Any tips for B+ and upwards? Is anyone doing well with the Kelp Charger in these ranks?
A+ 99 Kelp splat charger only player that only recently played E-litre in ranked here ; Here to give you some tips:
I´m using the Kelp Charger, the sprinkler lacks offensive power but is great for tricky setups and to help fill the special meter. I used the Elite for a while, but the longer charge time didn´t justifiy the longer range for me. I only found it useful to outrange other chargers more easily, but you usually can take out other chargers by outsmarting them, most charger users focus too much in killing what they have right before them and are easy to trick and get from an unexpected position.
Never thought of using the sprinkler to fill the charge meter ; I generally prefer to shot uncharged shot in some unclaimed/enemy claimed ground but guess that allow you to have your mind somewhere else when you already have control of the splat zone ; but otherwise ; It should be in the point most of the time ; generally work well enough as a distraction or "tricky setups" in here like you just said too
Additionally, dealing with a enemy charger is either outsmarting him (i.e sniping them then they don't notice you or are busy sniping someone else) ; ambushing him (At long as you don't get a fully charged hit in the face ; it actually work most of the time and it hilarious to do) or just putting a killer wail to force him out of his sniper slots.
That said, yesterday I found it incredibly hard to perform well with the charger in B+, while I was usually leading my team in K/D ratio on B. Maybe it was a bad combination of map selection (Underpass and Dome) and enemy skill, but everyone was using fast weapons and was overly aggressive, forcing me to constantly retreat before I could line up a shot. I´m thinking of using a different charger because no one is letting himself get splatted by Killer Wail anymore and some bombs for close fights would be good.
Dome is one of the best map to play charger due to the crazy amount of sniper shot is map have in ranked matches (Seriously ; ANY of the small cube make a good hiding shot as they can't attack you from below that way ; forcing them to walk into the wire netting to get you ; which make it a easy target for you)
Underpass is clearly the worst map to play sniper though.
Killer wail should be used more at a area denial tool then as at killing tool ; generally to force enemy out of cover to get a clean shot; to get rib of a enemy charger out of his sniping shot, at some rare case ; as a "get out of me" tool if you have time to set it up or even to clean your sniper slot of enemy.
Skillswise I´ve used a lot of combinations and am still trying more things, though I think these are the ones you need to focus on:
Damage UP: being able to kill with partial charges allows you to shoot faster, more times and use less ink. I think it´s the most important skill for a charger.
Ink Saver Main: Being able to shoot one extra time has saved me a lot of times in unexpected ambushes or when dealing with many enemies.
Ink Refill UP: I´m trying a build based around this right now, I think it´ll help a lot, specially is using the sprinkler as sub.
Ninja squid and Ink Resistance UP are useful, but in fact I´m not missing them after removing them from my build. Maybe they´ll become more important in higher ranks. Anything that helps filling your special faster or saves ink for the sub weapon can help too (not for sprinkler, you´ll always need to refill ink after a single use if you don´t want to go around there low on ammo). Swim speed up may help to flee sometimes, but I wouldn´t prioritize it.
The rest are really not helpful, specially those that act on your death, as a good charger must not die. As people have said, being able to stay alive and act a moving base for your team is a must for a charger, so plan your build with the intention of not dying ever. Defense UP is not recommendable, you need to avoid being hit at all, not get into a firefight to endure it. Getting into firefights will get you killed most times and if your teammates are counting on you as a safe jump spot it would get them killed many times too. Ninja Jump is useless, you´ll do much better going on foot and securing everything you go through than jumping unseen to the middle of a close range fight.
I generally prefer to flat out do fully charged to kill something with a splat charger ; although damage up is still useful if you get the timing a tad early and also work very well for the E-litre.
As for Ink saver main and Ink Refill Up ; I prefer the second one as I often use the sprinkler at time (and because Ink saver sub is bad) but both are decent
Ink resistance UP is a must have for every gear build and it isn't a exception for the charger ; You will end out walking in enemy ink actually fairly often due to the fact that the charger isn't that good to clean corner and small puddle and it allow you to run aways easily if the enemy start to spray where you are to force you out and/or prepare for a kill.
As for ninja squid... I generally prefer Cold-blooded for the body slot as it nullify the quite common echolocator and the less common motion sensor and assure you that you're not a sitting duck for long if a disruptor hit you. Plus you'll generally not be swimming around in front of a enemy unless for a emergency escape in which you will prefer to extra speed instead.
At for not dying ; well obv you don't want to die with any weapon. But guess that hold more true with the charger as you're generally in the back-line.
And to finish it about super jumping : You're generally only going to super jump in safe slot when respawning (most of the time ; none of your ally will be as a "safe slot" so you're gonna go back in foot anyway) but you can also use it more rarely to move between sniper shot (personnal favorite was to super jump in a beacon put
in the enemy sniper slot in arowana mall allowing me to snipe the enemy easily from here as they clearly
didn't expected me here at all)
Pouet ; that was a long post ; hope it gonna help you to get eventually in A+ too.
