Helping with the push in Tower Control (6-3, Grim Range Blaster)

Oops, in trying to keep my forward motion up whilst blasting, I jump in front of the charger. That's exactly what I don't like when battling with a charger, so I'm sorry about doing that. I'm aiming to hit the perch on our right, though, where the range of my Grim Range Blaster may be handy. I've still not quite understood the utility of Burst Bombs either, or I'd be using them to ink the wall much more efficiently.

My first encounter doesn't go well. I get a glancing hit before the inkling disappears, but he's clearly still watching, because he strikes when I turn to retreat. Nice move, that. The orange team wrests the Tower from us and makes a push, taking the lead, but we regroup and clear the Tower without too much fuss, and start pushing it the other way again.

We jump off before too soon, as orange ink comes raining in. But once the inklings are dealt with, pretty swiftly too, we get the Tower moving again. Not me, though, as I backed in to a nicely thrown Splat Bomb. Rather than super-jumping to support, or going directly towards the Tower, I head around the side. Blackbelly Skatepark is small enough where this works well, and often catches the defending team looking in the wrong direction.

I get a splat from behind, not that I'm sure my squidmates didn't have the situation under control, but the inking I did to get there charges my Killer Wail, which helps keep a path clear of inklings. They can, of course, simply hide around a corner, but my Grim Range Blaster splats one who tries. Just the one, though, another splatting me and a squidmate in return.

One squidmate remains on the Tower, however, and refuses to be splatted off it as it trundles on to hit the goal. That was quick. Woomy!

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Tags: blackbelly skatepark, console, grim range blaster, splatoon, tower control, wii u

Missing my moment in Tower Control (13-5, Grim Range Blaster)

I'm trying the Grim Range Blaster in Tower Control, hoping to get the hang of the Burst/Blast combo. Judging by the start of the battle, I need more practice. I still haven't quite worked out the utility of Burst Bombs on vertical surfaces either, but I'll get there. Just as I get to the Tower at the right angle to clear it of two inklings. Nice!

I push up and hear a hit as I round the corner firing. I don't quite spot the inkling setting up the Inkstrike in time to stop it, but they also don't get clear in time to avoid the splat. And maybe my aim isn't good enough for a direct hit to avoid getting splatted myself, but I'm happy to make the splat mutual in itself, getting the quad-splat is a happy bonus.

The Tower gets in the way a bit of my Blasting, so I'm doubly happy when a squidmate hops on and gets it moving. Even better, my Killer Wail is charged. I take care with aiming it, knowing about the change in elevation ahead, and push forwards as it wails away, seeing if any inklings are hiding in their ink. They're not, and that opens up a good support channel for us.

I don't prioritise my targets too well when I move forwards again, but it all works out, thanks to my squidmates. I imagine I split the purple inklings' focus too. The Tower keeps coming forwards, which is the main thing, and my support starts helping directly. I don't quite get a splat in time to keep my squidmate on the Tower, but I think I can jump on to the side of the Tower to squid on to it and keep it moving the last little distance. But not like that I can't.

The purple team just about save the knockout defeat, and start moving the Tower back. The pressure's on them, though, and being a bit more relaxed tends to help with the defensive side. We have a lot of wriggle room available to us. It also helps to get two sitting ducks on the Tower. It's also good that we push the Tower again, as Camp Triggerfish is a bit stretched not to be playing the objective.

I spy the purple inkling running over the bridge. I'm glad she doesn't see my until I get my second shot away. I also spy the inkling waiting on the ledge. My aim is a bit scattered here too, but it gets better with a target right in front of me. It looks like another inkling was around elsewhere, as the Tower is cleared and starts heading back. I chuck a Burst Bomb across the divide to try to stop our next push failing too soon, but that just makes the inkling angry and turn in to a Kraken. I'm glad they didn't see where I decided to hide.

A Killer Wail clears the way ahead and forces an inkling to hide in an obvious place, but his squidmates appear as I consider riding the Tower, and there are just too many for me to splat before the ink overwhelms me. I come back and am glad a squidmate is around for support, before getting a nice lucky splat. I'm not as lucky with the Inkstriker on the Tower, but that's okay. I stay safe for a bit, and the Tower moves forwards once more.

