Sniper

Sniper
	19 + 1.7 21 + 3.1 15 + 2.6
Movement speed	285
Attack speed	100
Turn rate	0.7
Vision range	1800/1400
Attack range	550
Projectile speed	3000
Attack animation	0.17+0.7
Base attack time	1.7
Collision size	24
Legs	2
Gib type	Default

Hero

Strategy

Counters

Kardel Sharpeye, the Sniper, is a ranged agility hero who excels at dealing moderate to heavy damage from an incredible range. With no escape mechanism, poor mobility, and only a modest health pool, Sniper is exceptionally frail at all stages of the game and vulnerable to enemies who confront him head-on. However, his abilities provide him both the means to keep his distance and systematically destroy his enemies from afar. Shrapnel is a potent, high-cast range zoning ability that provides vision for Sniper while slowing and damaging enemies in its area of effect; with up to 3 charges on the ability, Sniper can completely close off any viable routes for his opponents to approach or escape. Headshot supplements Sniper's right-click damage and briefly stops enemies when it procs, which can be quite debilitating since it has a high rate of occurring. His third ability, Take Aim, gives him the largest attack range of any hero in the game, allowing him to deal high DPS from a safe distance while also giving him the ease to switch between targets at a moment's notice. Finally, Assassinate is a strong finishing and harassing ability, dealing hefty damage to an enemy from an enormous distance after a brief aiming period. Sniper is heavily item-dependent, relying on means to increase his survivability as well as his damage output as the game progresses. Skilled players will find that positioning is the most important thing to keep in mind when playing both as him or against him.

Bio[edit]

Kardel Sharpeye, the Sniper

▶️ "Now that's what I call stopping power."

Lore:

Kardel Sharpeye was born deep in the mountainous valleys of Knollen where, since time immemorial, the folk have survived by hunting the strange, cliff-dwelling steepstalkers above their village—killing them from a distance and collecting their carcasses where they fell. Sharpeye was among the best of these strange folk for whom projectile weapons are but another appendage, and to shoot is as natural as to touch.

On his day of summoning, when he was to gain full standing in his village, Sharpeye took the ancient test: a single shot from the valley floor to strike a beast down from the cliffs. To miss was to be dishonored. With his entire village standing vigil, Sharpeye took his shot. A steepstalker fell; the crowd cheered. But when the carcass was collected, the village grew silent, for the elders found that the bullet had pierced its glittering central eye then fallen to be clenched in the steepstalker's mandibles. This ominous sign was the literal opening of a dark prophecy, foretelling both greatness and exile for the gunman who made such a shot. Sharpeye the Sniper was thus, by his own skill, condemned to make his way apart from his people—and unwelcome back among them until he has fulfilled the remainder of the prophecy by attaining legendary stature on a field of battle.

Voice:

Gary Schwartz (Responses)

Abilities[edit]

Shrapnel

▶️

Ability
Target Area

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Magical

Consumes a charge to launch a ball of shrapnel that showers the target area in explosive pellets. Enemies are subject to damage and slowed movement. Reveals the targeted area. Shrapnel charges restore every 40 seconds.

Cast Animation: +

Cast Range: 1800

Effect Radius: 450

Effect Delay: 1.2

Damage per Second: 15/35/55/75

Move Speed Slow: 15%/20%/25%/30% (

35%/40%/45%/50%)

Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

Shrapnel Duration: 10

Number of Charges: 3 (

9)

Charge Replenish Time: 40 (

30)

0

50

Slow persists and attempts to damage if debuff was placed before spell immunity.

Modifiers

Shrapnel Charge Counter: Undispellable.

Shrapnel Slow: Undispellable.

Kardel's modular rifle also fires incendiary rounds, useful for assaulting entrenched locations.

Notes:

Sniper gets all 3 charges immediately upon learning Shrapnel.
- Choosing the extra charges talent also immediately grants the 6 charges.

Shrapnel starts dealing damage, slowing and providing vision after the effect delay.

Provides 450 radius flying vision at the targeted area.

The damage and the slow are both provided by an aura. Its debuff lingers for 0.5 seconds. Multiple instances of the aura do not stack.

