Stuck in ink, what am I doing wrong?

[MindWanderer]

There's a disparity between my gameplay and my opponents' that I don't understand and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

When I get a couple of shots in at an enemy, regardless of what weapon I'm using, very frequently they're able to turn around and get away from me if I don't finish them off right away.

When I get hit, though, I'm immediately in enemy ink and I can only rarely escape. Doesn't matter what weapon they're using, either--blasters coat the whole area around me, shooters splatter to all sides, sloshers and rollers only make small strips but that strip is centered directly on me and I can't reach the sides fast enough. I do invest in ink resistance, and that helps a lot, but I don't know why I seem to need it when no one else does.

So either I'm not doing the right thing to escape, or I'm not shooting the right way to get ink all around my targets, and I'm not sure which or how to fix it.

 

[Enperry]

Are you using sticks? 'Cause motion gets you around quicker and it is easier to maneuver.

 

[MindWanderer]

No, using motion.

 

[Enperry]

I recommend that you watch other players closely.

 

[Dark Sage Walker]

Another possibility is that your opponents more often than not are shooting around you with a couple of shots to get their ink around you before shooting at you directly. I couldn't explain if this was happening a majority of the time, but it is something that I was thinking about.

 

[Ansible]

Hmmm, are you standing in one place when you attack? Are you attacking them head-on?

Do you have any exemplary clips to better illustrate your situation for us?

 

[Elecmaw]

Lag, clear and simple: Try leading the shots way ahead of them, then you'll likely see them getting stuck in your ink or having to fire to clear a path for themselves.

 

[SilverBrick]

Your opponents are probably already moving when you shoot at them. I think your problem is that you aren’t dolphin diving (i.e. strafing while swimming, jumping, shooting while still strafing in the air, and swimming again).

It’s much less complex than it sounds, and it usually means that by the time the enemy’s inked where you’re standing, you aren’t standing there anymore. Mobility is one of the most important parts of Splatoon, so try to integrate it into your attacks.

Also try using a different weapon if you don’t have one that turfs well (they usually take a lot more planning to hold up properly); stack some Ink Resistance if it’s giving you a really hard time (although I’d say get used to dealing with it without Ink Resistance so you’re not reliant on it); or try out Burst Bombs until you’ve mastered dolphin diving.

 

[Dark Sage Walker]

No one here has said anything that I wouldn't have said. Especially about movement. How you dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge is crucial to most if not all shooters. But it is even more so in this game due to the options you have for movement as well as the things that can slow down or flat out halt it. Becoming familiar with all the different movement options you have will lead to more freedom and fewer instances of getting stuck in enemy ink as they're firing. Dolphin Diving, as @SilverBrick had mentioned, is a great method for keeping on the move while still being on the offensive. Even more simplistic than that, though, is realizing which walls can be effectively inked and used to climb. Making effective use of walls can give you even more freedom in your movements and allow for some neat tricks including, but not limited to:

• Getting a quick altitude adjustment to make for an easier offense.
• Getting out of sticky situations before they get even stickier.
• Swimming across some gaps by inking a horizontal path across a wall and using that to reposition.
• Doing that same thing but without a gap.
• Hiding on a wall to throw off an incoming enemy.

Another thing about inking walls. Smaller ledges also count as a vertical surface for you to ink up. As an example, at the top of the ramps in Arowana Mall. Inking up the sides of that ramp will open up more movement possibilities and can often spell the difference between a sweet retreat and a sour splat. Hopefully this helps you see more possibilities with your movement options!