[Revised June 14, 2016]
First of all, I would like to say that this website is trash because neither Helvetica nor Comic Sans are font options for writing. What the heck is wrong with you Squidboards?
Section 1: Guide overview
[Intro]
This is the first part to my series of inkbrush guides where I will share everything I have learned about these weapons. In this part, I will cover general game-play strategy for all of the inkbrushes. This guide will cover the following: Basic brush mechanics and uses, an overview of the weapon sets, a general combat overview, a general game-play overview, and gear recommendations for all sets. There are a few things to note before you begin reading. First of all, this is an inkbrush guide, not an octobrush guide. While the weapons have many similarities, their play styles are very different, so don't try to take things from this guide and apply them to the octobrush. Secondly, the majority of this guide will be a copy paste of an inkbrush guide I posted on the Splatoon amino app, so there might be a lot of edits as I go back and make sure everything is worded right. Thirdly, this is not the entire guide. I hope you could tell by the "part 1" that not everything is here, notably an in depth look at the inkbrush in different gamemodes and maps is not present in this guide. That will probably be part two. I just wanted to get something out now instead of having to wait to get a ton more info down in words. Lastly, this is the first guide I've put up on this site, so I'm going to be messing with the features and this might make the guide look a bit weird. Formatting wise, this part will be broken up into sections, and then it will be split up even further through sub-headings.
[Why do I bother writing this?]
There's a lot of info online about the inkbrushes already. Why do I make one of my own? Four reasons. One: I have yet to find one single guide to the inkbrush that I think is adequate at all. Sure, most people give a pretty good overview to the weapon and a few tips and tricks, but never anything too in-depth. Two: The poor inkbrush nouveau has not gotten a lot of love; it has gotten even less than the inkbrush. I have a lot of knowledge about this weapon since I use it a ton in ranked. I have over 500,000 p of turf inked with it and it got me into S+. I will share a ton of info about this weapon. Three: When it comes to the inkbrush in ranked modes, most people just say that it's bad and not to use it, and those who do give some info about the inkbrush in ranked are very brief. Most people also give brief info about maps. These will be covered in greater detail in my guide. And lastly, I like the inkbrushes. They're my favorite weapons, so I'm going to talk about them.
Section 2: Mopping
[Incorrect and fun uses of mopping]
Like all rollers, hold zr and the inkbrush will go into rolling (mopping) mode. Mopping allows the user of the brush to go roughly the speed of sound. There are a lot of things I need to share about this mode. First of all, this is not how you ink the ground with this weapon. The trail is too narrow to ink effectively and it provides little map control. However, seeing how many points you can get in turf war my mopping only is a very fun game to play if you get bored. I think the most you can really get by doing this without private battle shenanigans is a little over 600 points. To get this, you always have to roll on new turf and NOT DIE AT ALL (dying is very easy to do when playing this game). Similar to inking turf, splatting foes is also not a thing mopping is good for. Without damage/defense abilities, the inkbrush does 20 damage and knocks the brush user away on contact with an enemy, making for a very long 5 hit splat. Occasionally, the inkbrush will hit twice in quick succession before being knocked back, and it can even get a triple hit on rare occasions. A mopping kill is probably the longest TTK in the game without REALLY trying to do something dumb. That being said, splatting someone by purely rolling into them is the ultimate form of disrespect in Splatoon, and is deserving of some sort of taunt (squidbagging, spinning, nodding). It is another fun past time if you get bored (I've getting 18 mopping kills, one of which was in an s rank game). Just imagine how good the inkbrush would be if mopping was a one hit splat. So if mopping isn't good more inking or splatting, then what is it good for? Movement (duh).
[Point A to Point B]
One main use of mopping is to travel to an area quickly through neutral or enemy turf. You will move faster than your teammates in these turf conditions, and they may occasionally use your path for quick transportation. However, mopping should not be your main form of movement. It provides no map control, leaves you open to attack, and kills you ink supply when combined with flicking and sub weapons. Swimming through ink might be barely slower than mopping, but it is much more ink efficient. Overall, make sure you're holding down the zl button more than the zr button.
[Escaping the enemy]
The inkbrush's ability to move quickly through enemy turf by mopping allows it to escape many dangerous situations, and it is faster than almost all other forms of escape. However, mindlessly running from your enemy probably won't get you very far. Here are some things that should be on your mind when on the run.
