Hello everyone! NuclearStrawberry here, but you can just call me Straw. Let's cut to the chase, the beginning of this guide will be a quick guide that organizes gear and brands for you out there who just want to look up what each brand has to offer real quick instead of having to scroll down my lecture to get there. Those of you who want to listen to ( or ,rather, read) my lecture, feel free to scroll down until you see INTRO:
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
http://squidboards.com/guides/gear-brands-and-you-part-2.99/
1. BRANDS OVERVIEW
In the game there are 12 distinct brands that sell distinct style of clothes with a unique twist that each brand brings to the table. For example, SquidForce brand shirts tend to feature the Turf War or Ranked Battle insignia as the main design. However, brands go much farther than a fancy style, they impact the likelihood of rolling a certain sub ability when leveled up or re-rolled with Spyke
Here's a list of each brand and it's rolling probability.
RED text indicates abilities that a gear is only 1/2 as likely to roll
GREEN text indicates abilities that gear is 5x as likely to roll
Example- Brand A: 5x Ability; 1/2 Ability
Firefin: Ink Saver (Sub) ; Ink Recovery
Forge: Special Duration Up ; Ink Saver (Sub)
Inkline: Defense Up ; Damage Up
Krak-On: Swim Speed Up ; Defense Up
Rockenberg: Run Speed Up ; Swim Speed Up
Skalop: Quick Respawn ; Special Saver
Splash Mob: Ink Saver (Main) ; Run Speed Up
SquidForce: Damage Up ; Ink Saver (Main)
Takoroka: Special Charge Up ; Special Duration Up
Tentatek: Ink Recovery Up ; Quick Super Jump
Zekko: Special Saver ; Special Charge Up
Zink: Quick Super Jump ; Quick Respawn
Please note that these are only general statistics
Specific statistics can be found in this here handy dandy spread sheet that user MarchtheBurg at Neoseeker found:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...4AsrTI_2veUlbs/htmlview?usp=sharing&sle=true#
I will go more in depth on brands later in this guide.
2. GEAR QUICK GUIDE
Click on Spoilers: (Brand Name) to reveal the list of gear asociated with a specific brand that a specific shop sells. For example, Tentatek gear that is sold by Crusty Sean under Shrimp Kicks. Let's get started shall we?
Ink Resistance Up, Stealth Jump, and Bomb Sniffer are exclusive to shoes
Recon, Ninja Squid, Cold-Blooded, and Haunt are exclusive to clothes
Opening Gambit, Ladt-Ditch Effort, Tenacity, and Comeback are exclusive to headgear
3. NON-BRAND GEAR
Certain gear such as Amiibo Gear or Cuttlegear that you may obtain in the game may not fit into one of the 12 main brands you can find the the shops, and thus work differently in the sense that they do not have a specific set of abilities that are more/less likely to be rolled when leveled up or re-rolled.
Keep this fact in mind if you decide to re-roll them at Spyke.
I will not discuss these types of gear in this guide with the exception of the Splatfest Tee in Part 2 since there is a lot more going on there (and it has come to my attention that it actually DOES have a brand but that's not very important because of the nature of the gear) than the other non-brand gear. Moving on.
4. INTRO
Woah, you actually scrolled down this far to listen to my lecture? I like you'r style kid! Determined! Eager!
Well sit down because class is in session!
5. GEAR 101
Alright. Let's start from the basics. Tutorial level stuff right here.
Every piece of gear in the game has one Main Ability and up to three Sub Abilities. I will explain this in more detail later. For now, we're just brushing up on the basics. You may have also noticed those little stars next to a piece of gear when you go to buy or equip it; that's the gear's star count or rarity. I'm going to call them rarity for the sake of this guide (and it's what i'm used to calling 'em)
Depending on the gear's rarity, a number of things are affected
Come with me to the back alley love.
6. SPYKE
This slick urchin with a signature british accent has sucked my wallet dry, and probably countless others too! And for good reason too...
