Going for the charger in Rainmaker (13-5, Carbon Roller Deco)

What do I have against chargers? If I see one on the other team, they will almost certainly be my focus for most of the battle, particularly an E-litre 3K. Maybe I take it more as a challenge, to out-manoeuvre them and get under their long range. Maybe I see it as a duty to my team, to take the pressure off them. Either way, there's an E-litre 3K on the other team in this battle in Kelp Dome, and I know what I'm going to do.

Well, I don't rush in to a foolish splat for once, which is pretty good. I bide my time, jink along different routes, and admittedly miss my chance when it appears, but neither am I splatted. But I also am not with my squidmates as the Rainmaker is being carried quickly towards our podium. Silly me.

I get the splat on the E-litre 3K in the end, but at what cost? At what cost?! I hope to make up for it by actually working out where the Rainmaker is and going there, instead of squidding back to where I think it is. I happen to come up behind the blue inklings, get a splat on a super-jumper, and use a Seeker Rush to help burst the Rainmaker Shield and help us advance a little.

The E-litre 3K is back on the top of the ramp, but with the Rainmaker as a target and it blasting away, I can move forwards and flick enough ink to splat her again. I send a Seeker the way of the Podium, and an inkling in the way, but my habit of squidding afterward to recharge my ink forces me through the grate and down from my vantage point.

I make the best of the situation, trying to keep the Rainmaker for us, but the E-litre 3K is starting to get wise to me and gets a good splat. I come back to approach from a different angle, and sneak through some ink until an Echolocator foils my plan. I still get a splat, on a rather reckless inkling, but as I retreat the E-litre 3K shows me her range. Damn.

I go back to challenge her again, and am doing okay until I wrongly guess which way she went. I should probably get splatted by someone different for a change. I get to the centre of the map and gauge the situation. We lose the Rainmaker. I think going around the side would be a good idea. I do so, with some caution, and a good idea it is! And I am stopped on my mini-rampage by an inkling than the E-litre 3K. Everything is coming up roses.

The blue team get the Rainmaker back, but close to their podium, and a bit of inky mayhem follows as they try to get over the inkable block, and we push them back. Two of us decide to go around the side, and whilst that's good for some splats, the Rainmaker escapes and makes a good run for it. There's not much I can do here, but the E-litre 3K is around and she holds my attention. Eventually I have to make a break for it, though, and I track back.

I pause to consider stopping for the E-litre on the other side of the block, but an Echolocator convinces me to support the Rainmaker instead. Good idea! I try to provide some ink paths, push the E-litre 3K off her perch, and push around to see if we can sneak the lead, but it's too little too late from me. Sorry, team.

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, kelp dome, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

Getting close in Rainmaker (16-6, Carbon Roller Deco)

The Carbon Roller Deco is working for me again, which is good. As much as I mostly want to keep my rank stable to give me practice time with the Blaster, I also like having fun, and I'm having some fun! I nip down the side, send a Seeker out to lay some ink, and move up when I see a charger to splat. I luckily see the other inkling to the side quickly enough, and the charger is splatted by the Rainmaker.

In fact, the Rainmaker gets a fair distance forwards on the first carry. I don't really notice, as I am more concerned with inklings coming towards me, but my attention shifts soon enough as I see the bubble of the Rainmaker's Shield. Despite the Echolocator, I take a short-cut and get myself in a decent position to keep the push going, getting a couple of splats in the process.

I push forwards as a squidmate grabs the Rainmaker, and create an inky path. Somehow I am not splatted by the teal team until I've inked the podium, which I hope will be helpful enough, but I've moved ahead a bit too quickly. Even so, we have a good lead, and are close enough that the teal team think it best to reset the Rainmaker instead of running with it.

A nicely timed Echolocator lets me get a couple of splats, and follow-through for a third, and the Rainmaker gets even closer to the podium before being stopped. The teal team run the Rainmaker out this time, but don't get far, and I take a forward position to help keep the route clear. I drop down to get a nice splat on an Inkzooka, but am just slightly too far from a super-jumper, and under a bit too much pressure from the Splatterscope to get a second.

