Help! I'm stuck in B- Rank

[Neon the squid]

I was playing Splatoon when suddenly I kept losing matches and now I'm in B- with 20 points. I don't wanna go down to C Rank. Please help.

 

[Ansible]

Going up and down the rank ladder is all a part of the game. Though it's a part of the game our minds have the greatest struggle accepting as we play.

Are you looking for advice or trying to find people to squad with?

 

[Neon the squid]

Going up and down the rank ladder is all a part of the game. Though it's a part of the game our minds have the greatest struggle accepting as we play.

Are you looking for advice or trying to find people to squad with?

I'm looking for advice

 

[bagelcubed]

Honestly, I had the exact same problem for a while. It was back in my N-Zap days, when I didn't use my sub, and didn't even go for cover when sending off an inkstrike. I had the play-style of a suicidal ******* squidkid, to be exact.

I got past this by getting into the actual world of Splatoon - I watched a few of DUDEs videos, and learnt about things I didn't even realise were key to the game, like how sub abilities on gear could actually be useful. To give myself justice, Splatoon is my first shooter game, and my first Wii U game, so it's understandable that I'd miss these sorts of things (that and I was more interested in levelling up with my favourite outfit on).

It must of been one of DUDEs videos on chargers that really got my attention, because I was obsessed with using them after that. I practised religiously, swearing off ranked for a considerable length of time. Although I didn't help myself start easy (I chose the E-Litre scope as my first charger???!!!) , I've learnt to use chargers effectively and have since improved in skill and have recently gone up to rank A from B+ (in 3 days actually B]) which was an issue for a while.

This turned into me rambling, so I'll do some bullet points on what I actually mean/resources I use:

Awesome players:
-Specter is a great all-rounder, can see her often on DUDEs yt and twitch)
-DUDE (variety, mostly shooters/blasters/chargers from what I've seen, but his Jet Squelcher, Octoshot and Splattershot plays are especially good)
- Whitehawk (Octobrush, E-Litre particularly no scope, seen some splatlings too)
-Ryanator (Variety, I haven't watched as much though)
-WesleyMK (does mostly glitch stuff on his channel but occasionally shows S+ ranked, usually rollers or tetateks from what I've seen)
-Silver (Variety, but he specialises in rollers and inkbrushes, note that he talks about being in competitive play and gives advice!)


-Definitely watch competitive matches, Chimera is particularly great to watch
-Try adjusting your sensitivity; + is better for rollers apparently, - for chargers (I tried -3 today and got 22/3 with the Kelp Splat Charger on ranked)
-Practice all the ranked modes; if one type is is your big let down and is "too risky to play", combat this!
-Squidkids is a great yt channel with a ton of tips, I'd really recommend them
-Try out some new weapons, or at least practice several within your fav weapon type- be versatile!
-Learn to adjust your gear, weapons and play style depending on the map and mode
-If it's you're sure it's your team letting you down, learn to carry (It's possible with any weapon, I won a match 8/0 as a splat charger, with my team all getting 0/0 :/)

I probably could say more, but It's midnight and I'm sure others can give better advice.

Good luck ranking up!
If you want to practice at all, my alt is the NNID shown on my profile and is at C+ (might be C? it all happened in one sitting so I'm not sure) 82 currently

 

[birdiebee]

You should give some info on how exactly you lost your matches (what mode, maps, anything notable that was particularly frustrating) and what weapon(s) you're using?

 

[Neon the squid]

You should give some info on how exactly you lost your matches (what mode, maps, anything notable that was particularly frustrating) and what weapon(s) you're using?

Me and my team just get wiped out and therefore we lose. I use carbon roller deco in matches and maybe that's the reason why I'm losing?

 

[Magnus0]

Use the carbon roller.
Rekt some nubs
Replace with Luna if TC
???
EZ wins

 

[Leronne]

One of the best ways to improve imo is to watch high level players like ThatSRB2Dude, 2Dos, pixilated cody (i think that's his name) Nikkey and such. You're more likely to find them streaming on twitch than on youtube. That's honestly how i improved.

 

[birdiebee]

Me and my team just get wiped out and therefore we lose. I use carbon roller deco in matches and maybe that's the reason why I'm losing?

Maybe. I would say that Carbon Deco is a very situational weapon. Standard Carbon is way more versatile for a wider variety of maps and modes. Deco's seekers just aren't useful in a ton of situations. Sometimes they are, but I would say at your level its best to focus on weapons that are more all-around than niche.

Even the normal Carbon Roller, in my personal opinion, is very ability-sensitive to be utilized well. To get the most out of it, you really want things like Comeback, Swim Speed, Sub Saver, and Ink Resistance. The difference is night and day to me. Maybe someone more specialized in Carbon could elaborate on this. Carbon is a very strong offensive assault weapon, but careless ink flinging and non-stealth oriented gameplay will make it very frustrating to grasp.

I would highly suggest trying something more defense or support oriented until you get the flow of battle down better. Carbon requires acute map awareness and knowing where the action is. A solid midrange shooter, maybe something from the Splattershot family, is good for reliability and ease of use, with a softer learning curve than Carbon. If you're intent on roller class, try the vanilla Splat Roller. You can keep foes away with the suction bomb, and the Killer Wail is a very useful special to learn early on. You can almost always buy time in a RM and TC match by shooting it at the objective. Even if it doesn't kill anyone, you can stall a push and put enemies in more vulnerable positions for you or your team mates to splat.

If you're worried about dying, use something with a Bubbler. I feel like this is a personal plug since it's my favorite special. But Zink Mini Splatling or Splattershot Jr are great for support, and I main the latter as an S+. Mastering Splat Bombs is the easiest way to grasp effective utilization of other subs, as its the most standard sub - a grenade. Very good for getting splats and zoning areas of enemy ink, but doesn't require the precision or timing of Suction Bombs and Burst Bombs. Once your bomb accuracy increases, you can try non-offensive subs like Zink's Disruptor which makes enemies great for target practice.

