Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.
HERO GAME PLANI shoot from a safe position behind the frontline and buy tools that preserve my distance.
Death from a distance is Sniper's specialty. He keeps his enemies on their toes with a steady barrage of firepower, and then, when the time is right, picks them off with a kill shot.
My recommendation is a starting point. We choose another position together with the team and for its needs.
I need protected farm, my item window and damage on important targets.
Levels, lane control and joining the team at the right moment matter.
This is an editorial starting plan based on hero mechanics. It is not presented as a match I have already tested or a popularity ranking.
Here is my initial plan: I do my role's job first, then choose the items the team needs. I adapt the order and expensive purchases to the opponent.
Provide attack speed and switchable attributes for farming and managing my resources.
Speeds up creep clearing and adds attack damage against multiple targets.
Increases a ranged hero’s attack range and provides useful attributes.
Combines attack range with a tool for breaking a dangerous close-range engagement.
Provides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.
Mjollnir ↗Upgrades Maelstrom for frequent attacks and adds a defensive electrical effect to the chosen target.
Daedalus ↗Increases physical attack damage once access to the target and protection are already secured.
Satanic ↗Helps recover health through attacks during its active window; without access to a target, it is not a guaranteed save.
I do not assign one ‘correct’ minute to every purchase. I look at my gold, the next fight and the problem: am I missing mana, target access, control or protection? If an expensive slot will arrive too late, I get a useful answer earlier.
Original Valve icons and descriptions. Cooldowns and mana are shown by level from the data snapshot; talents and upgrades can change the values.
Spends a charge to cover the selected area in a rain of explosive shrapnel. Enemies in it take damage and move more slowly. Also reveals fog of war in the area.
Spends a charge to cover the selected area in a rain of explosive shrapnel. Enemies in it take damage and move more slowly. Also reveals fog of war in the area. An ability charge is restored every 35 seconds.
The hero shoots more accurately, giving each attack a chance to deal 20/50/80/110 extra damage, knock the target back and briefly slow its movement and attack speed by 100%. The closer the target is, the farther it is knocked back.
Passively increases the owner’s attack range by 160/240/320/400.
Passively increases the owner’s attack range by 160/240/320/400. Activating this ability grants bonuses to vision radius, Headshot proc chance, and attack range, but slows movement by 65% and restricts vision to a cone in front of the hero.
The hero aims his long-range rifle at the selected enemy unit and, after a short delay, fires a devastating shot that briefly stuns the target and deals full attack damage in addition to base damage.
Sniper locks onto a target enemy unit and, after a short aiming duration, fires a devastating shot that deals Sniper's attack damage plus bonus damage at long range and mini-stuns the target. Whenever Sniper kills an enemy hero, Assassinate is refreshed.
Causes Assassinate to fire quicker and stun the enemy target.
These abilities are not necessarily available at the same time. I check the condition beside the name: innate ability, another form or an Aghanim purchase.
Launches a grenade at the target area, dealing damage to enemies and knocking them and Sniper back. Enemies affected are disarmed and have their movement slowed after the knockback.
Launches a grenade at the target area, dealing damage to enemies and knocking them and Sniper back. Enemies affected are disarmed and have their movement slowed after the knockback.
Reduces cooldown, increases damage, and allows the knockback to move Sniper himself.
Sniper’s attacks deal bonus damage for every 100 units of distance Sniper is from the target.
Sniper’s attacks deal bonus damage for every 100 units of distance Sniper is from the target.
These are fields from the official source. The hero's final values in the client account for attributes and other active mechanics.
Items, slang and real episodes help connect abilities with what happens in a match.
