Competitive:Splash-o-matic

Unofficial

Quick facts
A.k.a.: (Vanilla) Splash

Role: Slayer

Strengths: Accuracy, mobility (Splatoon 2), turfing, special farming

Weaknesses: Short range, dependent on abilities to increase damage

Use

 * The traits of the Splash-o-matic make it a slayer's weapon:
 * Its near-perfect accuracy and high rate of fire make it very efficient at splatting opponents within its range.
 * Its lightweight nature makes it very mobile, even more so than its incarnation in . Swim Speed Up can further help either close the distance towards an opponent or flee from an unfavorable matchup.
 * Like most slayer's weapons, it can benefit from abilities that encourage aggressive play, such as Comeback, Quick Respawn, and Stealth Jump. However, do not overlook abilities that specifically benefit the Splash-o-matic.
 * The rapid firing rate and excellent ink coverage of the Splash-o-matic make it an excellent turfing weapon, allowing it to more easily maintain map control, capture Splat Zones, and build up the special gauge.
 * The primary weaknesses of the Neo Splash-o-matic is its lack of both damage and range, particularly compared to the Tentatek Splattershot.
 * Main Power Up can increase the damage of the Neo Splash-o-matic, capping off at 33.3 health points (HP) with 31 ability points — achievable with either one main and seven subs or two mains and four subs. For a smaller but nearly-effective investment, 21 ability points – reached with seven subs, one main and four subs, or two mains and one sub – are enough to exceed 32 HP of damage, while 10 ability points, or one main, will exceed 30 HP.
 * Sharking and Ninja Squid can help sneak up close to opponents to offset the Neo Splash-o-matic's short range.
 * While Toxic Mist cannot damage opponents, it can cripple their ability to advance, attack, or flee:
 * Throwing Toxic Mist in front of the opponents' positions can either slow their offensive rush or prevent them from quickly reacting on defense. However, beware of any opponents' bombs thrown into or through the Mist.
 * Ink-guzzling weapons, such as chargers, splatlings, sloshers, and most blasters, are most affected by its ink tank-draining effects.
 * Throwing Toxic Mist onto areas frequented by opponents, such as their snipe or the Tower, can dissuade them from remaining there.
 * Dropping a Toxic Mist behind while fleeing an unfavorable situation can buy precious time to escape.
 * Opponents wielding heavyweight weapons, especially the Rainmaker, are extremely vulnerable to attack if caught in Toxic Mist. Note that the Rainmaker does not depend on its wielder's ink tank and can still fire shots while within a Toxic Mist.
 * Starting from Version, opposing dualie wielders will have to spend 3.5 times the usual amount of ink to perform a dodge roll, reducing their ability to strafe, rush forward, or zone out targets.
 * As of Version onwards, Toxic Mist can also slow opponents using a Baller, preventing them from taking over space for their teammates.
 * The Splash-o-matic's rapid turfing and low special gauge requirement allows it to spam Inkjet more often than almost all other weapon builds with Inkjet. However, proper piloting is still required to take full advantage of this ability:
 * 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.
 * While the Splash-o-matic does not have a lethal bomb to drop onto an awaiting opponent upon landing, dropping a Toxic Mist after the special ends might permit a teammate to get a revenge splat.
 * Its movement speed is determined by both the Splash-o-matic'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

 * Having shorter range and weaker damage than most other typical slayer's weapons, the Splash-o-matic would be at a disadvantage against them:
 * All variants of the Splattershot, the L-3 Nozzlenose, and the Splattershot Pro outrange the Splash-o-matic.
 * Blasters, rollers, and sloshers easily overpower the Splash-o-matic.
 * While the Splash-o-matic lacks a damaging sub weapon, such as bombs, Toxic Mist can make assaulting an opposing Splash-o-matic user tricky. Avoid pursuing an opposing Splash-o-matic user in a confined area to reduce the chance of getting hit with Toxic Mist.
 * Any mid-ranged or long-ranged weapon, such as chargers and splatlings, can fire upon the Splash-o-matic with impunity unless it gets too close. Long-ranged weapons can also punish a predictable Inkjet pilot.
 * A competent Splash-o-matic user will likely attack its longer-ranged opponent through either flanking or 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.
 * 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.