Competitive:Snipewriter 5H

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 Snipewriter 5H, see Snipewriter 5H.

Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3

Snipewriter 5H

Abbreviations	Snipewriter, Pencil
Sub	Sprinkler
Special	Tacticooler
Base damage	40–68 (Partial charge) 68 (Full charge)
Base duration
Ink consumption	35%
Special points	200p
Special depletion
Role	Support/Anchor
Strengths	Range, mobility
Weaknesses	High ink consumption, vulnerable to being rushed down, cannot store a charge

The Snipwriter 5H is a charger with the unique gimmick of having five shots with one full charge, at the cost of lower shot power. Its mobility lets the weapon play similarly to the Bamboozler 14 Mk I although with more range and higher ink consumption.

Use

The Snipewriter 5H's range allows the user to assume an anchor role, with the turf and chip damage also making way for a supportive playstyle.

• Being a charger, the Snipewriter 5H has to charge before firing.
  • While partial charges outrange some weapons, they do not deal maximum damage or give the user five shots. Partial charges should only be used when under fire or when following up on an opponent hit by a fully charged shot.
  • The Snipewriter 5H has about the same charge time as the Splat Charger. Full charges are the only way to get the five shots, but charging also leaves the user vulnerable. Stay away from enemy fire to charge safely.
• The Snipewriter 5H gets five shots after fully charging, giving the weapon some unique strengths.
  • Its five shots allow the user to splat multiple far-off opponents with a single charge.
  • The abundance of shots per charge lets the user afford to miss some shots, as only two are needed to splat an opponent.
  • More shots means more damage to objects.
  • The five shots means it can quickly ink long lines of turf, allowing the user to contest areas such as the Splat Zone if the user has charged it already.
• Another strength of the Snipewriter 5H is its mobility.
  • Said mobility allows the user to follow up on damaged opponents.
• It is important to not position like a Splatterscope or Hydra Splatling.
  • Opponents hit at the edge of the Snipewriter 5H's range can easily escape from a second shot, making splatting more difficult.
  • The Snipewriter 5H user should position near the front lines where it can consistently affect the opponents.
  • Being closer to opponents can also add to chip damage and assist teammates in finishing off a damaged enemy.
• The Snipwriter 5H cannot store a charge, leaving the user reliant on strafing if they want to move with a charge.
• Along with being unable to store a charge, the Snipewriter 5H has some other weaknesses.
  • It takes 40% of the ink tank to fully charge, meaning the user will quickly run out of ink during a match.
  • The damage dealt to objects such as the Crab Tank and Big Bubbler is low. While the Snipewriter 5H can deal damage to said objects from a distance, it will take a long time to break them.
  • Its long charge times leaves the user vulnerable to opponents. Be aware of opponents and be sure to check the map for flanks.

The Sprinkler can be used in a variety of ways to help a Snipewriter 5H user:

• Turfing areas that are either out of reach or unsafe to approach.
• Maintaining turf in highly contested areas, such as on the Tower. A Sprinkler placed high on a wall or ceiling can also be a distraction for an opponent.
• Acting as a light shield in a pinch. Sprinklers have 120 hit points but can be easily destroyed by opponents with Object Shredder.

Tacticooler can help the user and their team push in.

• Place a Tacticooler where most of the team can get to it. Placing it too far back or forward will not help the team as much since not as many people can access it.
• When equipped, Tacticooler provides many different abilities, all of which help a team push in.
  • Run Speed Up, Swim Speed Up, and Ink Resistance Up helps the user move faster and evade enemy attacks. This in particular benefits the Snipewriter user the most as the user already has decent mobility.
  • Intensify Action helps most weapons be more mobile and consistent, reducing jump spread significantly.
  • Special Saver and Quick Respawn both reduce the punishment of getting splatted, allowing the users to push in without worrying about losing special progress or being out of the battle for too long.
  • Quick Super Jump allows one to jump out of sticky situations or to reposition more quickly..
• When under the effect of Tacticooler, be aware that arrows will reveal your location while swimming. If attempting to shark, it may be better to not get the effects of a Tacticooler in order to stay hidden.
• The Tacticooler itself can be used as a mini shield, helping the Snipewriter 5H user stay safer if in the frontlines.
• When trying to get a Tacticooler, it may be best to get the effects at a later time after the cooldown has run out to allow the Special Saver effects to be more useful than getting it immediately.

