Beware of snipers, this map is notorious for being dominated by chargers. Long straight hallways and lots of verticality makes both long distance harassment and close-up ambushes very effective.
Layout[edit]
Simply put, Moray Towers consist of multiple long, narrow corridors winding downward as they get further from spawn, ending at a small center section that is the lowest point of the map. However, it is hardly linear, as there are many inkable walls and a ramp at one point that allow for alternative paths up to the next level. There are no walls at the boundaries of the map, and falling off results in an instant splat. There are also larger areas between the corridors where fights often occur. Heading right from spawn and dropping down leaves you at the biggest of these areas, with multiple blocks and barriers. Its proximity to the lower level and having two grates and an inkable wall facing that level also makes it a common route for attackers to push into enemy territory.
Lower and to the left of that region is the main sniper balcony. This square has a great view of the middle region and part of the enemy's lanes, making it a great perch for chargers. A ledge hangs off to the side for sneak attacks, and the wall in front of the balcony can be inked for players to swim up from the middle area. Further down the path to the right is a small region where a wall and some grate platforms suggests a path up to the next level. There's multiple blocks, ramps and a tall railing for players to juke around. There's also an alley looping around this area that leads to the middle region. The center itself features a raised area at its very middle and ramps that help access either team's balcony.
Mode strategies[edit]
Turf War[edit]
At the start of each match you must face a difficult choice: to rush to the center using the quickest route or to ink the upper pathways to the right of the spawn point. Reaching the center early is important, as that means you can start pressuring the sniper perch before enemy chargers can comfortably set up camp. However, there is also merit to inking the upper pathways for free turf and to build special, especially if your weapon can both easily ink straight paths and has a long range special like the Inkzooka. Rollers, chargers and blasters generally have an easy time inking the pathways, and their long straight ink path will also help during confrontations along the sloped pathways.
A good charger on the sniper square can really control the pace of the match, as they can spot and hit foes dropping down the opposite sniper perch as well as foes from the left entering the central arena. Make full use of the cover provided by the walkways to evade charger fire and use the interval between shots to move across open areas. Also try to attack with teammates in waves as an enemy charger can't target multiple foes at once. The lower paths to the left of your sniper perch is a nice spot in particular as it's only briefly exposed to snipers and lets you quickly jump to the enemy's walkways. Never simply drop from your sniper perch if an enemy charger is watching, as falling while exposed gives a good charger an easy shot.
Outside of sniping and playing around chargers, there's also a lot of vertical combat on this map. The layout offers inherent advantages to the losing team, as they usually have the height advantage compared to the enemy pushing in. Dynamos and Sloshers can abuse the height to drench foes below, while ambush weapons can make creative use of the walls and height for decisive diving attacks. Sprinklers can be quite annoying when stuck to a wall, as they can persistently drop ink while being hard for enemies to rid. The walls can also benefit attackers, as you can hide on their inked sides and observe enemies on the floor above. Swimming up and over the edge lets you catch enemies by surprise, and they usually have difficulty hitting you even if they know you're on the wall below without dropping down.
When facing enemies on the straight passages, any weapon with narrow, long-ranged fire will perform well. This includes ranged shooters, chargers, blasters and Seekers. Splash Walls are also powerful tools for blocking off an enemy's path forward and it cleanly covers the whole passage when thrown. As mentioned before, the upper section to the right of spawn usually sees less action, but it can be a valuable strategic position because of it. The long rectangular bend overlooking the bend on the lowest floor is a strong position both on attack and on defense. It gives you a good view of one of the enemy's main entrances to your territory and the high ground against enemies pushing in. Controlling this area on the enemy's side creates a strong staging ground that is difficult for the enemy to take back. This spot along with the sniper perch are popular spots for Beakons.
Splat Zones[edit]
This is a two-zone map with both zones being quite a distance from each other, at the corner below the two grated platforms. The sheer distance between the two zones makes this one of the most stagnant maps of any mode. While each zone is small and fast to ink over, they are very defensible and can be tough to contest depending on your foe's weapons. Since the zones are far apart, each player must decide on either focusing on attack or defense while being able to switch roles depending on the progress of the game. Being able to move between the two zones is vital if you hope to control both at once, so intelligent Squid Jumping, strategic Squid Beakons or simply keeping the center well-inked will help your mobility. Due to how the map stalemates, a single shift in momentum in your team's favor can be enough to secure a winning lead.
You have a huge terrain advantage when defending the zone at your side. As Splat Zones is the only Ranked map with a stationary objective, chargers are very strong and vital for pressuring enemies moving across the center. However, they don't have a very good line of sight on either zone when sniping on their standard spot. A more direct form of defense is a Dynamo Roller, Slosher or Sprinkler situated on the square overlooking the zone, as they can rain ink on to the zone while being very difficult to reach for attackers pushing through. For short-ranged players, the miscellaneous ramps around the zone are good spots to hide behind or on top of, biding your time to splat unsuspecting enemies.
