The Inkstrike. It's one of the seven Special Weapons that can come in a weapon set.
Before I tell you everything you need to know about the Inkstrike, you need to know how it works.
Congratulations! You now know how to use the Inkstrike(if you didn't already).
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me give you some important details.
It's always good to really get to know your weapons before you can properly use them, right? Luckily, we just did that! Now, let's look at how we can apply what we know about the Inkstrike in a game.
Do you think we can go even more in-depth? If you thought "yes" or " Wow, Lancelot is such a cool guy!", you're absolutely right~
Let's look at how we can use the Inkstrike on each available stage.
Well, that's about it! With all of the information that I've given you, you should be well on your way to becoming a master of the Inkstrike~
I will definitely update this guide if the Inkstrike is somehow patched or if new stages are added. If you have any more questions or you want to talk about your own strategy, let me know below or shoot me a tweet @LancelotSSB !
*Special thanks to my friend Kipa for critiquing my work as I made this guide! You can follow him on Twitter @Kipa1236 :D
Before I tell you everything you need to know about the Inkstrike, you need to know how it works.
Feel free to skip this if you're well aware of how the Inkstrike works, but I'm trying to cater to players of all levels, so read on if you need the help.
First of all, like any Special Weapon, the Inkstrike needs to be charged up. You do this by covering turf and gaining points. You will always have the gauge shown below in the upper right corner of the gameplay screen.
After you accumulate enough points, the gauge will fill up, and you'll be able to use your Special Weapon by pressing down the right control stick.
Once you do that, you will be able to click on a location on the map displayed on your gamepad, and your Inkstrike will go off in that spot.
The red circle doesn't appear when you do it. I just added it so that it looks clearer~
First of all, like any Special Weapon, the Inkstrike needs to be charged up. You do this by covering turf and gaining points. You will always have the gauge shown below in the upper right corner of the gameplay screen.
After you accumulate enough points, the gauge will fill up, and you'll be able to use your Special Weapon by pressing down the right control stick.
Once you do that, you will be able to click on a location on the map displayed on your gamepad, and your Inkstrike will go off in that spot.
The red circle doesn't appear when you do it. I just added it so that it looks clearer~
Congratulations! You now know how to use the Inkstrike(if you didn't already).
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me give you some important details.
- If you do not manually fire the Inkstrike after activating it, it will go off wherever your Inkling is at the moment after 11 seconds.
- After tapping a location on the map displayed on your Wii U gamepad, the Inkstrike will launch and land at that location after 3 seconds.
- On average, the Inkstrike covers ~60 points of turf.(In my testing, I had some Inkstrikes cover 40-50 points of turf and others in the 90-100 range. I made sure the turf covered was neutral or belonged to the enemy, so I'm not sure what the variable is.)
- After tapping a location on the map displayed on your Wii U gamepad, the Inkstrike will launch and land at that location after 3 seconds.
- On average, the Inkstrike covers ~60 points of turf.(In my testing, I had some Inkstrikes cover 40-50 points of turf and others in the 90-100 range. I made sure the turf covered was neutral or belonged to the enemy, so I'm not sure what the variable is.)
It's always good to really get to know your weapons before you can properly use them, right? Luckily, we just did that! Now, let's look at how we can apply what we know about the Inkstrike in a game.
The Inkstrike can be an extremely useful asset in both formats, but it has a different purpose in each one. Let's look at Ranked first~
The current format for Ranked battles is Splat Zones. In this format, the object of the game is to take and maintain control of a set zone or multiple zones on a map within a 3 minute time period(it CAN go to overtime, in which case the next team to take the lead wins). This is where the Inkstrike shines. One Inkstrike can easily take control of a zone for you, and it can get rid of those pesky campers(but we'll get to that in a bit).
Now, let's move on to the Regular Battle format: Turf Wars!
The object of a Turf War is simple: Cover more turf than your opponents within 3 minutes and you win! Luckily, the Inkstrike is very good at doing this in such a short amount of time. If you use it in the last few seconds of the match, you can gain turf that your enemies won't have to time to reclaim. Also, it can cover advantageous areas in your team's ink, offering all of you more options for movement.
