[Snake]

(Before posting, pls, read EVERYTHING I typed with attention, I don't want more salt in my destined wounds. q_q)

Snake Dancer is no longer god-like, it requires the user to have an insane dodge as a Soldier class combined with classes that give you Evade buffs to actually work.

We have this now, but.

The crazy idea I have in my mind:

Snake Dancer -- Dance around your foe's attacks, preventing them from damaging you and frustrating them. While in Cobra Stance, you gain X Evade (based on Rank) [Rank * 15 Evade, up to 30 Evade], if you would take any damage from an enemy that you are facing, a hit check is made. If you successfully evade for it, you instead step to a random square within 1 Range and negate that damage. (Note: Blind and Knockdown will prevent you from being able to evade the attack with this skill.)

Why it doesn't need a cap anymore? Easy:

>A Destiny Soldier is... fucked... now. Because to actually dodge, you need 10239130 buffs.

>Evasion is dead in this meta, and we know. Anyone with 40 SKI/LUC can easily hit a dodger with 55 CEL/LUC, both without buffs. Because Hit > Evade, naturally. So imo, it's fair.

>Snake Dancer is STILL shut-down by Blind and Knockdown.

>Snake Dancer STILL requires you to be facing the enemy.

>Snake Dancer won't work on basic attacks (because 'miss' will be triggered instead of Snake Dancer, because hit check), so multi-hitting people won't have to worry for a Snake Dancer to slick out of their melee range anymore.
--Snake Dancer only works on Autohits and Magic after adding Evasion check.

>I wanna be like Kinu. We wanna be like Kinu. Everyone wanna be like Kinu! And even Kinu on Cobra is weak af.

Thoughts are welcome, I don't see it being changed anytime soon by Dev, since it was a recent addition but still, I'd love to see what else people have in mind. Is it going to be 'broken' if the cap is removed, the way it is now?

[Shujin]

I wouldn´t mind a experimental test for cobra stance user to get additional dodge FOR ONLY THE INSTANCES COBRA CAN TRIGGER (Aka Front/Not Knocked down or blind).

It really is hard to build a dodge character and the nerf hammer did hit this god stance pretty hard. Partly deserved, but a dodge boost should be fine.

Maybe even like:
Cobra stance:
Rank*10 Evade from front and halved from other sides? So it´s getting a better friend of dodge people that don´t entirely rely on buffs?

[Raigen.Convict]

I'm all for this, I don't even play the class and can see how hard it was nerfed. As someone who hated cobra to high heaven, this would work in my oppinion.

[Rendar]

Yeah this seems fair.

[Snake]

Maybe even like:
Cobra stance:
Rank*10 Evade from front and halved from other sides? So it´s getting a better friend of dodge people that don´t entirely rely on buffs?

Not needed, we already have GUI and Flanking for that.

It seems you didn't read well about Snake Dancer, Snake Dancer is what allows the Cobra Stance to dodge autohits and magic, so let me clarify.

It goes up to Rank * 2, it's going to give +15 Evade per rank. (Up to +30 Evade for having Cobra Stance on, while having Snake Dancer in your skill pool, the 'dodges' that once were capped at 2, are now 'infinite' like Kinu's Snake Dancer, because you have Evasion check to balance it.)

So if you suggest to lower the dodge from the sides and back, the Evade buff is going to be pointless, if we put something like Flanking, which already gives you bonus Hit for attacking on the enemy's sides and back. (Plus Snake Dancer not activating along the lines, because the attack is not head-on.) (Plus-Plus, I think Flanking also applies to Autohits and Magic, so here's it.)

So I suggest to not add anything special to it and stick to the simple +30 Evade.

[Chaos]

I'm up for something like Cobra Stance or Snake Dancer increasing Evade based on Rank.

Aside from that, however, I don't think we need to tamper with Snake Dancer any further, especially not breaking its activation limit and turning the skill into an infinite cheese fest (for 1v1s) on the same level as pre-nerf Spirit Pain. (it's not hard to keep your line of sight on the opponent in a 1v1, especially when it comes to making them waste half a turn just to move around it)

...And honestly? Assuming a weapon with 100% Hit, 40 SKI/LUC vs 55 CEL/LUC, with absolutely no other variables, is little more than a coin flip. (see: 55% chance to hit) In a situation like this, where the hit chance is up in the air, Snake Dancer shines as a powerful saving throw.

[Snake]

Aside from that, however, I don't think we need to tamper with Snake Dancer any further, especially not breaking its activation limit and turning the skill into an infinite cheese fest (for 1v1s) on the same level as pre-nerf Spirit Pain. (it's not hard to keep your line of sight on the opponent in a 1v1, especially when it comes to making them waste half a turn just to move around it)

[strike]Still, the ways to shut down Cobra fairly surpasses the ways the skill works, all classes in game can deal with Cobra the way it is now, facing them or not.

Rogue has Pocket Sand for blind. Hit buffs on Eastern Wind.
Void Assassins have Voidgate to go behind for no momentum.
Engineer has Turret to make the Cobra user turn around.
Spellthieves can steal Blink or any monster Spell that inflicts Blind.

