Assistance with Rainmaker Mode

[Hoenn007]

I just realized that to be in the competitive scene, you have to be good in all three modes. I excel in Tower Control and Splat Zones, but not in Rainmaker. Being on competitive team is now out the door for now. Until I get a full grasp of Rainmaker, I'm screwed. #RainmakerAssistance

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Main Weapons:
Secondary Weapons:
No Longer Using:

 

[EBJustin]

Usually during Rainmaker (unless you never carry the rainmaker itself), you want to stock more speed in case you are the one running the rainmaker. I find the Splattershot Pro variants quite nice with Swim Speed Up and Run Speed Up. Hammerhead was in the rotation, but that's besides the point. I went 22/4 with the Berry Pro earlier with 3 mains worth of Run Speed Up and 2 mains worth of Swim Speed Up, as well as the famous Ink Resistance Up. For the Custom Jet Squelcher, I would advise running two mains worth of Damage Up, 3 mains worth/9 subs of Swim Speed Up, and Ink Resistance Up. Movement will also be pretty good, so bear that in mind as it's not all about the rainmaker.

Usually during Rainmaker though, you need to push as a team. If you push by yourself, you are so vulnerable it's not even funny, unless you're making a big sanic speed push while the enemy team is caught off-guard. Take the lead while the rainmaker holder sticks behind you guys and try your best to take out opponents as you go. There should be about two people pushing ahead of the rainmaker and one person remaining around the rainmaker to guard flanks and whatnot. Whichever role you choose depends on the scenario. The rainmaker itself can be easy to avoid as long as you aren't being pressured and are aware of your surroundings.

In terms of holding the rainmaker, you want to run speed perks as mentioned previously. Unless the enemy team is wiped from the get-go, the goal isn't to "pick up the rainmaker and run as far as you can." There is a 95% chance someone is waiting to pick you off in the direction you are heading, possibly leading your teammates into an ambush as well as you took the lead, not them. Be cautious and VERY aware when holding the rainmaker. Whenever you see enemies around you, try to pick them off while predicting where they will move. They're probably not going to stay in the same position, so it's best to shoot left or right in terms of where you expect them to strafe. If you suspect an enemy foe hiding behind a wall or corner, back up enough and shoot the tornado way up in the air so it lands on top of them. That works a lot of the time for me and I love it. It's funny how much it works on Port Mackerel too, the map you would expect it not to work on. Always push with your teammates unless the scenario asks for another gameplan.

You also appear to be primarily using long range shooters. As you probably know, you need to stand your ground with long range weapons, and this isn't any different. Staying as far away from the rainmaker holder as possible will allow you to pressure the enemy while your mid-range/short-range teammates are able to pick them off more easily.

This is as much as I can currently offer. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. :)

 

[G1ng3rGar1]

Usually during Rainmaker (unless you never carry the rainmaker itself), you want to stock more speed in case you are the one running the rainmaker. I find the Splattershot Pro variants quite nice with Swim Speed Up and Run Speed Up. Hammerhead was in the rotation, but that's besides the point. I went 22/4 with the Berry Pro earlier with 3 mains worth of Run Speed Up and 2 mains worth of Swim Speed Up, as well as the famous Ink Resistance Up. For the Custom Jet Squelcher, I would advise running two mains worth of Damage Up, 3 mains worth/9 subs of Swim Speed Up, and Ink Resistance Up. Movement will also be pretty good, so bear that in mind as it's not all about the rainmaker.

Usually during Rainmaker though, you need to push as a team. If you push by yourself, you are so vulnerable it's not even funny, unless you're making a big sanic speed push while the enemy team is caught off-guard. Take the lead while the rainmaker holder sticks behind you guys and try your best to take out opponents as you go. There should be about two people pushing ahead of the rainmaker and one person remaining around the rainmaker to guard flanks and whatnot. Whichever role you choose depends on the scenario. The rainmaker itself can be easy to avoid as long as you aren't being pressured and are aware of your surroundings.

In terms of holding the rainmaker, you want to run speed perks as mentioned previously. Unless the enemy team is wiped from the get-go, the goal isn't to "pick up the rainmaker and run as far as you can." There is a 95% chance someone is waiting to pick you off in the direction you are heading, possibly leading your teammates into an ambush as well as you took the lead, not them. Be cautious and VERY aware when holding the rainmaker. Whenever you see enemies around you, try to pick them off while predicting where they will move. They're probably not going to stay in the same position, so it's best to shoot left or right in terms of where you expect them to strafe. If you suspect an enemy foe hiding behind a wall or corner, back up enough and shoot the tornado way up in the air so it lands on top of them. That works a lot of the time for me and I love it. It's funny how much it works on Port Mackerel too, the map you would expect it not to work on. Always push with your teammates unless the scenario asks for another gameplan.

