Splatoon/Primary weapons

Splatoon boasts an impressive variety of weapons, with more frequently added through weekly updates. Each weapon support a different playstyle, whether one prefers to contribute safely from a distance or stay deep in the action.

Shooters

Shooters are the most common type of weapon in the game. Shooters are automatic rifles that fire ink shots. They are the easiest and most intuitive weapons to use for covering turf and splatting enemies, and are generally versatile enough to do well in most situations.

Splattershot Jr.

• Unlock level/cost: 1 (Free)
• Base Damage: 28
• Range: 32/100
• Attack: 27/100
• Fire Rate: 75/100
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Bubbler

The Splattershot Jr. is the very first weapon every player gets in the game. Even though it is made for beginners, its versatile loadout and utility makes it a great pick even for experienced players. The Splattershot Jr. has a very high fire rate and ink spread, which helps cover wide areas with ink simply and speedily. However, the Jr. suffers in direct combat due to its poor range, which is compounded by its significant ink spread impacting its accuracy. Try to avoid direct combat and focus on catching enemies by surprise to take them out with a close-range burst. Splat Bombs alleviate the Jr.'s range problems and is helpful for pushing into enemy territory. However, the true highlight of the Splattershot Jr. is the Bubbler. Due to the Jr.'s strong inking capabilities, it can build up Bubblers very often, making it an excellent support and turf grabbing weapon.

Custom Splattershot Jr.

• Unlock level/cost: 2 (800)
• Requires Octostomp Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Disruptor, Echolocator

The Custom Splattershot Jr. is outfitted with different sub and special weapons specialized for a support role. It is the earliest weapon that comes with the Disruptor, and it can charge up Echolocators fairly quickly due to its excellent ink coverage. With tools to both reveal enemy movement and formations as well as cripple their fighting abilities, the Custom Splattershot Jr. can give your team a major edge when hunting down foes. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost of Splat Bombs, leaving you with no way of damaging enemies outside of the Jr.'s mediocre range. You'll have to rely more on your allies to give you space to approach foes or to capitalize on your support tools.

Splattershot/Hero Shot Replica

• Splattershot unlock level/cost: 2 (500)
• Hero Shot Replica unlock requirements: Clear the Enter the Octobot King! level from the Squid Amiibo
• Base damage: 35
• Range: 50/100
• Attack: 45/100
• Fire Rate: 55/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Splattershot is the representative weapon for Splatoon, being the most balanced shooter in the game. It has intermediate fire rate, damage, accuracy and range, all of which makes it a versatile weapon. The Splattershot fits most roles in the game, whether you're inking turf, engaging enemies at the frontlines or flanking from the sides. It's an incredibly flexible weapon that can pull its weight no matter which stage or mode it's in. Unfortunately, the default form of the Splattershot is mostly overshadowed by its variant, the Tentatek.

The Splattershot is a great introductory weapon to the Burst Bomb. It fits the flexible nature of the Splattershot by being highly versatile on its own. Although the Splattershot relies on the sub-weapon a lot less than other weapons with the Burst Bomb, it still has strong synergy with the main gun, able to finish off enemies out of reach of the Splattershot or ink the ground around you quickly. The Burst Bomb Rush ultimately limits this gun from seeing more widespread use, as it lacks the high power or the map presence of other specials. Nevertheless, it can still be used to quickly claim turf or to bombard enemies. Since the special refills your ink gauge, you can "extend" the duration of your Bomb Rush by throwing Burst Bombs before initiating Bomb Rush, prolonging your continuous stream of bombs.

Tentatek Splattershot/Octoshot Replica

• Tentatek Splattershot unlock level/cost: 4 (2000)
• Octoshot Replica unlock requirements: Talk to Judd after reaching level 40
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Inkzooka

The Tentatek Splattershot is by far the most popular weapon in the game. While the Splattershot itself had balanced, good stats, the Tentatek gives it a loadout that enables it to handle more situations. The Suction Bomb is a strong form of ordnance that can be used to flush out distant enemies or seize area control. Meanwhile, the Inkzooka fixes the Splattershot's only real weakness: it's relatively poor range, giving the Tentatek a tool to use against snipers or to break up the enemy defense for a critical push. No matter what mode, map or skill level you are, you can never go wrong with the Tentatek.

Wasabi Splattershot

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (4300)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Inktrike

The Wasabi Splattershot retains the mobile, aggressive playstyle of the other Splattershot variants, with Inkstrike being the main difference. The Inkstrike is more threatening than a Burst Bomb Rush, while being weaker but easier to use than the Inkzooka. Its moderately fast inking rate of the Wasabi makes it a nice turfing weapon in Turf Wars in conjunction with the Inkstrike, though it is also a capable weapon in Ranked due to the Inkstrike's area denial function. The Splat Bomb is similar in function to the Tentatek's Suction Bombs, but it can get kills easier or cause more immediate pressure due to the shorter fuse.

.52 Gal

• Unlock level/cost: 5 (3000)
• Base damage: 52
• Range: 50/100
• Attack: 70/100
• Fire Rate: 30/100
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Killer Wail

The .52 Gal is a gun that's all about power. It only takes two shots to splat an enemy, making it one of the fastest-killing shooters in the game. This power comes at a cost, as the .52 Gal is not as easy to pick up as the average shooter. It has a slower than normal firing rate, so accurate aiming is a must to get the most out of every shot. This lower firing rate also make it worse at turfing, shifting its focus more on hunting down enemies. It's two-shot kill is also easily increased to a three-shot at the edge of its range, or if your enemies are equipped with Defense Up gear. It is usually a good idea to get some Damage Up abilities to counteract the reduced damage from range or enemy gear.

The Splash Wall is an excellent defensive sub-weapon on the .52 Gal, since it's below average fire rate makes it more vulnerable when it comes to self-defense at close range. The wall offers protection against enemy fire, while helping you aim as they are forced to move predictably to get around the wall. Meanwhile, the Killer Wail lets .52 Gal users to attack across the map or deny huge chunks of land from enemies. On some narrower, linear maps like Walleye Warehouse, the combination of Splash Wall and Killer Wail work together to establish area control that can be very difficult to play around.

.52 Gal Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 11 (4500)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Seeker, Inkstrike

The Deco version of the .52 Gal is decked out with gems and a very different loadout. Like the original .52 Gal's loadout, the .52 Gal Deco's subs and specials are focused more on utility than kills. Seekers apply long-distance pressure, inks long trails for mobility and can be used to attack enemies above slopes or below ledges, something the .52 Gal might struggle with due to its average range. The Inkstrike, like the Killer Wail, is primarily used to drive foes out of a desired area, but has the added benefit of inking the radius of the attack, compensating for the .52 Gal's relatively poor turfing capabilities.

N-Zap '85

• Unlock level/cost: 5 (3500)
• Base damage: 28
• Range: 50/100
• Attack: 27/100
• Fire Rate: 75/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Echolocator

Among the three mid-range shooters, the N-Zap boasts the greatest firing rate, but its damage is as low as the Splattershot Jr. The N-Zap's main strength is its high accuracy, firing ink in a narrow straight line. While the lack of ink spread reduces how much area it can quickly cover, the accuracy makes the N-Zap more reliable at splatting enemies, and slightly improves its effective range compared to other mid-range shooters. The N-Zap is also very lightweight, barely slowing you down while firing. Compared to the Splattershot and the .52 Gal, the N-Zap isn't as lethal but makes up for it with excellent mobility.

The default '85 set is a combat-focused kit. The Splat Bomb is a versatile sub-weapon that can be thrown over walls or around corners. It can also be used for long-distance pressure or to restrict your foe's movement as you gun them down. The Echolocator builds up fairly quickly on the N-Zap '85, and you'll often find yourself on the frontlines, in a good position to hunt down your exposed opponents.

N-Zap '89

• Unlock level/cost: 8 (4200)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Inkstrike

The N-Zap '89 is the best mid-ranged shooter for pure turfing. While the weapon's high fire rate is good for neatly inking patches of turf, the Sprinkler allows you to passively ink neglected areas or as a distraction for the enemy. It also helps you charge your special very quickly, which leads to frequent Inkstrikes pouring on your foes. While the N-Zap '89 is well-suited for Turf Wars, its set can be quite effective in Splat Zones as well.

N-Zap '83

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (7000)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Kraken

The N-Zap '83 is another set built for the frontline aggressor, giving you the tools to pursue your opponents and survive in the thick of battle. The Point Sensor has a cheap ink cost and can be used to scout out enemies behind walls or corners where your gun doesn't reach. It can also mark retreating enemies for you to hunt them down, or simply pressure them out of going on the offensive. The Kraken is a powerful fallback option that lets you be more aggressive with hunting down enemies, as you can use it for an easy escape, or to press your attack on a scrambling team.

Aerospray MG

• Unlock level/cost: 7 (4500)
• Requires Octowhirl Sunken Scroll
• Base damage: 24.5
• Range: 32/100
• Attack: 20/100
• Fire Rate: 100/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Seeker, Inkzooka

The Aerospray has a reputation for being one of the best turfing weapons in the game, yet it is decidedly mediocre in Ranked Battles and generally splatting enemies. It has the best firing rate of any weapon, tied only by the Splatlings, and it has high ink spread to rapidly cover a wide patch of ground in whichever direction the Aerospray is facing. However, the Aerospray lacks range and suffers from poor damage, both issues that are compounded by its severe ink spread. While it can be used with a sneaky, ambush playstyle like other close-range shooters, you're generally better off focusing on covering turf for your teammates.