- Head to safety: This might be a bit obvious, because that IS in fact what you're doing, right? Well when I say safety, I'm talking about turf you control or teammates. Just running in a direction away from your enemy may lead you deeper into enemy turf, into another enemy, or into firefights if you aren't careful. When on the run, try to avoid left turns, because they slow down mopping speed. This is because the brush is held on the right side, so when you make left turns the trail doesn't go far enough left and you start running into enemy ink. Even if trying to make it to your turf is an awkward task, it's a much better decision than running toward the enemy spawn.
- Ink Tank: You have a limited supply of ink. I don't remember the exact time, but I think the inkbrush has roughly 13 seconds of mopping at a full tank without abilities. And chances are, you've been covering turf, attacking someone, or even just used a sub weapon. Trying to make it back to your spawn might not be possible if you don't have the ink for it. Plan your escape with your ink level in mind.
- Be prepared to jump: Sometimes you're just in a very bad location with no safe way out, or you're too low on ink to make it to safety. In either case, find the safest place possible and jump away. It's safer than a fight and better than being splatted.
- You aren't that fast: Seriously, it doesn't take that much swim speed abilities for an enemy to match your speed or move faster than you; maybe a main ability or so. Also, most weapons do have a thing called "range", which means you have to be even further away from the enemy to be safe. When on the run, breaking line of sight gives you more time to escape. Also keep in mind whether or not your opponent might be running swim speed up. Know who you're running from and act accordingly.
- Disruptors: If you get disrupted, immediately jump; it's you're only chance.
[A big reason why people don't like the inkbrush]
Better look up some index finger exercises. You're gonna be flicking a lot more than rolling, and that means tapping the zr button for every single swipe. To be effective, you need to be able to swipe fast. The game allows for insane swiping speeds, but don't worry if you don't always swipe at max speed. For some reason, people like to base the inkbrush's efficiency off of how long it can flick at max speed. Here's a better example: each swipe of the inkbrush without abilities uses 2% of the ink tank, allowing for 50 swipes at a full tank. Just remember how many swipes you have with your gear at a full tank. Let's talk uses.
[Inking turf]
The standard inkbrush (sprinkler and inkstrike) has more turf coverage capability than any other weapon in the game. The main weapon alone can cover turf quicker than an aerospray, and does a more complete job (less holes). The flicks have a very short range (the shortest range in the game in fact, with one exception, more on that later), which means you'll be moving a lot when covering turf. This is fine because more moving = more swimming = more ink recovery = more inking. It all works out in the end. Jumping and flicking will slightly increase the range of the flicks and the area the flicks cover, but will make the coverage less complete (more holes). It also hinders the ability to really spam that zr button. In the end, however you ink is up to personal preference.
[Movement]
Flicking covers turf quickly, provides map control, charges specials, and allows players to swim through ink instead of rolling in the open. Overall, a much better option for moving around. While exactly how you move with this is up to you, I'll share the two methods that I use. If I'm trying to move quickly but also want to get map control and conserve ink, I'll do three swipes in a high to low motion and then swim through them. The end result creates a big glob. I swim up through the middle of the glob and repeat the process.This method allows for quick movement, and recovers more ink in each glob than what was used to make them, allowing the ink tank to refill when on the move. My other method is when I'm trying to get great map coverage for turf war or for a special. Five quick swipes in a high to low motion covers the ground extremely well, and allows for ink tank recharge when swam through. One important thing to note about flicking is since the 2.8.0 update, the back-swing (every second swipe, the one that goes left to right) of the brush will always place ink directly under your feet. This means it is not necessary to flick directly down if you want to swim, and it also allows the player to more easily escape enemy ink if they want to swim away. Feel free to experiment with flicking to see what works best for your movement.
[Splatting]
Flicking is your main method of splatting opponents. The inkbrush has a short range, so you have to be close to your opponent to hit. It is usually a four hit kill. A LOT more on this later and in other parts.
Section 4: Weapon Sets
I'm just going to cover what each sub and special can do alone. More talk about their synergy with the inkbrush will be in later parts
[Inkbrush]
The standard inkbrush comes with the sprinkler sub weapon and the inkstrike special weapon. This provides the standard inkbrush with great turf coverage capability.
