It's a tough battle sometimes

Standard start, goes okay, some resistance down the alley, but at least I don't rush headlong in to my first splat. It takes a little more time than it often does. But as is usual when splatted initially, when I respawn I take some time to ink turf close to our base. This fills my special gauge, and I use the Suction Bomb Rush a little unconventionally, spreading ink instead of going for splats. I think it's okay, although judging by how hard our opponent's are pressing perhaps I should have waited.

There is a fair bit of resistance from our opponents, making good use of their subs and weapons to keep us from getting to high in the map. I manage to sneak around the side and from there up the middle still, but they must be keeping a close eye on the dynamic map on the gamepad, as I am chased back by one squid, which I splat, and a second, who splats me back to our base. Chasing me also has them covering most of the ink that I spread. With that kind of vigilance and skill, it's no surprise that we don't win the game.

Yeah, we lose, and I am splatted more than I manage to splat. But that's how it goes sometimes. It was still a fun battle.

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Tags: arowana mall, console, splash-o-matic, splatfest, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Wreaking havoc in Arowana Mall pt. 3

More Splatfest Turf War on Arowana Mall, and with my Splash-o-Matic I am again wreaking havoc. My start is impeded slightly by trying to shoot ink through a fellow squid's head, but that's going to happen when we're all bunched up at the start. I quickly get on my way to the middle, aiming to head up the side alley as usual. The signs of neon-purple ink show a squid up ahead, so I am alert to his presence. My Splash-o-Matic is short ranged, so I can only suppose that its unusually tight spray of ink is what gets me the splat, instead of being splatted.

I get bold early, not seeing any other squids around, and head up to the base to see what ink I can cover up there. It's not really the best tactic. Of all the places you can ink, the patch right outside where squids respawn is the patch that is always going to get covered up pretty soon afterwards. But I suppose it slows them down a little, which is something. Maybe it rattles them a little too, I dunno. It kinda frustrates me a little to have to re-ink my way out of my base, so I suppose it has an effect on others too.

I'm not one to linger by the base, though. Ink and move, as is my general tactic. I know some squids like to hide in ink and catch other squids unawares, but I'm not one for that sort of malarky. If there's more turf to ink, I'd rather be inking it. So off I go. Sort of. There is more turf to ink, all around their base, so I ink my way around that first. I confess that I like making that jump between the ledges too. I soon move on, though, mostly by being splatted by a Sloshing Machine. Ah, only in Splatoon is a washing machine weaponised.

Chasing down a squid for a third splat in quick succession ends hilariously, as that third squid pops his bubble just as I get in range. So it goes. I also get in a motion-control tizzy with a squid a bit later on, with neither of us winning. It's another really fun game, with plenty of action, and a decent result for me.

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Tags: arowana mall, console, splash-o-matic, splatfest, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Turning the tables

It's not just Arowana Mall being used for the Splatfest. The other two maps get plenty of inking too. I stick with my Splash-o-Matic, though, as the issue of liking pineapple on pizzas is too significant to muck around with a weapon I'm less comfortable with. In this Splatfest Turf War, we battle in Kelp Dome.

There are some good options for the start of a Turf War on Kelp Dome. I often make my choice based on where I start on the platform. In this case, I head down towards where the opponent's ramp leads them to our side, and lob a Suction Bomb as a warning shot, before making my way to the centre of the map. From there, I suppose it really depends on what the opposition are doing. Taking the central platform and spraying ink indiscriminately is a good option, so is taking out a roller and then getting splatted myself. At least that gives me a chance to take a different direction. And to see the animation for the inkstrike.

I love the animation for the inkstrike! The squid pulling out a tablet to choose where to aim the strike (which is done on the gamepad), then putting her fingers in her ears as the missile blasts away. Continuing on my way has my special charge, and after that little slice of mayhem, I even sensibly turn away from chasing a squid for a splat, favouring inking more turf instead. That's personal growth right there. I also spot the tell-tale sign of the charger's sight seeking me out, and squid away from it. You can tell that I have a good feel for the map by the way I use the obstacles to my benefit.

I think my highlight is managing to evade the Kraken as it chases me, for long enough to be able to splat the kid as he transforms back. Those Kraken nearly always splat me, so it's a good feeling to turn the tables like that. But even all my inking, racking up an impressive 1457p even without the 300p bonus for winning, and a reasonable splat total isn't enough to help our team to the win. But you can't win them all, and this was still a really fun battle in the Splatfest.

