Rolled over but not defeated in Rainmaker [10-6, Sploosh-o-matic]

That's a solid start to the battle, sneaking around the Rainmaker for a surprise splat, and working up the Towers to be near the podium. My squidmates aren't far behind either, although when I try to rejoin them, despite managing to avoid a Splashdown, that Roller is deadly with her flicks. Still, we have a massive lead. If we can't improve it, hopefully we can defend it.

I manage to stop the first return push, but the Roller splats me again. No matter, my squidmates clear the way, grab the Rainmaker, and carry it back in the other direction, and I'm there to cover their tail. Until the Roller splats me again. This is already getting annoying. I don't think she's bored of it yet either, as she splats me again, as our whole team is splatted to give the blue team a chance to move the Rainmaker unimpeded.

We just about get in to position to prevent us losing the lead, but a squidmate gets splatted because of a deceptive super-jumping arrow from that Roller, and I get lucky only by standing off to the side. But we get the Rainmaker back, and as my squidmate starts moving it I start to skirmish a little, looking to ink turf and find splats by being in the right place.

I try to catch the Roller with a Splashdown, but she's pretty mobile. I can maybe catch up with her, but am distracted by an easy splat on a super-jumper, which is fine with me. Again I skirmish as my squidmates move the Rainmaker, and I play with an Aerospray a little until they use their Hamster Ball. I try to counter with a Splashdown, but I'm not fast enough. Bit of a waste, that.

My return is more spectacular. I use a Beakon, and as I'm in the air I see the Rainmaker using the ink rail. I orientate myself, drop back, and catch not just the Rainmaker but two supporting inklings all dropping off the rail one-by-one. Nice! The fourth comes a bit later, but along the same route, which is good of him.

I continue by trying to flank the blue team's defence, but they are quicker than me and start pushing the Rainmaker back before I can reach them. That gives me brief pause, but thankfully they are stopped on the ink rail, dropping the Rainmaker back near the middle of the Towers, as I Splashdown on the Aerospray successfully this time. With seconds left in the battle, we've probably got this sewn up.

I pause to make sure the Roller doesn't splat me one last time, and grab the Rainmaker to keep it in our possession to ensure the victory. Woomy!

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Tags: console, moray towers, rainmaker, splatoon 2, sploosh-o-matic, switch

Teamwork in Rainmaker [5(2)-1, Sploosh-o-matic]

My opening gambit fails again. I swear, I'll either make that work or be splatted trying. Still, my Curling Bomb gets a direct hit, and my ink spreads enough to get an assist too. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. I get to super-jump back too, although to a rather dubious position, which I move away from quickly.

I help burst the Rainmaker free, and jump over it to start inking up the wall. Except I pick up the Rainmaker instead. Okay, let's do this. I'm helped up the wall by a squidmate, and see trouble coming my way immediately.

I have the room to squeeze some shots from the Rainmaker, which splats clear the way forwards, and from there my squidmates are already inking the path for me. It's a simple squidding all the way up the ramp to the top of the podium for a very quick dunk. I even get a good FC Albacore shirt out of the battle. Woomy!

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Tags: console, moray towers, rainmaker, splatoon 2, sploosh-o-matic, switch

A little Turf War [2137p, 5-4, Sploosh-o-matic]

So I was stalking CallieYuga (see recent Salmon Runs) and saw him as available when I poked my nose in to the 'Friends' section of the lobby. It turns out to be relatively easy to join other inklings in battles, if the timing is right and you don't care about teams, and I hopped in for a quick battle. I didn't realise it was Turf War, so my Rainmaker-equipped Sploosh-o-matic wouldn't have been my first choice. But it would do, I'm sure.

Of course, Turf War is a bit different from Ranked battles, where the turf itself is almost what you're battling. You aren't pressed towards the same bit of turf as in Splat Zones, or pointed towards a Tower or Rainmaker to provoke deliberate encounters with other inklings. That means a bit more running around with not much to see, for the most part.

Still, when I see another inkling, my instinct is to splat them. Or get splatted by them, it depends on various factors mostly out of my control. It is kinda fun to bump in to CallieYuga whilst he's hassling one of our chargers, and although my Curling Bomb does little, my Sploosh-o-matic is a monster at close range. Maybe not against annoying persistent jumpers, though.

