Competitive:Kensa Splattershot

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 Kensa Splattershot, see Kensa Splattershot.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

Kensa Splattershot

Abbreviations	Kensa Shot, K-Shot
Sub	Suction Bomb
Special	Tenta Missiles
Base damage	35
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.92%
Special points	180p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer/Support Flex
Strengths	Splatting, mobility, turfing, safe Anchor pressure (via Tenta Missiles), flexible with abilities
Weaknesses	Slightly short range compared to some other slayer's weapons

Use

Like both the Splattershot and the Tentatek Splattershot, the Kensa Splattershot is a suitable weapon for a slayer, designed to splat an opponent in as few as three hits with its rapid firing, good accuracy, and short to medium range. However, unlike the former two weapons, the Kensa Splattershot has a build that allows it to also play a supportive role:

• Its good mobility allows its user to apply pressure onto the opponent – whether head-on or through timely flanking – eliminating key defenders during a push.
• Defensively, its rapid rate of fire makes it great at both sharking to pick off unaware opponents and turfing to maintain map control. Its good overall ink efficiency also allows its user to more readily use Suction Bombs to keep opponents at bay.
• The Kensa Splattershot is faster and more efficient at turfing than most other slayer weapons, allowing its user to both maintain map control and build up its special weapon more quickly than most other weapons.

Suction Bombs can be used in a similar fashion to Splat Bombs, with a few differences:

• Pushing into a Splat Zone or any other important area of the stage, such as the opponents' street or platform. They inflict more damage from a direct hit and have a larger overall radius of damage.
• Flushing out opposing anchors from perches and clearing other critical areas, such as the Tower. The Suction Bomb's ability to attach to surfaces both allows more room for error when aiming and enables the planting of craftier traps, such as underneath a grate.
• Poking at and zoning out opponents during the neutral phase, stalling an opponent's push, or providing space to escape. They take two seconds after attaching to a surface to detonate, as opposed to one second for Splat Bombs, so plant Suction Bombs earlier than usual.
• Damaging or destroying an opponent's brella shield, Splash Wall, or Baller or the Rainmaker shield, while detonating on contact.
  • The Suction Bomb will also inflate or pop a teammate's bubbles but deflate or diffuse an opponent's bubbles.
  • Any opponents caught within the Suction Bomb's explosion will get damaged or splatted.
• An opponent's Splashdown or Booyah Bomb will defuse any Suction Bombs it comes in contact with, so hold off using them until after the special weapon finishes.

The Tenta Missiles can be used to pressure opponents and force them out of position without having to commit too far forward:

• It is recommended to only activate the Tenta Missiles at a safe distance from opponents, not only because a Tenta Missile user is vulnerable to close-range attacks but also because opponents who are further back are easier to track and home missiles on.
• After activating the Tenta Missiles, use its tracking phase as a pseudo-Echolocator to determine the opponents' locations and maximize the number of targets.
• Being lethal upon a direct hit, Tenta Missiles force opponents to move out of position. Launching them just before a push can cause opponents to scatter, giving your team opportunities to pick off any opponents caught fleeing the Missiles.
• Tenta Missiles can counter an opponent's Sting Ray or Booyah Bomb if anticipated early enough; an opponent will be forced to either delay or interrupt it to avoid getting splatted by the missiles, throwing off their aim.

Synergy

The Kensa Splattershot's versatility allows it to fit in almost any team composition. Even though it is capable of playing a supportive role, unless two other slayer weapons are present on the team, it is recommended to have another supportive weapon present to free the Kensa Splattershot user to play more offensively.

Countermeasures

• Matchups between Kensa Splattershots on opposing teams are determined by each player's skill, positioning, turf control, and the presence of any teammates.
• Any weapon that has a combination of longer range, better accuracy, or higher damage output without sacrificing too much mobility can counter a Kensa Splattershot. For example, both the Splattershot Pro and L-3 Nozzlenose and their respective variants meet all of these requirements.
• A long-ranged weapon, such as a charger or most splatlings, can attack a Kensa Splattershot from long distance with impunity. However, once the Kensa Splattershot gets close, the tables are turned, as it can outmaneuver and outdraw its less mobile, slower firing opponent.
• A competent Kensa Splattershot user is likely capable at both flanking and sharking:
  • 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 makes them an easier target for long-ranged teammates to pick off.
• When pursued by a Kensa Splattershot, using almost any sub weapon (except for Squid Beakons) can either delay their pursuit or deter them from chasing.
• When pursuing an opposing Kensa Splattershot, be wary of any Suction Bomb traps the opponent may have planted, such as around a corner or under a grate.
• Be mindful of both when the opponent has Tenta Missiles ready and when the missiles are launched:
  • If an opponent attempts to launch them when nearby you, splat them quickly to reduce or even cancel their deployment.
  • When the opponent deploys their Tenta Missiles, avoid getting close to teammates - even when not targeted, as a targeted player crossing paths with a teammate might cause the other to get injured or splatted.
  • Whenever targeted by opposing Tenta Missles, unless actively engaging an opponent, only move enough to avoid damage and reduce the amount of turfing by the Missiles.

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.

Comeback

Unless a Kensa Splattershot wielder is on an extended splatting streak, they can expect to get splatted often. When equipped, Comeback grants 10 ability points of six different stackable abilities for twenty seconds after respawning from getting splatted by an opponent:

• Ink Recovery Up
• Ink Saver (Main)
• Ink Saver (Sub)
• Run Speed Up
• Swim Speed Up
• Special Charge Up

Ink Saver (Sub) and Swim Speed Up are the most useful for the Kensa Splattershot user, allowing them to throw Suction Bombs more often and more quickly pursue and pressure the opponent upon returning from spawn.

Main Power Up

Main Power Up increases accuracy while either on the ground or in mid-air.

Quick Respawn

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

• 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 appearance 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.