Sting Ray

The Sting Ray is a special weapon in Splatoon 2.

Appearance
The Sting Ray consists of two parts, a handle and a tank, as well as the ink beam. The tank is mainly red with a stripe at the bottom that changes color to match the user's ink. A small sticker bearing the Custom logo can be seen on the tank's bottom, and the letters in the Custom logo are painted in white across the tank. Attached to the back of the tank is a large gray motor with a tube sticking out of it. Said tube connects the handle to the tank. The handle is also mainly red with highlights in the user's ink color. Sticking out of the handle's front is a large gray nozzle. The beam of ink that is shot by the Sting Ray is colored completely in that of the user's ink. The beam itself is fairly thin, but after firing for a few seconds, it gains some large shockwaves around it. Said shockwaves are very similar in appearance to those shot out of a Killer Wail.

Splatoon 2
When activated, it allows the player to fire a continuous ink laser that pierces through obstacles. To balance this, there is a 0.7 second delay after the player presses before the laser fires and the turning when firing is slow (though the player can stop firing it to quickly reaim it in the camera's direction).

When the Sting Ray is active but not fired, the player can see white silhouettes of opponents through opaque obstacles as if Thermal Ink or Haunt were active, assisting the player to locate opponents for Sting Ray splats. The silhouettes also temporarily disappear if the player is within a certain distance from the opponent (Bomb Defense Up DX increases this minimum distance) or the opponent submerges in ink.

The Sting Ray's laser deals 1.8 damage per frame while it makes contact with an opponent. While it has excellent range and can hurt players hiding behind cover, the Sting Ray's beam is narrow. After 1.5 seconds of being continuously fired (starting from the moment is held down), the Sting Ray's beam gets wider. This is reset after the player stops firing or turns into a squid or octopus.

Use

 * Before starting the Sting Ray, it is advised to keep a safe distance from battles, as firing a Sting Ray too close to an enemy can leave one vulnerable to attack.
 * The Sting Ray has poor ink coverage and is generally better for splatting enemies.
 * While the Sting Ray is equipped, the player can still walk around at a reduced speed that isn't affected by Run Speed Up or a weapon's weight class. Firing the Sting Ray will not decrease the player's walking speed any further.
 * The player can still change into squid or octopus form with the Sting Ray equipped, allowing for more mobility. This can help to escape from Tenta Missiles or other players. However, it is impossible to Super Jump while the Sting Ray is active.
 * If a player activates Sting Ray while inside their spawn, they will automatically be pushed out.
 * Despite the Sting Ray's ability to penetrate surfaces, it damages Ballers normally and thus will not affect the player that is inside.

As a Sting Ray user

 * The Sting Ray excels on stages that are long, narrow, closed, and relatively flat, especially Port Mackerel and Walleye Warehouse. A Sting Ray can also come in handy on large stages, depending on the mode. The wider and more open a stage is, the less effective the Sting Ray will usually be. However, note that some stages that are normally less suitable for the Sting Ray might have locations from which it can be effective, such as atop the booth in Humpback Pump Track and from the court in New Albacore Hotel.
 * When firing the Sting Ray, if you lose track of the opponent, bring up your map with . If an opponent has taken any damage, they will be visible on the map until they completely heal. Redirect the Sting Ray until you hear the popping sound.
 * Using the Sting Ray can provide massive area control, as the Sting Ray's beam can go much further distances the farther away you are from your target.
 * Using the Sting Ray on an enemy player either riding the Tower or carrying the Rainmaker, or on the Rainmaker shield, allows for better objective control. If a team has a lead near the end of a Tower Control or Rainmaker match and one of its members has a Sting Ray, they can focus on building up their Special gauge to provide an instant win. Note that if the Rainmaker carrier is hiding in their ink, the user cannot see the Ranked Battle symbol on their screen.
 * The Sting Ray is less effective against an enemy carrying a Power Clam than against a Tower rider or Rainmaker carrier because of the greater mobility of the former. A single Sting Ray will also have trouble stopping multiple Power Clams.
 * A Sting Ray can essentially invalidate an enemy’s tower push by simply aiming at the tower and having a teammate board it.

Versus a Sting Ray user

 * The most effective way to counter Sting Ray is to prevent it from being fired. Recognize which players on the enemy team have a Sting Ray in their weapon sets and focus attacks on them when making a push.
 * You can fight fire with fire by using your own Sting Ray against the opponent's one. On Tower Control and Rainmaker, in which each team typically has at least one Sting Ray user, Sting Ray battles are common, especially if the team on the offense is trying to splat the defending team's Sting Ray user.
 * The Inkjet is an effective special against the Sting Ray. A properly launched and piloted Inkjet can splat an enemy Sting Ray user while being relatively safe from the beam.
 * Tenta Missiles are a quick way to either counter or dissuade a Sting Ray user if the attack is anticipated. The Sting Ray user will be forced to either delay or interrupt the Sting Ray to avoid getting splatted by the missiles.
 * Quickly swimming away from the Sting Ray's beam is generally the best way to avoid getting splatted without using Specials, as users turn relatively slowly while the Sting Ray is active. This is a useful tactic in Tower Control to maintain a Tower push.

Quotes
"Hold down to fire a high-pressure jet of ink that can blast through walls. You can't change direction quickly while firing this. When not firing, you can see the location of opponents on the other side of walls."

- Sub & Special Guide

"Firing a high-pressure, wall-piercing jet of ink while is being pressed. While firing this weapon you will be unable to turn quickly. When not firing, you will be able to see enemy locations through walls."

- Splatoon 2 Sub & Special Guide🇪🇺


 * Notes

Demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOHWM2tFP74

Trivia

 * Sting Ray is made by the Custom brand.
 * The Sting Ray's English name is a reference to the real-life marine animal of the same name. It could also be a reference to a ray gun, which would shoot a laser-like projectile.
 * The Sting Ray appears to be based on a pressure washer, particularly a gas powered one, hinted at by the ambient sounds the weapon makes when not firing.
 * The weapons with the smallest point requirements for Sting Ray are the Squeezer, Dynamo Roller and Clash Blaster at 180p each. The weapons with the largest point requirements for Sting Ray are the Splat Charger, Hero Charger Replica, and Splatterscope at 220p each.
 * There are no brushes, dualies or brellas that have the Sting Ray as their special weapon, nor is it paired with Suction Bombs, Toxic Mist, Point Sensors, Squid Beakons, Fizzy Bombs or Torpedoes as their sub weapon.