Dota 2 Snapfire Guide

Blaze your own trail through the battlegrounds, unleashing explosive havoc with the feisty, dragon-riding granny with our Dota 2 Snapfire Guide

For those who fancy a bit of fiery fun in the lanes of Dota 2, there's no better choice than Snapfire, the fun-loving, scattergun-wielding granny. She is a keen, adventurous and feisty outlaw granny who rides her trusty lizard steed, Mortimer. Riding into the thick of battle, she belches out bullets and cookies with equal zest. 

Snapfire is a ranged Universal Hero who starts the game with 582 HP and 327 mana. She has a base movement speed of 300 and deals 44-50 damage per hit. Her base armor is 3.7, which is average.

Although she is mostly played as a support, her versatility allows her to dish out considerable damage and provide essential utility for the team, making her viable for a core role as well. This guide is designed to equip you with everything you need to heat things up in your next game.

Abilities

This dangerous duo has four unique abilities that make her a formidable presence on the battlefield.

• Scatterblast – This ability allows her to fire a blast from her shotgun that damages and slows all units in a cone. Up close, enemies take extra damage. Use Scatterblast to fend off enemies and secure last hits. The ability deals 100 damage at level 1 and 280 damage at a max level while also slowing the target for 1 second.
• Firesnap Cookie – Snapfire feeds a Firesnap Cookie to Mortimer or an allied Hero, causing them to leap a short distance and stun nearby enemies on landing. The landing also deals damage in a small radius. This ability is excellent for initiating ganks and saving allies. The leap distance is 425 units and deals 280 damage at impact when maxed out. 
  • Shard Upgrade (Firesnap Cookie) – Firesnap cookies get an improved leap range and launch a Mortimer Kiss that deals 50.0% impact damage to the landing destination. 
• Lil' Shredder – With Lil' Shredder, Snapfire unleashes a volley of 6 fixed-damage attacks with her lizard-mounted turret, reducing enemy heroes' armor with each hit. Provides bonus attack range for the duration. This ability can quickly turn the tide in your favor during early skirmishes.

• Mortimer Kisses (Ultimate) – Mortimer spits out globs of fire towards the targeted location, damaging enemies and slowing them in the area. Use this ability to turn team fights to your advantage from a safe distance. Mortimer Kisses has a cooldown of 40 seconds. So you can use it often.
  • Scepter Upgrade (Gobble Up) – Mortimer gobbles up a creep or an ally Hero, which he then spits at opponents. The unit can stay in his stomach for up to 3.0 seconds.

Talents

Snapfire's talent tree boosts her utility and damage output. Let's see what talent she can choose from as she levels up.

• Level 10 – Firesnap Cookie Restores 125 Health or +70 Scatterblast Damage
• Level 15 – -4s Firesnap Cookie Cooldown or +2 Lil' Shredder attacks
• Level 20 – +60 Mortimer Kisses Impact Damage or Lil' Shredder Uses Your Attack Damage
• Level 25 – +6 Mortimer Kisses Launched or 3x Lil' Shredder Multishot

Dota 2 Snapfire Guide – Tips

Snapfire is a potent, dynamic Hero with an ability set that makes her a high-impact support. Positioning is vital when playing her. Stay at the backlines in team fights, throw fireballs with Mortimer Kisses, and use Firesnap Cookie to save allies or initiate fights.

In the early game, make use of Scatterblast to harass enemies and secure last hits. Lil' Shredder is an excellent tool for trading blows with opposing heroes and can quickly whittle down their armor. In the mid-game, make use of your ultimate, Mortimer Kisses, to engage in team fights from a distance. Your Firesnap Cookie will help with initiating or disengaging from battles as needed.

Consider itemization that improves Snapfire's utility in the game. Essentials include Arcane Boots, Mekanism, Force Staff, Solar Crest and Glimmer Cape. Lotus Orb can be an excellent pickup, depending on the game. If you’re ahead, an Aghanim’s Scepter can make you an even more significant threat.