Deals damage in 1 second intervals, starting immediately as the debuff is placed, resulting in up to 11 possible damage instances.

Can deal up to 165/385/605/825 damage to a single unit (before reductions).

Does not affect buildings.

Headshot

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies / Allies

Damage
Physical

Sniper increases his accuracy, giving him a chance to deal extra damage and briefly knocks back his enemies.

Proc Chance: 40%

Damage: 30/60/90/120

Move Speed Slow: 100%

Attack Speed Slow: 100

Knockback Distance: 10 (

45)

Slow Duration: 0.5

Knockback Duration: 0.1

The damage pierces spell immunity, the slow and knockback do not.
Slow and knockback persist if debuffs were placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.

Modifiers

Headshot Slow: Dispellable with any dispel.

Knockback: Dispellable with strong dispels.

Taking potshots at steepstalkers in his childhood has been thoroughly refined into perfect leads on enemy combatants.

Notes:

Headshot can miss.

The proccing attack first applies the debuffs, then its own damage.

The bonus damage is dealt in one instance together with the attack damage, and counts as attack damage as well.
- It can be lifestealed off of, but it is not considered by crit or cleave.
- It is also not affected by percentage-based attack damage bonuses or reductions, but can be reduced with flat reductions.

Increases Sniper's attack damage output on average by 12/24/36/48.

Cannot proc against wards and buildings, can proc against allies.

Headshot uses pseudo-random distribution.

Headshot applies forced movement on the target upon proccing, pushing the target away from Sniper.
- The knockback does not interrupt channeling spells.
- The knockback is not applied on units who are already affected by other sources of forced movement.
- Knocks units back at a speed of 100 ( 450).

Take Aim

Ability
No Target / Passive

Affects
Self

Extends the attack range of Sniper's rifle. Can be activated to double the attack range bonus for 1 attack.

Cast Animation: +

Passive Attack Range Bonus: 100/200/300/400

Active Attack Range Bonus: 100/200/300/400

Active Max Attacks: 1

9/8/7/6 (

6.75/6/5.25/4.5)

30

Break disables the passive range bonus. The bonus gained from the active still works.

Modifiers

Take Aim: Dispellable with any dispel.

Kardel always takes it upon himself to stay as far from harm as he can while still performing his role - taking perfect aim.

Notes:

Interrupts Sniper's channeling spells upon cast.

When cast, Sniper receives a buff which doubles the range bonus of Take Aim.

The buff has no set duration. It lasts until performing an attack, or until dying. This means the outcome of the attack does not matter.

The cooldown starts upon losing the buff in any way. It does not start upon cast.

Passively increases Sniper's total attack range to 650/750/850/950 ( 775/875/975/1075).
- With the active, Sniper has an attack range of 750/950/1150/1350 ( 875/1075/1275/1475) for one attack.

Visual indicator above the target.

Assassinate

▶️

Ability
Target Unit
(

Target Area)

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Magical
(

Instant Attack)

Sniper locks onto a target enemy unit and, after a short aiming duration, fires a devastating shot that deals damage at long range and mini-stuns the target.

Cast Animation: + (

+)

Cast Range: 3000

Radius: 0 (

400)

Damage: 320/485/650 (

0)

Critical Damage: 0% (

280%)

Stun Duration: 0.01

Vision Buff Max Duration: 4

20/15/10 (

15/11.25/7.5)

175/225/275

Turns Assassinate into a ground target AoE ability, that, after the aiming duration, launches a critical strike and procs headshot on units in the AoE. Only affects visible heroes.

Blocked upon impact, therefore, vision and True Sight are still granted.
Not blocked when upgraded.

Cannot be disjointed with invisibility without true sight immunity, due to the debuff being placed on cast begin.

Modifiers

Assassinate: Undispellable.

Stunned: Dispellable with strong dispels.

In order to fulfill the prophecy and return to his home town, Kardel must make another shot as perfect as the one on the day of his ancient test.

Notes:

The projectile travels at a speed of 2500.

Assassinate first applies the damage ( the attack), then the stun debuff.

Although the stun duration is set to 0.01 seconds, it lasts 0.03-0.04 seconds due to the server tick rate limit.

