#main weapons

[splatoon-advice]

I saw that you did a guide on tri-sloshers soon after they came out, but can you make a new one/update the old one based on your current opinions/the current common strategies used in ranked? Thanks!

Honestly, everything I said in my original comment about them is still true. What I can add with regards to this is with the addition of the Zink Mini Splatling, it is no longer the only weapon with the Disruptors/Bubble combo, which lets me kind of dissect playstyles and how important the main weapon is to how you use a weapon, even if the sub and special are the same.

But to repeat myself so people don’t have to spend too long to find my original comment: I like the Tri-Slosher. It has passable range, a short and consistent 2hko, and a very wide reach, making both attacking and inking very easy. The Disruptor and Bubbler combo allow it to take on foes that otherwise it would not, as well as go in far more aggressively than other weapons might be able to. It is rather ink hungry, however, so if you’re used to other similarly short-ranged weapons you’ll be rather surprised at how often you run on empty at first.

From a playstyle perspective, what I said before is still true. It’s basically an ink-hungry Splattershot Jr with a different sub, which allows for different ways to approach a situation than the Jr, but essentially the same general gameplay style, as both short range weapons thrive forcing others into close ranged combat where their movement and relatively low TTK will give them the edge. Should something go out of place, you have your trusty Bubble to save you, and your main weapon is very good at filling that special. The Tri-slosher’s additional range and the Slosher weapon class’ unique projectiles allow for kills in ways the Jr does not have, as well, but the Jr’s Splat Bombs are an incredibly useful tool that the Tri-Slosher doesn’t have access to.

This is very different to the Zink Mini Splatling, whose main weapon having much more range and less efficient close quarters squidding around combat (as you cannot fire immediately after coming out from squid form) means a large portion of your playstyle is making use of your comparatively high running speed and a much higher reliance on the Disruptors, allowing you to pick off targets from a distance. A Zimi with Bubble is less inclined to run in guns blazing and pop Bubble to survive as it is to use that Bubble as a visual deterrent while advancing. The enemy can see you have it, and if they think they can outfight you, it’s just Disruptor, Bubble, walk forward.

As a final note, I never really mentioned Gear Abilities for this weapon before. Swim Speed is a must on an aggressive weapon like this, with 2 mains being the baseline you should start with. Ink Saver can be useful as well (and with the recent buff to IS(S), I can actually recommend you use that one depending the amount of disruptors you’ll be throwing). Special Charge and Special Duration are also very useful considering how useful the Bubbler is on this kit. Defense can be useful to counter snipers running Damage while you’re trying to close the gap, as well, and depending on how aggressively you play, Special Saver/Quick Respawn might be more to your tastes. A special mention goes to Cold Blooded, being either the most useful ability ever or completely unnecessary depending on your playstyle.

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!

[splatoon-advice]

Any tips for Kelp Splat Charger (Or similar ones)?

The Kelp Splat Charger is actually pretty fun to get used to. Its sub and special are extremely suited for denying areas from a distance, but they also put you into very awkward situations to make use of them compared to the regular Splat Charger’s splat bombs. Here’s a couple tips:

Sprinklers let you charge up your Killer wail passively, as well as allow you to claim turf while not being there. If you’re on your way back to the fray, it can be worthwhile to throw a sprinkler at a clear patch of turf to claim it while you get yourself back into position.

Killer wails have infinite range. You can fire them from anywhere to hit anywhere, but your best use for them is to fire over as much area as possible to deny the enemy the ability to move forward. Choke points and hallways are great for this.

I’ve mentioned this before, but the scoped variants of chargers have slightly more range than the default to counter the narrowed field of view. When firing shots with a scoped charger, don’t stay zoomed in for too long or you’ll get flanked easily.

Chargers charge from a minimum of 35 damage to 100 damage, gaining a damage boost at full charge. Running Damage Up allows you to get a 100-damage one hit kill at less than full charge, but this can be countered by Defense Up. 

Learn your exact range. Many aspects of maps are designed with specific ranges in mind (for example, an unscoped Splat Charger cannot reach from one snipe perch on Moray Towers to the other, but a Splatterscope can)

Always have an escape route planned. Especially as you get better and go up against better players, people will start to target you, so you’ll need to be able to react and either take them out or get to a safe backup location.

There are a lot of other tips for specific situations, let me know if this helped or if you had anything else in mind. 

I’ve been a bit busy with Splat Academy and thus this blog has been neglected, sorry everyone. I’ll be working on getting some new guides up soon. If you have any topics you’d love to see me cover in the near future, let me know.

