Splatling: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:02, 2 September 2023

Splatlings are one of the main weapon classifications in the Splatoon series. These gatling gun or rotary cannon-style weapons are somewhat similar to chargers in that they must charge for a short time to increase effectiveness. However, unlike chargers, all splatlings have two levels of charge. The first level increases the range and firing duration, while the second level is faster to charge and increases the firing duration even further but has no effect on range. While their stats do vary, most have a high fire rate (equal to the Aerosprays), low damage (equal to that of the Splattershot Jr.), and impressive range. Additionally, the Nautilus has the ability to store a charge similarly to most chargers.

The first weapon in this class, the Heavy Splatling, was released in Version 2.0.0 of Splatoon.

List of splatlings

Note: The series are arranged by the order of their respective Tableturf Battle cards.

Series	Description	Variants	Games
Series	Description	Variants
Mini Splatling	A light splatling with a short charge time but shorter range. It allows users to strafe quickly while charging and firing.	Mini Splatling	✓	✓	✓
		Zink Mini Splatling	✓	✓	✓
		Refurbished Mini Splatling	✓
		Kensa Mini Splatling		✓
Heavy Splatling	The standard splatling. Its performance is balanced right between the Mini Splatling and Hydra Splatling, having no glaring strength or weakness.	Heavy Splatling	✓	✓	✓
		Heavy Splatling Deco	✓	✓	✓
		Heavy Splatling Remix	✓	✓
		Hero Splatling Replica		✓
Hydra Splatling	This splatling has the longest range in its class and can fire continuously for a lengthy period of time, with the drawback being its ink hunger. When fully charged, a high-damage feature activates, allowing users to splat opponents with three hits.	Hydra Splatling	✓	✓	✓
Hydra Splatling		Custom Hydra Splatling	✓	✓
Ballpoint Splatling	The Ballpoint Splatling has two different firing modes, an initial short ranged firing mode with a high fire rate and a secondary firing mode that has a slower fire rate but longer range and perfect accuracy. Unlike most other splatlings, it can interrupt its fire to charge. Upon completing a full charge, subsequent charges will retain the secondary mode attributes until the charge is entirely expended.	Ballpoint Splatling		✓	✓
Ballpoint Splatling		Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau		✓	✓
Nautilus	The Nautilus is a shorter ranged splatling with a medium charge rate. The weapon boasts the ability to store its charge much like some chargers and can interrupt its fire to charge in the same manner as the Ballpoint Splatling. Unlike other splatlings, its accuracy does not decrease if fired in mid-jump.	Nautilus 47		✓	✓
Nautilus		Nautilus 79		✓
Heavy Edit Splatling	The Heavy Edit Splatling has a slow charge time, but fires at a very high rate when fully charged.	Heavy Edit Splatling			✓

Sets

Splatlings in Splatoon

Main	#ID	Sub	Special	Special Depletion	Level	Price	Class	Introduced
Custom Hydra Splatling	4021	Sprinkler	Bubbler	Light	20	29900	Splatling	16 January 2016
Heavy Splatling	4010	Splash Wall	Inkstrike	Light	6	6800	Splatling	6 August 2015 (2.0.0)
Heavy Splatling Deco	4011	Point Sensor	Kraken	Medium	9	9200	Splatling	7 November 2015
Heavy Splatling Remix	4012	Sprinkler	Killer Wail	Light	20	17900	Splatling	8 June 2016 (2.8.0)
Hydra Splatling	4020	Splat Bomb	Echolocator	Light	11	11600	Splatling	21 November 2015
Mini Splatling	4000	Suction Bomb	Inkzooka	Light	8	7200	Splatling	5 September 2015
Refurbished Mini Splatling	4002	Burst Bomb	Bomb Rush	Light	20	13400	Splatling	13 April 2016 (2.7.0)
Zink Mini Splatling	4001	Disruptor	Bubbler	Heavy	13	9400	Splatling	12 December 2015

