Splatoon 2 Critique My Gear

[Lonely_Dolphin]

Probs should just stay with the Inkline Parka with triple Bomb Defense. Nah 'cause the thing is when I use Glooga, I get splatted by splat bombs even if I'm far away from them and also 9 bomb defence ups decreases damage from Burst Bombs which I sorely dislike
I guess I could use the with mains and 3 subs (Ink Saver Sub is the common ability for Firefin) as I already have the with quad
Swap both ?

Well it should go without saying that knowing exactly how much damage you're taking from each hit is very helpful, so I would take the time to do damage calcs even if you don't want to change the amount of bomb defense you're using. This page is uber useful: https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Bomb_Defense_Up

 

[ThatOneGuy]

Ive been playing rapid blaster and this is the kit ive been using

https://loadout.ink/en-us/#04050f3ad6b625a1081708421

Hi Bears, this seems like a pretty good build. But I think there's too much ink saver main investment.

Just because you get 18 shots from a pure, and for just a main, you get 16 shots. I don't 2 extra shots is worth the investment. Just take out the subs on the shoes and put them for swim speed. Just because being able to strafe into indirect spacing is valuable on the rapid blaster.

Other than that, it looks pretty good. Ink resistance for up close fights (and the rapid doesn't paint super well). Special charge for quicker bomb rushes (you definitely want this). Main saver, while I'm not the biggest fan of it, I can see it's uses for the rapid blaster (more shots for harassment).

Overall pretty good build, just a bit too much focus on the main saver.

 

[MotorGamer]

I want to use these sets for my main weapons, what do you think ?

View attachment 6165View attachment 6163 View attachment 6164

Slosher: (Shirt is supposed to be the Takoroka Nylon Vintage but since loadout.ink hasn't updated for 10 years, I had to go for the closest I could get)

I feel like you don’t need that much special power up, Ink Storm is one of the worse specials to use Special Power On IMO, maybe use Swim Speed.

 

[Mar$el]

I feel like you don’t need that much special power up, Ink Storm is one of the worse specials to use Special Power On IMO, maybe use Swim Speed.

Lol that's right this thread exists. I ditched it for a bit but now seeing someone with an e4ks build yo wassup. For one thing, ditch the special power up entirely. Second, you really don't need that much special charge bc it's already 170p for special and you need other abilities that I'll get into a bit. Third, its best to get into the habit of running no ism on any charger to help you get into the habit of smart shooting. Shoot to kill, not because you have a full charge. This helps your play for many reason, including saving ink. Thus, you won't be needing ism. I will say that the one thing every charger should have is swim speed. I would also recommend a sub or two of qsj for jumping out of trouble. Tenacity is also a good investment. Here's my e4ks build for reference. Not everyone likes or understands haunt but I like it.

 

[ϛ(°³°)/`]

Lol that's right this thread exists. I ditched it for a bit but now seeing someone with an e4ks build yo wassup. For one thing, ditch the special power up entirely. Second, you really don't need that much special charge bc it's already 170p for special and you need other abilities that I'll get into a bit. Third, its best to get into the habit of running no ism on any charger to help you get into the habit of smart shooting. Shoot to kill, not because you have a full charge. This helps your play for many reason, including saving ink. Thus, you won't be needing ism. I will say that the one thing every charger should have is swim speed. I would also recommend a sub or two of qsj for jumping out of trouble. Tenacity is also a good investment. Here's my e4ks build for reference. Not everyone likes or understands haunt but I like it.

What value does Haunt have for backliners? Does it make it easier to regain your perch once you’ve been flanked and splatted by a short range player?

EDIT: I wanted to include some Ballpoint builds I've been toying with for anyone to comment on. I want to like this weapon, but for the time being I am absolute steaming trash. -mostly because of the Inkjet.

Spoiler: Vanilla Ballpoint

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Nothing special here - my typical short range weapon build whenever I decide to use those (almost never). The 2x run speed is sort of my limit for the Ballpoint. It has unquestionably the best mobility of all Splatlings at a flat 96% during the entire charging phase (it actually moves faster while charging than shooting, so if I have to backpedal or approach while shooting long-range, I'll do most of the moving in the charging animation). The 2x swim speed is to counteract Ninja Squid and provide some additional mobility to reposition when necessary. Unlike the Hydra, I'd want to run around painting mid when it's safe, and finding a new tricky position to fire at long range when I can. Comeback is included because, as a shorter range weapon that gets in the fray a lot, I'll be expecting to die frequently and the buffs to help get back in and reclaim mid. Ninja Squid is included for my own personal benefit; I'm not very aware of my surroundings and I get flanked frequently. Ninja Squid helps me reposition after being pressured so that I can hopefully get a better angle on people that try to rush me.

