Eventually finding the splats in Splat Zones [11(2)-3, Carbon Roller]

The orange team's shooters make a commanding presence in the Splat Zones, and my Carbon Roller's can't get close enough for a conventional splat, and its vertical flick needs better aim than I can muster most of the time. Circumstances look a bit grim already, with the orange team half-way to victory within the first minute. At least we pause their counter, and capture the Splat Zones before that minute is over.

I contribute where I can, with Autobombs here and there, inking where it's safe, and an Ink Storm, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the orange ink everywhere to be rolling at full capability. It doesn't help when I throw an Autobomb at a Tenta Missile launch and accidentally get trapped in front of a small wall. An easy splat for me is turned around.

Everything is very orange again, and although my squidmates recapture the Splat Zones, the periphery needs some work too. I take care of some of it, before falling down and not being able to get back up again. But my Autobomb has spotted something! I try to home in on its target, but get caught by it instead. At least I splat my splatter.

At least we're winning now! That perks me up, and along with a quick couple of splats relaxes me a little. I skirt the Splat Zones, waiting for opportunity, and worry less about keeping absolute control of the Splat Zones. We just need relative control, now and again, to maintain the lead. And with the pressure off me and on the orange team, the splats start to come.

Great Zapfish, I love Autobombs. The only think I don't love about them is that I don't get to see most of their splats. But what a brilliant fire-and-forget automaton it is. The battle ends with one of my little buddies not having far to splat a last desperate launch of Tenta Missiles, as we achieve the knockout victory. Woomy!

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Tags: carbon roller, console, musselforge fitness, splat zones, splatoon 2, switch

Skirting the Splat Zones [9(3)-1, Splattershot Jr]

I'm really quite enjoying battling with the Splattershot Jr, as well as being more supportive than aggressive. I'm also glad that I practiced sticking to walls, as it comes in quite handy against Tenta Missiles. And when I'm spotted at one point on the wall, I quite sensibly move to another point. I don't directly contribute to our battle, but I distract the opposition and give my squidmates time to come back from being splatted.

We capture the Splat Zones, and I retreat from more Tenta Missiles not just to avoid them, but to stop them inking the Splat Zones. That lets me find a different angle too, from where I throw a nice Splat Bomb as a green inkling launches a Curling Bomb. I think he was concentrating more on his to see mine.

More Tenta Missiles come in. So many more. I suppose that's because we're all close together in the Splat Zones. Dodging them is tricky, but I manage it, although at the cost of the Splat Zones themselves. I try to get them back quickly, but this just gets me splatted quickly. Have I learnt nothing from the first 90 seconds?

My squidmates capture the Splat Zones back easily enough, so I do some tidying up and charge my Ink Armour, and work around the edges to shoo the Slosher whilst trying to keep the Dynamo Roller at bay. I finally splat the Slosher when I see a ripple of ink head behind a structure, just where the last Tenta Missiles were launched from. Sure enough, the Slosher is aiming another launch and vulnerable. Nice!

The Splat Zones stay purple, and another Splat Bomb finds an unfortunate target. The green team get more desperate to neutralise the Splat Zones as our score ticks ever lower, but we just accept the splat of a super-jumper, moments before winning the knockout victory. Woomy!

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Tags: console, musselforge fitness, splat zones, splatoon 2, splattershot jr, switch

Hitting the flank in Rainmaker [3(2)-0, Splattershot Jr]

Going straight to the Rainmaker is a mug's game, which is why I occasionally don't do it. I hit the flank instead, building up charge for Ink Armour, and making use of the ink rail that leads to the perch everyone normally stands on at the start of a battle. It almost catches me one inkling, which I make sure of thanks to a brief pause to activate the Ink Armour.

I decide to ink forwards a little bit, because it may come in useful, before turning back to... Well, I didn't expect to see the Rainmaker on top of me. This is a nice surprise. I squid up the wall with my squidmate, and support him more directly.

Not that he needs support. The path to the podium is clear, a Rainmaker blast inks it, and the yellow team are nowhere to be seen. That was easy!

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Tags: console, moray towers, rainmaker, splatoon 2, splattershot jr, switch

Almost not a bumper load in Salmon Run [30-27-21, 20/497]

Four shooters as weapons is an interesting choice by Mr Grizz, but should at least make most inklings comfortable for each wave. Having said that, starting with the .96 Gal is perhaps my last choice of the four, although the terribly short range of the Sploosh-o-matic makes some bosses awkward. And the atmosphere darkens, for the first wave, indicating something out of the ordinary is about to happen.

Fog! Could be worse, I suppose. I can't see anything from my perch, which is probably the point of fog, so I let my squidmates find the first boss and catch up. But dragging just a little bit lets the bosses build up, and the first appearance of a Steel Head could be a problem without a charger. I feel responsible for splatting it, with my powerful, mid-range weapon, which I manage, but at the cost of ignoring Chum. So it goes.