The MG set primarily aims to remedy both of the Aerospray's biggest faults: low range and low damage. The Seeker travels far and leaves a long narrow ink trail which can help you move into enemy territory, and the trail can be used by teammates as well. It can also pressure foes and even get kills from afar, or from below ramps. The Inkzooka is basically the polar opposite of the Aerospray, eschewing fire rate for extreme range and absolute lethality. The Aerospray MG has no trouble building Inkzookas, so it is a frequently available option for taking out snipers and other long-distance foes.

Aerospray RG

• Unlock level/cost: 13 (9300)
• Requires Octowhirl Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Ink Mine, Inkstrike

While the MG seeks to compensate for the Aerospray's faults, the RG emphasizes its strengths instead. The Ink Mine isn't much use in fights, but it can be placed in key areas to keep foes out briefly or even get the occasional kill. Dropping an Ink Mine while you're being targeted can deter foes from pursuing if they trigger the mine, and give you a chance to retaliate. The main draw of this set is the Inkstrike special, as the Aerospray's quick turfing rate gives you plenty of Inkstrikes in a round to claim even more turf. With less tools to take on foes directly, the Aerospray RG is usually only seen in Turf Wars, but they tend to top the scoreboards.

Aerospray PG

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (20000)
• Requires Octowhirl Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Kraken

The Aerospray PG is also an offensive battling set, but made to augment the Aerospray's close-mid range power. The Burst Bomb is mainly for hitting enemies out of reach of your gun, either to soften up a foe as you approach or to finish off a wounded enemy. It can also be used to ink high walls that your main weapon has trouble reaching. The Kraken is a strong panic button as well as a pushing special that can scatter and eliminate enemy teams. While this set makes the Aerospray more dangerous up close, it has no way of taking on long-range weapons unlike the Aerospray MG.

Splash-o-matic

• Unlock level/cost: 7 (3900)
• Base damage: 28
• Range: 40/100
• Attack: 27/100
• Fire Rate: 75/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Splash-o-matic is quite similar to the N-Zap, only with a shorter range. Its fire rate is par for the course on close range shooters, but it has pinpoint accuracy that gives narrower trails but effectively grants it extra range compared to other short-ranged shooters. Its high fire rate makes it a capable turfing weapon, while its precision makes it the best up close shooter for direct confrontations, though sneak attacks are still very strong with the Splash-o-matic. Splash-o-matic shares a lot of attributes with the N-Zap, but where it lacks range it makes up for with its amazing loadouts.

The original Splash-o-matic's main selling point is the Suction Bomb Rush, one of three weapons in the whole game with this special. This is one of the most oppressive specials in the game that provides a ton of free pressure and total area denial, and has a strong chance of getting quite a few enemy splats. Compared to other weapons with Suction Bomb Rush, the Splash-o-matic can better take on enemies rushing to end your special early by splatting. It can also charge its special the fastest due to its high fire rate. Outside of Bomb Rush, the Suction Bomb is handy as usual for pressure and area denial.

Neo Splash-o-matic

• Unlock level/cost: 9 (6200)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Inkzooka

While the Splash-o-matic's kit is built for area denial and forcefully wresting key areas and objectives, the Neo Splash-o-matic is a killing machine made to relentlessly pursue and splat foes from any range. The Burst Bomb is invaluable for taking down enemies as it has much greater range than your gun. It is usually used to soften or finish off enemies, but is also useful for deterring enemy long range harassment. The Inkzooka rounds out the set by giving the Neo Splash-o-matic a long distance instant kill for taking out snipers and foes far out of your normal range in general. Burst Bombs are a great complement to the Inkzooka, as it lets you quickly ink neutral or enemy turf while the Inkzooka is active to line up better shots.

Jet Squelcher

• Unlock level/cost: 8 (4000)
• Base damage: 31
• Range: 80/100
• Attack: 32/100
• Fire Rate: 40/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Inkstrike

The Jet Squelcher's main selling point is its incredible range. It is built to be a Shooter that can challenge Chargers at their own game, and actually outranges the Squiffer. The Jet Squelcher is also highly accurate, letting you reliably hit enemies from a distance as long as your aim is true. Unfortunately this emphasis on range comes at the cost of lethality. It has poor fire rate and low enough damage to force a four-hit kill. Additionally, it is also fairly ink-consuming. The Jet Squelcher has difficulty with fights up close, so it's best to abuse your range as much as possible by holding defensive positions and use your shots as suppression fire.

The default Jet Squelcher is made for a defensive, supportive approach. The Splash Wall is a good method of protection if a foe gets too close and can deter flanks. It can also be used to support teammates closer to the frontlines. The Inkstrike compensates for the Jet Squelcher's poor turfing capabilities. While it takes longer for the Jet Squelcher to charge it up, it lets you claim large amounts of turf while still staying at a safe range, and can be instrumental for taking strategic positions.

Custom Jet Squelcher

• Unlock level/cost: 15 (7900)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Kraken

The Custom Jet Squelcher caters to more aggressive players, giving it a loadout suited for survival in the middle of the battlefield. The Burst Bombs are an excellent complement for the Custom Jet Squelcher. It's better at taking down foes at mid-close range and it inks paths quickly to help with movement. The Kraken is another survival and splatting tool, granting you a powerful panic button when ambushed as well as to hunt down foes to create openings for your team.

L-3 Nozzlenose

• Unlock level/cost: 9 (5800)
• Base damage: 29
• Range: 60/100
• Attack: 40/100
• Fire Rate: 65/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Disruptor, Killer Wail

The L-3 Nozzlenose is one of the most unique shooters in the game, effectively being in a sub-class of its own. Instead of firing continuously as long as the trigger is held, the L-3 fires in 3-shot bursts with every press of the trigger. Two bursts from the L-3 is the minimum for splatting a foe. While the unique shooting mechanic is a big disadvantage of the Nozzlenose, it makes up for it by having deceptively high fire rate, good range and incredible mobility when strafing. Practice tapping the trigger with a quick rhythm instead of mashing the button to increase your fire rate. You'll be walking and strafing a lot more with the L-3 than with other shooters, making use of your range and rapid damage for fast splats.

The Disruptor is a helpful sub-weapon for getting used to the Nozzlenose's esoteric firing pattern. Foes that are slowed down by it are easy targets for your shots, and it can be used to assist teammates as well. The Killer Wail performs its standard area denial duties on the Nozzlenose and has a cheap turf cost in case you have trouble inking efficiently. It is also nasty with the Disruptor and can catch debuffed foes as they struggle to swim away. This set is not a bad loadout for learning the Nozzlenose as you have ways to support allies even if you're not good with your main gun.

L-3 Nozzlenose D

• Unlock level/cost: 13 (6600)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Kraken

The L-3 Nozzlenose D is for the combat-oriented Nozzlenose user, having an offensive loadout to supplement and highlight the L-3's good kill potential. The Burst Bombs are a good substitute for the burst shots of your main weapon, dealing around the same damage but with a generous blast radius. It is also a good tool for self-defense, as the Nozzlenose performs better against foes from a distance. The Kraken is another self-defense tool when ambushed, or can be used to chase down foes or protect yourself when you overextend during aggressive play. Of the Nozzlenoses, the L-3 Nozzlenose D is one of the more common variants by far.

Splattershot Pro

• Unlock level/cost: 10 (8000)
• Base damage: 42
• Range: 70/100
• Attack: 55/100
• Fire Rate: 40/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Inkstrike

The Splattershot Pro shares its range with the .96 Gal and the Dual Squelcher, taking the role of the well-rounded option of the three long-ranged shooters. It is a versatile weapon with good accuracy, high damage and fair fire rate, so that it can take on foes at most ranges. It has a quick and reliable three-shot kill that makes it a capable frontline fighter, and it can still hold its own up close. The main difficulty of using the Splattershot Pro is its considerable ink consumption, making ink management more important with this weapon compared to most shooters.

The standard loadout isn't geared toward any particular playstyle. The Splat Bomb diverts enemy movements in confrontations and weaken foes it doesn't splat with splash damage, which you can quickly finish off with your main weapon. It is also handy for reaching around or over obstacles to pressure enemies you don't have a line of sight with. The Inkstrike provides decent area denial and makes up for the Splattershot Pro's moderate turfing rate, a nice addition in Turf Wars for a weapon mainly built for combat.

Forge Splattershot Pro

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (19800)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Inkzooka

The Forge Splattershot Pro has a dangerous kit suited for racking up kills. The Point Sensor is mainly used to scout out foes in large puddles of enemy ink or to track enemies attempting to flee. Its cheap ink cost benefits the Splattershot Pro, as you have more shots left over after throwing one to gun down a revealed foe. The Inkzooka has enough range to take out chargers that are usually just out of reach, while being capable of wiping teams quickly if you can line up your shots, a feat the Point Sensors may help with.

