Competitive:H-3 Nozzlenose D

Unofficial

Use
The H-3 Nozzlenose D has many differences than its Splatoon 2 appearance: While unable to inflict any damage onto opponents, the Point Sensor can aid its user and their teammates if used wisely: The Inkzooka is a special designed to splat opponents from a distance.
 * The shot speed is slightly slower.
 * Ink recovery cooldown is 30 frames, compared to Splatoon 2 which has a 25 frame cooldown.
 * The H-3 Nozzlenose D has more range in Splatoon, having shots travel for 132 distance units instead of 115 distance units.
 * In Splatoon the weapon is more ink efficient, consuming 4.8% of the ink tank per instead of 6.75% per.
 * The weapon moves slightly slower than in Splatoon 2, moving 0.45 units per frame compared to 0.6 units per frame.
 * It is harder for the weapon to paint the player's feet than in Splatoon 2.
 * It temporarily makes an opponent an easier target for more mobile teammates to pursue.
 * It can check around corners for flanking opponents and scan behind obstacles or within suspicious puddles of the opponents' ink for any sharking opponents.
 * If you are about to get splatted, or if you fall into any unwinnable situation, tagging the opponent with a Point Sensor will track your would-be splatter, providing your teammates the opportunity for a revenge splat.
 * When activating, it is safer to use while on solid ground. When used, the Inkzooka recoils the player back for each shot, possibly pushing the user into enemy ink or off the stage.
 * The range of the Inkzooka is the second longest of the game, being bested only by the E-liter 3K variants. The range can be used to pick off any snipers, campers, or stopping Rainmaker pushes.
 * While aiming, the pillar of ink cannot go down below the user's area. It is best to be used at the same or below the level of an opponent.
 * Bombs can still be thrown while using the Inkzooka. However unlike other Inkzooka weapons, they cannot be used to escape or damage opponents.
 * They can be used to locate opponents who are trying to escape the Inkzooka.

Synergy
Point Sensors lack certain advantages offered by lethal bombs — particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs, which provide their user's team a couple advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition: Inkzooka while useful for splatting, may not be as effective if having more than two players on a team with it for a few reasons:
 * Their one-hit-splat offers its user's team chances of instantly gaining a numbers advantage, from which a game-winning push can arise.
 * Their lethal explosion provides space for its user's team to either push into an area held by the opponent or stall an opponent's push.
 * The Inkzooka does not turf very well, which makes the weapon struggle with taking back turf.
 * Unlike specials such as Killer Wail or Inkstrike, Inkzooka does not force an opposing team to retreat, as they can dodge Inkzooka shots.

Countermeasures

 * When tagged with an opponent's Point Sensor, either briefly keep a distance from opponents to avoid getting splatted or lure the opponents away from the objective or an important area of the stage, allowing teammates to reclaim turf, push the objective, or ambush opponents.
 * If an opposing H-3 Nozzlenose D user activates Inkzooka at an unsafe position, try attacking them.
 * The Inkzooka's pillar of ink is very thin and relies on accuracy in order to be effective.
 * Once a shot is fired, the user will have to wait until the next shot can be fired. During this time, the user cannot fight back unless by throwing a bomb, which leaves them very vulnerable.

Gear abilities
Gear abilities provide different effects in battle that benefit the player with their equipped weapon. This is a guide to gear abilities in relation to the weapon. Strategy, synergy, viability, and purpose may be written here.

Splatoon 2
The H-3 Nozzlenose D is a medium-ranged weapon with a diverse array of abilities. While it shares the same sub and special weapons with the N-ZAP '85, its burst fire and lower mobility and ink efficiency require it to be played differently.

