Getting a good headstart in Moray Towers Rainmaker (11-8, Tri-slosher)

Whee! The start of a Moray Towers battle is always invigorating. This time it's made more so by the splatting of a Dual Squelcher that unexpectedly gets in my way of sneaking around the side, followed by the E-litre 3K I was actually aiming for.

A third splat is pretty sweet, again coming from an unexpected angle, and it's only a Kraken that stops me getting a start quad splat. So it goes, and I can't complain! Particularly not when I avoid the attention of the returning Dual Squelcher and E-litre 3K.

My Bubbler is ready it at the right time, and I remember to use it. I aim for the E-litre 3K again, but turn to support the Rainmaker behind me. Maybe splatting the E-litre 3K would have been good support this time around, but no time to think about that now.

A quick extra push of the Rainmaker gets me splatted, as it does on my return. But we have a great lead to start with! Never content without a dunking, I ink the path up to the Rainmaker, hoping to clear some blue inklings out of the way.

There's no one in the way, but going this far entices me to go further, where I find the E-litre 3K and Dual Squelcher applying pressure from above. Not any more. Nice! I don't even push my luck, and get another splat on the E-litre 3K because of it. But now I must go back, as the Rainmaker is heading in the wrong direction.

Some more good splats prevent the blue team from making any progress, but the Rainmaker gets in their possession eventually, and we are now defending. We shouldn't get blasé about the circumstances either, but it's easy to lose focus. I fail to make a jump whilst going in the opposite direction to the Rainmaker. How embarrassing.

I may not get many splats in the last stage of the battle, but my squidmates hold our turf and the Rainmaker effectively, and we run the clock down not too cheesily for the victory. Woomy!

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Tags: console, moray towers, rainmaker, splatoon, tri-slosher, wii u

The Rainmaker is somewhere (11-8, Tri-slosher)

I really like the Carbon Roller Deco, but I don't want to forget other weapons. It's back to the Tri-slosher for a bit of Rainmaker. I can be much more aggressive with the bucket, whether or not it works, as I demonstrate. Just rush ahead, inking everything, and splats will come.

Okay, Tri-sloshers are more nuanced than that, it's just the way I like to play with it most of the time. Like taking a Dynamo Roller head-on, as I try to ink the podium, regardless of where the Rainmaker is. Let's aim high!

Actually, I should probably keep to the higher turf with a bucket, and almost do that a bit. Rather than dropping down to engage the purple inklings directly, I attempt to stay a little out of harm's way and slosh ink down. I get splatted eventually, but at least the little wall prevented the Rainmaker's shield from being the culprit.

The Echolocator doesn't bother me quite so much wielding the Tri-slosher as it does a Carbon Roller, but I stay out of the way anyway. I also try to stay away from the Splattershot Jr when he counters my Bubbler with its own, but he knows he has the upper hand, and pursues me. So it goes.

Our early lead disappears with a good purple push, so I keep doing what I'm doing and skirmish, ignoring the Rainmaker but hoping to make a difference with pressure and suppression. It's not going to work if the E-litre 3K can fluke splats like that. But it's okay. I get a couple of splats from above soon after to make up for it.

I think I do well in not chasing the Dynamo Roller when my Bubbler will expire, hiding in ink instead of sloshing at echoes, and finally splatting the Splattershot Jr after a couple of attempts, the first aborted when taking ink damage. And I suppose I did do well, it's just that so did the Splattershot Jr, with its emergency Splat Bomb.

The E-litre 3K eludes me from one angle, as I push ahead, and as the additional inkable blocks aren't the same in each battle mode, I have to find a different approach. No problem! I get my splat in the end, and return to support the team, making as we make to look one last, good push for the victory.

Maybe the mistake was trying to be the hero. I'd pretty much ignored the Rainmaker all battle, but picked it up as we enter extra time. Or maybe I'm just too keen to push forwards. The other extra time victories I've been a part of have seen my squidmates make measured pushes with support, not solo dashes.

Never mind, hopefully I'll learn from this.

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Tags: console, hammerhead bridge, rainmaker, splatoon, tri-slosher, wii u

Messy splatting in Tower Control (10-8, Carbon Roller Deco)

I'm holding my own in S Rank, which makes a nice change. It makes me feel like I'm improving. Maybe the Carbon Roller Deco is helping me out, or trying to learn it is helping improve my battling.

It doesn't seem like a huge improvement in my battling when I find myself surrounded by green ink and two inklings so early in the battle, but it is difficult at the start of a battle. Do you engage and potentially get overwhelmed, or hang back and perhaps not contribute? It's probably the hardest part of the battle to gauge.