That seems to be the end of our first-wave troubles, and the other bosses topple pretty easily, leaving plenty of Golden Eggs in their wake. We can pretty much collect and splat simultaneously, and we get a good number to complete the first wave. The second wave is low tide and Mr Grizz gives me the Splattershot Jr. Nice! I can do anything.

Anything! Splatting a Drizzler with its own ink storm, for example. Or get surrounded by a Steel Eel, I suppose. But a Steel Head is trickier, two more so. They stick together, and we splat them simultaneously, though, which works out well. We get some Golden Eggs in open space to collect, and as they dry up a Maws tries to eat me, giving more eggs to collect. This is going well.

More Steel Heads appear, one interrupting my Inkjet, but the wave is nearly over, so when revived I just retreat to a bit of safety, which works just fine. Another good haul for the wave, and Dualie Squelchers for the third. That'll do nicely. Not even a Steel Eel chomping at my heels gives me pause for thought. We're racking up the Golden Eggs again!

Still, nearly jumping over a ledge in to the slimy water to go for a Stinger was close to an aim-for-the-bushes moment. But I'm revived, and I aim for one of the Stingers that will causes us problems. I splat it without hassle, but turn around to see I'm the last inkling standing, still with two Stingers and Great Zapfish knows what other bosses, and salmonids aplenty homing in on me.

Ten seconds left in the wave, I just need to survive! Reviving a squidmate will help a lot, and if I can just get up the wall before the Stinger hits me I should be able to make it. It's close, but I get up the wall and revive a couple of squidmates, before dropping off one last Golden Egg. That was close! Another successful Salmon Run.

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Tags: console, salmon run, spawning grounds, splatoon 2, switch

One-point Rainmaker with a three-point shot [16(4)-7, Tri-slosher]

I stumble over my first splat opportunity, deservedly only ending up with an assist, before moving up to be wary of the E-litre 4K's sights. I dabble a bit with Burst Bombs, a couple hitting inkling, one hitting the block in front of me, before a proper opportunity arises, which I gladly take as my squidmates advance the Rainmaker. I push ahead of the Rainmaker, and sneak a peak around a corner, which gets me a splat, but also splatted.

I can tell as I super-jump that the landing is going to be rough. I don't even get a Burst Bomb loosed. I last a bit longer next outing, but not by much. Still, the Rainmaker is nicely advanced towards the purple podium, so I don't mind too much. Not reacting to the Splat Bomb nicely rolled just behind me is a little more disappointing, but not unexpected.

I return to ink the path I'm expecting the Rainmaker to come towards us, which is somewhat premature, but it charges my Ink Armour. I need it when I wander in to the Rainmaker's blast. I feel a bit hard done by when my downwards sloshing is beaten by upwards sloshing, though. But this is interesting: did my bucket brethren not realise the Rainmaker was burst free, or was she intentionally waiting for it to reset, as it does now after a while? Smart, if the latter.

I think I try to splat a squidmate as the Rainmaker's shield bulges. I don't succeed, but I do manage to sneak behind the E-litre 4K. If only my aim was better, I could have squidded away without getting caught by the explosion. How can I not aim with a bucket? I'm not very good. My squidmates just about stop the Rainmaker before we lose the lead, and I help splat the other inklings so that we can move the Rainmaker away from danger.

I manage to get three splats and an assist in quick time, which is satisfying, and we move the Rainmaker further away from our podium. I'm stopped when a flanking move is accidentally anticipated. I come back to tidy up a bit, including activating the ink rail, just so that it can't be purple quickly, and see the Enberry Dualies rolling this way and that. I don't want to risk getting close with my bucket, so let him catch a Burst Bomb instead. Nice!

With seconds to go, the purple team grab the Rainmaker and make a run from it deep from their own territory. I do the wrong thing and get distracted by a super-jumping ring, and get lucky as the Dualies roll out of my way. I give chase and just about catch up to the Rainmaker as my squidmates splat him, ending the battle with just one point in it.

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Tags: console, musselforge fitness, rainmaker, splatoon 2, switch, tri-slosher

Getting desperate in Salmon [17-23-19, 15/605]

I can work with the Aerospray MG. It's got a good fire rate and has good mobility, so I should be happy with the first wave. The first couple of bosses are straightforward, with even the Drizzler taken down without much fuss. Our efficiency continues, but I'm finally overwhelmed by the smaller salmonids when trying to keep the pink ink flowing and Golden Eggs collectable. Still, we've already made quote, so we should be fine.