We're not going to improve on our score in the short time left, but the purple team are unlikely to get close to it too, having to travel almost the full distance of the map. Indeed, the Tower is lost by them almost as soon as it is taken, and the battle ends with our victory. Woomy!

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Tags: camp triggerfish, console, grim range blaster, splatoon, tower control, wii u

Sticking around the Splat Zones (6-1, Kelp Splat Charger)

That rotating central plinth in the Museum is a great place to plant a Sprinkler for Splat Zones. It also occasionally makes a great place to aim at sitting targets. If only my aim was better, I'd get more splats. Still, I'm spreading ink with each missed shot, and my squidmates can get the splats, so it's all good.

From where I'm standing, turf control looks like a good option too. As long as I can prevent purple inklings getting across to this side, I should be relatively safe, and keeping as much turf green as possible helps the team in general. The occasional splat doesn't hurt either, and moving across at just the right time to catch a squid dropping in to the fray is quite pleasing.

A Killer Wail here and there helps control squid movement, and bags me a splat or two, which is nice. But quite beats getting a splat with the Sprinkler. There is the odd moment where there's no more turf in range for me to ink. That's okay, and I'm not tempted to abandon my good position to look for more. I'm sure I'm best served up here.

Ink turf, throw Sprinkler, get a splat. Our side is finally breached, and I can't snap a shot off quickly enough to prevent it. But on being splatted I see that our counter is down to three, and send out a congratulatory 'Nice!' to the team. The Splat Zones are neutralised, but as long as we get them back without the purple team taking control, the battle will be over in moments.

So, of course, the purple team take control of the Splat Zones at the crucial moment, pumping up our virtual score that we'll now have to overcome. So it goes. I go straight in to recovery mode, and now we really are fighting over the Splat Zones. My Killer Wail charges at just the right time to prevent another incursion to our side, which helps, and that lets me concentrate on spreading ink.

It takes a lot of ink and a fair few Specials before we stop the continuing drop of the purple counter, but at least when we do, and control the Splat Zones again, we have pushed their virtual score up, to add a bit more of a buffer between us again. Not that we were quite in any danger, but it's better that they don't get too close.

I don't think I know the inkling who comes to celebrate with me, or why he's doing it, but, yeah, I'm having fun too! As long as we don't let that purple inkling or Kraken across to our side, I'm all for a bit of squidding around. And it's a bit close, the game heading in to extra time, and a purple inkling encroaching on our platform, but my squiddy friend takes the hit, and we clear up the Splat Zones to end the battle in our favour. Woomy!

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Tags: console, kelp splat charger, museum d'alfonsino, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

A few good splats around the Splat Zones (7-5, Kelp Splat Charger)

Me and Slosher have the same idea to start the battle, and although we don't get to the Splat Zone in time to ink it, I hope that inking the way to this perch will pay off later. For now, I try to keep the channels blue, and clear up the occasional Inkstrike. I remember my Sprinkler earlier than I use it too, it just seems a bit pointless whilst most of the turf is blue.

When I finally drop down from the perch, trying to make a more positive difference, I get a splat, but am a bit close to prevent it being mutual. I would say never mind, but by the time I get back to our Splat Zone it's looking a bit patchy. A bit of ink covers that up, but the green team are pushing for our Splat Zone. I also do a bit of pushing, timing a shot on the Kraken just about right to prevent my splatting.

I get a couple of good splats to keep the green team out of our Splat Zone, and although my Splat Charger doesn't quite catch the Slosher, my Killer Wail does. We recover our Splat Zone, but it seems a similar tussle was happening in the green Splat Zone, which is also recovered at about the same time. The score remains tied.

I do my best to keep our Splat Zone free from assault, mostly by inking the direct channel to it. The Heavy Splatling seems intent on an incursion, though, but a bit of jinking sees him coming, and I get the splat to discourage him for now. The Slosher gets the same treatment, but from further away. Nice!