I'm just spitballing here, though. I'm still not sure what your specific trouble areas are. All I have to go off of is that you're using the Carbon Deco and (understandably) not having much success. Seekers are an oddball sub and the Carbon isn't that easy for lower level players to pick up and have success.

Let me know if you have any other questions or want more specific/situational advice. Good luck!

 

[16bitdave]

It can be tough at times. I don't care about my rank too much. Some of it's skill and some of it's luck. I've been bouncing between A and S rank for the past 6 months or so. For me it seems like I win more often in Tower control and Rain Maker. Splat zones is not my favorite.

 

[Maave]

Me and my team just get wiped out and therefore we lose. I use carbon roller deco in matches and maybe that's the reason why I'm losing?

Sneaki Breeki is the play style for rollers. You can't ink far ahead of yourself so look for attack opportunities where opponent is already surrounded ink your ink or has a strip of ink for you to swim though. You should also have some success with low obstacles and attacking from above. Rollers suck at climbing but once there's ink there from teammates it's killer from above. Go behind, to the side, forward at an angle, above and below, but never head-on. Since you're using the Deco, use your seekers to make your paths for attack and for longer range head-on fighting. Swim directly behind them for fast attacking - squids will move to the side to dodge the seeker, then you pop out and smack em. Seekers are very map dependent, some levels are just unsuitable for them (Mahi Mahi isn't very good), some are great (Port Mackerel seekers are straight up OP). If you try the vanilla Carbon then use the burst bombs for climbing and longer range head-on. In B/A rank I would hit squids with burst bombs and then run right up for the kill as they're struggling in ink.

General strategy if your team is getting swept: Keep a little distance between you and your teammates. Stealth is your friend, feel free to chill in squid form in the ink for a few seconds, wait until the opponents gets close or pass you. Don't superjump to positions close to the front line.

I agree with birdiebee, watch some S/S+ gameplay or tournaments. Not kill montage videos, those don't show the strategy, timing, waiting that went into the splats. Also check out similar weapons, like other rollers, or a different class with seekers. I like videos with the player talking realtime.

Good luck!

 

[Green Waffles]

General advice without seeing you play?

Dassa tuff'un.

I guess I began taking an analytical approach when I started my climb out of B-. The focus of a ranked game is the objective, so always keep tabs on that.
Then, from there, ask yourself what you could do to ensure a long term advantage/push.

Also if your team tends to get crazy splat-wiped, you might be forced into playing more defensively.
No matter what weapon you pick, many times your teammates indirectly dictate how you will have to play to compliment them.

"But how do I determine whose playstyle I should compliment?"
Excellent question alternate me!
Find the squid on your team who is the strongest (this usually means who is getting the splats) and work with them.

Are YOU the strongest guy? Thats great!(and also it can kinda suck) it is now time to lend your strength to protecting your friends.

Spoiler: Aka

Fights for friends intensifies*

 

[Brie_no.20]

Pffft. I wish I could stay in B-. C+ is where anything goes, literally. It's hell.

 

[superhiero]

Going up and down ranks is all part of the game. Some advice I have for you would be to try to use a lot of different styles of weapons because different weapons and specials are stronger on specific maps or game modes. For example personally I find inkzooka is very strong on tower control because it is easy to aim at the tower and get splats, whereas in other game modes it is difficult to pin down someone with the inkzooka when the squids could be anywhere on the map. On large maps, using beakons is really helpful and you should learn which are the best positions to leave them down, usually along the path that an enemy might try to push through for the objective so you can quickly reinforce a spot.

Anyway good luck with getting to B+!

 

[mercenariez]

Learn more about the game. B- players lack a lot of knowledge about maximizing their weapons potential, sneaky sharking areas, etc. Also, they can't aim that well, so practice in the shooting range so you can hit them while they miss you.

 

[SakuraLeon]

I also find that for Splat Zones, the Splash-o-Matic can work wonders when you have the Bomb Rush activated. Helps keep your turf covered while also splatting anyone in your way :)

 

[Maave]

This thread inspired me to play the plain Carbon, which I haven't done in a while. I noted a few extra things. Swim speed is great for zig-zagging across the map in order to flank, more useful than ninja squid IMO. Low range = low push, it's really hard to work without pre-existing ink. It does poorly on straight levels (Arowana Mall) and very well on squarish levels (Flounder Heights) all because of flanking room. Carbon Deco may do better on straight levels because of the seekers.

I'd recommend a different weapon for ranking up. The low push ability on the Carbon makes it hard to carry. I can get mad kills on some levels but my ability to push the objective is limited. Play the Carbon for fun, but a different weapon for ranking up from low levels.

 

[mercenariez]

While I do agree Carbon can be difficult for carrying, if you do want to use it be aware of what @Maave said. It can get lots of kills, but it honestly can't ink that well or push enemies back after wipes cuz it has no range (yeah there's inkzooka and burst bomb, but that's nowhere near as strong as a long range shooter pushing people back).

 

[Neon the squid]

I may try using the sloshing machine, since I love sloshers. But what type of gear should I get?

 

[Green Waffles]

Sloshing machine eh? My squad hates me when I fight against them with this slosher in particular xD

As with a lot of weapons, I've learned it is better to know what few abilities are not so helpful and to test out the rest of your own volition.

-Run speed up won't do you many favors, but it isn't completely useless either.

...aaaand thats it I think. So have some fun making fresh outfits with fresher stat sets
My personal favorite outfit for sloshing machine.
with
with
with