Competitive:Octobrush

Unofficial

Splatoon
The Octobrush like its variants, is a shorter ranged weapon with high damage and more range than the Inkbrush. The inclusion of the Kraken allows the weapon to take more risks while Squid Beakon is helpful on certain rotations.
 * The greatest asset any variant of the Octobrush has is mobility. Unlike other weapon classes, its mobility is not restricted by either opposing ink or un-inkable surfaces, provided that its user has enough ink in their ink tank.
 * Unless you already know your opponents' locations, it is usually inadvisable to travel deep into opposing turf since an opponent may well be sharking in it.
 * Without any Ink Saver (Main) equipped, the Octobrush consumes 3.2% of the ink tank on the initial swing and 0.18% per frame (8.1% per second) the brush is rolled. Keep an eye on the ink tank as you roll the brush to avoid getting caught without ink.
 * The Octobrush's mobility has a number of applications:
 * Its user can take various flank routes to get behind the opponents, harass them, and possibly splat high-priority targets, such as an opposing charger.
 * Flanking with any mobile weapon – especially the Octobrush – requires a good knowledge of the map, including good scouting and sharking locations.
 * However, do not take too long to flank the opponents as doing so leaves your teammates in a three-on-four situation or worse.
 * Its speed and middleweight nature enables its user to more quickly respond to opposing pushes, provide support for a beleaguered teammate, or punish an opponent caught out of position.
 * An Octobrush user can cover ground quickly to help establish map control
 * Most of all, mobility allows a Octobrush user to pick their battles:
 * Flee from matchups or situations that are unfavorable. Most opposing rollers or an opposing Tri-Slosher or Luna Blaster Neo are usually difficult for any Octobrush to defeat.
 * Ideal targets for an Octobrush to attack head-on are lone users of any slow-firing weapon that lacks one-shot- or one-burst-splat potential. An opposing user of a Sloshing Machine or a Rapid Blaster fits these descriptions.
 * Unique to the Splatoon version of the Octobrush is its critical damage mechanic, sometimes allowing the user to splat an opponent in two hits.
 * Getting close up to an opponent will splat an opponent in two-hits more consistently.
 * Damage Up also increases the chance to splat an opponent in two-hits.

The Squid Beakon, while not useful for attacking, can provide other uses:
 * The main purpose of the Squid Beakon is to provide a place for teamates and the player to Super Jump to. Place Squid Beakons in hidden places as the enemy team can destroy the beakon by shooting at it.
 * Squid Beakons can allow for a wiped team to get back into the front lines.
 * They also can give a teamate a better spot to jump to if the rest of the opponents are in danger.
 * The Squid Beakon can also be used as a temporary shield. If under fire, place a Squid Beakon and the shots will be blocked until the beakon breaks
 * The Squid Beakon can be used as bait. Hide in ink near the Beakon, and when an opponent comes close to it, quickly splat them.
 * Note that this may not work if the opponent has a longe range weapon.
 * Be careful not to waste too much time around the Beakon.

Kraken is a powerful special weapon that can easily turn the tide of battle:
 * The Kraken will grant the user instant invincibility for five seconds when activated, making it a useful panic option when you are cornered or otherwise about to get splatted - or even hit by a Disruptor, which in most cases means you are about to get splatted anyway. Kraken will keep you alive in these situations and allow you to either escape or counterattack.
 * Jumping into opponents will splat them in one hit. However, some weapons are difficult to engage head-on as their quick fire rate will push you back.
 * Keep in mind that Krakens can not go over grates - on some maps, attempting to go over a grate while in Kraken form will lead to you splatting yourself by falling off the map.
 * It is possible to use Kraken while riding the Tower in Tower Control to squeeze out a few more points. However, you may get knocked off if the opponent shoots from the right angle.
 * When Kraken expires, you cannot move for a brief period of time - around 0.75 seconds. Either escape to a safe area before the special ends, or find a way to quickly finish off nearby opponents.
 * Super Jumping to a teammate in trouble and activating Kraken can be a funny way to assist them or otherwise get a revenge splat. This is particularly effective when you have Stealth Jump equipped.

Synergy
While a team might get away with having one or two users of short-ranged weapons, such as the Octobrush, 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:
 * 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.

Squid Beakon lacks certain advantages offered by lethal bombs — particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs, which provide their user's team a couple advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition: While a powerful special that can favor its user, Kraken may not benefit a team as much if multiple teammates have Kraken for a few reasons:
 * Their one-hit-splat offers its user's team chances of instantly gaining a numbers advantage, from which a game-winning push can arise.
 * Their lethal explosion provides space for its user's team to either push into an area held by the opponent or stall an opponent's push.
 * Kraken cannot inflict damage or pressure longer ranged opponents, such as a Killer Wail or Inkstrike can.
 * Kraken are inefficient at turfing due leaving only a thin trail of ink, meaning the user will have a harder time taking back turf.