The current format for Ranked battles is Splat Zones. In this format, the object of the game is to take and maintain control of a set zone or multiple zones on a map within a 3 minute time period(it CAN go to overtime, in which case the next team to take the lead wins). This is where the Inkstrike shines. One Inkstrike can easily take control of a zone for you, and it can get rid of those pesky campers(but we'll get to that in a bit).
Now, let's move on to the Regular Battle format: Turf Wars!
The object of a Turf War is simple: Cover more turf than your opponents within 3 minutes and you win! Luckily, the Inkstrike is very good at doing this in such a short amount of time. If you use it in the last few seconds of the match, you can gain turf that your enemies won't have to time to reclaim. Also, it can cover advantageous areas in your team's ink, offering all of you more options for movement.
Do you think we can go even more in-depth? If you thought "yes" or " Wow, Lancelot is such a cool guy!", you're absolutely right~
Let's look at how we can use the Inkstrike on each available stage.
Splatoon has a good amount of available stages to play on(6 at the moment), and the list will probably grow over time. The Inkstrike can be used differently on each of them.
Ranked:
-If you have control of the Splat Zone, use the Inkstrike to cover the area directly to the right of if. You can use this area to retreat if your enemies come at you from the ramps on the left.
-Punish campers on the upper ledges. There are ledges on each side of the Splat Zone where it's really likely the Chargers and Rollers will camp to get rid of you and take control of the zone. A quick Inkstrike will take care of them, no problem.
Regular:
-The section to the far left of the map is one that will likely be fought over throughout the match. The Inkstrike takes up most of it, so use it to punish opposing campers or take control of it in the last seconds of the match.
-Most of the fighting takes place in the middle, since both teams are required to pass through there to claim turf on the right. Use the Inkstrike on their path that leads to mid, and you can use that path to invade their territory and maintain control of mid.
Ranked:
-Both teams will always be fighting for control of the middle room. Use the Instrike on the paths they need to take to get to mid, so you can take control while they try to reclaim their turf.
-Lots of players, particularly Rollers, like to camp out in the mini alleys after the walk-offs into the main room. An Instrike will easily take care of them and let you take control of the Splat Zone.
Regular:
-Campers can show up in this format the same way they do in Ranked. You know what to do.;)
-This is another stage where you can benefit from cutting of your opponent's path to the middle room. Quickly take control of mid after activating the Inkstrike so you can take over enemy turf.
Ranked:
-This is one of those stages with 2 Splat Zones. The Inkstrike is a great tool to have when you are in control of one and you need to take the other to gain a lead.
-The central tower is in a good spot between the two Splat Zones. Make sure to use Inkstrike when your opponents take control of it. You can use the tower to paint a path straight to the other team's Splat Zone.
Regular:
-The tower in the very center of the map is a crucial vantage point, especially if you or one of your allies are using a Charger. Use the Inkstrike to take and maintain control of it throughout the match for a distinct advantage.
-The small, square rooms on the top and bottom of the map are good spots for campers. Take them out with a fresh Inkstrike while they're busy pitching tents.
Ranked:
-Besides the one Splat Zone on this map, some good spots to use the Inkstrike are the hallways on the sides. Your opponents will try to use them to sneak their way over to the zone, so you could potentially splat them.
-The tower of crates in the middle of the zone is a VERY popular camping spot. The Inkstrike is a fantastic tool that you can use to get rid of opposing campers and take control of the spot yourself.
Regular:
-The strategy here is basically the same as in Ranked, minus the Splat Zones of course. Also, always remember to use an Inkstrike towards the end of the match so the opposing team can't recover the turf.
Ranked:
-Another stage with 2 Splat Zones. The strategy is similar to Blackbelly Skatepark, it's just that there's no central tower. You'll want to attack the paths leading to your opponent's Splat Zone so that you can quickly move in and claim it for your team.
Regular:
-Attacking the opponent's paths is a good tactic in Turf Wars too. While they're distracted with the task of reclaiming their turf, you can take control of mid and move in on their side. If you manage to push them pback, you can almost guarantee a win.
Ranked
-Camping is a pretty prominent strategy in this game, huh? There are ledges such as the one where the Inkling who is shooting down towards the Splat Bomb in the image above on this map. Taking control of these is crucial to maintain an advantageous position throughout the match. Use the Inkstrike to do just that.
