Competitive:Kensa Splattershot Jr.

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 Jr., see Kensa Splattershot Jr..

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

Kensa Splattershot Jr.

Abbreviations	K-Junior
Sub	Torpedo
Special	Bubble Blower
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.43%
Special points	190p
Special depletion
Role	Support
Strengths	Turfing, mobility, ink efficiency, larger ink tank, Torpedo spamming, can use Bubble Blower more offensively (with Torpedoes)
Weaknesses	Weak in most one-on-one encounters without the Torpedo-Bubble Blower combination, dependent on abilities

Like its Vanilla variant, the Kensa Splattershot Jr. is a short-ranged, rapidly turfing weapon with a larger ink tank with 10% more capacity and sub and special weapons that provide support. However, its kit also allows its user to directly pressure opponents in a unique, novel way.

Use

The specific traits of the Kensa Splattershot Jr. make it best suited for a support role:

• It has a wide shot spread, enabling it to quickly turf large areas, which allows it to either gain or maintain map control, quickly capture zones in Splat Zones, and build up the Bubble Blower relatively quickly, allowing its user to either use the Torpedo-Bubble Blower combination (see below) more frequently or help mount a push at a moment's notice.
• The main tradeoff of the wide shot spread is the resulting poor accuracy, which, along with the short range (103.89 DU), makes the Kensa Splattershot Jr. a poor main weapon for directly engaging most opponents.
  • It is still capable of quickly splatting opponents, provided that its user can catch an opponent by surprise and within its short range. However, playing too aggressively risks depriving the user's team both map control and Bubble Blower, so be judicious about when to either flank or shark.
  • Otherwise, if a certain matchup is disadvantageous, disengage by dropping or throwing a Torpedo behind whenever possible and Super Jumping back to the Spawn point if necessary.
• Fortunately, the Kensa Splattershot Jr. is one of the most mobile weapons in the game, partially thanks to its lightweight nature. A Kensa Splattershot Jr. user…
  • …runs at 1.04 DU/f.
  • …swims at 2.02 DU/f.
  • …runs at 0.72 DU/f while firing.
  • …needs only 2 frames after firing until they can either use a Torpedo or morph into squid/octopus form.
  • …can use this high mobility to hastily flee from a pursuing opponent or quickly react on either offense or defense.
  • …will further improve their already high mobility if they practice and master advanced movement techniques, such as sub strafing and ledge canceling.

The most reliable way a Kensa Splattershot Jr. player can engage an opponent is through constant and coordinated use of Torpedoes:

• When attacking an opponent's position, try to throw Torpedoes in a direction that distracts the opponent from firing at a teammate.
• Torpedoes are also useful for poking at opponents during the neutral phase.
• When rolled on the floor or against a wall like a Splat Bomb, a Torpedo will remain in its first stage and explode in a similar fashion. While less powerful than a Splat Bomb, a rolled Torpedo is still good at either stalling an opponent's push or providing cover while fleeing.
• Using any special weapon also provides a free ink tank refill. This is most taken advantage of during the Torpedo-Bubble Blower combination (see below).

Bubbles launched from the Bubble Blower can turf surfaces and splat opponents when popped, but they are even better at providing protection:

• Create some distance from the opponents before activating Bubble Blower, as a Bubble Blower user is vulnerable at close range.
• When Bubble Blower is active, the main weapon cannot be used, but Torpedoes can still be launched.
• Be aware of your teammates' and opponents' positions whenever using Bubble Blower, particularly if any opponents have lethal bombs. If an opponent's lethal bomb comes in contact with your bubbles, it will detonate, splatting anyone on your team caught within its explosion:
  • Avoid launching any bubbles if a teammate is directly in front of you, especially when an opponent armed with lethal bombs is within throwing distance.
  • Avoid getting flanked from behind when pushing forward while either behind or within your own bubbles.
• Blowing bubbles in front of a push (e.g. Tower, Rainmaker, or Power Clam) can protect its user and any teammates from incoming opposing fire.
• Bubbles will grow when hit with friendly ink and shrink when hit by opposing ink.

A Kensa Splattershot Jr. user with Object Shredder and Special Power Up can combine Torpedoes and Bubble Blower to push into any key areas of the stage:

• Throw a Torpedo toward an opponent who is neither too far nor too high above. The Torpedo has to lock on to an opponent and change into its second stage, which will cause it to briefly float in midair. Torpedoes that remain in their first stage are not damaging enough to perform this tactic.
• Quickly activate Bubble Blower and launch a bubble toward the floating second-stage Torpedo, which will detonate and burst the bubble, splatting any nearby opponents. This might require moving towards the Torpedo before launching the bubble.
• Repeat by launching another Torpedo towards an opponent before releasing another bubble, or use any remaining bubbles for other purposes.

Synergy

The Kensa Splattershot Jr. is great at turfing and building up Bubble Blower but poor in splatting. Therefore, it makes a great complement to – and is well complemented by – a slayer, particularly one whose weapon has trouble turfing, such as a Splattershot Pro or a Custom Blaster.

