Why am I so bad at this game in S rank?

[Spiderface]

How dare you talk down on the hydra. The hydra is everything. The hydra is life. I eat hydra with a side of more hydra. Hail the hydra! By the way if you didn't catch on, I am a big fan of the hydra :)

I wasn't saying hydra is terrible, I meant I'm terrible with hydra xD

Hydras are fearsome beasts for carbon rollers like me D=

 

[mercenariez]

S is pretty hard compared to A+. In fact you should know this since you can dominate A+ but not S (if you do go back to A+ try getting 100% domination not 75% though, if you wanna get to S+. A+ players will honestly seem like a joke once you get good. Like C- level).

To get to S+ I really had to hard carry the vast majority of my matches. Consider going into matches with the mindset that you're going to wipe out the (entire) enemy team over and over to win (don't forget about the objective though). I usually average 16 kills or so in my come from behind difficult wins. This usually includes 1-2 triple kill or quad kills, depending. In most cases double kills are not enough.

Anyway if you just keep playing you'll probably notice improvement after a few weeks or so. One day you'll play in S and be like: "omg! I'm dominating LOL" It's a good feeling.

 

[girigiriHERO]

S is pretty hard compared to A+. In fact you should know this since you can dominate A+ but not S (if you do go back to A+ try getting 100% domination not 75% though, if you wanna get to S+. A+ players will honestly seem like a joke once you get good. Like C- level).

To get to S+ I really had to hard carry the vast majority of my matches. Consider going into matches with the mindset that you're going to wipe out the (entire) enemy team over and over to win (don't forget about the objective though). I usually average 16 kills or so in my come from behind difficult wins. This usually includes 1-2 triple kill or quad kills, depending. In most cases double kills are not enough.

Anyway if you just keep playing you'll probably notice improvement after a few weeks or so. One day you'll play in S and be like: "omg! I'm dominating LOL" It's a good feeling.

some people don't understand the importance of double, triple, and even quad kills. The only time I go for trade is if it's for the Rainmaker and they're close to taking the lead, I'll gladly sacrafice myself to stop that. Solid advice from you though.

 

[SplatGrease]

You know, I always thought of myself as a pretty good Splatoon player, but when I get into S rank everything completely changes. Let me go off on a tangent to explain what I mean.

First off I always play solo queue ranked. Usually in A+ ranked, I can win about 75% of the time which is pretty darn good for not being able to communicate with teammates. Unfortunately, when I hit S rank, my winning percent is more like 25%. Its crazy. One time, I lost 7 S ranked matches in a row which knocked me back to A+ ranked. In those games I got knocked out 100 to zip 3 games in a row for splat zones. As soon as I get knocked back down in S rank, I immediately have better success when it comes to winning.

Sometimes I wonder if I am just that bad at this game. I have been leaning towards yes. Admittedly enough , I typically play turf war more because painting things is addicting for some reason, but I still do play ranked. Again, I do fine in A+ ranked, but then stink in S rank. I have dropped out of S rank about 10 times.

I don't know what do you guys think? Is S rank really that difficult in solo queue or maybe just really unlucky? If your curious what weapons I use, its mostly the E-liter 3k scope, custom hydra, and carbon roller in ranked.

i kinda see what may be the problem dont know if someone said the same thing i idnt bother reading replies but anyway as a S+ ranked player i can have a good shot.
Basically the ranks may only be one step apart but gosh is it a great leap, you may not see it but S rankers are way smarter than your average A+ which means even if they have an offensive weapon theyre not gonna go beserk theyre gonna also be on defense making sure theyre not flanked or exploited by lets say a gal. In A+ i could run in and splat everyone at once because generally the A+ wont really have much of an idea off defending themselves heading straight on is a .52 or a tantataeks job some weapon that has decent damage with decent set up with a good fire rate. Heres a common mistake that people make, heading straight on with a dynamo when flinging the roller you are exposed for a good 1 and a half seconds. in that time anyone can attack from the back or side and your hopeless, rollers including dynamos are something you should use for flank not a head on offense. As for your win percentages, your playing the wrong way. Throughout A+ you probably had a technique or a strategy for each map for example you would always swim up the wall to the zone area in flounder heights or infiltrating the base first. Those may not work on an S rank the will probably suspect you and turn the tables on yourself. for example sticking on the side of a wall and waiting for someone to go by so you can pop up and kill someone may not work. using gyro or sticks they can turn their camera to see if anyone's there, they will probably then swim over the wall and splat you while your defensless. Rollers are generally good for this. OF COURSE awareness isn't the only factor of course other teams may communicate through actions or "TO ME" and may push your team back taking over your base splatting you over and over. There only one reason you cant overtake them... your fear. you panic because your repeatedly splatted and because of this they have a great lead and it seems impossible to get out, because you think youve lost all hope you will panic and your aim will be all off and your strategy will fall down to pieces think logically think is there any route that isn't defended by them, remember that you have a sub weapon. if none of this works just wait and ink any uninked areas or stand on a ledge they cant reach you on and splat over whatever they splat until you get your special. Logic is key and so is predicting.