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Tags: console, kelp dome, splash-o-matic, splatfest, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Wreaking havoc on Arowana Mall pt. 2

More havoc in Arowana Mall. My opening move with the Splash-o-matic is generally to get to the opponent's side of the map as quickly as possible, then, well, it all gets a bit fluid after that. There's not much you can predict in the average game. Having said that, a strong prediction is that I'll be the first death of the match. Running pell mell in to the opposition will have that effect. But for those times when it doesn't, I can be quite effective. I suppose it's a matter of knowing the map and the possibilities it allows.

For Arowana Mall, there are three routes to the centre, but only two out of it. Taking the central route out is only asking for trouble, because the plaza beyond it is quite open and, by this point, either holding a couple of opposition squids, or overlooked by them. The other route out, by contrast, is up and along a sheltered alley. Perfect for sneaking by the opposition and coming up behind them. Or to the side of them, at least. The level design is good on Arowana Mall, as you are forced to take the lowest-level, central route through a pinch-point to get a chance to climb up to the opponent's base. There is plenty of turf to fight for, but to get all of it you need to be bold and successful.

In this battle, I get to the centre quickly, and up to the alley before the opposition. My first encounter is with what could be an inexperienced roller, as I keep the upper hand. After that, it's just a matter of inking and moving, inking and moving. I'm far from invulnerable, though. Being splatted occasionally isn't always a bad thing either. It sends me back to our base, from where I can cover some missed turf, and take time to check my gamepad for the state of play in general.

Some nifty manoeuvring, making good use of the platforms, and abusing my Suction Bomb Rush gets me a decent score and some good splats. Another game that we rack up for what turns out to be the losing side of the Splatfest.

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Tags: arowana mall, console, splash-o-matic, splatfest, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Wreaking havoc on Arowana Mall pt. 1

The latest Splatfest in the EU region happened recently. Splatfests are special party nights in Splatoon. A divisive topic is picked by the Squid Sisters, with Callie representing one side and Marie the other. Every squid then gets to side with either Callie or Marie, and then battle over who is right. The battles are always Turf War, with three maps in the rotation instead of two, neon-coloured ink represents each side, and the Splatfest lasts for twenty-four hours. This Splatfest's theme was whether you liked having pineapple on your pizza or not. Spoiler alert: people really don't like pineapple on their pizza. Us sensible, pineapple appreciaters were thoroughly thrashed. But we won some small victories.

Of the three stages in the rotation—Arowana Mall, Kelp Dome, and Museum d'Alfonsino—Arowana Mall is perhaps my favourite. Or, at least, it is the map I am most comfortable on. It has some good spots for chargers, has alleys for flanking, and if you're bold enough you can get right up to the opposition's base, for maximum inking. As I recently found a good strategy for a charger in Kelp Dome, and the Museum is open enough for a charger, I started the Splatfest with my Kelp Splatterscope. I quickly switched out for the Splash-o-Matic, though, as we kept losing quite badly. I am more comfortable with the Splash-o-Matic for Turf War, and very comfortable with in on Arowana Mall.

I shall explain my tactics a little in future posts, but for now, here is me running riot in Arowana Mall during the Splatfest.

A nice and high score, only one death, and six splats. That's a pretty good game! I do like Arowana Mall.

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Tags: arowana mall, console, splash-o-matic, splatfest, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Turf war on Mahi-Mahi Resort, 1157p with a Splash-o-Matic

Mahi-Mahi Resort is the new map for Splatoon. Much like other recent maps, it has some dynamic elements. In this case, the water level lowers half-way through the battle. First, that means the water level is high to start with, and squids and kids don't like water. I'm not sure why, but we dissolve on contact. Although there is a main area of solid surfaces available to ink, there are some outlying platforms surrounded by water. You can play it safe by sticking to the main area, and running in to the opposition, or you can platform-hop and try to outflank your opponents.

When the water level drops, it makes the map somewhat safer, but it also opens up a whole lot more surface to be inked. This new surface area cannot be touched when the water level is high, so although there is plenty to be done before the water level drops, it's almost like starting again half-way through the battle. It's a clever mechanic, particularly as the revealed inkable surfaces are patchwork amongst the already inked. The level gets bigger and messier within a few seconds.