We're still in stalemate, so I try to ink other channels to support my squidmates' attempts to get to the green Splat Zones. But that leaves our Splat Zone a little open. Thankfully, we recover it before the green team starts scoring. That opens up the way for our own assault, and finally both Splat Zones are the same colour, and that colour is blue!

We don't keep both Splat Zones for long, but we have the lead in what has so far been a tight contest. Sadly, things start going a bit awry. Being splatted by the .96 Gal is almost inevitable, and I return to splat the Slosher out of Splat Zone. But missing the Heavy Splatling and having the far channel open for ingress allows the .96 Gal to make a reappearance on my flank.

With our defence a little short, the green team control the Splat Zones, and we are quickly overwhelmed. Had I realised, I would have gone to the perch, instead I am on the ground, so instead try to sneak behind the green team whilst their attention is on us. Unfortunately, one inkling remains behind, and I don't really have the best weapon for what I'm trying to do.

Now I go to the perch, but my aim is just slightly off, and when it looks like I have a bead on an inkling a squidmate super-jumps her head in my way. So it goes. The green team made a successful assault, and held on to the Splat Zones when it mattered.

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Tags: console, kelp splat charger, port mackerel, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

More luck than judgment in Splat Zones (11-4, Carbon Roller Deco)

A Seeker or two to start the battle and get the ink flowing works well. Trying to squid up the rotating central plinth goes less well, and is a bit embarrassing. I don't really know how I'm not splatted off it either, but it's good that I both survive and give up, as that opens up opportunities for a couple of splats, and from there we capture the Splat Zones.

I manage to get on to the rotating plinth and, with a squidmate, head across to the orange side. We take the lead as the orange team regroup, and I, well, don't do much. I don't think there's much to do, but there probably is. An Echolocator on the orange team shows me inklings coming my way, so I spring in to action and manage to miss a splat and drop down from my vantage point as my target transforms in to a Kraken. Ah well.

The shadow I flick at is a squidmate, but I can pretend I was inking turf. I move back to the plinth to cross to the orange side again, but hide from an Inkzooka and Killer Wail, and then a second Killer Wail. It's like they don't want me over there. And with the Splat Zones now orange, I think my Seeker Rush would be appropriate.

The Rush probably does something, I can't tell from the bottom of the ramp, but I still want to get across to the other side. Some ink gets shot my way, which I absorb, but that makes the Sprinkler on the plinth a bit dangerous. The inklings up there are more dangerous, and it's good that I accidentally bump in to one. The flick knocks me back off the plinth, saving me from the Dual Squelcher and putting me in a position to splat him too.

I'm feeling my luck must come to an end soon. I push the point by running in to the Dual Squelcher, but I suppose it's difficult to back out of their range. The orange ink around our base is a little concerning. The Inkzooka hitting me from there is a bit more concerning. But never mind. I come back to the Splat Zones a bit obliquely, but add some ink to stop the enemy counter briefly, before failing to jump on to a target, who becomes a Kraken. So it goes.

An orange inkling looks to want to cause some disruption by climbing our rotating platform. I thwart his plans, by surprising him up there, before successfully crossing the Splat Zones. It takes me a while before I do anything over there, but having an orange inkling or two just know I'm there may be distracting them enough for my squidmates to hold the Splat Zones for a while.

One inkling finally drops in to my path, and I feel a bit mean about splatting him, until I realise he was wielding the Inkzooka earlier. Even so, I move out to stop my being a target, and by doing so get a couple more inklings drop in front of me. Nice! That lets me roll through the Splat Zone in relative safely, neutralising them, and helping the team re-capture the Zones.

A couple of Killer Wails are easily avoided, my Seeker Rush might have helped with something, and another crossing to the orange side just misses a super-jumper. A bit of tenacity catches that inkling, and I catch my breath off to the back. Moving up and sitting on a ledge has the Brush run in to me, but not literally, but I bump my beak in to the wall at the side when trying to dodge a Suction Bomb.

But no matter, the Splat Zones were ours and the battle is won by a knockout victory with ten seconds to spare. Woomy!