- Sprinkler: The sprinkler is a very effective ranged inking tool. It covers about the same area as an inkstrike very quickly, allowing for great map coverage and special charge. If turf isn't what you're going for, throwing your sprinkler in a hard to reach place can distract your opponents, making them prone to ambushes. Doing this also provides great offensive or defensive pressure. If you and your teammates are being walled out by the enemy, throwing sprinklers to charge special and regain turf control can be a good option as you wait for an opportunity to push back. Sprinklers also have minor kill potential against unobservant opponents. The majority of the time your sprinkler will kill because it happens to last hit an opponent. Don't rely on your sprinkler for kills, but they can certainly get some pretty often.
- Inkstrike: The inkbrush/sprinkler combo allows for a quick charge of this special. If you're going for turf, this special covers a decent area quickly. They can also be used to pressure opponents with long range weapons, forcing them to move from their perch. Inkstrikes can provide offensive or defensive cover when either team begins to push forward. You'll be getting this special often, so don't worry about wasting it. The inkstrike makes for a great supportive special.
The less popular inkbrush nouveau trades the inking power of the sprinkler and inkstrike for the more defensive and supportive set of the inkmine sub weapon and the bubbler special weapon.
- Inkmines: Most people view this sub weapon as something that's supposed to have kill potential and make KDs look better, and give the sub a bad rep when they realize how poor of a job it does at splatting. The inkmine is a tool more than anything, and really identifies more with subs like the point sensor and splash wall rather than the bomb sub weapons. Inkmines make excellent distractions. An ambush right as an enemy activates the inkmine can be a devastating combo, and can easily splat if they don't react fast enough. Inkmines do an excellent job at defending choke points, perches, and high traffic areas. If you really want the mine to splat, attacking in a way that pushes an enemy toward the mine is the way to go. Closed areas improve the effectiveness of the inkmine greatly. Inkmines do a great job at defending objectives, and keeping opponents distracted and at bay.
- Bubbler: A great instant invuln, assuming there's no lag (I've died twice in a bubble). Most people think that this is a poor special for the inkbrush because they believe it hinders its ability to splat. Low range + bubble knockback = no splats. When used in combat, don't pop the bubble before an attack. Pop the bubble when you think you're about to get splatted. If the enemy reacts to an ambush by attacking, or something with range is after you, use your bubble. Combined with mopping, it is very easy to share the bubble with the entire team, creating strong pushes and saving teammates who are in trouble. Used wisely, the bubbler provides the inkbrush with great offensive, defensive, and supportive capabilities.
If only the ink tank with this weapon was permanent... (Laugh Here).
The permanent inkbrush boasts a high powered aggressive set that provides the inkbrush with great splat potential and combat options in exchange for the supportive powers of the nouveau and the inking power of the standard inkbrush.
- Splat Bombs: I was really hoping this set would get burst bombs, but splat bombs fit this weapon just fine. The time it takes for them to explode is about ( time in the air + 1 sec). They provide range to the inkbrush, which it desperately needed. Splat bombs are a very aggressive sub weapon with lots of versatility. They can thrown at the ground to quickly explode, which can be hard for opponents to react to. They can be used as a sudo-wall to force enemies back for a little bit. They can be used to defend objectives if thrown toward the enemy side if them. You can throw them over and around obstacles to pressure enemies who may be lurking behind them. You can even throw them to catch landings, whether it's a super jump or someone is trying to jumpshot you. The key to using splat bombs effectively is to predict where the opponent is going to go. This is the sub weapon that probably has the highest kill potential in the game, and it provides the inkbrush with many splats.
- Kraken: This special feels very similar to the bubbler that the nouveau had. It's an invuln that the inkbrush has no problem charging, especially with special charge up abilities. It provides great offensive power and survivability. Combined with swim speed up abilities, this special can be a monster (metaphorically. It already is a monster literally). This weapon takes a little longer to charge than the bubble and doesn't provide the team support it had, but overall it is still a fantastic special that provides the inkbrush with great offensive capability.