I haven't quite got the lay of the map yet. I still make jumps in to water, squid in to it accidentally, or just not have my mental compass orientated properly. But I'm getting there. It definitely seems fun, with some level changes, giving options for different weapons and tactics, and plenty of screens to prevent chargers from reaching everywhere without threat to themselves. I'm running around with my Splash-o-Matic, if only because I'm more comfortable with that in Turf War, and it lets me be effective whilst learning. I certainly get around the whole map, which I might not do with a Kelp Splatterscope charger.

In the end it's a victory, with a healthy amount of ink spread around. I think I'll enjoy this map quite a bit once I've played it more.

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Tags: console, mahi-mahi resort, splash-o-matic, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Turf War at Flounder Heights, 1381p with the Splash-o-Matic

Let's play some Turf War, today at Flounder Heights. My default weapon for Turf War has been the splash-o-matic for quite a while now. It shoots straighter than most weapons, which isn't a great advantage when wanting to spread lots of ink, but I find it really aids my mobility. I can ink a line ahead of me that I can squid through very efficiently, which lets me cover a lot of ground quickly when I need to. I also got quite attached to the splash-o-matic after an opposing squid showed me how effective a Bomb Rush with Suction Bombs can be. It's pretty effective.

Today's Turf War is happening at Flounder Heights. I really enjoy this level, and think it is really well designed. The main central building has multiple routes to its roof, as well as a central area to pass through, offering high ground, sneaky routes up and down, and breaks up the line-of-sight of the long-range chargers.

I'll often start a game of Turf War by squidding my way to the opposing territory and cause a nuisance one way or another. A quick flanking or inking over opposing ink can be annoying for the other team, but I have to admit that most times it just gets me splatted first in the battle. I'm not entirely sure why I stick to this plan. In this game, I make a concession by not taking my favourite route but a secondary route to opposing territory, mostly because my favourite route worked quite poorly in the previous game. This secondary route looks quite good, and works well in this case.

My main tactic in Turf War is ink and move, ink and move. I will often forget this, and instead get caught up in petty rivalries, particularly if there is a charger in the other team sitting pretty on a perch. Thankfully there isn't one in this case, letting me ink and move, ink and move. My Suction Bombs get me out of some sticky situations a couple of times, and throw ink everywhere in the process.

This game also reminds me of the hazard of superjumping so deep in to enemy territory. Although such a superjump can get past a lot of friendly ink in little time, it doesn't help if a bad guy is waiting at the other end, spraying ink where you'll land. It was a fun game in the end, with plenty of mobility and lots of ink being spread around.

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Tags: console, flounder heights, splash-o-matic, splatoon, turf war, wii u

Tower Control on Arowana Mall, 11-7 with Splatterscope

Arowana Mall is a good level for chargers, with its split level and long, thin design, so I have my Splatterscope equipped. Tower Control can go either way for chargers. Although you need to ride the tower to win, which presents an obvious target for long-distance splats, chargers just don't work when on the tower, which is the natural focus of point-blank range splatfare. I suppose the effectiveness of a charger is partly dependent on the motivation of the other squids to get on the tower and rely on you for support. But the support cannot just sit back and watch, as was shown to me by another charger in a previous game. When the tower moves forwards, you move forwards. Keep the relative distance the same, but always be moving to provide the necessary support.

I start by getting to my favourite perch. This provides a good overlook for the central zone, as well as giving me just about enough range with my Splatterscope to hit an opposition ledge on the diagonal. This doesn't mean to much when I still have the habit of 'snatching' at my shots, which is evident at my early misses. But I still can cover the tower, and provide a good basis of ink for my squad to squid through.

As soon as the tower moves forwards, I move forwards to keep in range and provide support. Of course, you still have to watch your back, as squids often try to outflank their opposition, and I manage to dodge a splat bomb. I also get carried away sometimes and get on the tower. This isn't a bad idea, even if it's not with the ideal weapon, because even though it's perhaps the most vulnerable position in the battle it can provide a good vantage point. I even get some lucky splats using my charger without charging it. It can get a bit manic on the tower, and the central column provides some cover.

It's a good game, with some fun to-and-fro between the teams. I feel I provided good support with my charger, and didn't make too many misguided moves, or miss too many shots. This is the sort of Tower Control game that keeps me coming back for more.

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Tags: arowana mall, splatoon, splatterscope, tower control, wii u

Charging the Tower

Tower Control, Moray Towers. I have my Splatterscope on me, as the long, open ramps and open and low central area of Moray Towers lends itself perfectly to chargers. Naturally, other squids have the same idea. There's another charger in my team, and one ink gun. Yeah, only three of us, one squid disappears from our ink pool before the game even begins. That's never a good sign. Being a squid down generally leads to losing the match. That the bad guys have three chargers and one ink gun doesn't bode well either.

