The Basics
Walk speed
Using Sparring ring as a metric, it takes approximately 4 seconds for Kid Cobra to walk across the stage from wall to wall.
Charge Speed
Approximately 1 1/2 seconds to get to full charge after holding down the dash button.
Arm Girth
Kid Cobra’s arm girth is at level 5. This is right under the largest arm girth which is level 6.
Abilities
Jumping:
The first ability involves Kid Cobra’s jumps. He has the fastest traveling jumps in the game, and they cover the most distance out of any other fighter’s jumps. This makes Kid Cobra great for moving away from the opponent or closing the distance. His jumps become especially useful in stages like Mausoleum and Spring Stadium where Kid Cobra can use the trampolines and springs to his advantage and travel more distance than with his regular jumps. It’s also a great substitute for his slow dash during his uncharged state.
Quickdashing:
His second ability is called the Quickdash. This occurs when Kid Cobra’s arms are charged. During this state, the player can do a swift, fast dash that covers a good distance. However, the Quickdash can not be utilized when Kid Cobra has uncharged arms. It can only be performed when his arms are charged. The amount of these dashes that can be done depends on how much time Kid Cobra’s arms are charged before they become uncharged. In other words, the number of Quickdashes can vary depending on the method of charging that you use.
For example, if you guard for a certain amount of time, or you land from a jump, you’ll be given a maximum of two Quickdashes before your arms become uncharged again. If you hold down the dash button or jump button until your arms are fully charged, you’ll be allowed 4-5 Quickdashes. I say 4-5 because while it’s possible to do 5 Quickdashes after a full charge, you would need to Quickdash right after you achieve full charge, and the timing is very strict. One last aspect of this ability is that it helps him slide under punches. If you Quickdash forward as the opponent punches, with the right timing, you’ll slide under the attack and get closer to your opponent simultaneously.
Something that’s important to note though is that I don’t recommend doing this against a fast arm like the Toaster due to how hard it can be to Quickdash under the arm with the right timing. I also don’t recommend sliding under an arm that hangs low to the ground like the Hydra because the timing involved in sliding under the attack becomes much tighter.
Kid Cobra’s Throw
Kid Cobra’s throw deals 170 damage, which deals more damage than the average 150 damage grab that most characters have. It then launches the opponent at an approximate 70-80 degrees to the left or right of where you initiate the grab. You can choose where the opponent gets hurled after the grab depending on where you push the left stick. So if you hold the stick to the left during the throw, the opponent will go left. You won’t be able to throw the opponent into a wall if you are too close to it though. For example, if you’re really close to a wall on your left, you can only throw your opponent to the right. Kid Cobra has to have enough space for his opponent to hit the ground at its specific trajectory without any obstacles in order to throw in that certain direction. This also goes for the springs in Spring Stadium, but doesn’t account for the pillars in Scrapyard, DNA lab, Temple grounds, or [NAME REDACTED].
Defaults
Slamamander:
This, along with the Slapamander, is probably the most unique curve arm in the entire game. Not only is it the only curve arm that doesn’t suffer from any retraction time after it hit someone’s guard, but it’s also harder to avoid. You can’t just move forward or backward to dodge them like with the boomerang weapons. They’re very tricky arms to dodge, especially for heavy characters who like to move to the side a lot. The minimal retraction time on it is something that makes it very safe for Cobra to use. There’s no fear of being exposed to attacks for too long if you happen to hit their shield with it.
The lateral movement on Cobra also helps him shoot it off at specific angles as you’re jumping to the side or dashing up close. Something that’s really bad for it though is that it’s not the most reliable arm in the world. It probably has the most messed up hitbox that I’ve ever seen in ARMS. There are moments where it will just pass through an opponent without actually hitting them. It doesn’t happen all that often, but it’s concerning nonetheless. One more thing that’s worth mentioning is that it is really hard to land rush with them. Usually when you trigger rush, your arms will transform into a certain form that makes them very hard to avoid. But with the Slamamander, there’s absolutely no change to how you shoot them off when you trigger rush. Even though Cobra’s large arm girth can make it easier to land hits with it, it’s definitely not for beginners. It’s better to wait until you’re at least somewhat confident in your knowledge of the game’s mechanics before you start using them.
