Competitive:N-ZAP '85

Unofficial!

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

For information about the N-ZAP '85, see N-ZAP '85.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

N-ZAP '85

Abbreviations	N-ZAP, Zap
Sub	Suction Bomb
Special	Ink Armor
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.8%
Special points	200p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer/Support Flex
Strengths	Mobility, turfing, rapid firing rate, ink efficiency, Suction Bomb spamming, Ink Armor farming, flexible with abilities
Weaknesses	Weak damage, short range

The N-ZAP '85 is a mobile, versatile weapon that provides turfing, lethal bombs, and a global special weapon. While its damage is weak, it fires rapidly and accurately, giving its user better fighting capability than some other support weapons, such as the Splattershot Jr..

Use

The N-ZAP '85 is an all-rounded support weapon and a reasonably capable slayer's weapon:

• Its greatest advantage is its mobility, which – along with advanced movement techniques, such as sub strafing and ledge canceling – can be exploited to avoid incoming fire, pursue retreating opponents, and quickly respond to opposing pushes.
  • Its movement speed while firing (0.84 DU/f) is higher than those of most other support weapons, such as the H-3 Nozzlenose D (0.60 DU/f), the Kensa Splattershot, and even the lightweight Splattershot Jr. and Neo Splash-o-matic (all 0.72 DU/f). Only the middleweight Mini Splatling (0.86 DU/f) and Flingza Roller (1.08 DU/f) have faster movement speeds while firing.
• It has a rapid rate of fire (5 frames between shots), which translates into two advantages:
  • It turfs territory quickly, allowing its user to maintain map control, cap Splat Zones, and farm Ink Armor quickly. Maximize the efficiency of your turfing by rocking your aim up and down while strafing sideways.
  • It has a high enough damage rate (336 DPS) and good accuracy for its user to hold their own against some opponents.
• Its low ink usage per shot (0.8%) makes it very efficient — more so than more offensively inclined support weapons, like the .96 Gal (2.5%) and the H-3 Nozzlenose D (2.25%). This also allows an N-ZAP '85 user to more liberally use their Suction Bombs.

Despite its versatility, the N-ZAP '85 still has some disadvantages:

• Its damage per shot is low and – unlike the Neo Splash-o-matic – cannot be augmented with Main Power Up. The main weapon will have difficulty breaking through opponents' brella shields and Splash Walls.
• Its short range (116.99 DU) puts its user at a disadvantage in a number of matchups, such as against an opposing user of a slosher (e.g., 120 DU for the Tri-Slosher), a Mini Splatling (130.1-154.1 DU), or Dualie Squelchers (160.396 DU).
• These two weaknesses make an opposing Kensa .52 Gal user (124.944 DU) a difficult opponent to challenge. Try to avoid direct confrontations against them and focus on easier opponents or other tasks, such as Suction Bomb support or Ink Armor farming.

Suction Bombs are powerful lethal bombs with some unique applications, thanks to their ability to attach to surfaces:

• They have higher lethal damage (220 HP) and a larger blast radius (80 DU) than Splat Bombs to offset their slower detonation time (two seconds), providing a few advantages:
  • They can deny larger areas from opponents, such as around a corner, beneath a ledge, or even behind a Tenta Brella shield (if thrown onto the very top of the shield)!
  • The extra damage gives their user a slightly quicker means to damage an opponent's brella shield or Splash Wall, particularly when Object Shredder is equipped (versus Splash Wall).
  • The larger blast radius also applies to turf inked, making Suction Bombs very effective at capping or holding a Splat Zone from a safe distance.
• Their ability to attach to surfaces enables their user to plant them on (and deny opponents access to) walls, grate bridges and catwalks (by attaching one underneath), and the Tower.
• Like Splat Bombs, they can be used to poke at and zone out opponents during the neutral phase, flush out opposing anchors from perches, lead a push into opposing turf, stall an opponent's push, or provide space to escape.
• A Suction 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 Suction 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 Suction Bombs it touches, so hold off using them until after their special weapon finishes.

