Are Chargers essential?

[girigiriHERO]

When it comes to S rank Turf Wars (aka Splatfest). I'm an S rank player and while playing in Splatfest tonight my 1st 6 matches, I lost 5. Not once during that time did I have a Charger/Splatling on my team, while the opposition always had at least one, but one a few occassion 2. Then it was myself (using an N-Zap) and I was paired with a Splattershot, Splat Charger, and Heavy Splatling and went on to win 7 games in a row (massacres too, like 70% to 30%) and then once the Splat Charger and Heavy Splatling left, which was coincidentally the same time, we lost 4 out of the next 5 matches, not once having a Charger on our team. Now it's time for bed, but it seems like if you don't have a Charger/Splatling/Long Range weapon on your team, you're FUBAR.

Feelings? Comments? Criticism?

 

[Naikat]

Yes. Chargers are important to have in a team to counter opposing chargers/ long-ranged weapons and other enemies that come in their way. If your enemies have long-ranged weapons while your team doesn't, you're basically screwed unless you're the god of Splatoon, and you manage to eliminate all enemies. Chargers can also serve as a safe player to jump to since normally they stay quite far from the firefight. You should try using a Charger for a bit to learn its weaknesses and strengths so that you can be able to wipe them out.

 

[PrinceOfKoopas]

There was an enemy Night Owl charger on Hammerhead Bridge that kept sniping me and my team, and they didn't get Splatted even once. Dude had a Luna Blaster guard, too.

Very potent. Sure beats my Splattershot Jr.

 

[girigiriHERO]

There was an enemy Night Owl charger on Hammerhead Bridge that kept sniping me and my team, and they didn't get Splatted even once. Dude had a Luna Blaster guard, too.

Very potent. Sure beats my Splattershot Jr.

A lot of these S rank players have good synergy and know how to play off each other, I can too, but depends on my team mates weapons. I remember once in TC I had a Jr. that kept backing me and using bubbler if we got in trouble, we got a lot of wins that way.

 

[Inkling Ash]

Omg your gear though...........Okay to the topic, I think that chargers are essential. If your team has no charger/sniper and the opposing team does your odds of winning is not that big. Technically if the charger always keeps his distance you'll never be able to get them and they can always kill you. So you would need something to counter that, another charger if they trade with each other you can always try make a push because no one can pick you off easily. If your charger splats the opposing charger that's good then can help you push them then keep the advantage.

 

[Cuttlefish]

what if your team had a charger countering weapon, like, say, a jet squelcher? or even a splatling (heavy/hydra) if you can aim it quickly enough.

I consider those two to be like non-charger chargers, would they count?

 

[lone]

what if your team had a charger countering weapon, like, say, a jet squelcher? or even a splatling (heavy/hydra) if you can aim it quickly enough.

That depends on who you're going up against. If you're trying to counter a sniper using an E Liter, chances are you'll need to be close to them, since they can hide far away and still get kills (and by the time you try to get to them they will probably splat you).

Chargers are essential to a team, I think. If you have a good person handling one, you'll only need one, rather than two chargers. Sure, you can win matches without them, but they serve as great defensive measures in times where shooters may not be enough.

 

[SupaTim]

I think it is map dependent. If you have a splattershot pro, jet squelcher, or dual squelcher then on some maps you can challenge the charger with the proper tactics. If the charger is looking somewhere else, then you can approach and splat them before they have time to readjust. At the very least, you can push them around a bit and give your team a break. If you can get the charger out of position, then sometimes you can overwhelm the other team.

Like I said though, this is often map dependent. It is difficult to approach a sniper on Moray, and a competent e-liter player can almost completely lock down Museum. But on smaller maps having a charger is not that essential, and they are easier to approach/ambush.

 

[Cuttleshock]

Buckets... buckets (Slosher and SM, not very much Tri) can be a wildcard in Charger-disadvantaged matchups. Dynamos, too, I expect. Unlike other potential sniper counters, they aren't ranged weapons but, in exchange, they can hit a sniper who cannot hit them by virtue of being too close up. This works under a couple of conditions.