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!

[splatoon-advice]

thoughts on the tri-slosher?

I like it. It’s like a more ink hungry Splattershot Jr with a bit more range. The Disruptor is very useful but it’s very hard to make use of for me since I’m always firing and so I run out of ink as soon as it’s thrown, haha.

One thing I really like about it is how little you need to aim. It’s all about positioning and quick movements. When I’m having a lot of trouble aiming my E3 it’s nice to swap out to this and rush in face first knowing I have my bubbler to protect me.

I’ve also seen a lot of people are picking it up, particularly in Ranked. It’s a fairly popular pick that’s doing very well all over the game for something that was released a few days ago. We’ll see how certain weapon choices come in to counter it.

[splatoon-advice]

Do you have any tips for the Heavy Splatling? I always do the worst on my team when I use it.. ;-;

The Heavy Splatling is a very useful gun, but since it’s a Splatling, it can be hard to get used to its playstyle at first.

The first few things to get used to are the charge times and the range. Getting used to the charge time is just a matter of practice. Some people get it faster than others. You move very slowly while charging and firing as well, so you need to keep track of that.

The thing about super long ranged weapons like the Heavy Splatling or the Jet Squelcher is that you’re primarily going to be using your shots to keep people from advancing, zoning them out from where you want to be. If they get into mid range, you can throw out that Splash Wall and go straight back into shooting. 

Of course, the thing about this is that a fairly immobile playstyle isn’t as likely to get quite so many points in Turf Wars. This is when you take something from a Charger’s book and find 2 or 3 useful vantage points and swap between them, raining down death and ink until you’re satisfied that this area is clean for the time being.

If you’re talking about Ranked, it’s a little different. In Splat Zones, you’ll be in the zone, throwing out walls to defend yourself and your allies, or shooting at the zone from max distance. In Tower Control, you’re more likely to be attacking from the side or the back at max range OR on the tower itself, throwing splash walls onto it to defend yourself. In Rainmaker, you can do a similar thing as with Tower Control, though your Splash Walls will be entirely to defend yourself or block of choke points defensively rather than offensively.

I hope this helped a little. If you have any more questions, or you have your own advice for this anon, feel free to send them in. 

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!

[splatoon-advice]

Hey! What weapon set would you say has affected the metagame the most?

Ooh, this is a tough one. Honestly in my opinion it’s less of which weapon has affected the metagame and which game modes have had the biggest effect, and that game mode is Tower Control.

The reason why I say this is because Tower Control brought in an influx of people using Blasters to shoot at foes on the tower, which brought in an influx of people using Blasters in general. For a while, Blasters were the #1 thing. Games where you could have 4 or more Luna Blasters in a game of tower control were the norm, and it seemed for the longest time that that was just how the game mode would play out. 

But then came the Blaster Counters. The 96 Gal. The Tentatek Splattershot. The Splattershot Pro. The Dual Squelcher. The Dynamo Roller, which players were finally starting to learn how to use. These guns started to prove their worth not only in Tower Control, but also in Turf Wars and Splat Zones, cementing them as staple weapons you can use in almost any situation. And with the meta being primarily short ranged blasters, these guns were unstoppable for a time. And even though the meta has balanced out into having a good mix of both long ranged and close ranged weapons, all of the guns who have had their prime time are still popular picks, though we’re slowly starting to see new guns getting the spotlight as players learn their strengths or learn a new trick you can do with a certain Sub Weapon.

On a different side of the evolution of weapon use, as people have learned how to use chargers effectively in all game modes (particularly in turf war, where for a long time they were considered ultimately useless), we’ve been getting a lot more players using them and and the Nozzlenose series. Why the Nozzlenose, you ask? Because they’re a charger user’s favourite Shooter. They have amazing range, an interesting fire rate that requires manual firing (which chargers are used to), and sub and special weapons that suit them. The H3 in particular is a real monster, capable of OHKOs like a charger. Both of these evolutions in weapons have happened separately and without any interference, since snipers are going to be useful staples regardless of what shooters they’re up against. You just can’t stop the fact that the only thing with more range than a charger is another charger.

A weapon type that /has/ affected snipers, however, is the Slosher. Their high damage and angle of fire make them perfect for taking out foes up on their high perches, and the sniper metagame has shifted a bit as a result of both them and longer ranged blasters being able to not have to take the long route to shoot them out of their sniping spots. Of course, both of these weapons are just as susceptible to being sniped as they are to being a danger to snipers, so it’s an interesting balance. 