The Heavy Splatling isn't a bad choice for me either, and it being high tide for the second wave probably makes it easier. I can try to sit in the middle and mete out inky punishment wherever it comes from. I'm pushed off my perch by a Drizzler, at the same time as a Stinger threatens, but I step to the side and make good use of my Splashdown to splat the Drizzler, and Chum trying to hit me, as I splat the Stinger. Nice!

I finally have to be more mobile when a Steel Eel comes out of the stinky sea. It clearly causes problems, because I am the last inkling standing at one point. Thankfully, the Eel doesn't aim for me immediately, and I can splat it and revive a squidmate or two before we are wiped out. I probably shouldn't have gone for those Golden Eggs on the grating, though, not with the Heavy Splatling. It's heavy, and slows me down. A second Splashdown comes to my aid, but it's a bit of a waste.

I'm splatted at the end of the second wave, but it was to bag us an extra Golden Egg. I'm sure that was worth it. I am revived with the Inkbrush, which really is not a weapon I favour. On top of that, everything goes dark, making the third wave is different. On this run, it's because of Glowflies. That sounds like a bad choice when you have an Inkbrush.

Circumstances aren't helped by not all of my squidmates perhaps being familiar with Glowflies, and not hopping on to the platform next to the basket before the salmonids start rushing us. It doesn't take long for us to get splintered, with salmonids, Goldies, and Golden Eggs everywhere. At least Specials are pulled out, we are revived, and we are collecting the eggs.

We are in a better position soon enough, but that isn't helped when the Glowflies stick to me again. I can't swing my Inkbrush quickly enough to swat away a Goldie, who bumps me off the perch on to the level below. Thankfully, I am revived back on the perch, which perhaps saves us indirectly. My squidmates are all splatted, leaving me to rescue us. With my dumb Inkbrush.

I have a quick think, which is all I really have time for, and lob a Splat Bomb to revive one squidmate. I then wait for as long as I dare, then hop off the perch to lead the salmonids away, using the speed that is the Inkbrush's only good trait here. I still don't get far, but one revived squidmate has pulled out the Inkjet again and is splatting salmonids and reviving us. Nice!

I still don't last long, but we've made quite, and just have to last a little bit longer, which mostly relies on us reviving each other. But we manage it, and that really does deserve a little celebration at the end. Woomy!

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Tags: console, salmon run, spawning grounds, splatoon 2, switch

Not quite far enough in Tower Control [20(4)-6, Tri-slosher]

A slight pause for the Octobrush to forget about me seems like a good idea, but he has a memory longer than an Octoling. Still, I splat him as well. I think about hitting the other flank, but a purple splotch draws me to the same side as before. It's just residue, but as my squidmates are pushing the Tower I continue to flank for splats. I get one, but get unlucky going for a second. And the Tower resets.

I adopt a defensive position on my return, getting some height and sloshing down, with the occasional opportunistic Burst Bomb. It does well when sloshing passively, but as soon as I move aggressively on the advancing Tower I am splatted away. I was an obvious target, I suppose. I try to be less obvious and go the long way to the Tower, which kind of works, but not before the purple team reach the second checkpoint. It's not a great compromise.

At least I hop on the Tower and ride it back towards the centre, hopping off to splat a threatening Roller, then the Octobrush, and ending up abandoning the Tower to splat the whole of the purple team sequentially. Good for me, not so much for the team, but my squidmates take over the Tower, so I suppose it works out.

We keep the Tower moving and I slosh ink here and there, to claim turf and look for splats. We move to the second checkpoint and mostly keep the purple team at bay, but this close to the base it gets more difficult, and we are eventually overwhelmed. The purple team push the Tower back our way.

I clear a couple of inklings out of the way and hop back on to the Tower with a squidmate to keep our victory hopes alive. I flounder against a wall as we get close to the checkpoint, which may help me avoid being splatted on the wrong side of a Splash Wall, and get some more splats to help us move to the checkpoint. But, once more, we are splatted off the Tower, moments before taking the lead.

The purple team reset the Tower and, with little time left, seem content to mostly defend. But they hop on the Tower as the battle ends, to avoid extra time, and I can't quite get there myself and splat the inklings off to give us one last chance.

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Tags: console, splatoon 2, sturgeon shipyard, switch, tower control, tri-slosher

Punishing respawns in Tower Control [14(1)-5, Tri-slosher]

I'm still running with a Respawn Punisher jersey, because that's perhaps a good secondary way I can support my team with whatever splats I can get. It should be just as good with the Tri-slosher as the Splattershot Jr, and I'd like to try the bucket a bit more, to encourage me that I'm still simpatico with it.

As is my wont, I hit the flank to start with, getting me one surprise splat, and a second that mostly sees it coming, and I think that's good enough to justify my Respawn Punisher jersey already. I push forwards, feeling aggressive, but forget that we aren't in a Rainmaker battle, so various blocks are missing, and I need to go back to support the Tower.