We seem to get hemmed in a bit, but with the open nature of Turf War there is nearly always a way to get to some turf to be inked. I manage that, but my splatting game is lacking. Not even a Splashdown catches anyone out. Because of that, it's nice of CallieYuga to appear in front of me as a decent target, and let me splat him a second time. That gives me the confidence to perform a proper Splashdown.

With time ticking down, I head in to full inking mode, moving and inking, moving and inking. There's no shortage of blue turf to ink either, and I am able to keep running, inking, and splatting until the very end of the battle. It's a comfortable victory in the end, and, as it turns out, the Sploosh-o-matic wasn't really a poor choice, as I inked a huge amount of turf. Woomy!

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Tags: console, humpback pump track, splatoon 2, sploosh-o-matic, switch, turf war

Listen to the squid in Rainmaker [1-1, Sploosh-o-matic]

My idea to drop down on unsuspecting squids is perhaps good, particularly with a short-range weapon like the Sploosh-o-matic, but the timing is sadly off. My squidmates take care of the orange team, though, and quite thoroughly. I'm expecting to hit hiding squids in that sea of orange, but there's nothing there.

With no one there, I start inking a path, expecting the Rainmaker to blast along behind me, a squidmate also knowing the best route joining me and calling for the Rainmaker to follow. We ink all the way to the podium, but turn around to see no sign of our squidmate. Indeed, he's got blast-happy with the Rainmaker.

Naturally, he doesn't last forever, and the returning orange team splat him on our own side of the stage. Still, there's two of us shooting the shield and only one of them, and the lone orange inkling wisely backs off before it bursts to splat him. And that leaves an opening.

I don't even care for the super-jumper, it's not my responsibility as the Rainmaker. I'm aiming for the path we've already inked. It does the job too! Woomy! Listen to your squidmates, kids.

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Tags: console, rainmaker, splatoon 2, sploosh-o-matic, starfish mainstage, switch

Getting a bit close in Rainmaker [13(2)-7, Sploosh-o-matic]

There's movement all over the place to start the battle, with plenty of inklings thinking that a splatty start would be more tactical than moving the Rainmaker. As I try to get rid of any chasing inklings with a Curling Bomb, and reminded by the Tri-slosher of the bridge above me, a squidmate shows that grabbing the Rainmaker early works quite well sometimes. He nearly dunks it!

We have a massive lead, that maybe we can improve on, but really shouldn't be too difficult to defend. We do a fair job of that to start with, but an orange inkling moves the Rainmaker around, forcing us to be dynamic, and a squidmate of his times a Splashdown nicely, and I can't stop my momentum carrying myself in to the explosion. I'm a bit disappointed at being caught in the Rainmaker explosion after that, and I'm just happy that my squidmates splat the Rainmaker just before he steals the lead.

We can't have the Rainmaker this close to the podium for long, and our first priority must be to move it away. Thankfully, my squidmates agree. I nearly clear more of a path, but the Custom Splattershot Jr does a good Dualie-roll past me. My squidmates keep the Rainmaker moving, though, so I take some time to tidy up, and try to prevent another easy push. So, of course, the Rainmaker is moved along the other flank.

I catch up, my squidmates holding the Rainmaker back, and splat the dangerous Stingray, and help splat the rest of the orange team away, and we clear our lines again. I ink a path to the podium, but after we lose the Rainmaker, and although I get a nice Curling Bomb splat, it doesn't help that it's whilst I'm running directly away from the Splat Charger. At least the map is looking more two-tone than before.

The Rainmaker is a slippery beast, but we catch up with it and shake of the orang team to get it close to the podium again. My Splashdown isn't quite far enough ahead to cause a lot of trouble, and I end up stuck under the Splat Charger. I hope the freed Rainmaker will blast him away, but the wrong colour inkling picked it up, and I'm chasing it again.

I stop the Rainmaker, dodge the Stingray, and get splatted for my cunning. With seconds remaining in the battle, a squidmate moves the Rainmaker to safety as I chase a last couple of splats. That was a good battle, which we were a little lucky not to lose.

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Tags: console, rainmaker, splatoon 2, sploosh-o-matic, switch, the reef

From blue to green in Splat Zones [7(1)-2, Custom Splattershot Jr]

My first Robot Chicken finds a target, which pleases me, but I don't want the incoming Tenta Missiles to do the same, causing a brief retreat. And despite our good start, the blue team come back to push us out of the Splat Zones quite thoroughly, from the front and back. I use a Robot Chicken to see if anyone's hiding in the ink, which they don't seem to be, and expand the sponge to allow me to ink from some high turf before moving on. We can't allow the blue team to move freely so close to our base.

