honchandesu
Inkling
So you want to be the very best? Like no squid ever was...
For squad battles and competitive play, we need to have an understanding of the Squad's "core tactics". This will enable more swift and accurate communication. So if you want to join competitive play, have a careful read please!
This includes:
Disclaimer: these callouts are based on what we use during our practice sessions; they may sound like another squad's callouts, but this is not intentional!
Christmas update: I've finally added the pictures! Click on the Spoiler tag to reveal images
End of January update: Updated pictures + added more terminology
Callouts
So you've been splatted. You wish you could tell your allies where the enemy is, but all you manage to muster is a chaotic "ROLLER BEHIND THE THING!!!! @$%£?!!!!". And then your allies get splatted too, you wipe, and you get knocked out. Oops.
Our gracious squad leader and I have formulated a basic system for map locations. In time, we will develop our own way of describing each map, but for now, think of this as a "universal system" for callouts, which is more-or-less applicable to all maps.
So cut each map (except Saltspray Rig*) into three sections:
Sniper spots will be loosely called "perch".
Warning! Of course, some maps present several popular sniping areas, so we would have to specify enemy location using more words.
Example: Let's say you were splatted by an enemy E-liter, located on the box near the enemy base in Flounder Heights. You would say "E-liter/Charger in enemy base perch".
I see you
Grated areas will be called... well "grate".
Example: You got splatted by a Dual Squelcher on the grate in Arowana Mall near the sniper spot. You would say "Dual Squelcher on enemy base grate, near perch".
Dynamic pose fail.
Large tower-like structures are referred to as "pillar".
The one which comes to mind is the large structure in the center of Blackbelly Skatepark. I often call it "tower", but it would be more appropriate to call it "pillar" to avoid confusion when playing Tower Control ... Otherwise, confusion!
(Another example of "pillar" : in Museum d'Alfonsino; pillar in mid)
Open and non-elevated areas are referred to as "court"
Examples would be in Flounder Heights, the "court" refers to the open area behind/in-front of the apartment blocks. In Museum d'Alfonsino, it refers to the area around the mid spinning pillar.
L-shaped corridors are referred to as "elbow"
Example would be in Arowana mall - the L-shaped corridor along the right which leads to mid/zone.
===============
Map specific:
The platforms on the left and right of Mahi Mahi Resort are called "islands"
Often, at the beginning of the match, one of us would announce "taking islands to mid". This refers to jumping across the small platforms next to spawn.
The conveyor belts in Piranha Pit are simply called "belts"
Hon's to-do list: add picture!
===============
Now, orientation. All orientation callouts will be done with respect to the map on the WiiU gamepad. So always make callouts as if you are facing the enemy base, with your back to spawn. Don't get confused!
Maybe if I stay perfectly still, he won't notice me.
Finally, ranked mode-specific terminology. This is easy.
Pinging
So you've been splatted. You see your ally right next to the sneaky roller who splatted you. You wish you could yell at them "BEHIND YOU, YOU DINGUS". But you can't. You're respawning. Your ally gets splatted. Oops.
By ping, I mean use the Booyah/Nice command.
When you die, immediately ping at least once. Generally, I ping once when I get splatted by something which was my own fault (e.g. I ran in a killer wail, a bomb, a roller...), and ping madly if teammates are in immediate danger.
This provides some audio queues to where you died, but it's also useful for detected where enemies may be hiding. Let's say you are freshly splatted, and as you're respawning, you can see the rings of Booyah/Nice! in one area. You now know there's probably an ambush there.
Conclusion: "DON'T COME NEAR ME, THERE ARE ENEMIES EVERYWHERE"
Superjumping
So you've been splatted. It happens to the best of us. You want to rejoin the action ASAP. You superjump to your trusty ally. As you land, you see three enemy kids shooting at your superjump circle, hungrily fighting for the kill. Oops.
-> Beakon etiquette
Beakons are great for superjumping. However, we were all in that situation when we used up all the beakons, didn't put more down, and then wiped. Oops.
So, when superjumping to beakons, announce that you are using them. What exactly you announce depends on where the beakons are (e.g. "jumping to beakon in mid"). Sometimes it's just easier to announce "Jumping to beakon".
Conclusion: Be smart about your superjumping!
