Ballpoint Splatling

The Ballpoint Splatling is a main weapon in and Splatoon 3. It is a splatling that changes its rate of fire and range drastically after firing a short duration.

This splatling works differently from other splatlings, as its fire range is split into two stages. The first stage, which lasts a quarter-ring charge, is a short-range burst with a range equivalent to the Splattershot Jr. This stage fires faster compared to other splatlings, and has mobility slightly higher than the Mini Splatling. When charged more than a quarter ring, the range increases dramatically, having a range in between the Heavy Splatling and Hydra Splatling, and has perfect accuracy, but fires at a slightly slower rate compared to other splatlings.

The Ballpoint Splatling has the ability to recharge itself by pressing at any time while it is firing. When recharging, the weapon maintains the property of whichever stage it was on. However, a charge exceeding 1¾ rings automatically defaults the weapon back to the first stage. Additionally, the weapon is able to maintain its stage-two charge even after it has finished firing by starting another charge within a second.

Appearance
The Ballpoint Splatling resembles an enlarged multi-color ballpoint pen, hence the name, with four ballpoint cartridges inside a clear cover. The grip is silver-colored and is shaped like a pen clip, while the stock is mostly black with four tabs that go around the stock; these tabs, along with the butt of the weapon, change color to match the player's ink. The forestock is translucent, and houses four tipped ink chambers that serve as barrels, which also change color depending on the player's ink. On the bottom of the forestock is a white grip. On the side of the stock is the Nouveau logo in white. While charging, the clickers, cartridges, and butt glow in the color of the player's ink. A light on the butt end of the weapon indicates which firing mode it's in: when the outer ring is lit up it's in its high spread short range mode, and when the inner circle is lit up it's in its high precision long range mode.

Splatoon 2
The Ballpoint Splatling was released on 2018-07-01 at July 27, 2024. It comes with Toxic Mist and the Inkjet.

Second stage

 * Due to the Ballpoint Splatling's unique ability to recharge at any time, the weapon is able to maintain its full-powered second stage charge even when the player has no ink.
 * The weapon still suffers from the general slower charge rate, however, but can bypass the extra slow initial charge and inferior initial range that other splatling weapons suffer from with low ink.

Demonstration
https://youtu.be/o6_eQxbA_hY

Splatoon 3
The Ballpoint Splatling returns in with a slightly updated design. It has Fizzy Bomb and Inkjet as its kit.

It appears in only one mission in Alterna:
 * You'll Go Far If You Shoot Far

Badges
Reaching certain Freshness levels with the Ballpoint Splatling will reward the player with special badges that they can use on their Splashtag.

Strategy
For competitive tips about the Ballpoint Splatling

Trivia

 * The Ballpoint Splatling was first shown during the Splatoon 2 World Championship 2018, as part of the announcement of updates extending until December 2018.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling's stats, under the codename "Downpour", were datamined from the Version data prior to its official announcement.
 * Excluding rolling brushes and the rolling Carbon Roller, with enough Run Speed Up abilities, the Ballpoint Splatling's close-range firing mode has the second-highest movement speed of all weapons in, maxing out at 1.2 du/f. For reference, a rolling Carbon Roller moves at 1.28du/f, and a firing Mini Splatling with a full set of Run Speed Up moves at around 1.21 du/f.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling functions like a reverse Squeezer - it starts off shooting at a short range and then starts firing further and straighter.
 * The shape of the Ballpoint Splatling resembles a shuttle ballpoint pen.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling's fire rate in the first mode is the fastest firing weapon available in multiplayer, exceeding that of other splatlings and the Dapple Dualies' post-dodge roll fire rate, firing once every three frames. Other splatlings fire once every four frames.
 * The only weapons to match the Ballpoint Splatling's firing rate are the upgraded Hero Shot, Hero Dualies, and Hero Splatling. The Hero Dualies still boast the fastest firing rate in the game, firing once every two frames, post-dodge roll.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling's fire rate in the first mode fires faster than the game's tick rate, which sends and receives data every 3.75 frames.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling shares its combination and level with the Splash-o-matic in Splatoon 2 and costs only 400 Cash more.
 * The Ballpoint Splatling has the fastest Inkjet possible, which can be achieved with a full Run Speed Up gear set.
 * This weapon is tied with the Enperry Splat Dualies, L-3 Nozzlenose D, Octo Shot Replica, and Tentatek Splattershot for the most expensive Inkjet in the game with 200p.
 * Due to being released after it, the Ballpoint Splatling, along with the Nautilus, Explosher and Bloblobber are the only main weapons not included in the Octo Expansion.
 * Unlike other Splatlings which are held parallel against the ground, the Ballpoint Splatling is held at a slight raised angle and is slightly rotated away from the body.
 * As of Version 5.5.0 (Splatoon 2) the Ballpoint Splatling along with the Explosher and the Bloblobber are the only main weapons in Splatoon 2 to posses the dubious distinction of exclusively receiving nerfs through the various updates that followed their release.
 * Of the main weapons added to Splatoon 2 after Octo Expansion, the Ballpoint Splatling is the only one whose Splatoon 3 release special was not Ink Storm, as the others (Explosher, Bloblobber, and Nautilus 47) all have Ink Storm.
 * It is also the only one that received a bomb as its sub weapon on launch.


 * The Ballpoint Splatling shakes notably when firing in its short range mode but not when firing in its long range mode. This is especially visible in Splatoon 3.
 * Sheldon's descriptions in both games seem to imply that this is caused by the rotation of the barrel, and is related to the bullet spread in its short range mode.