Competitive:Big Bubbler

Unofficial!

This article discusses content that is not part of the official Splatoon series canon but is part of the community or competitive gaming space.

For information about Big Bubbler, see Big Bubbler.

Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3

Big Bubbler

Abbreviations
Sub
Special
Base damage
Base duration	12 seconds
Ink consumption
Special points
Special depletion
Role
Strengths	Survivability, area denial, includes a Squid Beakon
Weaknesses	Cannot physically impede opponents, cannot be moved once deployed

The Big Bubbler is an aggressive/supportive hybrid deployable special weapon that provides its user and their teammates protection while denying their opponents the space around it. As the first available special weapon to the player in Splatoon 3, it follows the tradition of providing a Splattershot Jr. user a strong, protective, supportive special weapon, synonymous to the Bubbler in Splatoon and Ink Armor in Splatoon 2.

Use

If placed carefully, the Big Bubbler can protect you and your team by blocking incoming attacks:

• It produces a spherical barrier that blocks most of your opponents' attacks until its own health is depleted:
  • It cannot be activated beneath low ceilings or while its user is not on solid ground.
  • Be mindful of any ceilings above where you intend to activate Big Bubbler, as the device that rises out of Big Bubbler once activated can hit a ceiling, preventing the resulting barrier from reaching its full size and building up its full HP.
  • The less accessible a location is for an opponent to travel, the more difficult it will be for them to directly assault, especially with a Big Bubbler planted on it.
  • While the barrier has a minimum 2400 HP, its generator at the top has only 1200 HP, meaning that opposing attacks directed to the generator will effectively inflict twice the damage of those aimed at the barrier.
• Deploying the Big Bubbler on or near the objective can help your team better secure it:
  • A Big Bubbler planted on or in front of a Splat Zone can prevent opponents from turfing over it and uncapping it.
  • Even though the Big Bubbler cannot move, it can be placed onto the Tower itself and can move as the Tower moves. However, the barrier will degrade more quickly while on the tower, so it is best to deploy it when you can get the most out of it, particularly when opponents attempt to contest the Tower.
  • Of course, a Big Bubbler can be used to stall an opposing push by protecting defenders in key positions. However, the Tower will destroy any Big Bubbler it comes in contact with, so avoid placing one in the path of the Tower.
• The Big Bubbler also doubles as a Squid Beakon, allowing its user and their teammates to safely Super Jump back to its location.
• The launcher/Squid Beakon component of the Big Bubbler also doubles as a shield, as standing inside of it will make the user temporarily immune to damage, similar to showering beneath a Splash Wall.

Despite its strong protection, The Big Bubbler has a few exploitable weaknesses:

• Unlike a Splash Wall, it will not prevent opponents from physically crossing its barrier, so be certain that no opponents are sharking nearby or flanking your blind side.
  • Once an opponent has breached the barrier, all of their attacks can travel out of the barrier, including those normally blocked from traveling into it.
  • Opposing special weapons that enable their users to travel through the barrier – such as Zipcaster and Reefslider – can allow them to splat a Big Bubbler user within their own barrier.
  • While the Big Bubbler's barrier does protect its user from an opponent's thrown Ultra Stamp, it will not prevent an opponent from swinging their Ultra Stamp through the barrier.
• However, like a Splash Wall, any opposing bombs that hit the Big Bubbler's barrier will instantly explode, potentially splatting its user or their teammates.
• The barrier is also ineffective against certain projectiles:
  • An opponent's Wave Breaker, Killer Wail 5.1, and Triple Inkstrike can penetrate through the barrier.
  • While the barrier will block an opponent's Booyah Bomb from being thrown through it, the Booyah Bomb's expanding explosion will penetrate the barrier.
• Once Big Bubbler is deployed, it cannot be moved from its location (without being on the Tower or another moving stage object). This limits its application during more mobile modes, particularly Rainmaker and Clam Blitz.

