New Special Weapon Idea: Killer Wail Surround

[OnePotWonder]

I realized just recently that I never actually posted a thread covering this special concept. Since it's already fully fleshed out, I figured it wouldn't take too long to write a post covering the idea. A rework of Killer Wail that gives it brand new defensive utility through shielding speakers.

Killer Wail Surround

Activating the special causes four large speakers to appear and hover in the air, orbiting the special user at a distance of about half of a line in the training room by default for a maximum duration of 7 seconds. If the special user is pressed up against a wall, the orbiting radius of the speakers will be decreased to as small as a quarter of a training room line. The speakers each have 100 HP and block shots. They act like terrain when interacting with bombs, causing them to bounce off rather than instantly exploding.

When a speaker is destroyed or activated, the remaining speakers spread out to cover the gap left behind, and rotate faster. (The amount of time it takes to complete a full rotation is 1 second per speaker.) The speakers are square and roughly the height of a player, and they hover a few inches off of the ground.

During the special, the user's sub weapon is replaced by the Killer Wail Surround speakers. They can be aimed and unleashed with the R bumper. The wails each last 3 seconds, have slightly smaller radii than Sting Ray shockwaves, and they deal damage at a rate of 0.8 damage per frame. In essence, the speakers of the Killer Wail Surround are just enlarged Killer Wail 5.1 speakers that block shots and are breakable, have to be manually aimed and activated, and don't track targets.
Like brella canopies, the speakers' immediate HP will be doubled when they are unleashed.

The special has one second of startup, and the speakers each have a half second of startup when unleashed. The special meter depletes over the course of 9 seconds, emptying early if all of the speakers are expended.

That's everything to cover. This special is very simple in concept, but rich in tactical ideas. It can be used much like a Splatoon 1 Killer Wail, firing in a set direction to deny space from afar, used at a safe distance for the speakers to ensure they're not broken. Or it can be used even more aggressively than Killer Wail 5.1, letting the user not only chip damage enemies, but also set up temporary shields mid-fight; all while half-protected by the remaining speakers. I think the special would work on a variety of weapons. Here are a few example kits:

Splattershot Jr.
Autobomb + Killer Wail Surround

Sloshing Machine
Point Sensor + Killer Wail Surround

Rapid Blaster Pro
Angle Shooter + Killer Wail Surround

REEF-LUX 450
Curling Bomb + Killer Wail Surround

Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback you think would help keep balance between the special's long-range and defensive power, it'll be even more appreciated than ordinary feedback. I want to make sure that aspect is done right, such that people will sometimes use the speakers as shields and sometimes use the speakers for their wails, but not exclusively one or the other.
As always, have a wonderful day.

 

[isaac4]

When you first talked about your concept for "Killer Wail Surround" I assumed that the wail you activated would follow you from in front of your position but it seems like I was wrong and you instead set it up in a spot for three seconds which I do find a lot more interesting.
I think that aspect of the special prevents the defensive utility from completely overshadowing its ability as a displacement tool.
I don't think I would increase the amount of time the wails are active either, three seconds seems perfectly reasonable considering that there's four separate speakers the user can set up.
The ability to block shots would still be the main thing that more casual and lower ranked players end up using though but that's not something I think you can fully avoid.
Personally, I see the best use for "Killer Wail Surround" on weapons like Machine to be setting up one of the speakers into an important area of the map that the enemy team might be in and use the protection from the other three speakers to push in while the wail is active.

 

[QuagSass]

man, if this were real, a Heavy kit with splash wall and killer wail surround would be the perfect kit.

all those walls <3
the perfect midline UwU

 

[QueueS]

That's a really interesting concept that I think has a lot of interesting uses. Its really cool that it has survivability, agressive playmaking, and displacement uses.
I do have a few questions to clarify how it's used tho:

1. when the wails are launched, are they thrown like a bomb or placed more similar to an ink mine? Being able to throw it like a bomb could allow for more unique positioning, but i could see it being annoying in some cases.

2. do the launched wails stay in one place, or do they move forwards like a brella canopy?

Also i assume that the wails would face the same way that you were facing when you threw them

the one thing about this that makes me hesitate is the walls blocking shots after being thrown, because it might be difficult to contest someone with four shields and four lazers and a main weapon. My idea would be either less hp, no hp, or they block shots from both sides when deployed.

 

[solz]

Does it stick to a wall when placed?

 

[OnePotWonder]

That's a really interesting concept that I think has a lot of interesting uses. Its really cool that it has survivability, agressive playmaking, and displacement uses.
I do have a few questions to clarify how it's used tho:

1. when the wails are launched, are they thrown like a bomb or placed more similar to an ink mine? Being able to throw it like a bomb could allow for more unique positioning, but i could see it being annoying in some cases.

2. do the launched wails stay in one place, or do they move forwards like a brella canopy?

Also i assume that the wails would face the same way that you were facing when you threw them

the one thing about this that makes me hesitate is the walls blocking shots after being thrown, because it might be difficult to contest someone with four shields and four lazers and a main weapon. My idea would be either less hp, no hp, or they block shots from both sides when deployed.

When a speaker is used, it automatically snaps in place directly in front of the user like a brella shield, and it doesn't move while firing.

As for your last concern, the special wouldn't be a player with four shields, four lasers, and a main weapon. It would be a player with four shields or four lasers, and a main weapon. Or they could have three shields and one laser, or two and two; really the special user gets to pick just how much of the special they want to devote to offense and how much to defense. That's the brilliant bit, if you ask me.

 

[QueueS]

When a speaker is used, it automatically snaps in place directly in front of the user like a brella shield, and it doesn't move while firing.

As for your last concern, the special wouldn't be a player with four shields, four lasers, and a main weapon. It would be a player with four shields or four lasers, and a main weapon. Or they could have three shields and one laser, or two and two; really the special user gets to pick just how much of the special they want to devote to offense and how much to defense. That's the brilliant bit, if you ask me.

That makes more sense, thanks for the clarification.

I agree that the fluidity between defense and offense is the coolest bits of this design. We really don't have anything like that in the game, so it would be really cool to see actually implemented.