Hydra:
So now we’re on to the Hydra. This arm is one of the lightweight arms in the game and it’s fantastic against players who like to jump. Not only does Cobra’s arm girth make the bullets bigger, but it also make them more spaced out. This means that they can hit an opponent no matter how high up they are, as long as the camera adjusts accordingly of course. Similar to the Roaster and Nade, these arms don’t have any homing to them. Now, the zero homing can be great for some players, and terrible for others. They either give you a ton of freedom as to where you’d like to curve them, or they can be incredibly difficult to aim. If you’re someone who’s not too confident about their arm accuracy, then I wouldn’t recommend this arm type to you. But if you think you’re a real crackshot, have at it! Even if you have a hard time aiming with it at first, all it takes is a little bit of practice to engrain the way it controls into your muscle memory.
Coolerang:
Finally, we’re onto what’s probably the only real simple arm in Kid Cobra’s default set: the Coolerang. It’s a fast, reliable arm that works well at a long range as well as at a close range. The sideways arc of its shots becomes larger as you get farther away from your opponent, making them more difficult to deflect. But as with most curving arms, the retraction speed after it hits block is quite slow, and slow retraction time in general is problematic for Cobra as it’s harder for him to dodge attacks during the retraction than most fighters. Be absolutely certain that the arm won’t get blocked as you attack with it. It’s a really good arm for Cobra despite that though. It’s very reliable no matter where you are in respect to your opponent, which is good for Cobra since his positioning in relation to his opponent never stays constant in his matches. I would definitely recommend this arm for any beginner player who wants to get used to his defaults.
Character Overview
Basic playstyle:
The thing that’s interesting about Kid Cobra is that there’s a plethora of different playstyles that you can choose from. When you fight enough Kid Cobra players, you’ll notice that they all have a different way of approaching their opponent. This is true for all of the characters, of course, but Kid Cobra players in particular have very different strengths and weaknesses depending on how they play. This is due primarily to their arm selection. A Kid Cobra player’s custom arm loadout can help them prioritize either an offensive or defensive playstyle. Both of these methods of play, of course, are dependent on Kid Cobra’s mobility options. We’ll cover both of these playstyles as well as discuss what kind of playstyle works well for Cobra’s default set.
Kid Cobra’s defensive playstyles usually revolve around the heavy arms and shield arms in the game. For the Heavy arms, Kid Cobra players typically like to shoot them out after they jump or perform their Quickdash. This is due to the fact that Kid Cobra’s jumps and Quickdashes have horribly long endlag. The heavy arms are great for providing some defense right before Cobra lands from a jump or after he performs his Quickdash. The same thing goes for when he uses a shield arm. The thing that’s different about using a shield arm from using a heavy arm as Cobra though is that the shield arm is usually out for much longer, which makes it harder for Cobra to use his mobility options. However, due to his large arm girth, any shield arm that he uses covers a lot of area, making it very difficult for the opponent’s arms to go around it. The shield arms are great for a primarily defensive playstyle while the heavy arms are good for a playstyle that’s also defensive, but provides a bit more offense. It’s worth noting that it’s best to also have a medium or light arm equipped for pokes and counter attacks when you’re defending yourself with a heavy/shield arm.
However, if you’re not interested in using either one of those arm types, then I would recommend a more offensive playstyle. This is the best way to play as Kid Cobra for when you’re using only medium and light arms. This is due to how much pressure he can create with these fast arms. The quick arm movement on certain arms like the Popper combined with Kid Cobra’s large arm girth can create some devastating pressure onto your opponent. Add his mobility options to the mix and you’ve got plenty of ways to push your opponent into a corner. Be wary though that this playstyle will leave you more open to counter attacks than with his defensive playstyle. Keeping this in mind for anyone getting used to Kid Cobra, I would recommend starting out with a defensive playstyle. Once you get used to how he moves and how you should manage his endlag, you can experiment with his more offensive playstyles.