Use
The H-3 Nozzlenose D is capable of being either a slayer or support weapon, depending on its gear abilities. The H-3 Nozzlenose D is also a very capable support weapon because of its range and turf coverage: As a burst-fire shooter, the H-3 Nozzlenose D requires a higher level of skill than an automatic shooter to be effective: The primary weaknesses of the H-3 Nozzlenose D are its poor ink efficiency, slow mobility while firing, and long lag between firing bursts: Suction Bombs can be used in a similar fashion to Splat Bombs, with a few differences: Ink Armor enables its user's team to either initiate a push, to recapture a Splat Zone for example, or maintain one, such as while locking out the opponent.
 * Its relatively high damage per shot (41 HP) guarantees a three-hit splat, or a one-burst splat, unless falloff damage is being used (minimum 20.5 HP).
 * Main Power Up can increase the damage per shot up to 49.9 HP of damage — nearly a two-hit splat.
 * Its medium range (160.396 DU ) is close to that of the Splattershot Pro, the .96 Gal, and the Dualie Squelchers and exceeds those of other typical slayer and support weapons, such as the Splattershot and the N-ZAP '85 (both 116.99 DU ), allowing it to both zone them out and turf from a safer distance.
 * Because the maximum angle its shots – whether fired from the ground or while midair – can ever deviate is 1 degree, the H-3 Nozzlenose D is one of the most accurate weapons in the game.
 * Its ink coverage and Suction Bombs are very efficient for turfing, which helps maintain map control and quickly build up the special gauge.
 * Its range and Suction Bombs allow its wielder to safely provide support fire for teammates and poke at and zone out opponents during the neutral phase.
 * Its user must be more accurate with aiming, due to the long delay between bursts.
 * A user of any burst-fire shooter has to be able to lead their shots in order to maximize the damage per burst.
 * Starting from Version, its ink consumption (2.25% per shot, 6.75% per burst) is worse than that of the Splattershot Pro (2%) and the Squeezer (2.2% in semiautomatic mode). Watch your ink tank and do not travel too deep into the opponent's turf.
 * While firing, its movement speed while firing (0.6 units per frame) is slower than most slayer weapons and most other support weapons, which, combined with the lag between firing, can leave it vulnerable to attack.
 * If either poorly aimed or mindlessly fired, its long lag between firing bursts is easy to punish at close range — especially by flankers and sharks.
 * They can attach to surfaces, which both allows more room for error when aiming and enables the planting of craftier traps, such as underneath a grate.
 * They take two seconds after attaching to a surface to detonate, as opposed to one second for a Splat Bomb, so plant Suction Bombs earlier than usual.
 * They inflict more damage from a direct hit (220 HP) and have a larger overall radius of damage (80 DU).
 * They can be thrown to lead a push into a Splat Zone or any other important area of the stage, such as the opponents' street or platform.
 * They can also flush out opposing anchors from perches and clear other critical areas, such as the Tower.
 * They can also be used to poke at and zone out opponents during the neutral phase, stall an opponent's push, or provide space to escape.
 * A Suction Bomb can damage or destroy an opponent's brella shield, Splash Wall, or Baller or the Rainmaker shield, while detonating on contact.
 * Any opponents caught within the Suction Bomb's explosion will get damaged or splatted.
 * It will also inflate or pop a teammate's bubbles but deflate or diffuse an opponent's bubbles, while still detonating on contact.
 * An opponent's Splashdown or Booyah Bomb will defuse any Suction Bombs it touches, so hold off throwing them until after the special weapon finishes.
 * Time the activation of Ink Armor carefully so that you and your teammates receive its protection before engaging the opponent.
 * Try to activate Ink Armor when most or all teammates are active. Slayers, who risk getting splatted more often, benefit from Ink Armor more than anchors do.
 * Upon activation, Ink Armor will protect its user and their teammates except for those either carrying the Rainmaker or using either Baller or Booyah Bomb.
 * Also, players protected by Ink Armor lose it upon gaining possession of the Rainmaker.
 * A support player is often expected to carry the Rainmaker while their slayer teammates provide protection up front while turfing a path of ink. While Ink Armor will not protect the Rainmaker carrier, it will still benefit their teammates. If using the H-3 Nozzlenose D as a support weapon, cast Ink Armor just before picking up the Rainmaker whenever possible.
 * Special Charge Up can hasten the process of building up the special gauge for Ink Armor, particularly to overcome the very high special gauge requirement.