Where will the metagame go next? I’m personally waiting on another influx of heavy Splatlings. I feel like they’re very strong weapons that not enough players use, and I’m starting to see more Splattershot Jr play, since their Bubbler special and amazing ink efficiency make them great for team play, particularly in Rainmaker.

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!

[splatoon-advice]

So You Want to Use a Roller

MOVE IN NOW MOVE OUT (HANDS UP NOW HANDS DOWN) BACK UP BACK UP (TELL ME WHAT YOU GONNA DO NOW) BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT (HANDS UP NOW HANDS DOWN) BACK UP BACK UP (TELL ME WHAT YOU GONNA DO NOW)

KEEP ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ (WHAT!) KEEP ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ (COME ON!) KEEP ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ (YEAH!) KEEP ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’

Introduction: Mechanics and UI

Rollers are slow, close ranged weapons with a focus on covering the turf around them and slow, powerful flings of ink. Pressing down on the ZL button has your inkling fling a wave of ink in front of you. Holding ZL down afterwards has you roll your roller along the ground, covering a wide area of turf with ink as you walk. Your movement speed while rolling is determined by the roller you use, and unaffected by gear abilities such as Move Speed Up. There are currently 9 (5) Roller Type weapons in the game, which can be split into two categories: Rollers (Splat Roller, Dynamo Roller, and Carbon Roller) and Brushes (Inkbrush, Octobrush). Brushes and Rollers play significantly differently but have the same basic mechanics.

Because of the unique way of firing ink that Roller Type weapons have, their aiming reticle is replaced by a series of arrows showing the angle that their flinging of ink will go. There is no visual indication that your aim is close enough to hit an object or foe aside from the arrows themselves passing through the object in question.

Note that the angle of turf you ink by flinging the weapon is wider than the weapons’ trail when rolling directly, and that brush flings have a completely different angle of fire than the rollers. Brushes also move much faster than Rollers, but their inking angle is much smaller, making them rely on their ink fling for anything besides movement (though their flings can be preformed multiple times a second by rapidly pressing the ZR button).

Playstyle and Mentality

Rollers are the most dedicated Turf Inking weapon class in the game. Their short range compared to most other weapons in the game (Ignoring the Dynamo Roller’s massive range) puts them at a disadvantage in direct confrontation in most situations, and their capacity to quickly claim a large area of turf makes for a great support oriented playstyle. On the other hand, playing to the strengths of the fact that a single Roller fling or a quick series of Brush swings in close range can take out an opponent in no time can make for a very offensive and aggressive style of play as well.

Combat with a roller depends on whether you’re using a Roller or Brush type Roller, as the Inkbrush and Octobrush need to be much closer to foes than Rollers do, though their rapid swings make ensuring your first shot is aimed directly on the opponent less necessary (though still important. That split second where you missed could be enough for them to get you instead of you getting them). Regardless of the two, however, catching foes by surprise is where a Roller Class shines in combat, with Rollers able to one shot someone with a surprise flick from behind, while a brush can use their amazing movement speed to move past a foe and swing rapidly to take them out. Weaving in and out of range to make sure you’re only in danger while actually attacking can also help immensely, since retaking the turf you need to get back into position is trivial for you.

Tips & Tricks, and Closing Words

General Tips

MOVE IN NOW MOVE OUT (HANDS UP NOW HANDS DOWN)

BACK UP BACK UP (TELL ME WHAT YOU GONNA DO NOW)

BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT (HANDS UP NOW HANDS DOWN)

BACK UP BACK UP (TELL ME WHAT YOU GONNA DO NOW)

KEEP ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN'

Roller-Type Rollers

If caught out of position, retreating flicks are probably your best option for combat, artificially extending your offensive range while minimizing theirs.

The angle you aim to maximize coverage with your fling and the angle you aim to confirm a kill are different. Learn how and when to make use of both.

Brush-Type Rollers

Your ink coverage is fantastic when swinging ink from a high place. Even when inking at ground level, it helps to jump while swinging for that extra range.

When you’re in a pinch, don’t squid, brush away. your hitbox is almost the same as a squid anyway, and you don’t get slowed down by accidentally running into enemy ink when brushing. 

Move in Zigzags when someone is shooting at you. It makes you a harder target to hit and only hurts your forward momentum a little bit.

And this ends the intro to Roller Type Weapons. Rollers are certainly unique in Splatoon, and making good use of them can take many forms. If you have any more specific questions, if you think I missed anything, or if you just wanna say hi, my ask box is always open. I’m always looking for feedback or just to learn more so I can help share more accurate knowledge with those who might be looking.

