Why can't I win ranked battles?

[Joasa]

I just lost my S for the ten billionth time. I can never kill anyone and I feel like my team always loses because of my incompetence. I dont know what I'm doing wrong or what the secret is to getting kills ankle kicking butt and being awesome. It's making me miserable beyond reason. I just wanna be a good player. Why do I suck so badly and why do I constantly get killed?

 

[MacSmitty]

Judging from your signature, you use the Dynamo. Now I'm not sure how you personally use the Dynamo, but now that the Splatoon meta has evolved, the Dynamo is some weapon a person can use to get easy kills, (well mostly anyway.)

It also depends on the type of Dynamo you use, as weapons with large range counter that weapon hard.

 

[Cuttlefish]

the Dynamo is an odd weapon. when others are using it, it seems like it's the most powerful weapon in the game. but when it's in your own hands... the tables turn, don't they?

you could be dying because you're focusing so much on getting kills, rushing into fights without really planning them through. the Dynamo is a huge risk-versus-reward weapon and you need to consider your battles VERY carefully. you are a sitting duck while swinging, or even really most of the time, as you have very little room to move.

instead, think of the Dynamo sort of like a charger. take high ground, keep a good eye on your surroundings and slam down on anyone trying to break into your territory. you want to defend, rather than offend. i know it's super tempting to want to get all the kills and seem like the best player, but in ranked, often that's not going to cut it. you need to protect the objective, claim zones, push the tower, carry the rainmaker, etc. you need to protect other players and you need to know when to get out of the way.

the Dynamo has huge ink capabilities, it can ink huge areas of ground in no time at all. now, think of Splat Zones, the zone is just one flat stretch of ground, isn't it? you can easily take a zone, and defend it. you don't even need to kill other players, dynamos are pretty intimidating to most people just to avoid you.

in short, a good player is measured by more than just their kill/death ratio. you can kill the entire team several times over but if you didn't take the zone, it'll mean nothing. take your time and don't be afraid to play the defensive if you're losing the objective. good luck!

 

[shudder]

I can't give advice regarding playing dynamo, but in solo one of the big things I see is a lot of people not paying attention to the map and not pushing the objective. Learning to read the map and following it is huge in the game, anticipating when the other team is making a push and when to make a push yourself. I think people get too hung up on K/D when it's not as important as the overall objective. I've had games where teammates have great K/D but aren't following the map, like a RM match where the other team was making a push and a teammate was on the other side of the map, the player finished 13/7 but in the end we lost with that last push the other team made. In short, I'd argue map awareness and strats are a lot more important than K/D. Along with that don't rush in if you can help it, know when to retreat, etc.

 

[★Forge]

Abilities can matter, With Dynamo you need either Ink Saver Main Or Ink Recovery Up, Defense Up is good for stopping guns from splatting you before you flick,

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Would be a perfect set, Though the Mawcasins with Triple ISM would be good aswell as 3 Defense Ups might be too many

If it's TC, Quick Respawn and Stealth Jump would help you more than Defense up,

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Icy Down Boots |


Also, If it's Rainmaker The Tempered Dynamo Roller would probably be Best since the Seeker and Killer Wail are good at popping the Shield,

Dynamo Roller is also good for popping the Shield (Sprinkler) and Echolocator is Obvioulsy good, So GDR would be better for splat zones (Inkstrike)

Think about whether getting the Rainmaker or not, The Dynamo Roller is great at Defending, So unless it's clos to the end, or within 15 spaces of the Rainmaker Goal, I wouldn't get the Rainmaker

 

[ReeSquidGig]

I just lost my S for the ten billionth time. I can never kill anyone and I feel like my team always loses because of my incompetence. I dont know what I'm doing wrong or what the secret is to getting kills ankle kicking butt and being awesome. It's making me miserable beyond reason. I just wanna be a good player. Why do I suck so badly and why do I constantly get killed?

Don't worry, you're not alone, I am scared of losing my s+ I just got on the 12th, it's is the second time, a VERY rare opportunity that I do not wanna lose, but the server was horrible yesterday that I went down from 30, to 14, to 6. so... I don't know how long my rank will last. Also, a pretty good note to keep is; the best mode to go into is tower control, and if you know how to use a charger or even learn, that will be something good to do. (advice on chargers in my guide) and also a luna blaster, + a inkbrush with an inkzooka is the best thing you will need for ranked tower control.