Here's how I'm going to write my gamemode guides. If you are playing turf war and are either going a win or max points, the standard inkbrush and the permabrush are the weapons to use. Because of this, each turf war section will talk about the standard inkbrush and permabrush, but not the nouveau. For each of the ranked gamemodes, I will write the guide for the inkbrush nouveau and perma, but not the standard. For all three of these ranked gamemodes, if you are trying to win, you should use the permabrush. However, I will write about the nouveau in these parts as well because it was the one that you should've been using before the perma, and it needs some love . I'm not saying you can't use the regular inkbrush, I'm just saying the nouveau will always do a better job. In all ranked gamemodes. Even splat zones. I suppose I should elaborate why the nouveau always does a better job than the standard inkbrush (the perma needs no explaining).
- Splat Zones: This is the gamemode people will argue with me the most about. While sprinklers can provide some good pressure on the zone, good players will quickly destroy them. Inkstrikes do a good job at holding and breaking point, but if the zone is really being contested than the inkstrike will rarely cap. The inkbrush itself is good enough at capping the zone. If you can't cap with the inkbrush alone, then it's probably not a good time to cap. Also, ranked gamemodes are heavily focused on fighting other players as all players will be centralized at one location. You will have to fight other players. The standard inkbrush has almost no combat options and is forced to run, while the nouveau has tools to fight back. The nouveau just has much better offensive, defensive, and supportive options when it comes to ranked. Inkmines are meh in this gamemode, but there are some maps where it is far superior to the sprinkler.
- Tower control: Inkmines + invuln = good tower control set.
- Rainmaker: Probably the one where the standard inkbrush is most viable in. But again, nouveau is better in combat and can use its bubble to pressure the objective very well. It can allow it to splat players holding the rainmaker, or it can defend the brush as it mops a path for a quick push. Mines can be used as traps, but the sprinkler is the better sub here because of the pressure it provides and its ability to pop the rainmaker shield quickly.
Section 5: The inkbrush and combat
[The inkbrush is a bad weapon]
When most inkbrush mains see this sentence, they like to add an imaginary "at turf war" to the end of it and then get mad. Probably because most brush mains don't play the inkbrush outside of turf war. Most people who say this are talking about the inkbrush's viability in ranked and its ability to kill. And they're right. The inkbrush IS bad at ranked and it IS bad at splatting. But when we say bad, we aren't saying it's impossible. It's "bad" because it takes so much more effort to do these things compared to other weapons because the inkbrushes lack the tools to do these things easily (except the perma). An inkbrush user playing 4 times as hard as a tentatek player might end up with the same KD as that tentatek; it's just the way the weapons work. If you do a 1v1 with each weapon vs the inkbrush where each player has the same gear and have equal skill, the inkbrush will lose every time.
[Why is the inkbrush so bad in combat?]
The inkbrush is bad at ranked because it's bad in combat. Why is it so bad in combat?
- Short Range: Like I said earlier, the inkbrush has the shortest range of any main weapon. Every weapon can hit the inkbrush before the inkbrush can hit them. Being so close to enemies to attack puts the inkbrush at risk of being killed by bubbler or kraken users. The inkbrush also has no way to counter being disrupted, as it has no range to fight with. The only range the standard inkbrush has to fight with is the inkstrike, and its kill potential isn't great. The perma has the splat bombs, which helps counter this weakness quite a bit. HOWEVER, there is a very specific circumstance where the inkbrush will outrange the sploosh. The inkbrush will cover the area in front of you in an arc. By looking left or right, the corner of the arc will extend out further than the center of the arc did. This glob at the corner comes out maybe every 1/10 swings. I was able to hit a dummy 2 lines away with this glob. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hit the dummy from two lines with the sploosh. So, if you encounter a sploosh who just sits there and shoots at you and you're the perfect distance away and have the time to go for a kill that takes so long that you have to refill your tank mid attack, fear not; you will win that fight.
- Poor and inconsistent damage output: Did you know that it's possible to get a two hit splat with the inkbrush? With enough damage up, two slow hits will occasional do it. It's nearly impossible to replicate damage outputs with this brush if you're flicking too fast. I don't know if it's the timing of the swipes or the in-game RNG that makes the damage output of the inkbrush so inconsistent. I feel like it's a mixture of both. Slow swings when standing right next to the opponent is the only way to get high and consistent damage. The base flick damage is a poor 27, and seems to decrease with an increase in flicking speed. I think something weird happens where a new swing will cancel out any blobs of ink that haven't appeared from the old swing, and thus lowering the damage of the previous swing. Two quick swings can do anywhere from 30 to 60 damage. This problem is easily solved by running damage up. You could flick really really fast, but that can be difficult and won't allow you to have full control of your character because you will be too busy spamming. Just don't expect consistent TTKs with this weapon.
