Hydra Splattling: Analysis and Thoughts

[aceofscarabs]

Longer-ranged sustained bursts make the Hydra unparalleled at long-range suppression.

 

[ZainreFang]

Hydra is slow as crap... All I can say is that this weapon is great for people who want a challenge. IT'S JUST SLOW!

 

[ZainreFang]

Well somehow i got back into S rank with the Hydra, but i must of been carried, i'm getting dominated far to often with the weapon. At best i'm usually sub par.

I just can't figure out where i should position myself most of the time. And if i do find a good spot, I get sent back because the enemy would know i'm attacking from there. So i'd have to change positions or prepare another charge for an incoming attack. Figuring out how this weapon fits into my playstyle is going to be tough. Though i'd like to keep using it. Even if it does drag me down to A+ again.

It may have the range to take out a charger, but if said charger see's you coming, abandon ship! The Hydra's charge time is simply too slow for anything to happen, plus your mobility isn't great when revving up so it's basically target practice for the charger. Especially E-litres. Squiffers are a different story.

If that's the case with chargers, then the Rapid Blaster Pro could become a decent threat to this weapon too. Not to mention the Jet Squelcher as well. Both of them could just attack from max range and if you haven't charged up prior to the fight, it's gonna be a slow bad day. Well from my perspective anyway.

Though it hasn't even been a week since release. All this could change perhaps.

I completely agree with this. I've been being carried with this weapon too.

 

[Airi]

Oddly enough, the only players that I've seen who are actually good with the Hydra are Japanese players. I have yet to encounter a foreign player who can actually use this weapon well. It is probably just the difference in the way people from separate countries play the game but it would appear that the Japanese have locked onto something that foreign players can't grasp. There are a lot of Japanese players who are simply amazing with this weapon and truly show off its skill sets - both in Turf and Ranked.

I think the problem that most people have with the Hydra is that they attempt to use it like most guns in the game. They charge straight into the heat of battle and then wonder why said advance didn't work. It didn't work because it's simply not possible with the Hydra. The Hydra is not quick enough to charge into battle like that. You need to be more meticulous and careful about your actions or you will fail miserably. This weapon is definitely defensive and on higher stages, it can be quite the challenging one to overcome.

I've also noticed that a lot of foreign Hydra users tend to stay on the ground whereas most Japanese Hydra users will always stay above if possible. I think there's a cardinal difference in tactic right there. A Hydra will not serve you much use if you're on the ground with a lot of obstacles blocking your vision. You need to be up higher and shooting from above. This aids the range and doesn't make the charge time a massive target for Hydras.

If you're not running any Ink Saver (Main) then you will be having a bad time with the Hydra. It is almost essential that you run some Ink Savers because the Hydra can and does consume so much ink very rapidly. This weapon is great for covering turf and stopping people in their tracks. It is also very good for taking people out and playing the defender for your team. Not every weapon has to be used offensively to be good, you know. The Hydra has a slow charge time but it has quite a lot of power and range. It's definitely nothing to scoff at or brush off.

***

With that said, I'm hoping to pick the Hydra up as a main in the future. Right now, I don't have any Ink Saver since I never focused on that. So I want to get a few of those going on some gear before I think about using the Hydra in Ranked.

 

[robosteven]

If you're not running any Ink Saver (Main) then you will be having a bad time with the Hydra. It is almost essential that you run some Ink Savers because the Hydra can and does consume so much ink very rapidly.

I've been running Ink Recovery Up instead and it seems to work, but I'd like to vouch for this statement as well.

I think using your charges wisely instead of falling back on your ability to recover ink is MUCH more useful with this weapon in particular.

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Oh wow, it's almost like I've been saying that for the past two pages. . . .

 

[chrisblass1]

Oddly enough, the only players that I've seen who are actually good with the Hydra are Japanese players. I have yet to encounter a foreign player who can actually use this weapon well. It is probably just the difference in the way people from separate countries play the game but it would appear that the Japanese have locked onto something that foreign players can't grasp. There are a lot of Japanese players who are simply amazing with this weapon and truly show off its skill sets - both in Turf and Ranked.

I think the problem that most people have with the Hydra is that they attempt to use it like most guns in the game. They charge straight into the heat of battle and then wonder why said advance didn't work. It didn't work because it's simply not possible with the Hydra. The Hydra is not quick enough to charge into battle like that. You need to be more meticulous and careful about your actions or you will fail miserably. This weapon is definitely defensive and on higher stages, it can be quite the challenging one to overcome.

