Competitive:.52 Gal Deco

Unofficial

Splatoon 2
Like its Vanilla and Kensa variants, the .52 Gal Deco has a powerful two-shot splat and – ever since the Version update – good turfing ability, which is augmented by its range, which exceeds that of other short-ranged shooters. This variant is specialized for use on flat, long, and narrow stages, particularly Walleye Warehouse and Port Mackerel. Otherwise, the lack of synergy between the main and special weapons creates an identity crisis for the weapon's role.

Use
The .52 Gal Deco's high damage rate allows it to be a competent slayer's weapon: However, The .52 Gal Deco has a few notable drawbacks:
 * The 52 HP of damage per shot guarantees a two-shot splat its range of maximum damage. Outside this range, falloff reduces the damage to a minimum of 30 HP, which increases the number of shots to splat an opponent to three or four.
 * Its range of 124.944 DU is slightly longer than that of a Splattershot or an N-ZAP (both 116.99 DU). Both the high damage and higher than average range make it difficult for shorter-ranged opponents to approach its user.
 * Its turfing is also efficient — even at further away since Version 5.4.0, allowing its user to farm Sting Ray and help their team maintain map control.
 * While the .52 Gal Deco has a comparable shot deviation (6-12 degrees) to that of a Splattershot (6-12 degrees), its chance to shoot towards the outer reticle while on the ground – initially 2% (1% for the Splattershot) – increases more rapidly with each consecutive shot (+3% per shot, 25% maximum) than that of a Splattershot (+1% per shot, 25% maximum).
 * Since Version, releasing the trigger for 25 frames, or just under half a second, will restore its precision. Therefore, it is often recommended to fire this weapon in short bursts and then reposition yourself by swimming before firing again.
 * Its slower firing rate leaves it vulnerable at close range to more rapid-firing, medium-damage weapons, such as a Splattershot or a Splash-o-matic — especially if the opponent lands the first shot. Always be wary of opponents either flanking or sharking.
 * It is less mobile while firing (0.60 DU/f) than are other weapons of comparable range, such as the Tri-Slosher (0.66 DU/f), the Splattershot and the Splash-o-matic (both 0.72 DU/f), and the N-ZAP (0.84 DU/f).
 * It is outranged by a number of other weapons, notably the Splattershot Pro, the H-3 Nozzlenose, the Dualie Squelchers (all 160.396 DU), and most sloshers (e.g., the Slosher at 150 DU).

While the Curling Bomb is not as versatile as other bombs, it still has a couple practical uses for the .52 Gal Deco user:
 * When charged, or "cooked" long enough, it can be used to lay bomb traps to hold off pursuers or flush out sharks. However, the time needed to charge it makes this tactic situational at best.
 * Particularly in narrow or closed areas, a Curling Bomb ricocheting off of walls can be a useful distraction to force an opponent to move in a certain direction.
 * A Curling Bomb also further assists the main weapon in turfing from a safe distance.
 * It can also create a path for the user to escape or approach any confrontations.
 * A Curling Bomb 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 Curling Bomb's explosion will get damaged or splatted. However, due to the small blast radius, this is more difficult to pull off than with a more conventional bomb.
 * It will also inflate or pop a teammate's bubbles but deflate or diffuse an opponent's bubbles, while still detonating on contact. Again, due to Curling Bombs only sliding on the ground, this is also not practical enough to exploit.
 * An opponent's Splashdown, Booyah Bomb, or Ultra Stamp will defuse any Curling Bombs it touches, so hold off throwing them until after the special weapon finishes.