We nearly stop the blue team's control of the Splat Zones, but they're merely moving in to better positions before striking, splatting us all away and keeping the Splat Zones blue. This looks like a tough position. I hit the flank on my return, lobbing a Robot Chicken in to the Splat Zones, as one comes for me. They are easy enough to avoid if you don't panic, and I'm happy to see I splatted the Custom Splattershot Jr with my own.

I get an Ink Storm going, and send Robot Chickens out here and there to help maintain our position. Keeping the blue inklings moving lets us keep track of them and splat them more easily. The blue team aren't defeated yet, though, and successfully push us back out of the Splat Zones to capture them again. I manage to dodge the ink and avenge a squidmate or two, before launching an Ink Storm right above the Splat Zones, which helps cause enough problems for the blue team to allow us back in.

Making good use of height advantages, my little automatons, and the occasional Ink Storm helps us keep the Splat Zones green for long enough to steal the lead from the blue team, and as the lead was already quite large, it's not long from then that we win the knockout victory. Good battle, everyone. Woomy!

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Tags: console, custom splattershot jr, splat zones, splatoon 2, sturgeon shipyard, switch

Enjoying the Specials in Salmon Run [22-20-17, 21/554]

I think going the long way to the Steelhead will be quicker. It isn't, but I manage to nab a Golden Egg like I deserved it. The Drizzler is easier, and the second Steelhead takes priority over the Steel Eel, but I overlook a Cohock, and get a pan to the face. I get splatted again when a squidmate hides in my wake and snatches a Golden Egg I was aiming for, and rather than head back to the basket I decide to get hit by a Flyfish. So it goes.

I get more Golden Eggs, but maybe not efficiently. More by stealing others who are able to splat the bosses. But they all count. The second wave starts, and again it's low tide, and again a normal wave. That suits me nicely. Unlike being smacked in to the water. At least I avoid the same fate when taking on a Stinger by myself. I get back to cooperating, which seems to go more smoothly, and although I find myself in the wrong place, surrounded by salmonids and bosses, I sneak out unsplatted, and contribute more Golden Eggs. Nice!

Medium tide for the third wave, and the Brella in my tentacles. The only problem about two low tides to start is that none of the rest of the stage is inked. That's not much of a problem, really, as there isn't green stink everywhere either. We start dealing the bosses easily enough, and once again I end up split from my squidmates. At least I'm not making a hash of it, and my timing is nice and lucky when taking the lift up to where a Steelhead's bomb is exploding.

The Golden Eggs are collected nicely, although we aren't gliding our way to quota. And when the Golden Eggs on the floor are gone, the deck of the marooned ship is getting a bit heavy with salmonid bosses. This seems like a good time to use my Splashdown, particularly as there's no Steel Eel or Stinger to interrupt me. The first splats a Scrapper, as an Inkjet comes out, and turning back finds a better opportunity for a Splashdown. One splatted Maws, Steelhead, and loads of little salmonids in one feel swoop. Nice!

We end up meeting our quota easily, and I bet CallieYuga pulls out the Sting Ray just for kicks. Woomy!

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Tags: console, marooner's bay, salmon run, splatoon 2, switch

Autobombs and Ink Storms in Splat Zones [14(3)-3, Custom Splattershot Jr]

I'm wondering where that E-litre 4K will set up, and hit the flank to lob an opportunistic Robot Chicken her way. It doesn't find anything, but moving up to the Splat Zones level finds the telltale shot of ink, and I try to combine Ink Storm and Robot Chicken to at least make her move. I think it works. I follow up with another automaton to get a super-jumper moving, making it easier for me to get closer to the E-litre 4K, who I just about manage to chase down.

I just about survive some ink splashes from a Suction Bomb Rush, and have a moment of precognition to turn and splat the Splattershot almost on top of me. And with an Ink Storm already over the Splat Zones, I send mine towards the blue base. That splats me the E-litre 4K again. Nice! I help maintain the Splat Zones, but the returning Splattershot gets revenge.