Synergy
The H-3 Nozzlenose D has good range and thorough turfing but is not very mobile while firing and is vulnerable up close due to its long lag in between firing bursts. Be sure to include some shorter-ranged weapons in the team composition. Otherwise, a team with too many longer-ranged weapons will have some glaring drawbacks: Therefore, the H-3 Nozzlenose D makes a good complement to – and is well complemented by – a more rapid firing slayer's or support weapon, such as a Splattershot, an N-ZAP '85, or a Splash-o-matic. Multiple Ink Armors used by the same team do not stack. Therefore, it would be redundant for a team to have more than two Ink Armor users. While special weapons used in combination are beneficial in general, the combination of Ink Armor with either Inkjet or Ultra Stamp is particularly invaluable for the user of the latter special, improving their survivability:
 * The lack of mobility will make it difficult for such a team to mount a push.
 * The reduced ability to battle in close range will make the team vulnerable to a well-timed flank or a well-positioned shark.
 * Turfing while following a teammate builds up Ink Armor and provides friendly turf to which a teammate can retreat whenever needed.
 * Cooperate with the teammate using both the main weapon and Suction Bombs when engaging an opponent: attack from different angles, or force the opponent to come within range of the teammate's weapon.
 * If your teammate gets splatted and an opponent is still present, then determine how weakened they are before deciding whether to continue engaging or retreat. While the H-3 Nozzlenose D is a capable fighter, consider retreating – via super jumping if necessary – to maintain Ink Armor progress if outnumbered.
 * In general, when two Ink Armor-based weapons are on a team, the user of the more aggressive weapon should activate Ink Armor first, freeing them to engage the opponent without potentially losing both a potential Ink Armor and special gauge progress. An H-3 Nozzlenose D user should act accordingly to their gear abilities. For example, one with an aggressive build should cast Ink Armor first unless accompanied by a Tri-Slosher, whereas one with abilities based around support should generally allow the other Ink Armor user to cast theirs first.
 * Because an Ink Armored player can withstand more damage — especially from an opponent's charger, an armored Inkjet pilot can fly more aggressively.
 * An armored Ultra Stamp user is also more difficult for opponents to splat while swinging the hammer. However, they are easier to spot when submerged in their ink.

