RelicRaider
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Hello, I see a lot of people are quite interested in the meta of splatoon 2, and either hope to play around the meta or try out things they wouldn’t otherwise try based on weapon usage and popularity, but the meta is ever changing, and I’m here to predict which weapons are going to (hopefully) enter that top 10, and why I think that. I’m also going to explain why I think they’ve avoided the meta for a while, and how that will hopefully change.
Despite this being a predictions list, I haven’t chosen anything that hasn’t been released yet, partially as I don’t want to spoil it myself and partially because I think it’s more fun to choose from the weapons available now, rather than speculate over the future.
Also, consistency in writing; it doesn’t exist to me, so if you are bothered by the words kills and splats and other things like that interchanged between paragraphs, then I wouldn’t suggest reading! To everyone else, enjoy.
10. Goo Tuber
There’s something I want to start off explaining, and that is the large difference between the updates of splatoon 1 and the updates of splatoon 2. Splatoon 1’s powerhouses were dealt with by nerf after nerf, suffering quite ridiculously, and a lot of the play was changed around tweaking the stronger weapons so they slow down in momentum of popularity and strength on the battlefield, and yet, there was still a large showing of dynamos and e litres across the battlefield and both were still strong even at the end of their lifetime; so what’s different about Splatoon 2?
Splatoon 2’s updates revolve around buffing the weaker weapons, and this is honestly a key theme in my reasoning for a few future meta weapon predictions. The Goo Tuber has received a buff in practically every update so far, and each time it has slowly crawled up the ladder into becoming competitively viable. I think it’s going to fall under the radar until enough people pick it up with its numerous new buffs, play it and realise how much better it’s gotten. I think with the fact you can charge up a shot from afar and stealthily swim up for a kill could make it a nice counter to a lot of short range weapons, such as the sploosh o Matic or Splattershot, as the instant charge at close range could be a very fast kill, but for the most part, this is just my example of how I believe a steady flow of buffs could lead a bottom tier weapon right to the top.
Why this and not the Custom? The vanilla has more inking options, whereas the custom inks mostly in straight lines, can be good for travel, but I think the suction bomb splashdown combo offers more opportunities.
9. Luna Blaster
This one isn’t far off at the minute, it sits with the Clash Blaster in the option of “short range blaster with splat bomb”. I find people tend to pick the Clash Blaster though as it’s sort of that bridge between shooters and blasters in that you’re supposed to hold the trigger down rather than tap, but I think the Luna is more viable. It kept its extremely useful sub from Splatoon 1 and got a nice partial-invincibility special to go with it. Now I haven’t been checking frame rates and stuff this game but I still eblieve the Luna Blaster is the quickest kill in the game, and the large blast range mean two indirects isn’t too hard either should you miss that all important direct hit, so with a nice kit and great play, why isn’t the Luna Blaster anywhere near as popular in this game as it was in the first?
I think this may be the only time on the list where the nerfs and buffs of gear will be brought up, as in Splatoon 1 a key factor of the Luna Blaster’s play style revolves around taking a trade, and stacking quick respawn with stealth jump and getting back to the battle faster, essentially covering for the fact you just died. Since those days, these two abilities have become very unpopular and don’t quite have the same effects meaning anyone who liked that polarising strategy has been forced to abandon it, and with it the Luna Blaster. It’s a shame really, because I think the Luna Blaster was often found to represent a lot of people’s least favourite thing about Splatoon, and I don’t think that’s entirely fair. I’d like to see it climb the meta on its own merits, which it can do, as it’s a great weapon, it just takes a little practice and time to learn. Hey, if you’re accurate and great at getting in people’s faces it could counter practically anything.
8. Heavy Splatling Deco
If you ever read through the salt thread on this very site, you’ll see a lot of people complain about the blood thirst of inklings these days, and part of that is down to the maps themselves being more designed for combat. With that said, why not counter with possibly the best defensive weapon in the game?
