Splatoon/Arowana Mall

Set in a luxurious beachside shopping mall, this map is quite linear, with all paths converging at the middle. The fight for the bridge in the center center is brutal and chaotic, but gaining control of this crucial chokepoint will give your team a strong foothold no matter your objective.

Layout
Each team spawns on opposite ends of the map. There are three main paths leading from spawn to the center. The middle path leads down a ramp from the elevated spawn, then past another ramp that serves as a major bottleneck into each team's base. Beyond the bottleneck is a more open area leading to the bridge. It is mostly flat with the exception of a small hill, a raised area near the bridge and some potted plants. There is also a palm tree that serves as cover, as well as two ramps leading to the higher left and right paths. A high wooden ramp leads to the center, but there's a minor blindspot that limits your sight of activity at the center. Beside the ramp are grates that serve as platforms circling the center. On either side of the wooden ramps are small ledges with inkable walls leading up to the middle area, serving as flank routes.

The left path is a one way drop past the bottleneck on to a high platform accessible from a ramp, or from an inkable silver block halfway along the passage. After a long grated path, it ends with another inkable platform a short distance away from the center. This platform is often used by Chargers and other long-range weapons to snipe foes on the bridge, but it is rather exposed. The right path is another one way-drop with two choices one can pick. One leads to an open, flat area accessible by ramp, with a single sign at the center that serves as cover. A grated path leads from here to an inkable platform similar to the left side, but this one is further from the bridge. Another path goes along the perimeter of the map. It's possible to fall to your doom by going past the railings here, but it is highly unlikely to happen by accident. It ends on a perch perpendicular to the middle path, facing the center.

The center of the bridge is the biggest chokepoint of the map, as everyone has to pass through it to push into the other team's base. It is a pretty large arena with a small pillar at the center for cover. There are two slopes leading down from the ramps of the middle path, and swim-through railings beside the slopes. The rightmost path of either team terminate here, with inkable walls for enemies to swim up. There is a small barrier on the perch that players can hide behind against foes approaching from the bridge. Lastly, a river flows below the bridge, so falling off the edges will result in death.

Turf Wars
Due to the linear nature of the map, you'll often need to fight off enemies as you cover turf. The general goal is to keep your base completely inked and control the center of the map, pushing into the enemy base if there's an opening. Chargers and Splatlings are very strong as they can snipe down enemies as they arrive at the center from either vantage point, but bombs are good for driving them off. It is harder to retake the middle than it is to defend it, but an Inkstrike, Killer Wail or Bomb Rush should give your team space for a coordinated push.

Other than the center, there's the large battlefield between the bridge and spawn where a lot of the conflict will also take place. The defending team is at an inherent advantage here due to the elevated paths giving them the high ground. However, you can get on to the enemy's left elevated walkway using the inkable silver wall below, which is a good way to ambush long-range weapon users that like to fire away on this spot. If you're attempting to push forward, be sure to ink the side path into the enemy base. Control of that side path gives your team a powerful position to flank the defenders. The quarter of the map around the enemy spawn is inkable, but it's not worthwhile to do so.

If your team is at a disadvantage, remember that you mostly hold the height advantage when fighting on your side. The elevated area around spawn lets you safely access the upper paths, letting you fire upon enemies on the lowest area from up to three directions. If the entire enemy team has pushed too far, you can attempt a comeback by taking the side path leading to the bridge, giving your team a spot to super jump to and ink the undefended center and enemy base. If the match is fairly even and you need to take the center to tip the turf coverage in your favor, you can use the ledges around the center as another approach to the middle region, letting you surprise the defenders.

Outside of the center bridge, a good Inkstrike spot is the elevated plaza off the right path. This area isn't used for any direct paths to the center, so it forces enemies to take a detour if they wish to reink the spot. Another good Inkstrike target near the end of the game is the low area directly in front of the enemy base, as you are unlikely to be able to ink there through normal means.

Splat Zones
The Splat Zone version of the map reinforces the importance of controlling the center of the bridge by placing the zone right at the middle. The ends of the left path and the enemy's right path are joined by a grate, making it easier to deal with snipers camping out on these vantage points.

Due to the nature of Splat Zones, the team that captures the zone tends to play more defensive to secure the middle area than in other modes, though the changes to the map's layout benefit the attacking team. The zone itself is one of the bigger ones in the game, so it can be difficult to claim it without a concerted effort from the attackers. Having the range to ink the zone from the wall-mounted walkways is a great advantage, as there isn't much room around the zone to fight on and dying on the zone helps the enemy team claim it.

Chargers play a key role in controlling the zone here, as standing at the tip of the left elevated walkway lets you hit foes anywhere on the zone or many of the paths leading up to it. It is more vulnerable to attack due to the grate connecting it to the enemy's side route, but there is enough space to escape or retaliate if a foe tries to approach you from there. The opening at the end of the side route is a relatively protected spot if you just want to ink the zone, and it is quite popular with Dynamos, Sloshers or long-range shooters.

Short-ranged weapons have a harder time on this map because as mentioned previously, they have difficulty inking the zone without having to stand on the zone itself. The ledges circling the zone are great for getting on to the zone while being out of view from snipers. The pillar in the middle of the zone is also handy for blocking shots and maneuvering around enemies fighting on the zone. Alternatively, they can focus on flanking or harassing long-range fighters to distract them from the zone.

Tower Control
The Tower Control map is the most barebones version of the map, lacking the ledges running around the middle area. The tower starts from the middle of the bridge, descends off the bridge to the enemy's left, travels above the water before turning past the palm tree on to solid ground. After passing the midway point, it travels in a straight line past the bottleneck and to the goal meters from the enemy spawn point. An inkable column has been added at the top of the ramp to the left path to let enemies infiltrate the elevated spawn area.