- Inability to deal with lag: Splatoon is an online game, so of course there is going to be lag. However, the inkbrush needs to be handled so carefully when splatting that any sort of lag makes the inkbrush useless. The majority of these problems stem from the inkbrush not having a good range option (except the perma). The worst lag is probably a laggy bubble or kraken. The inkbrush needs to be so close to kill that there is no time to react to it. The only defense the inkbrush has against lag are the bubbler and kraken specials, but it's sad to waste specials on something so dumb.
- Can't trap opponents: A lot of weapons have the ability to trap opponents. Rapid fire weapons and rollers miss shots which end up behind the enemy, and blasters cover a wide area no matter what. Shooters have drops of ink that land on the ground as the shot moves through the air, and these drops often land at their target's feet making them unable to move. The inkbrush sends out three globs per flick, and they won't hit the ground unless they miss the opponent. So to trap opponents, you have to be missing, which is bad. If you're hitting the opponent, you aren't trapping them, so they can just swim away. That's one of the biggest problems of killing with the brush; enemies can so easily swim out of an attack. Many weapons have easy access to this trapping trick, but the inkbrush does not.
- One good thing: There is one thing combat wise that the inkbrush does better than all other weapons in the game: mindlessly splatting people from high places. The inkbrush sends a wave of ink globs onto the opponent. There's no need to aim, and this attack will generally trap opponents. Doing this will leave you open to long range attacks, so be observant while doing this.
More specific details about combat in maps and against certain weapons will be covered in the later parts of the guide. To splat with the inkbrush, you have to play smart and stealthily. The only way to have a real chance of getting a kill on an enemy is through an ambush. The moment enemies know where you are, attacking is nearly impossible. This makes echolocator and point sensors huge counters to brushes. An ambush from above makes you more visible, but you get a better view of the map and enemy locations. It can also allow you to ink areas to keep your opponent from running. Always have a way out of a fight. Attacking with no way to retreat will easily get you splatted. Also be observant of where the other enemies are. Other enemy players might stop your ambush, or at least get revenge. Try to fight in enclosed spaces. This will give them less of a chance to run and keep them in your range. One thing to note about the inkbrush is that it has a sweetspot when flicking. Hitting with the sweetspot will increase the base damage of swipes, and will make kills faster. If you are at a distance where it looks like the inked bristles of your brush are actually hitting the opponent, you are hitting with the sweetspot. Never attack an opponent who is outside your sweetspot range because they will take little damage and easily escape your attack. Also, approaching with the brush is extremely difficult. Try to camp in spots your enemies will want to go to or pass through, such as sniping perches or near their spawn. If you do have to approach, never do so from the front. Always attack from the side or behind an opponent. Don't chase opponents who run. Instead, you should back off too. Always try to maintain height advantage to make kills easier for you and harder for your opponent. Playing footsies with opponents around and over obstacles will keep you alive and help you get the drop on your opponent. Also be wary of weapons with area attacks like blasters and rollers. They cover a wide area of turf making them difficult to approach, they can trap you, they have no trouble landing hits, and they can easily one shot you once you are in range to attack. Range chargers are also annoying, so just try to stay out of their sight. If you are in danger of being splatted, back off. It's better to stay alive. Just remember to use the three S's: play smart, play stealthily, and play safe.
