Needing some insight in Ranked

[Lucas]

Ey everyone,
So I kinda need some help. I've been playing Ranked and I'm alright I guess. I usually get a lot of kills and decent amount of deaths, but ever since I hit rank B+, I've been doing really terrible. Dying a lot, struggling to get kills, it's just a lot harder to play. So, any insights and strategies? Anything is very appreciated. Thanks!
I use the Tentatek Splattershot, by the way.

 

[NotAPerso]

In lower rank kills are relatively easy to obtain because many players at a lower level often walk straight into fire. As you increase in ranks players become better at dodging and aiming so you will often miss shots that used to be much easier and be hit more often. So one thing to improve on is swim strafing sideways, which is swimming between shots, instead of walking towards or away while shooting.
Another thing to practice is patience. Running and gunning can only get you so far, use stealth to your advantage. If you can wait until an enemy reveals themself then strike you'll beat them before they can react. Constant fire can attract unwanted attention, only fire when you need to claim turf or are closing in for the kill.
Every weapon comes with a kit that compliments the weapon, learn how to use the strengths of your sub and special to your advantage. You can't afford to forget they exist as they can be crucial to your victory.

Hopefully these general tips help. Get good practice in and good luck.

 

[binx]

Yeah, I agree with NotAPerso. I'll add some:

- If you're jumping a lot, as it seems common in B ranks, try not to jump. Jumping makes your shots inaccurate and should be used only in some situations, do not make it an habit.
- Try to avoid dual exchanges, especially against people you could outrange. If you're dying from Aero, Jr or Splash-o-matic, remember you were too near.
- As it was said, stealth is very important. Each time you use your weapon, you're very visible, so you're more exposed than when you're swimming.

And to end this, I would recommend to look at some S+ video with similar weapons, and compare it to your games. Even if the playstyles are not the same for everyone, you should be able to learn, at least in fighting skills.

 

[Lucas]

In lower rank kills are relatively easy to obtain because many players at a lower level often walk straight into fire. As you increase in ranks players become better at dodging and aiming so you will often miss shots that used to be much easier and be hit more often. So one thing to improve on is swim strafing sideways, which is swimming between shots, instead of walking towards or away while shooting.
Another thing to practice is patience. Running and gunning can only get you so far, use stealth to your advantage. If you can wait until an enemy reveals themself then strike you'll beat them before they can react. Constant fire can attract unwanted attention, only fire when you need to claim turf or are closing in for the kill.
Every weapon comes with a kit that compliments the weapon, learn how to use the strengths of your sub and special to your advantage. You can't afford to forget they exist as they can be crucial to your victory.

Hopefully these general tips help. Get good practice in and good luck.

Thanks for these tips! Playing patient is a bit hard for me because I always Iike to go where the action is, but I'm sure I'll learn. I will definitely keep in mind strafing and everything you said. Thanks!

Yeah, I agree with NotAPerso. I'll add some:

- If you're jumping a lot, as it seems common in B ranks, try not to jump. Jumping makes your shots inaccurate and should be used only in some situations, do not make it an habit.
- Try to avoid dual exchanges, especially against people you could outrange. If you're dying from Aero, Jr or Splash-o-matic, remember you were too near.
- As it was said, stealth is very important. Each time you use your weapon, you're very visible, so you're more exposed than when you're swimming.

And to end this, I would recommend to look at some S+ video with similar weapons, and compare it to your games. Even if the playstyles are not the same for everyone, you should be able to learn, at least in fighting skills.

Thank you for these tips! I already don't jump a lot so it's all good. I actually thought jumping gives an advantage cause I find it a bit hard to hit them sometime lol. I will definitely watch some S+ videos. Thanks!

 

[zugdude47]

A good way to practice swim strafing is to go to the test room and practice swimming behind or to the side and quickly splatting. This skill will do a lot of good. If you can avoid approaching from the front, pop up to splat and swim away then you can win a lot of firefights at that rank. Overall avoid walking straight forward or backwards during firefights because it's easy for enemies to exploit.
Good luck man follow the other posters awesome advice and you'll beat this rank quick

 

[KayB]

Know the approximate distance of every weapon's sweetspot range, as in the range where a weapon is most effective against an opponent. Blasters are a really good way of visualizing this: it has a very clear sweetspot range, and that's where the impact/burst occurs. A squelcher's sweetspot range is the approximate distance where you can hit the opponent, but they can't hit you.

Every weapon has a bit of sweetspot range, and it's important to know each one. The reason why is because knowing this range can help you avoid/win exchanges which can go a long way.

 

[Lucas]

A good way to practice swim strafing is to go to the test room and practice swimming behind or to the side and quickly splatting. This skill will do a lot of good. If you can avoid approaching from the front, pop up to splat and swim away then you can win a lot of firefights at that rank. Overall avoid walking straight forward or backwards during firefights because it's easy for enemies to exploit.
Good luck man follow the other posters awesome advice and you'll beat this rank quick

Damn thanks for this tip! I will definitely try this out!

