Tips for rainmaker?

[TheN64]

I recently got back into splatoon after a break. So far I've played Splat Zones and Rainmaker. And while my splat zones game had gotten better, my Rainmaker... Not so much. So I could some tips. I'm good with using most weapons but not chargers, so don't recommend them, please.

 

[Relados]

Anything with the Kraken is great, since you can hunt down and destroy the rainmaker holder. Ranged weapons are great, so if you don't like chargers, you might want to look into the .96 Gal Deco (the Splash Wall helps force a shootout rather than a chase) or the Custom Jet Squelcher (Burst Bombs cut off avenues of movement, especially up walls).

The Splatling is great with the Splash Wall, good range and power, it's a shame it can't take much advantage of the Inkstrike - at best, you can use it to hit where the enemy is hunkered down at, or to get a sure shield break. The Krak-On Splat Roller is good for the larger maps like Moray Towers, so you can take full advantage of the beacons, since most people don't pay them much mind in Rainmaker - otherwise, the regular Splat Roller or Gold Dynamo are the preferred rollers.

A good way to shift matches in your favor is use the shield as bait, and circle around your enemies while they are focused on breaking it. You can get one or two surprise splats this way, giving your team some time to grab the Rainmaker and push it forward a bit more before the enemies return.

Keep the pressure on the Rainmaker holder if you don't have it - take advantage of strategies that wouldn't normally work due to enemy mobility, like bombs or the Killer Wail or others, to splat the holder. Grab the Rainmaker if there's no one else grabbing it, but if you're bad at carrying it wait a few seconds to see if a nearby ally will do it instead. If you do hold it, play conservatively and stick near your allies - at the very least, they'll be a distraction for your opponents, at best they'll give you a long path and some covering fire. As a supporter to the Rainmaker, when making a path don't stray too far from him, and keep in mind his limited mobility. The most direct route isn't always the safest, so if the enemy team is concentrated around one route, try to lead the holder to another.

 

[Agosta44]

Run for your life.

 

[Elecmaw]

Rainmaker is (near) impossible to carry properly, unless you play squads and have means of communicating with your team. It's far more dependent on teamwork than zones/tower.

In Solo Queue, you and your team have absolutely no idea which route the Rainmaker is going to take. There could be a route which has none of the enemy team in it and/or neatly inked in your color but have the RM wielder go to the enemy-infested path anyway. Sometimes the RM wielder will hold back too long and keep spamming shots untill someone ambushes them or is so aggressive they'll charge straight ahead of their allies. Sometimes the RM will sporadically change directions. To Me/C'Mon will only help you so much.
You can wield it yourself but then you'll have to use a poor man's Inzooka with no subs/specials and rely on allies to protect you.
No matter which role you pick you'll always be far more dependent on your team than in other modes.

If you really want to Rank Up in rainmaker, play in squads or something or wait untill next rotation.

 

[Sol64]

I'm still convinced that many people do not do this:

Look at your map

There's a lot of people who still disregard beacons and other information such as turf on the map, often someone will take the initiate and make a path hoping that the RM will follow instead of spamming shots. Also, hesitation will get you nowhere, you're effectively a sitting duck if you cannot quickly formulate an exit route before someone jumps ahead of a team just to splat you.

Different maps may require different equipment in order to adapt.
If you plan to usually hold the RM then swim speed up is a must, make sure to see which route to take and use your own mind to create one if nothing else is viable. It's very possible to carry if all the way to the goal yourself but it's very rare you will get that chance despite how people act on the battlefield. Generally, your best is to keep pushing and don't forget about map control.

This game is about spreading turf not getting the highest K/D per say.

 

[Egolegume]

I've played a lot of solo RM and Elecmaw is right about how it can go. I personally like when the RM Holder rushes forward, because without communication I find the best tactic has been to keep the RM in enemy territory. Majority of my solo RM game wins are via maintaining the lowest number, not a knockout. Admittedly I often rush the RM forward just to give my team time to catch back up and force the enemy to have a longer trek to cap.