One - certain maps just don't apply, as buckets can't make the matchup favourable if they can't approach perches, either because there isn't enough cover or because the contested area is large enough that it can't be sufficiently controlled by the bucket's team. Off the top of my head, I'd suggest Mackerel as a general loss, and Arowana and Moray as maps on which safe access to mid is crucial for the bucket to do its thing.

Two - if the bucket's team loses momentum, the sniper will probably become unreachable due to loss of turf control, at which point the best hope is that the enemies overextend themselves and allow a comeback.

Three - if the sniper cottons on, they can move down from their perch, which usually removes the bucket's line-of-sight advantage. However, that exposes the sniper to the fray more generally (and reduces their reach), so it's probably a sign of a functional deterrent.

 

[girigiriHERO]

what if your team had a charger countering weapon, like, say, a jet squelcher? or even a splatling (heavy/hydra) if you can aim it quickly enough.

I consider those two to be like non-charger chargers, would they count?

In the first post I did mention Splatlings and long range weapons in general, just in my situations the N-Zap and Splattershot where the longest range on my team.

 

[Cuttlefish]

In the first post I did mention Splatlings and long range weapons in general, just in my situations the N-Zap and Splattershot where the longest range on my team.

i'm sorry! i somehow missed the last sentence of your post </3

in which case, if you are all short range against a team with a competent sniper, you're pretty out of luck. unless you have a very good wildcard, like the slosher as said above by Cuttleshock. there's definitely ways to face a sniper team without a sniper of your own, but i would say you'd need some kind of long range in competitive comps. on charger-dominated stages, you'd definitely need one.

 

[Dessgeega]

"in which case, if you are all short range against a team with a competent sniper, you're pretty out of luck."

Regardless of the actual weapons involved, if a whole team can be shut down by one guy on the other team, that has more to do with the (lacking) skill of that team than anything else.

I don't think chargers or any weapon is essential. There's a counter or a tactic for every possible scenario, and I've been on far too many teams where the long-range crew still managed to blow it against the short-range guys because the other team simply played better.

 

[Elecmaw]

Chargers are essential on competitive play(aka where you can actually communicate with your team), still useful on solo queue. The real problem is that people in solo play generally don't care about their allies and expect them to function no matter what, which gets troubling with an unique class as chargers. Chargers need a safe piece of territory to function, they cannot safely go around corners in contested areas. For instance, say you're playing solo and there's someone going through your flanks:
If i'm a forge pro i can just run up to the flank, set up an ambush and shoot the person in question or failing that, tag them with sensor so my team knows that the enemy team is attempting a flank.
If i'm a charger and i now have to look at 2 different areas, the actual battlefield where i have to support my team and the flanking point where somebody's hiding. I cannot warn my team, i can only hope my team wisens up and starts watching their map. If i neglect the flank, the squid there might get a special and kill me and attack the rest of my team leading to a potentional wipe. If i watch the flank i cannot support my team.

There's also the problem that a lot of newbie chargers practise at turf war, so yeah they probably don't contribute as much untill they get skilled at playing sniper.

 

[Spraylan]

If you want good support, Chargers are essential. Ground game belongs to Rollers, Blasters, and Buckets, there's no denying. Chargers, good Chargers, will often have a different view of the battlefield, allowing them to cut enemy lanes, ink vertical paths, destroy sprinklers/beakons/splash walls/ink mines, ink out-of-the-way turf, and yes, snipe. A Charger is the eyes of the team.

This will vary from map to map, but the only layout that really hamstrings the weapon is Kelp Dome, with lots of blocking/corners, limited verticality, and limited or vulnerable sniping spots make it a less than ideal experience.

 

[Mystrite]

In TW no , for chargers , you want long range to handle enemies from a distance. Longer range weapons tend to get decent kills with little deaths - accuracy is A HUGE factor.So no chargers , long range weapons. Though an all-round ranked battle set is - 3K Scope , Forge Pro , Luna Blaster , 52. Gal.