Having played the panther its hard to hear that it dodges much... I well to say it mildly did not notice that. But it does have the offencive capabilites that an offence form should have, but I dont aggrea that it can hold its own against the other offence forms, as the bleeding cuased by the bite is almost impossible to make on a very protected foe. Never did manage it against an invoker for instance, or a crock... did not try it against many other forms. As far as being beat by most utility forms that was quite a dissapointment for me. Especially the hyena... which hit as hard, and did some other nasty things... you know what they can do... ...
The fact is that when you choose an offence form you are going to want to play aggressive. the panther can be that. But when you are getting beat silly by most other forms its sort of a crush to your confidence. Even as I learnt how to use it, I could not often hold my own, unless I was more protected than my foe. Not how it should be I think. So Id rather put the panther in the utility class than the offence class. But if its any of the forms that would need a twaking it would be the panther. My greatest worry was always tendonlashing a villager, because I had died several times to deathblow on the counterstrike on it. And not ever hitting a polespec sort of made me whimper, or an axe spec... but Id not expect to do extreemly well against ither.. but when defending and I use hit and run tactics and loose badly I dont honestly know what to do or say. Im shure grogrim could attest to beating my arse everytime, except once, when I showed up with a bit more luck. Once I beat him and he is a scout, a skilled scout, but of the say 20 times we fought I beat him once... Yet I stuck it out. As I thought of it as a challange. But as a player you would need a specific second form to make the panther good.
As for ranking I had the badger, and I used it more than the panther if I would be standing infront. As it atleast resisted some blows. And it seemed that it dodged more... But then again I do not have the numbers as you say.... Just my imput... I dont think it needs much tweaking, but a bit to make it more similar to the other forms....
LH
PS! do you think about getting a new religion? or becoming more active as a god in cf again?