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!

[splatoon-advice]

So You Want to Use a Slosher

In a world where throwing paint at enemies is a form of combat, why not use a tool to actually throw the paint rather than shoot?

So you saw the bucket, your mind raced with possibilities as to what it was, you tapped on the bottom when checking it out to ensure that yes indeed it is a bucket. But you’ve never used a Slosher before. How are you going to use it? Well, with this guide, we’ll go through everything you need to know to pretend to be some of those rude fur protesters throwing buckets full of paint on people.

(Please note that this guide is subject to change once more Sloshers are added to the game. Should any of them differ drastically from what is found in the below guide, I will do my best to fix this as soon as possible)

Introduction: UI and Mechanics

Sloshers are mid ranged, slow, semiautomatic weapons that splash a large glob of ink which leaves smaller projectiles behind to ink the area between you and it, giving the impression of a single, long projectile. This projectile hits for full damage at all parts of its arc, making it capable of hitting foes up or down cliffs, or even by splashing over walls. The end of the trail of ink left behind is also significantly wider than the rest of the trail, and hitting foes with the primary projectile does significantly more damage (70 vs 40 damage).

The aiming reticle for Sloshers shows the size of the active hitbox of your next slosh. Should the slosh hit an object, there will be a circle in between the lines, and if that object would be able to take damage, there will be an X going through the circle.

Depending on the angle of your slosh, the trail will be different. Remember that the tip of the trail does more damage and covers a wider area of turf than the rest of the trail. These trails also go down walls, allowing you to climb up quickly.

Playstyle and Mentality

Sloshers are very powerful in the right hands, able to hit foes from vantage points and angles that other weapons can only cry about. Their biggest weakness is their manual firing rate making a consistent firing rate more likely to be slower than what it could be, as well as their lack of a “quick kill” option that other weapons have (such as a shooter being close enough to stack on the damage quickly or a Charger or Blaster’s instant KO shots). When using a Slosher, keep your foes at arm’s length (or more exactly, at max range of your sloshes), and make sure you take advantage of when foes have the high ground. From directly next to a cliff you can splat someone while they struggle to hit you.

The pattern of their sloshes as they ink turf also makes covering an area completely somewhat awkward, as you have to use the tip of the ink trail almost exclusively. Their range makes travel fantastic, however, allowing you to chase or escape very easily.

Sloshers also excel in corridors and side paths, which, coupled with the above, make them excellent for setting up flanks and catching foes by surprise. The element of surprise is one of the Slosher’s greatest boons. Don’t ever pass up a chance to take it.

Tips & Tricks, and Closing Words

The amount of turf you ink with the end of your ink trail is huge. If someone is trying to run, ink behind them - you’ll deal damage enough that one more hit will splat them, and deny them their escape.

Not only do you deal full damage when attacking up a cliff, you also deal full damage attacking from the top of a cliff. Slosh at foes who are trying to climb up to you from a safe distance and laugh as they fall, powerless to the might of a mere bucket.

Jumping gives your sloshes a bit more range, at the cost of mobility while in midair. Keep that in mind.

And with these tips, I end my introduction to Sloshers. If you have any questions, if you have advice of your own, or if you just want to say hi, my ask box is always open. Sloshers are very entertaining weapons to use, and are quite adept at covering turf, capable of very high scores in Turf Wars. Don’t underestimate their simplicity.

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!

[splatoon-advice]

Hello again, and thanks for answering my last question! This time I was wondering if you had any general advice for the Slosher? I can trade with people pretty often, but I have a lot of trouble splatting them without getting splatted myself.

Fighting with a Slosher is a bit odd, for sure. Unless you outrange your target (which isn’t always guaranteed), you need to catch them by surprise, but even then, there’s a bit of a delay between shots. One trick that helps you splat someone faster is to throw a burst bomb immediately after landing the first hit. The Slosher deals 70 damage on a direct hit and the burst bomb deals around 30 even on a near miss (and 60 on a direct hit), letting you splat someone slightly faster than otherwise (Inklings have 100 HP). It does use up more ink than just regularly sloshing, however. So watch out.

When fighting with someone who is shooting back, the best advice I can give is to make use of being able to squid to the side between shots if able, and if not, strafe and jump while firing. Remember that you can swim backwards after your first shot and then throw the Burst Bomb, as Burst Bombs have more range than the Slosher does. If you’re really good at landing Burst Bomb hits, you can forego fighting using the Slosher altogether when fighting defensively.

And, as always, thanks for reading, and enjoy your games!