Scenario: you are in a dead sprint across the map when suddenly, a sniper from 300 yards out starts taking pot shots. Somehow, one connects to your head, and you’re out of the game.

Serpentine, the new Perk arriving from Vanguard, hopes to remedy this without completely leaving marksmen out to dry.

Available in the Perk 1 slot for all players after the update, Serpentine’s description is as follows:

“Sprinting reduces incoming damage from bullets, explosives, and fire by 20%.”

Will it be an “auto-pick”? Not necessarily — consider some of the other options in the Blue Perk 1 slot: currently, Double Time (which boosts Tactical Sprint) and Cold Blooded (which directly counters Combat Scout) are two extremely popular choices in the current meta. Then there is Quick Fix, which shaves seconds off health-regeneration time, which the most elite players tend to gravitate toward. And we didn’t even talk about E.O.D., a great Perk for those who despise dying to explosives.

As for the shooter a “snake” indicator will pop up after hitting someone who has Serpentine. This clear feedback allows you to send a quick follow-up shot — potentially with a Sniper Support weapon, if they are close enough — and gives enough information to start an engagement with a still-massive advantage.