Berry Splattershot Pro

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (26500)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Berry Splattershot Pro is the ultimate blend of lethality and utility on a long-ranged shooter. The Suction Bomb serves much of the same purpose as the Splat Bomb for redirecting foes, trading a versatile ricochet for the ability to stick to walls. However, its main purpose is to give the Berry the Suction Bomb Rush as a special. This Bomb Rush can provide overwhelming pressure, prolonged area denial and cause a lot of splats, on a flexible main weapon that can still be used for self-defense while you're blanketing your surroundings with Suction Bombs. This combination of a strong main weapon and a powerful loadout makes the Berry the most common Splattershot Pro online.

H-3 Nozzlenose

• Unlock level/cost: 10 (7500)
• Base damage: 41
• Range: 68/100
• Attack: 60/100
• Fire Rate: 30/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Echolocator

The H-3 Nozzlenose is the heavyweight version of the L-3. While it fires in 3-shot bursts just like the L-3, it has range equivalent to a Splattershot Pro and has the potential to splat a foe in a single burst, at the cost of lower fire rate. In practice, latency and your targets' lateral movement makes it difficult for a one burst kill, so consistent aim is still necessary to secure kills. The H-3 takes on a much more reserved and cautious playstyle than the L-3, since you have the range to keep away and a poor fire rate that makes missing targets very punishing.

Suction Bombs are a decent sub-weapon for the H-3. It diverts your foe's movement, which may make them more predictable for your shots, and enemies hit with the large splash radius will be easier to splat with your burst fire. The Echolocator is a strong utility special for the whole team, but the H-3's poor turf rate and lackluster survivability makes it not as effective on this loadout.

H-3 Nozzlenose D

• Unlock level/cost: 14 (8300)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Inkzooka

The H-3D gets Point Sensors, which are very handy for revealing enemies hidden in ink. The H-3 performs very poorly when taken by surprise, so it's definitely important to scout out a large area of enemy ink before pushing through. The tracker also helps you follow the enemy's movement when aiming with your main weapon. The H-3 generally has enough range to comfortable outrange most weapons, so the Inkzooka mainly deals with snipers, though it can also be used to clear groups of foes or to generally scatter enemies.

Cherry H-3 Nozzlenose

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (12400)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Bubbler

Two defensive components in the Cherry H-3's loadout lets it become the most active and offensive H-3 set, and consequently the most common set used by players. The Splash Wall complements the H-3's long range beautifully, protecting you from advancing enemies, redirecting their movement and buying time for you to aim your weapon. The Bubbler is another protective tool when enemies attempt to overwhelm you, giving you absolute protection while still letting you use your gun to fight back. The Cherry plays similarly to the .96 Gal Deco, controlling the pace of the fight with walls and suppressing foes with its range and power.

.96 Gal

• Unlock level/cost: 12 (7600)
• Base damage: 52
• Range: 68/100
• Attack: 70/100
• Fire Rate: 15/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Echolocator

A step up from the .52 Gal, the .96 Gal boasts impressive damage like its little brother along with range comparable to the Splattershot Pro. As a tradeoff, the .96 Gal has an even lower fire rate than the .52 Gal. It is also more inaccurate, and eats up a lot of ink per shot. It's a deadly handheld cannon that can swiftly defeat foes from a distance if the ink spread works to your favor. The .96 Gal has the same issue with the .52 Gal in that it needs Damage Up to maintain a 2-shot kill against foes with Defense Up. The .96 Gal is terrible at close-range combat, so good positioning and awareness are vital to keep yourself safe while letting you take down distant targets.

Due to the .96 Gal's abysmal fire rate and heavy ink consumption, it struggles at inking turf, which in turn affects how fast it can charge its special weapon. The Sprinkler rectifies this issue, letting the .96 Gal rack up points passively by dropping it at uninked spots. The Sprinkler can also serve as a diversion to help you take out enemies distracted by the it. This passive inking in turn helps the .96 Gal charge up its Echolocator, which both helps you track down enemies within your range and keeps your from getting flanked by foes.

.96 Gal Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 14 (7600)
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Kraken

The .96 Gal Deco is usually the more popular version of the .96 Gal especially in Ranked, as its loadout synergizes extremely well with its playstyle. The Splash Wall helps with your defensive positioning immensely, limiting your foes' advance while protecting your against weapons that outrange the .96 Gal. Enemies trying to get around the wall are vulnerable to your weapons fire, placing you in an advantageous position in any engagement when wall has been set down. The Kraken is a crucial remedy to the .96 Gal's main weakness, its vulnerability to close-range attacks, letting you turn the tables on any enemy that tries to ambush you.

Sploosh-o-matic

• Unlock level/cost: 12 (7500)
• Base damage: 38
• Range: 15/100
• Attack: 55/100
• Fire Rate: 75/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Squid Beakon, Killer Wail

The Sploosh-o-matic is a short-range shooter taken to the extremes. It has a high fire rate and ridiculous ink spread, but ranks as the shooter with the worst range in the game, being in the ballpark of the Luna Blaster and the Inkbrush. It deviates from usual close-range shooters by having pretty high damage that is partly negated by its severe accuracy issues. The Sploosh can immediately flood its surroundings with ink and eviscerates foes at point blank, but is at a disadvantage against most weapons in direct confrontations. You must use sneak attacks or outmaneuver your foes to make good use of this weapon.

The normal Sploosh-o-matic loadout doesn't assist the main weapon with fighting at all, instead being very support-oriented, so forcing you to rely on the Sploosh alone for enemy engagements. The Squid Beakons fit a mobile and sneaky playstyle that is necessary with the Sploosh-o-matic, creating Squid Jump points near the frontlines or hidden within enemy territory to grant map-wide mobility for both you and your team. The Killer Wail is a cheap area denial tool that benefits from the Sploosh's incredible turfing rate, and it lets you scare off long-ranged foes that can otherwise freely harass you.

Neo Sploosh-o-matic

• Unlock level/cost: 18 (10200)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Kraken

The Neo loadout fits the aggressive, high risk player fighting right in the fray. The Point Sensor can scout out enemies potentially hiding in ink, which is handy as the Sploosh performs poorly when the enemy gets the first strike in. It can also help you track an escaping foe or mark other short-ranged weapons to force them to play more reserved. The Kraken is an invincibility special that lets you get away with overextending into an enemy fight or beat back an ambush, whereupon you can either seek out more kills in Kraken form or guarantee your escape.

Sploosh-o-matic 7

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (16400)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Inkzooka

The Sploosh-o-matic 7 is another combat-heavy loadout, having two powerful damaging components that help you take on enemies out of your reach. Instead of enhancing the Sploosh's strengths, it addresses the Sploosh's weaknesses, so it's good to try out if you find the Sploosh's range too limiting on its own. The Splat Bomb can be thrown ahead of your limited range to pressure enemies from afar, or bounced behind corners to flush foes out. It can also serve as a distraction when engaging an enemy; using the Splat Bomb to divert their path and attack as they move away from the bomb. The Inkzooka gives you a long-range instant kill for taking down snipers as well as any foes that are usually too far to hit.

Dual Squelcher

• Unlock level/cost: 16 (9800)
• Base damage: 28
• Range: 68/100
• Attack: 27/100
• Fire Rate: 55/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Echolocator

The Dual Squelcher sacrifices some of the range and damage from the Jet Squelcher for a superb fire rate. It fires as fast as a Splattershot, has the range of a Splattershot Pro but the damage of a Splattershot Jr. While its low damage makes it a below average combat weapon compared to other long-range shooters, its fast fire rate and relatively low ink consumption lets it play a more support and turfing focused role. You can paint long but uniform lines quickly with the Dual Squelcher, while also having the range to weaken foes for your teammates or finish off wounded enemies. It performs poorly up close against other shooters so be sure to keep your distance.

The default Dual Squelcher comes with a simple and well-rounded loadout. The Splat Bombs give you an instant kill with a short fuse that can deter your enemies' approach when dropped near you. It is also helpful for long-range pressure, scouting around corners and generally restricting your foes' movement. The Echolocator is an easy but powerful tool that is nearly always helpful to your team. The Dual Squelcher's high range and fire rate means you'll be able to build up your specials quite frequently.

Custom Dual Squelcher

• Unlock level/cost: 18 (12800)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Squid Beakon, Killer Wail

The Custom Dual Squelcher set trades combat prowess for more support tools. The Squid Beakon gives you and your teammates new Squid Jump locations to facilitate greater mobility across the map. You'll often find yourself near the frontlines as a Dual Squelcher, so you'll often be in position to place Beakons. The Killer Wail provides strong area denial and can be used very often due to the Dual Squelcher's relatively high turf rate.

Blasters

Blasters are sort of like grenade launchers. They have the same firing mechanism as Shooters, but drastically lower fire rate. Instead of a stream of shots that create plenty of ink puddles, Blasters launch a massive ball of ink that leaves a trail as it flies forward, exploding after a certain distance.

Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 9 (3500)
• Direct damage: 125
• Range: 25/100
• Impact: 70/100
• Fire Rate: 20/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Disruptor, Killer Wail

The first Blaster you unlock is the standard that other Blaster-type weapons will be compared with. It has a moderately slow fire rate, and its lethal range is comparable to short-range rapid fire shooters like the Splattershot Jr.. What the Blaster offers over these shooters is its power; a well-aimed shot able to splat nearly instantly. Having relatively low range for a Blaster-type weapon, the default Blaster has a small blindspot between point blank and the blast where it has difficulty fighting foes, since your only option is to get a direct hit at that range. Always try to stay at the ideal range where the projectile explodes and press your trigger judiciously instead of holding it when fighting enemies, advice that applies to the rest of the Blaster class as well.

