Splatling



"Say hello to our little friends."

- SplatoonUK on Splatlings

Splatlings are one of the five main weapon classifications in Splatoon and one of the seven main weapon classes in Splatoon 2. These gatling gun or rotary cannon-style weapons are somewhat similar to chargers in that they must charge for a short time to increase effectiveness. However, unlike chargers, all splatlings have two levels of charge. The first level increases the range and firing duration, while the second level is faster to charge and increases the firing duration even further, but has no effect on range. While their stats do vary, they all have a high fire rate (equal to the Aerosprays), low damage (equal to that of the Splattershot Jr.), and impressive range. Additionally, the Nautilus has the ability to store a charge similarly to most chargers.

The first weapon in this class, the Heavy Splatling, was released in Version of Splatoon.

Strategy
The long range and high rate of fire make splatlings great at turfing and providing support fire from a distance. They turf more quickly compared to other long-ranged weapons, such as chargers, Dynamo Roller and the Jet Squelcher. This makes them a popular weapon of choice for backline anchor players.

Countermeasures

 * Chargers generally defeat Splatlings in 1v1 situations; they both outrange and overpower Splatlings with a one-shot splat.
 * Something to watch for is the sheer strength of the Mini Splatlings, as even a quick charger can get pulverized in-range.
 * The Splatterscope only barely outranges the Hydra Splatling in Splatoon, while the former and the latter both have the same range in Splatoon 2. This means there must be caution taken when dealing with Hydra Splatlings, especially when using chargers with a lower range than the Splatterscope. E-liters have no problem, however, due to them having longer range.
 * The Jet Squelcher and Custom Jet Squelcher both outrange most splatlings and tend to be more mobile.
 * However, given the slow rate of fire of the far-reaching Squelchers, quickly extinguishing the splatling wielder is instrumental to avoid being splatted mid-chase.
 * Any mobile frontline slayer weapon, such as the Enperry Splat Dualies, can harass a splatling user as long as the user avoids running head-on into the barrel of the splatling. Try to catch the splatling player when they are busy charging their next shot.
 * Short range can be any newcomer's issue, however, as more experienced splatling users will see a player coming to the aid of their fallen comrades. A Heavy Splatling user visibly Super Jumping to their aid does not work without Drop Roller or a Splashdown ready - a splatling user is more aggressive against a spawn jumper than a charger user.
 * An aggressive brella user can make quick work of any splatling handler. An Undercover Brella is even better at this than a Splat Brella, as a rapid-fire with a shield can decimate a splatling user who did not see the brella user swimming fast into battle.
 * However, any brella user is very exposed to those they do not see coming. Utilize sub and special weapons before ending up on the other end of the counterattack, even with a Tenta Brella.
 * Bombs are a handicap to the slow-moving and heavier splatlings, so a quiet bomb like a strategically placed Suction Bomb or an Autobomb where there is no room to climb can prove to be a harassment to a splatling user, as bombs are not hard to master.
 * Open-eared splatling users are not easy to fool, however. They also know that they are open to sub assaults. One example is that the sheer sound of a Bomb Launcher makes most players swim away, so try to employ entrapment.
 * Splatling users are their own worst nightmare. Using either Nautilus gives the player several legs up on other splatlings, granted that they slip in quickly.
 * This can result in the splatling equivalent of a Splat Roller collision. However, note that the Nautilus weapon family fires very loudly and metallically for a close-range weapon.
 * Ninja Squid and Stealth Jump can leave any charging weapon shaking in their boots. Using this tactic is one for speedy players who can outspeed the charge time, as an unfinished charge does not hit hard.
 * However, they can do the same, and moving silently is not new to players with bulky weapons. Another thing to note is that these buffs do not hide the player in squid or octopus form, so do not get overconfident.

Splatoon

 * There are no splatlings with Seekers, Ink Mines, or Squid Beakons as their sub weapon.

Splatoon 2

 * There are no splatlings with Splat Bombs or any kind of Bomb Launcher as their special weapon.
 * However, the Nautilus 79's combination was supposed to be Splat Bombs and the Inkjet, but this was removed.


 * The winning animation has the player hug their weapon, while the losing animation has the player look down at the splatling and shake their head.

Etymology
The splatling is a combination of "splat" and "Gatling"