Summon Mana Viper

[bcadren]

How well does Summon Mana Viper work in extended? (Say to prevent a Fiend from using Torment)?

[radinms]

i have never used summon mana viper in extended, but it is useful if you use that correctly.
but using antimagic weapon and not wasting a turn in casting summon mana viper is obviously better

[Sphara]

I guess it is an option but I wouldn't try to deal with torment that way.

I have had one easy fight with Cerebov because I got 2 mana vipers (don't remember if i hasted them) next to him and started bashing. The trickiest thing is to actually get them next to the tough monster because they are very squishy in the endgame areas. So if you wanna use it in extended, better summon the snakes early, lure the monster at you, then engage. Casting it next to a brimstone fiend is a waste of turn if the fight has already started.

Imo the spell works best in Elf:3 if you don't have beefier summon spells like menagerie.

[Sandman25]

I like Lightning Spire in Elf3, it blocks corridors so you are safe from banishment/hellfire. Add Aura of Abjuration and Haste and it is impossible to die.

[archaeo]

Also, remember that you can cast/zap haste at things other than yourself. Hasting the mana vipers would definitely be a big help in getting their antimagic bite to proc.

Of course, instead, you could just haste the tentacled monstrosities from XXX or the boatload of dragons from dcall and get more done, as long as you're in extended.

[tabstorm]

Not worth the spell levels or time to cast when you have dragon call or horrible things. They won't do enough damage against things that can hurt you. If you're using no melee, you should have necromutation by now, and you can just hide behind all your allies without taking damage from much of anything. if you do have melee you probably don't even need your summons but they may help you a little against a single Fiend.