But squidding haphazardly away from a Suction Bomb bumps me in to a sponge, which I realise I can use instead of an inkable block. I move up and look for opportunity, but the action is behind me, near the Tower, and the charger has moved to a better perch. I squid backwards and, well, just kinda hold my turf, hoping my squidmates are doing well with the Tower. Not really.

I head back, but the orange team has already taken the lead, and I get caught between the inklings on the Tower and the inklings in support. The orange team keeps the Tower moving forwards, but I find a good flanking route to stop it, and them, and get a decent triple splat that should see them out of action for a little bit. We've got a long way to go to retake the lead, though.

We don't get to the second checkpoint on our next push, and when I'm splatted back to base I take some time cleaning up, preventing easy orange movement and charging my Ink Armour. I pressure the orange team a little when they bring the Tower forwards again, but don't quite survive all of the super-jumpers.

My squidmates try to keep the Tower moving for the most part, and although I get the opportunity to give it a push I stick to skirmishing, which perhaps isn't always the best option. As the clock runs down, we have one last chance in extra time to steal the victory, and I try to mix splats with keeping the Tower occupied, but I don't quite manage it. Still, we had a long way to go. All the same, it was a fun battle!

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Tags: console, splatoon 2, starfish mainstage, switch, tower control, tri-slosher

Sitting back in support of the Rainmaker [14(6)-4, Splattershot Jr]

Holding back at the start of the battle, rather than rushing to try to burst the Rainmaker free, has its benefits. I stay unsplatted, measure what's happening, and sneak a splat here and there. It only goes a bit wrong when I get confident, which really doesn't take long, and try to move the Rainmaker myself, and get splatted almost immediately. The positive side to that is when I don't actually pick it up.

I take the cautious route back, dodging to the side and waiting for Tenta Missiles to hit, and again hold back, playing a more supportive role. It seems to work, for what it's worth, and something I could get used to. Once more, I fail to pick up the Rainmaker, but I'm happy to support my squidmate who does. We make a good run too, splatting our way past all but one of the blue team, who tactfully hides around the final corner.

I back off and try to maintain a presence, which at leasts distracts the blue team for a moment, but the Rainmaker starts coming our way. A nifty Splat Bomb stops the push, but the blue team hold their position well. We finally splat them back for long enough to grab the Rainmaker again, but they won't stay away. The map starts to look a bit too blue too.

We manage to hold a relatively neutral position as we battle for position, and as the battle comes to a close we just need a sneaky Splat Bomb bounced off a wall as the blue team grabs the Rainmaker for one last desperate push. That was fun! Woomy!

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Tags: console, musselforge fitness, rainmaker, splatoon 2, splattershot jr, switch

Getting inexorably closer to the podium in Rainmaker [13(6)-6, Splattershot Jr]

I'm continuing with my Splattershot Jr plan, as it seems to be mostly working. But I'm being a bit more aggressive with it now, because it seems to be mostly working. I hit the flank of the purple team immediately, ignoring the Rainmaker, and although I don't catch the Dynamo Roller, forcing him off the perch is a good result. It would be better if the rest of the purple team didn't wipe us out.

The purple team pushes, but not hard considering their opportunity, and we splat the Rainmaker and grab it for ourselves. Our first push immediately passes the purple team's lead, and my choice to flank gets a couple of decent splats. I can't quite continue the splatting, but the Rainmaker is lost close to the podium, with one inkling of each team left standing.

The purple team are closer from their base to the Rainmaker, and sensibly take it down their flank to avoid us. I watch this as I super-jump back, and try to intercept the Rainmaker, but am caught by the Dynamo Roller. I choose not to super-jump the next time, which works better, but I get caught between an inkling and a super-jump ring. Although I probably make the right choice on which to focus on, it doesn't do me much good.

We swiftly move the Rainmaker back across the Academy, and ink a path right up to the podium. I'm not sure what our carrier is waiting for, hopefully it's a good reason, but he's stopped further back than before. Not a serious problem, as we remain in a good position, and I get some revenge on the Dynamo Roller. The Rainmaker is burst free, rushed forwards, and stopped short again, but really close to the podium once more.

Trying to keep myself close gets me splatted, but we're sensing the knockout victory now. The purple team make a valiant push back towards our side of the Academy, which we stop, and return the favour. I indulge in some splatting here and there as I ink a path up to the podium, and turn to find out where the Rainmaker has got to.

I return to provide more direct support to the Rainmaker, but it doesn't look like they need any more. They've squidded past me, and right up the path I inked to the top of the podium, for the knockout victory. Woomy!

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Tags: console, inkblot art academy, rainmaker, splatoon 2, splattershot jr, switch