Ink Armor enables its user's team to either push into opposing turf more aggressively or more staunchly hold its ground, such as while locking out the opponent:

• Time the activation of Ink Armor carefully so that you and your teammates receive its protection before engaging the opponent.
• Try to use Ink Armor when most or all teammates are active. Slayers, who risk getting splatted more often, benefit from Ink Armor more than anchors do.
• Upon activation, Ink Armor will protect its user and their teammates except for those either carrying the Rainmaker or using either Baller or Booyah Bomb. Also, players protected by Ink Armor lose it upon gaining possession of the Rainmaker.
  • As a support player, an N-ZAP '85 user is often expected to carry the Rainmaker, usually following the path turfed by their slayer teammates, who push into opposing turf. Whenever possible, farm Ink Armor and use it just before picking up the Rainmaker.

Synergy

The N-ZAP '85's great turfing, Suction Bombs, and Ink Armor make it an excellent fit in many team compositions. However, make sure to include at least one longer-ranged weapon along with the short-ranged N-ZAP '85, as having a team composition with only short-ranged weapons 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.

Because an N-ZAP '85 user provides such valuable support for their team, they will always be a tactical target for the opposing team. Due to their weak damage, they would also benefit from having teammates wielding weapons that are effective at splatting opponents.

• Slayers using poor turfing or ink-guzzling weapons – such as blasters, sloshers, Dualie Squelchers, and the Foil Squeezer – would benefit from an N-ZAP '85 user's rapid turfing, which can pave escape lanes through which they can retreat whenever necessary.
• Teammates using weapons that depend on map control to be effective – most rollers, Squiffers, and Nautiluses – would also benefit from a friendly N-ZAP '85 user's consistent turfing output.

Even though the N-ZAP '85 has decent fighting capability, always remember that your Suction Bomb support and Ink Armor are usually much more valuable to your team. Therefore, survivability is the most important skill for an N-ZAP '85 user:

• Stay just close enough to your teammates so that they can come over to protect you at a moment's notice while you can support them with turfing and Suction Bombs.
• If your teammates get splatted and you are outnumbered, then retreat – most often by super jumping – and regroup. Maintaining your special gauge progress for Ink Armor is often more important than trying to pick off an opponent. Stalling the opponents' push with Suction Bombs is also a good tactic as long as you have time and space to flee from a pursuing opponent.

While Ink Armor is a valuable global special weapon, having more than one reduces the number of unique special weapons your team can have. Plus, multiple Ink Armors used by the same team do not stack. Therefore, it would be redundant for a team to have more than two Ink Armor users.

• If another teammate has Ink Armor, they should at least provide something that the N-ZAP '85 is lacking. A friendly Tri-Slosher user would be a good example of this. Thus, while a second N-ZAP '85 user who is willing to adopt a more aggressive playstyle and loadout could be an effective teammate, a Splattershot Jr. or Kensa Undercover Brella user would not be as effective a teammate since both weapons are even less competent in one-on-one matchups.
• An N-ZAP '85 user's Ink Armor can supplement that of a teammate whose weapon has difficulty farming Ink Armor consistently due to slow turfing (Rapid Blaster Pro Deco), a high special gauge requirement (H-3 Nozzlenose D), or both (Custom Hydra Splatling).

While special weapons used in combination are beneficial in general, the combination of Ink Armor with either Inkjet or Ultra Stamp is particularly invaluable for the user of the latter special, improving their survivability:

• Because an Ink Armored player can withstand more damage — especially from an opponent's charger, an armored Inkjet pilot can fly more aggressively.
• An armored Ultra Stamp user is also more difficult for opponents to splat while swinging the hammer. However, they are easier to spot when submerged in their ink.