Honestly there was a time, I think it was Splat Zones on the Manta Maria where it came down to who had the most Heavy Decos. The Splash Wall meant they could just sit at the side and cover Zones, and whenever the bubbles were released it would wash over the Zone and take it over so quickly, or prove another good defensive wall to the elusive Heavy Deco. With so much praise given to how easily the Heavy Splatling deals with popular short range shooters it’s a surprise to see this variant fade so quickly. I still think it could make a great comeback no that people are seeing the potential of the bubble blower, and the splash wall remains a good defence, but I think that’s the main issue, with how aggressive the meta is, people want to be attacking more than defending, and there are other longer range weapons with attack options out there, such as the Firefin Splat Charger with its defensive sub and offensive special. But even with that said, now Clam Blitz is here I can really see the Heavy Deco on the rise as a great goalie, and that’s why I’d rate it over the vanilla.
7. Mini Splatling
Ok, this one is somewhat of a personal choice as this is one of my favourite weapons of this game. Quite funny considering the Zink Mini of the original was my least favourite weapon of either of the Splatoon games. To fight against anyway, but I digress. This weapon has great range, an incredibly fast charge time and accuracy often unrivalled by other weapons in its range, great mobility, an excellent sub for dishing out extra damage and a special I think is underrated, so why do I rarely ever see it? I think the answer is quite ironic.
In Splatoon 1 the Tri Slosher and Zink Mini had the same kit, and it was an excellent kit of Disruptor, Bubbler, an evil combination. So weighing up the two options, it was easier to go with the Zink Mini because of its quick charge and better range, meaning the Tri Slosher was rarely seen in comparison to the Zink Mini. Fair enough. In splatoon 2, the Tri Slosher got buffed range wise, and became equipped with the same sub as the mini Splatling but with an, at the time, excellent special in Ink armour. So the tables turned, the Tri Slosher became the most popular weapon of Splatoon 2 for what felt like a few months, and the Mini Splatling sort of faded away. Why is it these weapons can’t co exist together? Make it happen Nintendo.
6. 96 Gals
Ok this is kind of cheating, as I’ve picked solely one variant up until now, but I think these two both have different great strengths and I think both really should get more attention.
Gals have always been known as powerhouses, attack wise, being able to two shot kill, something not a single other shooter can claim (unless you’re lagging and every time it feels like you’re being 1 shotted by an N Zap) but as a result, the accuracy and rate of fire, alongside movement speed, are severely hampered in comparison to other shooters, and whilst it’s bearable on the 52 Gal, I think on the 96, it’s tough to get used to.
I’ll admit I struggled with the sluggishness of this weapon, and the fact that I could be aiming at someone and the shots are dodging around them, but I think there’s some real potential here with some great kits too. The 96 Gal has a sprinkler and ink armour, which is still one of the most popular specials around, and is great for if someone’s rushing you and you need that bit of extra damage tolerance to survive and splat them. Very useful. The standout of the 96 Deco’s kit is the Splash Wall in my opinion, and whilst Splash Wall Kraken is no longer a thing, it’s always a great asset to this weapon, giving you excellent defence with the longer range meaning when people retreat upon seeing the wall, they often don’t retreat fast enough and are swiftly dealt with.
I think the two kits have somewhat different play styles, and I think it’s worth trying them out to get used to them, but the effort does pay off in my mind.
5. Slosher
It’ll never be quite as good as the original, where you could choose between burst cancelling and the excellent combo of Splash Wall-Kraken, oh, and that other kit nobody used (poor soda Slosher) but the Slosher has always stood out to me as an excellent main weapon. The range is often times better than I expect, it covers the weakness of most weapons which are at a disadvantage on lower ground, and flips it where the Slosher actually does less damage the higher up you are, and you don’t have to be too accurate either, as you can aim above the enemy as well as at them. It’s a consistent 2hit KO, and even in this game has a pretty nice kit of Suction bomb and Tenta Missiles, so what’s the problem? I think it’s another case of a weapon being overshadowed. This time by its brother.
