So... The Inkbrush isn't viable?

[TheGreatGateway]

I've been attempting to learn to do better at the game in general. Unfortunatly there's very little I can do on my own, because I'm not a very smart person, low IQ and all. So I thought I'd try and join a group or squad, and lend what I can to them, while being taught how to play at the same time.

Unfortunately I've hit a snag. The only weapon I'm good with in the entire game (trust me, I've tried a LOT of weapons) is the standard Inkbrush, or to a lesser extent, the Ink Nouveau. Each group I've tried joining so far has said they don't want a support/Inkbrush player in their ranks. The only group that did accept me frequently ignores me. Whether this is because they know how awful I am at the game, or because of time zone differences, I can't say.

I don't know what else I can do in this regard. As it stands, I'm being beaten by C- players (I'm B rank), squidbagged at every opportunity, and worse besides. I can't improve without someone holding my hand through it, but I can't join any groups that could potentially help me either, due to my weapon choice. Do I just drop the brush and play with something I'm even worse with?

 

[SquiliamTentacles]

It's not that inkbrushes can not be used well, but they just are harder to use on most weapons. With their minimal range, you have to focus on stealth and a ninja-like playstyle, and the only way to truly master the weapon is practicing. Try to find a squad of friends or players about your rank, or just play in Turf Wars to practice awareness skills and general mobility.

If you give up on using the inkbrush, try the Octobrush. It may not have the speed, but it has significantly better range and better sub and special loadouts. Also, this guide http://squidboards.com/guides/brushes-in-ranked.141/ can also give you a few tips.

 

[Marshall]

I've used inkbrushes in Ranked, and they're definitely viable. But with the inkbrush, you're definitely gonna have to be really stealthy. Because of that, you'll be most useful as support or defense. In Splat Zones, I usually guard the zone and block incoming attacks. In Rainmaker, I usually hide and then splat anybody who goes by without noticing me.

The inkbrush is one of those weapons which you need to put extra effort into it. Try to find a Squad which will commit to help you improve. You also might wanna try the Octobrush, it has a much better set for Ranked, and adapting to it isn't that hard.

 

[SkyBound]

I've been attempting to learn to do better at the game in general. Unfortunatly there's very little I can do on my own, because I'm not a very smart person, low IQ and all. So I thought I'd try and join a group or squad, and lend what I can to them, while being taught how to play at the same time.

Unfortunately I've hit a snag. The only weapon I'm good with in the entire game (trust me, I've tried a LOT of weapons) is the standard Inkbrush, or to a lesser extent, the Ink Nouveau. Each group I've tried joining so far has said they don't want a support/Inkbrush player in their ranks. The only group that did accept me frequently ignores me. Whether this is because they know how awful I am at the game, or because of time zone differences, I can't say.

I don't know what else I can do in this regard. As it stands, I'm being beaten by C- players (I'm B rank), squidbagged at every opportunity, and worse besides. I can't improve without someone holding my hand through it, but I can't join any groups that could potentially help me either, due to my weapon choice. Do I just drop the brush and play with something I'm even worse with?

You could try to join inkbrush brushers

 

[Of Moose & Men]

It's not so much that it's not viable. It's just extremely difficult to use completely effectively. Neither of their Sub/Special sets mesh well with the Inkbrush. You won't find many people using Ink Brushes all to well. There's just so many better weapons out there, there is hardly ever a reason to run an Ink Brush when you can use something much more practical.

 

[Rockin]

I've been attempting to learn to do better at the game in general. Unfortunatly there's very little I can do on my own, because I'm not a very smart person, low IQ and all...

That's...not something you want to tell publicly :C (whether it's true or you're just exaggerating, I can't say.)

Let's try this.

- When you try other weapons, what happens? are you failing to hit the enemy, or are you having trouble understanding the mechanics of the weapon/grenade/special that comes with it?

- why do you feel you're good with the Inkbrush? what are you doing correctly that you're not doing with the other three weapons

- are you mostly playing Rank, or are you playing Turf war aswell?

 

[jsilva]

I've seen two players who were awesome with the Octobrush. But that's unusual and it has to suit the player's particular style.

You need to find a weapon that seems to fit with your way of seeing things and your playing style. For instance, I prefer to play more close-up and don't like slow shooters very much, and so I chose things like the Octoshot (basically a Tentatek) and an occasioablly an aerospray. I also use a 52 Gal but only if I don't feel slow using it.