Countermeasures

 * Ink Resistance Up, already a valuable utility ability, increases in value when facing opponents whose weapons' damage is augmented by Main Power Up. It reduces the chance of getting splatted in two shots from a H-3 Nozzlenose D due to the brief invincibility frames it provides when touching opposing ink.
 * Other Ink Armor-based support weapons – namely the Splattershot Jr., the N-ZAP '85, and the Kensa Undercover Brella – each have at few advantages over the H-3 Nozzlenose D:
 * They all have better ink efficiency, allowing users of these weapons to spam their sub weapons more often.
 * They all have lower special gauge requirements, which allow them to farm Ink Armor more quickly and often.
 * They all have both more mobility when firing (0.72 DU/f, 0.84 DU/f, and 0.72 DU/f respectively) and less firing lag between shots.
 * The .96 Gal has the same range as the H-3 Nozzlenose D but also has a lower special gauge requirement and less firing lag.
 * Mobile, quick firing weapons, such as the Splattershot, once within range, can exploit the H-3 Nozzlenose D's slow mobility and long lag after firing.
 * Brellas can pose a problem for the H-3 Nozzlenose D due to the latter's slow mobility and lag between bursts, but beware of Suction Bombs.
 * Any long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or most splatlings, can fire upon an L-3 Nozzlenose with impunity. Some of these weapons even outmaneuver an H-3 Nozzlenose D; however, do not allow one to get too close.
 * When pursuing a opposing H-3 Nozzlenose D, be wary of any Suction Bomb traps the opponent may have planted, such as around a corner.
 * If an opposing H-3 Nozzlenose D user throws a Suction Bomb onto the Tower while you are riding it, you can move to the other side of the Tower and use the stake for cover from the blast. However, be ready to fend off any opponents – including the opposing H-3 Nozzlenose D user – who attempt to attack this other side.
 * Keep an eye on the HUD to know when the opponent's H-3 Nozzlenose D has Ink Armor ready to use, and both watch and listen for when it is activated.
 * The best way to prevent the opponent from using armor is to splat the opponent with the H-3 Nozzlenose D (or any other Ink Armor-equipped weapon). A charger or long-ranged splatling user can prioritize an opposing H-3 Nozzlenose D user and exploit their low mobility during the long firing lag, or a slayer can attempt to pick off an unwary H-3 Nozzlenose D.
 * Fight fire with fire by having and using Ink Armor to counter the opposing H-3 Nozzlenose D user's Armor. Skirmishes between armored teams will depend on when each Ink Armor was activated, the players' skill and positioning, turf control, and the availability of other specials.
 * Ink Armor can negate up to 30 HP of damage, so there are a few main and sub weapons that can remove an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit:
 * For example, all variants of the Splattershot, the Splattershot Pro, and the Splat Dualies all inflict at least 30 HP of damage per shot and fire relatively rapidly. All variants of the Splash-o-matic and the Dualie Squelchers can also accomplish this with enough Main Power Up.
 * Object Shredder triples damage inflicted onto armored opponents, allowing weapons that cannot otherwise inflict 30 HP of damage to break an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit. Combining Object Shredder with Ink Storm can nearly neutralize armored pushes by the opponent.
 * The splash damage of most bombs will destroy the Ink Armor of opponents who have no Bomb Defense Up DX equipped.
 * Otherwise, focus fire on armored opponents for longer than usual - preferably while ganging up on one opponent at a time - to compensate for their armor.

Gear abilities
Gear abilities provide different effects in battle that benefit the player with their equipped weapon. This is a guide to gear abilities in relation to the weapon. Strategy, synergy, viability, and purpose may be written here. Ever since its introduction in Version, Bomb Defense Up DX will not only reduce the damage taken from opposing sub and special weapons that are not one-hit-splat but will also reduce the duration of the tracking effects of certain opponent's sub and special weapons, such as Point Sensors and Ink Mines, allowing the user of this ability to evade detection more easily. While this is a useful ability for almost any player, it is particularly valuable for an H-3 Nozzlenose D who plays as a slayer. Just three ability points, or one sub, offer plenty of utility:
 * The splash damage of most bombs is reduced from 30 HP to 28.6 HP. This reduction in damage provides two benefits:
 * It prevents its user from being exposed on their opponents' map by the splash damage of most single bombs.
 * Ink Armor will not break due to splash damage from a single bomb whose splash damage normally inflicts 30 HP of damage.
 * The splash damage of near-misses from either Tenta Missiles or Inkjet, the minimum splash damage of bubbles, and the collision damage from Baller are all reduced from 50 HP to 48.3 HP, enabling one to survive two hits from any of these specific means of special weapon damage.

An H-3 Nozzlenose D user playing as a slayer is expected to come in contact with the opponent's ink on various surfaces, which can both be damaging and reduce mobility. Ink Resistance Up not only partially offsets the reduction in mobility but also delays the damage taken from contact with opposing ink.
 * Just three ability points, or one sub,…
 * …delays the damage taken from opposing ink by 10 frames.
 * …reduces the damage taken from 0.3 HP/f (health points per frame) to 0.2 HP/f.
 * …lowers the limit on the amount of damage opposing ink on surfaces can inflict from 40 HP to 38 HP.
 * …increases the normal running speed in opposing ink from 0.24 DU/f to 0.33 DU/f.
 * …increases the jumping height in opposing ink from 0.8 to 0.854.
 * Six ability point, or two subs,…
 * …delays the damage taken from opposing ink by 15 frames.
 * …reduces the damage taken to 0.2 HP/f.
 * …lowers the damage limit of opposing ink to 36.2 HP.
 * …increases the normal running speed in opposing ink to 0.39 DU/f.
 * …increases the jumping height in opposing ink to 0.888.

