Hello Everyone! In this guide, I will show you how to dominate the field aggressively using the brilliant, tactical, lightning-fast Aerospray RG! This guide will teach you how to reach major controlling points in various maps in less than ten seconds, hold your position while blasting away oncoming enemies, and how to strategically use the special weapon, Ink Strike. I will also be covering general information that can apply to any weapon and playstyle, since I often see online players make common mistakes, and I’d like to help correct them.
First off, before I start getting into the specifics of the Aerospray, I’d like to set down some general rules for play, and some gameplay tips.
1. At the beginning of the match, get to the controlling point of the map As Soon As Possible (Without getting splatted) One thing I notice with a lot of players, whether it be Turf Wars or Splat Zones, is that they seem to take their sweet precious time inking up unnecessary turf that either doesn’t do anything or will get inked up later in play. I like to think of enemy turf at the beginning of the match as unguarded territory ready to conquer. The benefit of pushing the line in enemy territory at the beginning of the match is that it will enable you to take hold of the match early on, and punish foes before they can activate their specials. Also, it’s really easy to do, considering I usually meet the opposing team about a fourth of a way from the middle to their base at the very least. This principle is very important for aggressive Aerospray play, since the main responsibilities of the Aerospray player is getting control early and then using mines, mines, mines! Also, Opening Gambit is very useful for this too.
2. Do not ink your own turf at the beginning of the match! The first thirty seconds is much better spent for the early aggressive push! It is a complete waste of time, and by spending the first seconds inking your turf, you’re guaranteeing that you’ll have to ink it again and again, since the rest of your team won’t be able to hold off four players at once without you, and they will have the field advantage. If you follow the first principle, chances are you won’t have to re-ink those areas, or you can go back and ink it when your team has a steady position. Just don’t waste those precious seconds!
3. Do not ink the enemy team’s base at the beginning/middle of the match! Notice how I say base, so it’s ok to ink some turf close to the center of the map, but don’t go overboard. By inking the opposing base, you make yourself vulnerable, because you’ll most likely be surrounded by the enemy team, since their ink’ll be all over the place since they were pushed there at the beginning of the match. Second, when you push up against the enemy spawn point, you’re vulnerable, but they’re invincible because of their spawn point’s barrier. Third, when you ink their territory, it gives them fuel to go Kraken or Ink Strike or activate some other special, causing you to lose your turf, and give them an advantage. Just get a line past the central line and keep it there, no further. The only exception to this rule is at the last few seconds of the match, since at that point, any extra ink that can’t be covered up will secure your victory. A good way to accomplish this is to launch a last second Ink Strike, which I will cover later in this guide.
4. Do not get splatted in enemy turf, or past the halfway mark! This is kind of self-explanatory. The point is, even if you splat one or two people, you’ll be farther away from that point, the enemy team will get there first, recover, and you will lose ALL pressure on that spot, and your team will get splatted, and you will lose.
5. The Map is the most Important Tool! People often under-estimate the power and information the map provides. If you haven’t done so, when on a new map, just take a good look at the layout, and analyze how you’re going to move around in it, and how the enemy team’s going to move. This is only the mainstream use of the map. The secret of the map is that it is, in fact, a radar! Not only does it track your teammates, but it also tracks your opponents, tells you which areas you need to cover, what specials are active, and if you are being ambushed! All of this information is provided to you by displaying the ink coverage. If you pay closer attention to the map, you’ll see what I mean. Use this when you are covering an area, or if you can be approached from behind.
6. In Splat Zones or Turf Wars, if you are losing the Controlling Point and everyone got splatted, DO NOT GET SPLATTED! If everyone was taken out, the first thing they are going to do is tap on you and Super Jump to your location! They can’t regain turf if you’re splatted, or even worse, you get splatted AFTER they jump and they get splatted on touchdown, wasting precious time. If you are caught in this situation, Get Out Of the Center. If you go to the side of the map, you are not the center of attention, and can still act as a jump point to help your team take control of the zone again.