Something nearly no one but me uses playing through your gamepad!
you generally only look if you super-jump but if you don't know where specific opponents are, look at the gamepad, you may not see their icons unless they're echolocated but you can see the ink they're laying; from their you can predict their next route and flank them from there.

MOST IMPORTANTLY.
TRUST!
really important don't huddle yourself with your teammates there's no point if they die so do you in that situation and that's 2 members off the field for a pretty sustainable time trust them spread yourselves across the map if two people are securing the middle areas protect the side-ways trust them if someone super jumps to you don't use them as bait or swim away defend that spot so they don't get splatted that 1 teammate could be everything.

and no offense but having a 9 match loss streak and de-ranking is pretty bad on your part you probably were the cause of the losses you were probably the let-down as you had lost loads, due to this you panic and don't focus properly meaning you just die and die and die and its pointless if you lose 3 matches in a row STOP! Play turf or turn off your game until the next rotation.

Hope I helped in some way :p!

 

[NeoSeth]

Because people in S rank are better than you. It's that simple.

You're not "bad" at this game. Being in A rank or higher, in my opinion, is when you officially can say you're "good" at Splatoon. The skill limit in this game is very, VERY high. S has a wide spectrum of ability. Some players are just clawing their way out of A+. Others just had a bad run and dropped from S+. Even if you're getting destroyed in S, you can LEARN from those defeats. Just take a moment and think. "What am I doing wrong?" Odds are your positioning needs work and you're not approaching properly, setting yourself up for failure. Or maybe you're wasting your specials. Not watching the map enough. Or your movement isn't as crisp as the other players. Something needs improving, and you can identify what it is and work on it.

When I first got into S rank, I had only de-ranked once. From A+ to A, and I won every game in A on my way back to A+. But since achieving S, I've probably de-ranked four or five times. It just happens. But I have improved A LOT. I used to, in all honesty, get carried quite a bit in S. But then I started holding my own. Nothing spectacular, but going pretty much even in kills. Every time I've reclaimed my rank, I've done even better. Since re-claiming my S rank on the most recent occasion, I have actually been dominating. I've lost quite a bit, but putting more time into the game and just grinding out those losses in S rank has DEFINITELY improved my play. When I de-rank, it's like loosing a lion in the gazelle exhibit. Except I'm the lion and the poor A+ players are gazelle. Maybe I'll de-rank again. But I am so much better now than I was when I first achieved S rank.

You're in the process of that right now. Don't get discouraged. Almost everyone goes through a bit of a struggle when getting into S rank. If you put in the time and the effort, with a good mindset you will improve. The most important thing is to have fun. I know, I know, shocking, but you have to ask: Why play Splatoon if you don't enjoy it? Find what makes Ranked fun for you and do that. Personally, I love ranked. Winning, losing, whatever. A concrete objective to push instead of just inking the ground? Sign me up! Something that keeps it fun for me is developing different builds and playing different weapons. I have a pretty large stable of weapons I like to use for different mode/map combinations and different playstyles. Maybe using more weapons would help you! As long as you're enjoying yourself, you're playing the game properly. Just find out how to do that.

 

[Nousha]

@CM86 Yesterday I was in the low S's, like around S15. Today I got to S+ for the first time.