Not splatting that Inkzooka after Ninja Squidding to get a clear flick is disappointing. My aim still needs work. At least I survive the Splatling, after accidentally rolling in to it. Squidding up the wall helped avoid some of the ink, and not going relentlessly forwards avoided the rest.

We get control of the Tower, and there follows a wonderful melee of weapons and ink. There are a few misses, but some good manoeuvring means I'm never fully vulnerable whilst opening up new angles. We make a good push, taking a reasonable lead, but one that is surmountable.

The Echolocator hits me, and I make the mistake of pushing forwards in the green ink. It wasn't a smart move, but it feels wrong to sit back and do nothing, even when Echolocated. It would have been better for the team, I think. At least I don't continue to engage the Splatling with its Bubbler active.

As I avoid the Bubbler, I take the opportunity to jump on the stationary Tower. It's actually a good time, it seems, as the Splatling is otherwise occupied, and the other green inklings don't appear to be around. The one that comes is the E-litre 3K, heading for the perch, marking her progress with Burst Bombs. Thanks for that! It makes following her movement and getting the splat much easier.

A quick poke around the side route to get behind the green team shows that I'm not the first to do this. The green team really should have inked over this route, but I'm not complaining. A Seeker lets me squid nicely behind the E-litre 3K, unaware of my advance, and get a really easy splat. Nice!

I have a couple of amusingly poor tussles with the opposition Carbon Roller, which shows that I still have a lot of practice to do, but it doesn't affect the outcome of the battle. Our early lead, matched a little later, stands for the victory.

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

Getting some splats in Tower Control (10-7, Carbon Roller Deco)

A decent start to this battle, albeit defensive. But that's the best way a Carbon Roller Deco can start a battle. Any more aggressive and you're just asking to be the first splat. We defend our corridor, clear the Tower, and take control. Not for long, but it's something.

A bit of turf control next. I get to a good position and launch a Seeker as a squidmate super-jumps to me. A yellow inkling interrupts, splatting my squidmate, but he is a good distraction and I splat the yellow inkling back. A second splat? Ah, my Seeker found someone at the top of the column!

My Seeker Rush regains a bit of turf, as a squidmate regains control of the Tower. I apply some dive-bombing ink as support. A flurry of Specials makes it look like we'll take the lead, but it doesn't quite happen, and when our burst of ink runs out, the yellow team take the Tower back the way it came.

I waste a bit of time hoping an inkling will come my way, and although I wouldn't say my waste of time is vindicated when one turns up, followed by a super-jumper, but it was worth it for me. And a squidmate super-jumps to my good position when I leave it unwillingly.

Ninja Squid splats again! I'm just trying to cover some turf. A yellow inkling is just resting, probably looking for an opportunity. And, surprise!, I appear from below the ink. I think it was just a surprise for both of us.

Twenty seconds to go! Do we have it in ourselves to make one last push for the lead? Why, yes we do! Where was this the rest of the battle? Who cares! Woomy!

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Tags: blackbelly skatepark, carbon roller deco, console, splatoon, tower control, wii u

Taking back control in Tower Control (8-9, Carbon Roller Deco)

I think I'm getting the hang of the Carbon Roller Deco. That's not to say I'm a better Splatoon player, though, as no weapon magically makes you good, so I will still make bad decisions and mistakes. And sometimes a Krak-On Splat Roller will just splat you wherever you are.

Inking that ledge isn't to charge my Special, but to give another option for my Ninja Squidding to get the drop on an inkling. Not that I have yet in this battle, but I'm thinking of the future. I also think we need better turf control, and definitely near our base. To prove this, the Splat Roller jumps out of their ink to splat me again.

0-3 so far. This is not going well. And still there is blue ink all around our base. Naturally, I can't catch up with a brush painting more ink, but a more circumspect approach lets me drop down on the brush. I get a splat! But am splatted in a latency-suspect way again. I have to work with what I have, though.

I use my inked ledge! It doesn't help me directly, but I used it. And I am lurking where I am not doing much good, but with an Echolocator on me, I won't do much good anywhere, so I start re-inking turf. When the locator wears off, I move towards the Tower. My squidmates have cleared it, and I have trouble getting on, but I splat the other Roller. Excellent!

And we take control of the Tower! I get a few splats, my Seeker Rush charges, and a squidmate makes some good bomb throws to get rid of that Roller on the ledge threatening me. No, we don't get the lead, not in one push, but we make a great dent in the blue team's lead before I'm splatted off the Tower.

In fact, my squidmates continue where I left off, and we do take the lead! And more! We have turned the battle around, which takes the pressure off us and puts it back on the blue team. I go around reclaiming more turf until I think I should be elsewhere, and although I dodge the Splat Roller he turns around and shows me it's the Krak-on variant. No problem! I get my own back soon enough.

