Is vanilla Splat Roller underrated?

[birdiebee]

As I continue to develop my Killer Wail technique (I actively avoided weapons with Killer Wail for a very long time) I'm coming to appreciate vanilla Splat Roller as an incredibly versatile/formidable roller, arguably more-so than its Krak-On counterpart.

Kraken is a very sexy special that draws a lot of players to that roller, myself included. Beakons can be lifesavers, too, but let's face it, new players are drawn to the Kraken, not the beakon, as it requires a little more care and nuance, not to mention reliability.

I think vanilla has a totally different playstyle. Suction bomb zoning changes the game. You're lethal when they get close to you, but you're so damn good at keeping them away. It's really fantastic at inking. I realize I'm talking about one of the oldest OG weapons in the game and its pretty much built to be balanced and straightforward to use, but I shunned it pretty much entirely until recently and I'm becoming quite fond of it.

I'm not really making much of a point in this thread other than I see Krak-Ons in ranked like 100x more than vanilla and I wonder is Krak-On REALLY that much more viable? Is vanilla underrated? Do you like the vanilla?

 

[Floating Eyeball]

I don't have much more to add with its capabilities. I personally love the vanilla, the kit was a great teacher early on and it's a pleasure to rediscover after getting better at Splatoon in general. (I put it up for a while when I got the Carbon Roller Deco, but I tried it out again and wondered why I had left behind for so long. T

I almost never see them in ranked myself, so they do seem rather unappreciated. I can see what catches people's eyes to use other weapons (Carbon Rollers are faster for SZ, guns to get at a distance, blasters or dynamos for something to splat with), but they overlook so much of the vanilla's abilities. (The Splat Roller's speed isn't too much of a hindrance, especially with the wider trail, and it's extremely good at keeping the zone secure. Long range can help, but it's not like you can't get up close yourself if suction bombs aren't enough. And It's better at inking up than blasters and dynamos, in addition to its lethalness)
Really, there's not many maps it's not good for, and it's pretty great in all modes.

I wonder if part of the problem is that because it's earned so early on, it's seen as 'basic' and people want to plan more with others? Though the Tentatek Splattershot doesn't seem hindered…

Walleye TC is one mode I'm really shocked doesn't bring any more. The tower never moves above your flick range, you have a target that your already-good sub will stick to, and you have the Killer Wail for the choke points.

 

[Lonely_Dolphin]

I think Underused would be the more accurate word as it's definitely a solid weapon. I've actually been using it more than the Krak-On for like the Carbon I like having ranged options. It's also the only weapon with the Suction Bomb/Killer Wail combo.

 

[Ansible]

I think the Splat/Hero Roller may be something under appreciated because both it being earned so very early and many players prefer shooters. Though I do see a small spike in their usage during Tower Control amid all the Carbon Rollers. I'm slowly using it more often in ranked and turf because my beacons with the Krak-On often just go to waste!

That, and I enjoy spamming Killer Wail when possible. Even if you hit no one, it makes a good zoning tool.

 

[Alpha359]

I agree that the Splat Roller is much more balanced compared to the Krak-On. However, I think that what makes the Krak-On such a formidable weapon is that it pushes the strengths of the Roller to the max, the Kraken is obviously an amazing special and it perfectly compliments the Rollers close quarters play style. Beacons are also extremely useful as they too compliment the Roller's play style, as a Roller I always play very aggressively and often this results in me getting one or two splats and then being splatted myself (BTW I do not go for trades), Beacons, in combination with Quick Respawn and Quick Super Jump allow me to get back into the action very quickly. Additionally, Beacons allow you to pull off some impressive tricks, below is a video on these tricks.

I haven't really tried out the Splat Roller enough to say whether or not I think it is better than the Krak-On, I'll be sure to try it when I get a chance. From what I have played though I do agree that it is severely underrated but I'm not sure if it's as powerful as the Krak-On, I'll have to keep practicing with it to see for myself.

 

[Cake or Death]

I think the Splat Roller is a great weapon. I thought I'd try rollers out for the first time ever recently, despite owning the game basically from day 1 (I dunno, I never really saw the appeal before now, though I do sometimes mess around with an Octobrush). I tried to go for the Gold Dynamo Roller straight away, and ended up a 0-5 K/D on my first game. It's far too slow some someone who is used to shooting at things.

I went back to the drawing board and picked up the cheap and cheerful Splat Roller and I'm pretty happy with it so far. Floating Eyeball is right, it's a weapon that is teaching me how to be a roller player.

I get the vibe from the Splat Roller that although it's technically classed as a noob weapon it is still extremely viable when in the hands of some who knows what they're doing. I think that's a theme with the other beginner weapons, the Splattershot and the Splattershot Jr. I think that's a testament to how good Nintendo are at balancing all of Splatoon's weapons.

I think you perfectly described why the Splat Roller isn't as popular. It's because it has the Killer Wail and not the Kraken. It's a shame though because I think the Killer Wail does have a niche in some ranked game modes but it just requires more finesse to use in my opinion. Keeping opponents off zones in Splat Zones or off towers in Tower Control is what the Killer Wail excels at, and I think we've all seen footage of the double Killer Wail combo on Port Mackerel.