7. At the Start of The Match, Look at the Enemy Team’s Weapons. This is important, since this knowledge can determine how you play the match. For instance, if you see multiple Chargers, remember where the outposts are, stay out of site, and try to sneak up from behind, but make sure no one’s inking you in the back as you do so. If you see rollers, this’ll warn you to be careful at corners. If you have them, lay Ink Mines, and do not hide directly at the corner, since you’ll surely get splatted by a roller coming around fast. The best way is to swing your camera around the bend and see them coming well in advance, and then splatter them before they can wind up. If you see Gal or high-damage low fire rate weapon, you know not to come running at them, and instead move tactically around them so they can’t get a hit in.
8. If you get splatted, NEVER take the same approach. Another self-explanatory tip, that seems to slip from every inkling’s mind. When you get splatted, the enemy who splatted you will be anticipating you or another teammate to come that same exact way, naturally, so if you go that way, SPLAT! Take another approach! Even the game tells you too! Just find another way around!
Now that I’ve covered the basic rules and tips to improve your skill, let’s take a look at the Aerospray in particular. Unlocked at level 13 with the Zone 3 Boss defeated, it would appear to be a mid-level weapon, and not very good compared to other weapons, like the Roller, or Splattershot. If you look at the base stats for the Aerospray, It has poor range and the lowest damage of all the weapons, and the most you can improve that value is from a 24.5 to an astounding 24.9! That’s like, .4 damage increase! But what sets it apart from the other weapons and makes it a viable choice for both Turf Wars and Splat Zones? The fire rate. Out of all the weapons in the game, it has the fastest fire rate. So what does this mean? The Aerospray is one of the best weapons for turf coverage, and easily makes up for its poor damage and range through its intense barrage of ink splatter. It also excels in movement, especially in the beginning of the match, where you can quickly lay down ink, swim through it, rinse and repeat.
So, with the Aerospray’s low damage rate, I bet you’re thinking, “Gee, even a Splattershot Jr. would splat me first.” Wrong! The key with Aerospray is strategic movement. If the enemy can’t aim at you before you shoot them, they’re blasted with ink. The easiest way to take advantage of this is in corners, halls, and walls. The trick is, find a strategic corner to hide at, and aim the camera so that you can see around the bend, or watch for ink to be fired. When they come around, hit them with a bunch of ink and they’ll be out. Another alternative is to let them make a path and swim by, then shoot them in the back, which can be a lot safer. Just be sure to check that no one’s following them, or they’ll take you out before you can shoot either of them. If you find yourself in an open area, try to sneak around stealthily first, and pop up behind to blast an enemy. If you’ve been spotted, your best bet is to make a path (if there isn’t one already) around the enemy, and swim around them while rotating the camera towards them, so that you can pop up behind them. The difference is, the enemy knows that you’re there, and has more time to react. In this case, just aim at them and fire! Also, high ground improves you range, and surprises enemies. The strategy for the Aerospray splat-fight is to shoot at the enemy, but don’t let them aim at you!
Let’s talk about movement. One of the key parts of Splatoon is defining the line early on and applying pressure at various locations, while preventing the opposing team from pushing forward. In every map, the goal is to reach the Splat Zone as soon as possible (in Turf Wars, too) and proceed to defend that location. In order to achieve this, you need to learn to pave ink paths effectively and efficiently. This is where the Aerospray’s fire rate comes in. It takes little to no time at all to make the path, so don’t worry about filling gaps. Often times your team mates will follow you and fill those gaps for you. Once you have a decent path, quickly swim forward to the end of the path. Quickly shoot forward for less than a second, swim at lightning speed! One major ability that supports this strategy is the Opening Gambit, which lets you get to the controlling points with plenty of time to spare, which is essential for laying down Ink Mines, which I will discuss later. Once you have the position stabilized, you’ll want to pick out corners, or areas of low interest, where you can jump to quickly in case the enemy pushes into the Splat Zone. That way, you could potentially sneak in and take out three people at once and sneak away! Or get splatted, either way works. Another goal is to find where enemy players are perched, especially Chargers and high-ranged weapons. If you spot one, get out of sight immediately! The Aerospray’s poor range is no match for it! Once you get to safety, take a look at the map and see how to get to the location the charger is camping at. In most maps, there will always be a way to approach from behind, but it will require you to go into enemy territory. No problem! Keep in mind, never ink up the place! Use the method of travel I described for the beginning of the round, to reduce the risk of being around enemies and to also give the impression that you’re not around causing trouble, and just zipping by. Once you get behind, splat them quickly, and they’ll be sniping no more. Use the corner peeking strat to keep other chargers at bay, and maybe lay an Ink Mine too. Always keep moving, and watch the map so you know where to support!