A bit more rolling and squidding, feeling much more in control than at the start of the battle, and we're just winding down. Damn, it feels good to be a squidster.

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Tags: blackbelly skatepark, carbon roller deco, console, splatoon, tower control, wii u

Trying to find a groove in Tower Control (10-8, Carbon Roller Deco)

Tower Control and Blackbelly Skatepark. The mode and map that probably work least well for the Carbon Roller Deco and its Seekers. But that's okay! I bet I can do something.

I remember previous attempts at squidding over a ledge at an inkling shooting right at me, and discard them as irrelevant and that this attempt will be better! I'm not entirely wrong, as this time I at least splat the inkling before being splatted.

I ought to cover turf and be somewhat discreet. I try this, but don't account for the range of a Splattershot Pro, fail to hide in my ink a bit, and then forget what Krakens can do. Silly me.

I do quite well splat the inkling covering our turf when her back is turned, and recover the Tower. And I keep doing okay until I don't back away from a Blaster, and keep ploughing forwards in to the blasts. I need to be more careful.

Getting stuck behind the grate was partly bad luck, partly bad planning, as was having an inkling in my sights drop beneath me to avoid my attention. But I am covering turf and, by doing so, helping our potential with controlling the Tower.

My shining moment starts at about 3'20", where a lucky splat leads to two more good ones, and my Seekers Rush over the top of the Skatepark's column to land on the final inkling on the Tower. Quad woomy!

We still haven't done much with the Tower, and we won't if I keep running in to splats. And when the purple team drive to a distance of 4 from the goal, I doubt we will do much with the Tower. Now it's just damage control.

I find my groove, finally, as we get control of the Tower with just seconds to go. The purple inklings fall in to my sights, I sneak in our ink as a Ninja Squid, and I clear the way ahead effectively.

The Tower is stopped from behind and we lose the battle, which happens, and it's just a shame I couldn't play like this earlier. But I got some decent splats!

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Tags: blackbelly skatepark, carbon roller deco, console, splatoon, tower control, wii u

Good start, but muddy middle to Splat Zones (9-8, Carbon Roller Deco)

Well, the battle isn't good for me right at the start, the bit where I manage to get surrounded by three green inklings. But after that, a Seeker finds an inkling not wanting to pause a Suction Bomb Rush, and a squidmate prevents my getting splatted which lets me launch a Seeker Rush to ink the Splat Zones a bit.

My Seeker Rush lets me squid up to and splat an inkling applying pressure to the Splat Zones, and our counter starts counting down, giving us the lead soon enough. I turn back and think about sneaking behind the green team, but I can't do that if I'm spotted, so I do the sensible thing and decide not to.

Getting hit with some ink mid-jump is unfortunate, but kinda funny. Back at the start, I launch a decoy Seeker and head around the back. I get a good splat, dropping down to ink the Splat Zones as a Killer Wail provides a little cover. That charges another Seeker Rush, and they find two more inklings. This is going well!

Another trip around the back bags me another easy splat. But, as is often the case, I end up pushing my luck. It should be no surprise that the Carbon Roller on the other team sees through my shenanigans more than once. The second time is after an Inkzooka clears my path towards the green base, and I see the inky ripple only too late.

My battle goes a bit lukewarm after that. Lots of getting splatted for almost no splats myself. So it goes sometimes. At least we keep good control of the Splat Zones, and I get one final consolation splat in extra time, to feel like I contributed to the actual victory.

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, mahi-mahi resort, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

Some misses, some hits, lots of fun in Splat Zones (9-8, Carbon Roller Deco)

Two Carbon Roller Decos! How can we possibly lose this battle? We can't! Let's just get on with it.

Okay, first splat to the purple Splat-on Roller. Must be luck. And, sure, i don't last long the next time either, but my Seeker lives on long enough to get a splat, and I can't get mad about a dude in a dress.

Sprinkler, Splat-on Roller, and Suction Bomb all conspire to get me next. But we turn the map from purple to teal pretty quickly. Pushing our advantage, I follow a squidmate to the opponents' side of the map. He gets lured by a Beakon, and I find a resting inkling. Nice!

I go back for a second look. A purple inkling is coming from the base, and doesn't seem to see me. I can circle around again and, yes, catch the Brush unawares a second time, before she gets to the platform. Also nice!

The route around the back is a bit risky, but I somehow get all the way around without being spotted, even with purple inklings up on the ledge. More than that, I catch an inkling readying an Inkstrike launch! I don't even mind that the Splattershot catches me afterwards.

Launching a poorly judged Seeker wastes ink, and replenishing my tank takes time. It brings the inklings towards me, and I do quite well as they swarm around, splatting two of them before getting splatted myself. Not a bad trade.

