Competitive:Kensa Splattershot

Unofficial

Splatoon 2
Introduced in the first Kensa Collection as part of the Version update, the Kensa Splattershot is a short-ranged shooter with a three-shot-splat, rapid firing, good accuracy, and good mobility for a middleweight weapon, just like the previous Vanilla and Tentatek variants. However, unlike the former two variants, this weapon has a kit that provides its user more flexibility in what role they can play based on their team's composition or the current phase of the game.

Use
While the Kensa Splattershot has the traits of a slayer's weapon, it also has the tools of a support weapon: Despite its many strengths, the Kensa Splattershot still has a few weaknesses its user has to account for: Suction Bombs can be used in a similar fashion to Splat Bombs, with a few differences: Tenta Missiles can be used to locate and pressure opponents and force them out of position without having to commit too far forward:
 * Its high damage, good accuracy, and rapid firing rate make it very effective at splatting opponents.
 * Its good mobility allows its user to apply pressure onto the opponent – whether head-on or through timely flanking – eliminating key defenders during a push.
 * Defensively, its rapid rate of fire makes it great at both sharking to pick off unaware opponents and turfing to maintain map control. Its good overall ink efficiency also allows its user to more readily use Suction Bombs to keep opponents at bay.
 * The Kensa Splattershot is faster and more efficient at turfing than most other weapons, allowing its user to both maintain map control and build up its special weapon more quickly than most other weapons.
 * Its short range (116.99 DU) puts its user at a disadvantage against opponents with longer ranged weapons, such as the .52 Gal (124.944 DU), the Mini Splatling (130.1-154.1 DU), and the Dualie Squelchers (160.396 DU). Avoid head-on encounters against these opponents and instead rely more on flanking or sharking.
 * While its mobility and ink efficiency are great, the N-ZAP '89 is even better at both traits, whereas the Kensa Splattershot has the better damage and a more reliable sub weapon.
 * 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.
 * It is recommended to only activate the Tenta Missiles at a safe distance from opponents, not only because a Tenta Missile user is vulnerable to close-range attacks but also because opponents who are further back are easier to track and home missiles on.
 * Sometimes, it may be more beneficial to target a specific opponent or two instead of all of them, based on their weapons, location, and situation:
 * Opponents wielding heavy, slow firing weapons will have a harder time escaping the missiles.
 * Opponents who are bunched together are more likely to cause their teammates to receive collateral damage than those who are spread apart.
 * Tenta Missiles are also a reliable means of forcing opposing anchors to cede their ground and lose focus while aiming. Sometimes, this is the only reliable means to push back into a zone or another important area of the stage.
 * Tenta Missiles can counter an opponent's Sting Ray or Booyah Bomb if anticipated early enough; an opponent will be forced to either delay or interrupt it to avoid getting splatted by the missiles, throwing off their aim.

Synergy
The Kensa Splattershot's versatility allows it to fit in almost any team composition. Even though it is capable of playing a supportive role, unless two other slayer weapons are present on the team, it is recommended to have another supportive weapon present to free the Kensa Splattershot user to play more offensively.

While a team might get away with having one or two users of short-ranged weapons, such as the Kensa Splattershot, having a team composition with too many short-ranged weapons and no longer-ranged weapons to provide support fire is often disadvantageous for a number of reasons: While having multiple players on the same team launching Tenta Missiles might seem like a fun and easy means to cause opponents to scramble for cover, having too many players equipped with them – no more than one or two – can reduce the effectiveness of a team composition: Coordinating with your teammates can greatly increase the Tenta Missiles' effect during a battle:
 * An opponent with a long-ranged weapon can more aggressively position themselves to zone out the entire shorter-ranged team.
 * The opposing slayers can play more aggressively, knowing that there is no long-ranged threat to pick them off from afar.
 * Other special weapons, such as Inkjet or Sting Ray, are intended for splatting opponents and more capable at this than are Tenta Missiles.
 * Tenta Missles cannot reliably turf highly contested areas of the stage as well as certain other special weapons, such as Bomb Launcher or Ink Storm.
 * Launching Tenta Missiles just before a push can cause opponents to scatter, giving your team opportunities to pick off any opponents caught fleeing the Missiles.
 * Firing Tenta Missiles on defense can help stall an opponent's push, but make sure that your teammates are nearby the front lines to follow the Missiles up.
 * Launching Tenta Missiles while a teammate is using a special designed to splat opponents, such as Sting Ray or Inkjet, can limit the opponents' escape options and even prevent them from Super Jumping to safety.