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, museum d'alfonsino, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

Needing a bit more range in Rainmaker (16-6, Tri-slosher)

That E-litre 3K on the other team makes me take the short-cut over the ramp to see if I can catch her out. I'm easily distracted by another inkling, though, particularly one that doesn't spy me. Following that line gets me an easy splat, and gets me under the laser sight of the E-litre 3K. On top of that, I catch a third inkling going for the Rainmaker behind me. But wait, there were two inklings there! A quad-splat is quite a way to start a battle.

I grab the Rainmaker and head along the grate for another short-cut. The Rainmaker blasts one inkling out of my way, but the other gets some ink out before the Rainmaker hits. I ink some turf on my way back, that route I chose not being great to get support to quickly, but I think squidding straight towards the E-litre 3K whilst Echolocated was perhaps not my smartest choice.

The purple team are moving the Rainmaker. I head to intercede, but a small patch of uninked wall stops me getting to where I want to be. To my credit, I ignore the super-jumping ring in favour of the Rainmaker, until it becomes a threat, at which point I pop my Bubbler with impeccable timing. My squidmates catch the Rainmaker, and I drop down in support, but we've lost the lead. So it goes.

We burst the Rainmaker's Shield and I grab it, looking for the glory, and make a dash over our ramp. The ink path to go up to the grating looks inviting, and I keep running, not wanting to waste time with a blast or two. It does the trick, giving us back the lead, just before the Slosher below me and E-litre 3K ahead bicker over who gets the splat.

Some turf is reclaimed as I move forwards, but the Rainmaker manages to just keep range from my bucket. That pushes her back in to my squidmates, though. We grab the Rainmaker again, and I decide to get some height, but we lose the Rainmaker too quickly for me to make it count. I get caught up in a pointless Slosher combat for too long, and thankfully manage to get back to where the purple team are pushing the Rainmaker in good time, using my Tri-slosher to get a decent mid-air splat.

The mid-air splat looks good, but it makes getting back to the Rainmaker awkward. I make my way through the middle and over the grating, but run in to range problems again. I get a couple of hits in inklings below, but maybe slosh a little early, as I get no splats before all attention is turned towards me. The purple team head over the ramp, and up the wall to go the way I went, and get further. The lead is back with them.

I move forwards and splat the E-litre 3K, with the help of my Bubbler, and look for more inklings, before supporting the Rainmaker more directly. I get a bit ahead of myself, though, and an Echolocator doesn't help. I head back, and once more a small patch of uninked wall slows me down, and I slosh a bit early and lack the range to splat the Rainmaker.

With only thirty seconds left in the battle, we have few opportunities left to us. But we get the Rainmaker in a good spot, and as I push ahead my Bubbler charges. I try to make the most of my Bubbler, absorbing ink and bombs, but although it looks good from my end, the Rainmaker is flanked and splatted. Oh well.

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Tags: console, kelp dome, rainmaker, splatoon, tri-slosher, wii u

Lucky super-jump to the Rainmaker (7-5, Tri-slosher)

Checking my map as I head down the side doesn't see ink coming towards the ramp, so I ignore that area and go towards the Rainmaker. I go past the Rainmaker when I see the Splatterscope on the perch. She spots me, I dodge her shot, she dodges my bucket. I move on sensibly, but as a Splat Bomb comes over the wall, I wait for it to explode and move back. Sure enough, the Splatterscope comes back expecting me not to be there.

I turn my attention the Rainmaker. My squidmates have done well with inking the shield, and I am there to grab the Rainmaker. I think about the high route on the grating, but it looks dangerous, so turn towards the open route. All looks good so far, and I have squidmate support, but a Kraken surprises us from behind.

I track the Rainmaker and its purple support without diving recklessly in to the action, and bag a splat as my squidmate's tag the Rainmaker. I push forwards, hoping to make a push easier, but I'm a bit early. We lose the Rainmaker, the purple team get it, and they do pretty well to stay unsplatted when cornered. They even take the lead from us, which is a pain, but not insurmountable.