The standard Blaster set gives some nice utility that lets you play a slight support role. The Disruptor cripples enemies and makes it easier for you to land Blaster shots, but it can also help teammates take down other foes especially enemies out of range of your Blaster, since the Disruptor can be thrown much further. The Killer Wail is fast to charge, which is a helpful trait due to the Blaster's poor turfing rate, and provides strong area denial that is invaluable in Ranked Battles.

Custom Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 17 (6800)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Bubbler

The Custom Blaster also has a support-focused set, though it also has tools to help you survive. The Point Sensor can scout out enemies in a large patch of ink or behind walls and corners. This is helpful to your whole team, but it benefits you especially as the Blaster is poor at fighting off ambushes. The Bubbler also compensates for the said weakness of the Blaster, giving you absolute protection when you're caught off guard, though it can also be shared with teammates for pushes and large fights.

Luna Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 11 (7700)
• Direct damage: 125
• Range: 10/100
• Impact: 80/100
• Fire Rate: 30/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Ink Mine, Inkzooka

The Luna Blaster has a larger blast radius and higher fire rate, but has one of the worst ranges of any weapon in the game. It is one of the most notorious weapons in the game, particularly in Tower Control where Blasters are generally stronger. The gameplan with a Luna Blaster is simply to get in range of an enemy. Its fast fire rate and bigger blast lets you splat foes quickly even if you have trouble getting direct hits, and it's especially lethal if you can catch enemies by surprise. The Luna Blaster's abysmal range is its biggest weakness so it cannot charge enemies head on, as most foes can use their superior range to gun you down before you can get close.

The Ink Mine on the original set is a terrible fit on the Luna Blaster, as it has no range itself and limits your effective attack range to point blank most of the time. It is handy for securing important areas or distracting foes. It is particularly useful in the Luna Blaster's best game mode, Tower Control, as it can force foes off the tower when you place it on the tower's platform. The Inkzooka briefly amplifies the Luna Blaster's range drastically, taking out foes that think they are safe due to distance.

Luna Blaster Neo

• Unlock level/cost: 15 (8700)
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Luna Blaster Neo is the more popular variant of the Luna Blaster outside of Tower Control, and it has a reputation of causing a lot of chaos. The Splat Bombs are a great addition as it gives you a ranged attack in regular combat; their short fuse and ability to bounce can net you some extra splats. The main highlight of this set is undoubtedly the Splat Bomb Rush, being one of three weapons that get this loadout not counting reskins and scoped chargers. The Splat Bomb Rush gives you instant heavy pressure that claims a lot of turf, while their short fuse will force foes to keep their distance or get splatted if caught in the flurry.

Rapid Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 14 (10000)
• Direct damage: 80
• Range: 45/100
• Impact: 35/100
• Fire Rate: 40/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Ink Mine, Bubbler

The Rapid Blaster boasts superior range to most blasters, having roughly the same range as a Splattershot for turfing. True to its name, it has the highest fire rate of any blaster, but the tradeoff is that it can't instantly splat foes with a direct hit. One direct hit and one hit with the blast will result in a splat, as is three hits with splash damage. The longer range and low damage means you must be very careful with your spacing, as you'll be forced to hit two direct shots if you're too close to an opponent which is not an easy task even with your high fire rate. Its relatively low damage and difficulty of use makes the Rapid Blaster an uncommon sight online.

The Ink Mine can be placed on important places like the tower in Tower Control for area denial and the occasional splat. If a foe gets too close, you can use the Ink Mine to buy time to escape, but overall the Ink Mine is pretty poor as a self-defense weapon. The Bubbler on the other hand provides solid defense and can be used to support a team push. If you're using it to defend yourself from an ambush or an opponent closing in, prioritize escaping rather than fighting back, as it's not any easier to land two direct hits up close especially if you're swarmed by multiple foes.

Rapid Blaster Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 19 (14800)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Deco version is slightly more popular due to its stronger loadout, but the Rapid Blaster as a main weapon remains a rare pick for players. The Suction Bomb is slightly better for self-defense compared to the Ink Mine, as you can be more flexible with where to place it. Its long fuse is great for area denial, but poor at getting actual splats. The Rapid Blaster Deco is one of three weapons with the Suction Bomb Rush, a powerful special that lets you claim a lot of turf and control vital areas uncontested. That's not enough reason to play the Rapid Blaster Deco unfortunately, as the other two weapons with Suction Bomb Rush are generally more favored by players.

Range Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 14 (8000)
• Direct damage: 125
• Range: 35/100
• Impact: 60/100
• Fire Rate: 10/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Inkstrike

As its name suggests, the Range Blaster is the regular Blaster but with increased range. The tradeoff is that it has a worse fire rate, taking a full second between shots. While it is outranged by the Rapid Blaster, it retains the direct hit kill of the regular Blaster while still outranging mid-ranged shooters like the Splattershot. The perks of increased range is obvious, letting you be capable of dishing out lethal strikes and considerable splash damage from a larger distance. The range is a double-edged sword, as there is a larger blind spot between yourself and the blast where you can't hit foes with splash damage. Keep enemies at the edge of your range at all times, and remember to fire individual shots consciously instead of holding the trigger in close range encounters.

The Splash Wall is an important defensive tool for a main weapon that is effective at a very specific range. As mentioned above, the Range Blaster has lots of trouble dealing with foes up close, so the protection from the Splash Wall can buy you time to land a direct hit, or to delay an enemy's pursuit as you reposition yourself. The Inkstrike is a straightforward support special that provides area denial and contributes to ink coverage in Turf Wars. Your typical position behind the frontlines often puts you in a good position to launch Inkstrikes safely.

Custom Range Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 17 (10800)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Kraken

The Custom Range Blaster offers a more offensive loadout that sees much use due to its handy special. The Splat Bomb can pressure foes around corners that your main weapon has trouble doing so, and it can be dropped close to you for a moderately fast secondary attack. Splash damage from the Splat Bomb can also weaken foes for you to finish off with your indirect blaster shots. The Kraken is the highlight of the Custom Range Blaster, perfectly making up for its weakness in close combat by providing invincibility and a threatening melee attack to turn the tides against any sneak attack.

Grim Range Blaster

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (14000)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Killer Wail

The Grim Range Blaster is a popular choice among the Range Blasters with its cheap and utility-based loadout. The Burst Bombs provides excellent self-defense up close. It can also splat foes hit with your blaster shots' splash faster than hitting two indirect blaster shots consecutively. Additionally, they are handy for inking the ground around you for making an escape, or large chunks of the wall when you need to get some height. The Killer Wail has a low turf cost which makes it easier to charge with the Grim Range Blaster's lackluster coverage rate, while providing excellent long distance area denial.

Rapid Blaster Pro

• Unlock level/cost: 16 (11200)
• Direct damage: 80
• Range: 65/100
• Impact: 35/100
• Fire Rate: 30/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Seeker, Inkzooka

The Rapid Blaster Pro is to the Rapid Blaster as the Range Blaster is to the regular Blaster. It has slightly more range than the Rapid Blaster, having an effective range exceeding most long-range shooters, but its fire rate is slowed to be equivalent to the Luna Blaster. There are no changes to the main weapon's damage or blast radius. Like with the Rapid Blaster, the Rapid Blaster Pro demands precise spacing to be effective, delivering lots of splash damage across long distances. It has even more trouble taking on close foes, as it has more distance between the user and the blast, while its lower fire rate makes missed shots extra punishing.

The default loadout is themed around deadly damage at long distances. In addition to the main weapon, its Seeker and Inkzooka both have long, straight trails and have difficulty dealing with enemies up close. The Seeker can travel further than the Rapid Blaster Pro's shots, while being able to be thrown off ledges to attack foes below without exposing yourself. It can also act as a diversion for foes while you pepper them with blaster shots. The Inkzooka gives you extra range to take out snipers, and the extra power to quickly defeat everything else.

Rapid Blaster Pro Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 18 (18200)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Disruptor, Killer Wail

The Rapid Blaster Pro Deco has a very conventional support loadout. The Disruptor's slowing effect is very helpful for hitting shots with your Rapid Blaster Pro, or to deter enemies from pursuing you when attacked past your effective range. The Killer Wail is easy to build to compensate for the Rapid Blaster Pro's low turf rate, while providing ranged area denial for forcing foes away from match objectives.

Chargers

Chargers are the sniper rifles of Splatoon. They fire long, straight lines of ink, useful for quickly inking pathways for you and allies to travel down. As their name implies, Chargers require charging to be used effectively. Hold down the fire button to increase the range and power of your shots. At full charge, they can instantly splat any foes in their sights. All Chargers have laser sights; use them to intimidate foes entering contested area or hide them to maintain the element of surprise.