I'm not getting a good feeling about this game, and it's not even started. Teams full of chargers tend to compete amongst themselves for perches, and then take turns picking off the chargers on the other team. It's understandable given that a charger is almost useless on the tower. Although riding the tower gives a different vantage point, a charger just can't compete at short range, and any confrontation on the tower will be at pretty much the shortest range. A bunch of chargers and Tower Control nearly always leads to poor Ranked matches, as the objective is forgotten. But I will do my best.

Happily, I am perked up as soon as the match begins, with my teammates surging forwards with a sense of increased urgency. And my fellow charger isn't just trying to get to a perch before me. We are all heading towards the tower, and get first control of it. As the creepy tower-music starts playing, signalling the tower's movement, my charger teammate is covering me nicely from the opposing chargers. Good guy teammate. But, of course, riding the tower is dangerous, and I am splatted. But when I am, my teammates move forwards to try to retake it.

This is not how I expected the game to go at all! I respawn and squid down the levels to rejoin the action. When a teammate is on the tower, I move to a perch and try to get the bad guy chargers before they get us. When we lose the tower, I move forwards to stop the bad guys controlling it. That is invariably a short-term plan, as I don't last long on the tower, but my respawning teammates have my back. They protect me as best they can, and try to retake the tower when I am splatted.

This is a game of Tower Control like few others I've played. Everyone knows their roles, but also understands the objective, and are flexible and aware enough to do what is needed when it's needed. There's no knockout victory, which is a good result when a squid down, but our early lead remains in place, as our defence holds the bad guys back. Victory for us! Perhaps more importantly, I played in a brilliant, exciting game with fellow squids who were excellent teammates. I hope they continue to get good matches.

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Tags: console, moray towers, splatoon, splatterscope, tower control, wii u

Returning for the Rainmaker

Rainmaker, Flounder Heights. I have an Aerospray MG equipped today, as I enjoy rapid-fire inkers, and the seeker sub and inkzooker special both ink long straight lines, which are great for making a path for the Rainmaker. As is normal for the start of the match, we make a beeline for the Rainmaker, on top of the flats, a quickly released seeker of mine inking a path towards the main ramp.

A bit of inking gets us to the top of the flats, and a couple of us make quick work of the Rainmaker's shield. I decide to grab it. As you swim faster than you run, I squid to jump in to the Rainmaker to pick it up, but, as is too often the case around grids, I mis-time the jump. My squid-self hits the grate the Rainmaker sits on without picking it up, and I fall through and to the ground.

Oh well. Whilst I'm down here, I may as well ink a path for whichever teammate picks up the Rainmaker. If they jump down, hopefully a line of ink will welcome them. I spray some ink ahead of me and see a bad guy ahead. I release a seeker, but the bad guy is gone, up the main ramp on his side, and apparently without noticing me. Well, maybe I can sneak up behind him and help out our side by flanking the bad guys.

I double-back and run up the bad guy's main ramp and wonder what's happening with the Rainmaker. I haven't seen or heard any messages about us losing it, or them getting it. It's only when I'm approaching the top of the ramp that I realise no one's picked it up yet! The Rainmaker is still sat in the middle of the grid, entirely untouched, missing its shield. It seems that the kids are all busy fighting each other.

This is an excellent opportunity. Not only am I coming from behind the action, but I have inked a path most of the way to the podium. I seize my chance, and make sure to actual grabbing the Rainmaker this time, and then purposely squid down through the grate. I drop on to my own ink, and squid along it right up to the ramp towards the podium, where my previous seeker exploded. I'm not quite there yet, though.

A bit more ink is needed, so I charge up the Rainmaker and give it a blast. It inks the ramp, and the top of the podium, but there are still gaps. No problem! At least one of my teammates has seen what's happened and has caught up with me, giving me a 'Nice!' as he approaches, always good for morale. He flings ink from his roller over my head, inking the rest of the way to the podium, and a second fling inks the podium, letting me squid our way to a knockout victory.

That was another quick match, and really quite amusing. I doubt we would have won as quickly had I picked up the Rainmaker when I had first meant to, as I would no doubt have been immediately followed. A mistake is sometimes what you make of it, and this game showed that laying down some ink is always a good idea, even if you're not sure who is going to use it.

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Tags: aerospray mg, console, flounder heights, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u