Pay close attention to how your opponents and teammates are playing. You may want to watch some videos on YouTube of really good players and see how they think and react. I really enjoyed the dude's commentary who made the S-rank adventures videos:

Not my favourite personality but he's definitely amusing, and also very good and worthwhile to watch. You can watch his progression in rank from C- to S in a series of 20 or so videos.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I've seen some amazing brush users in my time playing Splatoon. However, compared to most other weapons, it has many weaknesses that can easily be exploited. Being a shooter game, a melee weapon is going to have some trouble keeping up. Rollers manage to be useful due to their dependable flicking attacks, along with their instant kill ability. Brushes don't have that same luxury.

For example, the famous Energy Sword from Halo is an amazing melee weapon in the shooter dominant multiplayer because it's an instant kill, along with the lunge you do that is very effective. The brush takes quite a lot more to get a kill in comparison, and you do not get a quick lunge to help you get very close to your target.

I would implore you to keep using the brush if it's your ideal weapon. It can still put in great work, you just need to have a lot more strategy put into your play than most other weapons in the game. However, like you pointed out, most groups will want you to use more viable weapons. All I can really recommend is that you keep practicing other weapons. Starting with simple shooter weapons like the Splattershot Jr., and Aerosprays will make you comfortable with them, and later on you can move to regular Splattershots.

 

[Zolda]

You mentioned that you've tried using other weapons, but what does that look like for you? Are you just playing a couple of battles, not seeing immediate success and moving on to try something else? Or are you giving each weapon serious consideration and getting real practice time in before determining that you don't like it?

If the former, I would encourage you to spend more time and effort practicing different weapons. If the latter, and you're certain that the Inkbrush really is the weapon for you, I'd recommend giving the Octobrush a try. It might be slower, but the extra range and damage is well worth the trade-off I think. Furthermore, the Octobrush kit is much better than either of the Inkbrush kits. Also, it's still a brush, so even though its stats differ from the Inkbrush you shouldn't have too much difficulty adapting to it.

All that being said, I would still say give other weapons another try. As Hero of Lime said above, start with some of the basics and work your way up from there. If you really spend the time on each weapon, you'll almost certainly manage to find something you like eventually. Even if you don't and you end up sticking with a brush, taking the time to seriously practice other weapons will help you learn their strengths and weaknesses which you'll be better able to take advantage of when playing against them.

 

[jsilva]

Even if you don't and you end up sticking with a brush, taking the time to seriously practice other weapons will help you learn their strengths and weaknesses which you'll be better able to take advantage of when playing against them.

Agreed. Additionally, it'll open more possibilities with changing weapons based on maps and/or gameplay and/or mood. I have a main (Octoshot) but I'll switch to others if there's a certain combination that works well for another weapon.

 

[Dreamy Luigi]

The horrible kits, lack of range and mediocre time to kill is why people write it off (me included)

Most of the lighter rollers are far better as their time to kill is shorter and the kits aren't trash. As someone said, put a lot of time into a weapon and maybe learn it more before you write it off. I hated Dynamo a lot of the first times I tried it but one night I just kept using it and understood the weapon as a whole. It's now my main.

 

[Airi]

There are actually a lot of players and squads who will look down on weapons they consider "inferior". This is something fairly common with shooter games and competitive games. It can't really be helped. Unfortunately, there are a lot of players who think of the Inkbrush as a bad weapon in general. There are quite a lot of problems with the Inkbrush - but how bad those problems are entirely depend on a person's play style.

The Inkbrushes and Octobrush have notoriously bad range and bad damage output. If you play with a direct and offensive style then you won't be doing well with the Inkbrush in Ranked. The Inkbrush simply doesn't really have the capability to be a full frontal weapon like that unless you're opponent is paying no attention whatsoever. The Inkbrush is more suited for a stealthy, patient ninja type of play style. Players who use the Inkbrush need to share that play style and be able to play to the Inkbrush's skills. Inkbrushes are very good for playing supportive roles for your team instead of being the attacker on a team.

As a roller main, I am always thankful when I am paired with a good Inkbrush user. Roller users and Inkbrush users can work very well together and help strengthen one another if both players know how to appropriately use their weapons to the weapon's strength. So I'm a player who is thankful to skilled brush users because they can be quite helpful for my own weapon. I know a lot of people would disagree with that and would be more quick to say that the Inkbrush is just all around terrible.

That's not always true, however.

I think you need to step back and ask yourself... Do you actually like using the Inkbrush? If the answer is yes then I would encourage you to keep using it. A lot of people will tell you that the Inkbrush 'isn't viable' and that may be true for a lot of people... But it doesn't have to be true for everyone. The Inkbrush can be a very viable weapon if the user is skilled enough with it. The Inkbrush is simply just one of the really hard weapons to become skilled with. It will take a lot of patience - both with the weapon and people - to learn how to use the Inkbrush in both Ranked and Turf Wars. It can be done.