Walk over to the alley under the Squid Sister's studio in the plaza, and you'll see Spyke sitting on a rug in the corner surrounded by sea snails; live ones cowering in fear to his right and empty shells to his left accompanied by a screwdriver. I'll let you figure out what he does with that screwdriver...
Well what does he have to do with gear? Well two main things actually.
ORDERING GEAR
This is what you'll most likely be going to Spyke for at the climb to level 20. The lure of three star gear often drags people into debt with Spyke once they get on a shopping spree "ordering" gear in the plaza. Here's why.
Spyke brings up a seemingly reasonable offer; he gets you gear that you saw another player with for a fee. After you've battled with people online in Turf War or Ranked Battle (only if you're level 10 though), you can find representations of other players strolling about the plaza. Simply talk to them, and you'll find an icon with Spyke in the corner of the screen. This brings us to one of the basic mechanics of Spyke. Ordering gear.
When you press "Order Gear" you'll be able to select up to three pieces of gear of your choosing from an inkling you see in the plaza. You may've also noticed the sub abilities here too; Krak-On is more likely to roll swim speed up, and that's exactly what happened in this case.
Note you can only have up to three orders from Spyke at any given time and the gear you order will arrive the next day for pick-up from Spyke, sometimes with a sub ability from the person you ordered it from. Here's where you possibly go into debt.
Spyke will sell gear much more expensive than gear you can buy in Booyah Base, often reaching 30k and higher depending on the amount of sub abilities that gear has unlocked at the time you order it. A Varsity Jacket with one or no sub abilities unlocked is much cheaper than one with all three unlocked, meaning you'd be paying a lower price (roughly the price in -shop) for un-leveled gear you order in the plaza.
In addition, the higher level the person you order gear from is, the higher likelihood that that piece of gear will have one of their sub abilities. Just remember that this may backfire on you and run up the price of that gear.
It's a bit of a trade-off. Do you spend an absurd amound of money on gear you're promised to get the next day, or wait to see if the shops have something in stock? More often than not, the latter is probably the smarter decision since you may just get lucky and find the gas mask you ordered from Spyke is sitting in the hat shop for a more reasonable price.
Just keep in mind that even a piece of gear you order with no sub abilities will still be a bit pricy wen you go to Spyke. Better start grinding up cash!
Whatever you decide to do, you'll definitely be speaking to Spyke again because of-
RE-ROLLING/ UPGRADING GEAR
Once you reach level 20 from playing online Spyke will offer a new service to you the next time you talk to him. In exchange for a sea snail or 30k, Spyke can either add an extra slots to gear with less than three slots or re-roll gear that already has three slots. THIS is what you'll be seeing Spyke for most often as you now have a way to upgrade your gear to your liking.
So let's talk about that gas mask you ordered from Spyke earlier. I hope you were paying attention earlier when I brushed over brand statistics because you may have noticed that the gas mask is a Forge product, and thus has a 5x likelihood of rolling Special Duration Up when leveled up! But let's say you only have one special duration up as your sub ability on that gas mask and you REALLY love using the Kraken; You can pay Spyke to re-roll that piece of gear to get a higher likelihood that you will get a certain set of sub abilities. This way, you can optimize gear to your play style so you can maximize the potential of your gear. So if you re-roll, you could get two or even THREE special duration up sub abilities for you to give your Kraken a little extra run time. Pretty sweet deal right?
You can also add slots to gear with less than three slots available. Lets say you love Last-Ditch Effort. Pretty solid boost to help you push through the final seconds of a match. You have the Visor Skate Helmet that's a three star piece of gear that has that main ability you're looking for, but it's a Skalop brand gear. Skalop has a 5x chance of rolling Quick Respawn, and that may not be your thing or another piece of gear you equipped already has that as a main ability. Meanwhile, there's the Tinted Shades in stock but it's only a one star gear; but it's a Zekko brand gear. If you have the cash or sea snails, you can bring those sweet shades to Spyke to max out the slots for them and get a 5x likelihood of getting Special Saver since that brand has a higher likelihood of rolling that ability. That way, you'll save that Kraken or Inkzooka even if you get splatted so you can make it count in the final seconds of battle. Now you can have your cake and eat it too
Now you can start to see how important upgrading gear can be to unlocking the full potential of your gear, and maximizing your gear's contribution to online matches. This starts to delve into what I like to call Gear Sets which I will discuss in Part 2 (and will show up quite frequently in many of my guides).
