Competitive:Neo Splash-o-matic

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 Neo Splash-o-matic, see Neo Splash-o-matic.

Splatoon

Splatoon

Neo Splash-o-matic

Abbreviations	Splash, Neo Splash
Sub	Burst Bomb
Special	Inkzooka
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.7%
Special points
Special depletion	40%
Role	Slayer/Support
Strengths	High DPS, perfect accuracy (lack of jump RNG), turfing, mobility (while firing)
Weaknesses	Lack of a lethal bomb, short range, somewhat reliant on Damage Up

This article or section is a stub.

You can help the wiki by adding to it.

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.

Damage Up

The Neo Splash-o-matic can splat slightly damaged opponents in three hits rather than four with enough Damage Up. Damage Up is a great investment for a Neo Splash-o-Matic user as the requirement for it is not especially high, allowing the user to have room for other abilities as well.

• 24 ability points or eight subs of Damage Up will achieve its cap of 33.3 damage per hit.
• 23 ability points – two mains and one sub – lowers this 33.18 damage per hit, which will still three-shot opponents who take more than 0.46 points of damage.
• 20 ability points – two main abilities – deals 97.92HP with three hits, finishing off opponents who take more than 2.08 HP.

It is also worth noting that more Damage Up is required to meet this threshold against opponents with Defense Up. The more Defense Up an opponent has, the more Damage Up the user will have to run to counter it.

• 45 ability points of Damage Up, or three mains and five subs, is enough to meet the 33.3 damage threshold against an opponent with one main ability (10 AP) of Defense Up.

Bomb Range Up

Equipping Bomb Range Up to extend distance with Burst Bombs can close the gap between other long range weapons, due to the short range of the Neo Splash-o-matic.

Ink Saver (Sub)

With Ink Saver (Sub), users are able to throw Burst Bombs at a more frequent rate during combat.

• A pure (one main and three subs) or 19 AP of Ink Saver Sub is enough to throw three burst bombs on a full tank.

Special Charge Up

Special Charge Up allows users to more frequently use their Inkzooka to take out opponents from range. Although Inkzooka has the highest special point requirement out of any other special weapon in the game at 220p, the Neo Splash-o-Matic's exceptional turfing abilities combined with Special Charge Up can ensure that it will have Inkzooka readily available more often.

• 13 ability points, or a main and one sub, will reduce the special charge requirement of Inkzooka from 220p to 197p.
• 6 ability points – two subs – will reduce it from 220p to 208p.

Swim Speed Up

Due to lightweight weapons not yet existing in Splatoon, the Neo Splash-o-matic's swim speed remains unaffected at 1.92 DU/f. Swim Speed Up can be proven to be quite useful as the player will often find themselves maneuvering in their own ink, such as when getting to key areas of the map faster or closing the gap between longer ranged weapons.

• 6 ability points – two subs – of Swim Speed Up will increase the player's swim speed from 1.92 to 2.02 DU/f.
• 10 ability points – or one main – will increase the player's swimming speed further from 1.92 to 2.08 DU/f.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2

Neo Splash-o-matic

Abbreviations	Splash, Neo Splash
Sub	Burst Bomb
Special	Suction-Bomb Launcher
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.8%
Special points	210p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer/Support Flex
Strengths	Perfect accuracy, mobility, turfing, Suction-Bomb Launcher farming, flexible with abilities
Weaknesses	Short range, lack of lethal bombs, weak damage without Main Power Up

Like the Splash-o-matic, the Neo Splash-o-matic is a lightweight, short-ranged, rapid firing weapon with the best accuracy among all shooters — tied only with the Squeezer's semiautomatic mode. However, its kit provides it even more mobility and versatility than its Vanilla variant, allowing its user to flex their role within its team's composition during battle.

Use

While primarily a slayer's weapon, the Neo Splash-o-matic has supportive elements that aid its flexibility:

• Its greatest asset is its perfect accuracy; its shots never deviate from the inner reticle — even while airborne. This opens up a host of possibilities for a Neo Splash-o-matic user:
  • While nominally having a shorter range (110.03 DU) than some other short-ranged weapons — such as the Splattershot and the N-ZAP (both 116.99 DU), the Neo Splash-o-matic's perfect accuracy while jumping allows its user to shoot further and higher targets more reliably.
  • The perfect accuracy while jumping also provides its user another reliable means to close in on longer-ranged opponents, further enhancing their already great mobility.
  • Of course, the accuracy, high rate of fire, and Burst Bombs make it very efficient at splatting opponents within its range.
• Its lightweight nature and Burst Bombs make its user very mobile — more so than with the Splash-o-matic in Splatoon, allowing them to more effectively pursue, flank, and flee their opponents and evade their attacks.
• The rapid firing rate and excellent ink coverage of the Neo Splash-o-matic make it a great turfing weapon, enabling its user to more easily maintain map control, capture Splat Zones, and build up its special gauge for Suction-Bomb Launcher.