 

[Dragonuto]

Don't be afraid to play in every mode, all of them are fun and learning to play them all should be put over your rank.

RANK DOESN'T MATTER

If your not enjoying ranked while your playing chill with some Turf war or Private battles and if your in a real competitive mood don't focus too much on kills and winning. try to be the best teammate you can by painting and babysitting your zone. Of course staying completely static isn't the best idea because you won't be helping your team and it'll end up being a 3v4.

I think this is something everyone should understand, that your Rank isn't supposed to be this big thing for you in Splatoon. Losing rank is fine as long as your learning with your weapon, I understand that the climb to S+ is desirable and it's pretty cool having that lil +, BUT it isn't the defining feature of you as a player and if your always losing matches you either aren't working well with your teammates or you just aren't ready for that rank yet. Dynamo is an awesome weapon and if your passionate about it stick to it! If you aren't and the weapon feels nasty now find something that interests you and don't give up with it, even if you lose rank.

All in all I think you should focus less on rank <3

 

[Octobyte]

Don't be afraid to play in every mode, all of them are fun and learning to play them all should be put over your rank.

RANK DOESN'T MATTER

If your not enjoying ranked while your playing chill with some Turf war or Private battles and if your in a real competitive mood don't focus too much on kills and winning. try to be the best teammate you can by painting and babysitting your zone. Of course staying completely static isn't the best idea because you won't be helping your team and it'll end up being a 3v4.

I think this is something everyone should understand, that your Rank isn't supposed to be this big thing for you in Splatoon. Losing rank is fine as long as your learning with your weapon, I understand that the climb to S+ is desirable and it's pretty cool having that lil +, BUT it isn't the defining feature of you as a player and if your always losing matches you either aren't working well with your teammates or you just aren't ready for that rank yet. Dynamo is an awesome weapon and if your passionate about it stick to it! If you aren't and the weapon feels nasty now find something that interests you and don't give up with it, even if you lose rank.

All in all I think you should focus less on rank <3

This.
If you are too busy caring about what rank you are, then you will perform worse because you end up putting too much pressure on yourself to improve. Instead, focus on having fun. Play the map/modes you enjoy if you're not in this for the whole competitive scene. If you find yourself getting cross at the game, go take a break and come back.
Splatoon's ranking system is far from perfect, and matchmaking is pretty dire. Been in the same position as you and I still am. I've learnt to stop caring so much and focus on enjoying the game for what it is.

Some map/modes don't favour certain weapons particularly well. Chargers are a good example when you look at how infrequently a good team wins with one during Splat Zones - splatlings end up being the better choice.

Dynamo is a bit of a niche weapon, and you might be struggling to keep your rank because of the rotation. This is perfectly normal from my standpoint. Mix it up a little, and widen your weapon diversity a bit if you want to play at the given time. You might enjoy it more.

 

[Nero86]

I've been playing Gold Dynamo for a long time and what I can say is that this weapon (at least to me) is some sort of "denial of area" weapon. Until A+ you can get many kills because some people still survive fully on impulse going toward risky fights, so maybe that's why S get so different.
On S I normally use it to keep people away and support field/zones, rarely I have many kills (unless it's some of those Sploosher focused team).

 

[spoxbox]

Not sure if you still have this problem since this thread is a bit old, but it helps if you share your gameplay. Otherwise we can't tell you exactly what mistakes you're making so you can fix them. (I also have no idea how to play Dynamo so i can't help there either lol)

i CAN however give you some general tips or common mistakes i see like those who stay in their own territory too much where they're safe. I also see people who neglect painting for map control (something dynamo excels at), or people who don't push or control the objective when needed.

Also try not to stress too much over how skilled you are at something. Just chill and play the game, that alone can make you improve.

 

[Joasa]

I didn't even know anyone was responding to this...

It's just so much pressure to be a good player. Literally every other gold dynamo roller main I meet is S+ (99) and I feel so pathetic and I just kinda want to have something that I can be proud of and make myself actually feel like a special person who's achieved something and isn't a disappointment to her kind. I'm just so sick of being the worst player all the time. But I'll try to consider your advice if I ever try ranked again on my main account.

 

[JuddTheCat]

I was using the during the A ranks then I realized how much better the is. The long startup was the cause of a lot of my splats, you may catch a lot of mediocre players off-guard, but they can quickly swim away once they see you getting ready to swing. I just wouldn't use it in the S and S+ ranks.