Use of Specials
So your whole team's been splatted. But you've survived. You can be a hero. You can save the day. So you whip out your Inkzooka and start firing wildly. You splat an enemy by chance. You feel triumphant. Then a charger casually takes you out. Oops.
We've all been there, that warm and fuzzy feeling when you've charged up your special and your itching to use it. But don't. Don't unless:
You have your Kraken all charged up. But as you know, if you Kraken a little too far away from the enemy, and they have time to react, they will go into hiding and you'll be swimming around saltily. Solution? Echolocator! Ask your ally with a ready echolater to use it and then use your Kraken. Happy hunting!
So generally, when your special is ready, announce it on voice chat : "Kraken ready"
Your captain will give you further instructions (hold, use)
Here is another example.
You have the rainmaker in Camp Triggerfish. You're walking across the grating, you can already smell that deliicous knockout. But wait. If you advance, you might get splatted; the enemy team has charger, rollers, blasters, everything. So then your ally tells you that their Killer Wail is ready. Use it. Win.
Here is yet another example.
You have a Killer Wail. You're in Walleye Warehouse. You know enemies are lurking. You let everyone know about your Killer Wail, and point it parellel along a wall. You don't necessarily splat anyone, but you know that any survivors could have only moved in one direction: directly adjacent to your Killer Wail. Your teammates can then ambush them. Advanced herding. And we all lived happily ever after.
Conclusion: Tell your teammates when you have a special ready!
Start of the match: where should I go?
So you almost splatted the enemy rainmaker. One more shot, and you would've been a saviour. The enemy looks at the map. They notice that one path leading to your cone is completely uninked. They casually swim to your base. You struggle. They cackle. You get knocked out. Oops.
This is something which is most important in Rainmaker and perhaps Tower Control, but not necessarily the case for Splat Zones. By inking all the possible paths from spawn to mid in the opening few seconds you do two things:
The path you take depends on your role and the effectiveness of your weapon's range along that path. If you're an inkbrush, going left in Arowana Mall is probably not very useful. However, if you're a charger or a Squelcher, it's more appropriate.
Conclusion: Announce where you're going and ink all paths in the beginning of the match!
Aside: Lessons from Solo ranked
Solo ranked can be painful - you can't communicate with your team, and you just have to grit your teeth and do your best. It's often frustrating and a potent generator for salt. It's so tempting to just stop and say "screw it, I'm squadding to rank up".
Don't. At least not immediately.
While squadding is fun and great practice, you should also practice in solo ranked. With no distractions from your squadmates, you can observe your own team and the enemy team and ask yourself several questions to improve your game:
- Why did we lose?
- What did they do that worked so well?
- Why is that Octoshot user so good?
- What did they do that was bad?
It's also a great lesson in timing for getting on the tower, or grabbing the rainmaker. That foolish enemy squid who dove to pick up the rainmaker in the middle of a heated combat and got splatted instantly didn't contribute much for example.
Sometimes the key to victory is to able to shoot straight. But it's also a matter of awareness and guessing where the enemy would be and keeping tabs on them. For example, you may have the splat zone. The enemy team is nowhere to be found. You may be sitting in the zone very contently, watching the timer go down, only to get ambushed by 3 squids at once.
"It's quiet... too quiet."
Conclusion: Don't rely on your squadmates for everything - learn and experiment in solo ranked, learn to play with no voice com too!
For squad battles and competitive play, we need to have an understanding of the Squad's "core tactics". This will enable more swift and accurate communication. So if you want to join competitive play, have a careful read please!
This includes:
- Callouts
- Pinging
- Superjumping
- Use of Specials
- Start of the match: where should I go?
- Aside: Lessons from Solo Ranked
Disclaimer: these callouts are based on what we use during our practice sessions; they may sound like another squad's callouts, but this is not intentional!
Christmas update: I've finally added the pictures! Click on the Spoiler tag to reveal images
End of January update: Updated pictures + added more terminology
Callouts
So you've been splatted. You wish you could tell your allies where the enemy is, but all you manage to muster is a chaotic "ROLLER BEHIND THE THING!!!! @$%£?!!!!". And then your allies get splatted too, you wipe, and you get knocked out. Oops.
Our gracious squad leader and I have formulated a basic system for map locations. In time, we will develop our own way of describing each map, but for now, think of this as a "universal system" for callouts, which is more-or-less applicable to all maps.
