Introduction:
Being successful in solo ranked is something that takes a lot of practice and experience for most people. If you feel like you aren't winning as much as you thought you should or you're simply stuck in a lower rank, then you should consider reading the following guide.
Picking your setup:
Splatoon is a game that allows you to enhance your character in many different ways by having 3 main perks and up to 9 sub perks with various different brands as well as letting you pick from 5 weapon classes (But personally I say they're 7 as blasters and inkbrushes differ a lot from the classes they are classified in) So ultimately with so much customization, there is one setup that suits your playstyle.
But how exactly does someone find their best setup? Well you have to first know what your playstyle is like of course. The way to find the playstyle you like is completely up to you but you should try out as many weapons as possible and consider how much they are viable to other players so you get a good idea on how much they could be viable to you, but of course always pick out weapons that you are comfortable playing with as that makes a large impact on how well they can work for you. To get you started on picking weapons here are some weapons that I find the most viable in battle (at least one per weapon class): .96 Gal Deco, Tentatek Splattershot (or octoshot), Custom Jet Squelcher, E-liter 3k scope, Kelp Splatterscope, Carbon roller, Dynamo roller, Tri-Slosher, Heavy Splatling, Octobrush, Custom Range Blaster, and (Neo) Luna Blaster. Usually it's best to be good with multiple weapons as the map rotation might suit another weapon than your favorite. Knowing the maps and the weapons that suit it is also helpful.
Once you have successfully picked out a weapon you must pick out gear that suits the weapon of choice. There is some perks that are basically a necessity which would be: Ink Recovery Up, Cold Blooded, and Swim Speed Up. Those perks will help you maintain ink for the game, stay sneaky (make you harder to locate), And get to key areas of the map quickly for the entirety of the match. There is no debate of whether you should have it or not. The rest of your perks is completely subjective to your choice of weapon and playstyle. Picking what perks are effective are as easy as noting what difficulties you have with your character/weapon and countering them, such as if I lose too much ink throwing down a splash wall, I might use Ink Saver (Sub) to counter it. Some weapons also might need perks to make them viable such as most chargers aren't the most efficient without strength. But how exactly do you know what perks you will get according to the brand? For that and any other questions relating on gear you should visit the following guide:
http://squidboards.com/guides/ultimate-gear-guide-v1-2-0.29/
as well as this one:
http://squidboards.com/guides/gear-ability-quick-reference-guide-v1-0-1-image-heavy.55/
Positioning and Movement:
From a gameplay standpoint, positioning and movement have got to be the most important part of becoming a better Splatoon player. If you follow these basic guidelines then you should find yourself winning a lot more than losing if you have trouble with this. I emphasize this a lot: If you don't follow all of these guidelines then you will not find yourself as successful as promised.
A good start for this is Positioning. Good positioning should prevent most trades (both you and the opponent dying from each other's fire) from occurring. The essentials are simple: Always try to be in a position in which you have a safe area to back away to and try to be in a position in which you have an advantage over the opponent, as well as being aware of where the opponents are. Usually a safe way to accomplish this is to figure out some paths that lead you to a place where you have an advantage over the players in the current map rotation, and take those paths, as well as in the beginning of the match noting what weapons the other team has and creating a habit to somehow figure out their position in order to stop them from gaining control of key sections of the map and instead getting those sections yourself (usually this is done with a combination of assumptions and looking at the Wii U Gamepad.) Also a key part of having better positioning is to shoot from an area that is safe (This may sound repetitive because I already said to have a safe area to back away to, but this is very important and I don't want people to forget this.) Team cooperation is also important, try to be spaced apart and work together to kill enemies. I STRONGLY recommend to look at Nintendome's video on the subject (I credit him a lot with this section of the guide):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ncGUtg7pnM
Movement is also very important in Splatoon, not as important as positioning but this skill is definitely needed as a simple lack of it gives you a GIANT disadvantage. Personally I had an issue with this most of the time and this is what I credit a lot of my losing streaks to. What you have to do is simple, learn to be aware of your surroundings and practice climbing up walls efficiently. That's it! Sometimes in battle I had to get in to the center but I wouldn't spray enough ink, or I would have trouble moving up walls, giving the opposing team a big advantage on claiming the center. So simply practice this and you shouldn't have issues.
Remember most deaths in Splatoon are a result of not following those principles.
The beginning of a Splatoon Ranked match
in Splatoon an important thing to know is simply how to win a game so here's a quick overview (If you execute them like I said you should you should be successful in this time). In the beginning, your goal is to get to the center and get control of the center. To do this you will have to eliminate the opposing team's players. Usually this is done with a flank, or patience.
