CuteFish's COMPETITVE Weapon Tier List: Based on Tournaments

[Friendan]

Too high:
1. Jet Squelcher

It has very far range and a fairly decent ttk, ink wall is good while inkstrike is situational.

Too low:
1. Gold Dynamo
2. Slosher
3. Luna Blaster
4. Octobrush

The Dynamo roller's main weakness is the time it takes to start up. Getting up close to them while circle strafing can usually get rid of them, as they have a cone of fire. The slosher is decent, the time it takes for the ink to come out of squid form is atrocious for how fast it comes it, I just see it being outclassed by shooters. Still very much viable though. The Luna Blaster has so many weaknesses that can be exploited easily, by either circle strafing or backing up, meaning that you have to be a perfect distance in order to be effective. The octobrush is good where it's at, it would be better (still not A tier) if it has a better sub/special.[/QUOTE]

 

[Misery]

Lol, man, no Heavy Splatling love? I'll admit that inkstrike is less than stellar, but I feel like the range, power and splash wall are enough to warrant a little more viability than that of a good chunk of the C tier weapons. Though, this is also a very generic (no sub ranks) tier list. Perhaps there just isn't much showing what it may be capable of. I know it's not the best weapon in the game, far from it, but I don't feel it's that low, perhaps that's me however. I just feel like it's a pretty good weapon in Rainmaker and Splatzones (I am not fond of tower control), as well as turf wars.

Yeah, I've had this thought as well.

Though, even I, as one that uses the Heavy Splatling more than anything else, wouldnt put it TOO high.... because it has the Inkstrike, which I find to be SO bad that, most of the time, I wont waste time firing it. That's time I could be using to do.... absolutely anything else. If I fire the accursed thing, it's either A: accidental, which happens frequently, or B: in Turf War, with exactly 7 seconds remaining. I'm guessing the horrid thing might be decent in Splat Zones, but I dont play that mode. The moment another version of the Heavy Splatling comes out... with any other special... I probably will drop the current one completely.

Though, my own thoughts on tier lists remain the same as always: you dont HAVE to abide by them. You should always use what works best for YOU. Even on a team; discuss it with your teammates, and try things out.

Now granted, this isnt my usual genre, and I get these thoughts mostly from fighting games; one thing I've noticed when playing against pro-level players is that they never... ever.... EVER experiment or try things on their own. It's all data and numbers that make their strategies and decisions into what they are. In that genre.... to me at least... this makes them more, ah, vulnerable. That may be different in this genre though; I've no idea how the highest-level players think in this genre. But in fighters at least, my own findings is that the tiers mean a whole lot of nothing, aside from which characters I'm most likely to face often. I just do my own damn thing, and will often make a point of using very low tier characters to defeat pro-level opponents, just because I get tired of hearing about the blasted tiers.

I havent really cared much about tier lists in this game either so far. I find it interesting to see where things lie, but as usual.... I'll continue to do things my way. Of course, unlike fighters this is a team game, but still, I'll bloody well do it anyway.

 

[Shroomsy]

Splatling's Inkstrike is actually amazing in RM and SZ, the last thing it does is hold the weapon back. I can't tell you how many near-loss comebacks and successful knockout pushes i've cemented in RM squads because of a well-timed inkstrike+full charge forcing people out of a favorable defensive position. Being able to dump an entire splatzone's worth of coverage from almost-charger range is no joke, and the splatling holds that capability exclusively.

Putting a weapon with that kind of niche in the same tier as garbage like the custom SSJ and default inkbrush is a joke lol. Fine if this is intended to be exclusively usage-based but ridiculous otherwise.

 

[flc]

3) Clarification needed: I'm not sure what "wallhacks" mean in this context. Could someone explain, because they definitely aren't referring to the same thing they have in CoD etc.

echolocator functions in the same way as wallhacks in any other fps game. people are still not understanding that echolocator is ridiculous and that cold blooded is mandatory, so I've started calling it wallhacks in the hope that people will understand just how overpowered echo is

Dynamo is the best supportive weapon in the game due to ink spread, echo every 10-20 seconds, and kill potential. I literally solo'd teams in Ink or Sink and SDS can confirm that.