Assassinate places a debuff on the target as soon as Sniper begins casting.
- The debuff lasts 4 seconds, or until the projectile lands, or the cast gets canceled.
- The debuff grants shared vision with the targeted unit. Does not provide any vision when targeting neutral creeps.
- The debuff grants True Sight over the target, meaning it cannot be canceled or be disjointed with invisibility without True Sight immunity.
- The debuff is visible to everyone. The cross hair above the target is visible to allies only.

Can directly target invulnerable units, and does not get canceled if the target turns invulnerable during the cast time.
- The vision debuff is not placed when targeting an invulnerable unit, but stays if the unit turned invulnerable during the cast time.
- The projectile does not affect the target if it is still invulnerable on impact.

Cannot target hidden units and does get canceled when the target turns hidden.

The initial weapon loading sound during the cast time is audible to Sniper only.

When upgraded, Assassinate targets every player-controlled unit within the target area, placing the debuff on all player-controlled units.
- However, upon reaching the cast point only heroes, illusions and creep-heroes are hit by projectiles. Other targeted units are not hit.
- Since the vision debuff disappears only when the projectile hits, or the cast gets canceled, it lasts for the full 4 seconds on all other targets.
- Unlike the default version, the upgraded Assassinate fully ignores invulnerable units, neither initially targeting them, nor launching a projectile.
- All targets are marked upon cast. Entering or leaving the area during the cast time has no effect.
- While the single-target version is subject to the motion buffer range, the area targeted version is not, so that distance cannot cancel the cast.
- This means even if an enemy teleports away after being marked, Sniper still launches the projectile towards them.
- If no valid targets are within the area, the spell still gets cast, wasting mana and cooldown.

Aghanim's Scepter causes Sniper to perform an instant attack on all targets.
- The projectile is still the regular Assassinate projectile, but having its damage set to 0. The instant attack is perfomed as it hits its target.
- These instant attacks do not use Sniper's attack projectile speed, they hit their targets instantly.
- These attacks have True Strike, and can therefore never miss. They also ignore disarms.
- Can proc any attack modifier on all of the hit targets normally. Can also proc any on-hit effects, including Damage Block.
- These attacks have an ensured critical strike. They also always proc Headshot.

Talents[edit]

Hero Talents
+6 Shrapnel Charges	25	+125 Attack Range
-1.5s Assassinate Cast Time	20	+35 Knockback Distance Headshot
+20% Shrapnel Slow	15	+40 Attack Speed
+20 Damage	10	25% Cooldown Reduction

Notes:

This attack damage talent is added as raw attack damage, so it does not benefit illusions, and is not affected by most percentage-based damage increasing or reducing effects.

The cooldown reduction talent stacks multiplicatively with Octarine Core and additively other sources of cooldown reduction.

Recommended items[edit]

Starting items:

Iron Branch improves Sniper's early stats, and can be built into a Magic Wand later on.
Slippers of Agility helps with Sniper's naturally low base damage, allowing him to last hit better.
Faerie Fire helps Sniper score last hits.
Tango helps Sniper stay in lane.
Healing Salve not only rejuvenates Sniper, using it at the last second can save also save him from a gank.

Early game:

Magic Wand is useful in emergencies and gives Sniper some much-needed survivability.
Wraith Band boosts Sniper's early stats, keeping him viable in his vulnerable early game stage.
Wind Lace is usually picked up by supports but can be useful on Sniper to help offset his low mobility.
Infused Raindrop helps Sniper resist harassment and gankers.
Power Treads gives Sniper the ability to switch between strength for survivability, agility for damage, and even intelligence for extra mana to use a clutch Assassinate.

Mid game:

Desolator greatly improves Sniper's mid-game damage, and its debuff can be safely applied from long range on multiple enemies.
Dragon Lance increases Sniper's attack range to a maximum of 1215, allowing him to shoot down opponents before they can close the gap.
Mask of Madness greatly increases Sniper's attack speed and provides a moderate boost to his movement speed. The lifesteal is good for farming and can save Sniper in a head-to-head fight, while Silence doesn't hurt him so much. Another good choice can be Satanic for damage and survivability boost.
Maelstrom is excellent against groups of enemies, or heroes with numerous summoned units like Phantom Lancer. Combined with more attack speed items, the lightning damage will trigger continuously.