As mentioned before. The Tri Slosher took the meta by storm in the opening month of Splatoon 2. I think that’s what took away from the popularity of the vanilla Slosher. The two weapons are somewhat interchangeable, and everyone’s going to pick the one with the arguably better suited sub and special. That said, I find the Slosher actually counters the Tri Slosher quite nicely. It has more range, and so whilst you have to be a little more accurate, you can be further out and get the kill over them. It’s a nice perk, but it wasn’t enough to save the Slosher. Even the (in my opinion) inferior kit of the Slosher Deco has gotten more attention, but I think even now the Slosher can become popular as a counter to current meta weapons, it just needs the Tri Slosher to fade a little more to take precedence.
4. The Nozzlenose Family
Can I just say before we start that ‘The Nozzlenose Family’ sounds like a terrible children’s cartoon from the 70s.
Again, cheating cheating as this time I’ve actually included 2 different weapons as well as 2 different kits, but I’ve always found it unfair how the Nozzlenoses are probably the least popular weapons of splatoon, but it’s true, and it’s because the weakness overrides the strengths. Both have great accuracy, excellent range, especially the H3, good damage output, again, especially the H3, and decent kits, but if you asked anyone what they know about the Nozzlenose family, the first thing they will say, without fail, is that you have to keep pulling the trigger again and again and it’s annoying.
It’s all about rhythm in my mind. If you can get a rhythm going you’ll have no trouble keeping up a steady rate of fire. Just pressing as fast as you can doesn’t work. The L3 has a faster rate of fire, and less range so is arguably easier and definitely gets more attention, but the H3 suffers because of how easy it is to lose your rhythm, and when you do it’s so slow between firing. It took possibly one of the best kits in the game to save it last time around, and I’ll admit, when I looked at the kit for the H3 this time, I just said “useless” and moved on, but it’s not. Point sensors have since become my absolute favourite sub weapon. With Echolocator gone, these are the best ways to track opponents in the game, and with an accurate but vulnerable weapon such as the H3 it pays to know where your enemies are; and with how far away you can sit in the field with the excellent range, you can easily set yourself up for a tenta missile. The L3s have good kits too, I’m particularly interested in the Dolphin variant which has burst bombs, much like in the first game; but I’m here to say that once again, if you put the time and effort in you will be rewarded. I really enjoy playing the H3, it’s particularly satisfying killing in a single trigger pull.
3. Rapid Blaster Pro
I just played this for fun the other day and it’s an excellent weapon. I will sit and sing the praises of the Rapid Blaster all day long after hating it in the first game, and that weapon has what it deserves, it’s a mainstay of Splatoon 2’s meta, so why isn’t the rapid pro? It’s range is excellent and again it can be at an advantage on lower ground as much as it does on higher ground, it has a nice kit with Toxic Mist working excellently because it can trap enemies making them easy kills, and the ink storm which is arguably one of the best specials in the game, so why is a weapon with such great potential not really getting used?
Again, I think it comes to overshadowing. The Rapid Blaster just does it better. It has ink mines to count as an indirect hit, damage wise, and an excellent pressure special in Splat Bomb Rush. The faster rate of fire is arguably a slightly better trade off for range too, and I think that’s another reason it’s more popular, it’s a better transition from shooters into blasters than jumping into the Rapid Pro, which I think becomesa kind of stepping stone that no one ever takes, with people sticking with the Rapid instead. It’s a real shame as it’s another great weapon I’d.. admittedly hate to see more of as it’s something I struggle to counter with most weapons I play, but still, a really fun weapon with a lot of potential.
2. Splash O Matic
This one stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I understood on the surface, why people didn’t play it, but I don’t think that’s enough of a reason really. The Splash O Matic has always been one of my favourite weapons, the Neo becoming probably my favourite weapon of the original Splatoon, as the gun itself is a nice balance between the N Zap and the Splattershot and the kits were fantastic. But in Splatoon 2 it’s been completely ignored, and I think unfairly so. Then I noticed, that every popular short-mid range shooter, such as the Splattershot, tentatek, both N Zaps, Forge Pro, Splattershot Jr, both Dualies, Sploosh O Matic, all of them had a bomb as their sub weapon.