Synergy

Like other, more conventional chargers, the Snipewriter 5H can provide support fire and help maintain spatial control, but its mobility allows its user to more easily either push forward with the rest of the team or retreat from an advancing opponent. Nevertheless, it can still be redundant to have one or two more long-ranged weapons on a team for a few reasons:

• A team with too many long-ranged weapons will have fewer mobile weapons that can more quickly capture turf and take control of the objective, hindering said team's ability to begin an effective push into the opponents' territory. Such a team will also have difficulty breaking out of an opponent's spawn camp.
• Longer-ranged weapons, including the Snipewriter 5H, are generally less effective at close range, so a team with too many long-ranged weapons is prone to getting flanked and sharked by the opponent.

Although the Snipewriter 5H is better at turfing than traditional chargers, it is still less efficient than other weapons, due to its high ink consumption and charge time. A Snipewriter 5H user will have to rely on their teammates to maintain map control. Not having enough turfing ability – usually from having too many blasters and chargers – 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.

The Snipewriter 5H's lack of lethal bombs – particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs – generally necessitates its user's teammates to equip weapons that include them. Lethal bombs provide their user's team a couple of advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition:

• Their one-hit-splat offers its user's team the chance 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.

While Tacticooler can benefit an entire team, it may not be worth it to have more than one in a comp for a few reasons:

• Tacticooler cannot move the enemy team the way other specials such as the Crab Tank or Tenta Missiles can.
• While a team with it may have an advantage, Tacticooler cannot splat opponents as efficiently as Inkjet or other aggresive specials can.
• A Tacticooler forces a team to have to go to a specific area in order to get the effects. Having multiple can disrupt a team's push and allow opponents to predict where a team will be.

Countermeasures

• Users of other anchor weapons each have to confront an opposing Snipewriter user differently:
  • Traditional chargers such as the Splatterscope and the E-liter 4K and longer-range splatlings – namely the Ballpoint Splatling and the Hydra Splatling – clearly outrange the Bamboozler 14 Mk I and can simply zone out an opposing Snipewriter user.
    • Focus more on turfing and providing support fire for your teammates while keeping an eye on the opposing Snipewriter user's position.
    • Only challenge the opposing Snipewriter user if your position is more advantageous or if you need to distract them from firing at an important teammate, such as the Tower rider or Rainmaker carrier.
  • While the Flingza Roller (212.64 DU) cannot outrange the Snipewriter, it can simply farm Tenta Missiles and use it to harass the opposing Snipewriter user.
  • Thanks to charge storing, both the Classic Squiffer (167.65 DU) and the Nautilus 47 (165 DU) are more mobile than the Snipewriter to compensate for their relative lack of range.
• The quick, powerful shots of the Snipewriter effectively prohibit shorter-ranged weapon users from rushing an opposing Snipewriter user. Rely on flanking or sharking to get within range of an opposing Snipewriter user if it has its shots, or flank them while they're charging.
• Throwing bombs or Toxic Mist at an opposing Snipewriter user can briefly force them out of position and throw off their aim and charges. While Toxic Mist does not damage the opponent, it drains their ink tank and cripples their movement, making them more vulnerable to a direct assault.

While a Tacticooler buffs a team, there are ways to deal with them.

• Be aware of where a Tacticooler is placed. Teammates will have to group up around that area to get the effects.
  • Throwing bombs can throw opponents off from getting the drink and splat unaware opponents.
  • Sharking around the cooler itself can be valuable as opponents are likely to get around the drink.
• The arrows from the effects prevent opponents from being able to shark. Be especially aware of any signs of arrows to prevent getting snuck up on.
• A Snipewriter user under the effects of Tacticooler will have their strafe speed increased drastically. Knowing where the user will strafe can prevent them from dodging shots or escaping.
• Specials such as Crab Tank or Booyah Bomb can prevent a team with Tacticooler to be able to push up, limiting the effect's time.
• Be aware of the Quick Respawn that it provides. Splatted opponents will come back quicker than normal allowing them to reposition more easily.