Our main hindrance at the moment is that most of the dome is covered in purple ink. I start making a dent in the ink, so to speak, when a charger shot comes from behind me somewhere. I take avoiding action but see no charger, so just slosh ink a bit before moving on to support our current push.

A purple Killer Wail is aimed a bit low, and the Rainmaker blast pushes an inkling in to my path. That charges my Bubbler, and encourages me to pop it and put myself in harm's way, to help the team. I get some turf green and splat an inkling out of the way, helping the Rainmaker to re-take the lead, before being splatted myself. A Killer Wail also helps, and it looks like I'm going to see the Rainmaker dunked on the splat-cam.

The dunking doesn't quite happen before I'm back at base, so I super-jump towards the Rainmaker to bathe in the glory of a knockout victory. The only problem is that the Rainmaker gets splatted after I commit to the super-jump. Super-jumping to a just-splatted Rainmaker generally ends badly, so I steal myself for an inky landing.

Instead of being insta-splatted, my squidmates are on the case. An Inkzooka is active whilst I'm in the air, and a Splash Wall is thrown as I land. I inch backwards to the safety of the Splash Wall, but move forwards again when it's clear we're winning the battle of the Rainmaker's Shield. When it bursts, it should get any close inklings out of the way, and ink the podium, and I want to jump on the opportunity.

As anticipated, the Rainmaker's Shield splats an inkling, inks the podium, and I manage to pick it up and dunk it on the plinth in one smooth motion. What a brilliant finish! Woomy!

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Tags: console, kelp dome, rainmaker, splatoon, tri-slosher, wii u

Some good luck, some bad luck, in Rainmaker (9-6, Carbon Roller Deco)

It's a pretty cautious start for me, mostly because I'm not entirely sure how to start a Moray Towers Rainmaker battle with the Carbon Roller Deco. I think I do quite well. At least, my Seekers do. I'm happy to have somehow sneaked underneath the Rainmaker blast too, and make the most of it by getting the splat on the Rainmaker too. I do kinda muck up catching the approach of the .52 Gal, though.

I hold back a little again, until my path intersects with an advancing green Rainmaker, and I dive with him to help push forwards. He's going for the shortcut up the tallest wall, but doesn't quite see the Splat Bomb in time. I do, squid past it, and catch the thrower, as well as the inkling super-jumping in.

With them gone, we burst the Rainmaker's Shield, and I continue where my squidmate left off. A bit of support gets me up the wall, and I push a bit further before being overwhelmed by purple ink. That gives us a pretty good lead. A surviving green inkling and her Killer Wail gives us the Rainmaker to super-jump back to, and we make another push, going even further. The Rainmaker is the focus of the ink, hence my getting a bit further, but it is a bit unlucky to get too hits on an inkling before a Bubbler comes out. But so it goes.

We super-jump back, but the purple team are taking the short route down the Towers. Not a problem, we can do that too, and as the Rainmaker is lagging a bit behind its support we can catch up easily. I splat the two inklings, with some inky support, as they look to ink their way up our wall, and we can wait for the Rainmaker to come to us. Or use Specials to force them in to the open and splat them efficiently. Nice!

I'm not quite sure what I was doing throwing that Seeker in to the wall, and I do my quirky habit of supporting my squidmates by taking an alternative route. Sometimes it works. This time, I am 'saved' from a Killer Wail by being splatted by the Rainmaker's Shield first. Yay?

I come back to see a squidmate engaging in some good clean-up defensive work, so I help along, as our other squidmates keep the Rainmaker from getting close to us anyway. When I push forwards, it is as we lose the Rainmaker. I think I am being smart by not rushing over the ledge to get splatted by the Rainmaker's Shield, but this time it is the Killer Wail that splats me.

With only seconds to go, we have little to do but maintain the current position. We don't even need to grab the Rainmaker to end the battle, as the purple inklings are nowhere to be seen. Good battle!