For now, this is NuclearStawberry reminding you to stay fresh out there squiddos! See you squids in Part 2!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- BRANDS OVERVIEW
- GEAR QUICK GUIDE
- SHRIMP KICKS
- JELLY FRESH
- COOLER HEADS
- NON-BRAND GEAR
- INTRO
- GEAR 101
- SPYKE
- ORDERING GEAR
- RE-ROLLING/UPGRADING GEAR
http://squidboards.com/guides/gear-brands-and-you-part-2.99/
- ABILITIES
- MAIN
- SUB
- STACKING
- GEAR SETS
- SPLATFEST
1. BRANDS OVERVIEW
In the game there are 12 distinct brands that sell distinct style of clothes with a unique twist that each brand brings to the table. For example, SquidForce brand shirts tend to feature the Turf War or Ranked Battle insignia as the main design. However, brands go much farther than a fancy style, they impact the likelihood of rolling a certain sub ability when leveled up or re-rolled with Spyke
Here's a list of each brand and it's rolling probability.
RED text indicates abilities that a gear is only 1/2 as likely to roll
GREEN text indicates abilities that gear is 5x as likely to roll
Example- Brand A: 5x Ability; 1/2 Ability
Firefin: Ink Saver (Sub) ; Ink Recovery
Forge: Special Duration Up ; Ink Saver (Sub)
Inkline: Defense Up ; Damage Up
Krak-On: Swim Speed Up ; Defense Up
Rockenberg: Run Speed Up ; Swim Speed Up
Skalop: Quick Respawn ; Special Saver
Splash Mob: Ink Saver (Main) ; Run Speed Up
SquidForce: Damage Up ; Ink Saver (Main)
Takoroka: Special Charge Up ; Special Duration Up
Tentatek: Ink Recovery Up ; Quick Super Jump
Zekko: Special Saver ; Special Charge Up
Zink: Quick Super Jump ; Quick Respawn
Please note that these are only general statistics
Specific statistics can be found in this here handy dandy spread sheet that user MarchtheBurg at Neoseeker found:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...4AsrTI_2veUlbs/htmlview?usp=sharing&sle=true#
I will go more in depth on brands later in this guide.
2. GEAR QUICK GUIDE
Click on Spoilers: (Brand Name) to reveal the list of gear asociated with a specific brand that a specific shop sells. For example, Tentatek gear that is sold by Crusty Sean under Shrimp Kicks. Let's get started shall we?
Ink Resistance Up, Stealth Jump, and Bomb Sniffer are exclusive to shoes
Pro Trail Boots
Main Ability: Bomb Sniffer
Trail Boots
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Main Ability: Bomb Sniffer
Trail Boots
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Banana Basics
Main Ability: Bomb Sniffer
Blue Slip-Ons
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Blueberry Casuals
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Choco Clogs
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Clownfish Basics
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Cream Hi-Tops
Main Ability: Stealth Jump
Hunter Hi-Tops
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Oyster Clogs
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Plum Casuals
Main Ability: Damage Up
Red Hi-Tops
Main Ability: Ink Resistance Up
Red Slip-Ons
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Squid-Stitch Slip-Ons
Main Ability: Defense Up
Main Ability: Bomb Sniffer
Blue Slip-Ons
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Blueberry Casuals
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Choco Clogs
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Clownfish Basics
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Cream Hi-Tops
Main Ability: Stealth Jump
Hunter Hi-Tops
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Oyster Clogs
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Plum Casuals
Main Ability: Damage Up
Red Hi-Tops
Main Ability: Ink Resistance Up
Red Slip-Ons
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Squid-Stitch Slip-Ons
Main Ability: Defense Up
Blue Moto Boots
Main Ability: Ink Resistance Up
Cherry Kicks
Main Ability: Stealth Jump
Moto Boots
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Red Work Boots
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Tan Work Boots
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Turquoise Kicks
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
White Kicks
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Main Ability: Ink Resistance Up
Cherry Kicks
Main Ability: Stealth Jump
Moto Boots
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Red Work Boots
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Tan Work Boots
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Turquoise Kicks
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
White Kicks
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Crazy Arrows
Main Ability: Stealth Jump
Orange Arrows
Ink Saver (Main)
White Arrows
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Main Ability: Stealth Jump
Orange Arrows
Ink Saver (Main)
White Arrows
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Black Trainers
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Cyan Trainers
Main Ability: Damage Up
Neon Sea Slugs
Main Ability: Ink Resistance Up
Pink Trainers
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Purple Sea Slugs
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Red Sea Slugs
