Sniper
Kardel Sharpeye was born deep within the mountainous valleys of Knollen, where the dwarven people had lived for centuries. From a young age, he showed an uncanny ability with firearms, and his keen eyesight made him the perfect candidate for the elite sharpshooter unit.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Distance is safety, precision is power. Master these truths, and victory becomes inevitable.”
Stay at Range
Your power is in your distance. Every step closer is a step toward death. The farther you are, the safer and more effective you become.
Master the Dance
The Sniper Shuffle isn't just movement—it's rhythm. Advance, strike, retreat. Make enemies frustrated, make them desperate, make them mistakes.
Vision is Victory
What you see, you can kill. Use Shrapnel, use Assassinate, use your superior night vision. Information is your greatest weapon.
Patience Kills
You're not an initiator. You're a finisher. Wait for the chaos, find the angles, pick the targets. Let others create openings; you exploit them.
Every Shot Matters
Each attack can proc Headshot, each Headshot can turn a fight. Position for maximum effectiveness, time your attacks perfectly.
Adapt or Die
If they come close, you escape. If they stay far, you dominate. Your build must match the threat. Pike for mobility, Silver Edge for invisibility, Butterfly for evasion.
Hero Overview
Sniper is the ultimate glass cannon carry, capable of dealing devastating damage from extreme range while remaining frustratingly out of reach for most enemies. His passive Headshot ability provides regular stuns and bonus damage, making him a constant threat in any engagement.
His gameplay revolves around perfect positioning and the 'Sniper Shuffle' - the dance of moving in to attack and backing out to safety. With Take Aim providing incredible range and Assassinate offering guaranteed damage plus utility, Sniper excels at sieging high ground and picking off key targets from across the map.
Pros
- Extreme attack range with Take Aim
- Headshot provides regular mini-stuns and damage
- Assassinate provides true sight, vision, and kill resets
- Excellent tower sieging capabilities
- High burst damage from range
Cons
- Extremely fragile and squishy
- Vulnerable to gap-closing heroes
- Poor mobility without items
- Struggles against invisibility and high movement speed
- Low base movement speed
Ability Analysis
Shrapnel
ActiveFires a ball full of shrapnel into the air which explodes, showering the target area. Enemy units that walk in the area get damaged and slowed.
Notes: Provides vision and slows enemies in an AoE. Multiple casts on the same area don't stack. Use for vision during high ground sieges or to catch escaping enemies. Don't underestimate the zoning potential.
Headshot
PassiveSniper increases his damage with each shot. Occasionally launches a ball that stuns and damages enemies in a small area.
Notes: Your main damage source. The mini-stuns interrupt channeling and can chain-stun enemies. With Take Aim, you can activate it to guarantee a Headshot proc on your instant attack from Assassinate.
Take Aim
PassiveSniper increases his attack range. Can be activated to get bonus attack speed and guarantee a Headshot proc.
Notes: The active can be used to prevent Rubick from stealing your better spells. The guaranteed Headshot proc is perfect for maximizing Assassinate damage. The range bonus is what makes Sniper so effective at sieging.
Assassinate
ActiveSniper locks onto a target enemy unit and fires a devastating shot that deals massive damage. Provides true sight on the target.
Notes: The cooldown refreshes on any kill, not just from Assassinate. Gives true sight and shared vision. You can cancel the cast animation with stop key. The instant attack applies attack modifiers and ignores disarms.
Concussive Grenade (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveFires a concussive grenade that knocks back enemies in an AoE and temporarily stuns them.
Notes: The self-knockback can be used to traverse cliffs or escape Kinetic Field. The stun can cancel channels and disable enemies. Cannot be cast when rooted or leashed.
Assassinate (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveAssassinate now pierces spell immunity and reduces enemy magic resistance for the duration.
Notes: Makes you deadly against BKB-piercing targets. The magic resistance reduction makes your entire team's magic damage more effective. Essential against heroes who rely on Black King Bar.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Sniper is the quintessential glass cannon - devastating from range but extremely vulnerable up close. His Assassinate ultimate is not just a kill spell; it's a strategic tool that provides vision, true sight, and can break channels.
Key Insights:
- Master the Sniper Shuffle - the art of positioning and repositioning
- Take Aim provides more than just range - use it to prevent spell steals
- Assassinate resets on any kill, making you deadly in teamfights
Sniper rewards precision positioning and map awareness. Your survival depends on staying at the edge of fights where you're safe but effective!
