Deep Dive: The Serpent

EdisonLaw

https://youtu.be/n2KxqavxHSQ?si=uXA8bJPnOlvf_ztP

Post your thoughts here

Comments

Deacon

First thought ... that's a HUGE hammer lol

EdisonLaw

Here's the official page for him
https://playcontestofchampions.com/news/the-serpent/
Synergies are at the bottom

Verreaux

Well initially he doesn't seem so ba...

"While the true focus buff is active, champions can not avoid special attacks with dexterity"

Sigh. Always something with these new defenders. At least he's not immune to nullify or stagger, but removing his buffs fuels his charges so he gets worse even if you counter him.

EdisonLaw

Sigh. Always something with these new defenders. At least he's not immune to nullify or stagger, but removing his buffs fuels his charges so he gets worse even if you counter him.

So it's kinda like Maestro in which nullifying him makes him stronger.

As for counters, I think right now the only solution is Kushala, she can block unblockable attacks if she has one of her spirits active and she has soul barb.

EdisonLaw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j969qmqXsTA&t=2s&ab_channel=Daddylonglegs
Here's another spotlight

jcphillips7

Looks pretty good. I main Titania and AbsMan a lot so that synergy should be useful for questing, and having a new Cosmic take Herc’s place should be fun. I can also see him taking over Adam Warlock’s spot in my BGs deck, since I mainly use him for a defense option anyways

Emilia90

He looks great, but I have to agree with a lot of others about new champs being able to turn off masteries. So tired of dex or willpower being invalidated at this point. Photon, Onslaught, Dust, and now Serpent

T-DeAdLY-J

Love his design, but honestly I'm sick of these champions which turn off a specific mastery with their abilities. Domino was the first to do it, and now we have Onslaught, Dust Photon and now this guy. Could you guys be more creative?

psp742

Is he one of DLLs designed champions? If he is.. he might be a beast.

EdisonLaw

@Emilia90 Agree with Dex but turning off willpower can sometimes be a good thing, like if you have regen and they inflict Petrify or run Despair, you could take a lot of damage from heal reversal

Giantwalrus56

Is he one of DLLs designed champions? If he is.. he might be a beast.

He is a DLL design

ItsClobberinTime

I see a few people mentioning the dex thing and unblockable, but isn't it just the first hit unless he breaks through your block though? First hits for sp1 and sp2 are close range so as long as you dash back when he throws it you should be good, don't need to dex the rest of his specials.

EdisonLaw

@ItsClobberinTime But you will take some block damage and Serpent also has access to pierce too

ItsClobberinTime

@ItsClobberinTime But you will take some block damage and Serpent also has access to pierce too

Not if he doesn't have the pierce passive which he only gets once he's at 8 charges. You remove charges easily by knocking him against the wall which sure might not be too easy because of that new green passive (forgot the name) but I can already see what the strategy is going to be against him to counter him.

EdisonLaw

@ItsClobberinTime Probably champions that can throw tons of specials or have power control.

Nemesis_17

Another instant ban how nice. They’re digging a deeper and deeper hole with each new toxic defender

jcphillips7

Another instant ban how nice. They’re digging a deeper and deeper hole with each new toxic defender

EdisonLaw

Is he one of DLLs designed champions? If he is.. he might be a beast.

He is

TheTrueBeast10

While everyone is focusing on his annoyances as a defender, he looks legit for everything else as well. Might be the best questing champ that has come out in a while

Chuck_Finley

Now there is a way to resolve input issues: make dexxing pointless by preventing it with defender abilities by default.

Kabam:

Darkraw346

While everyone is focusing on his annoyances as a defender, he looks legit for everything else as well. Might be the best questing champ that has come out in a while

Fr, he's so cool...
I love the whole concept of Curlforce charges and Hour of the allfather passive, the sp2 is so cool with that rift he opens, Dread is cool too, I'm dissapointed he dosent have a Worthy pre fight but he's so stacked who can be mad... but his ramp up seems so long, I'm worried how whether it'll work well with Necro's time limiting charges

But what I don't get is... how does his sp1 inflicts FROSTBITE or its Coldsnap, of all things? The beam he shoots seems like a normal laser beam... nothing cold about that... instant Incenerate I'd get it, but instant Coldsnap?

BigBlueOx

Invalidating masteries to make defenders tougher just feel like cheap nickel and diming ways to make people use potions. That’s the number one problem with this string of “new and hard” defenders. It doesn’t feel like a fun puzzle it feels cheap.

Deacon

Just thinking about my time against the whales of BG continues to get tougher. I personally feel a bit of accomplishment as I plow through massive accounts every season to make it to the circuit. I remember a time when I'd get a few instant quits or "easy" matches but nope ... my account is no slouch but it pales in comparison to what I face in BGs nowadays.

Can't wait for the gap to widen and face all these Serpents lol

EdisonLaw

While everyone is focusing on his annoyances as a defender, he looks legit for everything else as well. Might be the best questing champ that has come out in a while
Fr, he's so cool...
I love the whole concept of Curlforce charges and Hour of the allfather passive, the sp2 is so cool with that rift he opens, Dread is cool too, I'm dissapointed he dosent have a Worthy pre fight but he's so stacked who can be mad... but his ramp up seems so long, I'm worried how whether it'll work well with Necro's time limiting charges

But what I don't get is... how does his sp1 inflicts FROSTBITE or its Coldsnap, of all things? The beam he shoots seems like a normal laser beam... nothing cold about that... instant Incenerate I'd get it, but instant Coldsnap?

Maybe cold means a deep fear?

Jefechuta

Honestly, I think it is too overtuned.

Everytime Miike was saying "additionally" or "and" or "also", I was like, no, stop, no more, thats enough things.

EdisonLaw

@TheTrueBeast10 Agreed plus he has some cool pieces of utility.
An easy access to a miss and evade countering effect in true focus
Pierce (which counters Future Ant Man), resistance to power burn,
A potent bleed duration reduction (which makes him nigh bleed immune)
Power gain (common for cosmics)

Kingering_King

He’s to cracked to be left alive…

EdisonLaw

@Darkraw346 actually he has persistent charges which should make your effects stronger across a quest, they even mentioned it in the rotation

Wicket329

While he’s definitely a potent defender, he’s got at least one pretty clear counter: America Chavez. She can reverse his ability power gain super easily, and all of the buffs he has will just crank her damage output up. She’s gonna absolutely bully him.

EdisonLaw

@Wicket329 Also Kushala and maybe Magik?