Splat Charger/Hero Charger Replica

• Splat Charger unlock level/cost: 3 (1000)
• Hero Charger Replica unlock requirements: Clear the Enter the Octobot King! level from the Inkling Girl Amiibo
• Damage: 40-160
• Range: 87/100
• Charge Rate: 50/100
• Mobility: 40/100
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Splat Charger is the middle of the pack when it comes to speed and range. It's balanced attributes make it a good starter weapon for players looking to pick up the charger. It comfortably outranges most weapons in the game, letting you play a more defensive playstyle by sniping enemies from afar. However, it still has a passable charge time to help you defend yourself against mid-close range flanks. If you're able to secure a safe position to snipe from, the only major threat to you are enemy snipers, specifically E-liters, as well as the occasional Inkzooka. The Splat Charger's intermediate charge time also makes it good at covering turf, an option you can always resort to when there's no enemies in sight.

The default Splat Charger has a loadout with a big focus on Splat Bombs. While other weapons usually use Splat Bombs to pressure enemies from a distance, the Splat Charger depends on the Splat Bombs for close range defense. You will learn to lob and roll your Splat Bombs to control their detonation timing. The Splat Bomb Rush is both practical and deadly due to the Splat Bomb's short timer. You can toss the bombs at different angles to make them bounce around and go off at different moments. Even if enemies manage to avoid the bombing, the special is still capable of claiming a bunch of turf semi-quickly.

Kelp Splat Charger

• Unlock level/cost: 4 (2500)
• Requires Octonozzle Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Killer Wail

The Kelp Splat Charger is altered to increase its utility at the cost of self-defense and sheer power. Instead of Splat Bombs, it comes with the Sprinkler, forcing you to rely solely on the main weapon for direct combat. However, the Sprinkler can serve multiple uses for a sniper, from helping your team ink an area, to acting as a decoy that distracts enemies while you snipe them down, to a form of protection from enemy shots by standing behind the Sprinkler while you snipe, making it absorb all hits. The Killer Wail is an excellent utility special to round the set off, and its cheap cost ensures that you'll be using it often by charging it with the Sprinkler. Due to the general playstyle of chargers, you'll often be attacking from a safe perch overlooking an important chokepoint, putting you in a great position to launch the Killer Wail from.

Bento Splat Charger

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (4700)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Echolocator

The Bento Splat Charger is another variant focused on utility, but with a different approach. The Splash Wall is an uncommon sub-weapon for a charger, especially one that doesn't charge very quickly, but it provides protection from long-range harassment from enemy chargers and ranged weapons in general. However, the wall isn't going to be much help against a close foe other than buying time for an escape, since the Bento has a moderate charge time and no other damaging components to itself. The Echolocator has a similar role on the Bento as on an E-liter: as an easy team support tool, help you seek out kills and protect against flanks. The Bento's faster charge and lower ink consumption will let you get your Echolocator more often than the E-liter as well.

Splatterscope/Kelp Splatterscope/Bento Splatterscope

• Splatterscope unlock level/cost: 13 (3500)
• Kelp Splatterscope unlock level/cost: 17 (7800)
• Bento Splatterscope unlock level/cost: 20 (11500)
• Range: 90/100
• Charge Rate: 50/100
• Mobility: 35/100

The Splatterscope and its variants are just the original Splat Chargers with scopes added to them. When charging a shot, you'll zoom in to have a better look at a foe at long range. The Splatterscopes are also mechanically different from the Splat Chargers, featuring slightly increased range but lower move speed while charging. The increased range is the main draw of this weapon, as any extra range grants a major advantage when dueling other snipers. However, the scope does decrease your field of view, so it is extra important that you don't get tunnel vision while sniping to be able to respond to enemy ambushes. Ultimately, the Splatterscope's weaknesses are popularly deemed to be negligible or possible to overcome compared to the benefits it has, so they are far more popular than their scopeless counterparts.

Classic Squiffer

• Unlock level/cost: 6 (5000)
• Damage: 40-140
• Range: 65/100
• Charge Rate: 70/100
• Mobility: 60/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Bubbler

The Squiffer plays very differently from the other chargers. It has pretty quick charge time, but has the worst range in the charger class of weapons, comparable to the range of the Splattershot Pro. The Squiffer is tailored to players who like to move around and snipe at the frontlines. It is the best at fighting off enemies at mid-close range, and can result in quick killing sprees due to its fast charge speed. Unfortunately, it does not have the luxury of sheer distance that other chargers enjoy. Therefore, you must be highly skilled at sniping under fire, especially against strafing shooters, to use this weapon effectively.

The Classic Squiffer has a very support/utility oriented loadout. The Point Sensor is used to scout out pools of enemy ink, which can keep you safe from ambushes. It is also fairly helpful when engaged in direct combat with enemy shooters. When they're being tracked, you can follow their motion in their ink and snipe them before they can retaliate. The Bubbler is a great special for a charger sniping in the fray, giving you an unbreakable form of protection when flanked, and possibly giving you enough time to splat them back. It also lets you play an active part in enemy pushes, letting teammates push bravely forward while you follow shortly behind.

New Squiffer

• Unlock level/cost: 11 (4500)
• Requires Octomaw Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Ink Mine, Inkzooka

The New Squiffer is for the bloodthirsty sniper, with every component of the weapon suited for getting kills. Use the main weapon to snipe foes, the Ink Mine to kill off pursuing enemies, then activate the Inkzooka to gun down players underestimating your range. The Ink Mine necessitates that you move forward actively to place them on key chokepoints. The Inkzooka seems like an odd choice for a charger, being a sniping special for a sniping weapon, but it lets you hit enemies that would otherwise stay out of your reach, particularly other chargers.

Fresh Squiffer

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (7200)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Kraken

The Fresh Squiffer combines the best of both previous Squiffers to make the most combat-oriented Squiffer variant and the one that sees the most use. Suction Bomb gives the Fresh Squiffer a secondary attack with actual range, able to flush enemies out of corners or forcing predictable movement out of foes as they scramble to avoid it. The Kraken has a similar purpose to the Bubbler on the Classic set, a powerful form of self-defense when getting jumped by enemies, but it has a better chance of securing kills due to its simpler attack compared to sniping enemies under pressure in the Bubbler.

Bamboozler 14 Mk I

• Unlock level/cost: 15 (6200)
• Damage: 30-80
• Range: 72/100
• Charge Rate: 90/100
• Mobility: 80/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Killer Wail

The Bamboozler is a real oddball of a weapon. It has a faster charge time than the Squiffer, almost as much range as the Splat Charger and its range is not tied to charge time, meaning its shots travel the full distance regardless of charge. While these comparisons make it seem extremely powerful, they're undermined by a unique weakness: a fully-charged shot from the Bamboozler cannot kill in one hit. It can however kill with one fully-charged shot plus one uncharged shot, which is easier than it sounds given the Bamboozler's consistent range. Some players also equip Damage Ups to raise a fully-charged shot to 99.9 damage, therefore capable of one-shotting foes who've taken slight damage or even just walking into enemy ink. One last thing to note about the Bamboozler is that its turfing capabilities is worse than average, as its shots leave narrow and slightly disconnected trails.

The Splash Wall is a pretty good complement to the Bamboozler. It gives you just enough protection to let you line up your shots, and can make enemy movements more predictable. It's especially powerful in narrow corridors. The Killer Wail lends a supportive element to the Bamboozler's otherwise kill-centered playstyle. It is quicker to charge to compensate for the Bamboozler's weak inking ability, and provides useful area denial.

Bamboozler 14 Mk II

• Unlock level/cost: 17 (8300)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Disruptor, Echolocator

The Mk II version of the Bamboozler also has a very utility-focused set, but eschews defense for a more aggressive playstyle. The Disruptor helps immensely with landing Bamboozler shots while limiting your foe's ability to fight back, and leaves them more vulnerable to allies if they manage to slip away. The Echolocator both helps you hunt down enemies and prevents flanks, but the cost can be rather high. Your skill with the main weapon is especially important for this set as you have no form of close-range defense or secondary attack, making the Bamboozler your only damaging weapon.

Bamboozler 14 Mk III

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (9100)
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Inkstrike

The Mk III's set has Burst Bombs as its sole selling point. A quick shot followed by a Burst Bomb is a fast two-hit kill, as is the same combination in reverse, so this set will let you nab kills with greater ease. The Burst Bomb's big round ink radius also compensates for the Bamboozler's lackluster ink trails, which can be helpful when turfing, moving vertically or making an escape. The Inkstrike can be used like the Killer Wail for area denial, with the addition of inking lots of turf, but it's mostly there to balance out the strong sub-weapon choice.

E-liter 3K

• Unlock level/cost: 18 (12500)
• Damage: 40-180
• Range: 97/100
• Charge Rate: 23/100
• Mobility: 13/100
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Echolocator

The E-liter 3K class of weapons boasts the longest range in the game, capable of outranging even the Inkzooka. This means that given enough distance, the E-liter can kill any player without retaliation, with the exception of other E-liters. The main difficulty of E-liters isn't fighting enemies, it's fighting the weapon itself. Because of its sheer range, the E-liter has an excruciatingly long charge time approaching 2 seconds, even though it passes the lethal threshold at around 75% charge. It is also very ink-hungry, draining a quarter of your ink tank for a fully-charged shot. Good aim and ink management is more important on the E-liter than with any other weapon, as you'll lose many kill opportunities if you don't hit every shot. A lot of top E-liter players usually stack Damage Up and Ink Recovery abilities for these reasons.

