Competitive:Autobomb

Unofficial

Splatoon 2
The Autobomb is a unique lethal bomb paired mostly with short to mid-range weapons. It chases after opponents and explodes when near, or until enough time has passed.

Use
The biggest difference when compared to the other bombs is the Autobomb's tracking capabilities, making them useful to reveal sharking opponents. That being said, Autobombs can still be used in a similar manner to Splat Bombs, although not as reliably.
 * When thrown, the player is shown the detection range when it lands. Any enemy in this radius will be chased by the Autobomb for 2.5 seconds, no matter the elevation and even if they are hiding in ink.
 * When the opponent gets close enough, or after 2.5 seconds have elapsed, it will explode, taking one second to do so.
 * If there are no players in the radius, it also explodes after one second. However, the additional jump it does upon landing essentially means it takes two seconds to explode.
 * Autobombs are also particularly effective when thrown at slower weapons, such as an E-liter 4K or Dynamo Roller as it is slightly more difficult for them to move out of the way.
 * The damage an exploding Autobomb inflicts onto a target depends on the distance between them. Note that this explosion is smaller than a Splat Bomb:
 * Targets within 32.5 DU – just under three fourths a distance line away in the Shooting Range – will receive 180 damage — more than enough to splat most opponents.
 * Targets between 32.5 DU and 65 DU – just over 1.25 distance lines away – will receive 30 damage, which is sometimes enough to splat weakened opponents.
 * Throw an Autobomb forward to lead pushes into a Splat Zone or any other important area of the stage, such as the opponents' street or platform.
 * They can also flush out opposing anchors from perches and clear other critical areas, such as the Tower.
 * Note that throwing Autobombs onto the Tower is slightly more difficult since it bounces off walls easily when thrown - including the pole on the Tower. Aim for the space on the side when throwing them.
 * They can also be used to poke at and zone out opponents during the neutral phase, stall an opponent's push, or provide space to escape.
 * An Autobomb can damage or destroy an opponent's brella shield, Splash Wall, or Baller or the Rainmaker shield, while detonating on contact.
 * Any opponents caught within the Autobomb's explosion will get damaged or splatted.
 * It will also inflate or pop a teammate's bubbles but deflate or diffuse an opponent's bubbles, while still detonating on contact.
 * An opponent's Splashdown, Booyah Bomb, or Ultra Stamp will defuse any Autobombs it touches, so hold off using them until after their special weapon finishes.

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.

Countermeasures

 * While the lethal damage of the Autobomb can only be avoided by dodging, its splash damage of 30 HP can be reduced by equipping Bomb Defense Up DX. Just three ability points, or one sub, offer good utility against Splat Bombs:
 * A player who has taken at least 30 HP of damage from the opponent (thus, has no more than 70 HP) will be visible on the opponents' map. Bomb Defense Up DX prevents its user from being exposed by the splash damage of a single Autobomb.
 * Ink Armor will not break due to splash damage from a single bomb whose splash damage normally inflicts 30 HP of damage. With Ink Armor still intact, its wearer will only suffer a maximum of 80 HP of damage from a single hit, allowing them to withstand a single powerful attack, such as that from a Splat Charger.
 * Autobombs can be lured away from the objective, such as a Splat Zone, to explode in an irrelevant area.
 * They can also be forced to explode early by swimming close to them, then swimming away, reducing their effectiveness at chasing hiding players.
 * Be aware of your opponents' locations before using a brella shield, Splash Wall, Baller, or Bubble Blower, as an opponent's Autobombs will detonate upon impact with any of these, potentially splatting you or your teammates if caught within their lethal radius.
 * Certain special weapons – such as Splashdown, Booyah Bomb, and Ultra Stamp – can negate any of the opponents' Autobombs.