But apparently it's the same as using an N-Zap. Carry on.

my issue with dynamos isn't that they're bad at supporting, because they're clearly not. it's that they're too easy to shut down with chargers and whatnot. even if the ink coverage is good and the echos are frequent, you have a weapon that has serious drawbacks to its use in a team of four. the cost of using it over, say, a forge (which can defend itself and can fill a similar supportive role with point sensors) or a regular 96 (which has instagib potential at a similar range, but without the >1 second gap for people to wreck your ****) is, in my opinion, far too high. I'll happily reverse my position if you prove me wrong in tournaments against top teams a couple months from now.

flc thinks gattling is top kek b/c quote "walls are broken, they are op, and this weapon paints wall good."

That doesn't make a weapon good.

You can also stop saying krak-on is bad, b/c you don't personally do well against it. We get it, you dont like the weapon. That doesn't make it bad.

see if you were relevant I wouldn't be able to just dismiss you for not backing up what you say. I'd instead have to ask for your reasoning behind what I'm sure are carefully deliberated and reasoned perspectives.

krak-on is a low skill floor, pubstomp weapon that does little to nothing to contribute to a teamfight and gets shut down by literally every top tier weapon except the tentatek. gatling is a high skill floor, higher skill ceiling, team-oriented weapon that sucks **** in pubs but does much better when a team is built around it. you saying "nuh-uh!" every time I make my arguments (which has yet to change on account of people like you not offering counter-points) isn't exactly convincing people of anything.

Can you go into further detail on how it beats walls? I play mostly splatling and the gals equipped with them always give me the most trouble of any weapon (besides competent e-liters).

has very high dps and outranges all wall users, plus has a wall of its own to make shredding walls safer, and has enough fire time to shred a full health wall and then kill the guy behind it if he sticks around. basically you win situations where it's you and a wall vs someone else with a wall. also has a very fast ttk at long range given pre-charge (which it always should be doing). it's hard to use, but that's not what tier lists are for measuring.

 

[Chhipz]

It has very far range and a fairly decent ttk, ink wall is good while inkstrike is situational.

The Dynamo roller's main weakness is the time it takes to start up. Getting up close to them while circle strafing can usually get rid of them, as they have a cone of fire. The slosher is decent, the time it takes for the ink to come out of squid form is atrocious for how fast it comes it, I just see it being outclassed by shooters. Still very much viable though. The Luna Blaster has so many weaknesses that can be exploited easily, by either circle strafing or backing up, meaning that you have to be a perfect distance in order to be effective. The octobrush is good where it's at, it would be better (still not A tier) if it has a better sub/special.

[/QUOTE]

1. The 96 gal does virtually the same job as the Jet Squelcher with much less TTK. In addition to the 96's Splash Wall, it also has Kraken instead of Ink Strike which is more useful. The Jet Squelcher does outrange it though, but in most scenarios that slight range advantage won't play a significant factor.

2. Dynamo has a slow wind-up, and certain stats look bad on paper, but this thing can be quite destructive in the right hands. It's like throwing a massive blanket of ink on people that kills them in one it. It's ink coverage and range provide safe zoning and kill threat. Jumping while flicking it helps stay alive and make people miss shots. Not only that, but it can easily kill multiple people in one flick due to its wide range. Think of it similar to a blaster with a much wider hitbox. I feel that it has a lot of strengths that make up for its slower wind-up.

3. Slosher has surprising range (a bit more than tentatek, and a bit less than a dual squelcher), good TTK (I dont remember the exact stats), great ink coverage, and hits people over obstacles. Burst bombs are a great sub although doesnt really add much to the kit, and neither does Ink Strike. Its sub and special abilities do hold it back a bit but the weapon itself is solid.

4. Luna Blaster is more of a niche pick due to its lack of range, but in close range and around the wall/ obstacle scenarios, this weapon shines with its quick fire. Even if you miss the first shot but hit them with the "pop", you can get the second one out and at least get a trade during a gunfight. Ink mine isn't the best sub, but Inkzooka definitely makes up for that and its lack of range.

