Is Ninja Squid Worth Using?

[lone]

For a little context:

I've used the ninja squid ability since it was first revealed in Splatoon. Flash forward to now in Splatoon 2, where I've still used it.

I haven't played in a few months because of school, however, and decided I wanted to get back into it sometime soon, Splatoon 2 specifically. The only thing is that I'm wondering if I should switch things up rather than continue to use the ninja squid ability I've been using for literal years now.

On the plus side, it's saved me way more times than I can count, and I love the whole idea of it in general. I've tried other setups but at some point I always come back to ninja squid.

On the down side, I've never been a fan of how slow it makes you, and I've heard it's not a good matchup with my playstyle, since it seems intended to be used offensively and I'm semi-defensive.

Just wanted to know what other people think of it nowadays (since the last time I checked the reception was pretty mixed) and/or it's worth a shot to change, + what I should try out if I do (I use the Splash-o-Matic, if that helps the verdict any).

 

[Lumiose_Ink]

In my honest opinion, this is heavily dependant on your kind of playstyle.
As someone who enjoys supporting my team through my aggressive playstyle, I personally adore pairing up Ninja Squid with the Dapple Dualies Noveau. For some strange reason, I can't get the image to work, so I'll be uploading the loadout instead.

This set has honestly done me well, considering how offensive it truly is. I tend to have no issues shredding any opponent who dares to come near me and, should I ever get splatted, I can easily get back into the game by super jumping to one of my teammates. Overall, it's a good loadout, and I've had good fortune using it before. The Ninja Squid aspect is definitely important, especially in Splat Zones, since you should be able to sneak up to the enemy team with ease. In this particular case, Ninja Squid gives the Dapple Dualies a lot of mobility - or, at least, that has most certainly been the case for me.

For further explanation, I personally find Ninja Squid to be perfect for those who aim towards an aggressive playstyle and are primarily focused on inking turf and/or splatting enemies - the Dapple Dualies Noveau serves as the perfect example if you'd like to do both. I've never used Ninja Squid for defense purposes, nor have I personally seen anyone doing so. If you're into "sharking" opponents, Ninja Squid is perfect for doing so.

In conclusion, yes! Ninja Squid is definitely worth it, despite it getting nerfed on version 3.0. Ninja Squid can be your best friend in most cases, especially if you have Curling Bombs by your side.

 

[lone]

I see, I see. Thanks for the input! I said semi-defensive before in a kind of "I'll fight if need be, but my purpose is mainly to get to others around the area of interest rather than seeking them out" kind of way. Splatzones is a good place to give an example-- I'll stalk around the perimeter and then take out someone before they get too close. I've never been super agressive, though I'm kinda interested to try it out now with a similar loadout.

Do the secondaries you use really make the difference in swim speed, or is it mostly your head's main equip that helps out? Just out of curiosity.

In conclusion, yes! Ninja Squid is definitely worth it, despite it getting nerfed on version 3.0.

And oh boy, it was nerfed recently? I've been so out of the loop.

 

[Lumiose_Ink]

In version 3.0, Ninja Squid got a nerf where your Swim Speed Up gear ability will be nullified by 20% - previously, it was 10%. If I recall, this means that you'll need roughly five Swim Speed Ups in order to nullify the negative effects of Ninja Squid, while it was roughly three Swim Speed Ups previously. While this nerf didn't necessarily affect me too much, it's still pretty tough.

That being said, the Swim Speed Up on the clothes definitely do help. In this case, the headgear is further boosting the swim speed, in the sense that it's not only helping nullify the decrease in swim speed by Ninja Squid, but also providing a small speed boost to go along with it. Considering how much of a handicap Ninja Squid is, especially now, it definitely makes a huge difference to have a few extra Swim Speed Ups. I've noticed that this practice is used the most by Rollers, with Rollers using two pures worth of Swim Speed Up and a Ninja Squid gear with a triple. I used to go by that build, even - until I realized Quick Super Jump works better.

I'm not sure if the Ink Recoveries are necessary, the reason as to why they're there is mainly because neither the headgear or the shoes are perfect, like I wanted them to be. They might be useful, but I never paid them too much mind. This is just straight up taken from the gear I'm currently using, and that being said, I highly recommend getting pure versions of these.

 

[Gameboy224]

And oh boy, it was nerfed recently? I've been so out of the loop.

3.0.0, the recent patch that literally just happened last week nerfed how much Swing Speed Up affects Ninja Squid. The base ability itself in unchanged, but you'll have to use more Swim Speed Up in order to get your swim speed back to normal speed.

Honestly, it is your call whether you want to keep it or not.