I come back and head around the side to be a bit sneaky and recover some turf, and squid directly in to an inkling with Disruptors. But the Disruptor doesn't disrupt me as much as she probably hoped. I get a Seeker Rush, and remember in time to move on to the platform before the fans pull it up and my Seekers explode on the wall ineffectively, letting us burst the Rainmaker's Shield and push forwards again.

I'm disrupted again, again not very effectively, and get a lucky Seeker splat when a bit too close to a couple of squidmates. I head off in a different direction, to be a bit safer, and a different direction again when the laser sight of the Splatterscope falls on me. It gets me to the Rainmaker almost on the podium, but we're a bit isolated, and I can't quite isolate myself any further when I need to.

I squid around the side and manage to stop the Rainmaker coming too far back towards us, but my goodness that's a lot of Splat Bombs coming out of the Splatterscope. I head back from the opposite direction and, well, it's best to ignore the ending. I thought it would be a good vantage point on that platform. I suppose it was, but for the Splatterscope.

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Tags: ancho-v games, carbon roller deco, console, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

Helping the push in Rainmaker (5-1, Carbon Roller Deco)

I've had my Blaster practice, lost a suitable amount of ranking points in the process, and swap to a more comfortable weapon to stop losing a rank itself. Out comes the Carbon Roller Deco, and hopefully I can gain enough ranking points to pull out the Blaster again tomorrow.

There's only one clear path directly out from the base on Kelp Dome Rainmaker, so I head that way behind a Seeker. I check the ink trails on my Gamepad and see one is headed for the ramp, and I prepare for a flying inkling. I was not fully prepared, it seems, but prepared enough.

Time to let me Seekers do the work of inking ahead, forging paths for me to sneak through soon. It works pretty well, letting me get close to an inkling who thinks it's safe. It's a shame there isn't as much ink on the other side of the central column, and I end up floundering slightly trying to catch up with the Rainmaker.

But I do catch up with the Rainmaker, and just about catch an inkling setting a Killer Wail. I do a victory lap or two, just working out what to do and trying to stay out of trouble. When I see we've taken the lead, the Rainmaker is being carried along a different route.

The different route is just fine, as I can circle behind from where I am, hopefully catch inklings by surprise, and provide some ink near the podium. And that's what happens. Woomy! (The green inkling doesn't seem too impressed.)

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, kelp dome, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

The splats are against me in Rainmaker (5-8, Blaster)

Phew, splatted mid-air by a jumping E-litre 3K. That doesn't bode well for my safety in this battle. And I show just a bit too much caution on my return versus a hiding green inkling, letting him launch an Instrike, but when my direct hit doesn't land for a whole second I get the feeling it won't be my battle at all.

I've lost track of the Rainmaker, but take a moment to find it again. My Killer Wail doesn't splat anyone, but it stops progress for a moment. More annoying is that a direct Blaster hit doesn't stop the Rainmaker either. At least a squidmate manages to finish the splat.

It's a nice triple I get myself a few moments later. I can't help feel that I ought to have survived, but I'm just going to be happy to get three solid splats in a row. That doesn't happen much with the Blaster! I come back with a more pragmatic goal of turning a mostly green map a bit more purple. I spy the E-litre 3K in a rather vulnerable position, but being Echolocated gives me away, and trying to manoeuvre just lets a Splattershot hit me more where I was than where I am.

The Splattershot does a better job of hitting me where I am seconds after I return. I suspect she's still around, so ink some turf first, then take a look around. That plan is scuppered by another Echolocator hitting me, and the Splattershot splats me from below, in a manner I'm not too happy with. But what can you do.

You shouldn't bang your squidy head against a wall, so I return to action by a completely different route. I think I can get behind the green inklings, but there's no one around when I do, as they are all pressed quite high in to our side of the map. But I spy one inkling, and I hit him once, twice again as he launches an Inkstrike, and once more as he moves away, but nothing comes of it. Sure, he's got one layer of Defence, but I have one Strength Up.

Sometimes I'm not sure what I can do. Just keep going, I suppose. I squid around the back, making it on the second attempt, and make my way through green ink, pessimistic about my odds of getting a splat. I feel good about hitting the E-litre 3K square-on from the side, bad when she stays standing, and good again a second later when the splat is confirmed. Then I run in to the N-ZAP again, hitting him directly, but having him squid away. So it goes. At least this time I get away too.