5. Octobrush is very similar to the Carbon Roller. They should be ranked the same honestly. It has more range and with a few damage ups it kills pretty fast too. Wide swing/ inking area. Yes it doesn't have the burst bombs to hit people out of range, but it has a faster escape and has utility with beacons.

 

[Phobos]

Apparently my favourite weapon (Neo Splash) is one of the worst in the game! Oh well.

 

[StaffofSmashing]

I feel the Custom Squelcher, despite being my main, shouldn't be as high as it is. While it has good range, it has horrendous TTK and a melee sub. Burst Bombs are nice if you have ink resistance, but still, it isn't super cut-out

The Kraken Roller sucks. I'm just gonna quote FLC here as he said in his A+ Ranked Strategy Guide

"The Maximum Range the Krak-On Roller can engage from is the flick, meaning that if you outrange it you win"

(may not be direct)

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Splatling's Inkstrike is actually amazing in RM and SZ, the last thing it does is hold the weapon back. I can't tell you how many near-loss comebacks and successful knockout pushes i've cemented in RM squads because of a well-timed inkstrike+full charge forcing people out of a favorable defensive position. Being able to dump an entire splatzone's worth of coverage from almost-charger range is no joke, and the splatling holds that capability exclusively.

Putting a weapon with that kind of niche in the same tier as garbage like the custom SSJ and default inkbrush is a joke lol. Fine if this is intended to be exclusively usage-based but ridiculous otherwise.

I'll agree it can help with a push, but if there's anything this weapon needs more than inkstrike, it's something for close quarters. You can never go wrong with having that trump card. Splash Walls can't cover every angle, and depending on your teammates to keep your point safe is unreliable at times, which is why I said it's "less than stellar", I'll admit it's not the worst special for it to have, but it's not the best either. I see why it isn't A tier, but I do feel mid C tier would be too low. However, as expressed above, this is too generic to really dig into it anyways, and it's largely usage and opinion based (not that that is a bad thing). I use Inkstrikes the same way in RM, and I'll admit it's very useful, but I honestly feel as though a Kraken or Bubbler would be far more helpful. Also, as far as the inkstrikes coverage, I honestly feel it's a bit inconsistent. There have been times where I shoot off an inkstrike in splatzones and even though it's directly in the middle of the splatzone, it just doesn't stop the counter. Maybe that's playing into my thoughts on inkstirke, but it's done that far more often than I feel it should.

 

[SquiddiamFancyson]

I agree that this is probably the closest to accurate tier list we've had so far, if we're going to actually make one for Splatoon. Saying that, all previous ones got unanimously dismissed so I'm confused as to why this is an exception, especially as the game is very young and there's also not been many tournaments. Squid Squad are the only team consistently bodying atm, and that could be player skill as opposed to weapon potency.

Anyway, I disagree with the Luna placement in particular. There's a lot of sneaky stuff you can do with it, primarily abusing terrain so that you can 2 shot with splash damage whilst remaining safe from counterattack (and people that have played me can attest to this being a fairly common thing and not a niche situation). The hurt box not caring about corners is brilliant and means in a lot of cases all players can do is retreat if you position yourself correctly. However, again cause of the radius, it's fairly easy to aim the second shot where the enemy intends to retreat and clip them for the KO.

This is all assuming you can't get a direct hit, which of course one shots and is therefore impossible to react to. It blows up the rainmaker shield in 3-4 hits, it forces people off the tower, and it only got stronger with the addition of flounder heights. Admittedly, the range is a huge issue against competent players that don't allow you to get in and therefore it's not great standalone, however in a coordinated squad it's fantastic. Also, when the neo comes out I expect it to rise fairly high as that will mitigate the only issue the Luna has which is long range pressure. It will also make the Luna viable in zones, which is by far its weakest mode currently.

There's a couple of other placements I'm iffy on (like the Dynamo being B instead of A and the Dual being S instead of A) but I'm not experienced enough with those to comment. Fairly nice start to a tier list though. I think we're all learning fairly quickly how dumb splash walls are.