On the attack, you have your job cut out for you. The aforementioned defensive tactics are all difficult to play around due to the map layout, so your best bet is a coordinated push assisted by Specials. It takes less manpower to defend the zone than to take it, so a numbers advantage could also let you claim the enemy zone, but do not neglect your team's defenders. You can even try to take the enemy zone from above by pushing in from the enemy's less defended sniper perch and advancing westward down the paths. Straight inking attacks and Splash Walls mentioned in the Turf Wars section remain relevant when fighting on the walkways. If you manage to claim the enemy zone, the ramps around the zone can be used to your advantage instead to ambush incoming defenders. An Inkstrike can be a game-changer as the zone is small enough for an Inkstrike to render it neutral, and its global range lets you defend your zone or weaken the enemy's grasp no matter what role you're currently playing.
Tower Control[edit]
The tower goes from the center off the ground and winds outside of the lanes, coming to a stop at the goal in front of the ramp halfway up either sides of the map. The alleyway around the first corner has been removed, meaning that there's no ground below the tower for the majority of its journey.
Moray Towers is one of several maps in Tower Control where the tower is mostly located over a death pit, though it is usually level with an adjacent walkway for players to get on and off it. The removal of some pathways near the center of the map makes chargers stronger, but the tower itself provides great cover from both snipers and nearby foes. Fighting for the tower can be a messy affair at its initial position, since players can approach the tower from every direction. Make good use of the walls by your side's sloped road to get cover and high ground.
For the first 40 points of the journey, the tower travels over the abyss with only one side facing the ground. This limits the directions both teams have to get on to the tower, which slightly benefits the attacker as its easier to block incoming attacks using the tower's pole when its coming from one side. However, it also puts you further from solid ground, so knockback might push you off to your doom.
Around the 60-50 point mark is where the defenders start to get strong terrain advantages. Now the tower will be surrounded on two sides by the ground, with one side having a big height advantage that the defense can use to perform sudden diving assaults or rain ink down with impunity. The good news for attackers is that this part of the journey is fairly indirect from the defenders' spawn and it draws players away from the sniper perch and nearby regions, giving you an opportunity to get a foothold in enemy territory. You'll need to infiltrate and control a good chunk of the enemy's home region to get great progress, as their inherent defensive advantages are tough to overcome otherwise.
Past the 50 point mark, the tower is still sandwiched between two pathways, one with a slight height advantage, but it gradually gets closer to the defending team's spawn. This lateral stretch is where the tower usually stalls, so it is a good place for defenders to turn things around. The focus of the fight will be drawn to the straight ramps, so the weapons strong in straight pathway combat as mentioned in the sections before will get to shine here for either team. The match is as good as done once the tower passes the 20 point mark.
Rainmaker[edit]
The Rainmaker is at the middle and the goal is at the square that can be reached by dropping down one level from the spawn area. An inflatable barrier around the final bend to the goal has been removed.
More than in any other mode, Rainmaker will involve a lot of pushing forward along the winding sloped roads, so as have been advised plenty of times before, weapons with long, straight trajectories perform very well on this map. Chargers, Seekers and long-range shooters can control the pace of the fight on the slanted roadways, while Splash Walls block the entire path forward. Also not to be ignored are the numerous vertical shortcuts for the Rainmaker carrier using the walls, but your team must ensure it is well-inked to prevent the carrier from falling off. The properties of the Rainmaker makes it quite useful in this map, as it can both fire deadly long-distance shots down the roadways and use the tall ink pillar to paint paths on walls.
The initial fight for the Rainmaker is pretty standard. You want to get a significant advantage in numbers by splatting enemies before taking the Rainmaker and pushing forward, otherwise play defensively to limit your foes' progress. The center is large and wide open for mobility, so stray foes can pick off the carrier if you grab the Rainmaker too early, not to mention the ever-looming threat of chargers.
From the center, you have two options with where to take the Rainmaker. Inking up the wall of the enemy's sniper square is the fastest route but puts you in a direct path from the enemy's spawn. Taking the sloped pathway to the west is slower but is further from the enemy spawn point, and gives you access to two better shortcuts. There is the wall with the grated platforms as well as the plain wall across the gap that you must jump off the ramp in front of it to reach. Both shortcuts will put you at the 50-40 mark, but the numerous obstructions around the area and the large climbs give defenders opportunities to ambush the carrier or cut off their progress.
There is another shortcut close to the goal in the form of a ramp leading to the passage above. This is another obvious shortcut that the defenders will surely obstruct by covering it with their own ink. On defense, you have many chances to get the literal drop on foes by jumping down from a higher roadway. A diving assault can pick off the Rainmaker carrier and buy time for the defending team to regroup. If you're on the attacking team, you must naturally watch for foes jumping at you while whittling down the main enemy resistance along the path. Past the 30 point mark, it's just an uphill push to the goal. If the enemy team is on the attack and have planted themselves firmly in your side of the map, just bring the Rainmaker with you off the numerous death pits on this map to respawn it in the center, which may cause the enemy to pull back.