Competitive:Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose

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 L-3 Nozzlenose, see Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose.

Splatoon 2

Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose

Abbreviations	Kensa L-3, K L-3
Sub	Splash Wall
Special	Ultra Stamp
Base damage	29
Base duration
Ink consumption	1.15% (3.45 per )
Special points	180p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer
Strengths	Range (compared to Splattershot), Quick bursts
Weaknesses	Requires precise accuracy, less damage and range (compared to Splattershot Pro)

Splatoon 2

Use

Like its Vanilla and Dolphin variants, the Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose is a medium ranged slayer with quick bursts with some supportive tendencies.

• It outranges numerous slayers, including the Splattershot, Splat Dualies, and even the Kensa .52 Gal.
  • The ink coverage of the L-3 Nozzlenose is very efficient for turfing, which helps maintain map control and quickly build up the special gauge.
  • Its mobility, particularly while firing, is amazing for a middleweight weapon, outpacing the Splattershot Pro, the Splattershot, even the Splash-o-matic. Run Speed Up can further increase this mobility, making its user a more difficult target to hit while firing.
  • Main Power Up can increase its damage per shot, maxing out at 33.3 with 24 ability points - about two mains and one sub - as of Version 5.1.0.
  • Comeback, Quick Respawn, and Stealth Jump are abilities that each encourage aggressive play for a slayer.
• As a burst-fire shooter, the L-3 Nozzlenose requires a higher level of skill than an automatic shooter to be effective:
  • Its user must be more accurate with aiming, due to the delay between bursts.
  • A user of any burst-fire shooter has to be able to lead shots in order to maximize the damage per burst.

The Splash Wall is mostly used for defensive purposes, but when the time comes, it may be used offensively.

• Any bombs thrown by an opponent that hit a Splash Wall will instantly explode, potentially splatting the Splash Wall's user or their teammates.
  • Refrain from either showering in or rushing through the wall until it is certain that the opponent has no bombs available in the area.
  • Do not throw a Splash Wall behind a teammate, as an opponent's bomb thrown into the wall can instantly splat them.
• Defensively, it can allow its user to evade a pursuing opponent or hinder the opponents' push, blocking both their movement and their fire.
• Offensively, a Splash Wall can restrain the opponents' movement, allowing its user and their teammates to push forward or gain map control.
• Throwing a Splash Wall behind an opponent can prevent them from fleeing.
• A Splash Wall can nullify a Brella shield — even a Tenta Brella shield.
  • If an opposing Brella user launches their shield, dropping a Splash Wall in front of it will cause both to negate one another, potentially denying a Rainmaker or Power Clam push.
  • At maximum, it takes 36-41% of the ink tank to launch a Brella shield and 60% to drop a Splash Wall. However, the Splash Wall can be deployed far more quickly, allowing its owner more time to reload ink or reposition themselves to a more favorable location.
• In Splatoon 2, the Tower will destroy any Splash Wall it collides into. However, a Splash Wall may be placed onto the Tower to protect its user or their teammate while riding it. (Once again, watch out for the opponents' bombs.)

If used properly, the Ultra Stamp can tilt the game in the user's team's favor:

• If Ultra Stamp is activated too far from an opponent, especially one with a long-ranged weapon with a straight trajectory (such as a charger or splatling), the opponent can fire in between hammer swings and splat the Ultra Stamp wielder. Either get close enough to an opponent or shark and wait for the opponent to come close before activating the Ultra Stamp, providing little to no time to react.
• Do not run in a predictable manner while swinging the Ultra Stamp, as an adept opponent can outmaneuver past a Ultra Stamp user and splat them from behind.
• It is possible to swim in friendly ink while Ultra Stamp is active. This allows an Ultra Stamp wielder to maneuver more easily than while swinging, climb vertical surfaces, cross grates, and – most importantly – hide more easily before striking.
• Swinging the Ultra Stamp in midair can splat opponents who are higher than ground level, such as on the edge of a ledge that is just too high to reach by jumping — and even at the apex of a Splashdown!
• The Ultra Stamp can quickly destroy Brella shields, most sub weapons — including Splash Walls, and Ballers, allowing one to break through opposing defenses and stop opponents' pushes. Just stay away from opposing bombs that are just about to detonate.
• While the Ultra Stamp can quickly pop the Rainmaker shield, as it expands, the shield can splat an Ultra Stamp user who is too close. Keep a safe distance by constantly jumping back while striking the shield.
• Do not forget that the Ultra Stamp can be thrown by pressing :
  • When faced against an opponent with a long-ranged weapon (such as a charger or splatling) from long distance, it is usually wiser to throw the Ultra Stamp at the opponent than to either charge or swim towards them. A well-aimed thrown Ultra Stamp can throw off an opponent's aim or displace them from their spot, potentially providing enough time to close the distance.
  • To maximize the use of an Ultra Stamp, throw it towards an opponent at or near the end of its 9 second duration after splatting any nearby opponents. An Ultra Stamp should only be thrown early if no other options are present, such as preventing a faraway opposing Rainmaker carrier from taking the lead.

Synergy

While a team might get away with having one or two users of short-ranged weapons, such as the Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose, 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.

Countermeasures

The Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose can easily be countered by a weapon that has more range and has a lethal bomb to destroy Splash Walls, such as the Kensa Splattershot Pro or the Nautilus 79.

• Beware of the opponent's Ultra Stamp, as it may easily splat its target if they get close enough.
  • If far enough, it is recommended to go follow the Ultra Stamp and try to splat the user.
  • Ultra Stamp can diffuse bombs like Splashdown and Booyah Bomb, so try to place a Splat Bomb or Suction Bomb next to the path the Ultra Stamp is going instead of directly in front of the Ultra Stamp.

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.

Main Power Up

Increases main weapon damage up to 33.3 per shot. The Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose is a weapon that has a close potential for a three hit splat, or a one hit splat per if the opponent has touched enemy ink for at least one frame.

• 24 ability points – achievable with either eight subs or one main and five subs – are enough to reach the Kensa L-3 Nozzlenose's damage cap of 33.3 HP.
• For a smaller but nearly-effective investment, 16 ability points – reached with six subs or one main and two subs – are enough to exceed 32 HP of damage, while 6 ability points – just two subs – will exceed 30 HP.

Run Speed Up

Increases running speed, particularly while firing.

Stealth Jump

Super Jumping to a teammate after respawning carries the risk of getting splatted upon landing, due to the appearance of a Super Jump indicator. When equipped, Stealth Jump better covers this indicator from long distance opponents, allowing its user to more safely return to the front lines and maintain pressure on the opponent.