Competitive:Kensa Charger

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 Kensa Charger, see Kensa Charger.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

Kensa Charger

Abbreviations	KCharger, Charger
Sub	Sprinkler
Special	Baller
Base damage	40–80 (Partial charge) 160 (Full charge)
Base duration
Ink consumption	2.25% (No charge) 18% (Full charge)
Special points	190p
Special depletion
Role	Anchor
Strengths	Range, one-shot splat, storing charges allows for more mobility and aggressive play, Baller allows for more aggressive positioning, lower special gauge requirement than its other two variants
Weaknesses	Poor turfing, lack of mobility, vulnerable at close range, lack of synergy

While Kensa Charger has the long range one shot splat as its other two variants, its generally outclassed by its other variants due to its aggressive kit of Sprinkler and Baller being less favorable in competitive play.

Use

Like most other chargers, the Kensa Charger is an anchor's weapon:

• Most chargers, including the Kensa Charger, can fire three different types of shots:
  • Tap shots are the quickest but weakest and shortest-ranged shots available. These are best used for quickly turfing and splatting weakened opponents.
  • Partially charged shots have slightly more damage, longer range, and more turf than tap shots. If forced to fight in close quarters without enough ink to use a Splash Wall, partially charged shots are preferred over tap shots.
  • Fully charged shots provide both the longest range and the most damage, making them ideal for use while sniping or turfing long lines to travel along.
  • The charging rate slows down to 33.33% of its usual charging speed whenever either the ink tank is empty or one is airborne while charging. Stay on the ground while charging and watch the ink tank.
• The range of the Kensa Charger depends on how long it is charged. Note that range is measured from the end of its long muzzle:
  • Tap shots only have a range of about 90 DU, or distance units. This is shorter than the ranges of many short- to medium-ranged weapons, such as the Splattershot (116.99 DU), the Tri-Slosher (about 120 DU), and the Dark Tetra Dualies (132.5 DU).
  • Partially charged shots have a range between 90 DU and 240 DU based on how long each shot is charged. For example, charging for 0.25 seconds should increase the range by about 37.5 DU for a total of about 127.5 DU. Combined with the longer muzzle, this should outrange most short-ranged weapons.
  • The fully charged range of the Kensa Charger, measured at 240.37 DU, is one of the longest in the game, exceeding that of Dynamo Rollers, Exploshers, and most splatlings.
• Damage from the Kensa Charger also increases as charge time increases:
  • Tap shots only inflict 40 HP of damage, while partially charged shots range from 40 HP to 80 HP of damage depending on how long they are charged. Charging for at least 0.25 seconds inflicts at least 50 HP of damage, which is enough to splat most opponents in two shots.
    • While Main Power Up can increase damage, it cannot increase the damage of shots below full charge to 100.0 HP, unlike how Damage Up could in Splatoon.
  • A fully charged shot not only delivers 160 HP of damage but can also pierce targets, allowing one to splat multiple targets in a straight line.
• Remember to use peeking to more effectively snipe targets whenever possible:
  • Because all Inklings and Octolings are right-handed, right-side peeking is generally more effective than left-side peeking.
• Like other chargers lacking a scope (except the Bamboozler 14 Mk I and its variants), the Kensa Charger can store a full charge while submerged in ink:
  • This provides it more mobility than scoped chargers, allowing it to travel between sniping locations with a shot ready, more easily snipe during a jump, and play more aggressively overall.
  • To hold a charge longer than the 1.25 seconds limit, reemerge from the ink in a safe location. Then, submerge again to reset the timer.
  • The ability to store a charge makes left-side peeking more viable in Splatoon 2.
• Like most chargers, the Kensa Charger has a few notable drawbacks besides its poor turfing and weak close-combat capabilities:
  • While the Kensa Charger's middleweight nature provides average running (0.96 DU/f, or distance units per frame) and swimming speed (1.92 DU/f), its user is very immobile while charging a shot (0.2 DU/f). Remember to push forward with your teammates whenever your team has a significant numbers advantage. Conversely, always be ready to retreat – via Super Jumping if necessary – should the opponents gain the advantage or come uncomfortably close.
  • The Kensa Charger consumes plenty of ink per fully charged shot (18% of the ink tank). To avoid getting caught with an empty tank, watch your ink consumption, avoid the opponent's ink and Toxic Mist, and remain nearby friendly ink in which you can hide, reload, and retreat if necessary.
  • Using a charger can cause players to have tunnel vision as they focus on potential targets to snipe. Checking the map with for the opponents' positions and movement patterns is important for any player, but it is very essential for an anchor, such as a Kensa Charger wielder, to watch for any flanking attempts by the opponent, as getting flanked and splatted often leaves a gaping hole in their team's defenses.

Sprinkler can be used in a couple ways to help its user.

• Placing a Sprinkler on an area that the Kensa Charger cannot safely and efficiently paint normally will help farm for its special.
• Placing a Sprinkler on the Kensa Charger's feet will help when it is in a close-range scramble.
  • Sprinkler has 120 hp, unless an opponent has Object Shredder with which the Sprinkler will be destroyed in one hit, it can be used to make space for a Kensa Charger use to find space to snipe its opponent back or Super Jump out.
• Placing a Sprinkler in high places will paint an area that short-ranged opponents cannot reach.
  • Kensa Chargers will generally die less often than other Sprinkler users which causes the Sprinkler to be defeated, which means placing a Sprinkler this way increases the general paint output of a Kensa Charger.