Now that the Aerospray basics are out of the way, let’s look at what makes the RG unique…
Yep! Let’s talk about one of the best sub weapons in the game, Ink Mines! They act similarly to Splat Bombs and practically do the same thing, except they’re invisible to your enemies, and activate when they come within close proximity, even if enemy ink is all over it and appears safe! What does this mean? Well, it means it is fantastic at keeping pests out of the Splat Zone, and can easily surprise and splat enemies who try to come and steal away that precious turf. Be careful though, and stay near your mine, since it has a timer where it will set off on its own, and it will need to be replaced. Also, only one can be set down at a time, so choose a spot wisely!
So, you know what it does, but how do you use it? Simple! Just follow these simple steps! 1. Find a highly trafficked area where enemies will try to get to for control, 2. Lay down the mine in a way that either blows them up or pushes them into your team’s ink, 3. KaSplat! They’re taken out, there’s less pressure, and you have more control in that area. Here’s a few examples of some places to, well, place Ink Mines! In Blackbelly Skatepark, place the Ink Mine on the center hill, and hang around there, occasionally shooting enemies below you. Watch out for chargers and long-range weapons, since there are a few perches they can attack you from, that the Aerospray can’t reach. In the Kelp Dome, it’s practically the same situation: high land, place mine, be wary of enemy perches. Keep in mind that in the Splat Zones version of the stage, there are ink-able blocks on the higher-up grate walk-ways, which can allow enemies to hide close to the hill and splatter you, while avoiding the mine. In Arowana Mall, place a mine either at the enemy’s entryway to the hill, or somewhere in the enemy’s shaft to the hill. This allows you to keep out the enemy pests! Again, be wary, since there are yet more perches chargers can hide on. In Splat Zones, some are even more protected with a wall of two blocks, while other opposing perches are connected with grate walkways. The trick with all of these maps, though, is once you secure an area with an Ink Mine, hang around and start splatting anyone who approaches! If they don’t get splatted, and you retreat due to low health, they will get blown up by the Ink Mine, since they will think the area’s unguarded, and plus, they just chased you out! It must be safe, right! Wrong! When they get splatted, climb up the hill again, lay a mine, and heal back up. At this point, you can possibly start rooting out any chargers that are annoyingly perched and aiming at you. Also, if you find yourself face to face with someone and you have an inferior weapon/low health and nowhere to swim, lay down an Ink Mine if possible. Most likely, your opponent will get blown up as they splat you, balancing out the field. Also, if you’re trying to see if opponents are laying down Ink Mines, use the Bomb Sniffer ability, or be there when they set them. It won’t make the beep on your screen, but their character will play the animation, which looks like them leaning down and swinging their arm towards the ground, laying a mine.
Now that we’ve looked at the Ink Mine, let’s look at the defining special-weapon of the Aerospray RG…
Ink Strike: the perfect tool for devastating foes, taking control of turf, and just launching a tornado of ink for the heck of it! This Special goes hand-in-hand with the strategical theme of the Aerospray RG, and can function as an offensive, supportive, and defensive weapon of mass destruction! So let’s take a look at what it does, shall we? Like any other Special, you charge it up by inking up ground or enemy ink, and when the special gauge makes a “ding!” and sparkles, you press in the right thumb-stick to activate it. When that happens, the gamepad’s map zooms in to a flat view, and you are given the ability to survey the area, and find a nice little spot to tap. On screen, your inkling carries a gamepad-like device, following your actions, and launches a huge, fishing-bobber styled missile, which just happened to appear on their back. Then, you hear a “whoosh”, and then a “THOOM!” along with a vibration and three people are taken out! Or at least, that’s what you hope for.
“That’s great and all, but how do I use it effectively?” Simple. It’s all about location, and opportunity. There’s no definitive answer that’ll work every time, due to the limitations of communication in the game, but there are several guidelines you can follow based on the given situation.