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Master the Sniper Shuffle and secure farm Key: Practice the art of positioning and repositioning; Use Headshot to harass and secure last hits; Stay at max range to avoid enemy aggression; Use Shrapnel for vision when needed Items: Power Treads (Priority #1); Dragon Lance for extra range; Magic Wand for sustain Tips: The Sniper Shuffle: advance, attack Headshot, retreat, repeat; Use your superior night vision (1400 vs 800) to your advantage; Be aware of enemy gankers - you're very vulnerable; Practice canceling animations to improve efficiency
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Participate in fights from safe distance and farm efficiently Key: Position yourself at the edge of teamfights; Use Assassinate to pick off low-health targets; Focus on farm while contributing to fights; Use Shrapnel for vision control Items: Hurricane Pike (Essential positioning tool); Daedalus for damage scaling; Manta Style for dispels Tips: Always be at maximum range from fights; Use Assassinate to refresh cooldowns on kills; Don't be afraid to use Pike offensively to push enemies away; Take advantage of your range to siege towers safely
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Deal maximum damage while staying alive Key: Position perfectly in teamfights; Focus key targets with Assassinate; Use items defensively and offensively; Maintain vision control with Shrapnel Items: Butterfly for evasion and damage; Satanic for survivability; Silver Edge for break effect Tips: One good positioning mistake can lose the game; Use Assassinate strategically - the cooldown reset is invaluable; Consider buying defensive items over damage if getting focused; Your role is often to clean up fights rather than initiate
Tips & Strategies
Positioning & The Sniper Shuffle
- Master the Sniper Shuffle: advance until in range, pop enemies with attacks until Headshot procs, retreat to safety, repeat.
- You have higher than average night vision (1400 vs 800) - use this advantage at night when enemies can't see you as well.
- Use Shrapnel to provide vision during high ground sieges when creeps are dead.
- Remember that Tier 1 towers never have backdoor protection - you can sneak quick kills without creep waves.
Assassinate Mastery
- Assassinate cooldown refreshes on ANY kill, not just from Assassinate itself.
- The spell gives true sight and shared vision during cast and until projectile connects.
- You can cancel the long cast animation with the stop key.
- The instant attack from Assassinate ignores disarms and applies attack modifiers.
- Activate Shadow Blade/Silver Edge AFTER launching the projectile to get backstab damage.
Advanced Techniques
- Use Take Aim's active to prevent Rubick from stealing your better spells.
- Activate Take Aim before Assassinate projectile lands to guarantee Headshot proc.
- Aghanim's Shard Concussive Grenade self-knockback can help you traverse cliffs.
- Nullifier dispels Force Staff buff but Hurricane Pike still provides some distance when Nullified.
- The Aghanim's Shard grenade counts as a disable and can cancel channels.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Agility for last-hitting, sustain for lane survival, and stats for early game effectiveness.
Slippers of Agility, Tangos, Iron Branch
Core Items
Hurricane Pike for positioning and escape, Daedalus for massive damage, Manta for dispels and mobility.
Dragon Lance -> Hurricane Pike, Daedalus, Manta Style
Situational Items
Silver Edge for invisibility and break, Nullifier against dispels, Butterfly for evasion and damage, Satanic for lifesteal.
Silver Edge, Nullifier, Butterfly, Satanic
Counter Guide
Good With
Sniper excels when paired with heroes who can create space and control enemy positioning. Shadow Shaman and Crystal Maiden provide disables that let Sniper safely DPS from range. Enigma and Dark Seer can group enemies together, making them perfect targets for Sniper's area damage. Pudge can hook enemies into Sniper's range, while Warlock and Jakiro provide additional lockdown. Heroes who can initiate or create distractions are invaluable - they draw enemy attention while Sniper does his work from the backline. The key is heroes who can either protect Sniper's positioning or create opportunities for him to deal damage safely.
Bad Against
Sniper struggles against heroes who can close distances quickly or neutralize his range advantage. Phantom Assassin and Riki can burst Sniper down before he can react, especially with Blink Strike and Smoke. Storm Spirit and Spirit Breaker have gap-closing abilities that bypass Sniper's range. Anti-Mage can burn mana and blink onto Sniper. Viper and Clinkz can destroy Sniper with sustained damage. Heroes with break effects like Silver Edge carriers can disable Take Aim's range bonus. Invoker with Sun Strike can kill Sniper from anywhere. The pattern is clear: mobile heroes, invisible threats, and heroes who can remove Sniper's key advantages all pose serious threats.
Good Against
Sniper dominates heroes who are slow, immobile, or reliant on channeling. Crystal Maiden, Witch Doctor, and Enigma are perfect targets as their channeling spells are easily interrupted by Headshot mini-stuns or Assassinate. Pudge struggles to approach without being repeatedly shot. Sniper excels against other ranged carries who lack mobility like Drow Ranger or Lina. Juggernaut without Blade Fury is vulnerable to constant harassment. Templar Assassin without Blink Dagger struggles to close the distance. Heroes who need to stand still or have predictable movement patterns are Sniper's favorite targets. His range advantage allows him to safely harass and pick off heroes who cannot quickly close distances or become invisible to escape.