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.

First introduced in Splatoon 3 at the start of Chill Season 2022, the Snipewriter 5H is a new type of charger with the unique mechanic of loading five nonlethal rounds per full charge, allowing its user to hit more targets and turf more efficiently than conventional chargers. Its good mobility and supportive weapon set enable its user to team up with more mobile, aggressive teammates.

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	Anchor/Support
Strengths	Range, turfing, larger hitbox, mobility, Tacticooler farming, lower gear dependency
Weaknesses	Lower damage, longer charge time, unable to store charges, unable to pierce targets

The Snipewriter 5H debuted at Chill Season 2022 with a synergistically supportive weapon set, enabling its user to fill two roles within a team composition.

Use

The Snipewriter 5H's long range, thorough turfing, and Tacticooler enables its user to fill both the anchor and support roles:

• When fully charged, it loads five rounds, providing multiple opportunities to hit targets or turf surfaces:
  • Tap shots and partially charged shots only provide single shots that have less damage and range than those fired from a full charge. They can still be used to splat a weakened opponent at closer range. Otherwise, flee to safety if pursued by rushing opponents.
  • After fully charging, releasing fires the first of five rounds. Each subsequent press of fires another round until you run out.
  • While each round inflicts less damage than other chargers, since Version 3.1.0, it can form combos with a wider variety of other weapons, from a single shot by the Splattershot to splash damage of some blasters and bombs.
• The Snipewriter 5H shares some characteristics with the Bamboozler 14 Mk I:
  • Its shots have a larger hitbox than those of most other chargers, making it easier to hit targets.
  • However, these shots cannot pierce targets, meaning that a teammate can body block your shots if either you or they are not careful.
  • The Snipewriter 5H cannot store a charge while submerged in ink. Changing to swim form or using either the sub or special weapon will unload any unused rounds but will replenish the ink tank with 7% of the ink tank per remaining round (e.g., three remaining rounds will restore 21%, or 3 × 7%, of ink).
• The Snipewriter 5H's range matches that of the Splatterscope, enabling it to cover wide areas and long paths and pick off opponents using Inkjets.
• Its range and multiple rounds enable it to turf more safely than other support weapons (such as the N-ZAP '85) and more efficiently than other chargers, which also builds up the special gauge more quickly.
• A Snipewriter 5H user is very mobile compared to users of most other chargers, particularly while strafing or jumping during or after charging the weapon.

Even with its unique advantages, the Snipewriter 5H does come with other tradeoffs besides those already mentioned:

• The Snipewriter 5H requires 72 frames, or 1.2 seconds, to fully charge, which is longer than for most other chargers.
• Besides having nonlethal damage, it inflicts reduced damage against objects, particularly the Crab Tank and the armor of a Booyah Bomb user.
• Its ability to fill two roles on a team composition also puts extra responsibility onto its user, which includes avoiding getting splatted. The removal of a Snipewriter 5H user deprives their teammates long range support and Tacticooler and leaves them vulnerable to a wipeout, as the opposing team is free to push and position more aggressively.

The Sprinkler supplements the playstyle of a Snipewriter 5H user:

• While bombs provide instant burst turfing, a Sprinkler provides steady turfing over time:
  • Placing it around a less relevant part of the stage enables its user to devote their main weapon more to contesting more important areas.
  • Carefully placing a Sprinkler so that it can continuously ink a contested area, especially on a spot that is difficult for the opponents to reach, offers passive area denial, forcing opponents to decide among going out of their way to destroy the Sprinkler, enduring its constant damage and hostile turf, or avoiding the area altogether.
  • Its turfing output supplements that of your main weapon, which increases your Tacticooler output.
• If the surface upon which it is attached is inkable, a Sprinkler immediately forms a sizable spot of ink around its base. This can enable one to quickly climb short, inkable walls.
• If placed nearby the Rainmaker, a Sprinkler can help pop the Rainmaker shield (or prevent the opponents from popping it). It works most effectively when placed next to the Rainmaker just before its shield resets.
• A Sprinkler can also act as a light shield in a pinch, especially while fleeing from pursuing opponents.

If deployed properly, the Tacticooler can enhance a team's lockout or push, help it break through the opponents' lockout, or counter the opponents' push:

• It is recommended to deploy your Tacticooler just before engaging the opposing team if at least two team members (including yourself) can collect a drink.
• In general, the most optimal Tacticooler location is either around the area your team is staging a lockout or along the objective's path through which your team is pushing:
  • Remember that, as a Snipewriter 5H user, you tend to position yourself behind your teammates, so advance closer to the frontline before you deploy your Tacticooler.
• While the cooler itself can be used as a temporary shield against opposing fire, its presence might invite opponents to fire sub or special weapons at its location.
• Do not forget to grab a drink for yourself! While mobile, aggressive weapon users tend to benefit the most from Tacticooler, a Snipewriter 5H user also has much to gain from it:
  • Both Run Speed Up and Swim Speed Up enhance your already good mobility, allowing you to more quickly strafe around opposing fire and pursue targets.
  • A maxed out Quick Super Jump ability helps you nearly instantly escape from bad situations or advance forward much faster.