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 (Main)

The Snipewriter 5H consumes a lot of ink. Normally, the Snipewriter 5H can charge 2 times without slowing down.

• 3 ability points - 1 sub gives the user just around 3 full charges without running out of ink.

Last-Ditch Effort

Snipewriters are an ink-hungry weapon. When equipped, Last-Ditch Effort grants 24 ability points of three different stackable abilities for the last 30 seconds, or when the ranked score is 50 or below. These abilities include:

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

Ink Saver (Main) and Ink Recovery Up is the most useful for the wielder, allowing them reduce the amount of ink consumed by using the weapon in general and more quickly pressure the opponents or ink turf quicker.

Special Charge Up

Having the Tacticooler as the Snipewriter 5H's special helps it be a good support weapon. It takes the Snipewriter 12 shots on empty turf to activate the Tacticooler without any Special Charge Up. Having Special Charge Up helps the player use the Tacticooler as many times as possible so that they can support their teammates.

• 6 ability points - 2 subs makes your Points for Special go down from 200 to 190
• 10 ability points - 1 main makes your Points for Special go down to 184
• 13 ability points - 1 main 1 sub makes your Points for Special go down to 180.

Special Power Up

Special Power Up increases the duration of the effects from Tacticooler. Unlike other specials, the duration increase is noticeable in smaller amounts, allowing the user to have more gear freedom while also being able to have an increased duration, allowing a team more time to be able to push without worry.

• 6 ability points - 2 subs increases the duration from 17 seconds to 19 seconds
• 10 ability points - 1 main increases the duration to around 20 seconds

Swim Speed Up

Swim Speed Up helps boost swim speed of the user, allowing the user to get quickly to the frontlines, or escape sticky situations.

• 6 ability points - 2 subs makes your swimming speed go from 1.92 du/f to 2.01 du/f
• 16 ability points - 1 main 2 subs makes your swimming speed go to 2.14 du/f

Run Speed Up

Due to not having a charge hold, running is the only way the user can move while having a charge. Being already mobile, Run Speed Up can boost the user's mobility, allowing the user to follow up to opponents.

• 6 ability points - 2 subs lets you strafe at 0.63 du/f as compared to 0.6
• 16 ability points - 1 main 2 subs lets you strafe at 0.67 du/f as compared to 0.6
• 26 ability points - 2 mains 2 subs lets you strafe at 0.7 du/f as compared to 0.6

Sub Resistance Up

Sub Resistance Up will only reduce the damage taken from opposing sub 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.

• 3 ability points - one sub - has a lot of utility and therefore should be ran on any weapon.
  • Getting hit by splash damage from a bomb will not make the user visible on the map.
  • Three Burst Bomb indirects or three indirects from a Fizzy bomb will not splat the user.

Quick Super Jump

Using Quick Super Jump allows Snipewriter users to more easily return and retreat to or from the battles.

• 3 ability points - 1 sub decreases the Super Jump time from 1.33 seconds to 0.97 seconds.

Ink Resistance Up

Every player, including an Snipewriter 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

Thermal Ink

With multiple shots that can hit opponents, it is possible that they can escape while being hit once. Thermal Ink can take advantage of this to allow the user to know where they are, preventing flanks from that opponent.

Respawn Punisher

Not recommended. A Snipewriter 5H user will not be as safe and far back from enemy fire often, meaning it can get splatted more times than splatting others. Snipewriters also generally get assists more often than splats, which Respawn Punisher does not affect.

In Competitive Play

The Snipewriter 5H is one of the most improved weapons in the Splatoon series. When it was first released in Chill Season 2022, the weapon very weak, had no place in the meta, and the competitive scene deemed the weapon the worst in its class. Since then, the main weapon received a few important buffs, Sprinkler received a small buff, and Tacticooler has risen to being the most valuable special in the game. The Snipewriter 5H's supportive nature has made it the best charger competitively since Drizzle Season 2023, and it is arguably still the strongest option for the anchor role.