Know the approximate distance of every weapon's sweetspot range, as in the range where a weapon is most effective against an opponent. Blasters are a really good way of visualizing this: it has a very clear sweetspot range, and that's where the impact/burst occurs. A squelcher's sweetspot range is the approximate distance where you can hit the opponent, but they can't hit you.

Every weapon has a bit of sweetspot range, and it's important to know each one. The reason why is because knowing this range can help you avoid/win exchanges which can go a long way.

Thanks for this tip! I'll try to study them for sure!

Also, damn, you guys are awesome with these tips! It has really helped me improve already! Thank you guys so much!

 

[talkingbeatles]

Move move move. I'm always on my toes! I gotta get a rhythm going, get my feet on the ground. You can't really get lazy past B+, I feel.

Also, an intimate knowledge of the stages helps. I'm always looking for new things, even in stages I'm super familiar with.

I dunno. I'm also constantly tweaking my game from match to match depending on my opponents. You can get away with certain things depending on who you're playing against, and with for that matter. Hahah, a good team always helps...

And y'know, to quote Isai, just "don't get hit."

 

[HypernovaSoul]

To offer more specific advice I'd need to know a bit more about your play style/ways in which you die most frequently, but I can offer some general tips. For one, as you rank up, as everyone else has said, you'll notice a large spike in defensive / evasion tactics. You'll need to take notice of when it's best to stay back and apply pressure as opposed to when it's best to close in and engage / advance.

Tentateks are very well-rounded, versatile weapons quite common in Ranked; they can kill very quickly and are great at applying pressure. Their primary real weakness is that they are outranged by several weapons, and you'll need to take note of which weapons those are. In these instances where you're outranged, stick to working your subs, covering turf to power up your Inkzooka and observing for teammate support to advance. Tentateks tend to work aggressive, frontline assaults in lower ranks, but in upper tier that can be punished hard if you're outranged or if your team hasn't applied enough pressure to advance safely.

In short, I'd say there are two critical things to keep in mind once you reach upper tier: 1. Assess your risks wisely. Don't be too bold, but don't be timid either. 2. Advancing the objective is always your top priority. Don't obsess over kills or deaths. Chasing down single kills can be a waste of time. Know your modes, know your stages, know your objective. Never expect your teammates to do anything for you, but always do your best to support them.

 

[Lucas]

Move move move. I'm always on my toes! I gotta get a rhythm going, get my feet on the ground. You can't really get lazy past B+, I feel.

Also, an intimate knowledge of the stages helps. I'm always looking for new things, even in stages I'm super familiar with.

I dunno. I'm also constantly tweaking my game from match to match depending on my opponents. You can get away with certain things depending on who you're playing against, and with for that matter. Hahah, a good team always helps...

And y'know, to quote Isai, just "don't get hit."

Thanks for the advice! And yeah, a good team is always crucial. Splatoon is a team based game after all.

To offer more specific advice I'd need to know a bit more about your play style/ways in which you die most frequently, but I can offer some general tips. For one, as you rank up, as everyone else has said, you'll notice a large spike in defensive / evasion tactics. You'll need to take notice of when it's best to stay back and apply pressure as opposed to when it's best to close in and engage / advance.

Tentateks are very well-rounded, versatile weapons quite common in Ranked; they can kill very quickly and are great at applying pressure. Their primary real weakness is that they are outranged by several weapons, and you'll need to take note of which weapons those are. In these instances where you're outranged, stick to working your subs, covering turf to power up your Inkzooka and observing for teammate support to advance. Tentateks tend to work aggressive, frontline assaults in lower ranks, but in upper tier that can be punished hard if you're outranged or if your team hasn't applied enough pressure to advance safely.

In short, I'd say there are two critical things to keep in mind once you reach upper tier: 1. Assess your risks wisely. Don't be too bold, but don't be timid either. 2. Advancing the objective is always your top priority. Don't obsess over kills or deaths. Chasing down single kills can be a waste of time. Know your modes, know your stages, know your objective. Never expect your teammates to do anything for you, but always do your best to support them.

Thank you for the advice! Thing is, I like playing agro. I like to usually go where the action is happening and I try to get kills - I pretty much try helping my team as much as I can. I also usually tend to go for good score, which I shouldn't strive for but anyway. I feel like having a good score helps me think if I helped my team at all during the match and of course played well. I used to always die playing really stupidly; not being aware of my surroundings and going all in. Also, just overall making it easy for my opponents to get kills, but I've learned from these mistakes.

 

[AC_Decoy]

Great tips everyone. Thanks. I find myself stuck in the A- / B+ category too. I can't wait to apply these tips to my gameplay later. :D

 

[Nero86]

If you need some help on ranges, take a look on this chart. It helps you to know which weapon has less range than yours.

http://fmyknote.com/game/342

 

[Flamelord054]

First, play as much as possible, second Play with high level players, if you want to play with me pm me. I am a Heroshot main so I can help with your weapons and I am rank S+.

 

[birdiebee]

One thing I'll add thats not necessarily a strategy, but just some inspiration?

You might wonder for a long time "am I actually getting better, or do I keep getting lucky??" I wondered all the way up till I reached S for the first time if I really earned it or if I was carried. And in the months following that first breakthrough, I fell out of S, and continue to climb back up, and each time I get back there I'm better than I was before, and I can feel it.