Based on how you describe your playstyle, it doesn't seem to be one that too strongly benefits from Ninja Squid. It still benefits you of course, but in comparison to people playing the Roller or other fast splatting weapon trying to slay, the stealth and ability to sneak undetected kill and run with little tell is the prime use of Ninja Squid.
You do use the Splash-o-Matic which is a fairly close ranged weapon, so Ninja Squid will still benefit you in that regards in evading 1v1s and getting away from weapons that out range you.

 

[Ansible]

Ultimately it's up to you.

And other than now needing a little bit more swim speed to compensate for reduced speed, there are really no strong counters to Ninja Squid compared to Splatoon 1. There's no Echolocator, few players use point sensors, and some players are so aggressive they ignore good turfing principles that leaves them or their team getting bodied by sharky rollers and brushes. So consider that.

It's also quite possible to work it into a semi-defensive playstyle. For example, when I slap it onto a Splat/Sorella Brella I can wingman a teammate, stall a push, guard an objective, etc. It just depends how you want to use it and if using it in that manner is working out for you.

 

[lone]

I honestly don’t mind having to shell out more speed secondaries since I have no other real quality of my squid that I want to boost (I suppose attack power/refill time would be the only two I’d think of to use, but that’s about it).

You do use the Splash-o-Matic which is a fairly close ranged weapon, so Ninja Squid will still benefit you in that regards in evading 1v1s and getting away from weapons that out range you.

Yeah, that’s something that’s happened which has helped me quite a lot, which is one of the reasons why I’ve been hung on it to begin with.

It's also quite possible to work it into a semi-defensive playstyle. For example, when I slap it onto a Splat/Sorella Brella I can wingman a teammate, stall a push, guard an objective, etc. It just depends how you want to use it and if using it in that manner is working out for you.

That’s basically how I use it too, especially in ranked, and I’ve been moderately successful in that. I’ve always really liked that sort of “unknown enemy” advantage, where they can’t see you but you can see them and hold everything down in their confusion.

 

[MINKUKEL]

Like others said, it's up to you. It really depends on what weapon and playstyle you're using. You might wanna use it with some weapons but not with others.

Personally, I don't use it. I find that being visible while swimming isn't a problem I often run into, and I tend to play aggressively anyway. So for me, using a main slot + compensating Swim Speed up slots to get back to normal speed is too many ability points to spend on something I don't really need.

 

[MindWanderer]

In version 3.0, Ninja Squid got a nerf where your Swim Speed Up gear ability will be nullified by 20% - previously, it was 10%. If I recall, this means that you'll need roughly five Swim Speed Ups in order to nullify the negative effects of Ninja Squid, while it was roughly three Swim Speed Ups previously. While this nerf didn't necessarily affect me too much, it's still pretty tough.

This is incorrect. Ninja Squid continues to lower your swim speed by about 10% at a baseline. What was nerfed was how much of an increase Swim Speed Up gets you when using Ninja Squid. So before, with a medium-weight weapon, it took about 5 subs of Swim Speed Up to fully compensate for Ninja Squid, but now it takes about 6. With no Swim Speed Up, your speed is unchanged.

I'm not 100% sure on the exact math, though: Does 20 points of Swim Speed Up (2 mains) count like 16 points and give you +9.2%11.5%/17.2% speed, or is the speed increase itself decreased, giving you +8.8%/11.04%/16.56%? Also, is the Swim Speed Up effect of Comeback, Opening Gambit, and Drop Roller affected?

 

[Phichikapparho]

With my playstyle inches matter so getting right up to people without them realizing it is extremely important. I also prefer short ranged high dmg output weapons like dapple duelies splat roller and aerosprayer. So again, being right next to an unaware opponent is pretty vital for me no matter which way I look at it.

I'll 100% of the time sacrifice my speed for being able to sneak. The only time I don't run ninja squid is when I'm wearing a splatfest tee. I got pretty lucky with a ninja squid and triple ink resistance shirt. I use that when I'm serious, and use my other ninja squid shirts for aquireing chunks.

 

[Barack]

I love ninja squid in turf war. Sometimes I submerged in ink in a fight and sneaked behind my enemy and splat their down from behind. I also use stealth jump and some swim speed up. I use a herbivore tee and cream hi tops. I have my advantages like sneaking to the middle or near the enemy spawn point without the enemies knowing. My disadvantages are that sometimes my teammates give away my hiding spot by setting a landing spot when they do a super jump to me which sometimes gets me splatted down by the enemy team during turf war. If an enemy see me submerging in ink, they could take me out. With my dualies, Ninja Squid is my best friend.