-kV-
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Originally posted by Ascendancy
So we're really supposed to take it that the entirety of the OR during Bane's era was utter garbage? The Dark Side as a whole was weakened due to the Brotherhood, but there's no question that the portrayals of combat and the descriptions show many of them to be quite formidable.
Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness was the last organized threat from the Sith Order that had long since crumbled. The power of the Dark Side was diminished. Bane mentions how he learned more about the true nature of the Dark Side from the Holocron in a few short weeks time than all the time he spent at the Academy - he then calls Revan a true Sith Lord, unlike his phony contemporaries.
Raptor is right - Kas'im is the top swordsman of a weakened Sith Order. Plus, he lacks feats to back the true extent of his abilities. His prowess is mentioned by word-of-mouth through Bane. But we know that Bane was still in training (so of course he would find his Battlemaster to be impressive), and Kas'im just the best out of those Bane had seen thus far (which was a weakened Sith Order).
Kas'im specifically was of note and whatever weaknesses people want to try and project onto the OR as a whole, those who survive for years in an ongoing front lines war are without question of great skill.
Except Kas'im spent much of the war training students at Korriban as Blademaster, not battling on the front lines.
However, what you did say applies to Obi-Wan. He walked unscathed through hornet-swarms of blasterfire in countless battles in variant conditions throughout the Clone Wars. And he dueled many powerful individuals during his time. This was also during the era that George Lucas called the 'Golden Age' of lightsaber combat in the Jedi Order. There were many powerhouses during this time, unlike Bane's.
Obi-Wan was good at defense without question, but I don't see him taking Kas'im. He took Grevious because Grevious had only sabers to aid, no use of the Force for enhancement, precog, or extra offense. Again, it's only speculation but from the descriptions I really don't see Kas'im having any issue taking down the MagnaGuards with Electrostaves the way Obi-Wan did.
How can you assume that though? What has Kas'im shown to be more impressive than Kenobi? Kas'im was a very good swordsman, no doubt, but there's nothing to indicate that achieved he Kenobi's mastery of Soresu in any of the forms. In fact, Bane basically owned Kas'im during their fight, despite the Twi'lek being someone who has practiced honing his skills for decades.
I will say this, however: like Anakin, Kas'im may fall through his own arrogance, sensing that Obi-Wan is weaker in the Force. Further, noting that Obi-Wan fights almost purely defensively, despite his knowledge of Soresu's potential, he might think the battle is over before it begins.
Sure, advantage: Kenobi. Also, what proof is there that Kas'im is stronger in the Force than Kenobi?
Bane may not have been at his peak just yet when he fought Kas'im, but his power was enough to cower almost all the other Sith, and for Kas'im to have gone so boldly with plans to kill him if he was unwilling to return to the Brotherhood there's no doubt that he must have thought even then that his total prowess was enough to win the day. I say that to infer that though we don't get a full picture of Kas'im's ability, he was indeed more than a threat for any but the most capable duelists and had a worthy knowledge of the Force.
How Kas'im perceived himself doesn't matter. In the end, he was the one who got owned by Bane. And if he didn't pull out the Jar'Kai, he would have lost badly. As for the inference, sure, Kas'im is likely very good, but to extend that to saying he has the ability to defeat Kenobi in a lightsaber contest is going too far.
Everything Raptor said is correct.