The Burst Bomb is easily the best subweapon a charger can have. It gives you a vital tool for self-defense at close-range, considering your main weapon is terrible at close combat. It also makes up for the E-liter 3K's extremely poor turfing ability, helping you ink an escape route when under fire. On smaller, more congested maps with few safe sniping perches, you might even have to rely on Burst Bombs as your primary weapon. The Echolocator also synergizes very well with the E-liter's playstyle. Other than providing indirect support for your teammates, it also guides you to players that might be hiding in ink or behind walls, letting you snipe them if they move out of cover. Additionally, with the knowledge of your enemies' locations, you can avoid getting flanked for the duration of the special. Lastly, it can also serve as an emergency ink refill, especially considering the rate the E-liter eats up ink.

Custom E-liter 3K

• Unlock level/cost: 19 (14200)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Squid Beakon, Kraken

The Custom E-liter 3K encourages a more mobile and direct way of playing the E-liter. Although the default E-liter undoubtedly has a loadout that better complements the main weapon, the relative rarity of the Custom E-liter 3K in turn can be a valuable asset. Squid Beakons leave you a lot more vulnerable to flanks, but they support both teammates and yourself. Sniping perches are often close to the frontline but is exposed to enemy sniper fire, so placing a beakon behind cover nearby lets your team super jump safely and arrive at the battlefield quickly. The Kraken is a powerful self-defense special that can often catch foes offguard when used by an E-liter, but it can be better used to provide direct support to teammates during a push. After your Kraken runs out, you can jump right back to sniping from afar using your Squid Beakons.

E-liter 3K Scope/Custom E-liter 3K Scope

• E-liter 3K Scope unlock level/cost: 19 (13400)
• Custom E-liter 3K Scope unlock level/cost: 20 (22600)
• Range: 100/100
• Charge Rate: 23/100
• Mobility: 8/100

The scoped E-liters modify the base weapon the same way Splatterscopes change the Splat Chargers. It grants a scope and additional range, making it the uncontested longest ranged weapon in the game, but reduces your mobility and field of vision while charging. Since the standard E-Liter playstyle generally involves keeping your distance and staying in a strong defensive position, the reduced mobility and sight is barely a problem, as long as you stay aware of your surroundings between shots. Every bit of range matters, especially during a sniper duel, so the scoped E-liter is often used instead of the original E-liter.

Rollers

Rollers are slow, close-range powerhouses. They spread ink through two ways, by flicking ink and by rolling along the floor. Rollers can splat foes in one strike through either flicking or crushing them, but it usually comes at the cost of range or speed, demanding stealth and strategic positioning to use successfully.

Splat Roller/Hero Roller Replica

• Splat Roller unlock level/cost: 3 (1000)
• Hero Roller Replica unlock requirements: Clear the Enter the Octobot King! level from the Inkling Boy Amiibo
• Damage: 25-125 (140 when rolling)
• Range: 55/100
• Ink Speed: 50/100
• Weight: 40/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Killer Wail

The Splat Roller has intermediate stats relative to both other rollers. It has a combination of range and decent speed, making it a good choice for learning the roller class. While the Splat Roller can turf and instantly splat enemies by rolling, you'll be using its flick most of the time. Flicking the roller lets you hit enemies outside of point blank range and ink a wider area. Jump flicking in particular gives your attack more range for no drawback, so it's an important technique to master. The flicking animation is a slow enough to be reacted to, so you need to make full use of the element of surprise like hiding in ink to secure kills.

The starter Splat Roller kit offers a good mix of tools that compensates for the Splat Roller's weaknesses. The Suction Bomb is used for long-range pressure and to threaten foes around corners. The suction ability is particularly relevant to the Splat Roller, as you can use the Suction Bomb to ink large chunks of walls that your main weapon has trouble doing. Rollers benefit greatly from a height advantage, so the Suction Bomb makes for a great fit. The Killer Wail's range makes it great for scaring off annoying snipers, as well as to help your team by blocking foes from important areas and objectives.

Krak-On Splat Roller

• Unlock level/cost: 7 (3000)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Squid Beakon, Kraken

The Krak-On Splat Roller is easily one of the most notorious weapons in the game, and is dangerous in the hands of a foe who can get up close. The Squid Beakon doesn't help the Krak-On as much as a Suction Bomb would, but its handy for quickly transporting both you and your teammates. You'll often be snooping in lesser-used areas to flank foes so there'll be many good Beakon hiding spots within your reach. It also hides your approach when you Squid Jump to it, so it can catch foes by surprise if they're fighting close to a Beakon. The Kraken is the big highlight of the weapon, since if the flick doesn't kill your opponent, your Kraken will. Its invincibility is great when you're the one being ambushed, and it can be used to charge at foes just out of range, but be mindful of the knockback from getting shot.

CoroCoro Splat Roller

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (5000)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Inkzooka

The CoroCoro Splat Roller has a very odd set that doesn't really fit the general playstyle of the Splat Roller. The Splash Wall is an odd sub-weapon for a roller, as a close-ranged weapon doesn't benefit much from it. It can protect you from enemy fire while you execute your somewhat slow flick, but you give up the surprise factor by throwing the wall out first. It can also restrict an enemy's escape if you manage to corner them, though it's generally a liability for the CoroCoro. The Inkzooka is an excellent special that makes up for the Splat Rollers poor range with its incredible reach. It is great for splatting snipers and wiping out any enemies in sight, but you have to give up a decent sub-weapon to use it in a set. The Killer Wail on the original Splat Roller has similar long-range, and while it is not as deadly it is much more popular due to the more useful Suction Bombs that comes with the set.

Carbon Roller

• Unlock level/cost: 10 (6600)
• Damage: 25-125 (70 when rolling)
• Range: 20/100
• Ink Speed: 65/100
• Weight: 60/100
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Inkzooka

The Carbon Roller is a lightweight roller that sacrifices range for a faster flick and roll. The Carbon Roller has the fastest roll speed of any roller, but the drawback is that it cannot splat foes in one hit by rolling over them. In fact, rolling into a foe is actively detrimental; since you momentarily flinch from bouncing off them, it can get you splatted. What the Carbon Roller is really good at doing is splatting enemies, as its flick is so fast it's virtually impossible to react to. Its biggest weakness is of course its horrid reach, having difficulty getting within lethal range of its flick. Good knowledge of flank routes and making use of high ground is vital to succeeding with the Carbon Roller.

The main Carbon Roller loadout is a weapon for massacring inklings. The Burst Bomb is an amazing sub-weapon for the Carbon Roller. Not only does it give you an attack beyond point blank range, but it also helps you quickly ink the ground around you when caught in ink, as well as walls to help get the height advantage the Carbon Roller needs. Throwing a Burst Bomb followed by a roller flick is a fearsome combo that effectively increases your lethal range while negligibly lengthening the time to splat. The Inkzooka rounds out the set by making up for the main weapon's terrible range while still bearing incredible kill potential on its own.

Carbon Roller Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 13 (7600)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Seeker, Bomb Rush

The Carbon Roller Deco is unique for having the Seeker Bomb Rush, a special that no other weapon in the game has. The Seeker subs are nowhere near as versatile as the Burst Bombs on the default set, but they are useful nonetheless for inking paths and providing long distance pressure. You or your teammates can use the Seeker's trail to reach objectives quickly or to sneak into enemy territory, but using the ink trail to approach is a well-known tactic, so don't expect to get surprise kills with it often. The Seeker Bomb Rush excels in maps with long, straight areas that you can fill with Seekers to shut foes out. Strafe around when spamming Seekers to maximize turf coverage and prevent them from just tracking a single enemy. While the original Carbon Roller is general more versatile and the most popular pick, the Carbon Roller Deco is a situational but powerful weapon in its own right when used during the right map rotation.

Dynamo Roller

• Unlock level/cost: 15 (7900)
• Requires DJ Octavio Sunken Scroll
• Damage: 25-125 (160 when rolling)
• Range: 72/100
• Ink Speed: 30/100
• Weight: 18/100
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Echolocator

The Dynamo Roller trades speed for massive turf coverage. It has the slowest roll and flick speed of the rollers, reduces your swim speed while you're holding it and is extremely ink hungry. However, each flick of the Dynamo unleashes a massive torrent of ink that covers a lot of ground while creating a huge zone of death to players in its path. The flick is so slow that jump flicking requires you to time a jump mid-flick in order to maximize your attack range. The Dynamo excels at mid-long range harassment, especially if it can get a height advantage, while being a dangerous target to approach head on. Its sluggish attack forces users to keep their distance from skirmishes, but good angling and aim with the flick can take out enemies engaging up close.

The silver Dynamo Roller loadout is a great general support weapon. The Dynamo Roller is naturally good at inking a lot of ground, so the addition of the Sprinkler will let you claim turf at a speedy rate. It's a handy tool to passively ink uncontested areas like your base while you focus on the fight, or to distract enemies. The Echolocator is the real focus of this set, as its normally expensive turf cost can be offset by the combined ink coverage of the Sprinkler and the Dynamo. This loadout is excellent for playing a support role in any mode, with you main focus being disrupting enemies with frequent Echolocators.