And then I noticed that in the first game, pretty much every popular short-mid range shooter had a bomb as its sub weapon too. This is the odd one out, and I think it’s the Toxic Mist. It’s a great sub in my opinion, and I think it’s a decent fit for the weapon, but the majority of kits go for a bomb, and I’ve honestly spoken to people that say they ‘need’ a bomb for their sub weapon. I think that’s what has killed the Splash O Matic, which I’d argue in Splatoon 2 has become a technical shooter, as the inkjet in my eyes requires skill to pull off effectively, and the Toxic Mist, isn’t a kill like a bomb is, and instead requires the user to go in and chase down the kill. But with all that said, the vanilla Blaster has been on the rise in popularity lately, as has the recently released Dapple Dualies Nouveau, so here’s hoping the Splash O Matic will rise in popularity too.
1. E Litre 4K
I’d argue this is probably the most controversial choice on this list, but hear me out. The E Litre at the moment, is pretty much universally regarded as one of the weakest weapons in the game, and it appears to be staying that way in order to avoid the dominance this weapon had in the right hands in Splatoon 1.
Right at the very start of this list I spoke about how Splatoon 2 has been buffing certain weapons each update and how the Goo Tuber has been a steady incline in viability. I think the E Litre is more of a waiting game.
It’s become clear to me that the powerhouses of Splatoon 1 have been made very weak in its sequel, with neither the dynamo roller nor the E Litre having much impact on the meta whatsoever, and I think there’s a reason for that. Both were nerfed numerous times in Splatoon 1 and still, after every update, both were very commonplace in competitive play. Nintendo just could not get rid of these weapons. Splatoon 2 definitely has a different outlook with more buffs being handed out. than nerfs, and seeing how the stronger weapons couldn’t be nerfed out of play, why not start them off weak and build them up, slotting them back into competitive play that way.
That is why I think with just one good buff, maybe its range, to match the original’s, the E Litre could be returned to its former glory, it’s just a waiting game.
Thanks for reading, I look forward to what people have to say about my picks and maybe their own too.
Despite this being a predictions list, I haven’t chosen anything that hasn’t been released yet, partially as I don’t want to spoil it myself and partially because I think it’s more fun to choose from the weapons available now, rather than speculate over the future.
Also, consistency in writing; it doesn’t exist to me, so if you are bothered by the words kills and splats and other things like that interchanged between paragraphs, then I wouldn’t suggest reading! To everyone else, enjoy.
10. Goo Tuber
There’s something I want to start off explaining, and that is the large difference between the updates of splatoon 1 and the updates of splatoon 2. Splatoon 1’s powerhouses were dealt with by nerf after nerf, suffering quite ridiculously, and a lot of the play was changed around tweaking the stronger weapons so they slow down in momentum of popularity and strength on the battlefield, and yet, there was still a large showing of dynamos and e litres across the battlefield and both were still strong even at the end of their lifetime; so what’s different about Splatoon 2?
Splatoon 2’s updates revolve around buffing the weaker weapons, and this is honestly a key theme in my reasoning for a few future meta weapon predictions. The Goo Tuber has received a buff in practically every update so far, and each time it has slowly crawled up the ladder into becoming competitively viable. I think it’s going to fall under the radar until enough people pick it up with its numerous new buffs, play it and realise how much better it’s gotten. I think with the fact you can charge up a shot from afar and stealthily swim up for a kill could make it a nice counter to a lot of short range weapons, such as the sploosh o Matic or Splattershot, as the instant charge at close range could be a very fast kill, but for the most part, this is just my example of how I believe a steady flow of buffs could lead a bottom tier weapon right to the top.
Why this and not the Custom? The vanilla has more inking options, whereas the custom inks mostly in straight lines, can be good for travel, but I think the suction bomb splashdown combo offers more opportunities.
