Competitive:Splatana Wiper

Unofficial

Splatoon 3
Contrary to its appearance and name, the Splatana Wiper is not a melee weapon. Instead, its playstyle is centered around mid-range poking with its slash attacks and Torpedoes, while having the close-range one hit splat from the charged slash as a backup for opponents who get too close.

Use
The Splatana Wiper's consistent long ranged damage and close ranged one shot fits the role of a slayer.
 * The Splatana Wiper has two different ways of attacking
 * Charged slashes deal consistent 60 damage when not close, allowing reliable splatting if the user can track the opponent.
 * Opponents up close to a Splatana Wiper user can be splatted in one hit with a charged slash, which can be useful against flankers.
 * They also ink a solid trail of ink, allowing the weapon to paint fairly well.
 * If holding the L stick forward while doing a charged slash, the user will dash forward before performing the slash. Use this to get close to opponents, although be careful of any bombs in the way.
 * Uncharged slashes, while quicker, deal less damage at 30. While not the main way to splat opponents, the user can combo 2 uncharged slashes with a charged slash for a quicker splat time.
 * Uncharged slashes also ink less than charged ones, leaving some spaces of uninked terrain. Use charged slashes to ink more often than uncharged slashes.
 * With its range and no falloff damage, users should stay close to the frontlines, but not too close to take advantage of its range to splat opponents.
 * Be careful of any walls that may be above an opponent, as the ink flung from the Splatana Wiper will disappear as it touches a wall, shortening the range.
 * Another strength of the Splatana Wiper is its mobility, allowing the user to evade ink shots quickly.

The Splatana Wiper also has some weaknesses.
 * Its inking is not reliable, leaving the user having a hard time to take back turf.
 * Its linear ink line from the charged slash is very thin. The user will have to be accurate in order to finish opponents.

Torpedoes are a noxious distraction tool, poking at opponents during the neutral phase and being able to combo with the main weapon.
 * Aiming a Torpedo above or behind an opponent will force them to divert their aim. This is especially effective against opponents wielding single-shot weapons, such as blasters or chargers, or the slow turning Crab Tank.
 * When rolled on the floor or against a wall like a Splat Bomb, a Torpedo will remain in its first stage and explode in a similar fashion, albeit less powerfully. If a direct hit (60 HP damage) is confirmed, immediately follow up with a charged slash (60 HP) quickly splat most opponents.
 * Both phases of the Torpedo can aid in turfing along with the main weapon, aiding in both mobility and building up the special gauge.
 * While only one Torpedo may be used at a time, Ink Saver (Sub) can still conserve ink for each Torpedo used, saving ink for either another Torpedo or the main weapon.

If used properly, the Ultra Stamp can tilt the game in the user's team's favor:
 * If Ultra Stamp is activated too far from an opponent, especially one with a long-ranged weapon with a straight trajectory (such as a charger or splatling), the opponent can fire in between hammer swings and splat the Ultra Stamp wielder. Either get close enough to an opponent or shark and wait for the opponent to come close before activating the Ultra Stamp, providing little to no time to react.
 * Do not run in a predictable manner while swinging the Ultra Stamp, as an adept opponent can outmaneuver past a Ultra Stamp user and splat them from behind.
 * It is possible to swim in friendly ink while Ultra Stamp is active. This allows an Ultra Stamp wielder to maneuver more easily than while swinging, climb vertical surfaces, cross and drop through grates, and – most importantly – hide more easily before striking.
 * Swinging the Ultra Stamp in midair can splat opponents who are higher than ground level, such as on the edge of a ledge that is just too high to reach by jumping.
 * The Ultra Stamp can quickly destroy Brella shields, most sub weapons — including Splash Walls, allowing one to break through opposing defenses and stop opponents' pushes. Just stay away from opposing bombs that are just about to detonate.
 * While the Ultra Stamp can quickly pop the Rainmaker shield, as it expands, the shield can splat an Ultra Stamp user who is too close. Keep a safe distance by constantly jumping back while striking the shield.
 * Do not forget that the Ultra Stamp can be thrown by pressing :
 * When faced against an opponent with a long-ranged weapon (such as a charger or splatling) from long distance, it is usually wiser to throw the Ultra Stamp at the opponent than to either charge or swim towards them. A well-aimed thrown Ultra Stamp can throw off an opponent's aim or displace them from their spot, potentially providing enough time to close the distance.
 * To maximize the use of an Ultra Stamp, throw it towards an opponent at or near the end of its 9 second duration after splatting any nearby opponents. An Ultra Stamp should only be thrown early if no other options are present, such as preventing a faraway opposing Rainmaker carrier from taking the lead.

In competitive play
First impressions of the Splatana Wiper from competitive players following the Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere were mixed. For example, competitive veteran Sendou considers the weapon to be outclassed, and some players such as Kyo consider the weapon to just be plain bad. On the other hand, some players such as Chara finds the weapon to be situational, but fine as is and difficult to learn. Further worsening the opinions on the Splatana Wiper were likely because of apparent nerfs to Ultra Stamp hitboxes. Due to the game currently being unreleased, its true potential has yet to be seen, though some players like Arashi, a former member of Prophecy, seems to have taken a liking to the weapon and may push it forward in the future.