Competitive:Carbon Roller Deco

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 the Carbon Roller Deco, see Carbon Roller Deco.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

Carbon Roller Deco

Abbreviations	Carbon
Sub	Burst Bomb
Special	Autobomb Launcher
Base damage	25–100 (horizontal) 35–120 (vertical) 70 (Roll)
Base duration
Ink consumption	3.96% (Splash) 0.1% per frame (Roll)
Special points	190p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer
Strengths	Quick vertical flick, quick splatting time due to burst canceling, mobility
Weaknesses	Short range, less reliable turfing than most shooters, less reliable special weapon, effectiveness dependent on map control, team composition, and stage

Like the Splat Roller and Carbon Roller, the Carbon Roller Deco is a short-ranged weapon designed more for cunning play than for raw aggression. It combines a mobility-aiding sub weapon (similar to Curling Bombs for the Splat Roller) with the lightweight nature of the Carbon Roller. However, it shares similar weaknesses with most other rollers, notably a relative inability to turf and a dependence on teammates to be able to make plays.

Use

The Carbon Roller Deco is a stealth slayer's weapon:

• As a lightweight weapon, the Carbon Roller Deco enables its user to run and swim more quickly than usual, allowing for easier dodging and quicker flanking.
• Like the other returning and new rollers in Splatoon 2, the Carbon Roller Deco now has both a horizontal swing and a vertical swing:
  • The horizontal swing has a fire rate of 40 frames and, with no aid from Main Power Up,…
    • …a lethal range of 50 DU,…
    • …a two-hit range of about 70 DU — shorter than even that of the Sploosh-o-matic (75.64 DU),…
    • …and a maximum range of about 90 DU, at which a minimum damage is 25 HP is inflicted.
    • Ink flung from angle greater than 25 degrees to either the left or right will lose damage starting from 35 DU and reach its minimum value at 75 DU. Therefore, aiming is still important when wielding the Carbon Roller Deco.
    • Damage will suffer falloff to as little as 12.5 HP if the flung ink falls below the Carbon Roller Deco wielder. Thus, targets who are below a Carbon Roller Deco user will take less damage than those either above or on the same level.
    • Overall, the Carbon Roller Deco's horizontal swing is most effective at close range (≤ 75 DU). Even if you cannot get within lethal range, Burst Bomb combos enable this weapon to quickly splat opponents within the two-hit range.
  • The vertical swing has a fire rate of 45 frames and, with no Main Power Up equipped,…
    • …a lethal range of about 70 DU,…
    • …a two-hit range of about 120 DU — just shy of that of the .52 Gal (124.944 DU),…
    • …and a maximum range of about 140 DU.
    • From 50 DU up until 150 DU, its damage decreases from its base damage of 120 HP to 35 HP.
    • Like that of the horizontal swing, its damage will suffer falloff to as little as 17.5 HP if the flung ink falls below the Carbon Roller Deco user. Because a roller wielder needs to jump to execute a vertical swing, falloff tends to affect the vertical swing more often than it affects the horizontal swing.
    • Overall, the vertical swing is both quick and long reaching, allowing it to poke at opponents and even splat airborne opponents.
• Because of its overall short range and specific style of attacks, the most ideal position of a Carbon Roller Deco wielder is often just below the opponents' perch, where the Carbon Roller Deco user can shark around, splat opponents who either drop down or get too close to the ledge, and poke at opponents atop the perch.

The instant explosion and good ink efficiency of Burst Bombs offer a Carbon Roller Deco user plenty of uses:

• Their quick damage makes them suitable for leading off attacks, breaking opponents' Ink Armor, or finishing off injured opponents who attempt to flee. Burst Bombs used in combination with both the horizontal and vertical swings allow for faster, more reliable splatting of opponents, including possibly the quickest means to splat Armored opponents.
• They effectively extend the range at which their user can quickly damage their opponents, allowing a Carbon Roller Deco user to more effectively challenge some longer-ranged opponents who get too close.
• They instantly turf inkable surfaces, permitting either a fast pursuit of an opponent or a rapid retreat from an unfavorable situation.
• Opponents hit by Burst Bombs will be surrounded by your team's ink, further crippling their health and mobility.
• Direct hits will inflict 60 HP of damage, while splash damage will only deliver 25-35 HP. Always go for direct hits whenever possible.