9. Luna Blaster
This one isn’t far off at the minute, it sits with the Clash Blaster in the option of “short range blaster with splat bomb”. I find people tend to pick the Clash Blaster though as it’s sort of that bridge between shooters and blasters in that you’re supposed to hold the trigger down rather than tap, but I think the Luna is more viable. It kept its extremely useful sub from Splatoon 1 and got a nice partial-invincibility special to go with it. Now I haven’t been checking frame rates and stuff this game but I still eblieve the Luna Blaster is the quickest kill in the game, and the large blast range mean two indirects isn’t too hard either should you miss that all important direct hit, so with a nice kit and great play, why isn’t the Luna Blaster anywhere near as popular in this game as it was in the first?
I think this may be the only time on the list where the nerfs and buffs of gear will be brought up, as in Splatoon 1 a key factor of the Luna Blaster’s play style revolves around taking a trade, and stacking quick respawn with stealth jump and getting back to the battle faster, essentially covering for the fact you just died. Since those days, these two abilities have become very unpopular and don’t quite have the same effects meaning anyone who liked that polarising strategy has been forced to abandon it, and with it the Luna Blaster. It’s a shame really, because I think the Luna Blaster was often found to represent a lot of people’s least favourite thing about Splatoon, and I don’t think that’s entirely fair. I’d like to see it climb the meta on its own merits, which it can do, as it’s a great weapon, it just takes a little practice and time to learn. Hey, if you’re accurate and great at getting in people’s faces it could counter practically anything.
8. Heavy Splatling Deco
If you ever read through the salt thread on this very site, you’ll see a lot of people complain about the blood thirst of inklings these days, and part of that is down to the maps themselves being more designed for combat. With that said, why not counter with possibly the best defensive weapon in the game?
Honestly there was a time, I think it was Splat Zones on the Manta Maria where it came down to who had the most Heavy Decos. The Splash Wall meant they could just sit at the side and cover Zones, and whenever the bubbles were released it would wash over the Zone and take it over so quickly, or prove another good defensive wall to the elusive Heavy Deco. With so much praise given to how easily the Heavy Splatling deals with popular short range shooters it’s a surprise to see this variant fade so quickly. I still think it could make a great comeback no that people are seeing the potential of the bubble blower, and the splash wall remains a good defence, but I think that’s the main issue, with how aggressive the meta is, people want to be attacking more than defending, and there are other longer range weapons with attack options out there, such as the Firefin Splat Charger with its defensive sub and offensive special. But even with that said, now Clam Blitz is here I can really see the Heavy Deco on the rise as a great goalie, and that’s why I’d rate it over the vanilla.
7. Mini Splatling
Ok, this one is somewhat of a personal choice as this is one of my favourite weapons of this game. Quite funny considering the Zink Mini of the original was my least favourite weapon of either of the Splatoon games. To fight against anyway, but I digress. This weapon has great range, an incredibly fast charge time and accuracy often unrivalled by other weapons in its range, great mobility, an excellent sub for dishing out extra damage and a special I think is underrated, so why do I rarely ever see it? I think the answer is quite ironic.
In Splatoon 1 the Tri Slosher and Zink Mini had the same kit, and it was an excellent kit of Disruptor, Bubbler, an evil combination. So weighing up the two options, it was easier to go with the Zink Mini because of its quick charge and better range, meaning the Tri Slosher was rarely seen in comparison to the Zink Mini. Fair enough. In splatoon 2, the Tri Slosher got buffed range wise, and became equipped with the same sub as the mini Splatling but with an, at the time, excellent special in Ink armour. So the tables turned, the Tri Slosher became the most popular weapon of Splatoon 2 for what felt like a few months, and the Mini Splatling sort of faded away. Why is it these weapons can’t co exist together? Make it happen Nintendo.
6. 96 Gals
Ok this is kind of cheating, as I’ve picked solely one variant up until now, but I think these two both have different great strengths and I think both really should get more attention.