Spoiler: Ballpoint Nouveau (Datamine Spoilers)

This set is experimental, and runs with the current datamine of Beakons/Splashdown.

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The general idea was to remove Ninja Squid and 1x main of Swim Speed to free up 2 mains at the cost of stealth. I haven't crunched the numbers, but I'm running under the generalization that Ninja Squid removes ~1 main of Swim Speed from my total, so NS+2 mains is roughly equal to 1 main with no NS. One of the mains is reallocated to Sub Power Up to make Beakons more valuable for me and my team, and the shoe subs I'm not sure of at all. The Quick Super Jump is mostly just to escape bad situations by jumping to spawn, then picking a better spot in my Beakons or a well-positioned teammate if they're at the objective.

For both Splatlings, I can sub in Object Shredder/3X run speed boots for Rainmaker; the low range mode tears through that shield pretty well:

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On the Nouveau I'll probably want to maintain in the Clothing main slot, but for the vanilla I'm not sure. In both cases I won't be picking up the Rainmaker much, so stacking swim speed isn't essential. If I decide that it would work better, I can sub out the Object Shredder for more Swim Speed.

My biggest gripe with all of the builds I've provided is the lack of ink management. Sure, people will say things to the effect of "In higher tier play, you won't want to run Ink Saver Main or Ink Recovery; you should just manage your shots better." and while that's true, I think the Ballpoint benefits a little from being able to sustain fire. In short range mode to cover mid more effectively, and in long range mode it'll let you sustain fire and keep up pressure for longer. There's far too many times I've run out of ink at the worst moment with this weapon.

 

[Damp Waffle]

This build got me from S+6 to S+9 in Splat Zones, but I want to see if it could be improved.

 

[MotorGamer]

This build got me from S+6 to S+9 in Splat Zones, but I want to see if it could be improved.

I would get rid of the Quick Super Jump, Bomb Defense, and Sub Saver, more Swim Speed and Run Speed!

 

[ϛ(°³°)/`]

I would get rid of the Quick Super Jump, Bomb Defense, and Sub Saver, more Swim Speed and Run Speed!

The run speed looks fine, but with Ninja Squid I agree that you’ll want more swim speed to counteract the penalty it confers. I think the sub of bomb defence is a fine idea on any build, but I might replace the 2 subs of ISM for the swim speed you’re looking for, and maaaaybe replace the sub of Ink Saver Sub with another QSJ. That’s up to you; the returns on that one ISS sub are pretty good.

 

[Damp Waffle]

The run speed looks fine, but with Ninja Squid I agree that you’ll want more swim speed to counteract the penalty it confers. I think the sub of bomb defence is a fine idea on any build, but I might replace the 2 subs of ISM for the swim speed you’re looking for, and maaaaybe replace the sub of Ink Saver Sub with another QSJ. That’s up to you; the returns on that one ISS sub are pretty good.

I don't know if I can part with the ISMs since the most common way I die is by running out of ink during 1v1s. But I think replacing the ISS is probably the best way to go because it gives me the smallest buff on one sub compared to Bomb Defense, QSJ, and Swim Speed (one more sub with this build will put me at the normal swim speed for middleweight weapons).

 

[ϛ(°³°)/`]

I don't know if I can part with the ISMs since the most common way I die is by running out of ink during 1v1s. But I think replacing the ISS is probably the best way to go because it gives me the smallest buff on one sub compared to Bomb Defense, QSJ, and Swim Speed (one more sub with this build will put me at the normal swim speed for middleweight weapons).

I hear people arguing that at higher level play, ink management is a behavioural pattern and you shouldn’t need perks to assist you - they should be allocated to other things. That being said, I still run one main on my Hydra build, and I’m leaning towards using some with the Ballpoint as well. I just don’t think I can spare anything in the gear set as it is.

 

[Autmism]

https://loadout.ink/#00040e790a136a10a195290a1
So, I'm trying to make a loadout built around the stats of the tentatek splattershot. I'm decent at getting to the middle of the map, amubushing people, and helping wigh pushes/finishing someone off. I struggle a bit with positioning and sometimes I lack spacial awareness. I hope that you all have reccomendations on a loadout for me.

 

[ϛ(°³°)/`]

https://loadout.ink/#00040e790a136a10a195290a1
So, I'm trying to make a loadout built around the stats of the tentatek splattershot. I'm decent at getting to the middle of the map, amubushing people, and helping wigh pushes/finishing someone off. I struggle a bit with positioning and sometimes I lack spacial awareness. I hope that you all have reccomendations on a loadout for me.