1. If your team is controlling the point of focus or Splat Zone, use the Ink Strike to remove perched players or blast anticipated oncoming enemies’ paths! If you are in control, the important thing is to hold that position. In almost every map, there will be recovery points where the enemy team can take over, and there is always some risk involved when sneaking into halls and shafts intended for enemy use only, especially in Arowana Mall and Port Mackeral, where these paths are VERY visible to any enemies respawning. It is possible to take them this way, but is very risky and depends on your teammates not splatting anyone as you try to claim those spots and splat perched players. When you get into a situation like this, and find yourself with a charged Ink Strike, fire away! This saves time, reduces risk, ad prevents you from getting splatted.
2. If your team is losing, and the enemy team is invading, launch the Ink Strike where foes are invading AND where your team can quickly support and hold that location. This is important, since if you are on the losing side, you need to turn the match around fast! Most beginner users of the Ink Strike will launch it at the enemy base when thrust into this situation. This is a complete waste (except at last second) and that will do nothing to relive the pressure the enemy’s putting on you! Also, do not fire it at some remote location where none of your teammates are!The blast of the Ink Strike is very easy to clean up if there’s no one around to use the advantage! It’s just a waste of your special! The right way to choose a location is at the front, where some of your teammates are head-to-head with the opposing team. There are two options from here. One option is to fire directly on the front, which will push the enemy line back, but there will still be room for the enemy to escape and keep applying pressure. The second option is to fire a little past the enemy line, where the enemy would typically retreat to for healing. This would force the enemy to push forward, whether they’re ready or not, into your team’s turf, and line of fire. This is a bit risky, and you have to count on your teammates to be able to handle the pushed enemies, since if they can’t, they’ll just push farther with plenty of support. It’s up to you to decide which option to use.
3. If the line is at the center, blast the Splat Zone or controlling points! Whenever you have the Ink Strike and the playing field is equal, fix that real quick with a nice blast at the Splat Zone, or where all the action’s happening! The Ink Strike will have a similar effect as in the deficit situation, but will most likely work out better due to maps generally having some kind of central hill. Once you control it, you’ve basically won the match as long as you can hold it! If you find your team controlling the Splat Zone now, bake yourself a cake or something and the next time you get Ink Strike, follow procedure #1!
4. If you are at the last ten seconds of the match, get charged up if you’re not, and fire at a large splotch of enemy ink at 0:03! This is very important for Turf Wars in particular, since the name of the game is Ink Coverage! At those last vital seconds, give yourself about three seconds to activate the special and choose a suitable location. This is the best time to launch an Ink Strike, since it’ll land AFTER the round ends, meaning it is impossible for the enemy team to cover it up! You can aim at the enemy base, but not directly on the spawn point, since underneath it is a permanent splotch of enemy ink that CANNOT be splatted upon, so a chunk of your Ink Strike splatter radius will be rendered useless! So don’t do it!
5. If you are about to get splatted, retreat and launch! Have you ever found your special gauge full while in combat, and you either try to launch it and you get splatted before it can go, or you end up getting splatted while in combat? Either way, you lose half a chunk of your special (unless you have special saver ability) and have to refill that whole part again! So, if you find yourself in combat and your special meter goes “ding!” and shines and sparkles, retreat into a suitable location and launch according to one of the previous situations!
Speaking of places to launch, where exactly should I launch the Ink Strike from? Good question! Whenever you launch (or attempt to launch) the Ink Strike, your movement speed is reduced to “negative snail speed”, you can’t splatter ink, and you are unable to go from a kid to a squid! Plus, you’re practically a neon sign saying “Splat Me!” with that huge missile on your back! You are kept in this state as soon as you press in the right thumb stick, and can only exit it several seconds after you choose a location to devastate, or you decide to just stare at the wall for a while, and let your special gauge run out (which has never happened to me before, and probably never will). The point is, you are left Extremely vulnerable for several seconds, unable to move and defend yourself! That is why it’s so important to find a good launching spot, or your Ink Strike won’t even happen! But where should I launch? Well, somewhere safe where you won’t get splatted! On most maps, there are side areas which don’t typically gain much attention from players except for alternate routing. These areas are not only good for safe retreats, but also good locations for safely launching Ink Strikes! If you’re really unsure if those areas will be safe enough, find a safe spot to Super Jump back to the Spawn Point. I’ve never had to do this, but if you think it’s the best action to take, then go right ahead.
So, I’ve explained how each part of the Aerospray RG build works, and how to use each weapon by itself, but let’s see how they all work together in action!
Work in Progress!
