Rainmaker (Or: The story of how my rank got splattered)

[Wrexsoul]

Hey you all,

Summer work kept me busy for a long while, but a few weeks ago I started playing Splatoon a bit more seriously, and began climbing the rankings. I'm not a prodigy by far, so it has taken me a while (and lots of experimenting with weapons), but the day before Rainmaker hit, I was up at 96 points in A- and felt I could climb further pretty easily, so I started feeling good about myself.

Then Rainmaker came. The last few sessions I've had have exclusively been the new mode (whether by design or ****ty luck I dunno). In a few days, my ranking has bombed like never before - I'm losing 4/5 games, and went from said A- 96 down to where I'm now desperately trying to keep up a B+ 10-50 rating, and I've a feeling I'm going to drop even further if I don't get another mode soon.

I need help... Rainmaker seems like a really fun mode if I was playing in a coordinated group, but as it is I have no clue what I can do. Even when I sucked in the previous modes, I felt I could stay roughly even winning/losing if I got in a good group, but my first sitting I seriously lost 16 games IN A ROW playing Rainmaker. The first half of them I even topped the list every game, with a K/D ratio of 2:1 or better, and still lost.

I seriously need advice about how to play this mode. The weapons I mostly play are: Nozzlenose with run-speed/special up, Blaster or Ranged Blaster with strength gear, Carbon Roller with strength gear (or occasionally a brush) and rarely also do good with a regular charger. I used to main the cal. 96, but haven't used it in a long time.

Regarding strategy, I've tried the following (as well as mixing it up):

- Focusing on killing the enemy team and leave the Rainmaker to my guys. This usually leads to nobody getting anywhere and leaves me completely reliant on my team (and usually ends with someone from the enemy team solo capping it after 3 gruelling minutes), or having my carrier completely ignore the path I've made and rushing down the middle.
- Trying to ink a path in advance for a quick rush. This usually leads to a 3v4 situation by the Rainmaker which we always lose.
- Focusing on getting the Rainmaker. Apparently I suck balls running the thing, I just get splatted whenever I pick it up, or feel like my teammates don't do anything to get me forward.
- Bodyguarding the carrier. While this works for a bit, they always end up getting splattered.

I seriously haven't got a clue about how to turn this around, but I feel like I'm gonna end up in the C-ranks again soon if I don't do something. Help... :(

-EDIT- I think one main reason I'm not doing good in this mode is that I usually play as more of a skirmisher, moving around on the stage to ambush people and get to the objective from other directions than head-on. Since Rainmaker can be over so freaking fast, this often screws me up...

 

[SupaTim]

If you play as the skirmisher, get those kills at the beginning. Both teams usually rush the RM and try to blow the shield. If you go around and take out the opposing team you give your team an early advantage. In the higher ranks you will have to contend with members of the other team doing the same thing, but if you're already good in that role you should be able to splat a few of them.

Then, if no one on your team is doing what you want, I'd suggest taking the rainmaker yourself and using it to ink a path and push forward. Ink resistance helps here as it allows you to move faster into the path the RM makes for you.

I really feel those early kills help a lot, but you shouldn't necessarily focus on killing the whole game. You have to adapt your strategy based on what the other players are doing. Once you splat those first few guys, focus on inking a path or trapping the path if your teammate grabbed the RM. If they didn't, then you grab it and use the RM to make your own path.

Sorry if this seems really vague or cliche, but I do feel like this mode in particular requires more versatility/adaptation in tactics.

 

[Wrexsoul]

Thanks for the valuable input! Starting to feel like I'm doing a little bit better, but it's still crazy uneven (and if we win or lose very seldom seems to depend on if I do a good job or not, unlike the other modes). Anyone else care to chime in?

 

[Kaliafornia]

Honestly I would avoid rainmaker, unless you can at least duo and voice chat. Teamwork counts in that mode more than anything. Unless you are good enough at a weapon/map combo set to carry your team. But it's harder to carry in rainmaker than any other rank since your teammates movements as well as the other teams are less predictable, especially on the more expansive maps. Solo rainmaker can be 50/50 I find.

 

[Krozo]

I agree, Rainmaker is tricky without an organized team. The best advice I could give you, don't rely on your team, but don't not rely on them...????
What I'm trying to say is, do what you say, give your team the opportunity to take the advantage, but don't rely on them so much as to die for a single kill. You have to stay alive in situations like these and really carry your team.

 

[BlitzenWulf]

I recommend using Recon. Try and 'feel' the stage. It helps me gauge how long it will take me to get from point A to point b and the quickest and safest routes. Also, study the enemy team before the battle and figure out the best way to kill em.

I agree with Tim. H too. Try to take out those players focused on the shield and then splat them from the side or from behind. Be careful about this tactic bc half of the enemy team probably has a similar strategy.

Personally, I like throwing Splat Bombs over the shield and killing the ppl focused on blowing it up. Or throwing my ink right over the rainmaker (very risky). If the shield pops, throw a bomb anyways. I can usually get about one or two unsuspecting inklings who immediately dive for the Rainmaker.

 

[unforgiven]

Rainmaker is the one mode where communication will give you a huge advantage.
These games are not as straight forward like Splat Zones or Tower Control.

For me, playing Rainmaker mode from A- rank is very risky because I have no squad. ^^