You also appear to be primarily using long range shooters. As you probably know, you need to stand your ground with long range weapons, and this isn't any different. Staying as far away from the rainmaker holder as possible will allow you to pressure the enemy while your mid-range/short-range teammates are able to pick them off more easily.

This is as much as I can currently offer. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. :)

Hey, do you have any advised for the short ranged squid? :)

 

[Spiderface]

I have some advice ^_^

I agree a lot with what EBJustin said.

- Ink Resistance man... run it! It makes carrying the rainmaker so much easier
- I always endorse swim speed up too just as a super useful ability

However- I wouldn't recommend entirely changing your build for rainmaker mode because depending on what you usually use it might be a little confusing. For example, I run a set that allows me to throw three burst bombs, but if I change one of my hats I can only throw two and it screws me up. So yeah I mean give it some real thought and try to come to a nice middle ground of what you're used to, and what will suit the mode.

Anyway, other ideas:. Unfortunately I can't offer much advice specifically for your weapons because I never use them and as a carbon my strategies might be niche but.... I used to only play rainmaker xD xD xD so...

- Don't feel like you need to be the first to pop the rainmaker. I dont' ever approach a game with a set strategy but as a general rule, I like to let the enemy pop the shield and then when they grab it jump in and splat them immediately. This is an easy way to get them one man down. If you're the kind of squid who charges their special quickly, even better - special them in the face when they try to advance.

- If your team is dead don't try to pop the shield alone unless your'e sure it's safe. Rather, find a place close by to hide that the enemy won't see and act as a human beakon. Then you can all pop it together and you'll probably have a lot more success.

- Also this might be obvious but if you're the only one left alive and they're about to take the lead I really endorse the kamizaxe strategy. I mean, ideally, don't die but if it comes down to it, you just have to stop them! Also don't just go in ALL GUNS A BLAZIN' if you don't have to. As an evil Carbon roller I find a tiny drop of ink to hide in, let the team pass first and then splat the rainmaker carrier as they pass because usually they're last. That also means that often you can splat some other of their team from behind when they're least expecting it.

- If you're all advancing together with the rainmaker but the person carrying is not the greatest (Hey it happens O_O) then don't put yourself in too much danger. If you can tell everyone is running to their doom and not going to acheive anything, seriously consider hanging back to again act as a human beakon. Because if your whole team gets wiped you are really really screwed. I don't think it's a good idea to hang back in most cases, but really sometimes the person carrying the rainmaker just goes straight towards certain destruction and as a good team mate cover their back if you can but if you know it's hopeless then ....

- Little charges of the rainmaker make for a quick progression if you're being chased and need to just take the lead by a few points.

- The rainmaker can be a fantastic weapon - if I'm carrying it and I know I'm being chased, I whip around and try to splat the squids in pursuit. Often it catches them off guard and I either trade or splat them. If you're using motion controls this is super doable =) Charge it as you turn and splat!

- If more than two of the enemy are dead, it's your time to shine! Pop the shield and race. Don't hesitate.

Oh and of course the ultimate safeguard, if the enemy have got it near to knockout but lose it, don't waste any time in grabbing it and jumping off the stage. It's a super annoying thing to do and a little cheap but if you want to win then...

 

[Ansible]

How often do you plan to carry the rainmaker or escort the rainmaker bearer in your matches, if at all? I'll probably hash out a longer post with some notes about that. Though some of it may be contradictory coming from someone who plays Rainmaker in the solo queue?

But other than that: play around in Rainmaker's Recon Mode whenever possible! Using Recon Mode is likely the single most important thing you can do in improving your Rainmaker game.

• Figure out the different routes a rainmaker bearer from either team would have to travel
• Figure out how the different routes are related, e.g. your team's longest route is the other team's shorest route and vice versa
• Find where the chokepoints are located and ways they can be manoeuvred around
• Find spots and routes where the bearer can be ambushed
• Find spots and routes where the bearer can take cover while awaiting teammates or stall for time
• Test how many hits it takes 'x' weapon to pop the rainmaker's bubble and how much it drains your tank
• Test how far 'x' weapon can reach from 'y' position
• Test the firing distance of the rainmaker from a given position

 

[Hoenn007]

If I do Rainmaker Mode, I always escort not carry.