If you're interested in using other weapons then you should make sure that you are giving them an honest try. Don't just try them for a few matches and decide that you don't like them. Use them for a few hours and for quite a lot of matches. Try to learn their strengths and weaknesses. Actually know the weapon and who knows what you could become skilled with.

For example... I didn't start off liking rollers. Actually, the first time I picked up the Splat Roller... I hated it. I tried it for a few matches and decided to simply drop it and return to the shooters. It took a while - as in until the Carbon Roller Deco was released - before I gave rollers another chance. I decided not to give up with using the Carbon Roller Deco and kept using it. The more I used it, the more I learned. I learned a new appreciation for rollers and learned how fun they are to use. I learned how skilled I am with rollers. I never would have found that out if I hadn't given my Carbon Roller Deco an honest try.

So definitely give new weapons an honest try if you want to try something new or just keep practicing and developing your skillset with the Inkbrush if you don't want to let it go.

 

[TheGreatGateway]

That's...not something you want to tell publicly :C (whether it's true or you're just exaggerating, I can't say.)

Let's try this.

- When you try other weapons, what happens? are you failing to hit the enemy, or are you having trouble understanding the mechanics of the weapon/grenade/special that comes with it?

- why do you feel you're good with the Inkbrush? what are you doing correctly that you're not doing with the other three weapons

- are you mostly playing Rank, or are you playing Turf war aswell?

Must be true, because I had no idea that I shouldn't say it.

- With the other weapons, my mind goes blank. I have no idea what to do in close combat, my shots miss or don't reach the target, and I can't do the advanced techniques no matter how hard I try.

- The Inkbrush makes me feel useful. The amount of turf I can reclaim in mere seconds is astounding, the sprinkler really grabs the enemy's attention, and I've wiped out enemies going for the objective, with the Inkstrike enough times to feel good about it.

- I only ever play Ranked. Turf Wars are pretty dull to me, and I can't brag about a good grade on that mode in the long run.

There are actually a lot of players and squads who will look down on weapons they consider "inferior". This is something fairly common with shooter games and competitive games. It can't really be helped. Unfortunately, there are a lot of players who think of the Inkbrush as a bad weapon in general. There are quite a lot of problems with the Inkbrush - but how bad those problems are entirely depend on a person's play style.

The Inkbrushes and Octobrush have notoriously bad range and bad damage output. If you play with a direct and offensive style then you won't be doing well with the Inkbrush in Ranked. The Inkbrush simply doesn't really have the capability to be a full frontal weapon like that unless you're opponent is paying no attention whatsoever. The Inkbrush is more suited for a stealthy, patient ninja type of play style. Players who use the Inkbrush need to share that play style and be able to play to the Inkbrush's skills. Inkbrushes are very good for playing supportive roles for your team instead of being the attacker on a team.

As a roller main, I am always thankful when I am paired with a good Inkbrush user. Roller users and Inkbrush users can work very well together and help strengthen one another if both players know how to appropriately use their weapons to the weapon's strength. So I'm a player who is thankful to skilled brush users because they can be quite helpful for my own weapon. I know a lot of people would disagree with that and would be more quick to say that the Inkbrush is just all around terrible.

That's not always true, however.

I think you need to step back and ask yourself... Do you actually like using the Inkbrush? If the answer is yes then I would encourage you to keep using it. A lot of people will tell you that the Inkbrush 'isn't viable' and that may be true for a lot of people... But it doesn't have to be true for everyone. The Inkbrush can be a very viable weapon if the user is skilled enough with it. The Inkbrush is simply just one of the really hard weapons to become skilled with. It will take a lot of patience - both with the weapon and people - to learn how to use the Inkbrush in both Ranked and Turf Wars. It can be done.

If you're interested in using other weapons then you should make sure that you are giving them an honest try. Don't just try them for a few matches and decide that you don't like them. Use them for a few hours and for quite a lot of matches. Try to learn their strengths and weaknesses. Actually know the weapon and who knows what you could become skilled with.

For example... I didn't start off liking rollers. Actually, the first time I picked up the Splat Roller... I hated it. I tried it for a few matches and decided to simply drop it and return to the shooters. It took a while - as in until the Carbon Roller Deco was released - before I gave rollers another chance. I decided not to give up with using the Carbon Roller Deco and kept using it. The more I used it, the more I learned. I learned a new appreciation for rollers and learned how fun they are to use. I learned how skilled I am with rollers. I never would have found that out if I hadn't given my Carbon Roller Deco an honest try.