- Enemy base/head
- Mid
- Spawn
- *North (Saltspray Rig only)
- Perch
- Grate
- Pillar
- Court
- Elbow
- Islands (Mahi Mahi)
- Belt (Piranha Pit)
- Zone
- Tower
- Cone
So cut each map (except Saltspray Rig*) into three sections:
- Enemy base ("enemy base" or "head")
- Middle contested area ("mid")
- Home territory ("spawn")
- *Saltspray rig only: "north" to indicate the area with the cranes
Sniper spots will be loosely called "perch".
Warning! Of course, some maps present several popular sniping areas, so we would have to specify enemy location using more words.
Example: Let's say you were splatted by an enemy E-liter, located on the box near the enemy base in Flounder Heights. You would say "E-liter/Charger in enemy base perch".
I see you
Grated areas will be called... well "grate".
Example: You got splatted by a Dual Squelcher on the grate in Arowana Mall near the sniper spot. You would say "Dual Squelcher on enemy base grate, near perch".
Dynamic pose fail.
Large tower-like structures are referred to as "pillar".
The one which comes to mind is the large structure in the center of Blackbelly Skatepark. I often call it "tower", but it would be more appropriate to call it "pillar" to avoid confusion when playing Tower Control ... Otherwise, confusion!
(Another example of "pillar" : in Museum d'Alfonsino; pillar in mid)
Open and non-elevated areas are referred to as "court"
Examples would be in Flounder Heights, the "court" refers to the open area behind/in-front of the apartment blocks. In Museum d'Alfonsino, it refers to the area around the mid spinning pillar.
L-shaped corridors are referred to as "elbow"
Example would be in Arowana mall - the L-shaped corridor along the right which leads to mid/zone.
===============
Map specific:
The platforms on the left and right of Mahi Mahi Resort are called "islands"
Often, at the beginning of the match, one of us would announce "taking islands to mid". This refers to jumping across the small platforms next to spawn.
The conveyor belts in Piranha Pit are simply called "belts"
Hon's to-do list: add picture!
===============
Now, orientation. All orientation callouts will be done with respect to the map on the WiiU gamepad. So always make callouts as if you are facing the enemy base, with your back to spawn. Don't get confused!
- Forward (i.e. closer to enemy base)
- Back (i.e. closer to spawn)
- Left
- Right
Maybe if I stay perfectly still, he won't notice me.
Finally, ranked mode-specific terminology. This is easy.
- Zone: Splat zone
- Tower: ... Tower!
- Cone: Rainmaker touchdown location (for knockout)
Pinging
So you've been splatted. You see your ally right next to the sneaky roller who splatted you. You wish you could yell at them "BEHIND YOU, YOU DINGUS". But you can't. You're respawning. Your ally gets splatted. Oops.
By ping, I mean use the Booyah/Nice command.
When you die, immediately ping at least once. Generally, I ping once when I get splatted by something which was my own fault (e.g. I ran in a killer wail, a bomb, a roller...), and ping madly if teammates are in immediate danger.
This provides some audio queues to where you died, but it's also useful for detected where enemies may be hiding. Let's say you are freshly splatted, and as you're respawning, you can see the rings of Booyah/Nice! in one area. You now know there's probably an ambush there.
Conclusion: "DON'T COME NEAR ME, THERE ARE ENEMIES EVERYWHERE"
Superjumping
So you've been splatted. It happens to the best of us. You want to rejoin the action ASAP. You superjump to your trusty ally. As you land, you see three enemy kids shooting at your superjump circle, hungrily fighting for the kill. Oops.
We've all been there. Please don't superjump carelessly. Not only do you waste your time (respawn + swim vs. respawn + superjump + respawn + swim), you add nothing to your team AND you recharge your enemies' special.
In some circumstances, it's easy to determine whether your ally is safe - they can be surrounded by friendly ink. But be wary of enemy chargers - they can splat you even if it seems safe. As a rule of thumb, I personally never superjump if there is a splat charger / E-liter in the opposing team. Squiffers and Bamboozlers are not as threatening.
However, if you're not sure, please have the following quick conversation with your pal:
In some circumstances, it's easy to determine whether your ally is safe - they can be surrounded by friendly ink. But be wary of enemy chargers - they can splat you even if it seems safe. As a rule of thumb, I personally never superjump if there is a splat charger / E-liter in the opposing team. Squiffers and Bamboozlers are not as threatening.
