Stayin' (mostly) alive in Splat Zones (7-1, Carbon Roller Deco)

With my Seekers, the side route in Urchin Underpass looks more attractive for the starting surge. Less attractive when I still haven't quite got the hang of the Carbon Roller flick and struggle to get up a tiny wall. I didn't have this trouble with the Tri-slosher.

That was a good first Seeker, even if it got no one. The second isn't so great, but I follow it myself, and get in to the opening tussle for the Splat Zones. A shared Bubbler spurs me on, and I narrowly miss an inkling super-jumping back to base.

I get a little too spurred on, and although I get my first splatting it is in a very bad position and am splatted too. I should be more careful. And so I get more careful!

I make sure there is plenty of blue ink around, stay in it as much as possible, and try to engage when the situation looks good. And when an Echolocator hits, I back off to safety. When you need to stay hidden ink to be effective, and you can't be hidden in ink, you won't be effective.

Suction Bomb Rush is countered by Seeker Bomb Rush, and super-jumping inklings are despatched as they land. Our team has a good handle on the battle, and good control over the turf.

I help with the efforts too, getting a good double splat, amongst other splats, and inking turf either in the Splat Zones or beyond it. The battle looks so assured, I'm happy to have a little dance at the end. Sometimes S Rank battling isn't so bad.

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

Doing my best in S-Rank Splat Zones (7-5, Carbon Roller Deco)

A Seeker down the centre should help my squidmates heading that way, but I think my Carbon Roller Deco will do more good along the side route, where Seekers can pose a threat to the opposition directly.

I am suitably cautious, not rushing in to anything and holding back from apparent threats, before moving up when the time is right. I jump on to a block to launch a Seeker, so that it gets a clear run, and squid up behind it. Ninja Squid works again, as the Splatterscope doesn't know I'm approaching. A good splat from the side.

I follow up with some flicking, as another purple inkling turns up, and almost outstay my welcome next to a Suction Bomb. But I get the splat and make my getaway, rolling over the Splat Zone to help keep it ours. I missed the Blaster on the grating to the side as I moved forwards, and thankfully they missed me as I roller away.

I turn back when it's safe and see what a Seeker Rush can do to the Blaster. Well, it's not that safe, given that the Blaster doesn't need line-of-sight to throw ink everywhere, but enough Seekers do the job, and an Inkstrike lets me move further up too.

No one's up there. Okay, back to the Splat Zones, and a Killer Wail on the fence lets me know where the inklings are. We hold the Splat Zones a little longer, but I get overconfident having been unsplatted for so long, and make the mistake of moving forwards really obviously instead of retreating for a moment.

Ink is everywhere now. That's dangerous in general, very dangerous for my Carbon Roller. I move up quite far, considering, and although I spy the Splatterscope threat, I only realise what she's doing, hiding her laser sight, when it's too late.

I think we're held back now. But the purple team recovered, maybe we can too. And we do reclaim a lot of turf. But, again, I get a bit too confident, and blasted for it. Still, overconfidence sometimes works, like ducking in to a Killer Wail to launch a Seeker. Sure, the Seeker doesn't find anyone, but I do.

Phew, purple ink everywhere! Everywhere except the Splat Zones, apparently, which is a bit weird but fine by me. That lets me roll around turning everything teal again without much pressure. When I rejoin the action, I am sensible again, waiting for a Blasters Bubbler to wear off before squidding up for the surprise splat. Nice!

The Splat Zones are ours, the turf is ours, and the counter is approaching zero. We press up to make the point, and as I punctuate the knockout victory with a final splat. Woomy!

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Tags: camp triggerfish, carbon roller deco, console, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

The stars aren't aligned for me in Splat Zones (4-4, Carbon Roller Deco)

My first battle back in S Rank. I'm sticking with the Carbon Roller Deco, as I am enjoying it and think I can now be useful with it in most places. It should be good in Camp Triggerfish, with the long corridors to roll along or throw Seekers down, but also fairly vulnerable to longer range weapons.

The usefulness of Seekers comes to play after my first splatting. I head down the side route and find myself and another inkling struggling against a Splatling and a Splatterscope. Those are tough opponents along a straight corridor. But a Seeker here, a Seeker there, and a bit of bad timing by the blue inklings, and two splats are mine, as well as the Splat Zone. Nice!

I push the advantage and use Ninja Squid to fool the Splatterscope, splatting her before she can return far. But heading back to retake the Splat Zone has my Carbon Roller bumping in to something. This is one of the few moments I'd rather have a Splat Roller.