You can't be afraid to grab the RM or be splatted, sometimes you simply have to take the splats for the team to keep the RM out of enemy hands. Even if you are getting splatted while carrying the RM at least the shield pops back up, forcing the enemy team to take it out before getting the RM. Which can often lead to your team getting the upper hand. Oh the move forward, the more territory the enemy has to cover to cap the better. If your team is smart and covering your base in paint the enemy will be slowed down just that much more.

Don't be shy about letting the enemy break the RM shield either, then take the easy splats and wipe out their team as they scramble to get the RM.

This is all for solo stuff though, squads you'll be looking to be a little more strategic and cover your mates. Solo it's a real mixed and unpredictable bag and you should aim for the lower number in the end, cap where and when you can, and don't be shy about being aggressive (within reason) don't be stupid!

In the end RM followed by zones are my two favorite modes. RM for me has been the second easiest mode to get into and have fun in, zones being the easiest and tower the most annoying (not particularly hard, just highly frustrating!)

 

[Astral]

Ok so what you wanna do is get a really good early push (maybe to 30~40 ish), one you did that play a really good defensive game until there are about 40 seconds left. Have your teammates get all c0cky (had to put a 0 because apparently that word is blocked), lose the gunfight they are currently in, wipe, and lose to a push by the other team.

 

[TheN64]

Ok so what you wanna do is get a really good early push (maybe to 30~40 ish), one you did that play a really good defensive game until there are about 40 seconds left. Have your teammates get all c0cky (had to put a 0 because apparently that word is blocked), lose the gunfight they are currently in, wipe, and lose to a push by the other team.

Wat

 

[Ultimate Mayhem]

Use a weapon with killer wail. When you see the enemy team start rolling out, aim it at their direction. If the enemy team has the RM, aim the killer wail at it. The main thing I think you need to worry about is putting pressure on the RM. Gang up against the enemy if they have the RM. Be relentless.

 

[Zolda]

To reiterate what a few people have already said, don't be afraid to pick up the RM. You can wait a second if you're really not confident about your ability to carry it, but if more than a couple of seconds passes and no one touches it just grab it. You don't want it to just sit there giving the enemy team a chance to grab it instead. What you do with the RM when you have it is heavily dependent on the situation. If there's a big firefight going on, play it carefully and try to let your team rally around you to fight off the opponents, with you firing off the RM weapon from behind them. If a side path is available that you can slip through while the enemy team is fighting your allies, it can be a good idea to run through there even if it means abandoning your team. As long as you have good map awareness and know it's safe to do that, you can gain a significant amount of ground before the enemy team catches on to what's happening and hunts you down. If you don't have the RM but you see someone on your team with it who does run off a side path like that, either follow him for some backup or hold off the enemy and delay them reaching him. You'll almost certainly die if you attempt to hold them off, but it's well worth the sacrifice if it buys the RM carrier extra time.

In the event that you get the RM when the enemy team is mostly wiped out, it should go without saying that the best option is to just charge forward and get as far as possible before they can regroup. I often see RM carriers play too cautiously and hold back even when the path is clear, and by the time they decide it's safe to move forward the enemy team has had time to close back in and it's too late.

Also, weapons with bombs are a great way to get easy kills around the RM shield. Teams tend to gather close to it when trying to break it, and tossing a bomb or two at the shield when that's going on is a near guarantee that you'll get at least one kill, especially if the enemy team is mostly close range weapons and has no choice but to stick close to the shield. Even if you don't get a kill, the bomb will force them back a bit and potentially give your team the chance to move in and burst the shield yourselves.

 

[GirlyMii]

Squid your way to the goal if you have the rainmaker. No need to make waves if it isn't necessary. If you don't have the rainmaker make a path for your teammate. Don't be obvious about it but yah :) gl