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The Tiny Giant: A Guide to the Splattershot Jr.

The Tiny Giant: A Guide to the Splattershot Jr.

About the Splattershot Jr.


High rate of fire

Below-average damage

Short- Medium ranged weapon

Efficient at spreading ink


Overview

If we had to compare Splatoon's weapons to weapons in realistic Shooting games, then the Splattershot Jr. would be the submachine gun of this game. Similar to an Uzi, this gun has a rapid rate of fire, while also efficiently covering ink. However, it has less range than the Splattershot, while also dealing less damage per shot. Regardless, this weapon is definitely strong in its own right, and when played correctly, can dominate opposing teams.

Like other weapons in Splatoon, the standard Splattershot Jr. can be played with different playstyles in mind. This weapon in particular excels at offensive play, as a means of Splatting opponents and sending them back to spawn. Its defensive play is also decent, as its ink coverage is rather good. Support-wise, this weapon is a great backup for Rollers, and the Bubbler Special is a great component for teams to push towards objectives, potentially turning the tides of battle. Later on, I'll touch on tactics and my overall thoughts on role-designation.

The basic loadout of the Splattershot Jr is pretty straightforward. Your Sub weapon is the Splat Bomb, a timed Grenade that spreads a decent amount of ink, while also dealing a good amount of damage. The Splattershot Jr.'s Special weapon is the Bubbler, a shield that temporarily protects you from enemy fire, while also spreading to nearby teammates. Note that this weapon does not prevent you from slowing down in enemy ink; you just can't be hit by enemy fire, though you still suffer knockback while shielded.) This loadout is primarily offensive in nature, as the Splat Bomb can be used to pressure opponents and cover corners, while also extending your overall attack range (and with specific abilities equipped, this range can be extended even further). As for the Bubbler special, this weapon can be used both offensively, defensively, and as a support tool.

The Custom Splattershot Jr. on the other hand is an all-around support build. In this loadout, your Sub weapon is the Disruptor, a throwable item that slows down opponents and reduces their mobility for a short period of time. As for your Special weapon, the Echolocator tracks enemy locations and shows their positions to your entire team. As you can already tell, this build encourages much more mobile play. Throwing a Disruptor into a firefight can net you those Splatters, while also assisting your teammates. In this case, you'll want to have a player on your team focused primarily on defense, as you'll want to have plenty of ink to swim in and retreat into, if enemies attempt to push for a point or objective.

Regardless of which build you choose, and how you decide to play, it's important to note that the Splattershot Jr. is a weapon that thrives on close-range engagements. By utilizing your high rate of fire and other weapons effectively, you can definitely pressure opponents back towards their spawns, as your team continues pushing for more territory and map control.


competitive tactics and role designation

Earlier in my guide, I talked about offensive, defensive, and support roles in Splatooon. These roles pertain to how certain weapons excel in specific fields.

As you can probably guess, offensive play primarily involves going for Splatters and exerting pressure on opponents through map control and mobility. In this case, the standard Splattershot Jr. Excels in this field, as its fire rate and weapon sets encourage players to keep on pushing towards objectives, as well as attack enemies head-on.

Defensive play primarily refers to focusing on ink coverage, and protecting vital choke points by continuous territory control. Defensive players will usually avoid congested firefights as much as possible, only going for Splatters when there is little to no risk. Instead, covering forgotten areas with ink and establishing a firm team ground is crucial. By this definition, we can determine that the Splat Roller is an excellent defensive weapon, as its ink coverage is unparalleled.

Finally, support-type gameplay involves backing up teammates with recon, debuffing enemies, providing escape options for teammates, etc. Here, Long-Ranged weapons excel. Weapons like the Splat Charger and Splatterscope can all be used to Splatter enemies from a distance, Create long ink pathways for teammates, etc. The Echolocator, Disruptor, and Squid Beakon are examples of Support-type weapons.

Knowing which role you play in a match can determine how effectively you'll work with the team overall. For example: the Custom Splattershot Jr. Weapon build, as we previously discussed, is primarily as support-type build. The Disruptor sub weapon can be used to slow down enemies either for yourself to Splat, or for your teammates. Some players may want to toss a Disruptor into a firefight, then retreat, giving your teammates the advantage to get the Splatter, while you keep on moving throughout the map.

Likewise, the standard Splattershot Jr is primarily an offensive-based weapon build. The splat Bomb can be used for pressure and distant Splatters, while the Bubbler lets you push towards points with invincibility for a brief period. This can be deadly when paired with a Splat Roller. Since the bubbler extends to your teammates when they're nearby, players may want to save their specials until a splat roller teammate is nearby. In this case, now the weapon acts as a support tool, giving your Splat Roller a chance to really push for territory and objective control while you use your rapid fire to make up for the roller's lack of range.

These are just some things to keep in mind. This is definitely an interesting weapon to discuss, with plenty of play styles and options available to you. I hope you found this guide somewhat helpful, and am looking forward to some great high-level Splattershot Jr. Play!
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jp4464
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Very effective, in-depth analysis of the Splattershot Jr. and the Custom variant. Also provides playstyle suggestions for both.
Nice info!
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