Competitive:Custom Blaster

Unofficial

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.

Use

 * The Custom Blaster is a slayer's weapon, just like the Tentatek Splattershot and the Enperry Splat Dualies. However, its slow firing rate and poor turfing means it needs to be treated differently from rapid-firing weapons:
 * Its shots travel slower than those of rapid-firing weapons — 9.45 units per frame versus 22 units per frame for the Tentatek Splattershot, for example. This means that a Custom Blaster user has to lead their shots in order to be accurate.
 * The Custom Blaster becomes less accurate (by 10 degrees) immediately after becoming airborne, whether from a jump or a drop.
 * 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.
 * Main Power Up reduces the shot deviation during a jump by up to 40%.
 * The Custom Blaster's damage – arguably its greatest asset – widely varies depending on whether a target is hit directly, and if not, how close to the shot's explosion the target is and whether the shot exploded on a solid surface:
 * 125 health points (HP) of damage per direct hit — enough to splat most opponents in one hit
 * 50-70 HP per hit of splash damage if the shot's explosion does not hit a solid surface
 * 25-35 HP per hit of splash damage if the shot's explosion hits a solid surface
 * Thus, when firing up a ledge or around either an obstacle or an opponent's brella shield for splash damage, avoid hitting solid surfaces to maximize damage.
 * The Custom Blaster suffers a longer lag time after each shot compared to rapid-firing weapons, making it easily punishable after a miss:
 * The interval between firing and either morphing or using a sub weapon is 23 frames — far longer than the 4 frames of Tentatek Splattershot.
 * Its firing rate is 50 frames between shots (1.2 shots per second) – far slower than the Tentatek Splattershot's 6 frames between shots (10 shots per second)
 * Therefore, unless attacking an opponent up a ledge or around either an obstacle or their brella shield, always go for direct hits.
 * While not as mobile as other slayer's weapons, the Custom Blaster can still be effective at flanking, and its high damage makes it devastating at sharking.
 * The Custom Blaster operates best in areas and stages that are less open, such as in an alley or beneath a short ledge, where an opponent has less room to avoid shots and outmaneuver the Custom Blaster user. Walleye Warehouse and Camp Triggerfish are just a couple stages well suited for a Custom Blaster.
 * Besides its long lag after each shot, the Custom Blaster suffers from other drawbacks:
 * Its movement speed while firing (0.45 units per frame) is very slow compared to weapons of comparable range. Combined with the long lag after shots, the Custom Blaster is rather immobile and vulnerable to attack after each shot, so shots must be fired judiciously.
 * Its poor ink efficiency and turfing make it prone to getting surrounded by opposing ink if fired recklessly. Avoid overextending into the opponents' territory.
 * Swim Speed Up can help relieve some of the mobility issues, while Ink Resistance Up reduces the loss of running speed in opposing ink.
 * A Custom Blaster is best accompanied with a teammate whose weapon is efficient at turfing, such as the Splattershot Jr. or the N-ZAP '85.
 * While not always as reliable as Splat Bombs, Autobombs still provide plenty of utility for the Custom Blaster user:
 * When attacking an opponent's position, try to throw Autobombs in a direction that distracts the opponent's attention.
 * Autobombs can be used to poke at opponents during the neutral phase.
 * Their tracking ability is a useful feature when checking for sharking opponents, forcing them out of hiding.
 * They can provide space to escape when dropped behind, whether via both swimming and running or via super jumping.
 * If piloted properly, the Inkjet can pressure opponents – particularly anchors – more directly than most other slayer's special weapons, such as Tenta Missiles:
 * Upon activation, its launching point is marked for all players – teammates and opponents – to see and, as of Version 3.2.0, also indicates when its user will return via super jump, allowing an opponent to camp or shark there. Therefore, it is advised to launch the Inkjet from a less visible and better protected area.
 * Drop Roller allows its user to better dodge either a potential Inkjet punish or a simple super jump punish, providing a safer landing.
 * Specials are also free ink reloads, allowing the Custom Blaster user to drop an Autobomb upon landing after the special ends.
 * Its movement speed is determined by both the Custom Blaster's strafing speed and the number of Run Speed Up ability points equipped.
 * It is also possible to morph into squid/octopus form and swim (in friendly ink) while the special is active. This provides some key benefits:
 * Morphing will halt the jets to enable the pilot to descend, making them a less predictable target.
 * Swimming is faster than flying, enabling an Inkjet pilot to activate the special at a farther distance from opponents and more quickly pursue them.
 * Its altitude depends on the elevation of the surface it is hovering above, enabling it to either fly very high over an elevated structure, such as the glass roof in Shellendorf Institute, or hover high enough to challenge an opponent on a perch.
 * However, the Inkjet cannot achieve thrust off of grates or mesh, causing its pilot to merely walk on them. Avoid hovering over them to maintain altitude.
 * Pressing the button will provide a temporary extra thrust. Mastery of both boosting and descending (see above) is necessary for Inkjet pilots to become less predictable for long-ranged opponents to track and pick off.
 * Its mobility enables it to reach areas that are otherwise not easily accessible — or even inaccessible, such as over the glass enclosures in Kelp Dome.
 * The Inkjet's cannon fires long-ranged, Rainmaker-like bursts of ink that splat opponents in one direct hit or two to four indirect hits:
 * Lead the Inkjet's shots to compensate for their slightly slower travel speed, especially when positioned farther from an intended target.
 * Its splash damage can splat opponents positioned behind obstacles, varying from 30 to 50 damage; the closer the shot to the opponent, the more damaging.
 * If an Inkjet falls out of bounds, such as into the water, its pilot will land back onto the location of launch — or the most previous point of solid ground. Therefore, the Inkjet can save a player from an out-of-bounds splat in a pinch. You can also use this to your advantage. When being pressured by the enemy team, going in to water can save you from being splatted.