My Killer Wail doesn't really help, timed just after we grab the Rainmaker, so I squid up and over the moving platform to provide some forward support, which would go better if the first inkling I ran in to wasn't the N-ZAP again. But not long to go now, and I can try another team. Just to rub it in, I run in to the N-ZAP again and hit him multiple times without a splat. This is quite demotivating.

With ten seconds to go, I decide that not only have I had enough of this laggy battle, but we aren't going to beat the green team's lead. I stay at our base and have a short moment of fun for myself.

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Hearing the Rainmaker dunked (7-6, Blaster)

The route off to the right on to the grating should be a good start for a Blaster, giving me a good view of what's going on, both of the Rainmaker and what's happening below. If only my range were a bit longer, I could splat that first inkling, and if only my aim were better, I could splat the second.

I go to defend more directly from the base, and spot a Rapid Blaster I could help with. That is, until the Blaster pops her Bubbler. Quite how I get away from her I don't know, I suppose she's too focussed on her first target. And getting away lets me go for the Rainmaker and support, both of which I splat before succumbing to the ink.

There's a gap in the ink coverage coming out of our base. No time to fix it now, and I try to squid around behind the action to get some surprise splats. It would maybe work better if I don't accidentally pick up the Rainmaker. I was supposed to be aiming my Killer Wail at that point. Never mind.

I fill the ink gap below the base, and get up on the block to get a surprisingly easy splat. The owner of the Killer Wail is gone, but another inkling heaves in to view, and with good aim this time is gone just as quickly. Now I get to use my Killer Wail, and I use it to squid the Rainmaker away from our base.

Surprisingly, the Rapid Blaster blasts faster than my Blaster. If only there were a clue to help people realise this. Undeterred, I return to find the Rainmaker close by. A Killer Wail clears one inkling, but as I press forwards a damned Inkzooka finds me like a magnet.

I head around the side again, and as I turn some turf purple we take the lead, a squidmate with the Rainmaker squidding behind a Seeker. Nice! I push forwards to make more of a trail, side-stepping one inkling, and feeling victory is near when an Inkstrike hits the podium.

Sure enough, with two yellow inklings in tow, a squidmate surges forwards and dunks the Rainmaker! Woomy!

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Tags: blaster, console, kelp dome, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

Flicking like an idiot in Tower Control (10-2, Carbon Roller Deco)

Have I toned down my recklessness since the previous battle? Hell no! It was a lot of fun, and as long as my current rank enables me to have that fun my battling will probably remain a little loose. Of course, getting snap-splatted by the Splat Charger reminds me that there are some skilled inklings working their way back up the ranks too.

I have such trouble getting up that small wall that I'm glad to bag a couple of splats once I manage it, although it would be better to have been splatted by the other Carbon Roller instead of squished. I come back to defend the Tower's advance, which a bit of a height advantage helps with. I drop down to splat the remaining purple inklings, and hit the Carbon Roller hard enough that she disconnects. Oops.

With the purple team one inkling down, this should become a relatively straightforward victory for us. I think my squidmate's happy about this! I start to think about the victory by heading down the side and around the back, inking what I can with less chance of being caught than normal.

I think inking my way to the goal is probably far enough, but adding a Seeker Rush towards the purple base is an improvement too. Even so, this is not turf war, and we still need to push the Tower. My squidmates are trying, but maybe I'm not supporting in the best way I can, so I head back to roll my ink where it's more needed.

The Tower comes to me as much as I go to it, and getting a splat lets me turn back towards the goal, where another Seeker Rush doesn't as much push the purple team back as delay them the next time they return to base. There's a fantastic flurry of flicking from me, as we try to turn the lead in to a knockout victory. I'm hardly being precise, but being an inkling up on our opposition there simply isn't the normal pressure to be sneakier.

A nifty double-splat on the purple team reduces the inky pressure for a crucial ten seconds, with the Tower so close to the goal, and I hop on to the Tower to ride it those last few metres, celebrating as we go.