While less reliable than its other variants, the Autobomb Launcher can still perform some of its intended tasks, namely repel opponents' pushes:

• Using any Bomb Launcher too close to an opponent will leave its user vulnerable to attack, so activate it outside the range of the opponent.
• Remember that each bomb can be charged by holding before releasing to launch it further, enabling the Bomb Launcher user to remain at a safer distance at the cost of launching fewer bombs in the duration of the special.
• Do not forget that the main weapon may still be used during the duration of the special. Not only is this a useful self-defense tactic in case an opponent gets close, it allows one to pick off opponents caught fleeing from the Autobombs.
• The Autobomb Launcher is less reliable in turfing ground, due to both the bombs' smaller explosion radius and their tendency to chase nearby opponents and stack up with each other. It can still lockout opponents trying to fight their way back to a highly contested area, and it can detect opponents who may be sharking.
• Launched bombs 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 a bomb'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 or Booyah Bomb will defuse any Burst Bombs it comes in contact with, so hold off on activating Autobomb Launcher until after the opponent's special weapon finishes whenever possible.

Synergy

The Carbon Roller Deco is very effective at performing its intended role: stealthily and swiftly splatting opponents at close range while creating a sense of paranoia within the opposing team, which can sometimes distract them from the main objective of the battle. However, it has a set of glaring weaknesses that have to be addressed by the rest of its user's team's composition.

The first of these is the Carbon Roller Deco's lack of range. While one short-ranged weapon will not be too much of a detriment on a team, having too many short-ranged weapons without a longer-ranged weapon 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 a Carbon Roller Deco is capable of turfing thoroughly through rolling, it is a slow and inefficient means, so its user will have to rely on their teammates to maintain map control for them to move about the map to remain an effective player. Not having enough turfing ability presents its own set of problems:

• A team whose composition lacks enough turfing ability can be rendered immobile if the other team dominates map control.
• A lack of turfing also makes it difficult to alter the course of a game, even after wiping out the other team.

While Burst Bombs have excellent synergy with the Carbon Roller Deco, they lack certain advantages offered by lethal bombs — particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs, which provide their user's team a couple 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.

Finally, the Carbon Roller Deco's special weapon, Autobomb Launcher, is not only less effective than its other variants but also less impactful than other specials:

• Other than the launched bombs, a Bomb Launcher user has no means of protection and is particularly vulnerable to long-ranged fire.
• Other variants of Bomb Launcher are better at both turfing and pushing opponents out of highly contested areas. Autobombs' main problem is their tendency to chase nearby opponents can be exploited by luring them to a less important area, passing over them to trigger their detonation away from their intended location.
• Other special weapons, such as Inkjet or Sting Ray, are intended for splatting opponents and more capable at this than is a Bomb Launcher.

A Carbon Roller Deco user and their teammates depend on one other to make plays. In order to perform an effective flank attack without getting caught, the Carbon Roller Deco user requires their teammates to draw the opponent's attention. In return, the Carbon Roller Deco user needs to distract the opponents from the objective long enough to allow their teammates to push the objective, whether this is either capturing or retaining Splat Zones or pushing either the Tower or Rainmaker.

• While Ink Armor can support almost any teammate, it will make players affected by it more visible within their ink. If a teammate has a build that includes Ink Armor, pay attention to the HUD to know when to expect an Ink Armor. Then, when the teammate activates it, play more aggressively than stealthily. Once the Ink Armor has ether worn off or been broken, revert to sharking tactics.

Countermeasures

• Both Bomb Defense Up DX and Ink Resistance Up – already valuable utility abilities – provide various measures of protection against an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user's sub and special weapons:
  • Bomb Defense Up DX reduces the amount of damage taken from direct hits by Burst Bombs (from 60.0 HP to 57.7 HP) and splash damage from both Burst Bombs (from 25.0-35.0 HP to 24.0-33.6 HP) and Autobombs (from 30.0 HP to 28.6 HP) from the Autobomb Launcher.
  • Ink Resistance Up not only partially offsets the reduction in mobility but also delays the passive damage taken from opposing ink resulting from being hit by a Burst Bomb.
• Whenever facing an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user, their one-hit-splat capability and sharking tendency have to be taken into account proactively:
  • Keep track of all four members of the opposing team – which ones are present, which ones are splatted, and which ones are back at their spawn point.
  • Check the map periodically for opposing ink forming around flanks to anticipate a flanking attack.
  • Users of weapons that cover a wide area in front, such as the Tri-Slosher, are very difficult for an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user to safely approach from any angle except from directly behind.
  • Weapons that are medium-ranged and have splash damage – such as the Kensa Rapid Blaster– can poke at an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user around a corner or down a ledge, forcing them out of hiding.
  • Use your own Burst Bombs to temporarily immobilize an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user and prevent them from getting too close.
  • To prevent sharking, check suspicious puddles of the opponents' ink, preferably with a thrown sub weapon. Sub and special weapons that can track opponents hiding in their ink, such as Torpedoes and Tenta Missiles, reduce the likelihood of getting sharked.
  • Special weapons that provide you or your team protection, such as Baller or Ink Armor, can negate the one-hit-splat capability of an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user. However, even if you are armored, be wary of their burst canceling.
  • Team compositions that are good at turfing and maintaining map control can limit the mobility and effectiveness of an opposing Carbon Roller Deco user.
• If you happen to get within range to an opposing Autobomb Launcher user, then take them out quickly to interrupt the special.
• Splashdown and Booyah Bomb, if timed properly, can negate the Autobombs of an Autobomb Launcher.
• The Autobombs from an Autobomb Launcher can be lured away from their user's intended location and passed over to trigger their detonation. Make sure that you have time and space to avoid the splash radii of the Autobombs.