 

[Hinichii.ez.™]

I have explained to you and others here in the past, why I think the Krak-on Roller set is good, many times. I find it fruitless, to regurgitate it over and over. I think more people in this thread, agree that the Krak-on Roller is a respectable weapon, rather than the opposite. AFAIK, aside from flc, his team, and people who frequently visit his stream, there isn't an abondance of people who think the Krak-on Roller set is bad.

 

[Njok]

The only thing that bothers me a bit is the claim of this being based on "the best teams". SS-S has crushed pretty much every tourney so far so yeah i can see that, but the other 3 that are mentioned seem to be based on 1 tournament alone. It's the top 4 of the Booyah Base tourney. I'm wondering why those would count more then for example KC, IM1 and SS-C who all came pretty far in Ink or Sink, with the last one even still in it (unless i missed a match).

I don't know those teams well enough to say if that would change this list in any way, but it's just odd to me that a tournament tier list is being made on this sample.

 

[Citrus]

Imperious usually goes with 96 decos, 52s, elitre scopes, and most of the rest of your S Tier, if you are wondering

 

[Hitzel]

Apparently my favourite weapon (Neo Splash) is one of the worst in the game! Oh well.

Nah, in the long run the Neo Splash is A-tier IMO. It's not being used in tournaments atm, and flc doesn't thnk Burst Bombs are as good as I do, so you probably won't hear it from cutefish or flc, but I believe it is. With Bomb Range and a bit of Damage Up, it's close to optimal. You can even fit a decent amount of quick respawn in there.

Let's all remember though, this thread is about an NA tourney scene tier list, not a "omg y isn't my main top tier i do well with it" thread. We need to keep it in context, myself included.

 

[Agosta44]

my issue with dynamos isn't that they're bad at supporting, because they're clearly not. it's that they're too easy to shut down with chargers and whatnot. even if the ink coverage is good and the echos are frequent, you have a weapon that has serious drawbacks to its use in a team of four. the cost of using it over, say, a forge (which can defend itself and can fill a similar supportive role with point sensors) or a regular 96 (which has instagib potential at a similar range, but without the >1 second gap for people to wreck your ****) is, in my opinion, far too high. I'll happily reverse my position if you prove me wrong in tournaments against top teams a couple months from now.

Chargers can shut down anyone to be fair. We could make a similar argument that Splash Walls are bad because you can be killed during setup. You can counteract Chargers to an extent as well with defense up. I've done testing and it's actually hilarious the amount of chargers that **** their pants when a half charge didn't kill and wind up dead. It does have a glaring weakness against certain weapons, but it's at the advantage against many weapons as well (basically anything that doesn't outrange it, and that's if the other gun is shooting first). I'm not ignoring the problems it has, but the amount you can do with the weapon is just too much to shrug off. People are welcome to their opinions, and I plan on playing whatever tournaments I can play in.

 

[Box]

I think the more nuanced debate about Splatlings/Dynamos etc reveal the fact that a tier list like this doesn't tell the whole story. You've got multiple modes and maps on which viability of different weapons changes. At the same time, several map/mode combinations are underdeveloped.

I actually think the Splattershot Pro is a very strong weapon kit, but I understand its viability is limited to gametypes where you want an Inkstrike and that's not necessarily a long list. On the other side I feel like the NZap fits nowhere because it's outclassed on one side by the Tentatek and on the other side by the Dual Squelcher.


I agree that it helps to define what the tiers actually mean. Something like the following allows us to discuss tier placements more specifically.

S = Mandatory in almost all gametypes
A = Viable in many gametypes
B = Viable in few gametypes
C = Not Viable

Without a clear definition, people are more likely to rate weapons based on their gut-feel about how strong it is. A definition asks you to think about how it actually fits into the meta.

 

[Friendan]

Nah, in the long run the Neo Splash is A-tier IMO. It's not being used in tournaments atm, and flc doesn't thnk Burst Bombs are as good as I do, so you probably won't hear it from cutefish or flc, but I believe it is. With Bomb Range and a bit of Damage Up, it's close to optimal. You can even fit a decent amount of quick respawn in there.