The Neo Splash-o-matic has a few weaknesses its user has to account for:

• Its base damage (28 HP) is low for a slayer's weapon — tied in with both the Splattershot Jr. and the N-ZAP. Fortunately, it can be increased up to 33.3 HP with a reasonable amount of ability points of Main Power Up (unlike the Dualie Squelchers, for example), providing room for other abilities.
• Its short range usually puts its user at a disadvantage against opponents with longer-ranged weapons, such as the Tetra Dualies (132.5 DU), the L-3 Nozzlenose (141.36 DU), and the Dualie Squelchers (160.396 DU). This can be offset by either jumping (to exploit your perfect accuracy) or relying more on flanking and sharking to sneak up to longer-ranged opponents.
• The lack of lethal bombs in its kit hinders its user's ability to either zone out opponents or deny space.
• These weaknesses put together give a Neo Splash-o-matic user difficulty in specific matchups, particularly against an opposing Kensa .52 Gal user and their Splash Wall. Whenever possible, refrain from engaging these opponents head-on and focus on other tasks, such as supporting your teammates with Burst Bombs and turfing.

The instant explosion and good ink efficiency of Burst Bombs offer a Neo Splash-o-matic user plenty of uses:

• Their quick damage makes them suitable for leading off attacks, breaking opponents' Ink Armor, or finishing off injured opponents who attempt to flee. The Neo Splash-o-matic can perform a quick combo with Burst Bombs, shortening its splatting time.
• They effectively extend the range at which their user can quickly damage their opponents, allowing a Neo Splash-o-matic user to poke at opponents from a safer distance.
• They instantly turf inkable surfaces, permitting either a fast pursuit of an opponent or a rapid retreat from an unfavorable situation.
• They also restrict your opponents' mobility and reduce their sharking opportunities, making Burst Bombs particularly effective against opponents whose weapons depend on map control to be effective – most rollers, Squiffers, and Nautiluses. Also, any opponents hit by Burst Bombs will be surrounded by your team's ink, further limiting their health and mobility.

The Suction-Bomb Launcher is designed to either help push into a highly contested area or help repel the opponent's push:

• Using Suction-Bomb Launcher too close to an opponent will leave its user vulnerable to attack, so activate it outside the range of the opponent.
• Remember that each bomb can be charged by holding before releasing to launch it further, enabling the Suction-Bomb Launcher user to remain at a safer distance at the cost of launching fewer bombs in the duration of the special.
• Do not forget that the main weapon may still be used during the duration of the special. Not only is this a useful self-defense tactic in case an opponent gets close, it can help finish off opponents who have been weakened by the bombs.
• Suction-Bomb Launcher can also be used to either secure control of or prevent the opposing team from gaining control of the objective, such as a Splat Zone, the Tower, or the Rainmaker.
  • Suction-Bomb Launcher can cover the Tower and its surroundings with multiple bombs for a long period, whereas a Booyah Bomb has a shorter duration after launch, and a Sting Ray covers less area. However, the need to remain within launching distance means that a Suction-Bomb Launcher user has a greater risk of getting splatted.
  • Suction-Bomb Launcher is great for either popping or preventing the opponents from popping the Rainmaker shield.
• Launched bombs 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 a 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 bombs it touches, so hold off on activating Bomb Launcher until after their special weapon finishes whenever possible.

Synergy

While one or two users of short-ranged weapons, such as the Neo Splash-o-matic, might be able to do without significant range, having too many short-ranged weapons on a team without a longer-ranged weapon 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.

