Point Sensor

Point Sensor is a sub weapon in Splatoon and Splatoon 2.

Appearance
Point Sensors are black, cube-like objects with cylinder-shaped protrusions that change color to match the user's ink. The sides of the Point Sensor have dark blue panels on them, and two similar panels stick out of the bottom. Once thrown, the Point Sensor explodes in a cloud that is black and the same color as the user's ink, and some black arrows surround the area where the Point Sensor was thrown. Enemies tagged by the Point Sensor are encircled by a similar arrow and tied to the Point Sensor user with a line of the user's ink color, although the line is only visible to the user.

Splatoon
When thrown, they explode in a spherical cloud that has the color of the player's ink and tag any enemy Inkling in a certain range with a swirling squid marker. This marker allows tagged enemies to be seen through barriers by all teammates, allowing them to be easily tracked.


 * It tracks an enemy for eight seconds normally or two seconds if the target has Cold Blooded. Before version, it would normally track for ten seconds or 2.5 seconds with Cold Blooded. Due to lag and other factors, the exact time may vary slightly during online play.
 * With no Ink Saver (Sub), it requires 40% of maximum ink tank capacity.
 * Upon hitting a surface, the blast radius is roughly 3 lines in diameter, 1.5 in radius. Pre-Version 2.2.0, it was about 2.5 lines in diameter and 1.25 in radius.
 * Throw distance can be increased with Bomb Range Up.
 * Can be thrown against a wall to track enemies on the other side, as long as they are within the blast radius.

Quotes
"The Point Sensor is like a miniaturized version of the Echolocator special. This hand-tossed device emits a sphere-shaped radius, effectively tagging any opponent within for twelve seconds. During this period, the tagged opponent can be seen by you and your teammates at all times. Your target is constantly circled by a squid icon. This squid animation appears on your team's screens, even if the opponent is swimming or hidden behind a wall. This makes it much easier to track down and eliminate opponents."

- Splatoon Prima Guide

Splatoon 2
In Splatoon 2, Point Sensors have an area of effect that lasts 2.5 seconds. Any player that enters the area of effect during that time is tracked.


 * The total amount of time a player is tracked can change depending on when the player enters the Point Sensor's area of effect. On a direct hit, the tracking time lasts the full eight seconds, while entering the area of effect afterwards reduces the tracking length by the amount of time since the point sensor landed.
 * For example: if a player walks into the area of effect two seconds after the Point Sensor lands, the player is marked for a total of six seconds instead of eight seconds.
 * Players hit by multiple Point Sensors from different opponents are marked concurrently. Assists are awarded to both Point Sensor users if the tracked player dies to another opponent or if they jump off the stage.
 * Players can be repeatedly marked by a Point Sensor to effectively reset the remaining tracking time back to eight seconds.
 * The base total tracking time can be increased from eight seconds to a maximum of sixteen seconds using Sub Power Up.
 * Bomb Defense Up DX reduces the tracking time of the Point Sensor by a percentage of the maximum tracking time.
 * For example: if a player wears enough Bomb Defense Up DX to reduce the tracking time by 50%; an eight-second Point Sensor is reduced to four seconds while a Sub Power Up-boosted sixteen-second Point Sensor reduces its tracking time to eight seconds for that player.

Quotes
"A device that marks the enemies in the area where it lands.

This will reveal their location to every member of your team."

- Splatoon 2 Sub & Special Guide

Strategy
For competitive tips about the Point Sensor

Trivia

 * The Point Sensor, in function, is very similar to the Echolocator special weapon.
 * The Point Sensor resembles a miniaturized artificial satellite for weather news in appearance.
 * They also resemble Wi-Fi routers, especially with their ability to track opponents.
 * There are no rollers (including brushes) or brellas with Point Sensors as their sub weapon.