Baller is a mobile special that be used to protect its user or to reposition.

• Baller has 200 but also has some startup. It is better to plan its use when enemy players are seen approaching, as opposed to using it as a panic button.
  • As a comparison, Baller has less startup than Kraken Royale, but it can also be broken if not used far enough ahead of time.
• Baller is best used in situations when a user is not confident in landing a close range one shot against fast weapons (such as an Inkbrush or Sploosh-o-matic and their variants), to protect themself from a special, or to reposition.
  • Against fast opponents, chase the opponents with the Baller out of range by using a wall or ledge, then explode and swim back.
  • When using Baller against strong displacement specials such as Tenta Missiles, Sting Ray, or Booyah Bomb, use the Baller when the specials start targeting the Kensa Charger user to protect themself from those specials while keeping their relative position.
  • Baller's mobility and HP allows a Kensa Charger user to position elsewhere if a Kensa Charger user is under fire. Use this if get to a usually inaccessible location within a team fight. This is even more useful than on similar specials, such as Kraken Royale, since Baller can be ended early.

Countermeasures

• Users of other anchor's weapons each have to confront a Kensa Charger differently:
  • Duels between chargers often boil down to skill, positioning, turf control, and the presence of other teammates. However, note the differences between different chargers and play to your weapon's strengths:
    • The Kensa Splatterscope has more range than the unscoped Kensa Charger, but the Kensa Charger is more mobile.
    • The E-liter 4K has longer range than the Kensa Charger but is less mobile and takes longer to charge. The Squiffer and Bamboozler 14 Mk I are more mobile, but each one lacks either range or damage output.
  • The Custom Jet Squelcher has a shorter effective range (212.64 DU) than that of the Kensa Charger but is more mobile and slightly more competent in a close-quarters battle. However, instead of trying to flank or shark a Kensa Charger, it might be easier to simply farm Sting Ray and use it to constantly harass them, disrupting their ability to snipe your teammates.
  • The Dynamo Roller, Explosher, and most splatlings are outranged by the Kensa Charger and lack the mobility to effectively challenge them:
    • Focus more on turfing and providing support fire for your teammates while keeping an eye on the opposing Kensa Charger user's position.
    • Only challenge the opposing Kensa Charger user if your position is more advantageous or if you need to distract them from sniping an important teammate, such as the Tower rider or Rainmaker carrier.
  • The Hydra Splatling is the only splatling that can outrange a Kensa Charger with a maximum range of 257.68 DU, but it is very immobile and requires a longer charge time. Rely on cover and zone out the opposing Kensa Charger user.
• Unless a Kensa Charger user is caught charging, approaching one directly with a shorter ranged weapon usually results in getting splatted instantly. Rely on flanking or sharking to get within range of an opposing Kensa Charger user.
• Throwing bombs or Toxic Mist at an opposing Kensa user can briefly force them out of position and throw off their aim. While Toxic Mist does not damage the opponent, it drains their ink tank and slows their movement, making them more vulnerable to a direct assault.
• Midrange weapons such as a Splattershot Pro, Nautilus 47, and Dualie Squelchers variants, and similar weapons can shoot down a Sprinkler with high damage per second without worrying about not being able to reach a well placed Sprinkler.
  • Aforementioned long range weapons can shoot down a Sprinkler from anywhere with no trouble at all. Making this use case of Sprinkler minimal with an opposing charger, splatling, or Jet Squelcher.
• Specials that do higher damage such as Ultra Stamp and Splashdown can destroy the Baller before the Baller can explode.
  • Ultra Stamp will defeat the Baller and its user.
  • Splashdown will only destroy the Baller, but a Kensa Charger is not positioned to fight back in these situations.

In competitive play

Baller was a potent special for most of Splatoon 2's lifespan. But even when Baller was strong, Kensa Charger was wrote off due to its lack of synergy and being outclassed by other weapons. This statement has stood throughout all of Splatoon 2. With every Splatoon 2 tier list ranking it low, but it being saved by the main weapon being too good to rank lower and a significantly cheaper special cost.

Sprinkler has been a weak sub weapon throughout the entirety of Splatoon 2, and the Splat Charger's other variants came with much better sub weapons. Baller also did not have a lot of synergy with Splat Charger and the middle variant of the two throughout the 4.0s and early to mid 5.0s the Firefin Splat Charger, came with a sub weapon just as good at protecting itself in the right hands and a special better for pushes. Further emphasized with the weapon's better paint and lower points for special on the Firefin Splat Charger, only being increased to 220 points for special in version 5.4.0.

Version 5.2.0 made more competitive players aware of the Kensa Charger's problems, while making its special that it plays to significantly worse, without compensation with extra mobility like Inkbrush Nouveau and other lightweight Baller weapons.

In the version 5.5.0 metagame, the aforementioned Firefin Splat Charger is now the best Splat Charger variant due to the weakening of Sting Ray throughout the 4.0s and the kit of the Firefin Splat Charger synergizing perfectly for what it needs to accomplish in the metagame. There is also a charger that better fills the Kensa Charger's role. New Squiffer paints well, has decent range, has a quicker charge time when its Baller gets broken, and better mobility to use Baller aggressively. The former two with Main Power Up that it can stack as much as it wants. These weapons make the Kensa Charger almost impossible to slot into a team comp.

Nonetheless, its remains a popular casual weapon especially post-Splatoon 2 which lacks a variant like it. On top of being easier to use than the Firefin Splat Charger.