While Burst Bombs have excellent synergy with the Neo Splash-o-matic, they lack certain advantages offered by lethal bombs — particularly either Splat or Suction Bombs, which provide their user's team a couple advantages over another team that has no lethal bombs in its composition:

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

Due to the Neo Splash-o-matic's set of strengths and weaknesses, it is recommended to team its user with at least one teammate with a lethal bomb in their kit, one longer-ranged weapon user, and one teammate with a means of neutralizing an opposing Kensa .52 Gal user's walling and farming strategy. Some weapons are capable of filling more than one of these roles:

• Both the Kensa Splattershot and N-ZAP '89 have lethal bombs and Tenta Missiles needed to push back an opposing Kensa .52 Gal user.
• The N-ZAP '85 provides Suction Bombs, along with Ink Armor, which can make it easier for a Neo Splash-o-matic user to push into opposing turf with Suction-Bomb Launcher.
• The Jet Squelcher, the Bamboozler 14 Mk I, and the Mini Splatling provide both longer range and Tenta Missiles to counter an opposing Kensa .52 Gal user.
• A Neo Splash-o-matic user would benefit from – and be of benefit to – a teammate wielding a longer-ranged, lesser-turfing slayer's weapon that comes with useful bombs, particularly if the latter has a less reliable special weapon (i.e., harder to farm, less versatile, or both). The Kensa Rapid Blaster, the Soda Slosher, and the Kensa Sloshing Machine are all good examples.

The Suction-Bomb Launcher is very effective at contesting territory, such as Splat Zones, but is not as reliable at splatting opponents who actively avoid the bombs. Attempting to pursue certain opponents with Suction-Bomb Launcher active further risks getting splatted. Therefore, it is advised to have other special weapons available to complement Suction-Bomb Launcher, as having too many users of any Bomb Launcher variant (no more than two) in a team composition will limit a team's arsenal of weapons:

• Other than the launched bombs, a Bomb Launcher user has no means of protection and is particularly vulnerable to long-ranged fire.
• Other special weapons, such as Inkjet or Sting Ray, are intended for splatting opponents and more capable at this than is a Bomb Launcher.

Coordinating with your teammates can greatly increase the Suction-Bomb Launcher's effect during a battle:

• Ink Armor can increase the survivability of a Suction-Bomb Launcher user, freeing them to push the opponents further back. If a teammate has a weapon that can farm Ink Armor, it might pay off to wait until they activate it.
• Remaining behind a teammate with an active protective special weapon, such as Baller or Bubble Blower, can also give a Suction-Bomb Launcher user room to operate.
• Pushing forward with Suction-Bomb Launcher while a teammate is using a special designed to splat opponents, such as Sting Ray or Inkjet, can limit the opponents' escape options and even prevent them from Super Jumping to safety.

Countermeasures

An opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user is accurate, mobile, and damaging (with enough Main Power Up) — an already deadly combination. Their ability to support their team with efficient turfing and Suction-Bomb Launcher adds to their threat level. Understand and respect these strengths in order to be able to exploit their few weaknesses.