Countermeasures

 * Defense Up can be used to lessen the chance of the Octobrush to splat the user in two hits.
 * Point Sensors, Disruptors, and Squid Beakons can reveal the location of a sharking Octobrush.
 * The Octobrush user cannot function without enough map control. Painting over areas well will severely hamper the Octobrush's ability to get picks.
 * This weapon is outranged by most weapons, as the range from which it deals maximum damage is 30 units, or just under a line in the shooting range.
 * Be mindful of both when the opponent has a Kraken ready and when it is used:
 * Sometimes it may be preferable to force out a Kraken from a Octobrush user early, so that when you fight them they do not have a Kraken at their disposal to quickly reverse the situation.
 * Some weapons with a high fire rate can attempt to "tame" the Kraken by repeatedly attacking it when it rushes at you, keeping it at bay.
 * Standing on a grate will protect you from a Kraken, but make sure to stay far enough away that the Kraken cannot simply jump at you to splat you if there is solid ground underneath the grate.

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.

Damage Up increases the chance of the Octobrush user to splat opponents in two hits. It also can allow the user to reliably splat opponents in three hits.

Quick Respawn always shortens the time taken to respawn, allow a Octobrush user to be aggressive without much consequences.

Swim Speed Up increases movement speed while in squid form, allowing the user to charge into situations and to escape. This also affects the movement speed of the Kraken, which can improve its performance.

Use
The Octobrush functions with some differences than in Splatoon.
 * The damage was changed.
 * The maximum damage when swinging the brush now deals is 40 instead of 37.
 * The minimum damage when swinging deals 20 damage instead of 18.5.
 * The critical damage mechanic was removed, meaning it will always take the user 3 or more hits to splat an opponent.
 * Ink consumed while rolling takes up 0.162% of the ink tank per frame instead of 0.18%.

While not always as reliable as Splat Bombs, Autobombs still provide plenty of utility for the Octobrush 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.
 * They can provide space to escape when dropped behind, whether via both swimming and running or via super jumping.
 * Make sure to refill on ink after throwing an Autobomb before committing to a fight.

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 Octobrush user to drop a Autobomb upon landing after the special ends.
 * Its movement speed is determined by both the Octobrush'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 damage it deals.
 * 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 into water can save you from being splatted.

Synergy
While Autobombs technically count as a lethal bomb, they are not as reliable as conventional bombs. Due to this, be sure to still include weapons whose kits have other lethal bombs — particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs, which provide its user's team many advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition:
 * Their one-hit-splat offers its user's team chances of instantly gaining a numbers advantage, from which a game-winning push can arise.
 * Their lethal explosion provides space for its user's team to either push into an area held by the opponent or stall an opponent's push.
 * The turf inked by the resulting explosion contributes to both maintaining map control and building up the special gauge.

Like other weapon kits with Inkjet, the Octobrush greatly benefits from a teammate's Ink Armor:
 * Because an Ink Armored player can withstand more damage — especially from an opponent's charger, an armored Inkjet pilot can fly more aggressively.
 * Sometimes, it can pay to wait a little longer for a teammate to build up and activate Ink Armor before activating Inkjet. However, do not hesitate to use your special weapon whenever it is needed during a battle, such as when making a push, protecting a lead, or distracting an opposing anchor.
 * While the Splattershot Jr. can farm Ink Armor as quickly as the Octobrush can farm Inkjet, the short range of both weapons can put them at a disadvantage against longer-ranged opponents. The N-ZAP '85 is a viable, slightly longer-ranged alternative.

Countermeasures

 * 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.

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. Being a slayer weapon, its user risks damage from both bombs and special weapons and can greatly benefit from reducing the damage taken from them. 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.

A Octobrush user can expect to come in contact with the opponent's ink on various surfaces, which can both be damaging and reduce mobility - especially since this weapon has poor turfing ability. Ink Resistance Up not only partially offsets the reduction in mobility but also delays the damage taken from contact with opposing ink.
 * Just three ability points, or one sub,…
 * …delays the damage taken from opposing ink by 10 frames.
 * …reduces the damage taken from 0.3 HP/f (health points per frame) to 0.2 HP/f.
 * …lowers the limit on the amount of damage opposing ink on surfaces can inflict from 40 HP to 38 HP.
 * …increases the normal running speed in opposing ink from 0.24 DU/f to 0.33 DU/f.
 * …increases the jumping height in opposing ink from 0.8 to 0.854.
 * Six ability points, or two subs,…
 * …delays the damage taken from opposing ink by 15 frames.
 * …reduces the damage taken to 0.2 HP/f.
 * …lowers the damage limit of opposing ink to 36.2 HP.
 * …increases the normal running speed in opposing ink to 0.39 DU/f.
 * …increases the jumping height in opposing ink to 0.888.