Countermeasures

• Other Ink Armor-based support weapons each have at least one specific advantage over the N-ZAP '85:
  • The Splattershot Jr. has faster turfing, a lower special gauge requirement, and a larger ink tank, the latter which more easily enables bomb spamming.
  • Both the .96 Gal and H-3 Nozzlenose D outrange (160.396 DU) and overpower the N-ZAP '85.
  • Both the .96 Gal and the Kensa Undercover Brella have lower special gauge requirements (190p) than the N-ZAP '85.
  • The Kensa Undercover Brella has a shield for protection and Torpedoes for both zoning and distracting opponents.
• While the N-ZAP '85 stands better against slayer's weapons than the Splattershot Jr., most slayer's weapons still have an advantage in a one-on-one, particularly in terms of damage. However, be wary of any Suction Bomb traps an opposing N-ZAP '85 might plant while retreating, such as around a corner or underneath a grate.
• If an opposing N-ZAP '85 user throws a Suction Bomb onto the Tower while you are riding it, you can move to the other side of the Tower and use the stake for cover from the blast. However, be ready to fend off any opponents – including the opposing N-ZAP '85 user – who attempt to attack this other side.
• Keep an eye on the HUD to know when the opponent's N-ZAP '85 has Ink Armor ready to use, and both watch and listen for when it is activated.
  • The best way to prevent the opponent from using armor is to splat the opponent with the N-ZAP '85 (or any other Ink Armor-equipped weapon). A charger user can prioritize said opponent when sniping, or a slayer can attempt to pick off an unwary N-ZAP '85.
  • Fight fire with fire by having and using Ink Armor to counter the opposing N-ZAP '85 user's Armor. Skirmishes between armored teams will depend on when each Ink Armor was activated, the players' skill and positioning, turf control, and the availability of other specials.
  • Ink Armor can negate up to 30 HP of damage, so there are a few main and sub weapons that can remove an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit:
    • For example, all variants of the Splattershot, the Splattershot Pro, and the Splat Dualies all inflict at least 30 HP of damage per shot and fire relatively rapidly. All variants of the Splash-o-matic and the Dualie Squelchers can also accomplish this with enough Main Power Up.
    • Object Shredder triples damage inflicted onto armored opponents, allowing weapons that cannot otherwise inflict 30 HP of damage to break an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit. Combining Object Shredder with Ink Storm can nearly neutralize armored pushes by the opponent.
    • The splash damage of most bombs will destroy the Ink Armor of opponents who have no Bomb Defense Up DX equipped. Burst Bombs are quite effective at this due to their instant explosion and low ink consumption.
  • Otherwise, focus fire on armored opponents for longer than usual - preferably while ganging up on one opponent at a time - to compensate for their armor.

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

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. This is a useful ability for almost any player, including an N-ZAP '85 user, whether they play as a slayer or a support player. 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.

Comeback

An N-ZAP '85 wielder who adopts an aggressive playstyle can expect to get splatted often unless they go on an extended splatting streak. Comeback is a headgear-exclusive ability that, when equipped, 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

Both Ink Saver (Sub) and Special Charge Up provide the best benefits the aggressive N-ZAP '85 user, allowing them to pursue and pressure the opponent upon returning from spawn with the freedom to use both their main and sub weapons while building up their special gauge more quickly.

Ink Resistance Up

An N-ZAP '85 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 Suction Bombs and saves ink for the main weapon after each Suction Bomb used. Having the ability to use Suction Bombs more often allows a supportive N-ZAP '85 user to more reliably slow the opponents' push. For example, constantly tossing Suction Bombs onto the Tower can force opponents off of it, delaying their Tower push.

• 13 ability points, or one main and one sub, reduces the ink requirement per Suction Bomb to just above 60.6% for an N-ZAP '85 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.

Like other weapons whose builds include bombs, the N-ZAP '85 can greatly benefit from the reduced ink consumption per Suction Bomb used, allowing a supportive N-ZAP '85 user to spam Suction Bombs during either a crucial defensive stand or a late attempt to reclaim the lead.

Object Shredder

An ability exclusive to shoes, Object Shredder provides an N-ZAP '85 user two specific benefits:

• It triples the amount of damage inflicted onto armored opponents, allowing them to break an opponent's Ink Armor with one shot from their main weapon.
• It also enables them to pop the Rainmaker shield more quickly with either their main weapon or Suction Bombs, allowing their team to start or restart a push more quickly while gaining a large amount of turf control in the immediate area.

