effectiveness by reducing attack speed. Next, if possible, you can focus on the enemy carry and kill him, or start using Poison Attack on some other dangerous enemy and also slow him down a lot. Theoretically, Viper can kite several enemies at once in this way, and it will be easier for your allies to deal with them. If you see an enemy with low health left, be sure to focus on him, even if you have already started attacking another target. Viper does not have the greatest damage and it is the Nethertoxin passive that allows him to compensate for this disadvantage.

Once again I would like to remind you that Viper is a slow hero in terms of farming and in the middle of the game farming is the lowest priority task. Of course, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to farm, since all heroes need artifacts, but you should always farm on the go and certainly not abandon your team.