Finally, we’re onto the playstyle for his default set. Looking at what kind of arms he has, it’s clear that a defensive playstyle isn’t very well suited for this set. It can be quite difficult to deflect most arms with his set. This means that it’s better used for an offensive playstyle. The problem with this though is that his default set altogether can’t apply as much pressure as most other custom loadouts. So what should you do? The best way to play Kid Cobra with his default set is to use a somewhat offensive playstyle that focuses on evasion. This method of play focuses primarily on baiting your opponent to hit you and going for a counterattack. Of course, there will be times when they’ll wait for you to attack. The thing to do in that instance is to bait your opponent into thinking you’re vulnerable to an attack and then counterattack as they try to go for the punish. Something that these three arms have in common is that they all have a fast extension speed and they work well for exposing any openings in the opponent’s defense. Finding these openings and weaving through your opponent’s attacks can help you apply a bit of pressure and create even more openings to expose.
Game-plan:
Kid Cobra is like a double edged sword. His abilities can hurt you just as much as they could potentially hurt the opponent if you don’t have a good grasp on how to use them. So the first thing you should prioritize for Kid Cobra is to get used to his movement options. What you can do for this is go to Versus in the main menu, put the time limit to infinite, and change the CPU difficulty level to “stationary”. Start the match with these rules and you’ll have the freedom to mess around with Cobra and get used to how he works. What’s interesting about his movement is that you can create an endless cycle of Quickdashing and then jumping to regain your charged state for more Quickdashes.
This is a good starting point for getting used to his mobility. Spend some time practicing this cycle of movement and get used to how it feels. It’s a good way to get used to how long your arms will stay charged before you have to charge them again. Once you get used to moving like this, try to mix things up. Instead of jumping to get your arms charged, try blocking until you get charged up, and then perform your Quickdashes. When you get used to that, try doing a single Quickdash followed by a jump rather than the two dashes like usual. Once you get used to that, throw out one of your arms as you’re jumping. Just keep experimenting with all of these mobility options as you become more comfortable with what you’ve been practicing with. The more you practice, the more it becomes a part of your muscle memory. And the more you get used to his mobility, the more strategies that open up to you.
So you can see that you can play some mind games with the opponent if you learn to be tricky with your movement. You can really overwhelm someone mentally from how you move. But sometimes, the best way to confuse your opponent is to slow down your movement, and simply walk. Players are bound to get used to your Quickdashes and jumps if they play against you long enough. At a certain point, they’ll try to read you and throw their arms out to where they think you’re going to be. By being more conservative with your Quickdashes and jumps, you can mix up the pace of the fight and make the opponent think that the fight will be more slow paced. They’ll also try to attack wherever they think you’ll Quickdash to and miss due to your walking speed. Now, it’s not a good idea to just walk for too long, as the opponent will get used to your walking speed and attack accordingly. It’s a good strategy to take into consideration, however, when they get used to your quick movement. Knowing when to switch between your fast, erratic movement and your slow, deliberate walking speed is a great way to confuse your opponent and change the pace of the fight.
Something else to consider when you’re playing as Kid Cobra is to figure out how you should manage the endlag after his mobility options. His endlag varies depending on which one of these options you use. Here’s some frame data that I gathered from his movements:
7-12 frames between Quickdashes
10-15 frames from Quickdash to jump
16-20 frames between jumps
16-20 frames from jump to Quickdash
Around 20 frames from Quickdash to block.
21-22 frames from jump to block
You can see that the shortest lasting endlag here is during the interval in between your Quickdashes. This means that doing two Quickdashes in a row is the safest mobility option you have as Kid Cobra. The longest lasting endlags, meanwhile, occur when you block after you jump or dash. Doing this makes yourself very exposed to attacks before your shield comes up. Of course, blocking is a vital part of this game and it’s a very important defensive option. Just because it’s risky to perform a certain action doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing in certain situations. Keep this knowledge in mind as you play as Kid Cobra and be aware of how you can minimize any danger from your opponent’s actions as well as your own.