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

Rough splatting in Tower Control (17-5, Carbon Roller Deco)

I honestly think that battling with the Blaster is helping me improve my skill, even if I'm winning less than half of the battles. I'm also having as much as I would with other weapons. I pull out the Carbon Roller Deco purely to stop dropping below A-, as I am more reliable with it. But it also seems that I forget what I learn with the Blaster when I swap away from it. I'm pretty sure that's not the point of this exercise.

Even though I need to be more sneaky with the Carbon Roller, and get closer to the opposition, I can also be more aggressive by virtue of not needing to aim quite so much. Coupled with being more comfortable with the Carbon Roller over the Blaster, my battling gets a little bit sloppier as a result. I don't even manage to ink walls accurately to start with.

I get some splats, sure, and trading with the Inkbrush is not much of a surprise, but it seems that my splats and survival are more dependent on my opponent's skill level than my own. I would be stomped if I played like this in S Rank. I suppose that's why I'm not there currently, and why I'm trying to improve.

At the same time, it is nice and freeing to be able to let loose and just squid and flick with some abandon, getting more splats than being splatted even with a more cavalier attitude, not even having to worry too much about being repeatedly Echolocated. And we do take and re-take the lead, so my shenanigans seem to be helping more than hindering the team.

As much fun as the battle is, just running around and flicking like I can get away with it, I really do need to learn from my practice with the Blaster, as well as all the time I put in to learning the Carbon Roller itself if I want to improve. I can do that, and it's good to let my hair down once in a while.

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

Super-quick comeback in Tower Control (6-2, Blaster)

Check out my bomb awareness now! I squid behind a Seeker overtaking me, and back off from a Suction Bomb lobbed over the Tower. I feel I'm improving in leaps and bounds. I even throw a Disruptor that probably hits. I don't see, and it's on the inkling on the Tower, so it may not matter too much, but it's still something.

A squid around the side catches an inkling in a couple of blasts. I probably ought to get those down to one, direct hit, as more-skilled inklings would turn their weapon on me to get the splat first, but this is what practice is for. As if to prove my point, I end up trading with the Octobrush when my first blast is completely off-target.

It takes a while for us to clear the Tower and get it moving back towards the centre, but as the way forward looks clear I decide to head around the side to provide some sneaky support. It goes well, getting what is kind of a flukey hit, but could also be said to be a well-placed opportunistic hit.

I continue around the ledge, missing the first shot but pushing the inkling away with an indirect hit. Or maybe he's relying on the Suction Bomb he's placed right in my path. But that's okay, as I know to avoid bombs now, and squid back. Not even the Echolocator discourages my progress, not when I have a Killer Wail ready and an obvious direction to aim.

I provide some more blastery support, the indirect fire coming in handy from this elevated angle, and a Disruptor here and there prevents quick movements from the blue team. And it seems like a good idea to hop on to the Tower to keep it moving. It gets me splatted, we have enough inklings on the Tower to push it to the goal.

From deep in our half to the goal in one fluid movement. That deserves a woomy!

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Tags: blaster, console, splatoon, tower control, walleye warehouse, wii u

Bad bomb awareness in Tower Control (12-8, Blaster)

Here I go again, using the Blaster like a Tri-slosher, heading around the back to hope to surprise the charger. And somehow I surprise the charger! I think A- people are a bit more direct with their strategies and don't quite expect an inkling to play around the objective. That's good for me, particularly when the Tower doesn't want me to get on.

But I get on the Tower and push it forwards, pushing myself backwards and back off the Tower immediately with a Killer Wail. A squidmate stays on, though, allowing me to press forwards briefly to get a splat before hoping back on the Tower.

The charger looks to my squidmate, giving me time to splat him, and I hop off again to get another forward splat. If only I could move a bit quicker, maybe I could have avoided the Inkstrike as efficiently as my splatting has been so far.

I don't quite manage to clear the Tower on my return. The Sprinkler is an excellent ink sponge, and my aim under pressure is still a bit wonky, as is my decision to squid in the other team's ink. Never mind! I return to get a couple of decent splats, a bit of luck as a squidmate saves me, and hop back on the Tower to set a Killer Wail.

The Killer Wail doesn't seem well-timed to start with, as inky pressure is upon me, but it gets the charger off her perch. I could have stayed on the Tower, but instead hop off and, well, straight in to a Splat Bomb from the charger. Nicely done, number 96.