Main Ability: Special Saver
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Cyan Trainers
Main Ability: Damage Up
Neon Sea Slugs
Main Ability: Ink Resistance Up
Pink Trainers
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Purple Sea Slugs
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Red Sea Slugs
Main Ability: Special Saver
Blue Lo-Tops
Main Ability: Defense Up
LE Lo-Tops
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Orange Lo-Tops
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Main Ability: Defense Up
LE Lo-Tops
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Orange Lo-Tops
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Black Seahorses
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Gold Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Purple Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Red Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
White Seahorses
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Yellow Seahorses
Main Ability: Bomb Sniffer
Zombie Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Gold Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Purple Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Red Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
White Seahorses
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Yellow Seahorses
Main Ability: Bomb Sniffer
Zombie Hi-Horses
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Recon, Ninja Squid, Cold-Blooded, and Haunt are exclusive to clothes
Baseball Jersey
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Black 8-Bit FishFry
Main Ability: Defense Up
Camo Zip Hoodie
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Dark Urban Vest:
Main Ability: Cold Blooded
Firefin Navy Sweat
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Green Zip Hoodie
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
White 8-Bit FishFry
Main Ability: Recon
Yellow Urban Vest
Main Ability: Haunt
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Black 8-Bit FishFry
Main Ability: Defense Up
Camo Zip Hoodie
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Dark Urban Vest:
Main Ability: Cold Blooded
Firefin Navy Sweat
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Green Zip Hoodie
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
White 8-Bit FishFry
Main Ability: Recon
Yellow Urban Vest
Main Ability: Haunt
Aloha Shirt
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Berry Ski Jacket
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Blue Peaks Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Green Striped LS
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
Ivory Peaks Tee
Main Ability: Haunt
Mountain Vest
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Olive Ski Jacket
Main Ability: Recon
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Blue Peaks Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Green Striped LS
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
Ivory Peaks Tee
Main Ability: Haunt
Mountain Vest
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Olive Ski Jacket
Main Ability: Recon
Rainy-Day Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Sunny-Day Tee
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Sunny-Day Tee
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Black Baseball LS
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Rockenberg Black
Main Ability: Damage Up
Rockenberg White
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Vintage Check Shirt
Main Ability: Haunt
White Baseball LS
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Rockenberg Black
Main Ability: Damage Up
Rockenberg White
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Vintage Check Shirt
Main Ability: Haunt
White Baseball LS
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Grape Tee
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Mint Tee
Main Ability: Defense Up
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Mint Tee
Main Ability: Defense Up
Gray College Sweat
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Linen Shirt
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Navy Striped LS
Main Ability Damage Up
Pirate Stripe Tee
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Sage Polo
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Sailor Stripe Tee
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Shrimp Pink Polo
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
Striped Shirt
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Varsity Baseball LS
Main Ability: Recon
White Shirt
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
White Striped LS
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Linen Shirt
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Navy Striped LS
Main Ability Damage Up
Pirate Stripe Tee
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Sage Polo
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Sailor Stripe Tee
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Shrimp Pink Polo
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
Striped Shirt
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Varsity Baseball LS
Main Ability: Recon