I've also noticed that a lot of foreign Hydra users tend to stay on the ground whereas most Japanese Hydra users will always stay above if possible. I think there's a cardinal difference in tactic right there. A Hydra will not serve you much use if you're on the ground with a lot of obstacles blocking your vision. You need to be up higher and shooting from above. This aids the range and doesn't make the charge time a massive target for Hydras.

If you're not running any Ink Saver (Main) then you will be having a bad time with the Hydra. It is almost essential that you run some Ink Savers because the Hydra can and does consume so much ink very rapidly. This weapon is great for covering turf and stopping people in their tracks. It is also very good for taking people out and playing the defender for your team. Not every weapon has to be used offensively to be good, you know. The Hydra has a slow charge time but it has quite a lot of power and range. It's definitely nothing to scoff at or brush off..

Im pretty sure most of kno how to handle hydra (if not then i do)......its just that the little bit of range you get from it over the heavy isnt really worth it

 

[Blue24]

I am not quite sure what I am missing here with this range situation. I don't play splattlings so maybe its different but I play CSJ and Forge and the range difference is 10 and it is definitly noticeable for me. My success rates for killing chargers is definitly higher on the CSJ because of its range. The gap between the Heavy and Hydra is only 7....thats not a small difference on maps and attacking certain points to me. Comparing the range of a dual squelcher and a .96 is a small range difference...but I just don't see that small gap replicated for the splattlings. Speaking of Dual, the Splatterscope is only 10 range more than the dual and most would consider that a considerable distance on the Dual.

I can somewhat understand arguing that the Hydra should have 3 more points in range, esepcially since both E-liters would still outrange it. But I don't quite get how 7 points is small when making comparisons to the heavy.

 

[ThatLuckyKid]

I am not quite sure what I am missing here with this range situation. I don't play splattlings so maybe its different but I play CSJ and Forge and the range difference is 10 and it is definitly noticeable for me. My success rates for killing chargers is definitly higher on the CSJ because of its range. The gap between the Heavy and Hydra is only 7....thats not a small difference on maps and attacking certain points to me. Comparing the range of a dual squelcher and a .96 is a small range difference...but I just don't see that small gap replicated for the splattlings. Speaking of Dual, the Splatterscope is only 10 range more than the dual and most would consider that a considerable distance on the Dual.

I can somewhat understand arguing that the Hydra should have 3 more points in range, esepcially since both E-liters would still outrange it. But I don't quite get how 7 points is small when making comparisons to the heavy.

Im guessing how long you need to charge it for that range isnt worth it, idk i dont use splatlings

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Im guessing how long you need to charge it for that range isnt worth it, idk i dont use splatlings

The thing is, you should already have the Hydra pre charged if you're planning on taking something out. You don't just walk up on people while charging and expect to walk away. It is a defensive weapon, you don't run up on people while charging your Eliter, this is no different. Yes, the charge time can be problematic at times, but you SHOULD already have the Hydra charged in time to kill someone. You have the distance and awareness, use it.

 

[ThatLuckyKid]

The thing is, you should already have the Hydra pre charged if you're planning on taking something out. You don't just walk up on people while charging and expect to walk away. It is a defensive weapon, you don't run up on people while charging your Eliter, this is no different. Yes, the charge time can be problematic at times, but you SHOULD already have the Hydra charged in time to kill someone. You have the distance and awareness, use it.

I think everyone already knows this.

 

[Blue24]

Im guessing how long you need to charge it for that range isnt worth it, idk i dont use splatlings

Perhaps...i dont know what other ppls comfort levels and expereince is so im not going to shut them down....but to me its fine.

This is at least my opinion from playing long ranged weapons except splattings and my limited use with the hydra:

Most of the time i dont actively seek a fully charge and will easily start turfing or shooting at something i see move. This is to hinder movwment and harass players which is similar to how i play the csj when i am using it very defensively.

Thats why when some say they got to S rank by being carried my thought is "did you really" Unless your playing duo, probabilty is strongly not in favor of a team that is only 75% good to win multiple games to S rank. To itetrate, I had a game the other day where i had to have hit the enemy snipers 15+ times and inked thier areas. I didnt kill them once. If you were to just looking at my Kill ratio, one would argue i got carried. However, i constantly was making the chargers switch thier spots and made them uncomfortable by persitantly making ink fall in thier areas. While i wasnt killing them i was still taking them out of the game while my SZ was counting down. So, imo, you must be doing something right if you got to S...or your incredibly lucky to get catried there.

When i do have the luxury to fully charge which is a decent amount of times...well... as seen in that highlight video, people die.

I dont know if the weapon needs fixes but its definitly its own thing imo.

 

[aceofscarabs]

Low K/D ratios due to doing suppression rather than going on a rampage are par for the course for Splatling users.

 

[Of Moose & Men]

I think everyone already knows this.

