Competitive:.96 Gal

Unofficial

Use
The .96 Gal functions differently than its appearance in Splatoon 2 Sprinklers function significantly differently than in Splatoon 2 Echolocator while it cannot inflict damage on opponents, can help an entire team while active:
 * The weapon in general does not have as great accuracy as it does in Splatoon 2.
 * The turfing capabilities, are not as well as in Splatoon 2.
 * The weapon deals 52 damage, and deals 31 falloff damage.
 * Mobility is slightly worse, as the .96 Gal allows its user to enter squid/octopus form and use sub weapons slower by two frames, or a thirtieth of a second.
 * The weapon has slightly more range, with 177.396 DU than 170.04 DU.
 * Sprinklers spin slower compared to Splatoon 2.
 * Sprinklers are locked on one mode, spraying ink every 6 frames
 * They deal 30 damage instead of 20.
 * When thrown, Sprinklers consume 70% of the ink tank, more than in Splatoon 2 where they consume 60%
 * Echolocator will locate any opponents alive on the map.
 * It will locate opponents by marking opponents under a Point Sensor marker.
 * Echolocator can be used to find any opponents flanking as their location will be exposed to everyone on the team.
 * This can be used against sharking opponents with Ninja Squid, fully exposing them to the user's team.
 * It is best to use Echolocator while there are many opponents alive (Primarily 3 or 4). Echolocator will not locate opponents who are respawning or inside their Spawn Point.
 * Since every special instantly refills the user's ink tank, and Echolocator does not change the user's main weapon, Echolocator can be used as an instant ink refill.
 * This especially helps the .96 Gal, with its heavy ink consumption.

Synergy
Echolocator, while it can help a team, will run into problems if multiple players on a team have it for a few reasons:
 * Echolocator does not turf making the weapon harder to take back map control.
 * It cannot deal damage to any opponents, costing a team who are pushed back.

Countermeasures

 * One main of Defense Up will lower the amount of hits it takes for a .96 Gal user to splat an opponent from 2 to 3, increasing the time it takes for a .96 Gal to splat an opponent.
 * Different amounts of Defense Up may be needed by the amount of Damage Up the .96 Gal user has.
 * As of version 2.7.0, Cold-Blooded will reduce the time Echolocator tracks opponents to 4.5 seconds, reducing the time an opponent is exposed and allows them to keep hidden.
 * The time reduced can be changed by the amount of Special Duration Up the Echolocator user has.

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. With the Version 2.7.0 update, the .96 Gal can be reduced to a 3-hit kill with just one Defense Up main ability or 3 Defense Up sub-abilities. Since the .96 Gal fires slowly for a shooter, a single extra hit needed makes a significant difference, so at least a small amount of Damage Up is strongly recommended.

The .96 Gal is an extremely ink-hungry weapon, so mitigating this is a good idea, with Ink Recovery Up allowing for long term and frequent map presence.

Ink Resistance Up allows more maneuverability and speed while walking or swimming through it, and is effective in escaping tough situations, particularly when out of ink to reduce damage taken and increase the probability of survival.

Use
The unique traits of the .96 Gal and its build make it a support weapon. The Sprinkler can be used in a variety of ways to help a .96 Gal user: Ink Armor allows 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.
 * The large ink spread of each shot allows it to turf wide swaths of an area rather quickly, which maintains zone or map control and rapidly farms Ink Armor.
 * While the .96 Gal is less thorough in turfing than the Splattershot Jr., its longer range and Sprinkler allow it to turf from a safer distance.
 * Special Charge Up can accelerate building up the special gauge.
 * The relatively long range and high damage per shot allow the .96 Gal to more directly engage opponents than the Splattershot Jr. can.
 * It overpowers and slightly outranges the Splattershot Pro and its variants, making it a decent counter.
 * Main Power Up further increases the damage output, maxing out to 77.5 points of damage at the full 57 ability points.
 * The .96 Gal has four notable drawbacks:
 * It is very ink inefficient, consuming 2.5% of the ink tank per shot. Watch the ink tank, and generally remain nearby friendly ink to refill whenever necessary.
 * The large degree of randomness of the .96 Gal's shot trajectory renders it less accurate than other weapons. It becomes even less accurate (by 11.35 degrees) immediately after becoming airborne, whether from a jump or a drop.
 * It is recommended to remain grounded whenever possible while firing this weapon. A more careful aim is also required compared with most other weapons.
 * Waiting 25 frames – during the descent of a jump – will allow the outer reticle to shrink back and the accuracy to improve for up to 70 more frames.
 * Because of its egg-shaped projectile hitbox, shots may be more likely to land if the player aims at the opponent's lower half.
 * Its slow firing rate and slow mobility while firing (0.4 units per frame) leave it vulnerable to mobile, accurate weapons, such as some dualies at close range, so keep an eye out for both flankers and sharks.
 * The primary drawback of the .96 Gal compared to many other support weapons is the absence of bombs.
 * Without bombs, the .96 Gal user cannot use them to push back into opposing turf.
 * The lack of bombs also makes it difficult to damage or destroy opponents' Brella shields and Splash Walls. Use the .96 Gal's range to keep a Brella at bay.
 * Turfing areas that are either out of reach or unsafe to approach.
 * Maintaining turf onto highly contested areas, such as on the Tower. A Sprinkler placed high on a wall or ceiling can also be a distraction for an opponent.
 * Acting as a light shield in a pinch. Sprinklers have 120 hit points but are easily destroyed by opponents armed with Object Shredder.
 * Time the activation of Ink Armor carefully; it takes up to two seconds to activate it, while it lasts for at least six seconds.
 * Try to activate the Ink Armor when most or all teammates are active. Slayers, who risk getting splatted more often than Anchors, benefit from Ink Armor more.
 * 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, such as a .96 Gal user, is often expected to carry the Rainmaker while their slayer teammates provide protection up front while turfing a path of ink. Therefore, while Ink Armor will not protect the Rainmaker carrier, it will still benefit their teammates, so cast Ink Armor just before picking up the Rainmaker whenever possible.
 * Players using Inkjet are protected by Ink Armor, making it useful to activate Ink armor at the end of a Inkjet duration to protect the player from potential super jump campers.