Everything goes a bit blue, with a flurry of action from the blue team. I get my Robot Chickens and Ink Storm working again, but have to take evasive action to avoid being splatted away. I circle around to the other side of the Splat Zones, returning as my squidmates have them nicely yellow again. We keep the blue team at bay for a bit, but they come back with force again, splatting us away and re-capturing the Splat Zones.

My Ink Storm gets me revenge, my splatter running in the same direction as the inkdrops, and it's quite nice that my Respawn Punisher gives me time to see it. We still have the Splat Zones to recover, though, and, as an inkling is splatted in front of me, we need to get past the watchful gaze of the E-litre 4K. I go around the side to be cautious, but it seems my squidmates have done the job already, wiping out the blue team and capturing the Splat Zones. Nice! I celebrate by bouncing a Robot Chicken off a wall.

Some aggressive moves as the Splat Zones stay yellow gets me a nice couple of splats, and even though I am splatted too, I don't mind. The blue team don't get close enough to threaten the Splat Zones, and we win the knockout victory. Woomy!

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

What difficult third wave, in Salmon Run [16-14-21, 12/510]

Bah, that's a poor throw on the Flyfish, particularly as my aiming arc showed the Splat Bomb would fall short. Still, it's the first boss in the first wave, we will cope. Then again, the Flyfish is splatted anyway, and I honestly don't know how. All bombs fell out of the boxes. I'm not complaining. A Steel Eel gives me the runaround, but I escape and feed a Splat Bomb to a Maws, and as things start to get busy I take care of a Stinger by myself.

We maybe lose a Golden Egg by my raising the platform a moment before an egg-laden squidmate joins me, but we've made quota so it's not a huge loss. I've got the Luna Blaster for the second wave, which is a mildly disappointing weapon, given how annoying it can be against me in Ranked battles. It splats a Stinger with ruthless efficiency, though.

The bosses come, the bosses are splatted, and there seems to be enough room to move around them, collecting Golden Eggs, whilst finding opportunities to splat the bosses. It's all working quite well. Even so, we only just make quota. I'm not sure why the haul is so low, but we move on to the third wave. I have the Brella, which is quite fun to use.

The first two bosses are nice and close together, and drop us a clutch of Golden Eggs to collect, as two more bosses come out of the green sea in the same spot. And despite the small working area of high tide, this seems to work in our favour when we're efficiently splatting the bosses.

A Splashdown here and there gets me out of tricky spots that maybe I shouldn't have got in to, but we really don't have any trouble keeping the bosses splatted and salmonids off our back. We finish with a tidy haul, better than the previous two waves, and our results showed we only had one inkling succumb to the salmonids. That was pretty smooth!

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Tags: console, marooner's bay, salmon run, splatoon 2, switch

Shown no mercy in Splat Zones [13(6)-5, Custom Splattershot Jr]

Uh-oh, our Rapid Blaster isn't moving. Hopefully it's just temporary, and there's not much to be done but press on. Splatting the Inkjet with my Ink Storm keeps my spirits up early, and although I avoid a Splashdown I run in to the inkling that comes out of it. Heading back to base has our Rapid Blaster still there, and as I squid off I hear the noise of him disappearing. Moments later, we lose the lead. This is not looking good.

I send in my Robot Chickens and an Ink Storm, picking up a couple of splats and a couple of assists, and my squidmates and I put up a spirited effort to turn the Splat Zones purple. But with an extra inkling available, the curved paths in to the Splat Zones are quite restricted, and we have to be creative.

We recapture the Splat Zones, no doubt boosting our morale, thanks to a clutch of splats, but we lose our grip after a Splashdown splats a squidmate, and I squid in to a solid block that won't let me pass. Literally unplayable. Worse still, there goes our Splash-o-matic to a puff of purple dust.

That map looks very green. Our options are rapidly being cut off. Inking our flanks for protection does nothing for the Splat Zones, but trying to ink the Splat Zones merely reveals a waiting squid in the ink. The power imbalance is starkly shown when one green inkling can pressure all the way to our base, whilst the other three lie in wait in the Splat Zones.

I manage to get back to the Splat Zones in a last attempt to neutralise them before the knockout defeat, but I barely shoot any ink before the defeat hits us. I do get to see the green team squid-partying their victory, though. I imagine they didn't twig the lack of inklings on our side.

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Tags: console, custom splattershot jr, humpback pump track, splat zones, splatoon 2, switch