Playing support

[Ansible]

Personally, I'm still working out support with shorter range weapons, e.g. inkbrush and dualies.

Sure, I can easily form huge areas of ink for my team to swim in. Get some of the walls for added mobility. Create bomb traps and smack someone when an opportunity arises. But it's difficult to defend or aggressive claim territory when everything outranges or wants to straight up throwdown.

Long range support I can do no problem. Short range support... much improvement is needed.

 

[Saber]

Short range support is a hard role to master, it requires you to know your limits more than anything, and more than that know your enemies skill as well.

Yeah you can get cover a large portion of turf or get some priority spalts, but if either puts you in a position you are not confident on surviving, trust for instinct.
The main goal of a support player is to stay alive and make the time you are alive give value to the team, a dead player is of no use to a team

@Ansible short range weapons are hard to support with at first, but again keep in mind this and you will do much better

My support weapons: duelies (vanilla/squelcher), octobrush, firefin splat charger, squiffer (always), and splattershot pro

 

[vanille987]

Support is great, most people tend to stay away from it in solo since it requires you have good teammates to start with.
Even so, i still find support to be worth it since it can really bring yo

Generally when you play a support role, you're always behind your teams back making sure they can fully focus on pushing on and possibly even help them with that.
E.G. especially in turf, ink what they don't to increase points/special/mobilty, also ink walls as they really give a tactical edge.
If a enemy slips by and tries to take over your turf, splat them using your mobilty in your favor or AT LEAST warn your team of the intruder(s).
There's no shame in doing so, especially if half a time or even more are trying to take over as by then, Your teammates can afford retreating since Half the enemy team is on the other side of the map.
Also, everything better then your support being splatted.

Then you can help your teams pushing on, best done by ranged weapons as you can ink paths/territories in advance and overall break the enemy's team formation and if the opening arrives, splat someone yourself.
Though short range weapons can still possible aid to this with subs and specials.
Short-range weapons will mostly focus on protecting ground, though a well throw/placed sub/special does wonders.
Though in all cases, protecting your ground is still the most important, be prepared to 'switch' accordingly to ensure the best results.

miscellaneous tips:
-As support, you are going to use specials a lot.
Make them count, especially if your using a short range weapon.
-short range weapons mostly focus on protecting, long-range weapons have a bigger additional focus on directly helping your team push.



Personally, i've been using the dual sqeulchers (REALLY good support weapon) and heavy splatling as long range support.
And the slosher and carbon roller as short range support.
Alot of other weapons can play a support role though.
All of your preferred weapons can play support effectively too!

I also wrote a guide on support play that may help.
(don't expect too much from it though)