Competitive:Custom Hydra Splatling

Unofficial

Splatoon 2
Like the original Hydra Splatling, the Custom Hydra Splatling is a longer-ranged, higher-damaging version of the Heavy Splatling — albeit at the cost of lower mobility and a longer charge time. Unlike the Vanilla variant, this variant has a kit that is more consistent with its role as an anchor.

Use
The long range and low mobility of the Custom Splatling make it suited as an anchor's weapon:

Ink Mines operate differently from conventional bombs but have unique applications: Ink Armor enables its user's team to either initiate a push, to recapture a Splat Zone for example, or maintain one, such as while locking out the opponent.
 * An Ink Mine planted in a Splat Zone will re-turf the area around it once detonated. While this is usually not enough to either hold or recapture a zone, it can stall the opponents' efforts to capture it.
 * An Ink Mine's chip damage and tracking effects can still deter opponents from immediately taking possession of the Tower when placed upon it.
 * Placing an Ink Mine in an area where clams spawn can help track opponents who attempt to gather them.
 * An Ink Mine's tracking ability can provide its user's team valuable information:
 * If placed on a potential flank route used by the opponent, its detonation can track an opponent's movement and dissuade them from sharking.
 * Even if a detonated Ink Mine neither splats nor tracks an opponent, the first Mine's detonation should indicate that the opponent was in its vicinity (unless its user planted a third Ink Mine).
 * If pursued by an opponent, quickly planting an Ink Mine can provide a measure of protection, inflicting chip damage to make it easier to splat a pursuer. This survival tactic can be valuable in a pinch for a Custom Hydra Splatling user.
 * Time the activation of Ink Armor carefully so that you and your teammates receive its protection before engaging the opponent.
 * Try to activate Ink Armor when most or all teammates are active. Slayers, who risk getting splatted more often, benefit from Ink Armor more than supportive players do.
 * Using Ink Armor also refills the ink tank. While this is particularly beneficial for a Custom Hydra Splatling user, refrain from using Ink Armor solely for this purpose.
 * Upon activation, Ink Armor will protect its user and their teammates except for those either carrying the Rainmaker or using either Baller or Booyah Bomb.
 * Also, players protected by Ink Armor lose it upon gaining possession of the Rainmaker.
 * While the Custom Hydra Splatling is not a recommended weapon for Rainmaker, if you ever use one, you should be the player on your team tasked with carrying the Rainmaker. While Ink Armor will not protect the Rainmaker carrier, it will still benefit their teammates, so cast Ink Armor just before picking up the Rainmaker whenever possible.

Synergy
The Custom Hydra Splatling has great range and powerful damage but is lacks mobility while moving or firing and has trouble leading pushes and pursuing opponents. Be sure to include some mobile, shorter-ranged weapons in the team composition. Otherwise, a team with too many longer-ranged weapons will have major drawbacks: Ink Mines cannot be thrown and cannot inflict lethal damage, making them less versatile than most bombs. Therefore, it is advised for at least one teammate of a Custom Hydra Splatling user to have lethal bombs in their kit. Splat or Suction Bombs provide its user's team many advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition: Multiple Ink Armors used by the same team do not stack. Therefore, it would be redundant for a team to have more than two Ink Armor users.
 * The lack of mobility will make it difficult for such a team to mount a push.
 * The reduced ability to battle in close range will make the team vulnerable to a well-timed flank or a well-positioned shark.
 * 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.
 * As a heavyweight weapon user, a Custom Hydra Splatling user should not go out of their way placing mines onto distant flank routes. Instead, focus on planting a mine around either the objective or a nearby flank route.
 * In general, when two Ink Armor-based weapons are on a team, the user of the more aggressive weapon should activate Ink Armor first, freeing them to engage the opponent without potentially losing both a potential Ink Armor and special gauge progress. Because the Custom Hydra Splatling user has a slightly high special gauge requirement and is not particularly quick at turfing, they should generally wait for another Ink Armor-equipped teammate to activate their armor first then follow up with their Ink Armor as the first one wears off.

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.