• Both Bomb Defense Up DX and Ink Resistance Up – already valuable utility abilities – provide various measures of protection against an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user:
  • Bomb Defense Up DX reduces the amount of damage taken from direct hits by Burst Bombs (from 60.0 HP to 57.7 HP) and splash damage from both Burst Bombs (from 25.0-35.0 HP to 24.0-33.6 HP) and Suction Bombs (from 30.0 HP to 28.6 HP) from the Suction-Bomb Launcher.
  • Ink Resistance Up reduces the chance of getting splatted in three shots from a Neo Splash-o-matic due to the brief invincibility frames it provides when touching opposing ink on various surfaces. It also partially offsets the reduction in mobility resulting from getting hit by a Burst Bomb.
• A competent Neo Splash-o-matic user will likely attack their opponents through either flanking or sharking:
  • Keep track of all four members of the opposing team – which ones are present, which ones are splatted, and which ones are back at their spawn point.
  • Check the map periodically for opposing ink forming around flanks to anticipate a flanking attack.
  • To prevent sharking, check suspicious puddles of the opponents' ink, preferably with a thrown sub weapon.
  • Weapons that track opponents, such as Point Sensors, temporarily prevent an opponent from sharking and makes them an easier target for long-ranged teammates to pick off.
• The Neo Splash-o-matic's perfect accuracy enables its user to jump while firing at targets that are either further or higher:
  • Avoid getting too close to ledges. Otherwise, an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user lurking beneath can jump up and fire at you.
  • Anticipate when an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user will jump and adjust your aim accordingly.
• The Neo Splash-o-matic has a shorter range than some other typical slayer's weapons:
  • All variants of the .52 Gal, the Tetra Dualies, the L-3 Nozzlenose, and the Dualie Squelchers outrange the Neo Splash-o-matic without sacrificing too much in firing rate.
  • All sloshers and some blasters not only outrange but also overpower the Neo Splash-o-matic. Just take care not to let an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user get too close.
  • However, do not overlook the opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user's perfect accuracy and Burst Bombs, both which provide its user more range than expected.
• The Neo Splash-o-matic's relatively low damage and lack of lethal bombs can be a liability for its user if they were to confront either a Splash Wall or a brella user:
  • A Kensa .52 Gal user can soft counter an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user, limiting where the latter can travel, turf, and throw Burst Bombs.
  • A skilled Brella user, namely a Splat or Tenta Brella user, can pose a matchup problem for an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user.
  • However, once the opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user has their Suction-Bomb Launcher ready, the tables can be turned, so pay attention to the HUD to avoid getting caught off guard.
• Any long-ranged weapon, such as chargers and splatlings, can not only fire upon an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user with impunity but can also interrupt their Suction-Bomb Launcher should they recklessly use it within range. However, should the opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user ever get close, they can outmaneuver and outdraw their less mobile, slower firing opponent.
• If you happen to get within range of an opposing Neo Splash-o-matic user while they are using Suction-Bomb Launcher, then take them out quickly to interrupt their special.
• Certain special weapons – such as Splashdown, Booyah Bomb, and Ultra Stamp – can negate the opponents' bombs if timed properly.
• A counter Bomb Launcher can nullify the effects of Suction-Bomb Launcher, preventing its user's team from either capping a zone or continuing a push.

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

A Neo Splash-o-matic user is usually expected to lead pushes towards their opponents' side, which puts them at risk of damage from opposing bombs and special weapons. Introduced in version 4.3.0, Bomb Defense Up DX will not only reduce the nonlethal damage taken from opponents' sub and special weapons but will also reduce the tracking duration of opponents' Ink Mines and Point Sensors, allowing the user of this ability to evade detection more easily. 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.

Ink Resistance Up

Any good slayer using a short-ranged weapon like the Neo Splash-o-matic is expected to come in contact with the opponent's ink on various surfaces, which can both be damaging and reduce their 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

Main Power Up

The Neo Splash-o-matic is one of a few weapons whose damage can be increased with a reasonable amount of Main Power Up. Even support-minded players should invest in this ability for better self-sufficiency. 31 ability points – equal to one main and seven subs – are enough to reach the Neo Splash-o-matic's damage cap of 33.3 HP, which can also be obtained with either two mains and four subs (32 AP, the most common amount on Sendou.ink) or three mains and one sub (33 AP).

Ability points	Mains	Subs	Damage (HP)	DPS (HP/s)	Time to splat oppo- nent at 100.0 HP (frames)	Time to splat oppo- nent at ≤ 99.9 HP (frames)	Time to splat oppo- nent at ≤ 99.3 HP (frames)
0	0	0	14.0-28.0	168.0-336.0	18-26	18-26	18-26
29	2	3	16.5-33.1	198.0-397.2	18-26	18-26	13-21
32	2	4	16.7-33.3	200.4-399.6	18-26	13-21	13-21

Ninja Squid

Ninja Squid reduces detection by opponents while swimming on non-vertical surfaces. It allows its user to swim at full speed undetected at the cost of about 20% of the maximum swimming speed as of version 3.0.0. Because a Neo Splash-o-matic user might have difficulty attacking some opponents head-on, Ninja Squid can make it easier for its user to shark and more safely approach these opponents. The mobile Neo Splash-o-matic user can afford the speed reduction more than users of less mobile weapons can.

• As of version 3.0.0, Ninja Squid reduces the maximum swim speed of the Neo Splash-o-matic from 2.02 units per frame to 1.81 units per frame.

Object Shredder

An ability exclusive to shoes, Object Shredder provides its user three non-exhaustive benefits:

• It enables them to pop the Rainmaker shield more quickly with any of their weapons, allowing their team to start or restart a push more quickly while gaining a large amount of turf control in the immediate area.
• It triples the amount of damage inflicted onto armored opponents, allowing one to break an opponent's Ink Armor in one hit.
• It increases their damage dealt to bubbles – both friendly and opposing – by 30%, allowing for quicker growing and popping of bubbles.