Of course, you’re not going to get the full learning experience if you just use this guide and stay in training mode all day. At some point, you have to bite the bullet and apply what you’ve practiced in some online matches. To anyone who’s new to ARMS and hasn’t played against anyone online yet: Fighting against other players online is the perfect way to learn how the aggregate playerbase responds to your pressure, spacing, reads, and countless other things. Each victory will tell you that you’re doing something right, and each loss will tell you that there’s something that you need to improve upon. Pay attention to what kind of messages that the match results are telling you, and learn what you can from them.
To anyone who has had experience with ARMS before but is trying to learn how to use Kid Cobra: you’ll have to have a different mindset with Cobra than with whichever fighter you’re used to. I think it’s fair to say that no matter who you usually play as, or whoever you used to play as, you’re going to lose quite a few matches at the start of your learning experience due to Cobra’s steep learning curve. But don’t get discouraged by this. Losses are going to become pretty common for you as you’re starting to get used to Cobra, but they’re going to be very constructive towards your growth as a player. So don’t feel like it’s the end of the world if you happen to lose more often than you’d like to because at some point, Kid Cobra’s abilities and playstyle will start to “click” in your head, and you’ll start seeing some different results.
Custom arms
Before we move on to which arms are great for Kid Cobra, I want to state that I won’t be mentioning the arm types from Cobra’s defaults. We’ve already covered these arms in good detail and it’s pretty clear by now that all of them work quite well for him. I’ll also say that the similar Slapamander, Biffler, and Boomerang work equally well for Cobra and they work in the same way except for the different elements and status effects attached to them. With that out of the way, let’s get started!
Popper/Cracker
I would say that these are two of the best arms that you can equip for Cobra. These are very fast arms that do a good amount damage, and thanks to Cobra’s arm girth, the hitboxes on them are enormous (you’re gonna hear that a lot as we go down the list of arms). They are fantastic weapons for the close range fight as well as creating space away from your opponent. This is really good for Cobra considering he is one of the best characters in the game when it comes to creating whatever kind of space he needs. The drawback, however, is that they’re quite easy to deflect due to their weight and size, especially at long range. The popper is the faster arm and it has the wind effect which is useful for juggles. The cracker, while slower, deals more damage and instantly knocks down the opponent because of it’s fire element.
Chances are that you’re better off with the popper, but you can go with the cracker if there’s another wind element arm that you really like and you want your loadout to have a little bit of variety in terms of elements.
Fist arms: Toaster/Chilla/Sparky/Bubb/Buff/Nade/Roaster
This is another type of arm that I would say is almost necessary for Cobra mains who want to invest in customs. Not only are they the most versatile arms in the game with their medium weight, fast speed, and curving; they also have one of the easiest rushes to land out of all of the other arms. Each one has different properties, of course. The toaster is an incredibly fast fire element arm that curves quite well and has good homing. The Chilla is just as fast, except it has the ice element which can be used for some RPS mind games, but it doesn’t curve as well. The Sparky is also similar to the Toaster except it has the electric element which is good for disabling the fighter long enough to land a grab, but the arm is considerably slower. The Bubbs and Buffs are interesting because they become much bigger when they get charged up; however, they don’t have an element or status effect attached to them. The Bubbs curve a lot better than the Buffs, while the Buffs are much better at homing than the Bubbs. The Roaster, meanwhile, is exactly like the Toaster except it’s charged state deals more damage than the charged Toaster, but it doesn’t have any homing. Finally, the Nade is just like the Roaster except it has the explosion effect, which can be useful for disrupting the opponent.
If you were to ask me which one is the best arm for Cobra, I would say the Roaster. The Roaster is a super fast arm that does a ton of damage and the large arm girth on Cobra makes it easier to aim it at your opponents. This arm becomes so big with Cobra’s girth that it can even be used as a defensive arm if used right. You can also choose the Nade if you’d like, but keep in mind that Cobra’s Quickdashes and Jumps make it easier for people to graze your arms, causing them to blow up on yourself. This arm is a big liability for Cobra players, so I would still stick with the Roaster if I were you. However, I know plenty of people who aren’t fond of the Roaster because of it’s zero homing. If you’re one of those people, I would advise you to choose either the Toaster or the Chilla depending on which element piques your interest more. You can also choose the Sparky if you wish; however, the slower speed might make it harder for you to land attacks with it, so keep that in mind.