Gold Dynamo Roller

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (25000)
• Requires DJ Octavio Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Inkstrike

The Gold Dynamo Roller gains the Splat Bomb as a sub-weapon, giving it a backup attack with a lot less windup. Splat Bombs can be used for intermittent pressure at long distances, or dropped by your feet to deter foes close by. While it is a sub-weapon suitable for active combat, ink management is especially important as you only have one flick left after throwing one from a full ink tank. The Gold Dynamo also maintains its high turf coverage with the Inkstrike special, which it can launch often due to the main weapon's great ink rate. Outside of Turf Wars, you can also use the Inkstrike for standard area denial.

Tempered Dynamo Roller

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (36800)
• Requires DJ Octavio Sunken Scroll
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Seeker, Killer Wail

The Tempered Dynamo doesn't have the insane turfing abilities of the other two loadouts, but it still encourages a turf-focused playstyle. The Seeker is very useful for mobility due to its long ink trails, as the Dynamo itself can't quickly ink out straight pathways. This can help both you and your teammates when racing for the objective at the start of a Ranked match. It can also be used for some minor harassment outside of your Dynamo's reach. The Killer Wail serves its normal area denial purpose, while its cheap ink cost works very well with the Dynamo's high turf rate. The Tempered Dynamo's specialty is cranking out Killer Wails at a ridiculous rate, persistently warding off enemies from important areas.

Brushes

Brushes are basically light rollers. They only ink a thin streak of turf while moving, but have unrivaled speed. Brushes are often used to support teammates, or for deadly close-range flanking. Instead of flicking, Brushes can rapidly slap to spread ink in a wide area and to attack, making a quick trigger finger a useful skill when using Brushes.

Inkbrush

• Unlock level/cost: 8 (4800)
• Damage: 28 (20 when rolling)
• Range: 10/100
• Ink Speed: 100/100
• Weight: 100/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Inkstrike

The basic Inkbrush has the fastest walk speed while attacking of any weapon, having unrivaled mobility while inking the ground. Unfortunately, it has a lot of things going against it. The Inkbrush doesn't do a lot of damage and it has one of the worst range of any weapon in the game, which means that the Inkbrush will handily lose in a duel with any other weapon. It is even possible to catch a foe by surprise and still lose the encounter just because it's so weak, so it's best to avoid combat when using it. It is not stellar at inking either, as the Inkbrush only leaves a thin trail while brushing, so you must rely heavily on swiping your brush to get turf. The most you can do with the Inkbrush is be a nuisance, using your superior speed to outrun foes and claim unguarded enemy turf.

The original Inkbrush set seems to support this non-confrontational, turf-focused playstyle. It has no tools to improve the Inkbrush's combat ability, but its kit can be quite useful in Turf Wars. The Sprinkler gives the Inkbrush an extra hand with inking turf and can be thrown down near foes as a distraction. It also builds up the meter for Inkstrike, which is another great way to claim lots of turf. This is the ultimate annoyance set, but the inability to threaten the enemy other than being hard to catch makes it a rare sight even in Turf Wars.

Inkbrush Nouveau

• Unlock level/cost: 11 (5900)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Ink Mine, Bubbler

The Inkbrush Nouveau is slightly better at taking on enemies, but you must still pick your battles carefully. The Ink Mine doesn't help much in direct combat, but it can slow down pursuing foes or placed in contested areas for a few surprise kills. You may also get some extra flicks in as they try to dodge the mine. The Bubbler is great for both self-defense and support, typically leaning more toward the latter since you can't do much in the Bubbler if your opponent keeps knocking you back.

Permanent Inkbrush

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (8200)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Kraken

The Permanent Inkbrush is almost a straight upgrade from the Nouveau, having a bomb as a sub-weapon and an invincibility special. If you ever encounter an Inkbrush, it's most likely going to be the Permanent variant. The Splat Bomb gives the Permanent Inkbrush an actual secondary attack that can be thrown out in direct combat to influence your opponents' movements and potentially secure kills with its short fuse. The Kraken has similar range issues as an Inkbrush in a Bubbler, but you have a much better chance of getting a few splats due to its one-hit kill attack.

Octobrush

• Unlock level/cost: 12 (8500)
• Damage: 37 (25 when rolling)
• Range: 25/100
• Ink Speed: 80/100
• Weight: 80/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Squid Beakon, Kraken

The Octobrush is the big brother of the Inkbrush, trading speed for damage. It is slower rolling across the floor compared to the Inkbrush and its swings are slower too, but it only takes 3 Octobrush swings to splat a foe. In practice, the added power of the Octobrush makes it a more versatile weapon than the Inkbrush. While you can't roll as fast as the Inkbrush, you can still run with it faster than any other weapon, which is handy for mobility. It can still spread ink decently by rapid flicking, though it does eat up ink quickly. Most importantly, having increased power gives the Octobrush the ability to actually take on enemies, giving it another use as a potent ambush weapon.

The standard Octobrush set immediately brings to mind the Krak-On Splat Roller, which is fitting considering their similar playstyles. A Squid Beakon is great on a brush that needs to be very mobile on the map, since you'll usually be in position to plant Beakons or make use of them to travel around the map. The Kraken makes you a stronger close-range threat that lets you extend into enemy territory more comfortably and scramble enemy teams when activated.

Octobrush Nouveau

• Unlock level/cost: 16 (9500)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Inkzooka

While the normal Octobrush loadout fits its playstyle as a speedy stealth weapon, the Nouveau's loadout compensates for the Octobrush's main weakness: its poor range. The Splat Bomb can be thrown much further than your brush strokes can reach and creates a deadly threat that the enemy must move around. The Inkzooka takes out snipers pinning down your team, as well as forcing other foes to run for cover or get splatted from afar.

Sloshers

Sloshers are an odd cross between Rollers and Shooters. They spread ink by flinging them out similar to Roller flicking, but trades damage and spread for fast firing rate. The Sloshers main draw is its ability to attack over obstacles and behind walls, making them excellent for flushing out defensive enemies.

Slosher

• Unlock level/cost: 5 (5600)
• Base damage: 70
• Range: 52/100
• Attack: 90/100
• Weight: 54/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Inkstrike

The default Slosher flings ink out with good range, leaving narrow ink trails leading to a wider ink splat at the tip of its attack. Direct hits with the fling will deal full damage, while hitting with the ink splatter as it falls will deal splash damage depending on distance. Oddly enough, the splash damage actually increases if you hit with the tip of the slosh rather than up close.

The Slosher outranges middle-ranged shooters like the Splattershot, has a moderately fast fire rate and splats in two direct hits, so it is a strong combat weapon with the added ability of hitting foes above or behind walls due to the falling ink. Learn to angle the ink slosh with the situation; high sloshes are great for attacking at max range and over walls while low sloshes are better for inking the ground under you and for taking on enemies up close. Your ideal range for taking on enemies is the maximum reach of the ink slosh, and the Slosher tends to be at a disadvantage in close-range combat.

The standard Slosher set offers a great combination of combat assistance and team support. Burst Bombs are a strong sub-weapon choice that forms a deadly combo with the Slosher's attack. You can cancel the recovery animation of a Burst Bomb throw with an ink slosh, a technique known as Burst Cancelling, to get a quick two-hit kill that's faster than just two hits with the Slosher. The Burst Bomb also helps with inking the floor around you quickly, something the Slosher itself is not that great at. The Inkstrike lets you grab turf and perform area denial. It's a decent Special, though the Burst Bombs are really the main selling point of this set.

Slosher Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 10 (8300)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Kraken

The Slosher Deco provides a strong defensive set to increase your survivability. The Slosher Deco has enough range to make use of the Splash Wall's barrier, and it compensates for the Slosher's difficulty fighting enemies up close. The Kraken is a powerful panic button that is also effective against close-range weapons but can be used for pushing and breaking up enemy positions as well.

Soda Slosher

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (14600)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Inkzooka

The Soda Slosher is a very kill-focused set. Splat Bombs are versatile sub-weapons that can pressure foes to move and grab kills with its short fuse. The ability to bounce it off walls or set off the fuse early makes it handy for many situations. Meanwhile, the Inkzooka gives you a fearsome long-range attack to wipe out anything out of reach of the Soda Slosher. While this loadout isn't terribly bad, the base Slosher is usually preferred by bloodthirsty players, as the Burst Bombs simply helps get a lot more splats with its deadly two-hit combo.

Tri-Slosher

• Unlock level/cost: 9 (7500)
• Base damage: 62
• Range: 33/100
• Attack: 80/100
• Weight: 70/100
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Disruptor, Bubbler

The Tri-Slosher has reduced range and damage, but sloshes ink in three simultaneous bursts that fan out. It also has a faster firing rate. Among the Sloshers, the Tri-Slosher fulfills the standard short-ranged variant role. Its fast fire rate and considerable ink spread makes it an effective turfing tool, while giving it a quick two-hit splat with more forgiving aim than the normal Slosher makes it a threat up close. It still has the ability to hit foes over or behind walls with the falling ink, but its worse range and damage makes this tactic less effective at splatting foes. Overall, the Tri-Slosher plays much like a short-ranged shooter: grab turf often and flank around opponents to nab kills.

The normal Tri-Slosher set has a potent support loadout that also increases the threat of the main weapon. The Disruptor's slowing and enemy revealing properties effectively mark foes for death. The speed drop makes it difficult for foes to escape your Tri-Slosher's flings or to fight back, so it's an effective sub when closing in on a tough enemy. The Bubbler is a powerful defensive tool that can be shared with allies for coordinated pushes. Its invincibility combined with your fast damage output can turn the tides against any enemy ambush.

