My personal favorite abilities/stats (from best-worst):
Stealth Jump:
Description: your super jump landing points are hidden, but your super jumps are negligibly slower.
Optimal Playstyle: offensive, expansive
Probably the best one overall; allows you to safely enter the battle without fear of someone jumping at you immediately. Also great for sneaking up or surprising unsuspecting opponents, especially in high-traffic areas.
Ninja Squid:
Description: Your movement is invisible when swimming in inked ground, but reduces your swimming speed negligibly.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially support/defense)
Great for sneaking up on people, running away, and general mind games.
Defense Up:
Description: reduces damage taken from all attacks up to 120%.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially offensive and support)
A literal life saver. .52 gal usually takes only two hits to kill you but can be extended to three with just one main defense up (REALLY important considering the low rate of fire of kill-based weapons). Crucial for ranked.
Recon:
Description: you can see the opposing team on the map while standing on start point.
Optimal Playstyle: Defensive, expansive
Not really useful yet, but will be CRUCIAL once team battles become available. Similar to CS:GO call-outs ("two crossed!", etc).
Run Speed Up/Swim Speed Up:
Description: Increases movement speed while in Inkling/Squid form up to 50 (inkling)/25 (squid)%.
Optimal Playstyle: Defensive, support
Useful for chargers/long range weapons that need to keep away from the enemies' range. Counters the Chargers' lack of mobility.
Ink Resistance Up:
Description: damage and movement penalties incurred when moving through enemy ink are reduced to 80% of normal and your jump speed/height is unaffected.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive, Roller/paintbrush
Good for keeping yourself alive in tough spot. Hugely important for rollers/paintbrush when expanding into enemy ink.
Ink Saver (Main/Sub):
Description: decreases the amount of ink consumed by your main/sub weapon up to 75%.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially offensive)
Self explanatory. Great if you're like me and find yourself running out of ink during ranked a lot. Very useful for blasters and chargers that consume ink rapidly.
Special charge/Special duration up:
Description: Increases special gauge fill rate/usage time of special weapons up to 30%.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially support)
Very useful for people with ink strike, etc. that can easily turn the tide of battle. Use these two in tandem with each other if you REALLY like ink strikes, inkzooka, etc.
Haunt:
Description: If you get splatted, the position of the player who got you will be visible to your team.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive, support
Works well in ranked. Hilarious watching enemy inklings trying to stealth away with the tracker on them. If you hold a grudge easily, this is the ability for you.
Tenacity:
Description: Fills special gauge automatically if your team has fewer active players than the enemy.
Optimal Playstyle: Support
Great for turning the tides of battle, but only really works if you’re online where your entire team sucks. Otherwise, there are better options.
Bomb Range Up:
Description: bombs, point sensors, and disruptors travel 50% further when thrown.
Optimal Playstyle: Support
I mean… if you like bombs a lot, I guess. Situational. Sometimes, you can throw further than your opponent can shoot you.
Bomb Sniffer:
Description: traps and hidden bombs set by your opponents are visible.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive
Situational. That’s pretty much all there is to it.
Quick respawn, Comeback:
Description: decreases respawn time after getting splatted by 2 seconds. After respawning, some of your abilities are boosted for a short time.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive
Only takes off two seconds if it's in a main slot. Not useful unless you die a lot... Which shouldn't be happening. Still, works better for offensive/front line playstyles.
Damage Up:
Description: Increases damage of our main, sub, and special weapons up to 130%
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive
literally has a mechanic that prevents attack power from exceeding the weapons' shots per kill. Might become important later as meta develops. Only purpose is to counter-balance defense up. Might become more important later in the meta.
Opening gambit/last ditch-effort:
Description: boosts your speed in both inkling and squid form for the first 30 seconds/ink recovery rate and weapon ink efficiency for the last 30 seconds of a match.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive, support
Only useful for 30 seconds. It's alright kind of for 3 minute turf wars, but there are tons of better ways to start and end matches.
Thoughts, ideas, opinions are all welcome.