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, moray towers, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

Splats both ways in Rainmaker (12-7, Carbon Roller Deco)

Trying to be conscientious about the objective doesn't go too well for me at the start of the battle. To be fair, I don't think flicking over that ledge is a good move for a Carbon Roller. I should remember that. I get lucky not being spotted dropping down the short-cut on my return, and find my opposite inkling by bumping in to him. Bumping in to other inklings goes a bit worse.

I ink some more turf on my way back, and hold my position as an inkling looks to be pushing towards us. A Seeker here and there gets one nice splat, and a second that nearly was the Rainmaker, and as my squidmates return we gain possession of the Rainmaker with some room to breathe. Our carrier makes a good break for it, taking a good lead, and although I don't protect him too well, the double-splat is nice.

I don't see that Splat Bomb until it's a bit late, which is a shame. But I spy the Carbon Roller behind me, after super-jumping to a squidmate in a good position. If only I was that sensible when approaching the Rainmaker, capable of projecting a shockwave of ink quite a distance, with my short-range Carbon Roller. Silly me.

I exercise a little caution as I round a corner, not wanting to rush in to the Rainmaker's blast too soon after the last time, but the Rainmaker is a healthy distance away. My approach brings me just about in to range of an inkling with her back towards me, and I'm glad it takes a couple of flicks to get enough ink over her, because the second fully catches the Rainmaker too, stopping its progress.

A chance encounter with the purple Carbon Roller gets a bit frantic, and I focus a bit too much on splatting them to keep me safe, rather than getting safe, which is what she does. I don't do too badly getting close to the Inkzooka without getting splatted, but her movement bamboozles me, and I am splatted from behind without seeing it coming. So it goes.

A bit of jostling for the Rainmaker has my being in the right place to splat the grabbing purple inkling, and a lucky flick and quick follow-up splats another one incoming. My luck holds as I nearly squid in to a Splat Bomb, but I lose it all when the Carbon Roller pulls out her Inkzooka again. My reactions can't beat that.

Getting behind the purple Rainmaker turns out to be a timely move, and as two inklings splat beneath my Roller I look towards the super-jumping ring for the triple. If only I looked out for the Splat Bomb instead. But we have numbers at the moment, and twenty seconds to go. We just have to defend.

I push up, think about grabbing the Rainmaker to keep it safe, but decide that I'm not the inkling to do that. Instead, I muck up a splatting, and hope that extra time lasts long enough to catch the super-jumping inkling on his way. My squidmates sensibly just want the battle to end, and splat the Rainmaker with distance to spare. Woomy!

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, rainmaker, splatoon, urchin underpass, wii u

Getting in to trouble in Splat Zones (6-1, Tri-slosher)

I do like that side-route to start a Splat Zones battle on Walleye Warehouse, at least with my Tri-slosher. This time, an inkling is coming down the corridor I use to get behind their team, and I actually have the sense to avoid them, after throwing a Disruptor. It doesn't keep me entirely safe, as I simply throw myself at another inkling, but I last an extra few seconds.

My return has my bumping in to an inkling coming out of the ink, and on this rare occasion it works in my favour. And before I can think about try to go behind the N-ZAP spraying the Splat Zones from a perch, a squidmate gets an Inkzooka out and splats him. Nice!

I look to head around the back anyway, but a teal inkling is returning as I try. A squidmate incidentally has my back again, throwing a Splash Wall to discourage the inkling, and I even help myself by not squidding in to a Suction Bomb.

I finally take the side route and push up to the mid-platform to approach the perch. I've been noticed, and the Splash-o-Matic is coming to meet me. I'm okay, as my Bubbler is ready, and I push back against the ink to splat the inkling and clear the way ahead.

Ink is splashing my heels, and I'm not oblivious to it, so I pull a Storm Trooper trick and turn to meet who's coming. I think about dropping down, but the Splat Zones are controlled an my position is good, so instead I turn around and see if I can be a bit more disruptive.

One inkling isn't expecting me to be there, and I dive out of the way of a returning inkling not happy to see me, and just have to last a few more seconds until the battle is won. Woomy!

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Tags: console, splat zones, splatoon, tri-slosher, walleye warehouse, wii u