You will reach a point, after you think you've plateaud, where playing just feels different. I experienced this yesterday on Blackbelly Tower Control. I was on a whole new level of map awareness and stealthiness. I was unflankable, and I knew what was happening in my surroundings every time. This is a breakthrough that comes purely from experience. Whether you win a lot or lose a lot, you'll still be learning from your own first hand immersion in the game. After playing Blackbelly for almost a full year, I'm finally at a point where I feel a sense of mastery over it.

I never watch gameplay videos or study anyone else (I'm not saying this as a good thing-- in fact, I probably ought to), so everything I've learned has been through my own scope of experience. Some days I think I'll never be S+ material, but days like yesterday with Blackbelly and Mahi Mahi TC reminded me that I am inching toward mastery little by little. Maybe not as quickly or effortlessly as others have, but I'm inking my own path. NEVER GIVE UP! STAYFRESH

 

[Lucas]

If you need some help on ranges, take a look on this chart. It helps you to know which weapon has less range than yours.

http://fmyknote.com/game/342

Oh hey thank you for this link! I'm kinda having a hard time understanding it though. What does the blue squid mean? And when he says that the range is only for paint range what does that mean?

 

[Lucas]

First, play as much as possible, second Play with high level players, if you want to play with me pm me. I am a Heroshot main so I can help with your weapons and I am rank S+.

I'm totally down to play with you! I've actually been starting to use the Splattershot (not tentatek) so this will be fun!

One thing I'll add thats not necessarily a strategy, but just some inspiration?

You might wonder for a long time "am I actually getting better, or do I keep getting lucky??" I wondered all the way up till I reached S for the first time if I really earned it or if I was carried. And in the months following that first breakthrough, I fell out of S, and continue to climb back up, and each time I get back there I'm better than I was before, and I can feel it.

You will reach a point, after you think you've plateaud, where playing just feels different. I experienced this yesterday on Blackbelly Tower Control. I was on a whole new level of map awareness and stealthiness. I was unflankable, and I knew what was happening in my surroundings every time. This is a breakthrough that comes purely from experience. Whether you win a lot or lose a lot, you'll still be learning from your own first hand immersion in the game. After playing Blackbelly for almost a full year, I'm finally at a point where I feel a sense of mastery over it.

I never watch gameplay videos or study anyone else (I'm not saying this as a good thing-- in fact, I probably ought to), so everything I've learned has been through my own scope of experience. Some days I think I'll never be S+ material, but days like yesterday with Blackbelly and Mahi Mahi TC reminded me that I am inching toward mastery little by little. Maybe not as quickly or effortlessly as others have, but I'm inking my own path. NEVER GIVE UP! STAYFRESH

Thing is, I really feel as if I'm not really getting better.i mean, yes, I have gotten better after this thread, but recently I've been stuck in A-. I get to A- 60 around and then I go on a huge losing streak and I lose my rank. For some reason, I have no trouble getting it back, but it just gets me kinda discouraged. I know that it's my fault and not my teammates. I'm just hoping I'll get better and overcome the losing streak I keep getting.

 

[Nero86]

Oh hey thank you for this link! I'm kinda having a hard time understanding it though. What does the blue squid mean? And when he says that the range is only for paint range what does that mean?

Lucas, blue squid's the most far active range.
Paint range (I think) is when you shoot far by the paint blobs are not "damage for kill", they just drop on that place. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Sombrinha]

I agree with almost everything that they said. But I want to say that trainning your aim is important too. I've done a lot better in ranked after using the room to test weapon to improve my shots. Try to simulate real situations that you have to shot your enemys and do that for a lot of time. You'll see that your reaction time will improve a lot.
And I try to study competitive plays of people like Dude, flc, Rocket and even fowskate (he's not competitive, but his Road to S Rank serie is really good). This will help you to understand how to read a situation and know what you have to do. These videos are easy to be found on YouTube or Twitch.
And yeah, the ranked battles begin to be a lot harder in the B+, you start to play with de As and they are not that good to be sincere (there are really good players too, not the majority, though), but a lot better than the people of B. If you have a good reaction time to take them before they get you or can run, you should be fine.

 

[Lucas]

I agree with almost everything that they said. But I want to say that trainning your aim is important too. I've done a lot better in ranked after using the room to test weapon to improve my shots. Try to simulate real situations that you have to shot your enemys and do that for a lot of time. You'll see that your reaction time will improve a lot.
And I try to study competitive plays of people like Dude, flc, Rocket and even fowskate (he's not competitive, but his Road to S Rank serie is really good). This will help you to understand how to read a situation and know what you have to do. These videos are easy to be found on YouTube or Twitch.
And yeah, the ranked battles begin to be a lot harder in the B+, you start to play with de As and they are not that good to be sincere (there are really good players too, not the majority, though), but a lot better than the people of B. If you have a good reaction time to take them before they get you or can run, you should be fine.

Aright I'll definitely try this out thanks for the reply!

 

[ChipsAhoy]

Thank you guys for all these helpful tips! I will try to show these to my team. Btw, I am looking for squids so... If you want to join, PM me! :)