The Splattershots are generally played as extremely mobile weapons, so if you also plan on using Ninja Squid, which isn't a bad thing, I recommend at least 2 main equivalents of Swim Speed. The one main of Run Speed you're using is a fine choice though.

Opening Gambit is questionable; while it does crank up your mobility a lot, it becomes dead weight after 30 seconds whereas a different ability can provide you more consistent benefits throughout the match. Opening Gambit may have some more niche uses in a coordinated team. I can see that you're trying to mitigate some of the swim speed penalty with Opening Gambit, but when you think about it, it's pretty obvious where you are during the initial rush to mid because on the map, there's a thin streak of ink coming from your spawn. Ninja Squid plays a bigger role in the later game when you have a lot more ink on the ground and can move freely.

I don't think you'll need Ink Saver Main on this weapon; it isn't inefficient enough to warrant that, and you shouldn't be firing continuously for long periods of time. -You'll be on the front lines, and that makes you an extremely easy target for backliners like myself. Ink Saver Sub wouldn't really be a good substitute for this either; a lot of people like running it because it lets you spam bombs better, but the Burst Bomb is already spammy enough and it has more of a use on Suction and Splat Bombs. If you're looking for an efficiency perk, consider some Ink Recovery to support both main and sub weapons (again, mobility will help you more than ink efficiency on this weapon).

Comeback is a fan favourite of mine on close range weapons because of the buffs you receive after being splatted: it provides you with 1 main of for 20 seconds, and chances are you'll die frequently with the Splattershot. To make the best use out of Comeback, you may want to consider Stealth Jump and a bit of Quick Super Jump, which also lets you escape bad situations much better by cutting off the initial lag between selecting a location and leaving the ground. Lastly, on almost any weapon, I recommend one sub of Bomb Defence - this lets you survive two near-misses with Tenta Missiles and Inkjet, each dealing 50.0 damage at a base level.

Here's what I would run:

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or

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[Autmism]

The Splattershots are generally played as extremely mobile weapons, so if you also plan on using Ninja Squid, which isn't a bad thing, I recommend at least 2 main equivalents of Swim Speed. The one main of Run Speed you're using is a fine choice though.

Opening Gambit is questionable; while it does crank up your mobility a lot, it becomes dead weight after 30 seconds whereas a different ability can provide you more consistent benefits throughout the match. Opening Gambit may have some more niche uses in a coordinated team. I can see that you're trying to mitigate some of the swim speed penalty with Opening Gambit, but when you think about it, it's pretty obvious where you are during the initial rush to mid because on the map, there's a thin streak of ink coming from your spawn. Ninja Squid plays a bigger role in the later game when you have a lot more ink on the ground and can move freely.

I don't think you'll need Ink Saver Main on this weapon; it isn't inefficient enough to warrant that, and you shouldn't be firing continuously for long periods of time. -You'll be on the front lines, and that makes you an extremely easy target for backliners like myself. Ink Saver Sub wouldn't really be a good substitute for this either; a lot of people like running it because it lets you spam bombs better, but the Burst Bomb is already spammy enough and it has more of a use on Suction and Splat Bombs. If you're looking for an efficiency perk, consider some Ink Recovery to support both main and sub weapons (again, mobility will help you more than ink efficiency on this weapon).

Comeback is a fan favourite of mine on close range weapons because of the buffs you receive after being splatted: it provides you with 1 main of for 20 seconds, and chances are you'll die frequently with the Splattershot. To make the best use out of Comeback, you may want to consider Stealth Jump and a bit of Quick Super Jump, which also lets you escape bad situations much better by cutting off the initial lag between selecting a location and leaving the ground. Lastly, on almost any weapon, I recommend one sub of Bomb Defence - this lets you survive two near-misses with Tenta Missiles and Inkjet, each dealing 50.0 damage at a base level.

Here's what I would run:

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or

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Thanks for the feed back! Info like this helpful cause I've just recently tried to take comp splatoon seriously. I will look into using these abilities to what I prefer(I got alot of chunk farming to do during this splatfest as usual).

 

[Autmism]

Hecc I typed up a reply but it didn't send. Anyways, thanks for the advice! I gotta grind for swim speed up chunks this splatfest.

Edit: couldn't see my prior response. I am being dumb please don't mind me.

 

[Mar$el]

For reference, here's my ttek build.