Gals have always been known as powerhouses, attack wise, being able to two shot kill, something not a single other shooter can claim (unless you’re lagging and every time it feels like you’re being 1 shotted by an N Zap) but as a result, the accuracy and rate of fire, alongside movement speed, are severely hampered in comparison to other shooters, and whilst it’s bearable on the 52 Gal, I think on the 96, it’s tough to get used to.
I’ll admit I struggled with the sluggishness of this weapon, and the fact that I could be aiming at someone and the shots are dodging around them, but I think there’s some real potential here with some great kits too. The 96 Gal has a sprinkler and ink armour, which is still one of the most popular specials around, and is great for if someone’s rushing you and you need that bit of extra damage tolerance to survive and splat them. Very useful. The standout of the 96 Deco’s kit is the Splash Wall in my opinion, and whilst Splash Wall Kraken is no longer a thing, it’s always a great asset to this weapon, giving you excellent defence with the longer range meaning when people retreat upon seeing the wall, they often don’t retreat fast enough and are swiftly dealt with.
I think the two kits have somewhat different play styles, and I think it’s worth trying them out to get used to them, but the effort does pay off in my mind.
5. Slosher
It’ll never be quite as good as the original, where you could choose between burst cancelling and the excellent combo of Splash Wall-Kraken, oh, and that other kit nobody used (poor soda Slosher) but the Slosher has always stood out to me as an excellent main weapon. The range is often times better than I expect, it covers the weakness of most weapons which are at a disadvantage on lower ground, and flips it where the Slosher actually does less damage the higher up you are, and you don’t have to be too accurate either, as you can aim above the enemy as well as at them. It’s a consistent 2hit KO, and even in this game has a pretty nice kit of Suction bomb and Tenta Missiles, so what’s the problem? I think it’s another case of a weapon being overshadowed. This time by its brother.
As mentioned before. The Tri Slosher took the meta by storm in the opening month of Splatoon 2. I think that’s what took away from the popularity of the vanilla Slosher. The two weapons are somewhat interchangeable, and everyone’s going to pick the one with the arguably better suited sub and special. That said, I find the Slosher actually counters the Tri Slosher quite nicely. It has more range, and so whilst you have to be a little more accurate, you can be further out and get the kill over them. It’s a nice perk, but it wasn’t enough to save the Slosher. Even the (in my opinion) inferior kit of the Slosher Deco has gotten more attention, but I think even now the Slosher can become popular as a counter to current meta weapons, it just needs the Tri Slosher to fade a little more to take precedence.
4. The Nozzlenose Family
Can I just say before we start that ‘The Nozzlenose Family’ sounds like a terrible children’s cartoon from the 70s.
Again, cheating cheating as this time I’ve actually included 2 different weapons as well as 2 different kits, but I’ve always found it unfair how the Nozzlenoses are probably the least popular weapons of splatoon, but it’s true, and it’s because the weakness overrides the strengths. Both have great accuracy, excellent range, especially the H3, good damage output, again, especially the H3, and decent kits, but if you asked anyone what they know about the Nozzlenose family, the first thing they will say, without fail, is that you have to keep pulling the trigger again and again and it’s annoying.
It’s all about rhythm in my mind. If you can get a rhythm going you’ll have no trouble keeping up a steady rate of fire. Just pressing as fast as you can doesn’t work. The L3 has a faster rate of fire, and less range so is arguably easier and definitely gets more attention, but the H3 suffers because of how easy it is to lose your rhythm, and when you do it’s so slow between firing. It took possibly one of the best kits in the game to save it last time around, and I’ll admit, when I looked at the kit for the H3 this time, I just said “useless” and moved on, but it’s not. Point sensors have since become my absolute favourite sub weapon. With Echolocator gone, these are the best ways to track opponents in the game, and with an accurate but vulnerable weapon such as the H3 it pays to know where your enemies are; and with how far away you can sit in the field with the excellent range, you can easily set yourself up for a tenta missile. The L3s have good kits too, I’m particularly interested in the Dolphin variant which has burst bombs, much like in the first game; but I’m here to say that once again, if you put the time and effort in you will be rewarded. I really enjoy playing the H3, it’s particularly satisfying killing in a single trigger pull.