Regular:
-The ledges are good spots to take over in Turf Wars as well. You'll also want to attack the ramp leading up to the middle section of the map on your opponent's side. This will cut off their main way path to your turf.
Saltspray Rig
Ranked:
-If you have control of the Splat Zone, use the Inkstrike to cover the area directly to the right of if. You can use this area to retreat if your enemies come at you from the ramps on the left.
-Punish campers on the upper ledges. There are ledges on each side of the Splat Zone where it's really likely the Chargers and Rollers will camp to get rid of you and take control of the zone. A quick Inkstrike will take care of them, no problem.
Regular:
-The section to the far left of the map is one that will likely be fought over throughout the match. The Inkstrike takes up most of it, so use it to punish opposing campers or take control of it in the last seconds of the match.
-Most of the fighting takes place in the middle, since both teams are required to pass through there to claim turf on the right. Use the Inkstrike on their path that leads to mid, and you can use that path to invade their territory and maintain control of mid.
Urchin Underpass
Ranked:
-Both teams will always be fighting for control of the middle room. Use the Instrike on the paths they need to take to get to mid, so you can take control while they try to reclaim their turf.
-Lots of players, particularly Rollers, like to camp out in the mini alleys after the walk-offs into the main room. An Instrike will easily take care of them and let you take control of the Splat Zone.
Regular:
-Campers can show up in this format the same way they do in Ranked. You know what to do.;)
-This is another stage where you can benefit from cutting of your opponent's path to the middle room. Quickly take control of mid after activating the Inkstrike so you can take over enemy turf.
Blackbelly Skatepark
Ranked:
-This is one of those stages with 2 Splat Zones. The Inkstrike is a great tool to have when you are in control of one and you need to take the other to gain a lead.
-The central tower is in a good spot between the two Splat Zones. Make sure to use Inkstrike when your opponents take control of it. You can use the tower to paint a path straight to the other team's Splat Zone.
Regular:
-The tower in the very center of the map is a crucial vantage point, especially if you or one of your allies are using a Charger. Use the Inkstrike to take and maintain control of it throughout the match for a distinct advantage.
-The small, square rooms on the top and bottom of the map are good spots for campers. Take them out with a fresh Inkstrike while they're busy pitching tents.
Walleye Warehouse
Ranked:
-Besides the one Splat Zone on this map, some good spots to use the Inkstrike are the hallways on the sides. Your opponents will try to use them to sneak their way over to the zone, so you could potentially splat them.
-The tower of crates in the middle of the zone is a VERY popular camping spot. The Inkstrike is a fantastic tool that you can use to get rid of opposing campers and take control of the spot yourself.
Regular:
-The strategy here is basically the same as in Ranked, minus the Splat Zones of course. Also, always remember to use an Inkstrike towards the end of the match so the opposing team can't recover the turf.
Port Mackerel
Ranked:
-Another stage with 2 Splat Zones. The strategy is similar to Blackbelly Skatepark, it's just that there's no central tower. You'll want to attack the paths leading to your opponent's Splat Zone so that you can quickly move in and claim it for your team.
Regular:
-Attacking the opponent's paths is a good tactic in Turf Wars too. While they're distracted with the task of reclaiming their turf, you can take control of mid and move in on their side. If you manage to push them pback, you can almost guarantee a win.
Arowana Mall
Ranked
-Camping is a pretty prominent strategy in this game, huh? There are ledges such as the one where the Inkling who is shooting down towards the Splat Bomb in the image above on this map. Taking control of these is crucial to maintain an advantageous position throughout the match. Use the Inkstrike to do just that.
Regular:
-The ledges are good spots to take over in Turf Wars as well. You'll also want to attack the ramp leading up to the middle section of the map on your opponent's side. This will cut off their main way path to your turf.
Well, that's about it! With all of the information that I've given you, you should be well on your way to becoming a master of the Inkstrike~
I will definitely update this guide if the Inkstrike is somehow patched or if new stages are added. If you have any more questions or you want to talk about your own strategy, let me know below or shoot me a tweet @LancelotSSB !
*Special thanks to my friend Kipa for critiquing my work as I made this guide! You can follow him on Twitter @Kipa1236 :D