What’s interesting though is that there are plenty of people who don’t like these arms because of how much they home in on their opponent. They feel much better with an arm like the Roaster that has zero restrictions as to where they want to curve it. Same thing goes for the Bubbs and Buffs. One person might stick with the Bubbs because of their curving, and another person might prefer the Buffs because of their homing. You can pick either of these arms if you’d like; in fact, a lot of Cobra players in Japan really like these arms because of their large size combined with his arm girth. I would still encourage you, though, to stick with an arm that has an elemental property due to the fact that they do really well in taking care of the heavy characters.
Heavy arms: Megaton/Megawatt/Whammer/Kablammer/Blorb/Glusher/Lokjaw
As I said before, heavy arms suit Kid Cobra really well. They’re nice, defensive options that protect him from any attacks as he shoots them out. The large arm girth, of course, makes it even easier for his heavy arms to be used defensively. Please be wary though that all of these arms are very slow, and the player has to be wise about when use them. So don’t go flinging them all around and expect the match to go well for you. There are four types of heavy arms that you can choose to equip if you are interested in this option. First you have the Megaton and the Megawatt. The Megaton is the most straightforward one out of all the heavy arms. It’s just a round, heavy arm that shoots straight out and deals out a ton of damage while charged.
The Megawatt is slower and does less damage in its charged state; however, it has the electric element. The second type of heavy arms is the hammer type; the Whammer and the Kablammer. These arms are able to shoot out from the side and go over the opponent’s head before they slam down on them. The Whammer has the stun effect, which is great for follow up attacks if you act quickly enough, and curves better than the Kablammer. The Kablammer, meanwhile, has the explosion effect and is more accurate than the Whammer. The third type of heavy arm we have are the bouncy Blorbs and Glushers. These arms shoot out in an upward arc and then bounces straight along from where you shot them. The Blorbs contain the blind effect, which is good for obscuring the opponent’s sight and confusing them, and are slightly larger than the Glushers. The Glushers, meanwhile, have the poison effect which continues to minimally damage the opponent over time, and it retracts faster than the Blorbs while also dealing out more damage in its charged state. Finally, we have the Lokjaw. This is the definitely the most unique arm out of all the heavy arms in the game. The Lokjaw acts like a smaller megaton except, while charged, it can shoot out what I can only assume to be a ball made out of pure explosions. As it shoots this ball of mysterious explosive material, the arm itself shoots off into whichever direction the player chooses for it to go.
Unlike with the fist weapons, I wouldn’t say there’s a heavy arm that benefits him more than any of the others. It’s just a matter of personal preference. If you’d like to keep things nice and simple, I would recommend the Megaton. You can also choose the Megawatt if the electric element piques your fancy, but be cautious about the fact that it’s a bit slower than the Megaton which is already a fairly slow arm. If you want something that can consistently deflect those pesky curve arms, then the hammer arms are just for you. These are the only heavy arms that can curve reliably well. Keep in mind though that they can only deflect oncoming arms during the initial second or two from when you shoot it. You’ll have a much harder time deflecting oncoming arms after that initial launch when it’s high up in the air, unless you have arms coming at you in the air. As for which one is better for Cobra, it’s a bit of a tough call. The Kablammer has the explosive element which can be a real liability for Cobra players. However, the Whammer is quite infamous for whiffing attacks that it should’ve landed. If you’re really concerned about the Kablammer blowing up on you, then I’d go with the Whammer. Otherwise, you’re better off with the Kablammer.
