Cobra Strike (Diablo II)

Cobra Strike Charge-up Skill: A properly trained Assassin can focus her mind to draw upon the ambient energies surrounding her. Using this skill, she can drain her adversary of life and spiritual essence.

Class: Assassin Skill Tree: Martial Arts Required Level: 12 Damage Type: Physical Cast Delay: Active Prerequisites: Tiger Strike (1)

Skill progression Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Mana Cost 2 Damage {{{Damage1}}} {{{Damage2}}} {{{Damage3}}} {{{Damage4}}} {{{Damage5}}} {{{Damage6}}} {{{Damage7}}} {{{Damage8}}} {{{Damage9}}} {{{Damage10}}} Attack Rating +% 15 22 29 36 43 50 57 64 71 78 Charge 1: Life Stealing % 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 Charge 2: Life and Mana Stealing % 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 {{{Variable D}}} {{{D1}}} {{{D2}}} {{{D3}}} {{{D4}}} {{{D5}}} {{{D6}}} {{{D7}}} {{{D8}}} {{{D9}}} {{{D10}}} Charge 3: Life and Mana Stealing % 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170   Level 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Mana Cost Damage {{{Damage11}}} {{{Damage12}}} {{{Damage13}}} {{{Damage14}}} {{{Damage15}}} {{{Damage16}}} {{{Damage17}}} {{{Damage18}}} {{{Damage19}}} {{{Damage20}}} Attack Rating +% 85 92 99 106 113 120 127 134 141 148 Charge 1: Life Stealing % 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 Charge 2: Life and Mana Stealing % 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 {{{Variable D}}} {{{D11}}} {{{D12}}} {{{D13}}} {{{D14}}} {{{D15}}} {{{D16}}} {{{D17}}} {{{D18}}} {{{D19}}} {{{D20}}} Charge 3: Life and Mana Stealing % 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 279

Synergies No synergies {{{Synergy2}}} {{{Synergy Effect2}}} {{{Synergy3}}} {{{Synergy Effect3}}} {{{Synergy4}}} {{{Synergy Effect4}}} {{{Synergy5}}} {{{Synergy Effect5}}} {{{Synergy6}}} {{{Synergy Effect6}}}

Description

Cobra Strike is a charge up that allows the assassin to lifesteal with the one charge, lifesteal and manasteal with two charges, and lifesteal and manasteal moreso with three charges. As such, if an assassin has a good physical damage and attack rating, Cobra Strike can sustain life and mana fairly dependably. However, since lifesteal and manasteal are reduced by 1/2 in nightmare and 2/3 in hellmode, and since monster damage resistances go up in hell (and in nm as well for some cases), the result is that Cobra Strike works best in normal.

Lifesteal and manasteal also does not work at all on some mobs for any difficulty (such as skeletons, flying scimitars, gargoyle traps, swarms, lightning spires, etc). Using Cobra Strike, the assassin will not be able to steal life or mana from these kind of mobs.

Many melee (PvM) assassin builds include Cobra Strike as an important skill for the build, but only allocate one point to it. At base lvl 1 (with additional skills from gear) it will provide most of its utility.