• Turfing while following a teammate builds up Bubble Blower and provides friendly turf to which a teammate can retreat whenever needed.
• Cooperate with the teammate using primarily Torpedoes when engaging an opponent: attack from different angles, or force the opponent to come within range of the teammate's weapon.
• If your teammate gets splatted and the opponent(s) is/are still present, then consider retreating instead of risking getting splatted and losing Bubble Blower progress.

While a team might get away with having one or two users of short-ranged weapons, such as the Kensa Splattershot Jr., having a team composition with too many short-ranged weapons and no longer-ranged weapons 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.

Besides providing protection while pushing the objective, the Bubble Blower works well in conjunction with other special weapons:

• A well-placed Ink Storm can help sustain bubbles before eventually bursting them in an explosion of ink, pushing the opponents back.
• Bubbles can provide cover for a teammate using certain mobile special weapons, such as a Baller.

Countermeasures

• Because the Kensa Splattershot Jr. is generally a poor main weapon for splatting, almost any weapon with longer range, better accuracy, or higher damage can defeat it in a one-on-one with relative ease. However, watch out for the Kensa Splattershot Jr.'s Torpedoes, and keep an eye on the HUD to know when the opponent's Bubble Blower is ready to use to avoid getting caught in the Torpedo-Bubble Blower combination.
• A Kensa Splattershot Jr. will most likely assist a teammate armed with a more formidable weapon; that opponent is usually the higher priority. Trying to engage against both is usually a poor idea, so either find a teammate to assist or try to separate the two opponents from one another using certain sub or special weapons.
• Whenever possible, shoot down the Kensa Splattershot Jr.'s Torpedoes as soon as possible to prevent both the damage and the turfing from the resulting droplets.
• There are a few ways to deal with an opposing Kensa Splattershot Jr.'s Bubble Blower and the bubbles it produces:
  • Picking off an opponent using Bubble Blower too close will stop the production of bubbles outright.
  • Bombs are not only usually the most efficient way to defuse opposing bubbles, but they can also splat any opponents caught in their blasts. However, the Kensa Splattershot Jr.'s own Torpedoes can also explode upon contact with the bubbles while growing them, so keep a safe distance from them.
  • Splashdown is usually the quickest means to destroy an opponent's bubbles. However, remember that an opposing Kensa Splattershot Jr. with Object Shredder can pop them very quickly with Splat Bombs, so getting caught in their explosion is very likely. The Baller's explosion can be a safer alternative.
  • If activated early enough, Ink Storm can quickly defuse any opponent's bubbles that travel underneath the cloud.

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.

Ink Saver (Sub)

While only one Torpedo may be used at a time, Ink Saver (Sub) still allows for more frequent use of Torpedoes by conserving ink after each Torpedo used. Because a Kensa Splattershot Jr. user depends on their sub weapon more than most other weapon users do on both offense and defense, having the ability to more frequently use Torpedoes is invaluable.

• 16 ability points – one main and two subs – combined with the larger ink tank unique to the Kensa Splattershot Jr., enable its user to throw two consecutive Torpedoes without having to refill.

Object Shredder

An ability exclusive to shoes, Object Shredder provides a Kensa Splattershot Jr. user three specific benefits:

• It increases their damage dealt to bubbles – both friendly and opposing – by 30%, allowing for quicker growing and popping of bubbles. This ability, along with Special Power Up (below), is required to more effectively execute the Torpedo-Bubble Blower combination (see above).
• It triples the amount of damage inflicted onto armored opponents, allowing a Kensa Splattershot Jr. to break an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit.
• It enables them to pop the Rainmaker shield more quickly with either their main weapon or Torpedoes, allowing their team to start or restart a push more quickly while gaining a large amount of turf control in the immediate area.

Quick Super Jump

Quick Super Jump decreases both the "charge" time before and the travel time of a Super Jump. A Kensa Splattershot Jr. player will be outmatched by most opponents, and Quick Super Jump can help them escape unfavorable situations more quickly, which avoids getting splatted, maintains a presence on the stage, and preserves precious special gauge progress.

• One sub, or 3 ability points, of Quick Super Jump decreases the "charge" time by 22 frames, or 0.36 seconds.

Special Charge Up

Special Charge Up accelerates building up the special gauge for Bubble Blower. Thanks to its great turfing, the Kensa Splattershot Jr. is quick at farming Bubble Blower, allowing its user to constantly have Bubble Blower available for more successful pushes and counter-pushes.

• Just six ability points – two sub – are enough to effectively reduce the special gauge requirement to below 180p.

Special Power Up

Special Power Up increases bubbles' size upon launching as well as their blast radius. The former trait enables bubbles to withstand more damage from the opponents before defusing, providing their user and their teammates a longer duration of protection.

• 19 ability points – one main and three subs – increases the bubbles' size by 18.78% and their explosion hitboxes by 39.71%.

Special Saver

When splatted, half of the special gauge progress is lost. For example, a player with 160p of special gauge out of 190p upon getting splatted will lose 80p of the special gauge. Special Saver allows its user to keep more of their special gauge progress whenever they are splatted. This allows a Splattershot Jr. user to more quickly build up Bubble Blower after respawning.

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