New Main Weapon Ideas: Splatana Lancer and Splattleaxe

[OnePotWonder]

The splatana class has extremely high potential for new weapon types, as seen already with the new(-ish) Decavitator. Being based off of such a diverse real-life weapon type as swords makes unique concepts easy to come by. Here I plan to share two such concepts for new splatanas that both take the class as a whole in new, interesting directions. Without further ado:

Splatana Lancer

This rapier-like splatana is based off of an ice pop, the hilt and grip being made of colored plastic. The grip matches the user's ink color, while the hilt is a bright cherry red (or lacquer brown for the alternate kit). The blade is an icy white that tapers to a rounded point at the end, swirled through with the user's ink color. It's produced by the weapon brand Splat.

The Splatana Lancer's uncharged slashes are alike to other splatanas', dealing 32 damage per slash at a distance and 58 in melee. It has a slightly slower horizontal slash speed and significantly better paint than Splatana Wiper. The maximum range of horizontal slashes is slightly shorter than Splatana Wiper's, and the width of its slashes is slightly greater.

The Splatana Lancer's charged slashes are what make the weapon uniquely stand out. Primarily in the fact that they aren't slashes, but rather thrust attacks. A charged thrust launches a bolt of ink dealing 90 damage at slightly less range than Splatana Stamper's charged slashes. Unlike every other splatana's charged slashes, Splatana Lancer's bolts travel through the air very quickly.
Additionally, the Splatana Lancer's lunge covers nearly as much ground as the Decavitators', and its high-damage melee hitbox reaches equally far, giving it similar rushing power but requiring excellent aim. Its charge time is between Splatana Stamper's and Decavitator's, the paint trail it leaves is narrower than that of its horizontal slashes, and its lunge end lag is as low as Splatana Wiper's.

What we end up with is basically a hybrid between Decav and Stamper garnished with extra aim intensiveness. Its uncharged slashes give it decent paint power and a consistent time to splat in melee. Its charged slashes give it even stronger poking power than Stamper with the exception of under-ledge pressure. Finally, its lunge gives it similar aggressive power to Decav at a higher risk-reward ratio. Kind of the Big Swig Roller of the Splatana class, though more balanced and with actual kits:

Splatana Lancer
Ink Mine + Crab Tank

Rockenberg Splatana Lancer
Fizzy Bomb + Reefslider (Neo)


Secondly, we have another Splatana concept I'd consider even more interesting; the start of a new subclass, similar to how semi-automatics relate to shooters. It is my pleasure to introduce:

Splattleaxe

This large, slow weapon produced by Custom is made from a cold pack shaped like an axe head connected to a metal handle with a rubber comfort grip. The grip and head both match the user's ink color, while the handle is a light gray (or black for the alternate kit).

The Splattleaxe has the same horizontal slashes as normal splatanas, though it swings at an even slower rate than the Decavitators. It deals an appropriately heavy 60 damage per slash at a distance, or 90 in melee. Its uncharged slashes have roughly the same range as Splatana Wiper's, and are as wide as Decavitator's, with the same paint.

The weapon's charged attack is also unique to the weapon; rather than being a charged slash, the Splattleaxe has a charged slam. With roughly the same charge time as Decavitator, the user can swing the weapon over their head like an Ultra Stamp, slamming it down for a powerful melee attack with area of effect shockwaves. Its damage scales from 125 to 60 based on distance from the point of impact, in the same radius as Luna Blaster. Like other splatanas, this attack can be combined with a short dash.
The Splattleaxe also has a unique trait reminiscent of Ultra Stamp. If the weapon is used in mid-air, it can execute a vertical slash by swinging the weapon overhead, which otherwise keeps the traits of its horizontal slashes.

This unique weapon combines traits of Splatanas with the Ultra Stamp special weapon and the blaster class. This model is a heavyweight splatana with a clear focus on pure power, though it also has a decent amount of versatility. The kits I've cooked up for it try to give it two distinct play styles so users have distinct options for the way they want to use it:

Splattleaxe
Autobomb + Wave Breaker

Custom Splattleaxe
Light Bomb + Zipcaster


Thanks for reading this post. Feel free to share your feedback on this.
You can look forward to my Booyah Bomb rework later this week, then hopefully I'll be able to make my compilation.
Until then, have a wonderful day.

 

[Algae]

Heh, funny thinking about how an axe would work like a Luna Blaster. Would a ground shockwave poke at ledges from below?

I get that Lancer has a range between Wiper and Stamper, but its still-lengthy lunge along with a distant, fast-moving charged shockwave that does well with chip damage feel quite overtuned to me. Charged slashes are typically slower than uncharged ones (fitting how committal they are), and vertical slashes are already more aim-intensive due to them being long-range (and thin like standing inkfish).

I get that this is inspired by the Big Swig (hence the Splat brand, though there isn't a basic Splat-brand splatana in addition), but I find it hard for this "difficult but awesome" idea to stick out from the crowd. At least button-mashing doesn't injure your fingers like the Squeezer's case~

 

[solz]

Nice ideas

 

[OnePotWonder]

I get that Lancer has a range between Wiper and Stamper, but its still-lengthy lunge along with a distant, fast-moving charged shockwave that does well with chip damage feel quite overtuned to me. Charged slashes are typically slower than uncharged ones (fitting how committal they are), and vertical slashes are already more aim-intensive due to them being long-range (and thin like standing inkfish).

While the charged slash being fast may seem like a purely beneficial trait, it isn't entirely. Because of the slow speed of their charged slashes, Stamper and Decav players have very little time between their slashes landing in a charged-uncharged combo. The faster bolt of the Splatana Lancer gives enemies more warning of a follow-up.

Also, a reminder that a lot of people thought Decavitator would be overpowered on launch, and it ended up being a balanced high tier weapon until Big Bubbler became mainstream in the meta. Splatanas have fallen into a pattern where they consistently seem stronger than they actually are.

Though I realize now that I actually got one of its stats wrong. It was supposed to have slightly less range on its uncharged slashes than Splatana Wiper, not slightly more. I'll just quickly fix that.

 

[Smash Arena]

I do like the idea of more "melee" weapons in Splatoon, considering we started the series with a paint roller that you wacked players with!

 

[Algae]

Because the uncharged slash is short-range, comboing requires you to be in that range, which reduces the effects of the charged shockwave's high velocity anyway.

 

[OnePotWonder]

Because the uncharged slash is short-range, comboing requires you to be in that range, which reduces the effects of the charged shockwave's high velocity anyway.

The idea is that the Lancer is better at poking than the Stamper (fittingly, with its design), but worse at fighting with its longer charge time, significantly lower uncharged range, and hard-to-hit charged bolts.