Synergy

The Snipewriter 5H provides a few valuable components to a successful team composition: range, turfing, and Tacticooler. Its user will require teammates using aggressive weapons, at least one other efficient turfing weapon, a throwable bomb or two, and some displacement or aggressive special weapons:

• Filling the rest of the team composition with a good balance of skirmishers and slayers benefits the Snipewriter 5H user and maximizes the use of Tacticooler:
  • Short- to medium-ranged weapon users can capture turf more quickly than long-ranged weapon users.
  • Their main and sub weapons generally combo well with the Snipewriter 5H to confirm splats.
  • Their presence creates a protective shell around the Snipewriter 5H user, making it harder for opponents to reach them.
  • Including at least one other weapon that is efficient at turfing will lighten the turfing and map control load for the Snipewriter 5H user.
• Having at least one throwable bomb provides the team a means of poking, spacing, and active area denial.
• While Tacticooler is great for both starting pushes and repelling opposing pushes, it can neither displace or splat opponents by itself. However, it can complement–and be complemented by–special weapons that can either displace or directly splat opponents:
  • Trizooka, Crab Tank, and Booyah Bomb can target and displace–if not outright splat–specific opponents, such as the opposing anchor or support.
  • Triple Inkstrike, Ink Storm, and Tenta Missiles can force multiple opponents out of position.

Countermeasures

An opposing Snipewriter 5H user is often the heart of their team's composition, providing support fire, turfing, and a steady supply of Tacticoolers to keep their teammates active and fighting. Eliminating them will disrupt their team's ability to maintain pressure, but trying to reach and splat them can be a challenge.

• Having a source of Tacticooler on your team can even the odds against an opposing Snipewriter 5H user's team:
  • Direct matchups between Snipewriter 5H users on opposing teams are determined by each player's skill, positioning, turf control, and the presence of any teammates.
  • The N-ZAP '85 provides as much turfing and Tacticooler output but trades range for mobility, allowing more aggressive play when necessary.
  • The Tri-Slosher Nouveau is potent at splatting opponents but forces its user to decide between playing aggressively at the risk of reduced Tacticooler output or playing supportively at the cost of splatting potential.
  • The Heavy Edit Splatling is faster while running and is more effective at taking out short- and medium-ranged opponents but struggles against chargers.
• Users of other anchor weapons each have to confront an opposing Snipewriter 5H user differently:
  • The E-liter 4K has a one-shot splat, longer range, and the ability to store a charge but a longer charge time, less efficient turfing, and less mobility.
  • Both variants of the Splatterscope have a one-shot splat and a shorter charge time but less efficient turfing and less mobility.
  • Splatlings generally fare poorly against the longer-ranged, quick firing Snipewriter 5H and should avoid direct confrontations.
• Shorter-ranged weapon users should rely more on flanking or sharking to pick off an opposing Snipewriter 5H user.
  • Users of weapons with an AoE (e.g., blasters), a large hitbox, or an arc trajectory (e.g., sloshers) can exploit cover, such as beneath a ledge, to not only avoid the opposing Snipewriter 5H user's line of sight but also damage their opponent without having to expose themselves.
• With its high amount of HP, a Splash Wall or a Tenta Brella's shield can reduce the range of influence of an opposing Snipewriter 5H.
• Certain sub and special weapons launched at an opposing Snipewriter 5H 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.
• The Trizooka is one of the few anti-Snipewriter 5H weapons that has a longer range. A direct hit will splat an opposing Snipewriter 5H user, and an indirect hit's splash damage weakens them enough to get splatted by another shot or a teammate's follow up attack.

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 18 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 on its release was seen as a very weak weapon. This was due to its main flaw of having weak damage against Crab Tank and the Booyah Bomb, specials very prevelant in the meta. Along with this, it had a weak kit as Tacticooler was not strong enough to be seen as a useful special weapon as it could not directly compete with these specials. The weapon was ignored for most of this meta, even with buffs to the main weapon that only slightly alleviated its weakness, though these buffs would slowly add up over time.

With Inkjet coming into the meta, along with buffs to Tacticooler pushed Tacticooler into the meta. Snipewriter however wasn't used in this phase, and instead weapons like the N-ZAP '85 and the Tri-Slosher Nouveau became the main choices for Cooler. The Competitive Scene still saw the weapon as weak so not much of it was seen, although it was starting to see small use in Splat Zones as its quick turfing allowed it to contest the more rectangular zones such as in Brinewater Springs and Mincemeat Metalworks.

In the Japanese scene, Snipewriter was starting to see more and more results in tournaments, and shortly following was the Western scene. The Snipewriter's strengths of long range chip damage and most importantly, it's long range paint allowing the weapon to farm Cooler, were finally starting to be seen. And due to the lower amount of Crab Tanks, it's low object damage was not as impactful. It even had a strong matchup against one of the main weapons, the Ballpoint Splatling and against Inkjet. Snipewriter slowly became the staple Tacticooler option and eventually staple backline and support as it can cover both roles fairly well while being able to combo with many weapons in its own team and get a strong amount of Coolers, one of the best specials in this meta.