The side route exposes me, but it offers a great path for Seekers, so I keep using it. And I am tempted around the back again, which looks great when I spy another Inkstrike being prepared, but I misgauge my swimming speed and don't make the jump, causing me to miss the inkling completely. Going back again has the inkling aware of a different threat, and I just jump in to purple ink everywhere. So it goes.

A great bit of teamwork at the end recaptures the Splat Zones just in time, and splats the entire purple team over a dozen seconds or so. That gives us just the push we need as the clock counts down to hold the zones for the victory. I just need to dodge the Kraken and Woomy!

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, mahi-mahi resort, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

Seeker magic in Splat Zones (13-11, Carbon Roller Deco)

Still in S Rank, and I'm sticking with the Carbon Roller Deco, just in case it's this change of weapon that is making me better. Probably not! I still feel like I'm mostly mucking around with it, but I'm having fun, and that's what I'm here for.

Always thank your squidmate who splats a pesky charger. It was with an Inkzooka as well, and it's nice being on the other end of them. Running in to an Inkbrush ain't so good, but that's what you get for rolling a Carbon.

I toy with yet another Killer Wail, as apparently I don't think they're dangerous, and get in to a bit of a scramble with one inkling, before the Brush finds me again. A squidmate finds the Brush, so that's okay.

I aim to cover some turf, which charges my Seeker Rush, which lets me cover more turf. But it's not quite enough to let me get close to the teal team. Well, I get close enough, but I'm not expecting three of them to be there. I don't last long.

We are losing the turf war, which is a bit important in every mode, and probably more so in Splat Zones. With pressure coming all the way up to our base, from the occasional Splat Bomb and an Inkzooka, I fire off a speculative Seeker. It splats someone, nice! I chuck a couple more, just in case, before moving on.

Another friendly Inkzooka takes out a threat, and I can move to the other Splat Zone, where a Seeker Rush helps me spread some ink. Not entirely over the Splat Zone, but I can do that if we get the inklings out of the way. One is splatted when the charger mis-times the Seeker, which pleases me. That Brush, though.

Still, getting back to base lets me Ninja Squid right up to the unsuspecting charger, which has to be my favourite splat of the battle, and I chase another up the ramp. Over and onwards, a third splat goes under my Roller, and I nearly get a fourth as I cover the Splat Zone, but I'm a bit slow.

We have control of the turf now, though, and I continue this by inking beyond. I get another sneaky splat on the charger too, which is excellent, and although splatting the Brush is mutual at least I get the splat.

There are a couple more Seeker splats, one at close range, one from a poorly timed inkling appearance, as we regain control of a Splat Zone to stop extra time for the victory. Woomy!

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, piranha pit, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

Helping where I can in Splat Zones (11-9, Carbon Roller Deco)

Practice makes perfect! I make it up that small wall in Urchin Underpass really easily this time. The Seeker doesn't do much from the ledge, and I am harried off by yellow ink, but that's okay. I go the other way around to help out squidmates in trouble, and do my bit. It's not much.

A quick wander around the Splat Zones accidentally finds me one squid to splat, and covering the yellow ink has my rolling over an unaware Dynamo Roller. Squished by a Carbon Roller, how embarrassing!

My Seeker Rush helps cover the Splat Zones a bit, but not even Ninja Squid can help me hide from a Kraken who has already spotted me. I follow that up by bagging a double splat on a Slosher and the Dynamo Roller. I don't survive uninked, but I'm okay with this trade.

As we lose the Splat Zones again, I make a daring jump, flicking at the end to bag a really nice splat! I look to move on to find more splats, but realise the counter is ticking down for the yellow team. I turn back to help, because that's kinda the point of the battle.

Beating a Dynamo Roller in a flicking contest isn't difficult with a Carbon Roller, but it's still satisfying. I get another splat after that, and although another one or two look good, a surprise Kraken ends my mini-streak. Never mind, we take the lead soon after!

An Echolocator means I need to stay safe for a bit, but when it goes I push forwards, flying past an inkling who avoids enough of my flicked ink to complete the jump. Nice acrobatics, inkling! I need some manoeuvring too, as an Inkstrike lands, and once again I beat the Dynamo to a flick, but not the inkling behind her.

Lurking for a sneaky splat only has a Slosher covering over the blue ink with me in it. So it goes. I get my own back when, after dive-bombing a Splattershot, I splat the super-jumping Slosher on landing. Half-a-minute to go, and we need to get the Splat Zones back.

Getting rid of the Slosher again helps a bit, and my Seeker Rush charges but I don't quite get them aiming across the Splat Zones. There is a moment of respite, as we stop the counter, but it's only a moment. Our lead diminishes and vanishes, the yellow team making a great effort in the last part of the battle.

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