A flank in the beginning of a Splatoon match allows you to reach a section of the map near their base. For those unfamiliar to the term a flank (verb version) is when a player takes a route on the map that leads them more near the enemy base then the regular path. When you do this you will try to splat the other team's members so you claim the center area of the map, if you are successful you will have a chance to advance with the Tower/Rainmaker or claim the area and sustain it for as long as you can.
Patience is a less common but more safe option. This is where you wait for the pray to go for the bait and catch them while they attempt to (waiting for the team to get the thing [Rainmaker/Tower/Zone] and punishing them by killing them when they attempt to.) This will result in the same things as flanking if you are successful.
The Middle of a Splatoon Ranked match:
The middle of a Splatoon match is what happens when your team doesn't get a fast win (which is most games) so here is an overview on how to play the middle. In the middle you have to get the object (if not already gotten) and maintain it as well as ink control in your base and center (as well as their base partially.)
To get the object if it is not already captured all you have to achieve is ink control in the center, this is most easily done with a flank. This is the middle of the game and there is plenty of time yet so don't worry about executing this as fast as possible just worry about actually achieving it.
To maintain it is the most important part of the middle section of the game. This is done by making sure the players don't try to flank, or try to achieve ink control of the center or your base. So always have good positioning and movement and make sure you are always aware of where your opponents are. Also a quick reminder, maintaining ink control does include your base so make sure that no opponents reach this as this could be a major turning point in the game.
The End of a Splatoon Ranked Match:
The end of a Splatoon Match (If the rest was achieved successfully) is basically a final push where most of the other team's effort comes and you will try to protect the paint (In other words protect the object that you are maintaining in order to win the game.) Other wise you should try to use up the final moments of the game to strategically advance in maintaining the object, this should be done the same as explained in the middle section of the game. This is a very brief but important section of the game so I feel nothing more needs to be added.
Play the game:
As simple as it is, you should play the game frequently and practice. I believe in all of you squids who want to become better.
All ratings are very appreciated. If you have a question or suggestion please leave it below and I will try to answer it.
I Should also mention my squad Special Squid Squad (SSS) that is looking for new Splatoon talent always. Here's the link if you're interested: http://squidboards.com/groups/special-squid-squad.527/
Being successful in solo ranked is something that takes a lot of practice and experience for most people. If you feel like you aren't winning as much as you thought you should or you're simply stuck in a lower rank, then you should consider reading the following guide.
Picking your setup:
Splatoon is a game that allows you to enhance your character in many different ways by having 3 main perks and up to 9 sub perks with various different brands as well as letting you pick from 5 weapon classes (But personally I say they're 7 as blasters and inkbrushes differ a lot from the classes they are classified in) So ultimately with so much customization, there is one setup that suits your playstyle.
But how exactly does someone find their best setup? Well you have to first know what your playstyle is like of course. The way to find the playstyle you like is completely up to you but you should try out as many weapons as possible and consider how much they are viable to other players so you get a good idea on how much they could be viable to you, but of course always pick out weapons that you are comfortable playing with as that makes a large impact on how well they can work for you. To get you started on picking weapons here are some weapons that I find the most viable in battle (at least one per weapon class): .96 Gal Deco, Tentatek Splattershot (or octoshot), Custom Jet Squelcher, E-liter 3k scope, Kelp Splatterscope, Carbon roller, Dynamo roller, Tri-Slosher, Heavy Splatling, Octobrush, Custom Range Blaster, and (Neo) Luna Blaster. Usually it's best to be good with multiple weapons as the map rotation might suit another weapon than your favorite. Knowing the maps and the weapons that suit it is also helpful.
Once you have successfully picked out a weapon you must pick out gear that suits the weapon of choice. There is some perks that are basically a necessity which would be: Ink Recovery Up, Cold Blooded, and Swim Speed Up. Those perks will help you maintain ink for the game, stay sneaky (make you harder to locate), And get to key areas of the map quickly for the entirety of the match. There is no debate of whether you should have it or not. The rest of your perks is completely subjective to your choice of weapon and playstyle. Picking what perks are effective are as easy as noting what difficulties you have with your character/weapon and countering them, such as if I lose too much ink throwing down a splash wall, I might use Ink Saver (Sub) to counter it. Some weapons also might need perks to make them viable such as most chargers aren't the most efficient without strength. But how exactly do you know what perks you will get according to the brand? For that and any other questions relating on gear you should visit the following guide:
http://squidboards.com/guides/ultimate-gear-guide-v1-2-0.29/
as well as this one:
http://squidboards.com/guides/gear-ability-quick-reference-guide-v1-0-1-image-heavy.55/
Positioning and Movement:
From a gameplay standpoint, positioning and movement have got to be the most important part of becoming a better Splatoon player. If you follow these basic guidelines then you should find yourself winning a lot more than losing if you have trouble with this. I emphasize this a lot: If you don't follow all of these guidelines then you will not find yourself as successful as promised.