"What am I doing wrong" is a question that has plagued me for many months. Here's what I found out:

I pushed through by making sure I maintained a good, confident attitude- avoiding salt at all costs. If you want to win: Stay focused, stay on your toes, concentrate and think about what's going on. If you're doing badly the ONLY possible way YOU can turn things around is by remaining calm and doing what needs to be done. Act professional and make sure you can use your weapon as well as possible, and to the advantages of your surroundings. This is the first main rule you always need to keep in mind. If you falter and lose confidence you won't play your best, even if you're already skilled with your weapon.

I'm a big Neo-Splash girl and I was running: Special Forces Beret with 1 swim speed up and 2 Special duration ups, Rockenberg black LS with 2 run speed ups and one swim speed up, and Octoling boots with 1 run speed up and 2 ink recovery ups. Basically it was a set with really high mobility and lightning speed for the first 30 seconds, and it was good for conserving my special meter and recovering a bit of ink so it was overall a really great set I used imo. Anyway, whatever weapon you're using use it to its strengths.

Yeah :)

 

[SplatGrease]

@CM86 Yesterday I was in the low S's, like around S15. Today I got to S+ for the first time.

"What am I doing wrong" is a question that has plagued me for many months. Here's what I found out:

I pushed through by making sure I maintained a good, confident attitude- avoiding salt at all costs. If you want to win: Stay focused, stay on your toes, concentrate and think about what's going on. If you're doing badly the ONLY possible way YOU can turn things around is by remaining calm and doing what needs to be done. Act professional and make sure you can use your weapon as well as possible, and to the advantages of your surroundings. This is the first main rule you always need to keep in mind. If you falter and lose confidence you won't play your best, even if you're already skilled with your weapon.

I'm a big Neo-Splash girl and I was running: Special Forces Beret with 1 swim speed up and 2 Special duration ups, Rockenberg black LS with 2 run speed ups and one swim speed up, and Octoling boots with 1 run speed up and 2 ink recovery ups. Basically it was a set with really high mobility and lightning speed for the first 30 seconds, and it was good for conserving my special meter and recovering a bit of ink so it was overall a really great set I used imo. Anyway, whatever weapon you're using use it to its strengths.

Yeah :)

yeah totally
being confident and non-salty gives off a great vibe

 

[NeoSeth]

@CM86

I pushed through by making sure I maintained a good, confident attitude- avoiding salt at all costs.

This is really the most important piece of advice (gratz on S+ btw!). Be confident in your plays in abilities! You'd be amazed at how much of a difference that makes. Getting salty and down on yourself will only lead to deteriorating play. Doubting a maneuver you're making will often add a split second of hesitation and cause it to fail. So be confident!

This actually applies to all things in life haha. Confidence is key.

 

[CM86]

@CM86 Yesterday I was in the low S's, like around S15. Today I got to S+ for the first time.

"What am I doing wrong" is a question that has plagued me for many months. Here's what I found out:

I pushed through by making sure I maintained a good, confident attitude- avoiding salt at all costs. If you want to win: Stay focused, stay on your toes, concentrate and think about what's going on. If you're doing badly the ONLY possible way YOU can turn things around is by remaining calm and doing what needs to be done. Act professional and make sure you can use your weapon as well as possible, and to the advantages of your surroundings. This is the first main rule you always need to keep in mind. If you falter and lose confidence you won't play your best, even if you're already skilled with your weapon.

I'm a big Neo-Splash girl and I was running: Special Forces Beret with 1 swim speed up and 2 Special duration ups, Rockenberg black LS with 2 run speed ups and one swim speed up, and Octoling boots with 1 run speed up and 2 ink recovery ups. Basically it was a set with really high mobility and lightning speed for the first 30 seconds, and it was good for conserving my special meter and recovering a bit of ink so it was overall a really great set I used imo. Anyway, whatever weapon you're using use it to its strengths.

Yeah :)

You know I think being salty really is the main issue for me, which would then probably make me lose focus. I haven't been playing ranked nearly as much, and that's a good thing for me. I noticed that if I don't play ranked often, I typically stay calm and relaxed more when I do play which is good. I'm also not as concerned with my rank anymore which then makes me more chill (mainly because other games have distracted me). I won't sit here and say I'm perfect though. Once in awhile I may get mad, so I just hop to turf war and everything is okay.

