Competitive:Custom Dualie Squelchers

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 Custom Dualie Squelchers, see Custom Dualie Squelchers.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

Custom Dualie Squelchers

Abbreviations	CDS, Squelchers
Sub	Splat Bomb
Special	Ink Storm
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	1.2% 8% (roll)
Special points	220p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer/Support/Skirmisher Flex
Strengths	Great mobility due to roll jumping and little lag after dodge rolling, range, turfing, versatility
Weaknesses	Low ink efficiency (particularly when dodge rolling), low damage without Main Power Up, below average accuracy before dodge rolling, very high special gauge requirement, highly dependent on abilities

Similarly to the Dualie Squelchers, the Custom Dualie Squelchers are a versatile pair of mid-ranged dualies, boasting the longest range out of their class. This variant's kit is more centered around area denial and zoning out opponents.

Use

The versatility of the Custom Dualie Squelchers accommodates both a slayer and a supportive playstyle:

• They arguably have the best mobility in the game thanks to their unique dodge rolls:
  • While many dualies enable their users to travel 50 DU per roll, the Custom Dualie Squelchers have a bit short dodge rolls (45 DU per roll), however that take less time to complete (24 frames) and have less lag time after a dodge roll (24 frames) than other dualies, resulting in the almost fastest dodge rolls in all of Splatoon 2.
  • Their rolls also allow their user to slide in any direction afterward, as well as jump while maintaining turret mode accuracy for a brief period of time. This allows for mix-ups in one-on-one situations against opponents.
    • While the shot spread at the start of a jump has been increased by 25% since Version 5.4.0, this nerf does not affect jumps performed immediately after a dodge roll.
  • While dodge rolling does not increase the fire rate of the Custom Dualie Squelchers as it does with other dualies, it still improves their accuracy and increases the shot radius.
  • Dodge rolling is a quick way to maintain an optimal distance from your opponent, whether zoning out shorter-ranged opponents or rushing down longer-ranged ones. However, be aware of your surroundings, particularly when dodge rolling backwards or sideways.
• Their medium range – equal to that of the Splattershot Pro and the H-3 Nozzlenose (160.396 DU) – exceeds those of various other typical slayer and support weapons, such as the Splattershot, the N-ZAP '85 (both 116.99 DU), the Tri-Slosher (120 DU), and even the Mini Splatling (130.1-154.1 DU), allowing their user to zone out many opponents and turf from a safer distance.
• They also have good turfing capability, enabling their user to more easily maintain map control and either capture or secure Splat Zones.
• For all of their advantages, the Custom Dualie Squelchers still have a few notable drawbacks:
  • Their base damage of 28 HP is low without the assistance of Main Power Up. As a result, they have difficulty in directly confronting and splatting certain opponents.
  • They have a high ink consumption rate, both when firing and dodge rolling. Keep an eye on the ink tank – particularly while rolling – to avoid running out of ink.
  • Their special gauge requirement of 220p means that, compared to other support weapons, the Custom Dualie Squelchers will not have their special weapon available as frequently.

The Splat Bomb is a powerful, versatile sub weapon with a variety of purposes suited for either a slayer or support player:

• It can be used for poking at and zoning out opponents during the neutral phase, stalling an opponent's push, or denying opponents safe access to important areas of the stage, such as the Tower, that might not be easy to fire at with the main weapon.
• Carefully lobbing a Splat Bomb at an opposing anchor positioned on their snipe will hinder their ability to control space with their range.
• If a shorter-ranged opponent gets too close, either dropping a Splat Bomb at your feet or rolling it like a bowling ball can provide time and space to escape.
• A Splat 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 Splat 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, Booyah Bomb, or Ultra Stamp will defuse any Splat Bombs it touches, so hold off using them until after their special weapon finishes.