Ink Saver (Sub) allows more frequent use of Suction Bombs and saves ink for the main weapon after each Suction Bomb used. Having the ability to use Suction Bombs more often allows a supportive H-3 Nozzlenose D user to more reliably slow the opponents' push. For example, constantly tossing Suction Bombs onto the Tower can force opponents off of it, delaying their Tower push.
 * 13 ability points – one main and one sub – reduces the ink requirement per Suction Bomb to just above 60.6% for an H-3 Nozzlenose D user.

Last-Ditch Effort is a Headgear-exclusive ability that, under specific conditions, grants its user 1 to 24 ability points each of the following abilities: These abilities only begin to take effect under either of the following conditions: The H-3 Nozzlenose D consumes ink rapidly, and Suction Bombs are also heavily depended upon since Ink Armor is not as farmable as with other Ink Armor-based weapons. A supportive H-3 Nozzlenose D user can greatly benefit from both the overall reduced ink consumption and increased ink recovery.
 * There are at most 30 seconds remaining on the game clock, or Overtime has begun in a Ranked Battle, at which the maximum 24 ability points will be granted for each of the above abilities.
 * In a Ranked Battle, the opposing team's countdown has at most 50 points remaining. The effects of Last-Ditch Effort increase as the opposing team's countdown decreases from 50 to 30 points remaining, starting with 1 ability point for each ability and maxing out to 24 ability points.

Ever since its introduction in Version, Main Power Up has made the H-3 Nozzlenose D, originally viewed as a support weapon, a viable option for a slayer as well. It increases the damage output of all of the H-3 Nozzlenose D's shots by up to 24%. However, the damage of any shot cannot be increased above 49.9 HP, preventing the H-3 Nozzlenose D from having a true two-hit-splat. Although the H-3 Nozzlenose D can already splat opponents in one single burst of three shots, increasing its damage to increase the chances of having a two-hit-splat reduces the chance for opponents to survive two shots, avoid the third shot, and either escape or retaliate during the long lag in between bursts.
 * 31 ability points – achievable with one main and seven subs, two mains and four subs, or three mains and three subs – increase the damage per shot to 48.5 HP.
 * 35 ability points – using two mains and five subs or three mains and two subs – further increases damage per shot to above 49.0 HP.
 * 38 ability points – two mains and six subs or three mains and three subs – elevates damage per shot to 49.5 HP.
 * As of Version, the H-3 Nozzlenose D requires 42 ability points, or three mains and four subs, to achieve the maximum damage per shot of 49.9 HP.

Quick Super Jump decreases both the "charge" time before and the travel time of a Super Jump, helping its user escape unfavorable situations more quickly. While an H-3 Nozzlenose D player can fight in one-on-one battles very effectively, there will still be situations where staying to fight will not be a wise decision and preserving precious special gauge progress is more important.
 * One sub, or 3 ability points, of Quick Super Jump decreases the "charge" time by 22 frames, or 0.36 seconds.

Special Charge Up accelerates building up the special gauge for Ink Armor. Because of the H-3 Nozzlenose D has the highest special gauge requirement (220p) among all Ink Armor-based weapons, this ability is essential for a supportive H-3 Nozzlenose D user to build up the special gauge quickly enough to provide their team Ink Armor at a moment's notice.
 * 20 ability points – two mains – are enough to reduce the special gauge requirement to below 189p.
 * 30 ability points – three mains – are enough to reduce the special gauge requirement to below 180p.

When splatted, half of the special gauge progress is lost. For example, a player with 180p of special gauge out of 220p upon getting splatted will lose 90p of the special gauge. Special Saver allows its user to keep more of their special gauge progress whenever they are splatted. This allows a supportive H-3 Nozzlenose D user to more quickly build up Ink Armor after respawning.
 * 6 ability points – two subs – are enough to increase the amount of special gauge progress saved from 50% to 64.6%.