 

[NeoSeth]

Personally, I don't see how people get salty in ranked but not Turf War. I'll lose seven ranked matches in a row and it's no big deal but Turf War leaves me furious even when I win hahahaha

 

[SplatGrease]

Personally, I don't see how people get salty in ranked but not Turf War. I'll lose seven ranked matches in a row and it's no big deal but Turf War leaves me furious even when I win hahahaha

XD other way round im fine with turf because nothings at stake so i brush it of

 

[Nousha]

Personally, I don't see how people get salty in ranked but not Turf War. I'll lose seven ranked matches in a row and it's no big deal but Turf War leaves me furious even when I win hahahaha

Really? Most people take ranked more seriously for its competitive nature and I personally see it as a way to measure skill level (more or less), so I find victories more satisfying, but losses more frustrating. I've always have a bit of a competitive streak so it might just be me. TBH about 90-95% of the time I play ranked.

@CM86 I've had a similar situation so far except a rank ahead. I'm struggling in S+ but am out of S. It's still forced me to get my stuff together though, since many of the people I've played I can tell are at the top of their game (oh dear there was this Classic Squiffer person with inkredible aim and would slaughter me if I was in range and in front.) Another part of staying focused is to never get (even a little bit) panicky when you see an enemy in range (easier said than done but just shoot them and carry on), or too excited when splatting them- you've got them out of the way but you still have a job to focus on. I'd recommend playing more ranked mode to get better experience for it, if you want to improve that is. Play the game how you see fit :)

 

[NeoSeth]

Really? Most people take ranked more seriously for its competitive nature and I personally see it as a way to measure skill level (more or less), so I find victories more satisfying, but losses more frustrating. I've always have a bit of a competitive streak so it might just be me. TBH about 90-95% of the time I play ranked.

Oh I'm certainly competitive, I just have so much more fun in Ranked that I don't really get upset haha. I play it almost exclusively now because Turf War is just frustrating. The "objective" of painting ground is so unfocused and the fact that you just have to wait the three minutes out removes a lot of the offensive and defensive dynamics that I love about Ranked mode. I love the feeling of pushing to the goal with a super focused and powerful offensive, and evaluating the risk/reward of defensive plays. In Turf War, I push into their spawn aaaaand... nothing. I just chill there and try to spawn camp for a while. Not to say Turf War is devoid of strategy, but it's a much less satisfying and competitive mode. I can't count the number of games where I've gone 12-1 or 15-1 on Saltspray Rig and lost the entire game because my one death happened in the last ten seconds. In Ranked, if I was making such a strong defense on the zone I'd be rewarded with a knockout. Plus, the ranked mode versions of every map are better. Just saying.

 

[Msv_Aran.]

Ive never reached S+ my highest was S 63 im just a very inconsistent player.

 

[Xehias]

Oh I'm certainly competitive, I just have so much more fun in Ranked that I don't really get upset haha. I play it almost exclusively now because Turf War is just frustrating. The "objective" of painting ground is so unfocused and the fact that you just have to wait the three minutes out removes a lot of the offensive and defensive dynamics that I love about Ranked mode. I love the feeling of pushing to the goal with a super focused and powerful offensive, and evaluating the risk/reward of defensive plays. In Turf War, I push into their spawn aaaaand... nothing. I just chill there and try to spawn camp for a while. Not to say Turf War is devoid of strategy, but it's a much less satisfying and competitive mode. I can't count the number of games where I've gone 12-1 or 15-1 on Saltspray Rig and lost the entire game because my one death happened in the last ten seconds. In Ranked, if I was making such a strong defense on the zone I'd be rewarded with a knockout. Plus, the ranked mode versions of every map are better. Just saying.

Thank you for putting into words why Turf is so frustrating. This reminds me of that one time I retreated to safe grounds to launch an Inkstrike and got splatted by an opponent who had pointlessly overextended. They got taken care of by my teammates immediately after, having accomplished nothing since the Inkstrike had been launched anyway. It’s like Turf punishes you for keeping the reflexes of Ranked or something.