I don't see a trail to give a hint where the squid went, so just flick around a bit, until they pop up and splat me from a distance. No Ninja Squid in their gear, so I feel a bit hard done by, but never mind.

I go the back route and make a bit of a mess of things. I launch a Seeker directly in to a pole, and although it looks like I get the splat on the Splatling with some nifty squidding, she turns in to a Kraken just in time. Oh well.

Another go down that route, this time with squidmates, and I get my Seeker Rush going. That splats the Splatling, and I manage to avoid a Splat Bomb in time to keep things going. Not for long, as the Splatterscope splats me as I dive behind a pillar. That feels harsh.

And that's it. I am getting used to being out-played and somewhat overwhelmed in S-Rank battles, so don't get quite as salty about it any more. Still a little salty, but I'm happy enough to keep playing until I'm back in A+.

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Tags: camp triggerfish, carbon roller deco, console, splat zones, splatoon, wii u

Back to S Rank with a messy Splat Zones (8-5, Carbon Roller Deco)

Seekers help me, and hopefully my squidmates, get away from our base quickly. They're great at the start of a battle, because even though they use a lot of ink, you can squid along and regain it all back again. When I get to the Splat Zones I back off a bit, though, because the Carbon Roller really needs ink everywhere to be useful.

Avoiding the Killer Wail was decent, and trying to recover the Splat Zones was a good idea, but the purple team are simply in control at this early stage, and we get pushed back.

Coming back with a Seeker rush over the ledge is not a bad move. That is often a handy route to return to the Splat Zones, but vulnerable, because there is no way back and the other team often see your ink coming to alert them. But with Seekers rushing their way, it gives me relatively safe movement.

I'm not entirely safe with my movement after that, but I somehow get away with it. It puts me in a pretty good position too, albeit one I don't quite exploit well enough. But my squidmates move up behind me, and we start to earn some points.

Another Seeker Rush lets me get behind the lines using Ninja Squid, and inking beyond the Splat Zones should slow the purple team down a bit. But the Splat Zones need attention too. The Dual Squelcher should have been an easier splat, but she saw me and squidded faster than I can react. I still splat her, though.

I worry the birds briefly, before taking the long way to get the Splatling, and finding myself stuck in a corner. When my Seekers can't hit an inkling planting a Killer Wail, I'm reminded of my skills with a Splatterscope. It's okay, Seekers, we all have bad days.

Our Gal inkling has set up a Splash Wall and cleared some turf just beyond the Splat Zone, which gives me the opportunity to roll around a bit and ink over the opposition turf. And, happily enough, bag myself a fantastic triple splat! That should help us nicely.

Yep! We take the lead as I let another Seeker Rush fly. I hold back as a Killer Wail clears a path for the purple team, but unfortunately a Sprinkler hinders me from splatting a couple of inklings that go past. Or, rather, us winning by knockout stops me, as we run out of time. I think that's okay.

Woomy! Back to S Rank with me.

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

Slightly rusty Splatterscoping in Rainmaker (9-7, Splatterscope)

I've been battling with the Carbon Roller Deco quite a lot, and am enjoying it. But with a short session, I think I'll go back to a previous favourite, the Splatterscope. Good choice, with an E-litre 3K on the other team! I'm sure I'll be fine.

My first duel with the E-litre 3K is thwarted by a squidmate, which I'm secretly pleased with, and I get distracted by the Rainmaker instead. I get quite a good distance too, and I think I can go all the way! Of course, the E-litre 3K stops me, and with a nice jump shot too. He's probably much better than me at this.

I get to back to the battle a bit late to be of support, and just get splatted easily. But I make my return, and get a couple of decent splats, the second an uncontested shot at the E-litre 3K. I've probably shaken him to his squiddy core.

I spy the E-litre 3K again. My first shot is just low, my second is too early, but my third is on target. He splats me too, but trading shots with the longer-range charger is fine by me. But I try to keep my eye on the objective, and rather than continue to trade shots I turn back to provide support to my squidmates.

I still can't hold my position on a vertical surface. I should practice more, I suppose. It would help with ink recovery on places like Hammerhead Bridge. Then again, if I keep getting splatted by the E-litre 3K, I don't need to recover ink. At least we trade again, and at quite a distance for me too. Nice one.

The E-litre 3K shows me his range, though. I wasn't careful enough. Nor accurate enough when trying to splat the helmet dude. I get him on the way back, though, with the Rainmaker. That's probably more important.

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Tags: console, hammerhead bridge, rainmaker, splatoon, splatterscope, wii u

I'm no hacker -- Tower Control

This video is out-of-sequence to the rest, just because I want to get it out of the way. It's four full battles, start-to-finish, with four weapon and kit changes, no pauses, no edits.