White Shirt
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
White Striped LS
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Anchor Sweat
Main Ability: Cold Blooded
Basic Tee
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Black Anchor Tee
Main Ability: Recon
Black Layered LS
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Black Tee
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Camo Layered LS
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Retro Sweat
Main Ability: Defense Up
Squidmark LS
Main Ability: Haunt
Squidmark Sweat
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
White Anchor Tee
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
White Layered LS
Main Ability: Special Saver
White Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Yellow Layered LS
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Main Ability: Cold Blooded
Basic Tee
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Black Anchor Tee
Main Ability: Recon
Black Layered LS
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Black Tee
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Camo Layered LS
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Retro Sweat
Main Ability: Defense Up
Squidmark LS
Main Ability: Haunt
Squidmark Sweat
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
White Anchor Tee
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
White Layered LS
Main Ability: Special Saver
White Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Yellow Layered LS
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Choco Layered LS
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Gray Vector Tee
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Layered Vector LS
Main Ability: Special Saver
Red Vector Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Striped Rugby
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Tricolor Rugby
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Gray Vector Tee
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Layered Vector LS
Main Ability: Special Saver
Red Vector Tee
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Striped Rugby
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Tricolor Rugby
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Black Squideye
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Part-Time Pirate
Main Ability: Damage Up
Sky-Blue Squideye
Main Ability: Cold Blooded
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Part-Time Pirate
Main Ability: Damage Up
Sky-Blue Squideye
Main Ability: Cold Blooded
Baby Jelly Shirt
Main Ability: Defense Up
Black LS
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Green Check Shirt
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Red-Check Shirt
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Varsity Jacket
Main Ability: Damage Up
Zekko Baseball LS
Main Ability: Defense Up
Zekko Hoodie
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
Main Ability: Defense Up
Black LS
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Green Check Shirt
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Red-Check Shirt
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Varsity Jacket
Main Ability: Damage Up
Zekko Baseball LS
Main Ability: Defense Up
Zekko Hoodie
Main Ability: Ninja Squid
B-Ball Jersey (Away)
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
B-Ball Jersey (Home)
Main Ablity: Special Saver
Urchins Jersey
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Zink Layered LS
Main Ability: Damage Up
Zink LS
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
B-Ball Jersey (Home)
Main Ablity: Special Saver
Urchins Jersey
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Zink Layered LS
Main Ability: Damage Up
Zink LS
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Opening Gambit, Ladt-Ditch Effort, Tenacity, and Comeback are exclusive to headgear
Camo Mesh
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
FishFry Visor
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Jet Cap
Main Ability: Special Saver
Jungle Hat
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
FishFry Visor
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Jet Cap
Main Ability: Special Saver
Jungle Hat
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Designer Headphones
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Gas Mask
Main Ability: Tenacity
Paintball Mask
Main Ability: Comeback
Pilot Goggles
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Safari Hat
Main Ability: Last-Ditch Effort
Snorkel Mask
Main Ability: Damage Up
Splash Goggles
Main Ability: Defense Up
Studio Headphones
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Tentacles Helmet
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Gas Mask
Main Ability: Tenacity
Paintball Mask
Main Ability: Comeback
Pilot Goggles
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Safari Hat
Main Ability: Last-Ditch Effort
Snorkel Mask
Main Ability: Damage Up
Splash Goggles
Main Ability: Defense Up
Studio Headphones
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Main)
Tentacles Helmet
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Camping Hat