Splatlings in Splatoon 2

Main	#ID	Sub	Special	Special Points	Level	Price	Class	Introduced
Ballpoint Splatling	4030	Toxic Mist	Inkjet	200p	25	11600	Splatling	1 July 2018
Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau	4031	Squid Beakon	Ink Storm	220p	28	15800	Splatling	5 December 2018 (4.3.0)
Custom Hydra Splatling	4021	Ink Mine	Ink Armor	200p	29	33300	Splatling	1 August 2018
Heavy Splatling	4010	Sprinkler	Sting Ray	200p	8	7800	Splatling	7 July 2017 (1.0.0)
Heavy Splatling Deco	4011	Splash Wall	Bubble Blower	180p	12	9600	Splatling	16 September 2017
Heavy Splatling Remix	4012	Point Sensor	Booyah Bomb	190p	19	18300	Splatling	3 April 2019 (4.6.0)
Hero Splatling Replica	4013	Sprinkler	Sting Ray	200p	8	8600	Splatling	7 July 2017 (1.0.0)
Hydra Splatling	4020	Autobomb	Splashdown	170p	27	18500	Splatling	25 November 2017
Kensa Mini Splatling	4002	Toxic Mist	Ultra Stamp	180p	29	18800	Splatling	5 December 2018 (4.3.0)
Mini Splatling	4000	Burst Bomb	Tenta Missiles	210p	23	12300	Splatling	7 July 2017 (1.0.0)
Nautilus 47	4040	Point Sensor	Baller	180p	26	14700	Splatling	1 August 2018
Nautilus 79	4041	Suction Bomb	Inkjet	180p	30	27900	Splatling	5 December 2018 (4.3.0)
Zink Mini Splatling	4001	Curling Bomb	Ink Storm	180p	26	15400	Splatling	24 March 2018

Splatlings in Splatoon 3

Main	#ID	Sub	Special	Special Points	Level	Price	Class	Introduced
Ballpoint Splatling	4030	Fizzy Bomb	Inkjet	210p	30	1	Splatling	Version 1.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2022)
Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau	4031	Ink Mine	Ink Vac	200p	30	1	Splatling	Version 5.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2023)
Heavy Edit Splatling	4050	Curling Bomb	Tacticooler	200p	13	1	Splatling	Version 5.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2023)
Heavy Splatling	4010	Sprinkler	Wave Breaker	200p	4	1	Splatling	Version 1.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2022)
Heavy Splatling Deco	4011	Point Sensor	Kraken Royale	200p	15	1	Splatling	Version 4.0.0 (Sizzle Season 2023)
Hydra Splatling	4020	Autobomb	Booyah Bomb	190p	20	1	Splatling	Version 1.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2022)
Mini Splatling	4000	Burst Bomb	Ultra Stamp	190p	12	1	Splatling	Version 1.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2022)
Nautilus 47	4040	Point Sensor	Ink Storm	190p	28	1	Splatling	Version 1.0.0 (Drizzle Season 2022)
Nautilus 79	4041	Suction Bomb	Triple Splashdown	210p	29	1	Splatling	Version 7.0.0 (Fresh Season 2024)
Order Splatling Replica	4015	Sprinkler	Wave Breaker	200p	1		Splatling	Version 7.0.0 (Side Order)
Zink Mini Splatling	4001	Toxic Mist	Big Bubbler	190p	25	1	Splatling	Version 2.0.0 (Chill Season 2022)

Animations

Splatoon

Victory:

Both genders hop from foot to foot while smiling and swinging their weapon from side to side, jump twice, then hug their weapon.

Defeat:

Both genders rest their weapon on the ground before they move their head and left hand in a disappointingly dumbfounded way.

In Ammo Knights (Clicking ):

Inklings: Picks weapon up to look at it. It seems as though they are surprised by its weight.

Splatoon 2

Spawning in before a match starts:

Both Inklings and Octolings raise their weapon a bit after shaking off their excess ink.

Victory:

Inklings: Holds their weapon along their right shoulder while winking and giving a related hand gesture before placing their weapon to their left, with their hand positioned on top of the barrels.
Octoling Girl: Has her weapon at an angle, barrel down before striking a pose and doing a jazzy gesture with her left hand.
Octoling Boy: Similar to the Octoling Girl's, but instead holds his neck while moving his head before doing jazz hands but standing straight.

Defeat:

Inklings: Rests their weapon on the ground and shakes their head in disappointment.
Octoling Girl: Similar to her Victory animation but reacts in a frustrated manner before proceeding to poke at her weapon.
Octoling Boy: Leans on and stares at weapon while pointing at it, as if blaming it.