However, if you're not sure, please have the following quick conversation with your pal:
- Hon: Zhanli, is it safe?
- Zhanli: Yes / No
-> Beakon etiquette
Beakons are great for superjumping. However, we were all in that situation when we used up all the beakons, didn't put more down, and then wiped. Oops.
So, when superjumping to beakons, announce that you are using them. What exactly you announce depends on where the beakons are (e.g. "jumping to beakon in mid"). Sometimes it's just easier to announce "Jumping to beakon".
Conclusion: Be smart about your superjumping!
Use of Specials
So your whole team's been splatted. But you've survived. You can be a hero. You can save the day. So you whip out your Inkzooka and start firing wildly. You splat an enemy by chance. You feel triumphant. Then a charger casually takes you out. Oops.
We've all been there, that warm and fuzzy feeling when you've charged up your special and your itching to use it. But don't. Don't unless:
- a) It's absolutely necessary/obvious (e.g. the rainmaker needs to be chased down by your Kraken)
- b) You've coordinated with your teammates
You have your Kraken all charged up. But as you know, if you Kraken a little too far away from the enemy, and they have time to react, they will go into hiding and you'll be swimming around saltily. Solution? Echolocator! Ask your ally with a ready echolater to use it and then use your Kraken. Happy hunting!
So generally, when your special is ready, announce it on voice chat : "Kraken ready"
Your captain will give you further instructions (hold, use)
Here is another example.
You have the rainmaker in Camp Triggerfish. You're walking across the grating, you can already smell that deliicous knockout. But wait. If you advance, you might get splatted; the enemy team has charger, rollers, blasters, everything. So then your ally tells you that their Killer Wail is ready. Use it. Win.
Here is yet another example.
You have a Killer Wail. You're in Walleye Warehouse. You know enemies are lurking. You let everyone know about your Killer Wail, and point it parellel along a wall. You don't necessarily splat anyone, but you know that any survivors could have only moved in one direction: directly adjacent to your Killer Wail. Your teammates can then ambush them. Advanced herding. And we all lived happily ever after.
Conclusion: Tell your teammates when you have a special ready!
Start of the match: where should I go?
So you almost splatted the enemy rainmaker. One more shot, and you would've been a saviour. The enemy looks at the map. They notice that one path leading to your cone is completely uninked. They casually swim to your base. You struggle. They cackle. You get knocked out. Oops.
This is something which is most important in Rainmaker and perhaps Tower Control, but not necessarily the case for Splat Zones. By inking all the possible paths from spawn to mid in the opening few seconds you do two things:
- Save a few seconds during the match: all possible routes have been inked from the start
- Make your enemy wary of approaching that path : "Are these 3HP fools waiting for an ambush here?"
The path you take depends on your role and the effectiveness of your weapon's range along that path. If you're an inkbrush, going left in Arowana Mall is probably not very useful. However, if you're a charger or a Squelcher, it's more appropriate.
Conclusion: Announce where you're going and ink all paths in the beginning of the match!
Aside: Lessons from Solo ranked
Solo ranked can be painful - you can't communicate with your team, and you just have to grit your teeth and do your best. It's often frustrating and a potent generator for salt. It's so tempting to just stop and say "screw it, I'm squadding to rank up".
Don't. At least not immediately.
While squadding is fun and great practice, you should also practice in solo ranked. With no distractions from your squadmates, you can observe your own team and the enemy team and ask yourself several questions to improve your game:
- Why did we lose?
- What did they do that worked so well?
- Why is that Octoshot user so good?
- What did they do that was bad?
It's also a great lesson in timing for getting on the tower, or grabbing the rainmaker. That foolish enemy squid who dove to pick up the rainmaker in the middle of a heated combat and got splatted instantly didn't contribute much for example.
Sometimes the key to victory is to able to shoot straight. But it's also a matter of awareness and guessing where the enemy would be and keeping tabs on them. For example, you may have the splat zone. The enemy team is nowhere to be found. You may be sitting in the zone very contently, watching the timer go down, only to get ambushed by 3 squids at once.
"It's quiet... too quiet."
Conclusion: Don't rely on your squadmates for everything - learn and experiment in solo ranked, learn to play with no voice com too!
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