If QR isn't your jam, I get it, and I would run some swim speed and throw in a sub of bomb def. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend run speed on a ttek, and a sub of special saver should be higher priority than a sub of bomb defence. The effects of 1-2 subs of special saver is very powerful and would recommend it on like every weapon (except a splashdown or maybe missiles weapon). Anyways, yeah. I like QR for frontliners.

 

[Autmism]

https://loadout.ink/#00040e790a136a10a195290a1
So, I'm trying to make a loadout built around the stats of the tentatek splattershot. I'm decent at getting to the middle of the map, amubushing people, and helping wigh pushes/finishing someone off. I struggle a bit with positioning and sometimes I lack spacial awareness. I hope that you all have reccomendations on a loadout for me.

(EDIT: THIS SUPER COOL DUDE AT GAMESTOP SAVED MY CONSOLE IGNORE ME SORRY)Well, damn. Looks like this ain't gonna happen. I love all the support and I was hypec to try comp, but there's a problem. My switch is breaking, so I have to get a new one, and you know what that means; good bye data. It was a nice week being on this forum, but it would seem that it's moot. Thanks for the gear critique and I hope you al. have a good day.

 

[Enperry]

https://loadout.ink/en-us/#0805000a108000a10800218c6

Rate my gear

 

[ϛ(°³°)/`]

https://loadout.ink/en-us/#0805000a108000a10800218c6

Rate my gear

I know you get tunneled a lot as a Hydra, what with Stingrays and Tenta Missiles... I can assure you that I know.


...But you do not need that much Bomb Defence; I only run one sub to counter Inkjet and Missiles. Also I'm not sure if this is for the Hydra or the Custom Hydra, because there's honestly no reason for you to use the vanilla over the custom in my opinion - the Custom highlights its role as a backliner infinitely better.

Going back to the gear, however, I also don't think you need that many Ink Saver Mains; I would instead substitute one main for a main of Ink Recovery just to balance out perks and ensure that you are receiving the highest return for your abilities. The Run Speed main is fine by me, as every Splatling does benefit from some mobility. -The Ballpoint, Mini, and Heavy all warrant 2x mains of Run Speed, but you can get away with 1x or less on the Hydras because it's more perch-oriented, but it really depends on how you play the weapon. I also don't feel like QSJ is necessary at all, because most of the time it'll be your team dying and jumping back to you, and if you do manage to die, the worst thing a backliner can do, then you won't want to jump back to teammates as they'll typically be in the heat of battle anyway. Speaking of being the last one alive, Tenacity finds great use on backliners, so consider that as well.

Here's what I run for the Custom Hydra (With the Neo Octoling Boots). The Special Charge is a no-brainer with Ink Armour, but Tenacity gets an honourable mention. I should honestly run both and scrap the Swim Speed, but the extra repositioning mobility really does help this weapon, otherwise you move unnecessarily slow. I also like to run Object Shredder because the CHydra is my go-to Splat Zones weapon and people just love their Bubble Blower in that mode. It's also nice for getting rid of Ballers that try to push straight into you. On occasion, I also run Respawn Punisher if I feel like the map doesn't let people flank me very easily, such as in Ancho V Games; you should only run Respawn Punisher if you get a K/D over 3/2, which if you're using this weapon, I should certainly hope you're getting (honestly 3/1 because your "lives" are more valuable than your typical front-liner, but use your discretion). Lastly I have had some success with Thermal Ink, but given that the Hydra reliably kills at max range with a full charge and 3HKO, it's less necessary. On the Ballpoint, I'd insist on it.

 

[Zybymier]

Hey, I'm looking for some gear for the Ballpoint splatling. here's what I have right now:

I usually play as a semi-aggressive backliner, keeping away from the main fight. Any suggestions?
(the shirt is the only RSU shirt I have with 3 abilities on it, so I will probably change this to Special charge up)

 

[ϛ(°³°)/`]

Hey, I'm looking for some gear for the Ballpoint splatling. here's what I have right now:

View attachment 6620
I usually play as a semi-aggressive backliner, keeping away from the main fight. Any suggestions?
(the shirt is the only RSU shirt I have with 3 abilities on it, so I will probably change this to Special charge up)

Two Splatling critiques in as many days? It feels like Christmas.