Synergy
The .96 Gal is good at turfing, building up Ink Armor, and, unlike some other Ink Armor-based support weapons, has high damage. However, its slow firing rate makes it vulnerable up close, and its lack of bombs reduces its ability to zone out opponents during the neutral phase. Therefore, it makes a good complement to – and is well complemented by – a more rapid firing weapon with a bomb (preferably a lethal bomb), such as the Tentatek Splattershot or the Neo Splash-o-matic. The .96 Gal's lack of lethal bombs – particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs – generally necessitates its user's teammates to equip weapons that include them. Lethal bombs provide their user's team a couple advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition: 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.
 * Turfing while following a teammate builds up Ink Armor and provides friendly turf to which a teammate can retreat whenever needed.
 * An opponent who has taken splash damage from a teammate's bomb will usually only take one shot from the .96 Gal to finish off, particularly if the .96 Gal user has enough Main Power Up equipped.
 * 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.
 * If a .96 Gal user has a teammate who also has Ink Armor, it is advised that the latter have bombs available and assume a more supportive role unless its weapon was designed for a slayer, such as a Tri-Slosher.
 * 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. The .96 Gal can be a powerful slayer when armored, so its user should generally activate Ink Armor first unless their teammate has a more aggressive weapon, such as the Tri-Slosher.

Countermeasures

 * Any variant of the Splat Brella or Tenta Brella is a very unfavorable matchup for the .96 Gal due to its slow firing rate and its lack of bombs. A Splat Brella user would have to get within range through strafing before opening the shield.
 * To engage a .96 Gal with a shorter range weapon, try to catch it off guard through either careful flanking or sharking, better positioning, or wise use of bombs. The .96 Gal has no bombs to force an opponent back, so its opponent can pursue it more aggressively.
 * Any long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or most splatlings, can fire upon a .96 Gal from long distance with impunity. However, should the .96 Gal ever get within range, the long-ranged weapon would have to retreat to avoid getting splatted.
 * If an opponent's Sprinkler is present nearby, make sure that no opponents are hiding nearby before attempting to destroy it.
 * Keep an eye on the HUD to know when the opposing .96 Gal 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 .96 Gal (or any other Ink Armor-equipped weapon). A charger user can prioritize said opponent when sniping, or a slayer can attempt to pick off a .96 Gal.
 * Focus fire on armored opponents for longer than usual - preferably on one opponent at a time - to compensate for the opponents' armor.
 * Object Shredder allows a player to inflict three times damage onto armored opponents, as long as the armor is active. Combining this with Ink Storm can nearly neutralize armored pushes by the opponent.

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.

The .96 Gal is one of many weapons whose damage is increased by Main Power Up, maxing out to 77.5 points of damage at the full 57 ability points.
 * As of Version, 19 ability points - either one main and three subs or about two mains - are enough to exceed 70 points of damage, leaving a target with at most 30 hit points, which is a one-hit splat for most other weapons, including the splash damage of most bombs.

Even with its low special gauge requirement for Ink Armor, the .96 Gal can further hasten its rate of building up the special gauge, increasing the already high frequency of potential Ink Armor usage.
 * 13 ability points – one main and one sub – are enough to decrease the special gauge requirement to 171p.

When splatted, half of the special gauge progress is lost. For example, a player with 160p of special gauge out of 190p upon getting splatted will lose 80p of the special gauge. Special Saver allows its user to keep more of their special gauge progress whenever they are splatted. This allows a .96 Gal 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%.