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.

Bomb Defense Up DX

As a short-ranged stealth slayer's weapon, the Carbon Roller Deco encourages its user to shark nearby their opponents, who might be inclined to use bombs flush them out. Ever since its introduction in Version 4.3.0, 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. 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.

Ink Resistance Up

A Carbon Roller Deco user is expected to 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.

Ability points	Mains	Subs	Invulnera- bility time (frames)	Rate of damage (HP/f)	Maximum damage (HP)	Run speed in opposing ink (DU/f)	Jump height in opposing ink
0	0	0	0	0.3	40.0	0.24	0.800
3	0	1	10	0.2	38.0	0.33	0.854
6	0	2	15	0.2	36.2	0.39	0.888

Ink Saver (Sub)

Ink Saver (Sub) allows more frequent use of Burst Bombs and saves ink for the main weapon after each Burst Bomb used. Because a Carbon Roller Deco user relies on their Burst Bombs for combos, having the ability to more frequently use Splat Bombs is invaluable.

• Just 10 ability points, or one main, reduce the ink consumption per Burst Bomb from 40% of the ink tank to 37.58%.

Main Power Up

Introduced in Version 4.3.0, Main Power Up increases the damage output for all rollers (but not brushes) by up to 15%. For the Carbon Roller Deco user, this means improved splatting consistency and effective ranges, even with a little investment in the ability. This also helps with Burst Bomb combos, since an opponent equipped with any amount of Bomb Defense Up DX can survive a direct Burst Bomb hit (60 HP) and the furthest reaches of a vertical swing (≤ 40 HP).

Ninja Squid

Ninja Squid reduces detection by opponents while swimming on non-vertical surfaces. It allows its user to swim at full speed undetected at the cost of about 20% of the maximum swimming speed as of Version 3.0.0. Because a Carbon Roller Deco user has difficulty attacking most opponents head-on, Ninja Squid can make it easier for its user to shark and more safely approach opponents.

• As of Version 3.0.0, Ninja Squid reduces the maximum swim speed of the Carbon Roller Deco from 2.02 units per frame to 1.81 units per frame.

Quick Respawn

Quick Respawn shortens respawn time after getting splatted (under specific conditions), encouraging a Carbon Roller Deco user to remain aggressive even after getting splatted.

• 16 ability points, or one main and two subs, are enough to reduce the respawn time from 8.5 seconds to 6.67 seconds.
• 26 ability points – two mains and two subs – are enough to reduce the respawn time from 8.5 seconds to 5.8 seconds.

Stealth Jump

Super Jumping to a teammate after respawning carries the risk of getting splatted upon landing, due to the presence of a Super Jump indicator. When equipped, Stealth Jump better covers this indicator from long distance opponents, allowing its user to more safely return to the front lines and maintain pressure on the opponent.

Swim Speed Up

As a short-ranged weapon that excels at flanking, the Carbon Roller Deco greatly benefits if it is able to swim faster. Swim Speed Up enables its user to more quickly close the distance towards an opponent, more quickly respond to an opponents' push, or even escape unfavorable situations.

• 16 ability points – one main and two subs – increase the swim speed from 2.02 to 2.19 units per frame.
• Swim Speed Up can reduce the swim speed penalty from Ninja Squid. However, it takes at least 28 ability points – either one main and six subs or about two mains and three subs – of Swim Speed Up to fully offset the swimming speed penalty of Ninja Squid.
• Therefore, a Carbon Roller Deco user with Ninja Squid will have to decide between either having fewer ability points available for other abilites or swimming at less than the base maximum speed. For example, just 13 ability points – one main and one sub – are enough to restore the swim speed of a Carbon Roller Deco user with Ninja Squid to 1.92 units per frame.