Spoiler: Background, advantages, and disadvantages

The Ballpoint is a very difficult weapon, because it doesn't seem to fir much of a single role and yet it has the charge mechanic hindering it from being a good flex-role. The good news is that it has a crazy number of advantages going for it:

• It fires faster than an Aerospray and arguably paints better in its short range mode, firing at 20 bullets per second. Compare this to an Aerospray and all other Splatlings, at 15 bullets per second.
• It transitions to a mode that's approximately equal to a Hydra, while maintaining the mobility that a Hydra could only dream of.
• Unlike all other Splatlings, the Ballpoint's running mobility does not drop the more you charge it; it stays at 96% base mobility for its entire charge duration, and I believe it stays there during low-range mode. It does drop in mobility while firing in long-range mode.
• It can begin charging again whenever it wants, pausing its firing while it does so. Clearly this is used to remain in your firing mode of choice.
• People like to argue that it takes so damn long to reach long-range mode - that you have to fire a full... 0.5 seconds/10 bullets/quarter ring before switching to it. The reality of the situation is that you need to compare the time it takes all other Splatlings to charge the initial 1 ring, because only then will they be firing at their max range, and it's quite a lot. Referring back to the parameter data, a Hydra needs to charge for 120 frames before achieving its first ring and therefore max range. The Ballpoint's parameters are actually very difficult to read, but to compare you would need to determine how long it would take to charge... maybe 3/8 of a ring. That would be enough charge to launch 1/4 ring at short range and at least 4 bullets at long range for a splat. My assumption is that it's less than 2 seconds.
• The Ballpoint has no jump height penalty at any time, while others receive a penalty while charging.

As for disadvantages, I'd say:

• The almost-perfect accuracy in long-range mode is actually more of a disadvantage. Most Splatlings paint around your opponent to hinder their movements, making the last few bullets easy to land. The Ballpoint doesn't do this, either paint well OR shoot around them, meaning you'll need to lead your shots extremely well.
• The high learning curve makes this weapon very user-unfriendly.
• When this weapon runs our of ink, you are screwed. It used to be that you could run out of ink and continue charging pretty damn effectively, letting you stay in long-range mode without ever really needing to submerge and recover. This was not only removed, but nerfed into the ground.
• You really cannot charge this weapon in the air - it's so much worse than all Chargers and other Splatlings. This leaves you perpetually grounded, and you generally do not want to jumping around while firing with this weapon either; you're more mobile just running.
• Surprisingly it's not as ink efficient as people make it out to be.
• In long-range mode, your rate of fire drops to 12 bullets per second, equal to that of a Jr.

I usually play the Ballpoint as a more mobile Hydra, being able to reposition constantly and paint the map as a Jr. whenever possible but only going for kills at long-range. Short-range kills only occur if I know I can edge around a corner and smack them as they prepare to round it themselves.

In Splatoon, almost all weapons benefit from the element of surprise and some stealth to get the jump on people or hit them at angles whey can't retaliate from. Splatlings seem to be an exception to this, because even if you are able to pop out unexpectedly you still have the charge mechanic to deal with. Instead, Splatlings seem to thrive in an environment where everyone knows where you are, and in return you need to have the awareness of knowing where they are too. As a Ballpoint, your position will almost always be known and it's not because you hang back and stay in a perch, but because there's always something for you to do. You should be advancing with the objective and take a position that'll let you pop opposing Chargers or people that are hiding nearby to provide jumps for their team.

I have a lot to say about the Ballpoint, but it's like 75% theorycrafting and 25% practice, so take it with a grain of salt.

My Ballpoint build begins with 2x mains of Run Speed and 1x main of Swim Speed as a general mobility requirement. From there I can branch out and apply anything that may be necessary for the map and mode in question:

• For Rainmaker I like to use Object Shredder, because the short-range mode shreds through the Rainmaker Shield very well as it is, and applying an additional 10% puts it at a level comparable to dodge rolled Dualies, but not quite there because you have to stop firing to charge and maintain your firing mode.
• For maps with a lot of barricades to hide around, Thermal Ink is extremely useful, especially because of long-range's slower rate of fire.
• If you prefer to amplify your Inkjet, I genuinely recommend 1 main of Special Power Up, and the more contentious Drop Roller. Most weapons can defend themselves well if they get jumped coming out of an Inkjet, but as usual the Ballpoint has that charge mechanic. Drop Roller gets you out of the fray a little bit and pumps up your mobility and ink resistance to really move.
• Comback is for modes where you get splatted more frequently. In TC and RM, you can play more like a close-range weapon and get yourself splatted a lot to push the objective and stay near it to defend. Comeback mitigates some of the problems associated with getting splatted.

If you have abilities to spare, I recommend Ink Saver Main to maintain long-range pressure for a longer time, or Ink Recovery to balance your sub-weapon use as well.

Lastly, I'm not sure what your purpose of QSJ is. If it's to remove most of the delay in jumping, making for easier getaways, I'd recommend 1 or 2 subs at most. The third sub can be applied to Bomb Defence to survive an extra Inkjet hit or Tenta Missiles splash.