Someone recently suggested that I hack my sub-abilities, and that everyone does. Nope, not me. I play to have fun, and just re-rolling my subs at Spike's is kinda dull. I've done it a bit, but not a huge amount. I've mostly unlocked extra slots.

I've been asked to show my kit's sub-abilities in the past, because I've left that part of the game off the end of my recordings. That's not because of what I do, but because I find it unimportant and a kinda boring last few seconds. But if people want it, they can have it.

These aren't particularly great battles, and tail off a little with the weapons I haven't used quite so recently. But the Carbon Roller Deco and Tri-slosher battles are good enough, I get a few splats with the Splatterscope, and at least we win the battle with the Blaster.

So here you go. Check out my kit, see the few lucky rolls I've got, and find out how normal battles go for me.

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Tags: blaster, carbon roller deco, console, splatoon, splatterscope, tower control, tri-slosher, urchin underpass, wii u

Comeback kings in Rainmaker (9-5, Carbon Roller Deco)

I get myself in to a sticky spot at the start of the battle. I think a green inkling is going to squid up the wall, but before that happens I get some blasts of ink from behind. I can do nothing else but squid through the grate, which puts me on the opposition side of the map.

Well, I survives, so maybe I can lay down some ink whilst I'm here. Some, but not much. It wasn't the best place to be, really. But that seems to be me at the moment, being in the wrong place. And when I find myself in roughly the right place, I'm splatted out of there again. So it goes.

I flirt with yet another Killer Wail and survive, showing that I am getting better at not rushing in to them, and try to support the Rainmaker. We lose it too quickly, though. I can support the team, though, and start getting a few splats to my name.

Supporting the Rainmaker happens too! I ink a path, but the green inklings come from behind, which I'm not aware of early enough. I turn and splat, but the Rainmaker is in its shield again. Breaking the shield and going for my first carry goes poorly, as does my immediate return.

Naturally, I lose track of the Rainmaker again, but pretend that I'm keeping watch. It's pretty convincing, even if the green team get a mighty lead whilst I'm on watch. I cover up some of their mess, kinda being in the wrong place again, but the Carbon Roller really relies on staying hidden in ink, so it's helpful in a way.

Another Killer Wail avoided! I'm on fire. But the green team has the Rainmaker in our territory as the timer ticks down. We just about grab it back to force the battle in to extra time, but what are the odds of snatching the victory?

Whatever the odds, every squid comes together as a team. I may finally succumb to a Killer Wail, but I've laid some ink, and can super-jump back to the Rainmaker, not losing track of it this time. A Wild Bubbler appears, but with a team behind him, the Rainmaker remains secure.

I focus a bit too much on reaching the podium, when we only needed to take the lead, but I like to think I helped in some way. Excellent victory for the team!

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, flounder heights, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

Seekers in Rainmaker (11-9, Carbon Roller Deco)

I take so much care to line up my first Seeker, between the containers of Port Mackerel, that I don't notice one already being launched beside me. Never mind, it all helps. I take a bit of time to ink around, which seems sensible, and press forwards when it feels right.

It feels right to grab the Rainmaker after a decent Seeker rush bursts the shield and splats two green inklings. I don't get far, though. Super-jumping back is a bad idea, but only once I've started. I see the green explosion of the Rainmaker's shield as I prepare to jump, and know I'm heading towards a splatting. So it goes.

Avoiding an Inkzooka is a good idea, even with the Rainmaker coming my way. I move up when it looks clear, and even sneak past the Rainmaker for a decent surprise splat. I am concerned that the Rainmaker's Shield will splat me, even though we're of the same ink, but I seem okay afterwards. It takes me a second to check.

I make use of a squidmate's Seeker Rush, hoping that my own poor Seeker throw is lost in the noise, and press up. Hearing the Squiffer approach, I wait to ambush her. And it's a good ambush! On both sides, sadly. And in another the waiting game, I think I get the Carbon Roller with a Seeker. Apparently not, it was someone else.

The green team is really cautious about progressing. It seems to serve them well. I wait for an opportunity, but they cover themselves so well it doesn't come. Never mind, I can squid right back around and do what I meant to do in the first place.

There's an awful mess I get involved in. I'm not sure how I get out of it, but I have my Carbon Roller squidmate to thank for taking the pressure off. And that lets me have a crack at the Rainmaker. Sending a Seeker ahead of me first seems like a good idea, and it works really well! Shame about the other inkling not too far behind.