Here are some specifics about permabrush combat:
This set has great combat potential. Splat bombs are the best tool the inkbrush has ever gotten. One of the best ways to use splat bombs with the inkbrush is as a spacing tool. Throwing the splat bomb can help keep enemies at an ideal distance from you. One of the best ways to do this is to throw the bomb behind your opponent, keeping them between you and the bomb. If the opponent retreats to avoid the bomb, you're probably out of their range. If they approach you to avoid the bomb, then you can get an easy splat with the brush. The hard part about this tactic is spacing yourself from the bomb so that there isn't an area where the opponent won't get killed by the bomb and avoid your swings. Also, throwing behind the opponent isn't always the best option. The goal is to keep your opponent out of their ideal range to hit you. For more close range weapons, throw the bomb at a distance where is the enemy wants to hit you, they have to either be in your range as well or die from the bomb. Throwing a bomb while on the run can help you escape. Throwing one while moving around/over objects can also splat an enemy who can't react quick enough. The kraken is super similar to the bubbler except it can kill better. Still use it if you're going to die, but it now has more aggressive options as well and can easily push enemies back and snag a couple splats. One thing to note is that you can super jump on a grate, even with the kraken. Jumping after someone on a grate and then activating your SJ while in mid air can get a splat against opponents who think they're safe on the grate. Doing this will lose your control of the area though, so be smart about it.
[Worst weapon match-ups]
My gamemode guides will contain info on how to deal with these weapons in each mode. You have to watch out for every weapon, but these are certainly the most anti-inkbrush.
- Custom splattershot jr.: You won't encounter this weapon too often, but it comes equipped with disruptors and echolocator (the inkbrush's worst nightmares). It also has descent close range combat abilities. They are able to trap opponents and move quickly, making them hard to hit.
- Carbon roller: The best TTK in the game if you are in range, and when you're using the inkbrush you have to be in range. Burst bombs and inkzooka can cover it from a distance, making it nearly impossible to approach.
- Dynamo roller: No need to say anything about the main weapon. Sprinklers are annoying for inkbrushes to deal with (6 flicks and it's still not destroyed) and the echo spam this weapon can provide is awful for brushes.
- Tri slosher: Good close range combat with the disrupter and bubbler, making it a close range monster.
- Zinc mini splattling: It has the same sub and special as tri slosher, but with more range and a faster TTK.
- Custom Jet Squelcher (CJS): It has insane range, burst bombs for mid range protection, and a kraken if you get too close.
- .96 gal deco: No need to say anything here.
- E liter 3k/scope: Most range in the game + tracking and close range defense = inkbrush nightmare.
- Blaster: Distruptor + blaster shot = the inkbrush can't do much.
Section 6: General play style info
[This is not all]
More specific playstyle info will be provided in the other parts. This should be enough to get anyone started.
[Turf War]
Turf war is a very chaotic game. There is no one way to play the inkbrush in turf war. You can be as mobile, as aggressive, or as campy as you like. There are so many different ways you can help your team. You don't have to play support if you don't want to. The key is to play smart and safe. Being stealthy is usually helpful but not required. The two main things people try to do in turf war is either win or get as many points as possible. If you're going for points, then you need to be mobile. Avoid combat and always be at unclaimed turf. Throw sprinklers to cover two areas at once, or just to reach unsafe places. You'll want to be throwing them a lot if you are going for points. Inkstrikes can be placed far away for quick points. It instantly refills your tank, making them useful when you're low on ink or just after you throw a sprinkler. With enough practice, getting between 1000 and 1400 points without a win bonus should be no problem, and you'll see more points than this frequently. If you are going for a win, then your options are greatly expanded. While inking as much turf as possible is certainly helpful, it's not a great strategy for winning as most of that turf you ink is now undefended. This allows enemies to re-cover it and build up their special which can help them make a strong push. One of my favorite strategies is to play campy, using sprinklers and inkstrikes for turf coverage and pressure as I ambush unsuspecting foes. You can play a support roll if you like, or actively hunt down and assassinate the enemy. One fun strategy to pull when you and your teammates are being walled out is to use mopping to travel to the enemy side. This will distract enemies and make it easier for your team to push back out. Teammates might also jump to you and flank enemies or cover more turf. You can also get a ton of points this way as well. Whatever you do, play smart and safe and you should have no problem. If you're playing to just have fun, then don't worry about anything and just have a good time.
Permabrush specifics for turf war: The permabrush will easily snag you plenty of splats in turf war but not as many points. There are plenty of playstyles available that will work, but the permabrush certainly favors a more mobile and aggressive playstyle. Quickly building up your special can help create huge pushes and splat enemies left and right. Splat bombs can help net splats as well, just use them when you need to splat people or defend. A campy playstyle is not recommended because this weapon has a lot more potential when on the move.