A couple of mis-timed efforts have my going around the back again, which works out when I get a direct hit on the charger. My indirect fire is not quite as good, though, even if it looks like I hit the Blaster. At least he doesn't hit me. I squid around a bit, looking for opportunity, and seize it when a teal inkling jumps on the Tower. But why do I squid on top of the Splat Bomb again?

I think about jumping on the container to clear the Tower, but not with a Killer Wail covering it. So I squid and wait. My squidmates take control of the Tower, so it's time to move forwards. My Disruptors hit, I get a glancing blow, and I think I'm doing well with the Blaster to hit from below a grate. But the inkling above does better than me, and dives down to catch me not being as smart as I think I am.

My aim still needs work, but the second shot hits the inkling directly, and the combination of my blasting and squidmates on the Tower pushes the other teal inklings back. My squidmates get the splats and push the Tower nicely, and I contribute with a curiously but well-aimed Killer Wail, and we keep the Tower moving.

The battle pauses as we get one point away from the knockout victory, but I don't think that changes anything. And although we don't reach the goal, we have less than thirty seconds to defend the knockout for the victory. We can do that! Well, maybe not me. My squidmates can. And to continue the motif of the battle, I hop on to the Tower to celebrate our victory, only to squid right in to a Splat Bomb. Woomy?

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Tags: blaster, console, splatoon, tower control, walleye warehouse, wii u

Being brushed aside in Tower Control (9-4, Blaster)

I'm continuing with the Blaster, as I think I'm quite enjoying it. It is certainly forcing me to play more sensibly, as the fire-rate is slow enough that I have to make each shot count, and if I rush forwards I will either have to be very good with my aim, which I'm not, or I'll get splatted, which I do. Hopefully this will improve my game.

A rare Disruptor throw at the start of the battle, a sub I should remember more, and a rare direct hit with the Blaster. The brush was stationary, which helps, but doesn't always help as much as it should. That Permanent Inkbrush will come back to haunt me, though.

I follow splat with splat, clearing the Tower and hitting the corners from below, using the Blaster to its strength. My Killer Wail placement needs work, but I'm not sure improving my awareness would ever let me know where that Inkbrush came from, or avoided the splat where I thought I was out of range.

I ink an alternative route on my return, and the quick turn makes me think maybe my Gamepad sensitivity is set a little high. Still, it looks like a Seeker has come this way, saving me some time, and I press on. The Inkbrush hits me again, but I think it's safe to say he was just pushing forwards himself and just got a lucky splat. Even so, he seems to be shaking his brush suspiciously quickly.

I go in to defensive mode, lobbing Disruptors at the Tower. It takes me one throw to get my arm in. And here comes the Inkbrush, looking to cause his own disruption. And my suspicion is raised again, when my first shot splats him with a direct hit, but he isn't splatted until my second shot. Still, we clear the Tower, and start moving in the right direction.

I ink some turf before following the Tower, trailing just enough to get a couple of splats and recover the cleared Tower. Hopefully that gives us a bigger push than if I had clustered on the Tower with my squidmates in the first place. I get a bit flustered when surrounded by blue inklings, not really knowing which way to shoot, though.

Back to defensive mode, and my Disruptors and ink help my squidmates clear the Tower again, and we regain control. I head down the side and encounter the Inkbrush who, whilst maybe I don't get a direct hit, changes to a Kraken and splats me from a suspicious distance. There's not much you can do about that.

At least I discourage the Inkbrush from getting too close to our base with a Disruptor and some blasting, causing him to super-jump away. I pause to get my bearings, and press up to help recover the Tower, with a slightly unconventionally angled Killer Wail, followed by Blaster shots over the ledge. Nice!

I hold my position as my squidmates diligently push the Tower forwards again, choosing Disruptors over ink to frustrate the blue team. They still clear the Tower, and I over-estimate how far I can jump. But I track back and get another good couple of blasts from below to clear the Tower in our favour.

I clear a bit of blue ink to make things yellow again, helping us and hindering them, but that's all for us. I have two more battles that end with a disconnect, each time when we have a significant lead, and I'm thrown further down in to A- instead of rising back up. Oh well, what can you do.

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Tags: blaster, console, hammerhead bridge, splatoon, tower control, wii u