And now we’re on to the real goofy arms: the Blorb, Glusher, and Lokjaw. Now, I’ve seen quite a few Cobra players who have had some success with the Blorbs, and it certainly makes sense. The fact that you change the initial upward arc of the arm can make it’s trajectory unpredictable, and the arm itself is huge on Cobra. I haven’t seen as many players use the Glusher, but I would say that it’s a better pick for him. I say this only because of the difference in the two retraction speeds. The long retraction time of the Blorbs can leave you very exposed if you happened to miss. So if you’re interesting in one of these bouncy arms, I would recommend the Glusher. But if you’re really, really keen on that blind effect, then you can still go with the Blorb if you want. Finally, we’re left with the Lokjaw, which also works really well for Cobra. This arm works well at a long distance due to the projectile that comes out of it, or at a close range for using it as a heavy version of the nade. What’s really nice about this arm that’s different from the nade though is that it doesn’t blow up on the player if it happens to get grazed in its charged state. This makes it the only explosive arm that doesn’t come with the liability of blowing up on the player. This is obviously an unusual arm though so it’s not going to be for everyone. But if all of these things really interest you, then I’d say you should try it out.
Shield arms: Guardian/Clapback
The Shield arms require a very specific type of playstyle. Shield arms force you to use one of your arms purely for defense, rather than having it extend to your opponent and retract to you quickly. There are only so many players who are able to play the game like this. But if you’re one of those people and you have an interest in playing as Kid Cobra, then I would highly encourage you to put a shield arm in your loadout. Shield arms look absolutely enormous on Cobra. There are a lot of arms that look big on him obviously, but it’s especially true for the shield arms. They’re so large on him that you can even block curve arms if they get close enough to your opponent and you angle the arm in a certain way. There are two arms of this type. There’s the Guardian, and then there’s the Clapback. The Guardian moves towards the opponent slowly but surely and it can electrify the opponent if the arm is charged. The Clapback doesn’t move at all, but it can reflect any arms that come into contact with it. It can also convert the reflected arm from its uncharged state to its charged state if the clapback is charged up.
One of these arms isn’t really better than the other. It’s just that they both have their situational uses. If you’re interested in pressuring your opponent as you’re defending yourself, then the Guardian is better for you. But if you’re more interested in a purely strategic weapon that’s a bit more defensive, the Clapback is your pick.
Funchuk/Brrchuk:
And yes, that’s how they’re spelled. I used to think that you put the c before the k, but it turns out that’s a “stupid” way to spell them… but enough rambling from me. Now, these arms are interesting because they act differently depending on whether you shoot them on the ground, or in the air. The Funchuk shoots out from the side when you’re standing, but when you’re in the air, it shoots out right in front of the opponent so that the arm’s spinning pattern forms a circle shape from where they’re standing. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I hope that makes sense for those of you reading this. The Brrchuk, meanwhile, works in the exact opposite way. It shoots to the side when you’re in the air and it shoots in its circle shape when you’re on the ground. These are great arms for Cobra for a couple of reasons. For one thing, Cobra’s quite a jumpy fellow so it’s not too hard for him to shoot out the arm in whichever of the two forms he chooses. Another thing is that light arms have absolutely no chance against the circle shape form of the chuks. This is great for Cobra since light arms are great for catching him in the middle of his endlag. His arm girth also makes it all the easier to deflect them. The Funchuk has the stun effect and it retracts faster than the Brrchuk. The Brrchuk has the ice element and the beginning of its extension time is faster than the Funchuk.
Deciding on which arm is better for you depends on how often you jump. Obviously you’ll jump more than most players since you’re at least thinking about becoming a Cobra main, but there are Cobra players who don’t jump quite as often as others. If you’re someone who doesn’t jump incredibly often, I would recommend the Brrchuk just because of how easily it’s circle shape form goes through light arms. But if you’re someone who jumps a lot, even for a Cobra player, then you should go with the Funchuk. Of course, if you have a strong preference for the stun effect or the ice element, then that’s cool too.
Tribolt/Triblast:
These arms are similar to the Hydra due to how they also shoot out three little bullets when you use them. What makes these arms different from the Hydra and Biffler though is that they shoot out in a horizontally, rather than vertically. This makes them great against players who like to move to the side a lot. I don’t see too many Cobra players use them, but I feel like they would work really well for the character. This arm type combined with the lateral movement of Cobra’s jumps can make it quite tricky for players to avoid. However, just like with the popper/cracker, it can be very easy to deflect them with most arms. All it takes is to hit one of the bullets for the other two to get deflected as well. The Tribolt has the stun effect but is slower in it’s charged state than the Triblast which has the explosion effect.