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Lightweight Cap
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Short Beanie
Main Abilities: Ink Saver (Main)
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Lightweight Cap
Main Ability: Swim Speed Up
Short Beanie
Main Abilities: Ink Saver (Main)
Two-Stripe Mesh
Main Ability: Special Saver
Main Ability: Special Saver
Bike Helmet
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Skate Helmet
Main Ability: Special Saver
Sporty Bobble Hat
Main Ability: Tenacity
Squid-Stitch Cap
Main Ability: Opening Gambit
Squidvader Cap
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Streetstyle Cap
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Urchins Cap
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Visor Skate Helmet
Main Ability: Last-Ditch Effort
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Skate Helmet
Main Ability: Special Saver
Sporty Bobble Hat
Main Ability: Tenacity
Squid-Stitch Cap
Main Ability: Opening Gambit
Squidvader Cap
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Streetstyle Cap
Main Ability: Ink Saver (Sub)
Urchins Cap
Main Ability: Bomb Range Up
Visor Skate Helmet
Main Ability: Last-Ditch Effort
Bobble Hat
Man Ability: Quick Super Jump
Retro Specs
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Striped Beanie
Main Ability: Opening Gambit
Man Ability: Quick Super Jump
Retro Specs
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Striped Beanie
Main Ability: Opening Gambit
White Headband
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Main Ability: Ink Recovery Up
Takoroka Mesh
Main Ability: Defense Up
Main Ability: Defense Up
Fake Contacts
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Tennis Headband
Main Ability: Comeback
Main Ability: Special Charge Up
Tennis Headband
Main Ability: Comeback
5-Panel Cap
Main Ability: Comeback
Backwards Cap
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Black Arrowbands
Main Ability: Tenacity
Jogging Headband
Main Ability: Ink Saver: Sub
Tinted Shades
Main Ability: Last-Ditch Effort
White Arrowbands
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Zekko Mesh
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
Main Ability: Comeback
Backwards Cap
Main Ability: Quick Respawn
Black Arrowbands
Main Ability: Tenacity
Jogging Headband
Main Ability: Ink Saver: Sub
Tinted Shades
Main Ability: Last-Ditch Effort
White Arrowbands
Main Ability: Special Duration Up
Zekko Mesh
Main Ability: Quick Super Jump
B-Ball Headband
Main Ability: Opening Gambit
Golf Visor
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Squash Headband
Main Ability: Damage Up
Main Ability: Opening Gambit
Golf Visor
Main Ability: Run Speed Up
Squash Headband
Main Ability: Damage Up
3. NON-BRAND GEAR
Certain gear such as Amiibo Gear or Cuttlegear that you may obtain in the game may not fit into one of the 12 main brands you can find the the shops, and thus work differently in the sense that they do not have a specific set of abilities that are more/less likely to be rolled when leveled up or re-rolled.
Keep this fact in mind if you decide to re-roll them at Spyke.
I will not discuss these types of gear in this guide with the exception of the Splatfest Tee in Part 2 since there is a lot more going on there (and it has come to my attention that it actually DOES have a brand but that's not very important because of the nature of the gear) than the other non-brand gear. Moving on.
4. INTRO
Woah, you actually scrolled down this far to listen to my lecture? I like you'r style kid! Determined! Eager!
Well sit down because class is in session!
5. GEAR 101
Alright. Let's start from the basics. Tutorial level stuff right here.
Every piece of gear in the game has one Main Ability and up to three Sub Abilities. I will explain this in more detail later. For now, we're just brushing up on the basics. You may have also noticed those little stars next to a piece of gear when you go to buy or equip it; that's the gear's star count or rarity. I'm going to call them rarity for the sake of this guide (and it's what i'm used to calling 'em)
Depending on the gear's rarity, a number of things are affected
- The speed it takes to level up that gear
- The cost of the gear in the shops
- The cost it will take to fully upgrade that gear from Spyke
- Gear that becomes available in the shops
Come with me to the back alley love.
6. SPYKE
This slick urchin with a signature british accent has sucked my wallet dry, and probably countless others too! And for good reason too...
Walk over to the alley under the Squid Sister's studio in the plaza, and you'll see Spyke sitting on a rug in the corner surrounded by sea snails; live ones cowering in fear to his right and empty shells to his left accompanied by a screwdriver. I'll let you figure out what he does with that screwdriver...
Well what does he have to do with gear? Well two main things actually.
ORDERING GEAR
This is what you'll most likely be going to Spyke for at the climb to level 20. The lure of three star gear often drags people into debt with Spyke once they get on a shopping spree "ordering" gear in the plaza. Here's why.