A good start for this is Positioning. Good positioning should prevent most trades (both you and the opponent dying from each other's fire) from occurring. The essentials are simple: Always try to be in a position in which you have a safe area to back away to and try to be in a position in which you have an advantage over the opponent, as well as being aware of where the opponents are. Usually a safe way to accomplish this is to figure out some paths that lead you to a place where you have an advantage over the players in the current map rotation, and take those paths, as well as in the beginning of the match noting what weapons the other team has and creating a habit to somehow figure out their position in order to stop them from gaining control of key sections of the map and instead getting those sections yourself (usually this is done with a combination of assumptions and looking at the Wii U Gamepad.) Also a key part of having better positioning is to shoot from an area that is safe (This may sound repetitive because I already said to have a safe area to back away to, but this is very important and I don't want people to forget this.) Team cooperation is also important, try to be spaced apart and work together to kill enemies. I STRONGLY recommend to look at Nintendome's video on the subject (I credit him a lot with this section of the guide):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ncGUtg7pnM
Movement is also very important in Splatoon, not as important as positioning but this skill is definitely needed as a simple lack of it gives you a GIANT disadvantage. Personally I had an issue with this most of the time and this is what I credit a lot of my losing streaks to. What you have to do is simple, learn to be aware of your surroundings and practice climbing up walls efficiently. That's it! Sometimes in battle I had to get in to the center but I wouldn't spray enough ink, or I would have trouble moving up walls, giving the opposing team a big advantage on claiming the center. So simply practice this and you shouldn't have issues.
Remember most deaths in Splatoon are a result of not following those principles.
The beginning of a Splatoon Ranked match
in Splatoon an important thing to know is simply how to win a game so here's a quick overview (If you execute them like I said you should you should be successful in this time). In the beginning, your goal is to get to the center and get control of the center. To do this you will have to eliminate the opposing team's players. Usually this is done with a flank, or patience.
A flank in the beginning of a Splatoon match allows you to reach a section of the map near their base. For those unfamiliar to the term a flank (verb version) is when a player takes a route on the map that leads them more near the enemy base then the regular path. When you do this you will try to splat the other team's members so you claim the center area of the map, if you are successful you will have a chance to advance with the Tower/Rainmaker or claim the area and sustain it for as long as you can.
Patience is a less common but more safe option. This is where you wait for the pray to go for the bait and catch them while they attempt to (waiting for the team to get the thing [Rainmaker/Tower/Zone] and punishing them by killing them when they attempt to.) This will result in the same things as flanking if you are successful.
The Middle of a Splatoon Ranked match:
The middle of a Splatoon match is what happens when your team doesn't get a fast win (which is most games) so here is an overview on how to play the middle. In the middle you have to get the object (if not already gotten) and maintain it as well as ink control in your base and center (as well as their base partially.)
To get the object if it is not already captured all you have to achieve is ink control in the center, this is most easily done with a flank. This is the middle of the game and there is plenty of time yet so don't worry about executing this as fast as possible just worry about actually achieving it.
To maintain it is the most important part of the middle section of the game. This is done by making sure the players don't try to flank, or try to achieve ink control of the center or your base. So always have good positioning and movement and make sure you are always aware of where your opponents are. Also a quick reminder, maintaining ink control does include your base so make sure that no opponents reach this as this could be a major turning point in the game.
The End of a Splatoon Ranked Match:
The end of a Splatoon Match (If the rest was achieved successfully) is basically a final push where most of the other team's effort comes and you will try to protect the paint (In other words protect the object that you are maintaining in order to win the game.) Other wise you should try to use up the final moments of the game to strategically advance in maintaining the object, this should be done the same as explained in the middle section of the game. This is a very brief but important section of the game so I feel nothing more needs to be added.
Play the game:
As simple as it is, you should play the game frequently and practice. I believe in all of you squids who want to become better.
All ratings are very appreciated. If you have a question or suggestion please leave it below and I will try to answer it.
I Should also mention my squad Special Squid Squad (SSS) that is looking for new Splatoon talent always. Here's the link if you're interested: http://squidboards.com/groups/special-squid-squad.527/