The Sting Ray is an infinitely long distance weapon that can penetrate obstacles and damage opponents from afar:
 * It can limit the opponents' mobility when used in coordination with teammates, making it easier for teammates to splat them.
 * The .52 Gal Deco's low special gauge requirement (190p) and turfing allows the user to have Sting Rays constantly available.
 * Before starting the Sting Ray, it is advised to keep a safe distance from battles, as firing a Sting Ray too close to an opponent can leave one vulnerable to attack.
 * When firing the Sting Ray, if an opponent escapes from the ray, bring up the map with . An opponent who has taken any damage will be visible on the map until completely healed. Redirect the Sting Ray until the popping sound is heard.
 * When fired at certain objectives in Ranked Battle — namely the Tower, the Rainmaker, or an opponent's Power Clam, Sting Ray can help stall the opponents' push. However, it often pays to wait for teammates to be nearby the objective to secure it before firing the Sting Ray.
 * While thought of as a defensive, or stalling special weapon, Sting Ray can also be used to great effect on offense:
 * Restraining or eliminating opponents who attempt to attack your teammate tasked with the objective (Tower, Rainmaker, Power Clam).
 * Eliminating or distracting the opposing anchor, preventing them from providing support fire on defense.

Synergy
While a team might get away with having one or two users of short-ranged weapons, such as the .52 Gal Deco, 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.

While Curling Bombs technically count as a lethal bomb, they function much differently from a traditional Splat or Suction Bomb. Due to this, it is still important to have conventional lethal bombs in a team composition. Splat or Suction Bombs 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

 * A user of a shorter-ranged weapon should rely on flanking or sharking to safely approach an opposing .52 Gal Deco user, land the first shot, and exploit either their lower firing rate and slower mobility.
 * If you have a long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or a Jet Squelcher, and you have a chance to pick off an opposing .52 Gal Deco user from long distance.
 * Always be aware of when the opposing team's .52 Gal Deco's has Sting Ray fully charged on the HUD, particularly when pushing the Tower or Rainmaker:
 * Fight fire with fire by using a Sting Ray to attack an opponent using theirs.
 * Tenta Missiles are a quick way to either counter or disrupt an opposing Sting Ray user, as well as displace any anchor from an otherwise safe perch.
 * A properly launched and piloted Inkjet can splat an opposing Sting Ray user while being relatively safe from the beam.
 * Quickly swimming away from the Sting Ray's beam is generally the best way to avoid getting splatted without using Specials, as users turn relatively slowly while the Sting Ray is active. This is a useful tactic in Tower Control to maintain a Tower push.

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 .52 Gal Deco user will inevitably come in contact with the opponent's ink on various surfaces, which can both be damaging and reduce mobility. Ink Resistance Up not only partially offsets the reduction in mobility but also delays the damage taken from contact with opposing ink:

While powerful, the .52 Gal Deco has a high shot spread compared to other short-ranged shooters, reducing its ability to splat opponents consistently. Main Power Up reduces the shot spread by up to 20% while on the ground and by up to 50% when jumping, increasing the main weapon's precision.
 * 6 ability points, or two subs, reduces shot spread on the ground by 7.53% and shot spread in the air by 18.83%.
 * 13 ability points, or one main and one sub, reduces shot spread on the ground by 11.41% and shot spread in the air by 28.54%.

Quick Super Jump decreases both the "charge" time before and the travel time of a Super Jump, allowing a .52 Gal Deco user to escape unfavorable situations more easily to preserve precious special gauge progress, or more quickly return to the front lines after being splatted.
 * One sub, or 3 ability points, of Quick Super Jump decreases the "charge" time by 22 frames, or 0.36 seconds.

As a frontline slayer weapon, the .52 Gal Deco will often not find itself in a position from which it can use Sting Ray safely and therefore will often be splatted before it can use the special. Special Saver allows the .52 Gal Deco to paint for Sting Ray upon respawning and use it safely within the spawn area.
 * 6 ability points, or two subs, are enough to increase the amount of special gauge progress saved from 50% to 64.6%.
 * 10 ability points, or one main, will increase this further to 70.7%.

A self-explanatory ability, Swim Speed Up specifically benefits a .52 Gal user by allowing them to more quickly retreat from an advancing opponent whenever necessary.
 * 6 ability points, or two subs, increase the swim speed from 1.92 to 2.01 units per frame, nearly matching the unaltered swim speed of lightweight weapon users.
 * 16 ability points, or one main and two subs, further increase the swim speed to 2.14 units per frame.