If it is known then why is it the main thing people refuse to use? You even said the slow charge is a problem, well of course it is, but you shouldn't be running head first into battle with it now should you? I fail to see how it is anywhere near as big a problem as people make it out to be. If you plan your shots before you do them, the charge should be only a minor inconvenience.

Btw, as stated above, you are a defensive weapon, your K/D isnt going to always be magnificent. Although I've only been in the negative a few times. Most times its 8+ / 0-2. Got a 14/2 and a 17/3 and a couple 9/0's last night, that was cool. Regardless, you aren't head hunting with the Hydra. The more this gets mentioned the more I see why people are putting it down.

Edit: I just want to state that the Hydra has exactly if not maybe a little more range than the Splatterscope.

I've been meaning to post that, but I haven't gotten around to it. That means the Hydra actually has at least 10 more range than that of the Heavy, which sits at 78. 10 is very much a noticeable difference. I see that as somehow being a negative thing mentioned very often. 88~ Range on an automatic weapon is absolutely insane. Let's not ignore that. So, that leaves the charge time, which I talked about above and in many previous posts. Slowly but surely you guys are going to run out of things to say. ;)

 

[ThatLuckyKid]

If it is known then why is it the main thing people refuse to use? You even said the slow charge is a problem, well of course it is, but you shouldn't be running head first into battle with it now should you? I fail to see how it is anywhere near as big a problem as people make it out to be. If you plan your shots before you do them, the charge should be only a minor inconvenience.

Btw, as stated above, you are a defensive weapon, your K/D isnt going to always be magnificent. Although I've only been in the negative a few times. Most times its 8+ / 0-2. Got a 14/2 and a 17/3 and a couple 9/0's last night, that was cool. Regardless, you aren't head hunting with the Hydra. The more this gets mentioned the more I see why people are putting it down.

Looking at previous post, it seems like you're the only one who made it a big deal, no one said anything about charging in randomly and just going for kills

 

[chrisblass1]

TFW your in a group chat and an argument starts up

 

[Of Moose & Men]

Looking at previous post, it seems like you're the only one who made it a big deal, no one said anything about charging in randomly and just going for kills

Wow, way to completely miss the point. The slow charge is a small hindrance, this is not news to anyone. But it is not any where near as big a deal as everyone else is making it out to be. I am not making it a big deal, everyone else is. I am simply expressing that it is not a big deal if you play it right. If it were such a big deal, the ELiter (which has the same charge time might I express) would also face this being a problem, but miraculously, it doesn't. I am defending my stance, and the slow charge time is not a problem when you are damn near clear across the stage and can see the opponent coming at you from a mile away. And if anyone gets too close and you have the chance to react, you drop a splat bomb like I expressed in a previous post and try to gtfo. You have exactly no time to charge regardless of what Splatling it is, outside of the Mini.

By previous posts did you only read mine and not the 15-20 others mentioning how the charge time makes it some how atrocious?

 

[GreenSpiny]

The more I read this thread, the more I think it's about the sub / special combination and less about the range. You can't say one outclasses the other. To be fair, I would say the vanilla Splatling is better against snipers, because approaching one without a Splash Wall is suicide and you can flush them out with Inkstrike. And the Hydra, even with its longer range, has better close-up options overall. Splatling Deco plays differently too with the Kraken.

Also forget the E-Liter. From the spawn point in training mode, the hydra can just BARELY splat the second dummy. Even the Splat Charger does that with ease.

 

[ThatLuckyKid]

Wow, way to completely miss the point. The slow charge is a small hindrance, this is not news to anyone. But it is not any where near as big a deal as everyone else is making it out to be. I am not making it a big deal, everyone else is. I am simply expressing that it is not a big deal if you play it right. If it were such a big deal, the ELiter (which has the same charge time might I express) would also face this being a problem, but miraculously, it doesn't. I am defending my stance, and the slow charge time is not a problem when you are damn near clear across the stage and can see the opponent coming at you from a mile away. And if anyone gets too close and you have the chance to react, you drop a splat bomb like I expressed in a previous post and try to gtfo. You have exactly no time to charge regardless of what Splatling it is, outside of the Mini.

By previous posts did you only read mine and not the 15-20 others mentioning how the charge time makes it some how atrocious?

The amount of range you get for the charge time is the reason why everyone saying it's bad and the only way to make it better is to lower the amount of time needed or (what mostly people are saying now) buff the range.Reason why the Eliter isnt having the same problem is because the amount of range you get for the charge time is worth it.

Also dont ask dumb questions

 

[chrisblass1]

Also dont ask dumb questions

OOOOOOOOOOOH MY GAWD