Ink Storm is an area of effect (AoE) special weapon that can alter the battle if activated in the right location and direction:

• Immediately upon activating the special, its user will be holding the Ink Storm device and be vulnerable to attack. Therefore, do not activate the special while being attacked, and make sure to throw it onto a surface before an opponent gets the opportunity to splat you.
• Slower, less mobile opponents – especially Rainmaker carriers – are less capable of escaping Ink Storm's area of effect and, thus, are more adversely affected.
• Its gradual damage provides two benefits for the Custom Dualie Squelchers user:
  • It enables the main weapon to more easily splat opponents in three shots if enough Main Power Up is equipped.
  • It also provides a good counter against Ink Armor, especially when paired with Object Shredder.
• Ink Storm's damage on the opponent becomes more effective whenever the opponent has less space to maneuver around, such as in an alley or on the Tower.
• Defensively, Ink Storm can slow or disrupt the opponents' push by either altering their intended attack routes or weakening any opponents within the storm.
• Offensively, Ink Storm can soften opposing defenses by forcing opponents out of optimal positions and inflicting chip damage onto those caught in the ink rain.
• Besides potentially damaging opponents, Ink Storm also gradually turfs any non-vertical surface it travels over:
  • Although an Ink Storm may not be enough to capture an entire zone or two by itself, it can still help capture zones by pushing out opponents.
  • While Bomb Launcher is more damaging and thorough in turfing, Ink Storm works automatically and allows its user to remain in relative safety.
  • The damaging and turfing effects of Ink Storm are slower and more gradual than those of a Booyah Bomb but last longer and affect a larger area, due to its drift.
• An Ink Storm above the Rainmaker can either weaken its shield to pop it or prevent the opponent from popping it.
• Special weapons are also free ink tank refills, allowing a Custom Dualie Squelchers user to launch Ink Storm and immediately attack opponents fleeing it.

Synergy

The Custom Dualie Squelchers are very versatile and can slot into almost any team composition. However, sometimes they struggle to fight due to their relatively low damage, and they cannot farm their special weapon as often as other weapons can.

• Pairing them with a more traditional slayer, such as a Splattershot or a Tri-Slosher, can help the team confirm splats more easily.
• A traditional support player with an easily farmable special, such as the N-ZAP '85 or the Mini Splatling, can address the need for constant special weapon use.

Ink Storm is intended for either contesting territory, such as Splat Zones, or stalling opponents' pushes but is not as reliable at splatting opponents who actively avoid the Storm. Therefore, it is advised to have other special weapons available to complement Ink Storm, as having too many users of any combination of Ink Storm and Bomb Launcher (no more than two) in a team composition will limit a team's arsenal of weapons:

• Ink Storm provides no direct means of protection, meaning that opponents can still fire or throw sub weapons into the Storm.
• Other special weapons, such as Inkjet or Sting Ray, are intended for splatting opponents and more capable at this than is Ink Storm.

Combining Ink Storm with other specials can bolster a team's ability to either make a push or counter the opponents' push:

• Ink Armor and other protective special weapons, such as Baller and Bubble Blower, can increase the survivability of a team as they push into contested territory.
• After launching Ink Storm, a teammate who is using a special weapon designed for splat opponents, such as Sting Ray or Inkjet, can further limit the opponents' escape options or splat them as they scatter.

