Rapid Blaster Pro: Analysis and Thoughts

[HappyBear801]

Here is a modified Rapid Blaster variation very similar to the Range Blaster for the normal Blaster, the Rapid Blaster Pro! (amount of times word "blaster" was used in one sentence: 4) The Pro version has been modified from the original to have increased range while having a slower fire rate, approximately that of the Luna Blaster. The trail of ink is still the same relative width and it still kills in two hits instead of one like most Blasters. Seekers offer options for vengeance kill and accurization of attack while Inkzooka gives an even farther reach of splatting. However, given the lack of close range options, this is a set for staying back and defending to kill.

Shop Description: The Rapid Blaster Pro is based on the Rapid Blaster, but it's further specialized for increased range. Follow your Seekers to zip into an advantageous position and strike from your opponent's blind spot! The Inkzooka makes this a great set for frontline fighters who like to cause big problems for their foes!

Shop Cost: 11,200

Sub Weapon: Seeker

Special Weapon: Inkzooka

So,with that said, please leave your thoughts on the Rapid Blaster Pro.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I certainly like battling this one over its other blaster brethren, mainly since it can't kill as easily as the other models.

 

[Noise Tank]

Rapid blaster has the edge over this one with bubbler and faster rof, but being able kill people safe and sound from a mile away while still being viable in medium range with good aim is awesome. The increase in firerate post patch is going to be something else. As if rb's aren't underrated enough.

 

[SkyBlue]

It feels good, except for the seeker it gets for its sub. I feel like almost any other sub weapon would help it a ton. Not to diss on seekers viability, but the rapid blaster pro can shoot a straight line of ink in front of it and make its own path, it doesn't really need a seeker to do that. Seekers don't really help when experienced players get right up in your face.

If anything it feels nice to use, and covers turf really well, just sort of feels really lacking in the kill department. But I digress, it feels more useful to push/keep enemies away then to actually kill them.

 

[Scones]

This thing is a lot of fun. The biggest problem I have when using it is that I usually trade against shooters with similar range. Even if I flank a gal they can just pull a 180 and trade with me. The best tactic against similar to longer range weapons I've found is to shoot once, immediately squid form and move a little, then shoot again. This approach somewhat reduces the effective fire rate but I seem to trade less and splat more. For closer range enemies of course it's just a matter of whether or not I hit with the blob. The range of the splash damage isn't fantastic but can zone well and sometimes get that last necessary hit. The seekers seem to be only useful at creating an ink trail or throwing it at close range enemies. They just don't seem to be a good sub for this weapon. Of course, this is a day one impression so perhaps more uses will be found later. Chargers are definitely a problem but the Inkzooka takes care of that.

 

[HappyBear801]

It feels good, except for the seeker it gets for its sub. I feel like almost any other sub weapon would help it a ton. Not to diss on seekers viability, but the rapid blaster pro can shoot a straight line of ink in front of it and make its own path, it doesn't really need a seeker to do that. Seekers don't really help when experienced players get right up in your face.

If anything it feels nice to use, and covers turf really well, just sort of feels really lacking in the kill department. But I digress, it feels more useful to push/keep enemies away then to actually kill them.

Seekers on this weapon mainly have their uses in accurizing kills to make up for this weapon's need of extreme precision. Now, I don't know why Nintendo's trying to give us a crutch for aim here when the H-3 Nozzlenose D is coming out soon with a loadout entirely about precision alone...but I digress...

 

[MakesDream]

You have to be extremely precise to kill with seekers tho.

 

[HappyBear801]

You have to be extremely precise to kill with seekers tho.

True, but the Seekers kill in one hit. And they have an autoreticle, meaning they home in, unlike the blast from the main weapon.

 

[CoconutTank]

You don't have to kill with seekers. On some maps, they're great for rushing mid and for ramp control. Being able to rush and camp the mid of Camp Triggerfish is something that the Rapid Blaster Pro can do very well. Same for rushing and camping the hill of Arowana Mall.

Rapid Blaster Pro has a serious problem with close range combat though. I find myself having to retreat quite often, and being very hesitant to drop down into a lower area when I don't have a really fast escape route ready.

 

[HappyBear801]

You don't have to kill with seekers. On some maps, they're great for rushing mid and for ramp control. Being able to rush and camp the mid of Camp Triggerfish is something that the Rapid Blaster Pro can do very well. Same for rushing and camping the hill of Arowana Mall.

Rapid Blaster Pro has a serious problem with close range combat though. I find myself having to retreat quite often, and being very hesitant to drop down into a lower area when I don't have a really fast escape route ready.

Yeah, this weapon is all about staying back and killing from long-ranged attacks. If someone gets too close, however, if you can do a 180 and set off a Seeker behing you, you can escape with that if the map layout permits it.

 

[Hinichii.ez.™]

Seekers do not kill good players. You can force and read reactions out of good players with a seeker though. But that's a large waste of ink.

 

[Lonely_Dolphin]

It feels good, except for the seeker it gets for its sub. I feel like almost any other sub weapon would help it a ton. Not to diss on seekers viability, but the rapid blaster pro can shoot a straight line of ink in front of it and make its own path, it doesn't really need a seeker to do that. Seekers don't really help when experienced players get right up in your face.

If anything it feels nice to use, and covers turf really well, just sort of feels really lacking in the kill department. But I digress, it feels more useful to push/keep enemies away then to actually kill them.