[Ranked]
Ranked play requires a lot better decision making that turf war. You have to play even smarter than before, and being stealthy is now required. Your three main goals that will help your teammates win are to get map coverage, assassinate enemy players, and focus the objective. Map coverage is important to give your teammates some turf to work with. It also gets you're bubbler charged which is extremely important to the inkbrush. Back off against any enemy that challenges you. When I say focus the objective, that should not be the only thing on your mind. You have to look for good opportunities to get the objective. In splat zones, use your brush and mines to stop the enemy from capping the zone. When a couple enemies are down, use the inkbrush's great turf coverage to quickly cap the zone. In tower control, quickly hopping on the tower to set a mine toward the enemy side creates great tower defense, but don't try to push the tower until a couple enemies are down. Always have a mine on the tower toward the enemy. You're bubble can give you a few extra points and allow you to deal with enemies attacking the tower. In rainmaker, you should be the one carrying the rainmaker as your weapon is the least suited for combat. If you aren't carrying the rainmaker, ambush enemies to keep the rainmaker protected. Also make sure to splat any enemy who gets the rainmaker. You can create a quick path by mopping for a push. Just remember to not push until a couple enemies are down. Your bubble can stop an enemy push, and stop enemies from splatting your carrier. Never forget to use your bubble to protect not only yourself, but teammates who are in trouble. Assassinating enemies is a helpful thing to do, but it's also the most difficult job the brush has. Spawn-camping will give you the best results. This is especially true on maps with obstacles right outside of spawn, because you can use these to hide, protect yourself, and make splats easier.. You can kill enemies as they respawn, distract enemies once they know you're there, and provide a superjump location for your teammates. Other than that, follow the combat section of this guide and know the map well.
Permabrush specifics for ranked:
Again, use the three s's. Build up your special all the time, and focus on turf control, assassinating opponents, and pushing the objective. The only difference between the permabrush and the nouveau is that splat bombs help the brush in combat and will provide more splats. The kraken is a great offensive tool, but it shouldn't be wasted just for some splats. Use it to get rid of enemies as well as pushing the objective. It can't do a whole for the objective in splat zones. In tower control you can use it to ride the tower, splatting enemy inklings who try to stall the tower by hopping on. You can also ride on the side of the tower and act as a wall to block shots for other teammates riding the tower. In rainmaker, your kraken trail is a great path for the rainmaker carrier. Use the kraken to clear enemies away from the path your carrier is taking. You can also block shots for the carrier as they swim up the pedestal by sitting on the side of it and swimming to the top with him. The only other new thing I really have to say about them is that throwing them toward the enemy side of the tower makes great tower defense and throwing them to pop the rainmaker shield is very ineffective. Other than that, use splat bombs to splat people. They're called splat bombs because they're for splatting.
Section 7: Gear abilities
[A very versatile weapon]
There are a lot of different people playing the inkbrush a lot of different ways. Many of the abilities in Splatoon are perfectly viable for the inkbrush (especial in turf war). I'll go over abilities for turf war and ranked mode separately.
[Turf war: standard inkbrush]
- Ink recovery up, Ink saver main, Ink saver sub: In turf war, I strongly recommend you use at least one ink management ability. Whichever one you use is completely up to you. If you are sprinkler heavy, use ink saver sub. If you are mopping heavy, ink saver main is for you. If you are a more balanced brush, use ink recovery up. I personally use ink recovery up as it is very balanced and allows for a variety of play styles.
- Damage up and defense up: Again, I strongly recommend you use at least one of these abilities. Defense up if you are more passive, damage up if you are more aggressive.
- Quick respawn: This is good for new inkbrush users because you'll get splatted a lot when first starting. You should eventually grow out of this ability.
- Quick super jump: If you are mobile and often find yourself in bad situations, this is a great ability to help get you out.
- Swim speed up: More movement for mobile brush users.
- Ink resistance: You probably want this on your set, especially if you are mobile. It helps maintain mopping speed when making left turns and helps you escape dangerous situations.
- Bomb sniffer: If you play campy (like me), many people will try to kill you with bombs. Not only does this warn you of incoming bombs, but it also gives you a defense boost against those bombs.
- Special charge up: Helps you get inkstrikes at a quick speed.
