SUPERVIVE Guide: How to play Shiv

When you're looking to dominate ranked matches in SUPERVIVE, Shiv stands as the undisputed queen of the battlefield. This pistol-wielding assassin has risen to S-tier status in the current meta, combining devastating burst damage with incredible mobility that leaves enemies scrambling. Whether you're diving into ranked for the first time or looking to perfect your mechanical skills, mastering Shiv's kit will give you the tools to carry games consistently.

Why Shiv Rules the Current Meta

The introduction of the new Armory system and expanded abyss areas has created the perfect storm for Shiv's dominance. Her ability to secure instant eliminations with dunking potential over the vast abyss sections makes her incredibly dangerous, while her enhanced range through items like Longclaw Optics eliminates her traditional weakness of being a close-range fighter.

What sets Shiv apart from other hunters is her reset-based combo system. Landing your Empowered Arcslinger shot resets Quickflip's cooldown, allowing you to chain dashes and maintain pressure indefinitely. This creates a snowball effect where skilled players can stay mobile while dealing consistent damage.

tip

The current meta heavily favors mobility and burst damage over sustained DPS, making Shiv's kit perfectly suited for ranked success.

Ability Mechanics

Malice & Resolve (Passive)

Your damage escalates with each consecutive Arcslinger hit on the same target, rewarding accuracy and target focus. More importantly, securing knockouts or assists restores 25% of your Max Health, giving you the sustain needed for extended fights.

Quickflip

This is where Shiv's power truly lies. Quickflip empowers your next Arcslinger shot while providing a dash for positioning. Landing that empowered shot immediately resets Quickflip, creating an endless cycle of mobility and damage.

The empowered shot deals bonus damage to targets at 450 units or more. You'll see a yellow diamond on your targeting line - enemies beyond this marker take significantly more damage, so managing your distance becomes crucial for maximizing DPS.

Chain Bolas

Chain Bolas serves as your primary engagement tool. Even hitting a single enemy applies Grounded, making your follow-up shots much easier to land. The real power comes from hitting two enemies simultaneously, which Stunned both targets and sets up devastating team fight scenarios.

Farstep Dagger

Farstep Dagger provides unmatched positioning flexibility. Throw it toward your target, execute a Quickflip, then teleport to the dagger for an immediate Empowered Arcslinger shot. This combo closes gaps instantly and catches enemies off-guard.

Fusillade for Cleanup

Fusillade excels in close-quarters cleanup situations. It resets Quickflip and grants an additional charge, but staying in the active area can be risky. Use it primarily for finishing weakened enemies or when you need multiple Quickflip charges for escape.

Ability Priority

Your skill point allocation directly impacts your carry potential throughout the match. Here's the priority system that maximizes Shiv's effectiveness:

Priority	Ability	Reason
1st	Quickflip	Level 4 grants 50% increased movement speed boost
2nd	Chain Bolas	Level 2 extends range by 100 units for easier double hits
3rd	Fusillade	Increases damage and area coverage
4th	Farstep Dagger	Utility ability, level last

Always unlock Quickflip first, then immediately begin investing points into it. The level 4 bonus transforms your mobility, making you nearly impossible to catch while maintaining offensive pressure.

important

Getting Chain Bolas to level 2 is crucial for team fights, as the extended range makes hitting multiple enemies significantly easier.

Recommended Item Builds

Relics

Refractor stands as your premier damage option when available. Landing Primary Attacks spawns projectiles that bounce to nearby enemies up to six times, dramatically increasing your team fight presence and wave clear potential.

For survivability, Last Bite provides crucial sustain when you drop below 60% health, granting 5% Omnivamp and 25% increased healing from all sources. This synergizes perfectly with your passive's knockout healing.

Rampager offers a balanced approach, stacking damage bonuses from abilities and primary attacks while providing escalating Omnivamp based on damage taken. At maximum stacks, you'll notice a significant power spike.

Vive Infusor should be your go-to pairing with any other relic. The instant heal after dashing (7.5% of missing health) keeps you healthy during extended engagements.

Grips

Item	Effect	Best Used When
Power Gauntlet	+7% Primary Attack Damage	Standard damage increase
Gorger Talons	+10% Omnivamp + Shield generation	Need extra sustain
Longclaw Optics	+15% Primary Attack Range	Facing ranged opponents

Power Gauntlet provides reliable damage scaling throughout the match. Pair it with Longclaw Optics when facing ranged hunters like Shrike or Soros, as the extended range allows you to compete at longer distances.

Kicks

Rocket High-Tops represents your only viable choice in this category, but it's incredibly impactful. The 25% Dash Speed bonus noticeably accelerates Quickflip's animation, allowing you to land empowered shots faster and maintain combo momentum.

Perks

Armor Shredder multiplies the armor penetration of your Empowered Arcslinger shots when entering combat, making it essential for burst damage. The 1.5x armor shred for two seconds every 10 seconds significantly increases your kill potential.

Contract Killer accelerates your build completion by providing 250 additional coins per knockout or assist. This economic advantage lets you reach power spikes earlier than opponents.

Heal Receptor amplifies your passive healing from 25% to 27.5% after securing eliminations, while also boosting all other healing sources by 10%.

warning

Avoid building purely for damage without any sustain options. Shiv's aggressive playstyle requires survivability to maintain pressure.

Best Team Composition for Shiv

Shiv excels alongside hunters who can control space and set up her combos. Felix provides excellent frontline presence and crowd control, making it easier to land your Chain Bolas on multiple targets.

Elluna offers sustain and revival support, allowing you to play more aggressively knowing you have backup healing. Her ability to revive teammates quickly also enables more aggressive positioning.

Hunters with area denial abilities like Celeste create zones where enemies must move predictably, making your skill shots significantly easier to land. This synergy becomes especially powerful in ranked environments where coordination matters.

Counter Play Tips

Kingpin represents one of your most challenging matchups due to his gap-closing potential and durability. Maintain maximum distance and use Farstep Dagger defensively rather than aggressively when facing him.

Against other mobile hunters like Wukong or Jin, focus on baiting their gap closers before committing to fights. Your Quickflip resets give you superior sustained mobility once their cooldowns are expended.

Ranged hunters become much more manageable with Longclaw Optics. The extended range allows you to compete with Shrike and Soros while maintaining your mobility advantage for closing distances when opportunities arise.

tip

Always respect enemy dunking potential. Hunters like Brall and Jin can instantly eliminate you over abyss, so maintain escape routes and avoid predictable positioning.

With these strategies and builds, you'll transform from a struggling player into a ranked climbing machine. Shiv's current S-tier status makes her the perfect choice for players looking to carry games through mechanical skill and smart positioning. Practice the Quickflip-Arcslinger combo until it becomes second nature, and you'll find yourself dominating matches consistently.