My thoughts exactly, Seekers really don't do anything here and I rarely bother using them. Other than that, the weapon isn't too bad, I've actually been doing pretty alright with it in ranked, getting scores as high as 13-1. Obviously you can't go wrong with the Inkzooka, but the main weapon itself I actually like more than the Rapid Blaster. Higher range is just better on a purely defensive/zoning weapons like these, and the firerate trade off is negligible. The RB still has the better sets though, atleast until the RBP Deco arrives with it's Disruptors.

 

[Noise Tank]

Seekers do not kill good players. You can force and read reactions out of good players with a seeker though. But that's a large waste of ink.

Hardly a waste if it gets you the kill. If someone gets close to you, throw one at a wall if there's one nearby for a easy kill. You're basically guaranteed a kill if you throw one at someone jumping off a ledge. The best thing about seekers is that you don't have to aim or even know where an enemy is for the seeker to go potentially find a free kill for you when you aren't fighting anybody in the moment.

Anyways, I agree that the loadout sucks for it. Why didn't they just give seekers to luna neo and splat bombs to the rbp or anything else? wtf

 

[SupaTim]

I think the RBPro can be a really good weapon. If you are in its effective range it is really hard to avoid a splat since it covers the ground around you and makes it hard to escape. Last night, when everyone and their brother was using it, I switched to the CJS just to outrange them (worked beautifully).

The one thing that does feel off is the seeker. Maybe I've just gotten so used to burst bombs or suction bombs with these sorts of weapons, but the seeker doesn't seem to fit. I could be using it wrong though.

 

[Hinichii.ez.™]

Hardly a waste if it gets you the kill. If someone gets close to you, throw one at a wall if there's one nearby for a easy kill. You're basically guaranteed a kill if you throw one at someone jumping off a ledge. The best thing about seekers is that you don't have to aim or even know where an enemy is for the seeker to go potentially find a free kill for you when you aren't fighting anybody in the moment.

Anyways, I agree that the loadout sucks for it. Why didn't they just give seekers to luna neo and splat bombs to the rbp or anything else? wtf

Keyword "if"

 

[Lonely_Dolphin]

So it seems by using 2 mains and 6 subs (or something equivalent) of damage up will improve the Seekers near hit damage to be above 100 for the splat. I was actually able to get some kills with today, probably thanks to that.

 

[Yellowkirbyguy]

You'd think as a defensive player this would be my jam.

Hmm, i guess it's more to the fact that the weapon seems to be more of a deterrent rather than ranged splatter. In that kinda regard, i think the playstyle for this weapon would have to be near front lines, but far enough so that you can abuse the range to scare people away from particular areas, name key areas like the tower, middle of X stage, splat zone etc.

The problem i have with it is it's lower speed with the power of the Rapid blaster. What if the rainmaker was climbing up that wall that puts the enemy team a huge lead in Moray towers? (You know which walls i'm talking about) And you've only reached say, 75? I personally would like to stop that sorta thing with one decisive shot or ASAP. The Rapid blaster Deco shoots fast enough to either splat or yield a result of some value and if you missed, it's a little more forgiving, adding to the fact that it has suction bombs to help itself out. The RB Pro needs the accuracy of a Rapid blaster, but the consequences of missing in a dire situation is that much more painful. Though all this can be thrown out the window if you use the Seeker in such a way that you'd accomplish your defense but a lot of ink will be required. Whipping out the inkzooka should be a last resort.

This is really an odd weapon, i can see my self trying to figure it out, but from my point of view, it's a weapon designed to keep enemies out of particular areas from a distance, forcing them to take another route or rethink a particular strategy. Or divert the focus to yourself rather than other people/objectives. Basically, its a "Diverting" weapon. This weapon succeeds if the enemy team's focus on the objective falters because you've been harassing them. But the question is, how useful would that be? If someone diverted their attention to you, and a team mate was trying to splat them, then the enemies team might splat your team mate for trying to get the one who was gunning for you. That's just one example out of countless possiblities that might result in a gain or loss.

Turf war, i haven't really got much to say. It's just a slower rapid blaster with more range, getting a high score would be tougher with this weapon than the Rapid blaster.

All this is said from a day 1 perspective. What i say now could be wrong in the future. I might get used to this weapon as i play with it more. But at the moment, it doesn't suit me.

 

[Noise Tank]

Played with it some more today. Feels like I got a lot of cheap kills on hammerhead TC with it. Even easier to get kills on long range maps than the rapid blaster. felt even dirty to play with it in some games lol

Last night, when everyone and their brother was using it, I switched to the CJS just to outrange them (worked beautifully).

rbp out ranges js's so it's possible that they just sucked with rapid blasters...like almost everyone else I've met online using them.

Keyword "if"

How do you talk in absolutes about hypothetical situations? Seekers aren't the best sub, but not using because they're a "waste of ink" is just not being resourceful.

 

[SkyBlue]

rbp out ranges js's so it's possible that they just sucked with rapid blasters...like almost everyone else I've met online using them.

errrrrrrrrr, hate to burst bomb your bubble, but it doesn't.

http://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Rapid_Blaster_Pro
http://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Jet_Squelcher

it doesn't out range the dual squelcher either. http://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/Dual_Squelcher
granted dual only beats it by a very small margin.

 

[F1r3tar]

Personally, I like the deco version better since Bomb Rush is more of my fortei.