So definitely give new weapons an honest try if you want to try something new or just keep practicing and developing your skillset with the Inkbrush if you don't want to let it go.

Oh I LOVE using the Inkbrush! It feels like playing as, say, Robin in Super Smash Brothers. Winning with the weapon makes me feel both very smart and useful to the team. It also makes me feel happy about the players I team up with, knowing I can rely on them, and that they in turn can rely on me. I was never one for direct combat either, so the brush only helps my playstyle further.

 

[Trunks159]

Now the Ink Brush (for me at least) is just very bad. The Octobrush is far superior. The weapon is however, situational. On some maps, theres simply no reason to use it. Also, if your opponents are all rollers, or blasters, you'll be at a disadvantage.

 

[Of Moose & Men]

So, I decided to pick up both versions of the Ink Brush. I've gotta say. . .

It's atrocious. I used both, and I enjoyed the Vanilla Brush over all. I know that's weird, but hear me out. This weapon, I feel, should never be used. . . In ranked modes. It is actually not absolutely terrible in Turf Wars. I really enjoyed popping up a sprinkler and hiding to assassinate someone from behind. THAT was so fun. It is most certainly a fun weapon to use. But, being an assassin like that doesn't work in most other rank modes.

I had quite a bit of fun using it though, definitely will pick it up when I'm not wanting to play too seriously. However, that's about where it stops. At being fun. Sadly.

 

[Airi]

Oh I LOVE using the Inkbrush! It feels like playing as, say, Robin in Super Smash Brothers. Winning with the weapon makes me feel both very smart and useful to the team. It also makes me feel happy about the players I team up with, knowing I can rely on them, and that they in turn can rely on me. I was never one for direct combat either, so the brush only helps my playstyle further.

You should keep using it then~ :) This is an unpopular opinion among competitive players, I suppose, but I would always advise someone to stick with a weapon they love and keep using it! The more practice you get, the better you will become and you'll have more fun with Splatoon by maining a weapon that you actually like to use~ ^.^

There are a lot of people who will tell you that it's better to drop the Inkbrush for a more "popular" and "viable" weapon. That may work for some people but for other players, it may not work. It would make the game less fun for certain players, and I'm that sort of player. I've been told by many people that my Carbon Roller is "weaker" compared to rollers such as the Krak-On and Dynamo. I could, of course, drop my Carbon Roller for one of those... But where would the fun in that be? I do use both rollers just to screw around in Turf Wars but when it comes to Ranked, I'm going to use my Carbon Roller or Heavy Splatling regardless of what other players have to say. For me, I am skilled with these weapons. I know how to use them. And Ranked is more fun when I'm using a weapon of my choosing and not based upon someone else's feelings.

So definitely keep using the Inkbrush~ Don't let people phase you with what they have to say about it. It is hard to become a viable player with the Inkbrush but it is entirely possible with enough patience and practice. :)

 

[Rockin]

- I only ever play Ranked. Turf Wars are pretty dull to me, and I can't brag about a good grade on that mode in the long run.

Ahh...there's your problem right there.

I've been looking at your previous posts just to get a better understanding about you, and it seems that you jumped right into rank the moment you went level 10 and never going to turf from that point forward. Because you've been playing nothing but rank, you havn't gotten the chance to work your fundementals of the game (or rather, created some bad habits).

The thing about Turf war is not just about enjoying the stage, but to help you train and understand the mechanics of the game. When you play your weapon in turf, you're putting time to understand how to make your weapon effective, while looking for advantage spots on the map. Yes, main objective is to cover the map with as much of your ink as possible, but you're also sharpening your skills with the weapon and what you should do with it.

Playing rank teaches you some stuff, but only so much. You improve with time and experience (proper experience).

There's many other problems I can point out, but for now, I suggest you not worry about 'bragging points' and worry more about understanding how each of the weapons work. I also suggest giving the other weapons a second chance in turf war. Again, I understand you get bored with it, but right now, your main concern is having a better understanding of the weapons...and the game.

 

[Eclipsc70]

RANT

I can play with mostly all weapon classes; Main the ink brush variants, Custom Jet, Carbon, splat roller. The only class im not too familiar with would be the blasters but Ive been getting in the swing of things with the custom blaster recently. Now contrary to popular belief, every weapon is viable even the ink brush(both versions.) when it comes to the ink brush it really depends on whos using it. Its turf covering ability and mobility are also very good. It lacks range and power but if you have a good trigger finger and are good with movement you can go toe to toe with a gunner. people write it off because of its poor range and its huge difficulty curve but honestly you should play what you want. If everyone just played 'high tier weapons' then this game wouldnt be fun nor would it evolve.