There really isn't a reason to have burst bombs for the Splash-o-matic, all it does by using it increase your ttk and increase how much you pray. 1 main bomb range barely does anything, it only increases the range by 10% I'm pretty sure, and all stacking it does is prevent you from getting good abilities such as ink resistance and cold-blooded, since there isn't any gear that have a good chance to roll bomb range that have those abilities.
Burst bombs on the carbon roller and e-litres, however, go very well together.

 

[SupaTim]

I agree that it helps to define what the tiers actually mean. Something like the following allows us to discuss tier placements more specifically.

S = Mandatory in almost all gametypes
A = Viable in many gametypes
B = Viable in few gametypes
C = Not Viable

Without a clear definition, people are more likely to rate weapons based on their gut-feel about how strong it is. A definition asks you to think about how it actually fits into the meta.

I also agree that we need a definition of "tier." But we've mostly gone about this by arguing what's "good."

IMO, tier lists should be about what is played, since that is based on observable data and not someone's opinion. Right now, this sort of list is difficult because we only have a limited (but growing) amount of tournaments played. Ultimately, I think the tiers should be something like:

S = You will encounter in a tournament on every team (barring gimmicks). I'm thinking 96. gal deco, e liter 3k.
A = You will likely encounter in a tournament on multiple teams (perhaps as a common rotation kit). Probably tentatek and dynamo roller.
B = You will not often see but will still need to be prepared for. Maybe luna blaster?
C = Probably will not see outside of gimmick teams; might be nice to know about, but not essential. Like the Sploosh-o-Matic.

The best weapons/kits will eventually be the top tiers, but the game is still evolving so we need a bit more time to let things shake out. And honestly tier lists should reflect the meta, not the other way around.

 

[Hitzel]

There really isn't a reason to have burst bombs for the Splash-o-matic, all it does by using it increase your ttk and increase how much you pray. 1 main bomb range barely does anything, it only increases the range by 10% I'm pretty sure, and all stacking it does is prevent you from getting good abilities such as ink resistance and cold-blooded, since there isn't any gear that have a good chance to roll bomb range that have those abilities.
Burst bombs on the carbon roller and e-litres, however, go very well together.

You want the Bomb Range for long-range engagements. With 3 mains worth you outrange chargers and the bombs move really, really fast to the point where you can hit people very consistently like it's a gun. With some damage up you leave enemies one-shot to just about anything, even splash damage from another Burst Bomb. You play a harassment-based neutral and contribute to teamfights, and outplay people like normal up close when you need to. Just play overall safe and solid.

The Neo Splash is a good candidate for this because it is very mobile and not gear-dependant in general so it can operate as a CQC threat with any gear. The investment into bomb range gives you viable long-range presence and makes you well-rounded. Inkzooka makes it fit into a lot of teams too.

You can definitely fit cold blooded into a Neo Splash build and still reach 9 bomb range and at least 3 damage. Ink Resist IMO is not needed, and you will be playing a long-range neutral so it's not very in demand. You can forgo Ink Resist as long as you have a good reason to, and 9 bomb range is a good reason to.

Using one damage main and two bomb range mains is a decent way to try it without rolling. You can try three bomb ranges too.

*edit* When I started playing with Squid Squad, they told me that me stacking Bomb Range was stupid, after getting to know me they think it's cheap and sometimes they've said it should be nerfed. If you look at what is being used in tournaments, you see mid to long range weapons. Bomb Range builds accomplish something similar. So don't write it off just because it's not common.

But yeah, it's not too relevant because this is supposed to be about NA tournaments and the only Neo Splash I know who made top 8 uses it as a Pocket and never pulled it out in Tourney.

 

[chrisblass1]

tbh heavy splatling gun should be a little bit higher, as long as u keep the enemies at a distance & use splash wall smart then ur good

 

[Misha]

It is nice to good tier list. All the weapon that top I kinda will be up, but I am surprise by the spuelcher being up there. Even though they are second favorite family next to .gal, I thought they would be a little lower (maybe a or b rank)