If you want to play it safe, go with the Tribolt. But if you’re not too concerned about the possibility of having your arms blow up on you if they get grazed, then you should pick the Triblast.
Advanced Techniques
Air-dashing into Full charge
This technique is primarily used right after you knock an opponent down. If you happen to hit them with a “1-2 combo” or a charged hit as you’re jumping, you can hold down the dash button to air dash down to the ground and immediately follow up into a full charge. The dash button should still be held down when you hit the ground in order to initiate the full charge. This is great for the wake up game because as the opponent wakes up, you’ll have enough charge for 4-5 Quickdashes. This is useful for evading any attacks that the opponent might throw out upon wakeup and then going for a counterattack to knock them back down. You can also use this tech right after you land a throw. Since Kid Cobra is left in the air after his throw, he’ll have enough time to air dash to the ground and get charged up before the opponent recovers. Using this tech effectively will give you plenty of options for the wakeup game.
Wobbling
Now, this isn’t to be confused for the ridiculously overpowered tech that the ice climbers can do in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The tech that I’m going to talk about isn’t quite as broken and it hopefully won’t infuriate your opponent as much. Wobbling can occur when a Kid Cobra player has one of their arms out. When one of their arms is out, they can wobble by pressing the jump button while holding the left stick in whichever direction they’d like. This is the only mobility option that Kid Cobra has when he’s attacking while grounded. His wobbles can carry him a good bit of distance away from any danger, but keep in mind that it isn’t quite as useful as the regular dash that most characters have as they’re attacking. It’s also important to note that his wobbles aren’t nearly as effective when both of his arms are out.
Slide Parrying
Slide Parrying can be done if there are at least two arms coming at you with one arm right behind the other. This tech is an extension to Shield parrying: when you block an attack and dash right afterwards to move closer. When you shield parry as Kid Cobra, you perform a forward slide instead of a dash. What’s interesting about this tech is that Kid Cobra is able to deflect any attacks that he normally wouldn’t be able to slide under very easily, like the parasol. Frame data seems to suggest that this state of invulnerabilty lasts for around 10-15 frames after the shield parry input. This tech is very useful for opponents who like to shoot out both arms at the same time. It’s also quite helpful against Dr. Coyle’s third arm ability.
Hit-confirming rush with Hydra
This is a piece of tech that I can’t take all of the credit for. I initially found out about it from a tweet that was made by an account with the handle @Shipht8. Any and all credit goes to him/her for discovering it. Now, this tech can only be done under very situational circumstances. The player has to be playing as a Kid Cobra with the Hydra equipped and the opponent has to be backed up into a corner. In order to do this hit-confirm, you need to Quickdash directly towards the opponent until you’re right up to their face and shoot out a charged Hydra right after the Quickdash ends. This will make the opponent fly up long enough for you to confirm into rush. The more Quickdashes you do before the hit-confirm, the higher up the opponent will go. They won’t go any higher up if you do more than 3 dashes though. Like I said, it’s quite a situational piece of tech, but it might really help you out in case you find yourself in that situation.
Conclusion
All of these things will really help you out as you learn this fairly technical character. But if there’s one thing that you should learn from reading this, it’s to learn just how important it is to mix up your options. Please, PLEASE don’t just Quickdash to the left two times and jump while shooting both arms out in your matches. Your opponent is bound to take advantage of what you’re doing and you won’t be able to adapt to what you should do next.
The whole point of Kid Cobra’s abilities is that there are an endless amount of mixups you can use with his movements. Those mixups are essential in order to play Kid Cobra well and it’s where his strengths truly shine. I know it can be hard to branch out from certain patterns that you’re used to, but I promise that working on this will dramatically help you with your gameplay. I know you can do it.
Stay radical, my Cobra friend;
-Kholdstare