Countermeasures

• Both Bomb Defense Up DX and Ink Resistance Up – already valuable utility abilities – can provide a couple of crucial measures of protection against an opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user:
  • While the lethal damage of an opponent's Splat Bomb can only be avoided by dodging, Bomb Defense Up DX reduces the amount of splash damage taken from them from 30.0 HP to 28.6 HP.
  • Ink Resistance Up reduces the chance of getting splatted in three shots from a Custom Dualie Squelchers user due to the brief invincibility frames it provides when touching opposing ink on various surfaces.
• The Custom Dualie Squelchers are formidable force against most other weapons, due to its mobility and range. Therefore, users of most other weapons cannot easily defeat it in a straight one-on-one matchup and must use other means to defeat it:
  • Matchups between opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers users are decided by each player's skill, positioning, turf control, and the presence of any teammates.
  • To engage an opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user with a shorter range weapon, try to catch them off guard through either careful flanking or sharking, better positioning, or wise use of bombs. Hit them hard and fast before they can flee with their dodge rolling, and do not forget about their Splat Bombs.
  • All variants of the Splattershot Pro, and the H-3 Nozzlenose have the same range and higher DPS but less mobility than the Custom Dualie Squelchers. Try to force the opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user to fight in a more closed area.
• Any user of a long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or most splatlings, all variants of the .96 Gal, the Squeezer and the Jet Squelcher can fire upon an opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user with impunity, but be aware of their mobility, as they can evade your shots while closing the distance.
• An opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user's high mobility makes them very effective at flanking, and, while not thought of as a sharking weapon, is still capable of doing so. To prevent either from happening, take a few proactive measures:
  • 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.
  • To prevent sharking, check suspicious puddles of the opponents' ink, preferably with a thrown sub weapon.
  • Weapons that track opponents, such as Point Sensors, temporarily prevent an opponent from sharking and make them an easier target for long-ranged teammates to pick off.
• When pursued by an opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user, using almost any sub weapon (except for Squid Beakons) can either delay their pursuit or deter them from chasing.
• When pursuing an opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user, be wary of any Splat Bombs they might plant while retreating, such as around a corner or after climbing a ledge.
• When facing an opposing Ink Storm, assess where is a safe place to either reroute an attack or reposition on defense:
  • In general, avoid getting caught under an opponent's Ink Storm for an extended time, but also be wary of opponents waiting to pick off anyone fleeing the Storm.
  • Pay extra attention to where the opposing Custom Dualie Squelchers user – and any other opponents whose main weapons' damage is increased with Main Power Up – is at whenever they launch their Ink Storm.
  • If you must travel under an opponent's Ink Storm, avoid moving in the same direction that the Storm is traveling to minimize damage.
  • Even while avoiding an opponent's Ink Storm, it is still possible to turf or otherwise influence the area underneath. Long-ranged weapons, thrown sub weapons, and other special weapons (such as a counter-Ink Storm or Bomb Launcher) can splat opponents or dissuade them from occupying the turf underneath.

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.

Highly recommended

Bomb Defense Up DX

While the mobile, mid-ranged Custom Dualie Squelchers can keep their user safe from many direct engagements, there will still be times when they will still take splash damage from opponents' bombs thrown in their direction. 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 Recovery Up

These increase the ink efficiency of the user, increasing the time actively firing and decreasing the time recovering ink.

Ink Resistance Up

Dodge rolling with the Custom Dualie Squelchers is an easy way to move about the stage, but it also increases the chances of coming 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 (Main)

While the Custom Dualie Squelchers consume a reasonable amount of ink per shot (1.2%, versus 2% from the Splattershot Pro), dodge rolling quickly depletes the ink tank. Ink Saver (Main) reduces the ink consumption from both shooting and dodge rolling, the latter being very useful for the Custom Dualie Squelchers user:

Ability points	Mains	Subs	Dodge rolls	Shots after Splat Bomb	Shots after Splat Bomb + Dodge Roll	Shots after Splat Bomb + 2 Dodge Rolls	Shots after Splat Bomb + 3 Dodge Rolls
0	0	0	12.50	25.00	18.33	11.67	5.00
3	0	1	13.07	26.14	19.47	12.81	6.14
6	0	2	13.66	27.31	20.65	13.98	7.32
10	1	0	14.47	28.95	22.28	15.61	8.94

Ink Saver (Sub)

Ink Saver (Sub) allows more frequent use of Splat Bombs and saves ink for the main weapon after each Splat Bomb used. While a Custom Dualie Squelchers user with a slayer build would focus more on Main Power Up, one seeking a supportive build can benefit from being able to spam Splat Bombs.

• 13 ability points, or one main and one sub, reduces the ink requirement per Splat Bomb to just above 60.6% for a Custom Dualie Squelchers user user.