In Ammo Knights (Clicking ):

Inklings: Same as Splatoon.
Octolings: Looks down at weapon, then poses as if firing it. After this they go back to standing normally and looking at it again.

Splatoon 3

Spawner pose:

All styles: Stands perpendicular to their weapon.

Victory:

Flip Out: Spins the weapon around them four times anticlockwise, then throws it in the air and quickly grabs and poses with it.
Reppin' Inkopolis: The player dances in a circle, twirls their Splatling into the air, catches it, and hugs it to their chest with a large smile.

Strategy

The long range and high rate of fire make splatlings great at turfing and providing support fire from a distance. They turf more quickly compared to other long-range weapons, such as chargers, Dynamo Roller and the Jet Squelcher. This makes them a popular weapon of choice for backline anchor players.

Countermeasures

Chargers generally defeat Splatlings in 1v1 situations; they both outrange and overpower Splatlings with a one-shot splat.
- Something to watch for is the sheer strength of the Mini Splatlings, as even a quick charger can get pulverized in range.
- The Splatterscope only barely outranges the Hydra Splatling in Splatoon, while the former and the latter both have the same range in Splatoon 2. This means there must be caution taken when dealing with Hydra Splatlings, especially when using chargers with a lower range than the Splatterscope. E-liters have no problem, however, due to them having a longer range.
The Jet Squelcher and Custom Jet Squelcher both outrange most splatlings and tend to be more mobile.
- However, given the slow rate of fire of the far-reaching Squelchers, quickly extinguishing the splatling wielder is instrumental to avoid being splatted mid-chase.
Any mobile frontline slayer weapon, such as the Enperry Splat Dualies, can harass a splatling user as long as the user avoids running head-on into the barrel of the splatling. Try to catch the splatling player when they are busy charging their next shot.
- Short range can be any newcomer's issue, however, as more experienced splatling users will see a player coming to the aid of their fallen comrades. A Heavy Splatling user visibly Super Jumping to their aid does not work without Drop Roller or a Splashdown ready - a splatling user is more aggressive against a spawn jumper than a charger user.
An aggressive brella user can make quick work of any splatling handler. An Undercover Brella is even better at this than a Splat Brella, as a rapid-fire with a shield can decimate a splatling user who did not see the brella user swimming fast into battle.
- However, any brella user is very exposed to those they do not see coming. Utilize sub and special weapons before ending up on the other end of the counterattack, even with a Tenta Brella.
Bombs are a handicap to the slow-moving and heavier splatlings, so a quiet bomb like a strategically placed Suction Bomb or an Autobomb where there is no room to climb can prove to be harassment to a splatling user, as bombs are not hard to master.
- Open-eared splatling users are not easy to fool, however. They also know that they are open to sub assaults. One example is that the sheer sound of a Bomb Launcher makes most players swim away, so try to employ entrapment.
Splatling users are their own worst nightmare. Using either Nautilus gives the player several legs up on other splatlings, granted that they slip in quickly.
- This can result in the splatling equivalent of a Splat Roller collision. However, note that the Nautilus weapon family fires very loudly and metallically for a close-range weapon.
Ninja Squid and Stealth Jump can leave any charging weapon shaking in their boots. Using this tactic is one for speedy players who can outspeed the charge time, as an unfinished charge does not hit hard.
- However, they can do the same, and moving silently is not new to players with bulky weapons. Another thing to note is that these buffs do not hide the player in squid or octopus form, so do not get overconfident.

Quotes

“

Squid Research Lab Weapons Division here, checking in with our latest findings on splatlings. These heavy-duty weapons are designed to charge up and then unleash a torrent of rapid-fire ink. They usually don't offer much in the way of mobility, but when they hit, they hit.

”

— @SplatoonNA on Twitter^[1]

“

Splatlings are heavy-duty weapons designed to charge up and then unleash a torrent of rapid-fire ink. They usually don't offer much in the way of mobility, but when they hit, they hit.

”

— @NintendoUKVS on Twitter^[2]

Gallery

SplatNet icons

In-game

A female Inkling holding a Heavy Splatling.
A female Inkling firing a Heavy Splatling at Flounder Heights.
Another GIF of an Inkling firing a Heavy Splatling.
Victory animation for splatlings.

Art

Promotional renders for Splatoon 2

Promotional renders for Splatoon 3

Tableturf Battle card for Splatoon 3