Dota 2 Snapfire – Pros and Cons

Snapfire’s unique set of abilities comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

• High impact support with considerable damage potential
• Versatile abilities for crowd control and zoning
• Strong lane presence
• Provides significant contributions to team fights

Cons:

• Susceptible to burst damage
• Requires good positioning and map awareness
• No innate escape mechanism
• Ultimate can be easily interrupted

How to play Snapfire

Here's a short but effective guide to getting the most out of this fiery granny.

Starting Items

A typical starting build would include Tangoes, a Healing Salve, a couple of Clarity potions, and Iron Branches. These items provide the necessary sustain to stay in lane. Buy some Blood Grenades to deal additional damage to enemies.

Early Game

In the early game, Snapfire shines by zoning out enemies with her Scatterblast, which deals significant damage and slows enemies within its radius. While your carry focuses on last hitting, your main goal should be harassing your enemies and making the lane a safe place for your carry to farm. 

Buying Boots of Speed early can enhance mobility, helping you position better for Scatterblast or escape when situations get risky. An additional Magic Stick can also be beneficial against heroes who frequently use their spells, providing you with extra health and mana during clutch moments.

Mid Game

During the mid game, your positioning becomes vital. Your ultimate, Mortimer Kisses, can be a game-changer in team fights, but it requires proper positioning due to its long range and stationary casting. This is when mobility and positioning items like Force Staff can come in handy. Force Staff can help you or a teammate escape dangerous situations. 

Meanwhile, Eul's Scepter of Divinity can provide a reliable self-dispel or a setup for your abilities. Glimmer Cape, offering invisibility and magic resistance, is also a good pick for survival and escape. Tell your team to break the Tormentor so that you may get a free Shard.

Late Game

In the late game, Snapfire's abilities scale well, making her a considerable force in team fights. Remember to always stay in the backlines and take advantage of Mortimer Kisses' range. Additionally, be prepared to save your teammates with a well-timed Firesnap Cookie or Force Staff.

By this stage, you should aim for more impactful items. Aghanim's Scepter adds a new dimension to your skill set. It can be a game-changing initiation or escape tool. Scythe of Vyse can be a vital item if the game calls for additional crowd control. If survivability becomes a problem, consider getting a Black King Bar or Lotus Orb, offering spell immunity or dispel and spell reflection, respectively. Get a Refresher Orb if the game goes too long.

When played as a core, additional items can be Deadlus, Blink Dagger and Monkey King Bar. Pick up a Divine Rapier for overwhelming damage if the game exceeds 60 minutes.

Dota 2 Snapfire Counter

Snapfire can be countered by heroes who can close the gap quickly, interrupt her ultimate, or resist her magical damage. Some of her best counters are.

• Anti-Mage – His high magic resistance and Mana Void can be deadly for Snapfire. Also, the Blink ability of Anti-Mage allows him to close the gap between them.
• Spectre – With Spectre's Haunt in play, the distance between the spectral wraith and her targets vanishes in an instant. This hinders our hotshot granny from effectively positioning herself to launch a barrage of Mortimer Kisses. Snapfire’s relatively limited agility also makes her an easy mark for Spectre's Desolate which inflicts more damage when the enemy is alone.
• Lifestealer – Lifestealer's Rage grants him magic immunity, making him immune to all of Snapfire's abilities. Moreover, his Open Wounds slow and his Infest's burst potential can be devastating for our old granny, given her lack of escape mechanisms.
• Silencer – Silencer's ultimate, Global Silence, is an effective counter to any spell-casting Hero, and Snapfire is no exception. A well-timed Global Silence can interrupt Mortimer Kisses, nullifying her main source of damage during team fights. Furthermore, Silencer's Arcane Curse punishes heroes who frequently cast spells, adding to her woes.

Conclusion

Interested in more Dota 2 guides? Bookmark our site and stay updated with all the latest strategies, Hero guides, and news for Dota 2. Our comprehensive guides will make your journey from a newbie to a Dota 2 pro smoother than ever.