Countermeasures

 * Any weapon that has a combination of longer range, better mobility, or higher rate of fire without sacrificing too much damage can counter a Custom Blaster. For example, both the Splattershot Pro and Dualie Squelchers and their respective variants meet all of these requirements.
 * The Splat Brella and Undercover Brella and their variants cannot sufficiently protect their users from the splash damage of the Custom Blaster.
 * Whenever possible, exploit the Custom Blaster's poor ink efficiency and turfing by surrounding it with ink. Sub weapons and teammates can help accomplish this.
 * It is preferable to engage an opposing Custom Blaster in a more open area – where there is more room to avoid its shots, outmaneuver it, and surround it with ink – than in a closed area. If this is not possible, remain farther back on a ledge or further around a corner to avoid splash damage.
 * A long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or most splatlings, can not only attack a Custom Blaster from long distance with impunity but also punish a predictable Inkjet. However, once the Custom Blaster gets close, it can outdraw its slower firing opponent.
 * A competent Custom Blaster user is likely capable at both flanking and sharking:
 * Keep track of all four members of the opposing team – which ones are present, which ones are splatted, and which ones are back at their spawn point.
 * Check the map periodically for opposing ink forming around flanks to anticipate a flanking attack.
 * To prevent sharking, check suspicious puddles of the opponents' ink, preferably with a thrown sub weapon.
 * Weapons that track opponents, such as Point Sensors, temporarily prevent an opponent from sharking and makes them an easier target for long-ranged teammates to pick off.
 * When pursued by a Custom Blaster, using almost any sub weapon (except for Squid Beakons) can either delay their pursuit or deter them from chasing.
 * When pursuing a Custom Blaster, be wary of any Autobombs they might plant while retreating, such as around a corner or after climbing a ledge.
 * Dogfights between opposing Inkjets are generally decided by each pilot's skill, positioning, and any teammates present.
 * To punish an opposing Inkjet after it lands, eliminate its pilot's teammates while avoiding both its shots and exhaust before punishing the landing, preferably with a well-placed, well-timed bomb followed by shots from the main weapon. Make sure the opposing pilot does not have Drop Roll however.

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. Quick Respawn shortens respawn time after getting splatted (under specific conditions). Like other slayer's weapons, the Custom Blaster benefits from abilities that promote aggressive play, such as Quick Respawn and Stealth Jump.
 * One main, or 10 ability points, reduces the respawn time by 1.21 seconds.
 * Two mains, or 20 ability points, saves 2.21 seconds for respawning.

Swim Speed Up can help close the distance towards an opponent, more quickly respond to an opponents' push, or escape unfavorable situations.

Stealth Jump hides its user's Super Jump landing marker from opponents (and allies) who are not too close to it — about three tile lengths in the middle of Inkblot Art Academy. This encourages its user to Super Jump back to the frontlines more often.