Though I dont think it matters much, I figure id say this for clarification; I am an S+ ink brusher and ive definitely been in your shoes dude/dudette(?) having people reject me from a squad because I choose to use the ink brush. It sucks and its kinda stupid but thats how things are and to be honest, having people underestimate something so much makes me want to use it more, get really nice and reck face in a tourney to the point that people will need to rethink their opinion on said weapon. I used to use the vanilla ink brush religiously because it had the throwable sprinkler but ive recently picked up the nouveau. Ive come to realize that the nouveau is pretty beastly when you stack damage ups on it to increase its effective range so even if they try to knock you out of range when you bubble, you can still dish out heavy hits from far away. Special savers work as well.

I also try to not heavily engage unless I have bubbler online which isnt difficult for the ink brush since it specializes in gaining special quickly. Moral of the story: dont let anyone sway you from using a weapon. To be honest I have a competetive gaming background from Halo to Smash to Guilty gears to yugioh etc but I kinda wish this game wasnt so competitive so that people can start using different weapons in ranked and tourneys, really starting to see the same weapons.

/RANT

Now as for your issue; it seems like it is not so much the ink brush as it is the player... no offense. It is important to learn other weapons to not only understand their strengths and weaknesses but by learning other weapons, you tend to pick up certain playstyles and implement them into your main weapons playstyle which can be very useful. For example: Playing chargers taught me patience and accuracy while playing guns taught me how to play in a firefight and playing rollers, especially the ink brush, taught me movement and how to be crafty by using different walls and such instead of just hiding in ink on the ground.
It sounds like you lack some basic skills and more importantly a certain shooting game mind set you should have.

Try to follow these 3 rules when on the field:

1. Never stay still.
Even when you have the objective and the whole enemy team is dead try to cover ground or slowly push into the enemy territory. Im not saying to go spawn kill but just make sure you arent in one place just squidding in ink until the enemy team respawns. Obvious exception is if you are about to strike a foe down in front of you. and you dont want them to know where you are.

2. Spread out.
I personally try to go everywhere my team isnt. unless they need my help or if I have bubble since I play Nouveau. Going a different route allows you to set up a possible flank that can potentially win your team the game.

2.5 Use the walls.
The walls. Use them.

3. ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings.
Probably the most important and most overlooked rule. You should always be swinging your camera around to make sure no squid is sneaking up on you, if you know someone is around a corner try to pan your camera around the corner to set up a strike instead of a blind, all in no fear attack. Make sure there is no enemy ink around you or your squad mates lest there be an enemy squid hiding in it.

Try to apply these rules, get used to using other weapons, and also keep practicing. We need more good ink brushes out here.

 

[TheGreatGateway]

I took a shot at using the Octobrush today: on advice, I used it in Turf Wars too, but it felt a bit too easy, so I returned to Ranked after a few games. On the plus side, it has ended my loss streak and put me back at Rank B 30 (I stopped on a high note!)

At first I couldn't wrap my head around using the beacons, nor could I really get my allies to use them, but 3 important things clicked that may encourage me to make this my primary weapon:

- The beacons allow me even more mindgames than the Sprinkler, especially in Rainmaker mode. I don't always have to lay ink to reach a place I want to put a beacon, meaning the enemy often misses where they are. They're just as distracting as the Sprinklers too.

- Ink Recovery Up, Cold Blooded and Strength Up suit me well. Especially the second one: the last thingI want is to have my beacons given away by an Echolocator. Ink Recovery lets me draw more roller-trails and place more beacons. Strength Up saves my squiddy skin if the enemy turns around at the feeling of being slapped.

I had tried Ink Saver main/secondary too, but recovery up was more beneficial to me. No benefit from Special Saver either; I ink the turf so fast I can recover it in no time.

- The Kraken. Originally I avoided this power because it felt too easy to dodge, but in TC and Rainmaker, it's a working wonder for me. Lure them in and pick them off, or scatter them; great for defensive support

I also had what I will call my greatest moment in Splatoon. Perfect team synergy in Urchin Underpass Rainmaler.

- Rainmaker carrier sends out a trail for me.
- I go on ahead and pick off a distracted squid while making turf for our teammates quickly.
-I activate a Kraken to leave an uphill trail. When it runs out, the thick brush trail does the rest.
- Our alies defend us from incoming squiddies. Thank Gods for an ally charger and Gal. :p
- BAM. Rainmaker planted in 12 seconds.

It felt great, like we'd just read each other's minds. That's how a support class should work :)

 

[Deleted Member]

Inkbrush is good for Saltspray Rig in Turf War for what its worth.