Countermeasures

 * Bomb Defense Up DX reduces the splash damage from both Suction Bombs (from 30 HP to 28.6 HP) and Tenta Missiles (from 50 HP to 48.3 HP), improving its user's survivability against both the sub and special weapons of an opposing Kensa Splattershot user.
 * Matchups between Kensa Splattershots on opposing teams are determined by each player's skill, positioning, turf control, and the presence of any teammates.
 * Any weapon that has a combination of longer range, better accuracy, or higher damage output without sacrificing too much mobility can counter a Kensa Splattershot. For example, both the Splattershot Pro and L-3 Nozzlenose and their respective variants meet all of these requirements.
 * A long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or most splatlings, can attack a Kensa Splattershot from long distance with impunity. However, once the Kensa Splattershot gets close, the tables are turned, as it can outmaneuver and outdraw its less mobile, slower firing opponent.
 * A competent Kensa Splattershot 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 Kensa Splattershot, using almost any sub weapon (except for Squid Beakons) can either delay their pursuit or deter them from chasing.
 * When pursuing an opposing Kensa Splattershot, be wary of any Suction Bomb traps the opponent may have planted, such as around a corner or under a grate.
 * If an opposing Kensa Splattershot 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 Kensa Splattershot user – who attempt to attack this other side.
 * Be mindful of both when the opponent has Tenta Missiles ready and when the missiles are launched:
 * If an opponent attempts to launch them when nearby you, splat them quickly to reduce or even cancel their deployment.
 * When the opponent deploys their Tenta Missiles, avoid getting close to teammates - even when not targeted, as a targeted player crossing paths with a teammate might cause the other to get injured or splatted.
 * Whenever targeted by opposing Tenta Missles, unless actively engaging an opponent, only move enough to avoid damage and reduce the amount of turfing by the Missiles.

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. A Kensa Splattershot user generally gets close enough to the opponent and their bombs. 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. 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.

Unless a Kensa Splattershot wielder is on an extended splatting streak, they can expect to get splatted often. When equipped, Comeback grants 10 ability points of six different stackable abilities for twenty seconds after respawning from getting splatted by an opponent: Ink Saver (Sub) and Swim Speed Up are the most useful for the Kensa Splattershot user, allowing them to throw Suction Bombs more often and more quickly pursue and pressure the opponent upon returning from spawn.

Any good Kensa Splattershot user 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.

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: Like other weapons whose builds include bombs, the Kensa Splattershot can greatly benefit from the reduced ink consumption per Suction Bomb used, allowing its user to spam Suction Bombs during either a crucial defensive stand or a late attempt to reclaim the lead.
 * 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.

Main Power Up increases accuracy while either on the ground or in midair, allowing a Kensa Splattershot user to maintain some accuracy while jumping.

An ability exclusive to shoes, Object Shredder provides a Kensa Splattershot user three specific benefits:
 * It increases their damage dealt to bubbles – both friendly and opposing – by 30%, allowing for quicker growing and popping of bubbles.
 * It triples the amount of damage inflicted onto armored opponents, allowing the user to break an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit from splash damage of Suction Bombs or Tenta Missiles.
 * It enables them to pop the Rainmaker shield more quickly with either their main weapon or Suction Bombs, allowing their team to start or restart a push more quickly while gaining a large amount of turf control in the immediate area.

Quick Respawn shortens respawn time after getting splatted (under specific conditions), encouraging a Kensa Splattershot user to remain aggressive even after getting splatted.
 * 16 ability points – one main and two subs – are enough to reduce the respawn time from 8.5 seconds to 6.67 seconds.
 * 26 ability points – two mains and two subs – are enough to reduce the respawn time from 8.5 seconds to 5.8 seconds.

Quick Super Jump decreases both the "charge" time before and the travel time of a Super Jump. Kensa Splattershot users will benefit since Quick Super Jump allows them to both return to the front lines more quickly and escape unfavorable situations more easily to preserve special gauge progress.
 * 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 Tenta Missiles. Since farming Tenta Missiles is one of a few roles of the Kensa Splattershot, constantly having Tenta Missiles available for teammates ensures more successful pushes and counter-pushes.
 * 6 ability points, or two subs, of Special Charge Up are enough to reduce the special gauge requirement from 180p to 171p.
 * 16 ability points, or one main and two subs, are enough to reduce the special gauge requirement to 159p.

Super Jumping to a teammate after respawning carries the risk of getting splatted upon landing, due to the appearance of a Super Jump indicator. When equipped, Stealth Jump better covers this indicator from long distance opponents, allowing its user to more safely return to the front lines and maintain pressure on the opponent.