- Special saver: Also helpful for newer inkbrush users, and should eventually be grown out of.
- Last ditch effort: Turf wars are decided by the last 30 seconds of the match. This gives you great ink management and quick respawn to help you in these precious seconds.
- Ninja squid and cold blooded: They are helpful, but not necessary. Cold blooded makes sure you won't be tracked, allowing you to never lose your stealth. Ninja squid makes you more stealthy in the ink which helps when you need to approach the enemy, but it lowers your swimming speed. Whichever one you choose is up to you, if you choose either of them.
- Comeback: Helpful for new inkbrush users. Should be grown out of.
- Special charge up: You should definitely have this on your set. Your bubble will be the reason why you get 50% of your kills. Your bubble is your lifeblood and you should have it as often as possible.
- Damage up: You should also be running this on your set. It helps counter the weird damage output of the inkbrush, and many people in ranked run defense up so you need damage to counter. Your bubble is the only defense you need.
- Ink resistance: This becomes a lot more important to escape enemy conflict. I highly recommend it.
- Ninja squid and cold blooded: I recommend ninja squid on more open maps so you can move around more stealthily. Cold blooded is more useful on close quarters maps. Again, neither of them is absolutely required but I strongly recommend them.
- Ink recovery up: You'll be spending a lot of time in the ink, might as well make use of it. You shouldn't be mopping enough for ink saver main to be useful, and ink saver sub isn't good with ink mines.
- Comeback, quick respawn, special saver: You're using an inkbrush in ranked. You're going to get splatted a few times. These abilities will make those splats less painful.
- Swim speed up: Makes you more mobile which is always helpful.
- Special charge up: This is a must have and you better stack it. You're gonna want to have a kraken all the time. Use this ability.
- Damage up: I've tried defense up on the inkbrush and it just doesn't work. This is a must have as well.
- Swim speed up: Makes you more mobile which is always helpful, and it makes your kraken faster as well. Definitley a must have.
- Comeback, quick respawn, special saver: Ditto above.
- Ink saver sub, Ink recovery up: One or both of them will work well. Splat bombs use quite a lot of ink. You always want to be able to immediately start attacking after throwing one of these, so keeping your ink level in check is key.
- Bomb range up: The splat bomb is the inkbrush's only real ranged option, so emphasizing on that is a pretty good option. Use this to pressure more distant opponents.
- Ink resistance: Ditto above.
- Ninja squid, Cold blooded: Ditto above. One thing to note is that ninja squid will slow down your kraken, so it's not as effective on this set.
I'll share some of my sets to give you an idea of what you might want to use. What you use is completely up to you, so make sure whatever you use fits your playstyle.
Balanced turf war set (standard brush):
Squid hairclip
Main ability: swim speed up
Sub ability: neutral (I have 2 swim speed up subs)
FC albacore
Main: Damage up
Sub: special charge up
Neon sea slugs
Main ability: ink resistance
Sub ability: ink recovery up
Campy turf war set (standard brush):
Fishfry visor
Main ability: Special charge up
Sub ability: ink saver sub
Dark urban vest
Main ability: cold blooded
Sub ability: ink saver sub
Pro trail boots
Main ability: bomb sniffer
Sub ability: defense up
Going for points (standard brush):
Fake contacts
Main ability: special charge up
Sub ability: ink recovery up
Rainy-day tee
Main ability: ink saver main
Sub ability: swim speed up
Orange arrows
Main ability: ink saver main
Sub ability: special charge up
Ranked close quarters (nouveau):
White headband
Main ability: ink recovery up
Sub ability: damage up
FC albacore
Main: damage up
Sub: special charge up
Le soccer cleats
Main ability: ink resistance
Sub ability: special charge up
Ranked open maps (nouveau):
Legendary cap
Main: damage up
Sub: neutral (I'm going for damage up)
Zekko hoodie
Main: Ninja squid
Sub: special saver
Le soccer cleats
Main: ink resistance
Sub: special charge up
And that concludes part 1 of my very extensive guide to the inkbrush. Again, I will cover more specifics about playstyle and combat in later guides. I hope this gives new brush users some insight into this weapon and how to use it. The next parts will come out later, but hopefully they won't take too long.
Do a good.
-Bleeze
