Time for me to post the most almighty wall of text there ever was in an attempt to show my thoughts and feelings on all the weapon kits announced since this info started streaming out of SplatoonJP :P
Sushi (Splattershot):
Burst Bombs and Splashdown sounds like a really good kit combination, and one I can see myself playing as one of my main shooter weapons. I was intrigued by the original kit, when it had Tenta Missiles, but the Splashdown is a better way of getting in your enemies' faces and letting them have it. I forsee this being a popular choice as a Tentatek of sorts.
Splat Roller:
Curling Bombs and Splashdown, back to the original kit from the first demo we got of this game. That was the version of the game I played and this was one of 2 weapons I tried out (the other being the Dualies). This was the kit that clicked and really felt like it suited the Roller's play style. As we all know the Roller struggled to get close to enemies in Splatoon 1, a problem made worse with the release of the Carbon, Luna, .96 Deco and the rise of better weapons, so the Curling Bomb is a nice easy way to manoeuvre around even when you have little ink turfed. This plus the vertical flick gives the Roller mobility options that it never had in 1, and this will help tenfold in giving the Splat Roller a fighting chance with other weapons. Combining it with Splashdown allows safer super jumps and of course a nice way of catching some squids off guard, and it may be able to work as a panic special, although I highly doubt it.
Splat Dualies:
Burst Bombs and Tenta Missiles, taking the Sushi's old kit and replacing the Suction Bomb/Inkjet (Curling/Inkjet in Testfire). Burst Bombs will obviously help with the range game, and possible splats where the enemy barely escapes your range. Tenta Missiles are already a pretty neat special, as you can charge them up, lock on to two people, quickly fire them off and move again pretty quickly (or lock on to more if you have the time and can sync up with your team for co-ordinated attacks). Both help with the range issue and Bursts can help for climbing walls where the range fails it. Not sure how well this will work on the Dualies, but will need to keep an eye on this as it could very well be the best kit this version of the Dualies will get.
Splat Charger:
Unchanged from the Testfire, so Splat Bombs and Sting Ray. A pretty interesting kit, and one obviously aimed at countering the E-Litre, since that's the only charger that out-ranges this one. Splat Bomb is as good as ever, and was a help on the original game's Splat Charger, so that's nice to have. Sting Ray is useful for attacking those out of range and applying the pressure, and with the ability to fire it when you want and turning faster whilst not firing this special can be quite powerful in the right hands. This will most likely be the best kit we see on the Splat Charger, and it'll be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Blaster:
The first announced kit, and arguably one of the strongest ones teased so far. Toxic Mist and Splashdown are your friends here, and it's clear that this has taken inspiration from the original Blaster's kit of Disruptor and Killer Wail. Toxic Mist will help in forcing enemies to move and zoning them out whilst aiming for the direct and getting the 2 hit indirect if you miss. Combining this with the Splashdown means that if anyone does try charging you down you can just use this and trap them in your attack for a splat, or scaring them off for a teammate to get the splat. The Blaster finally has a good kit where it can shine without the fear of the CRB making this weapon lose viability. We had the Custom Blaster for Bubbler and Point Sensor in one, but we all know the CRB had a better kit and Light depletion vs Medium on the CB killed off the little popularity the Blaster had. Definitely a 2nd weapon I'm interested in picking up.
Octobrush:
The second announced kit, and a very quirky one at that. Autobombs and Inkjet makes for quite the weird kit, and I'm not a fan of this one. I don't feel like any part of this kit complements the Octobrush, and you'll be fighting the kit, which ultimately holds back the solid main weapon. Autobombs will lock onto any enemy in its detection zone, and chases them until it explodes. These don't ink the floor whilst moving, giving the Octobrush no ink options outside of the main weapon. If that's not bad enough it has Inkjet, a weapon that will reveal their landing position when activated and removing their stealth when attacking the other team as they have to leave the ink to attack. All of this goes against the stealthy silent assassin nature of the Octobrush, and this is going to be a weapon that no-one uses just because of how counter-intuitive the kit playstyle is to the main weapon.