Last-Ditch Effort

Last-Ditch Effort is a Headgear-exclusive ability that, under specific conditions, grants its user 1 to 24 ability points each of the following abilities:

• Ink Saver (Main)
• Ink Saver (Sub)
• Ink Recovery Up

These abilities only begin to take effect under either of the following conditions:

• There are at most 30 seconds remaining on the game clock, or Overtime has begun in a Ranked Battle, at which the maximum 24 ability points will be granted for each of the above abilities.
• In a Ranked Battle, the opposing team's countdown has at most 50 points remaining. The effects of Last-Ditch Effort increase as the opposing team's countdown decreases from 50 to 30 points remaining, starting with 1 ability point for each ability and maxing out to 24 ability points.

The Custom Dualie Squelchers consumes ink rapidly, particularly from dodge rolling, and Splat Bombs are more often relied upon since Ink Storm is not easily farmable. A supportive Custom Dualie Squelchers user can greatly benefit from both the overall reduced ink consumption and increased ink recovery

Main Power Up

Ever since its introduction in Version 4.3.0, Main Power Up has made the Custom Dualie Squelchers a more viable option for a slayer. It increases the damage output of the Custom Dualie Squelchers' shots by up to 20%. However, the damage of any shot cannot be increased above 33.3 HP — preventing the Custom Dualie Squelchers from having a true three-hit-splat, and the amount of Main Power Up needed to reach this value – 47 ability points, achievable with either two mains and nine subs or three mains and six subs – is excessively high. Fortunately, some slightly smaller amounts of ability points can be enough to optimize the damage output of the Custom Dualie Squelchers:

• 13 ability points, or one main and one sub, increases the Custom Dualie Squelchers' damage to over 30.0, which is able to break opponents' Ink Armor in one hit. While this takes up one more sub ability slot than Object Shredder (see below), the damage is guaranteed regardless of whether an opponent has Armor or not.
• 45 ability points, or three mains and five subs, increases the damage to 33.2, which splats an opponent in three shots if they touch your ink for two frames, with ink on surfaces dealing 0.3 damage per frame - hardly a difference from 33.3 while leaving room for four sub abilities.

Object Shredder

Object Shredder is a shoe exclusive main ability that will be helpful for supportive Custom Dualie Squelchers builds:

• The main weapon, Splat Bombs, and Ink Storm will all quickly destroy opponents' Ink Armor.
• It helps the user pop the Rainmaker shield and destroy opponents' objects quicker, such as Splash Walls.
• It increases the damage inflicted onto friendly and opposing bubbles, allowing the user to either help teammates pop them faster or maintain them on the field, or quickly remove opponents' bubbles from the stage.

Special Charge Up

Special Charge Up accelerates the rate at which the special gauge is built up. As of Version 5.4.0, the Custom Dualie Squelchers – along with the Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau – have the highest special gauge requirement for Ink Storm (220p), so this ability is essential for a supportive Custom Dualie Squelchers user to build up the special gauge quickly enough to provide their team Ink Storm to either initiate a push or counter the opponents' push.

• 12 ability points – achievable with either four subs or one main and one sub – are enough to effectively reduce the special gauge requirement to below 199p.
• 19 ability points – either one main and three subs or two mains – effectively reduce the special gauge requirement to below 190p.</ref>

Special Saver

When splatted, half of the special gauge progress is lost. For example, a player with 180p of special gauge out of 220p upon getting splatted will lose 90p of the special gauge. Special Saver allows its user to keep more of their special gauge progress whenever they are splatted. This allows a supportive Custom Dualie Squelchers user to more quickly build up Ink Storm after respawning.

• 6 ability points – two subs – are enough to increase the amount of special gauge progress saved from 50% to 64.6%.

Moderately useful

Sub Power Up

Sub Power Up increases the throwing range and travelling velocity, allowing better utility of the Splat Bomb.

Not recommended

Run Speed Up

Not recommended. While this may seem useful, using rolls, or painting a path and swimming, will get the user farther than Run Speed Up could, as even stacking three mains of Run Speed only sees a minimal distance increase for shooting while firing, which is the main usage of Run Speed. (0.72 DU/f compared to 0.86 DU/f)