Spyke brings up a seemingly reasonable offer; he gets you gear that you saw another player with for a fee. After you've battled with people online in Turf War or Ranked Battle (only if you're level 10 though), you can find representations of other players strolling about the plaza. Simply talk to them, and you'll find an icon with Spyke in the corner of the screen. This brings us to one of the basic mechanics of Spyke. Ordering gear.
When you press "Order Gear" you'll be able to select up to three pieces of gear of your choosing from an inkling you see in the plaza. You may've also noticed the sub abilities here too; Krak-On is more likely to roll swim speed up, and that's exactly what happened in this case.
Note you can only have up to three orders from Spyke at any given time and the gear you order will arrive the next day for pick-up from Spyke, sometimes with a sub ability from the person you ordered it from. Here's where you possibly go into debt.
Spyke will sell gear much more expensive than gear you can buy in Booyah Base, often reaching 30k and higher depending on the amount of sub abilities that gear has unlocked at the time you order it. A Varsity Jacket with one or no sub abilities unlocked is much cheaper than one with all three unlocked, meaning you'd be paying a lower price (roughly the price in -shop) for un-leveled gear you order in the plaza.
In addition, the higher level the person you order gear from is, the higher likelihood that that piece of gear will have one of their sub abilities. Just remember that this may backfire on you and run up the price of that gear.
It's a bit of a trade-off. Do you spend an absurd amound of money on gear you're promised to get the next day, or wait to see if the shops have something in stock? More often than not, the latter is probably the smarter decision since you may just get lucky and find the gas mask you ordered from Spyke is sitting in the hat shop for a more reasonable price.
Just keep in mind that even a piece of gear you order with no sub abilities will still be a bit pricy wen you go to Spyke. Better start grinding up cash!
Whatever you decide to do, you'll definitely be speaking to Spyke again because of-
RE-ROLLING/ UPGRADING GEAR
Once you reach level 20 from playing online Spyke will offer a new service to you the next time you talk to him. In exchange for a sea snail or 30k, Spyke can either add an extra slots to gear with less than three slots or re-roll gear that already has three slots. THIS is what you'll be seeing Spyke for most often as you now have a way to upgrade your gear to your liking.
So let's talk about that gas mask you ordered from Spyke earlier. I hope you were paying attention earlier when I brushed over brand statistics because you may have noticed that the gas mask is a Forge product, and thus has a 5x likelihood of rolling Special Duration Up when leveled up! But let's say you only have one special duration up as your sub ability on that gas mask and you REALLY love using the Kraken; You can pay Spyke to re-roll that piece of gear to get a higher likelihood that you will get a certain set of sub abilities. This way, you can optimize gear to your play style so you can maximize the potential of your gear. So if you re-roll, you could get two or even THREE special duration up sub abilities for you to give your Kraken a little extra run time. Pretty sweet deal right?
You can also add slots to gear with less than three slots available. Lets say you love Last-Ditch Effort. Pretty solid boost to help you push through the final seconds of a match. You have the Visor Skate Helmet that's a three star piece of gear that has that main ability you're looking for, but it's a Skalop brand gear. Skalop has a 5x chance of rolling Quick Respawn, and that may not be your thing or another piece of gear you equipped already has that as a main ability. Meanwhile, there's the Tinted Shades in stock but it's only a one star gear; but it's a Zekko brand gear. If you have the cash or sea snails, you can bring those sweet shades to Spyke to max out the slots for them and get a 5x likelihood of getting Special Saver since that brand has a higher likelihood of rolling that ability. That way, you'll save that Kraken or Inkzooka even if you get splatted so you can make it count in the final seconds of battle. Now you can have your cake and eat it too
Now you can start to see how important upgrading gear can be to unlocking the full potential of your gear, and maximizing your gear's contribution to online matches. This starts to delve into what I like to call Gear Sets which I will discuss in Part 2 (and will show up quite frequently in many of my guides).
For now, this is NuclearStawberry reminding you to stay fresh out there squiddos! See you squids in Part 2!