I can't help but give myself a 'Nice!' as I splat a fresh Rainmaker with a Seeker right down the corridor. Even better, as the shield explodes again, a new Seeker of mine sneaks underneath it for another splat. This seems like a good place to launch Seekers, so I keep going!

Two more Seeker splats for me! That makes four right at the end of the battle, nicely inflating my figures. And even though I don't stop the Rainmaker, and actually blunder in to its blast as the battle ends, I've had a fun game.

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, port mackerel, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

So nearly dunking the Rainmaker (8-8, Carbon Roller Deco)

I kinda pick up the Rainmaker by accident at the start of this battle. I notice the inkling squidding in the ink on one of the columns on the yellow side, and go to flick him off with my Carbon Roller. To be fair, I do exactly that, but I land on the Rainmaker and, for a second, have no idea what's happening.

I quickly get to my senses, splatting a charging inkling and squidding through the grate just in case the Rainmaker misses. But when does the Rainmaker miss? Shortly afterwards, in this case. But I probably ought not to run in to most of the yellow team throwing bombs everywhere.

This little lead doesn't last long. The next yellow carry overtakes my effort, and overtakes me. The Rainmaker drops right over my head. At least I know where it is, and we have little trouble taking it back. And it's mine again!

The Slosher wants me to go up, I think, so up I go. Up and across, and off on my own. Maybe not the best idea, but it could be unexpected. And, indeed, I get a good distance without any hassle. How far can I go? I aim the Rainmaker to try to send ink over the ridge, and as I squid and jump I wonder if I can hit the podium.

I probably can! If only I didn't have Ninja Squid, this would be a slam dunk. But I can't tell if the podium has ink at the top, or if it is just shade. I have to admit that this dark blue ink is my least favourite colour, and this moment just solidifies my opinion of it. Had I stayed a squid it would be battle over. But I think I've missed, and drop down to ink the podium. Bye bye, tigerears.

At least we have a significant lead, which should be more than possible to defend. Of course, a good attack can be the best defence, and we have another solid push for the podium before we're splatted. The yellow team have some possession for a bit, and remind me that I am an Inkzooka magnet.

The yellow ink gets to our podium! Best cover that before a yellow inkling does too. This time, it doesn't bring the yellow team inevitably further, and instead my short delay takes me to the top of Flounder Heights in time to bag a neat triple splat. Nice!

As the clock ticks down, my squidmates have everything under control. One grabs the Rainmaker and heads away from trouble, just as I head directly towards it. I manage to avoid a last-second, embarrassing splatting, though.

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, flounder heights, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u

Manic Mackerel Rainmaker (5-6, Carbon Roller Deco)

Port Mackerel and Flounder Heights sound great to my run with the Carbon Roller Deco. I bet I can do things in Rainmaker too, particularly with Seekers painting long, straight lines. That is, if I can aim them down the long, straight lines. This is why I take a moment at the start of the battle, just making sure I don't hit a container.

My first splat is from a Seeker, though, which is pretty good! And trying to keep our turf inked, mostly so that I can squid through it stealthily, I find a blue inkling trying to fast-track his squidmates to the podium. Not on my watch! I don't manage to splat him with my Roller, but with some persistence, and a Seeker Rush, he's out of here.

Rainmaker blast to the right of me, Killer Wail to the left, I'm amazed I survive. And we're not even a minute in to the battle. Another Carbon and me fight over who doesn't want the Rainmaker most, and I lose. But that's okay. I get a good carry and support from that other Carbon to give us the lead. Nice!

Some more tussling has my inking around again, and noticing an inkling, probably the same inkling, once again inking around the back of us. I try to surprise-splat him, but he's off. And Bubblered. I back off wisely, and launch a Seeker as he reappears. There's no dodging this one! Much like I don't dodge the Killer Wail.

The blue Splatling has got herself in to a good position. I am lucky to spot it early enough to avoid her ink, but my Carbon can't quite reach effectively on to the container. But I incidentally ink the block leading up there, and squid up to see the Splatling ready to super-jump away. This time, my Carbon is quicker.

That Splattershot Jr has been around the block again. Most of the blue ink has been covered, but I don't want the path to be any way easy, so squid up to the podium and ink that too. Unfortunately, that turns out to be an unnecessary distraction, as the Rainmaker is heading this way, spearheaded by the Splattershot Jr with Bubbler at the ready.

We are blasted through, and this close to the podium there is not much more we can do but watch. Still, we put up a pretty good fight for three Rollers and a Luna Blaster, against a much more balanced team.

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Tags: carbon roller deco, console, port mackerel, rainmaker, splatoon, wii u