The inclusion of Burst Bombs with the Neo Splash-o-matic minimizes the second benefit, and the latter requires having a teammate with Bubble Blower. However, it might help a Neo Splash-o-matic user to have one Rainmaker-specific loadout with Object Shredder to hasten popping the Rainmaker shield.

Quick Super Jump

Quick Super Jump decreases both the "charge" time before and the travel time of a Super Jump. Neo Splash-o-matic users who include this ability will benefit in two ways since Quick Super Jump allows them to both return to the front lines more quickly and escape unfavorable situations more easily to preserve special gauge progress.

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

Special Charge Up

Special Charge Up accelerates building up the special gauge for Suction-Bomb Launcher. While the rapidly turfing Neo Splash-o-matic is quick at farming Suction-Bomb Launcher, its user might want to devote a few of their available ability points to Special Charge Up to have Suction-Bomb Launcher more readily available for pushes and counter-pushes.

• Three ability points, or one sub, reduces the special gauge requirement from 210p to 205p.
• Six ability points, or two subs, reduce the special gauge requirement further to 199p.

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.

Sub Power Up

To compensate for the main weapon's short range, Sub Power Up increases the throwing speed and, thus, the range of Burst Bombs, enabling a Neo Splash-o-matic user to challenge opponents from a farther, more safer distance.

Swim Speed Up

As a short-ranged weapon that excels at flanking, the Neo Splash-o-matic greatly benefits if it is able to swim faster. Swim Speed Up enables its user to more quickly close the distance towards an opponent, more quickly respond to an opponents' push, or even escape unfavorable situations.

• 16 ability points – one main and two subs – increase the swim speed from 2.02 DU/f to 2.19 DU/f.
• Swim Speed Up can reduce the swim speed penalty from Ninja Squid. However, it takes at least 28 ability points – either one main and six subs or about two mains and three subs – of Swim Speed Up for a Neo Splash-o-matic user to fully offset the swimming speed penalty of Ninja Squid. Instead, a Neo Splash-o-matic user with Ninja Squid could devote just enough ability points (13 AP, or one main and one sub) to restore their swim speed to that of a middleweight class (1.92 DU/f).

Splatoon 3

Splatoon 3

Neo Splash-o-matic

Abbreviations	Splash, Neo Splash
Sub	Suction Bomb
Special	Triple Inkstrike
Base damage	28
Base duration
Ink consumption	0.8%
Special points	210p
Special depletion
Role	Slayer/Support
Strengths	Accuracy (lack of jump RNG), mobility, turfing, Triple Inkstrike farming, versatility
Weaknesses	Short range, low damage (4-shot kill), requires good aim

In Splatoon 3, the Neo Splash-o-matic returns with a new kit, Suction Bomb and Triple Inkstrike. The main weapon functions identical to the Splash-o-matic. The new kit it has provides new utility for the weapon to use and also has a slight advantage in Tower Control.

Use

The Neo Splash-o-matic is a slayer and support weapon. While its kit makes it less of an aggressive weapon due to the loss of Burst Bomb and Crab Tank on its original kit, it can still play as an aggressive weapon and provide more support and utility for your team.

• The main weapon itself has many strengths.
  • The weapon comes with perfect accuracy at all times, allowing the user to jump and shoot without any shot spread, making the weapon great for attacking higher areas or getting some extra range.
  • The weapon can turf well providing good support for turf control for your team.
  • It also has a reasonable splat time for each shot dealing 28 damage, with a fast fire rate.

The Suction Bomb provides good utility by having a lethal bomb able to zone out opponents and denying space.

• Suction Bombs can threaten a certain area based on where the bomb is thrown, whilst having one of the bigger lethal bomb radiuses.
• Can deal considerable object damage.
• Can turf a decent amount of area.
• It can also be suctioned onto the tower, which can force the opponent off the tower or be repositioned.

Triple Inkstrike is a good displacement special that can zone out three spaces.

• Forces opponents to move out of designated spaces.
• Splats opponents rapidly. Touching the slightest of an Inkstrike could deal serious damage or even splat opponents.
• Great object damage. Can quickly shred any object in the game, such as the Rainmaker shield, Big Bubbler, Crab Tank, etc.
• Also turfs a good amount of area, similar to a Booyah Bomb.

This article or section is a stub.

You can help the wiki by adding to it.