 

[aceofscarabs]

Don't be afraid to break from the team and head to the far corner of the map if you know the enemy rainmaker bearer is headed the long way around. Ping the team as you head to intercept. This saved my bacon one round at Kelp Dome, where they snuck around their right flank and avoided the middle instead of trying to break through our push into their turf.

Full context: We were winning in the last few seconds, I was covering the rear to prevent sneaking ambush. The bearer gets hit, we go into Overtime as the enemy grabs it, but I sensed that the other three opponents were distracting the team while the enemy bearer made a break around the other corner, so I C'mon'd while splitting from the pack and rushed to the far corner. Was there in time to intercept and sidestepped their charged shot, clipping them with a burst that ended their bid for a comeback win.

 

[SyMag]

How to play Rainmaker, in my opinion, boils down to one question: are you an aggressive player, or a supportive one? I'm personally more focused on support roles, therefore I tend to play escort and all-around cleanup crew more than actually picking up the Rainmaker, which I almost never do unless it's absolutely necessary. So based on your own playstyle, decide what you think you'd be better at. And if you have friends to do squad battles with and you're at least an S-rank, you can practice Rainmaker without the fear of losing ranked points. Or do private battles if you're not that high a rank yet!

Another tip that people mentioned here: learn the maps inside and out! There are several ways to move the Rainmaker up in a match, shortcuts that can easily turn the tides of a match in no time at all, therefore having a knowledge of the maps and anticipating which way the other team is likely going to go are critical in both offensive abd defensive Rainmaker play.

Finally, going off what @aceofscarabs said, it's a good idea to not be in the same location as your teammates at all times. Putting all your troops in one location not only makes it easier for the other team to wipe you all out at once, but it makes their job of going around your defensive line much easier depending on the map (ex. I almost always guard the side chutes in Arowana Mall for this very reason). Now obviously this doesn't mean be on the other side of the map as your teammates; be close enough to them such that you can come to their aid if they get in trouble, but far enough away such that you can more easily keep your opponents in check. If you're not yet comfortable going solo like this, perhaps consider doing a buddy system where your team breaks off into two pairs--two heads are better than one!

I just woke up so I'm still groggy, but hopefully this helps you at least a little! I'll add more stuff later if I think of anything else

 

[Ansible]

From my perspective, my ideal escorts (oh my~) are the ones ensuring I do nothing. They pamper me and take care of my needs. I don't have to fight. I don't have to ink. I only have to run and swim to my heart's content, as far as possible, and little else. Teammates that accomplish this, even if it's just for one brief moment or only during the clutch when we finally get our crud together, I adore. And thus I try to do the same for any teammate that picks up the rainmaker.

When creating turf for your carrier, revert back to your turf war roots and ink like a n00b! Sling ink everywhere, as far as you can, however you can! Clever, experienced, and desperate carriers will be on the lookout for even the smallest drop of good ink in the most random and out of reach places then use it to propel them a little further. So use your kit to benefit them in whatever way possible, especially if you have a bubbler, kraken, inkzooka, or even bomb rush—just go ahead and tap "C'mon!/To Me!" and they should be able to take the hint and be ready for you to activate it.

Given that, your rainmaker bearer has a mind of their own. They will zig when you zag. They will ignore a path you lined with splash walls and instead crawl over glass and open concrete in squid form. They may notice something is up with a route you chose, or not, and go an entirely different direction. They may be standing in one spot plotting a brilliant strategy they're waiting to draft you in or just scratching their butt with the rainmaker. Get use to it...

But be willing to take a bullet for them and hope for the best while you respawn. Minding that, do not stick too close to the rainmaker bearer. Better one of you get splatted than both simultaneously. This will also keep you from blocking each other's shots or view. And keeping your distance also allows you to better react and scan your surroundings more clearly, because the most upsetting turnovers begin to happen when the bearer is waylaid from behind, the sides, below, and above. Also, distancing yourself just enough can get you ignored by the other team. Many wind up getting tunnel vision and reveal themselves as they chase or cutoff the rainmaker. Their greed or desperation makes them oblivious to your presence and vulnerable to pick off.

But when your carrier goes splat, decide if you want to move out in front to defend the bubble or fall back. If you fall back, flank and pick off your opponents as they reveal their locations when they attempt to pop the bubble.

I'm certain I'm forgetting a few things, and this is only based on my solo queue play, but I'm sure others will chime in with useful knowledge I've overlooked to share or have yet to encounter.

 

[aceofscarabs]

As a rainmaker bearer, I find that a well-tempered aggressive advance can be good at the right time. Instead of breaking though a defensive line, lure them out, splat them, then swim through before they respawn.