.96 Gal

The .96 Gal is a Main Weapon in Splatoon.

Description
The .96 Gal is an improved version of the .52 Gal, with more stability, range, and power. However, it consumes ink extremely quickly. This weapon comes in a set with the Sprinkler and Echolocator. "Similar to the .52 Gal, but with an improved mechanism and a more stable shot. Range and power have been increased...at the cost of being even more ink hungry."

- In-Game Description❌

"Similar to the .52 Gal, but with an improved mechanism and a more stable shot. Range and power have been increased - at the cost of being even more ink hungry."

- In-Game Description

Demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCQzzrDgcb8

Competitive Viability
Similar to the .52 Gal Deco, the main problem with the .96 is that the .96 Gal Deco is just a better weapon. The .96 Deco had at one time been the greatest weapon in the game, and because of that it was nerfed significantly, and along with it the regular .96 was nerfed as well. The damage of each shot has lead to a potential three hit, which is a big problem considering its low fire rate. It also does not get the benefit of the incredible kit of the Splash Wall and Kraken that the .96 Deco has, instead getting the much more supportive Sprinkler and Echolocator. The sprinkler's help with turf coverage, which is a big problem for the .96, and the echo is nice for the team, but these make it lose its incredibly strong killing potential that the .96 Deco's kit allows. Simply put, it's a worse .96 Deco, and while it's a good weapon, it is not ever used due to the better option.

The is an extremely ink-hungry weapon, so mitigating this is a good idea.

With the Version 2.7.0 update, the can be reduced to a 3-hit kill with just one Defense Up main ability or 3 Defense Up sub-abilities. Since the fires slowly for a shooter, a single extra hit needed makes a significant difference, so at least a small amount of Damage Up is strongly recommended.

Trivia

 * This is the last of the original weapons to receive a re-skin of itself, as the .96 Gal Deco came out on July 7, 2015.

Name Origin
.96 Gal is short for .96 Gallon. "Gal" is also a play on Cal, short form of Caliber, a term commonly used when describing the diameter of bullets for fire-arms.

.96ガロン .96 Garon has the same origin as the English name, but without Gallon shortened to Gal.