3. Rapid Blaster Pro
I just played this for fun the other day and it’s an excellent weapon. I will sit and sing the praises of the Rapid Blaster all day long after hating it in the first game, and that weapon has what it deserves, it’s a mainstay of Splatoon 2’s meta, so why isn’t the rapid pro? It’s range is excellent and again it can be at an advantage on lower ground as much as it does on higher ground, it has a nice kit with Toxic Mist working excellently because it can trap enemies making them easy kills, and the ink storm which is arguably one of the best specials in the game, so why is a weapon with such great potential not really getting used?
Again, I think it comes to overshadowing. The Rapid Blaster just does it better. It has ink mines to count as an indirect hit, damage wise, and an excellent pressure special in Splat Bomb Rush. The faster rate of fire is arguably a slightly better trade off for range too, and I think that’s another reason it’s more popular, it’s a better transition from shooters into blasters than jumping into the Rapid Pro, which I think becomesa kind of stepping stone that no one ever takes, with people sticking with the Rapid instead. It’s a real shame as it’s another great weapon I’d.. admittedly hate to see more of as it’s something I struggle to counter with most weapons I play, but still, a really fun weapon with a lot of potential.
2. Splash O Matic
This one stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I understood on the surface, why people didn’t play it, but I don’t think that’s enough of a reason really. The Splash O Matic has always been one of my favourite weapons, the Neo becoming probably my favourite weapon of the original Splatoon, as the gun itself is a nice balance between the N Zap and the Splattershot and the kits were fantastic. But in Splatoon 2 it’s been completely ignored, and I think unfairly so. Then I noticed, that every popular short-mid range shooter, such as the Splattershot, tentatek, both N Zaps, Forge Pro, Splattershot Jr, both Dualies, Sploosh O Matic, all of them had a bomb as their sub weapon.
And then I noticed that in the first game, pretty much every popular short-mid range shooter had a bomb as its sub weapon too. This is the odd one out, and I think it’s the Toxic Mist. It’s a great sub in my opinion, and I think it’s a decent fit for the weapon, but the majority of kits go for a bomb, and I’ve honestly spoken to people that say they ‘need’ a bomb for their sub weapon. I think that’s what has killed the Splash O Matic, which I’d argue in Splatoon 2 has become a technical shooter, as the inkjet in my eyes requires skill to pull off effectively, and the Toxic Mist, isn’t a kill like a bomb is, and instead requires the user to go in and chase down the kill. But with all that said, the vanilla Blaster has been on the rise in popularity lately, as has the recently released Dapple Dualies Nouveau, so here’s hoping the Splash O Matic will rise in popularity too.
1. E Litre 4K
I’d argue this is probably the most controversial choice on this list, but hear me out. The E Litre at the moment, is pretty much universally regarded as one of the weakest weapons in the game, and it appears to be staying that way in order to avoid the dominance this weapon had in the right hands in Splatoon 1.
Right at the very start of this list I spoke about how Splatoon 2 has been buffing certain weapons each update and how the Goo Tuber has been a steady incline in viability. I think the E Litre is more of a waiting game.
It’s become clear to me that the powerhouses of Splatoon 1 have been made very weak in its sequel, with neither the dynamo roller nor the E Litre having much impact on the meta whatsoever, and I think there’s a reason for that. Both were nerfed numerous times in Splatoon 1 and still, after every update, both were very commonplace in competitive play. Nintendo just could not get rid of these weapons. Splatoon 2 definitely has a different outlook with more buffs being handed out. than nerfs, and seeing how the stronger weapons couldn’t be nerfed out of play, why not start them off weak and build them up, slotting them back into competitive play that way.
That is why I think with just one good buff, maybe its range, to match the original’s, the E Litre could be returned to its former glory, it’s just a waiting game.
Thanks for reading, I look forward to what people have to say about my picks and maybe their own too.