Splattershot Pro:
The third announcement, with a hybrid kit of the vanilla and Forge from 1. Point Sensors and Ink Storm should be an interesting kit, more so now we no longer have Echolocator as a special. Point Sensors are largely the same as before, although they appear to use more ink now and have a lingering AoE effect for a few seconds after landing, to make them better than before. Ink Storm is going to be a more passive Inkstrike, that helps take some turf control and might damage opponents, although not much is known about that special currently. This could be quite the good kit for the SSPro, as it can search and destroy whilst having a passive support special when it is really needed.
Dynamo Roller:
A pretty interesting kit, and I quite like what they're going for here. Ink Mines and Sting Ray will make for an interesting combination where unique strategies are invented for the Dynamo. Main weapon is same as before, with the added vertical flick (although the rough translations from SplatoonJP hint that it isn't too good for ranged attacks). Ink Mines can be used in a really interesting way for defence on the Dynamo whilst it attacks due to their infinite lasting time and placing 2 on the map. Combining that with their new marking ability on non-lethal hits and the Dynamo has a nifty sub, although Ink Mines may well be on the lowest tier of sub weapons. Sting Ray will be built pretty fast which allows the Dynamo infinite range to take out the charger and splatling players who stay back, so this could quite easily be a fearsome weapon by itself.
Splash-o-Matic:
This is such an interesting kit, and I'm only apprehensive about the special. Toxic Mist and Inkjet, and I foresee this being the new Zink Mini Splatling. A weapon with good painting power and the ability to zone out and hinder enemy movement before utilising its special for devastating attacks. I don't know how effective the Inkjet will be on this weapon, but the ability to play support by having a Run Speed/Sub Saver/Bomb Range build will make this a fearsome weapon that will maintain map control and hold key points for the team as they push forwards, and of course a co-ordinated Inkjet with 2 Toxic Mists in play and a Tenta Missile + Sting Ray could cause mass panic and devastation. Keep an eye on this weapon, it could very well be the most annoying one to play against. This is my 3rd weapon I want to pick up, and one I'm really interested in as I like the Splash and this is such an evil set to use.
Slosher:
Suction Bombs and Tenta Missiles. Not a very interesting kit either, and one I'm not happy with as the Slosher has lost the Burst Bomb for Burst-Cancel (aka throw a bomb then slosh for fast kill) in exchange for a sub that uses 70% of your ink tank (or something to that effect) on an ink hungry weapon. Tenta Missiles is cool, but with a sub like this it's a weapon I'm not interested in and will be waiting for the Deco variant to be revealed. Suctions can be good for wall painting, and that's it on this weapon, because it can't afford to throw a Suction for zoning an enemy as by the time it does that and get 2 sloshes off it'll be dead. A waste of potential, and one I don't think will be seen very much.
Heavy Splatling:
Sprinkler and Sting Ray. Really digging this set as it's so similar to the Heavy Remix. Sprinklers have had their overhaul where they ink faster and better the newer they are before slowing down, but they get killed so quickly that hardly matters, it just stops camping them in hard to reach places. That plus the main weapon is map control for free, and will no doubt help get that Sting Ray even faster. This will be a good anchor weapon, and one that can push forwards a little further than a charger or Hydra whilst keeping up pressure and eventually whipping out the Sting Ray for attacks on the Tower or Rainmaker carrier. Another interesting weapon but this may be a popular weapon at first until the Hydra is released into the wild, as it offers more range, power and kill potential than the Heavy does, but it also comes down to map size and openness, as Hydra could struggle on more maps than Heavy if more of them follow the designs of The Reef, Humpback Pump Track and Musselforge Fitness.
That's it from my thoughts as of right now! You may go about your daily business as normal :P