With the absence of ledges surrounding the central bridge area, you are greatly limited in your path to reach the middle. There is the direct route up the incline, or the path off to the side, while players with enough range can make use of either elevated walkway to harass and control the center as with in other modes. The tower itself is valuable cover in its starting position that the frontline aggressors sent to contest the tower must make use of. The central area is relatively easy to secure when your team has control of the tower. A Squid Beakon or even just a sniper planted on the center makes for a crucial squid jump point to continue pressuring the enemy team.

Early progress on the tower is harrowing as it moves over a channel of water with only one safe direction to get off. The defenders can rush enemies on the tower by dropping on to it from the center, and later from both the inclined bridge and the sniper perch. There isn't much space to move around on the tower, so it's easy to fall into the water if you're careless. One good thing about the terrain for the attackers is that you are mostly safe from long-range harassment, as the bridge and the sniper perch overhead forces foes to fire at you from an inconvenient angle. In the meantime, you should secure the middle as well as the slope leading into it regardless of which side is pushing, provided you aren't directly contesting the tower.

Around and beyond the 60 point mark, the tower reaches dry ground, which lets players on both teams fight for the tower more liberally. You're surrounded on flat land on all sides while on the tower, so you have plenty of ways to get off and back on the tower when pressured by enemies. If you're defending at this stage, make use of the elevated walkways around the wide square to harass and pick off attackers from different sides. On the attack, the flat courtyard offers little cover but a lot of space to move around. Once again, you can use the tower for cover against long-distance shots, as well as to maneuver around enemies fighting on even ground.

By the 20 point mark is the last obstacle for the attackers: the bottleneck into the enemy's spawn area. The tower is just wide enough to fit snugly between the two walls, which essentially blocks any attempts to go around it. It also heavily restricts line of sight for both teams at ground level, so you have few choices except lobbing bombs over the tower or climbing on to it, exposing yourself to the enemy team. The defenders have a strong advantage with high passages surrounding the path of the tower close to spawn, but the attackers can now invade the defender's spawn region using the foothold on the walkway to their right.

Rainmaker
On this map, the Rainmaker sits in the center of the bridge, with two pillars added around the area for cover. The raised goal is located below the grated floor near each team's spawn. Players can now access the side path using an inkable wall from the elevated plaza. To avoid stalling tactics, a Rainmaker restricted area has been added to the small elevated region to the right of spawn due to the difficulty of the opposing team retrieving the Rainmaker from the stalling players. The Rainmaker timer counts down quickly within this region, and getting splatted here will cause the Rainmaker to respawn at the center of the map.

As always, the central plaza is where most of the action will take place. Due to the Rainmaker's initial position, it is hard for either team to see and attack the bubble shield without swimming up the ramp on to the plaza. This is where long-range weapons have a slight advantage, as they are able to arrive within line of sight of the Rainmaker and attack its shield earlier using the raised passages. Short range weapons must instead fight on the central plaza, where there's a very real chance of getting splatted by the Rainmaker shield's explosion, in addition to the usual crossfire. Make use of the multiple paths leading up to the middle as flank and escape routes. The pillars on the plaza can also make for surprisingly good cover.

There are two paths to reach the goal. The first is straight down the enemy ramp and charge right for the goal. This is the fastest path to get a score lead, but also the most dangerous. Even if your team manages to take over the middle area, the region leading in to the enemy base is wide and likely heavily inked by the enemy, so it is very easy to get ambushed as the Rainmaker carrier heads toward the goal. It also leaves the carrier vulnerable to enemy fire from the elevated passages. This path is only a good option if multiple foes are down, where you can use your numbers advantage to push right up to your enemies' doorstep. If a push fails, the attacking team can still apply constant pressure as long as the middle area is secure, as it is a safe staging ground as well as a decent sniping spot.

A safer but slower path is through the passages to the side, where it is very difficult for defenders to avoid the Rainmaker's shots. This path tends to result in a stalemate due to the cramped space meaning neither party can advance without getting splatted by stray fire. While the focus of the battle shifts to the corridor, it gives an opportunity for members of either team to gain map control by inking the central plaza and the lower courtyard. Splat Walls are useful here either to block the advance of the Rainmaker holder for the defenders, or to protect the holder from the defending team. The attacking team must be wary of enemies flanking from behind or hiding around the high plaza as they exit the corridor.

Ultimately, the Rainmaker must be carried through the major chokepoint in front of the enemy's spawn in order to reach the goal at the center of the inner courtyard. This will be where the resistance is the strongest from the defending team, as every attacking player must be funneled through the chokepoint in order to reach the goal. The defense also has an advantage in the form of sniper perches accessible from the spawn point, letting them harass the attacking team from a great height or drop down for sudden splats. An evenly back-and-forth match will often slow down in this situation, leading to both team's progress hovering around the 20s range, so every inch of progress is crucial for securing a lead. This is the best time for the defending team to mount a comeback, as stopping a push would give them enough space to get back vital map control of their half of the map at the very least. However, if the attackers manage to break through the choke, even if they never make it to the goal, the score lead is usually enough to determine the winner.

If there's not much time left, a cheap tactic for the team in the lead is to carry the Rainmaker into their inner courtyard and win by timeout, spamming Rainmaker blasts through the choke to stop enemies from pushing through. Be sure not to enter the Rainmaker prohibited area marked by the signs, as it will cause the timer to count down faster. This can backfire disastrously if the enemy team manages to splat the Rainmaker carrier and gain control of it, as it will give them a massive score bonus for being this close to the goal and likely secure the victory.