Tri-Slosher Nouveau

• Unlock level/cost: 15 (9900)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Seeker, Echolocator

The Nouveau set also has a utility-focused set, though it doesn't synergize with the main weapon quite as well as the original Tri-Slosher's loadout, losing a lot of the original's combat presence. The Seeker is handy for mobility as it inks straight lines, which can also be used to approach foes and get within attacking range. It is also used for pressure and the occasional kill at long distances, but is cumbersome to use in direct combat. The Echolocator provides simple team support and a free ink refill. You can ink quickly enough to build Echoes frequently, but its offset by the likelihood of getting splatted and losing charge due to the need to engage enemies at close range.

Sloshing Machine

• Unlock level/cost: 12 (13500)
• Direct damage: 76
• Range: 55/100
• Attack: 95/100
• Weight: 45/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Sloshing Machine is a hybrid between a Blaster and a Slosher. It shoots a vortex of ink that arcs likes an ink slosh, but explodes on a direct hit for max damage. The ink vortex has consistent splash damage while travelling. Three indirect hits or 1 direct hit plus splash damage will result in a splat. The Sloshing Machine plays similarly to the Slosher, having similar stats with a minutely slower fire rate, less range but greater mobility while firing. It has a more forgiving lateral hitbox due to the nature of the splash damage, while retaining high long-range damage due to its fire rate and powerful direct hits.

The Sloshing Machine's default set has the Splat Bomb, a very standard sub-weapon. Your main weapon fights pretty well at all ranges, so the Splat Bombs are mainly for long-distance pressure or as a diversion during confrontations. The Sloshing Machine is one of the few weapons to get the Splat Bomb Rush, letting it claim massive amounts of turf quickly in addition to wide area denial and high kill potential due to the Splat Bombs' short fuse.

Sloshing Machine Neo

• Unlock level/cost: 18 (28500)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Inkzooka

The Neo set takes on a more kill-focused playstyle than the standard loadout. The Point Sensor is useful for generally scouting out enemies, or for marking revealed enemies for you or your teammates to hunt down. The tracking will help you land direct hits with the Sloshing Machine's unorthodox projectiles. The Inkzooka lets you engage and take out enemies at long distances like chargers, while having a much faster kill time compared to your main weapon.

Splatlings

Splatlings play like a mix between Shooters and Chargers. They have constant range and can be charged to increase attack duration, after which they will fire a relentless barrage of shots that can easily shred any Inkling they target. Splatlings pack both range, turf coverage, and power, but they are nearly defenseless between charges and can't ink turf quickly for escapes. You can cancel your attack any time by going into squid mode in case you need to bail.

Heavy Splatling

• Unlock level/cost: 6 (6800)
• Base damage: 28
• Range: 78/100
• Charge Rate: 40/100
• Mobility: 50/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splash Wall, Inkstrike

Despite its name, the Heavy Splatling is the middle-of-the-road choice of the three Splatling types. It has a moderate charge time and slightly outranges most long-ranged shooters. Each shot does low damage but the incredible fire rate lets it splat enemies within moments. Its balanced stats make it a good weapon for fighting behind the frontlines, using its sustained fire to gun down or suppress foes, and ink a lot of turf. You won't need to use a fully-charged attack every time; knowing how much charge you need for the situation is key to using this weapon efficiently. Partial charges are handy when it comes to direct enemy confrontations, or for quickly inking paths to an objective.

The Splash Wall is a great sub-weapon to complement the Heavy Splatling. With its ability to block enemy shots and movement, it gives you time to charge up the Heavy Splatling and unleash death upon your foes. It can also protect teammates and help them get kills as well. The Inkstrike's global range lets you drop ink on areas too far or too dangerous for you to venture into, assisting your team beyond the range of the Heavy Splatling.

Heavy Splatling Deco

• Unlock level/cost: 9 (9200)
• Special Depletion: Medium
• Loadout: Point Sensor, Kraken

The Deco set lends well to a more aggressive playstyle with the Heavy Splatling, one that stays close to the frontlines to gun down foes within reach. The Point Sensor is a valuable tool to scout enemies hiding in ink or behind walls, or to mark an escaping foe. It not only benefits yourself by staving off sneak attacks and letting you chip down wounded targets fleeing in ink, but also gives your allies valuable information on enemy positions. The Kraken is a powerful tool for breaking up enemy formations or to protect yourself from stealthy foes when caught off guard.

Heavy Splatling Remix

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (17900)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Killer Wail

The Heavy Splatling Remix is all about turfing and quickly charging up your special. While your main weapon can cover quite a lot of area in bursts, the Sprinkler can both ink less travelled regions when you'd rather be elsewhere, and serve as a persistent distraction and nuisance that draws enemy fire. With the help of the Sprinkler, you can build up cheap Killer Wails very frequently, which outright blocks foes off of contested locations and objectives.

Mini Splatling

• Unlock level/cost: 8 (7200)
• Base damage: 28
• Range: 58/100
• Charge Rate: 80/100
• Mobility: 90/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Suction Bomb, Inkzooka

The Mini Splatling trades the range of the Heavy Splatling for a lightning fast charge time. While it doesn't fire as long on a full-charge as the Heavy Splatling, it keeps the damage and fire rate. The Mini Splatling is the splatling of choice for aggressive frontline attackers. It can ink turf fairly quickly and disintegrates foes caught in its crosshairs, while still being very mobile bogged down by a minimal charge time. Compared to normal shooters, the Mini Splatline has better range than mid-range shooters like the Splattershot, but its need to charge before firing gives shooters a slight edge when it comes to direct engagements.

The standard Mini Splatline loadout is directly reminiscent of the Tentatek Splattershot, having the same sub and special. The Suction Bomb provides area denial and limits enemy movement, making it an effective tool for pressure. Meanwhile, the Inkzooka lets you strike foes out of your normal range, and has the ability to cause massive casualties to the enemy team. It's not easy to compete with the single most popular shooter in the game, but the Mini Splatling's superior range and ridiculous damage over time gives it a strong niche of its own.

Zink Mini Splatling

• Unlock level/cost: 13 (9400)
• Special Depletion: Heavy
• Loadout: Disruptor, Bubbler

Compared to the normal Mini Splatling which focuses on tussling with foes and nabbing kills, the Zink Mini Splatling goes with a strong support combination. The Disruptor's debuff cripples foes and turns them into easy splats if they get in your line of sight, while revealing foes to your teammates and assisting them in getting their kills as well. The Bubbler is amazing with the Zink Mini as an offensive support tool, as you can share it with teammates while still being able to use your aggressive main weapon for strong pushes.

Refurbished Mini Splatling

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (13400)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Burst Bomb, Bomb Rush

The Refurbished Mini Splatling has a loadout that is certainly uncommon, but not very useful at all. While the Burst Bombs can complement a lot of weapons, the Mini Splatling isn't one of them. It doesn't have difficulty fighting up close, has sufficient range on its own and doesn't get a combo with the Burst Bomb for faster splats. The Burst Bomb is handy for finishing off wounded foes without having to charge your main weapon, but the Mini Splatling is generally better off with another sub. The Burst Bomb Rush is considered one of the weakest specials in the game on the Splattershot, and it isn't any better on the Refurbished Mini Splatling. It can secure a kill or two and get a lot of turf, but it's no game changer compared to other specials.

Hydra Splatling

• Unlock level/cost: 11 (11600)
• Base damage: 28
• Range: 87/100
• Charge Rate: 10/100
• Mobility: 18/100
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Splat Bomb, Echolocator

The deadly three-barreled Hydra Splatling gets increased range and damage for a longer charge time and reduced mobility. The fire rate is unchanged from other splatlings, causing foes to melt the moment the Hydra's crosshairs are pointed at them. It has comparable range to chargers and plays similarly, building charges to take out foes from extreme distances, the main difference being its lack of a laser sight to warn foes of impending doom. You are slowed to a crawl while firing so chargers are a danger, and you cannot handle being attacked without a charge prepared. Partial charges are vital on the Hydra Splatling, as you don't lose any power or range, letting you eliminate foes without waiting for a full charge.

The default Hydra Splatling has the Splat Bomb sub-weapon. It serves as a distraction against close-range foes with its short fuse when rolled on the ground near you, while its arcing trajectory and bounce lets you flush out foes hiding behind obstacles where it is dangerous to move them into your line of fire. The Echolocator lets you provide team support while revealing potential targets for you to snipe down. It is also a convenient ink refill during a skirmish as the Hydra drains ink quite quickly.

Custom Hydra Splatling

• Unlock level/cost: 20 (29900)
• Special Depletion: Light
• Loadout: Sprinkler, Bubbler

The Custom Hydra Splatling is built around supplementing the main weapon, farming frequent Bubblers for incredible protection and amazing team support. The Sprinkler assists in building the Hydra's special by passively grabbing turf in calmer sections of the map. It is also handy for inking your base while letting you focus on the frontline battle, or to distract enemies when attached to important objectives. The Bubbler turns the tides on flanks and ambushes giving you time to charge up a lethal barrage to eviscerate the aggressors. It can also let you play a more active role during pushes, sharing the Bubbler with teammates to make a brief invincible battle squad.