Martial Artists have Crane Hop and Shukuchi. Aside from the innate hit buffs.
Verglas have Ice Skate and Axe Kick to inflict knockdown.
Monk has Dense Thunder to inflict Knockdown and Sun Flare to inflict Blind.

Duelists have Sidecut to cheese Cobra Stance (since it takes the damage, making the Cobra user turn his face to where the Sidecut has been cast from.) Hit buffs on Sharpen.
Kensei have Kagekiri that pretty much works the same for Sidecut. Aside from the innate hit buffs.
Ghost have Haunting.

Soldiers have Charging Bash, which exposes the enemy's rear, and Flatfoot, which further decreases Evade and has 50% chance to knock enemies down.
Black Knights have Bright Bishop, which nullifies enemy's Evade if used together with Flatfoot.
Tacticians have Enemy Evaluation.
Demon Hunters have Cobra Stance to leaping lizard for free to the other Cobra user's back, and a neat combo with Matador and Cobra that ends up in a knockdown.

Mages have Blink, Swap Position and Magnetize on Galren enchant. Aside the possibility to stun.
Evokers have a knockdown upon casting a D-Rank Invocation, and flatly ignore Cobra procs f their Vydels throw the enemy and they end with their backs turned.
Hexers... oh Hexers. They have Pilfa's Masochism to nullify enemy Evade procs, and a magic that increases Blind duration by 1 each time it's cast. And Snake Dancer doesn't dodge Poison and Burn, el oh el.

Summoners, I won't even comment much. Get 4 Youkai surrounding a Cobra user and lay the beatdown as Danger Sense can't keep up. (this is fun)
Grand Summoner, what summoner does, plus with infinite FP and the ability to use Youkai spells to blind and immobilize.
Bonder, what GS and Summoners do, but with stronger Youkai who receive more momentum.

Archers have cripple leg and innate hit buffs.
Magic Gunners have blind, knockdown, stat drain, evade debuffs and magnetize, aside the Overcharge's insane hit buff.
Arbalests have more hit buffs and the possibility to stun.

Curate, do I really need to say that even a support class can beat Cobra the way it is now? Yeah, it's necessary. Brighten reduces enemy evasion. Boom.
Priests can blind on a certain invocation.
Lantern Bearers can blind on Altera, and inflict Magnetize on Golem

Also also, don't forget, Borneblood still exists. So, it's that all from the spoiler tag + borneblood = Snake Dancer when?

The evasion check perfectly balances the dodge possibilities, removing the cap would make it be the stance more fun to use. And I mean, if you can't beat a destiny cobra user with whatever we have available in all classes? Boy, you should review your PvP tactics because Dev didn't give us a handful of cards but a whole DECK to deal with it now, post-nerf.
Not as if infinite cobra dodges under a hit-check will break the game balance, right? They're not 'auto dodges' anymore, remember! You CAN hit a Cobra user on the face now, as long as you can actually 'hit' them. No need to walk around or to their backs.

And having Cobra to 'cheese' autohit builds may encourage people to use more basic hits, which are funnier than being a one-trick pony while spamming Bright Bishop until the enemy succumbs to the 110 magic light damage per round. (Hi Vintaro!)[/strike]

[Shujin]

Maybe even like:
Cobra stance:
Rank*10 Evade from front and halved from other sides? So it´s getting a better friend of dodge people that don´t entirely rely on buffs?

Not needed, we already have GUI and Flanking for that.

It seems you didn't read well about Snake Dancer, Snake Dancer is what allows the Cobra Stance to dodge autohits and magic, so let me clarify.

It goes up to Rank * 2, it's going to give +15 Evade per rank. (Up to +30 Evade for having Cobra Stance on, while having Snake Dancer in your skill pool, the 'dodges' that once were capped at 2, are now 'infinite' like Kinu's Snake Dancer, because you have Evasion check to balance it.)

So if you suggest to lower the dodge from the sides and back, the Evade buff is going to be pointless, if we put something like Flanking, which already gives you bonus Hit for attacking on the enemy's sides and back. (Plus Snake Dancer not activating along the lines, because the attack is not head-on.) (Plus-Plus, I think Flanking also applies to Autohits and Magic, so here's it.)

So I suggest to not add anything special to it and stick to the simple +30 Evade.

I am well aware of what you said, but I simply gave an alternative so not only Snakedancer user benefits from it.
Also getting 15 evade from the sides is like getting a counter against flanking and stuff. It´s like negating 15 GUI. Cause I am also strongly against inf dance dodges.
It doesn´t really matter if Snake Dancer grants you the evade boost or Cobra stance itself, it´s whatever. What most people seem to agree with is to give this else rather lacking Evade class some sort of Evade buff so the stance can actually work.
So I am kinda with Chaos here. Against Inf dances but some sort of Evade buff somewhere.

[Snake]

Well, sincerely, I already lost hope Cobra will ever be great for anyone but the Rogue class after doing some tests.

Just slap 15 Evade per rank on Snake Dancer and call it a day.