Because Object Shredder occupies an entire main ability, its main drawback is that it reduces the amount of ability points allowed for other potentially important gear abilities, such as Ink Saver (Sub) and Special Charge Up. Last-Ditch Effort can be combined with Object Shredder to reduce the need for Ink Saver (Sub).

Quick Respawn

Quick Respawn shortens respawn time after getting splatted (under specific conditions), encouraging an aggressive N-ZAP '85 user to maintain pressure onto the opponent even after getting splatted.

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

Quick Super Jump

Quick Super Jump decreases both the "charge" time before and the travel time of a Super Jump, helping its user escape unfavorable situations more quickly. While an N-ZAP '85 player can fight in one-on-one battles more effectively than a Splattershot Jr. user, they will still be outmatched by some opponents, and preserving valuable special gauge progress is often more important than splatting an opponent. Aggressive N-ZAP '85 users will also benefit since Quick Super Jump allows them to return to the front lines more quickly.

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

Run Speed Up

The N-ZAP '85, an already mobile weapon in humanoid form, can still benefit greatly from Run Speed Up, particularly while firing. Having the ability to strafe more quickly increases an N-ZAP '85 user's survivability, allowing them to last longer in fights to either win them or stall them long enough until teammates arrive.

• 13 ability points, or one main and one sub,…
  • …increases an N-ZAP '85 user's running speed from 1.04 DU/f (distance units per frame) to 1.19 DU/f.
  • …increases running speed while firing from 0.84 DU/f to 0.92 DU/f.

Special Charge Up

Special Charge Up accelerates building up the special gauge for Ink Armor. Since farming Ink Armor is one of a few roles of the N-ZAP '85, constantly having Ink Armor available for teammates ensures more successful pushes and counter-pushes.

• Just six ability points, or two subs, are enough to reduce the special gauge requirement from 200p to 190p.
• 13 ability points – one main and one sub – further reduce the special gauge requirement to 180p.

Special Saver

When splatted, half of the special gauge progress is lost. For example, a player with 150p of special gauge out of 200p upon getting splatted will lose 75p of the special gauge. Special Saver allows its user to keep more of their special gauge progress whenever they are splatted. This allows an N-ZAP '85 user to more quickly build up Ink Armor after respawning.

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

In competitive play

The N-ZAP '85 even at the start of the game, was seen as the best weapon in the game. While its kill power is lower than others, having Ink Armor was a huge strength for the weapon with how strong Ink Armor was. The N-ZAP '85 was seen as the best weapon with Ink Armor at version 2.0.0. The weapon was very strong in other areas such as its strafe speed and turfing making it a great support. . In version 3.0.0, the N-ZAP '85 would no longer be seen as the best weapon in the game. It drops down slightly but still is seen as viable. The N-ZAP '85 after its nerf that increased the special points from 190 to 210 in version 2.2.0 would drop more as competitive players as Sorin would put it lower in his tier list, as it cannot spam Ink Armor efficiently anymore.

The N-ZAP '85 would still drop more into version 4.6.0 with Chara saying how other better options existing, such as the Kensa Undercover Brella and H-3 Nozzlenose D which can spam just as well and are better in general. The N-ZAP '83 was ranked in the same place as the N-ZAP '85. The weapon at version version 4.8.0 would start to slowly rise. It would be higher in high tiers as it is a more aggressive support than the Kensa Undercover Brella or a Splattershot Jr... With version 4.7.0's buff to Last-Ditch Effort and the N-ZAP '85's buff making it 200 points for Ink Armor instead of 210, the N-ZAP '85 became one of the main support weapons in the game. It rose to the top once again in version 5.3.0 with it being similar to Splattershot Jr. but with it being better at fighting, having the same mobility, and Last-Ditch Effort allowing for more frequent Suction Bombs, which are considered the better support bomb. However it does not farm as much Ink Armors as much as the Splattershot Jr.. Even in version 5.5.0, where weapons such as the Kensa .52 Gal rose to the top, the N-ZAP '85 still is strong as a support with its versatility and with the other supports starting to fall.