Stealth Jump:
Description: your super jump landing points are hidden, but your super jumps are negligibly slower.
Optimal Playstyle: offensive, expansive
Probably the best one overall; allows you to safely enter the battle without fear of someone jumping at you immediately. Also great for sneaking up or surprising unsuspecting opponents, especially in high-traffic areas.
Ninja Squid:
Description: Your movement is invisible when swimming in inked ground, but reduces your swimming speed negligibly.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially support/defense)
Great for sneaking up on people, running away, and general mind games.
Defense Up:
Description: reduces damage taken from all attacks up to 120%.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially offensive and support)
A literal life saver. .52 gal usually takes only two hits to kill you but can be extended to three with just one main defense up (REALLY important considering the low rate of fire of kill-based weapons). Crucial for ranked.
Recon:
Description: you can see the opposing team on the map while standing on start point.
Optimal Playstyle: Defensive, expansive
Not really useful yet, but will be CRUCIAL once team battles become available. Similar to CS:GO call-outs ("two crossed!", etc).
Run Speed Up/Swim Speed Up:
Description: Increases movement speed while in Inkling/Squid form up to 50 (inkling)/25 (squid)%.
Optimal Playstyle: Defensive, support
Useful for chargers/long range weapons that need to keep away from the enemies' range. Counters the Chargers' lack of mobility.
Ink Resistance Up:
Description: damage and movement penalties incurred when moving through enemy ink are reduced to 80% of normal and your jump speed/height is unaffected.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive, Roller/paintbrush
Good for keeping yourself alive in tough spot. Hugely important for rollers/paintbrush when expanding into enemy ink.
Ink Saver (Main/Sub):
Description: decreases the amount of ink consumed by your main/sub weapon up to 75%.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially offensive)
Self explanatory. Great if you're like me and find yourself running out of ink during ranked a lot. Very useful for blasters and chargers that consume ink rapidly.
Special charge/Special duration up:
Description: Increases special gauge fill rate/usage time of special weapons up to 30%.
Optimal Playstyle: Any (especially support)
Very useful for people with ink strike, etc. that can easily turn the tide of battle. Use these two in tandem with each other if you REALLY like ink strikes, inkzooka, etc.
Haunt:
Description: If you get splatted, the position of the player who got you will be visible to your team.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive, support
Works well in ranked. Hilarious watching enemy inklings trying to stealth away with the tracker on them. If you hold a grudge easily, this is the ability for you.
Tenacity:
Description: Fills special gauge automatically if your team has fewer active players than the enemy.
Optimal Playstyle: Support
Great for turning the tides of battle, but only really works if you’re online where your entire team sucks. Otherwise, there are better options.
Bomb Range Up:
Description: bombs, point sensors, and disruptors travel 50% further when thrown.
Optimal Playstyle: Support
I mean… if you like bombs a lot, I guess. Situational. Sometimes, you can throw further than your opponent can shoot you.
Bomb Sniffer:
Description: traps and hidden bombs set by your opponents are visible.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive
Situational. That’s pretty much all there is to it.
Quick respawn, Comeback:
Description: decreases respawn time after getting splatted by 2 seconds. After respawning, some of your abilities are boosted for a short time.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive
Only takes off two seconds if it's in a main slot. Not useful unless you die a lot... Which shouldn't be happening. Still, works better for offensive/front line playstyles.
Damage Up:
Description: Increases damage of our main, sub, and special weapons up to 130%
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive
literally has a mechanic that prevents attack power from exceeding the weapons' shots per kill. Might become important later as meta develops. Only purpose is to counter-balance defense up. Might become more important later in the meta.
Opening gambit/last ditch-effort:
Description: boosts your speed in both inkling and squid form for the first 30 seconds/ink recovery rate and weapon ink efficiency for the last 30 seconds of a match.
Optimal Playstyle: Offensive, support
Only useful for 30 seconds. It's alright kind of for 3 minute turf wars, but there are tons of better ways to start and end matches.
Thoughts, ideas, opinions are all welcome.