As a short-ranged weapon that excels at flanking, the Octobrush user will greatly benefits if it is able to swim faster. Swim Speed Up enables its user to more quickly close the distance towards an opponent, more quickly respond to an opponents' push, or even escape unfavorable situations.
 * Swim Speed Up can reduce the swim speed penalty from Ninja Squid. However, it takes at least 20 ability points – two mains – of Swim Speed Up to fully offset the swimming speed penalty of Ninja Squid.
 * Therefore, a Octobrush user with Ninja Squid will have to decide between either having fewer ability points available for other abilites or swimming at less than the base maximum speed. For example, just 10 ability points – one main – are enough to restore the swim speed of a Splat Roller user with Ninja Squid to 1.83 units per frame.

Drop Roller can be used due to the ability working on Inkjet landings. This allows the user to potentially roll away from enemy fire, and also gives them a mobility boost for 3 seconds in the form of 10 AP of Run Speed Up, Swim Speed Up, and Ink Resistance Up. Unlike other Inkjet weapons, an Octobrush user can roll away and splat the opponent more reliably and quickly.

Splatoon 3
The Suction Bomb can be helpful for splatting, or causing enemies to flee a patch of turf. Using it right can help you and your team a lot. The Zipcaster is centered around get-in-your-face action, and Octobrush is very helpful with that. When used aggressively and efficiently, Zipcaster and Octobrush can be a menace in any mode.
 * The speed of Octobrush in Splatoon 3 is still decently fast. Like always, using the run function allows you to make a trail of ink in your path, providing a trail for teammates to swim in.
 * Because of its ability to fling ink, this allows you to attack opponents that are up ledges, but you would have to get close to the wall they are on.
 * When fighting a longer ranged weapon, you can use your rolling ability to swerve around and overwhelm your opponent once at close range.
 * The Octobrush has a decent damage output, so know your power and take it into a fight. Be careful not to make any bad movements, because this can lead to you getting splatted. If you do get into a bad situation, as long as you have ink, you can use your rolling feature to get away.
 * The Octobrush's speed can allow you to quickly storm mid, and can even get you into the enemy's base and wreak havoc.
 * If an enemy is chasing you, try to throw a Suction Bomb at your feet. This makes them either run into it and get splatted, stop chasing you and attack from afar, or in an unfortunate circumstance, just not get damaged and keep chasing you.
 * In Tower Control, you could throw a Suction Bomb on the tower, and as opponents frantically jump off, you can get up close and splat them.
 * In Rainmaker, you can throw a Suction Bomb at the foot of the checkpoint or score zone, and if it splats the Rainmaker holder, you can jump in front of where they were splatted swing rapidly at the enemies that followed the Rainmaker holder. This is likely to splat or push back the other enemies, and give your teammates an easier path to take the Rainmaker.
 * The Suction Bomb can be used as bait. Throw it towards an opponent, and then let them come closer. Then bombard them with ink, and don't let them get away.
 * This might not work with longer ranged weapons, so know who sees your bomb. If you see a long ranged weapon come towards you when using this trick, that's your cue to get out of there.
 * When entering a fight, throw a Suction Bomb behind your enemy. It will force them to get closer, run, or splat you, only to be splatted after.
 * In any mode, you can use Zipcaster to zip to the enemies base and be a general nuisance, splatting opponents and making a mess in their spawn area. Your efforts may not last long though, so try to only do this near the end of a Turf War.
 * Zipcaster can also be used to attract the attention of opponents. When you fly around, make sure you get spotted by opponents, then run to their base. There are three things that can happen from there.
 * The opponents turn around to attack you, only to be splatted by your nearby teammates.
 * The opponents either ignore you or don't notice you, and continue with what you're doing.
 * In the best circumstance, The opponents don't get splatted by your teammates, and they chase you to their base. You could then use the fact that the more ink you use with Zipcaster, the faster it depletes, and ink a lot. When the enemies catch up to you, your Zipcaster should be almost over, and then you will Super Jump back to the starting position. Since the enemies will be back there, your teammates and you can push into their turf.
 * You can also jump off of the edge of the stage to instantly end your Zipcaster, making this strategy work faster.
 * When zipping towards another person, try to get as close to the enemy as you can. This can allow you to bombard them without much warning, and this works best on Splatlings, Chargers and Crab Tanks that are camping in a spot and shredding other players from a perch.
 * Be careful using this against close ranged weapons, as if they have quick reaction speed, they can shred you immediately and splat you.

Synergy

 * As previously mentioned, the weapon's ink trail is particularly useful for creating paths into enemy territory for a teammate holding the Rainmaker or a Power Clam.
 * As it should be expected, one or two short ranged weapons are good for most teams, but be careful how many you have, as too many short ranged weapons will allow the opposing team with longer ranged weapons to easily pick off your team one by one and shred through your team. Octobrush counts as a middle to short ranged weapon, so it can be a middle ground between short and long ranged weapons.