Synergy

While primarily thought of as a supportive special weapon, the Big Bubbler is available on a few aggressive, frontline weapons, such as the Blaster and the Splat Roller. While their users might not have as many opportunities as a support player to use Big Bubbler (due to their reduced turfing ability and higher tendency to get splatted), they can still use it with great effect whenever an opportunity arises:

• If advanced in opposing territory, deploying a Big Bubbler within a major avenue through which opponents have to travel can deny space, impede their movement, and even provide a rallying point for teammates with its Squid Beakon.
• An aggressive frontline weapon user can usually fend off an opponent who breaches the Big Bubbler's barrier better than a support weapon user can.
• However, if a midline or backline teammate requires the added protection of the Big Bubbler, be a good teammate and deploy it around them. Just be sure to place it properly, as a nearby opponent armed with lethal bombs can exploit a poorly placed one (as mentioned above).

Conversely, a support player should seek out good opportunities to deploy a Big Bubbler around a frontline or backline teammate who is in a strong position:

• If you follow an aggressive teammate and they stake out a strong position in opposing territory, then activate a Big Bubbler around them to allow them to hold that position longer, allowing you and your teammates to push forward.
• Planting a Big Bubbler around near an anchor in a raised area with great sightlines will provide them some added protection from opposing anchors, particularly opposing charger users, and make them more difficult for the opponent to displace with certain weapons, such as bombs, the Trizooka and Tenta Missiles.
• However, whenever you need the Big Bubbler yourself (e.g., while riding the Tower at a checkpoint), then do not hesitate to use it for your own protection. Even if an opponent eventually splats you, unless they physically crossed the barrier, they would have had to expend precious time and resources to break it.

While the Big Bubbler can help any aggressive player remain in their opponents' territory, it cannot fully replace a true aggressive special weapon in a team composition, and it does nothing to displace opponents:

• It cannot directly splat opponents on demand unlike certain special weapons, such as the Trizooka or the Crab Tank.
• Because a Big Bubbler cannot move by itself after deployment, its protection only extends as far as its barrier and cannot remain with its user or their teammates. Without a means of displacing their opponents (such as Killer Wail 5.1 or Booyah Bomb), a Big Bubbler user and their teammates will have difficulty pushing into opposing turf.

Countermeasures

An opponent's Big Bubbler can be a formidable obstacle if placed in front of the objective or just outside your team's base. Otherwise, an opponent might use it to protect a position with great vantage points for their anchor, making them difficult to dislodge. Pushing back an opposing team using Big Bubbler can involve either breaking through it or working around it:

• If an opponent attempts to deploy their Big Bubbler too close to your position, you can simply walk, swim, or jump through its barrier and directly confront them. Be warned that the opponent can still defend themselves with their main and sub weapons, so try to catch them off guard.
• Some mobile special weapons – such as Zipcaster and Reefslider – enable their users to quickly traverse through an opponent's Big Bubbler and potentially splat the opponent. However, attempting to charge at an opponent's Big Bubbler with an active special weapon head on will likely result in quick punishment from an alert opponent. Therefore it is wise to also use flanking or stealth:
  • Zipcasting or Reefsliding from an off angle, especially while the opponents are already engaged with your teammates in front of them, will offer better chances of breaching their Big Bubbler.
  • If an opponent attempts to deploy their Big Bubbler beneath a short ledge, swinging an Ultra Stamp while jumping can swat an opponent residing within the supposed safety of the Big Bubbler's barrier. Hiding or swimming in friendly ink before or while Ultra Stamp is active before jump swinging can also catch an opposing Big Bubbler user by surprise.
• Projectiles from certain special weapons can penetrate an opponent's Big Bubbler barrier:
  • Killer Wail 5.1, Triple Inkstrike, and Booyah Bomb's explosion can also displace or splat opponents within their Big Bubbler barrier.
  • While the Wave Breaker's shockwaves can penetrate an opponent's Big Bubbler barrier, it cannot force opponents out of it. Use the Wave Breaker in coordination with other weapons or tactics.
• A few weapons, such as the E-liter 4K and the Crab Tank, can shred an opponent's Big Bubbler in a reasonable amount of time. Whenever possible, aim at the generator at the top of the barrier to effectively inflict double damage.
  • Object Shredder can increase the damage output against an opponent's Big Bubbler by 10%.