How to play Snapfire, Dota 2’s resident rough-riding support

Snapfire has a lot of room for error among Dota 2 supports, and learning how to play her usually involves plenty of mistakes. It's just as easy to get a teammate killed with Snapfire Cookie as it is to secure a crucial pickoff. Missing Mortimer's Kisses is liable to get you tipped. However, there are plenty of ways to make the learning process easier. Here's how to play Snapfire, one of the most

Snapfire is usually played as a support, but a few specialists like to use her as a high-tempo mid or offlane with massive late-game potential. This Snapfire guide will focus on how to play soft support Snapfire, but you can use many of these tips for other positions.

As with any hero, learning how to play Snapfire starts with learning when to play Snapfire. The hero is one of the most obvious counters to hit-based abilities. If you see Undying or Phoenix on the enemy team, Snapfire instantly becomes a great pick.

Snapfire’s other X-factor is her ultimate, Mortimer’s Kisses. The long-range nukes can turn any form of crowd control into a lethal combo, so try to pair up with Position 5s like Bane, Shadow Shaman, or Ogre Magi. Snapfire with a stun can pick off nearly any hero out of a smoke gank. Kisses is also one of the best area-of-effect spells in the game, helping her counter multi-unit heroes like Beastmaster, Meepo, and Naga Siren.

Snapfire’s kit sets up aggressive kill lanes, so look for melee cores that can take advantage of Firesnap Cookie. Offlaners like Axe, Centaur Warrunner, and Night Stalker can take full advantage of the sudden change in position, and the slow from Scatterblast sets up a chase. Snapfire can also use the cookie defensively to save her lane partner from an untimely death. Max Scatterblast and then Snapfire Cookie. Save Lil’ Shredder for later unless it counters the enemy lane.

Here are the top ten heroes countered by Snapfire, according to stats from Dotabuff.

While she can save a teammate in fights, Snapfire is not a defensive hero. The support wants to constantly move around the map setting up ganks or securing objectives with Lil’ Shredder. Once the lanes dissolve, try to play around your offlaner or mid once they pick up a Blink Dagger or Orchid. Use Snapfire Cookie to start fights and don’t be afraid to get close. That 3.2 STR gain comes in handy.

Using Mortimer's Kisses is surprisingly stressful for such a big skill shot. It's easy to land consecutive hits thanks to the slow, but the delay for the first can make it tricky. In our experience, we highly recommend only using it when another hero sets it up. It can be as flashy as Black Hole or as simple as Magic Missile. Secure the first and the rest are sure to follow.

Items are a little harder. Snapfire can build pretty much anything, so try to counter the enemy team. Staring down an Alchemist, Morphling, or Huskar? Spirit Vessel is a great pickup that is easy to build. Riki and Clockwerk demand Force Staff while Spirit Breaker and Axe require a Eul’s. Think critically about the enemy team and throw a wrench into their plans.

Finally, a note on her infamous late game. Snapfire can become one of the scariest heroes in the game with Lil’ Shredder’s level 20 and 25 talents. However, you need to commit early and hard to that build. A big part of learning how to play Snapfire is figuring out when to go for it and when to hold back. If you think the game will go very late, start building up a Gleipnir and Daedalus. If you think the game will end earlier, keep stacking support items like Guardian Greaves, Lotus Orb, and Wind Waker. A support-oriented build will always be useful. A damage build could fall flat after a surprise enemy push.

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