Late game:

Hurricane Pike, upgraded from Dragon Lance, provides additional means of escape and/or positioning.
Daedalus gives Sniper massive damage in the late game, and lets him tear through enemies in just a few shots.

Situational items:

Phase Boots give Sniper movement speed boost to chase enemies.
Shadow Blade is often picked up by beginners, as it gives Sniper a much-needed escape mechanism, as well as enabling him to position himself in team engagements. It also gives a damage boost to Sniper's first attack when cloaked.
Silver Edge is a decent upgrade to Shadow Blade, and can be useful on more offense-oriented Snipers.
Eye of Skadi sacrifices damage for a great boost to Sniper's survivability, as well as adding a slow debuff that helps keep enemies within Sniper's range.
Mjollnir is a natural progression from Maelstrom, but is sometimes skipped in favor of other direct damage boosting items.
Monkey King Bar grants a great increase in damage, and is usually necessary to deal with evasion. However, it provides no defensive boosts and can be quite expensive.
Butterfly is a costly but useful item if Sniper is struggling against physical carries. The attack speed and damage boosts Sniper's combat capabilities a little, while the evasion and armor give him considerably more survivability against opposing carries.
Sange and Yasha boosts survivability with bonuses to strength and status resistance. It also provides more movement speed to help in chasing or kiting enemies.

Gameplay[edit]


Roles:	Carry Nuker
Complexity:	★☆☆
Playstyle:	With a single bullet, Kardel Sharpeye pierced the steepstalker's central eye from the valley floor, an ominous act that resulted in his ritual exile. He would win acclaim on a field of battle, or never return. Like his mountain kin, the Sniper is one with his firearm. He Takes Aim from great distances, and scores Headshots that stop his targets dead. Armed with a modular rifle, Kardel launches incendiary rounds to rain burning Shrapnel over entrenched positions. No enemy is safe within the range of the Sniper's scope. Kardel pauses to line up his crosshairs, compensating for every variable before he Assassinates his mark in one fatal shot.

Strategy & Tips

Counters &
Matchups

Audio[edit]

Responses

Sounds

History[edit]

Lore

Old Abilities

Changelogs

Equipment[edit]

Trivia[edit]

A number of Sniper's lines are either direct quotations or paraphrases of lines used by the Sniper class in Team Fortress 2, a popular class-based shooter also by Valve. Such phrases include:
- ▶️ Thanks for standing still, wanker!
- ▶️ Let's have a go at it!
- ▶️ Jarate!
- ▶️ Professionals have standards.
- ▶️ I'm polite and efficient.
- ▶️ As long as there are two heroes left on the battlefield, someone is gonna want someone dead.
One of Sniper's lines while bottling a rune is ▶️ "Jarate!", which is a reference to Team Fortress 2 in-game weapon for Sniper class, Jarate.
One of Sniper's lines while casting his ultimate is ▶️ "Boom headshot!", which is a reference to the Pure Pwnage mockumentary series.
Incidentally, his voice actor, Gary Schwartz, also voices the Heavy Weapons Guy and Demoman in Team Fortress 2.
Sniper's line, "▶️ Inconceivable!" is likely a reference to Vizzini's catchphrase in the film The Princess Bride due to the similarities in both the appearance and voices of the two.
Sniper's name, Kardel Sharpeye, is a reference to professional Counter-Strike player Kyle "Ksharp" Miller of team 3D, who is regarded for his skillful AWP (Sniper rifle) use.
- Sniper's ultimate, ▶️ Assassinate, also uses the same, though slightly modified gunshot ▶️ sound as Counter-Strike's AWP.
Sniper's fun name in DotA was Vasily Zaitsev, a highly skilled Russian sniper who was active during World War 2.
Sniper's line, "▶️ What a dum-dum!" is a pun on the Expanding bullet, also known as a dum-dum. It is designed to expand on impact in order to limit penetration and create a wound larger in diameter.
Sniper's line, "▶️ Oh, a few bullets more!" is a reference to the film For a Few Dollars More.