In Tri-slosher versus Slosher, no one wins. But I'm apparently not convinced of this, so give it another go. Okay, I'm convinced. I probably ought to be concentrating more on the Tower too, what with it being dangerously close to our base.
Thankfully, I get my act together and start battling a bit smarter, which includes somehow not getting splatted by a Carbon Roller, and inking the only corner of the Tower not purple so that I can jump back on.
My Bubbler is charged, and even though there doesn't seem to be any obvious need for it just yet, I am often a split-second late with its activation. I err a little on the side of caution, as the first hint of yellow ink has me popping the Special.
With a Bubbler active and squidmates on the Tower, I push forwards. I think the others think that too, stopping the Tower for a moment. But it gets going again, and the way ahead is clear.
How best to start a Splat Zones battle on Kelp Dome? Getting to the Splat Zones seems good, and not getting splatted seems better. It's just a pity I can only reliably do one of those.
At least I can splat a slight incautious Splatling, backing in to our side of the map, and follow that with some sloshing down on to the Splat Zones. But an Inkbrush lover ends my streak of one.
I approach from another angle and try to ink the Splat Zones a bit, but am cautious about ink from below. I avoid it and go around the back, and although we lose the Splat Zones for a bit, my circumspect manoeuvring helps get me in to a better position to help. But once more, the Inkbrush shows me how she loves her Inkbrush.
I try the same route as before, with a squidmate, but it doesn't help us get to the Splat Zones quickly. We lose the lead. I slosh until I run out of ink, and try to Disrupt the Splatling above me. But green ink is coming from more directions, followed by Suction Bombs. Evasive manoeuvres!
I stay unsplatted, charge my Bubbler, and return at eye level to get my splat, ink the Splat Zones, and help re-take them. Nice! I take a moment to discover the splat radius of Suction Bombs, and the dangers of ink from below again, before trying another different route.
This little stint goes rather well! I splat, avoid getting splat, and ink a good amount of turf. I even get a quad-splat, with the help of my Bubbler, that helps recapture the Splat Zones for us. Also Nice!
I just miss out on one last splat as the timer runs out, with us in the lead and in control of the Splat Zones, for a close and well-fought victory.
Starting the Splat Zones battle with a handful of splats is pretty decent! Squidding in to a Suction Bomb less so, but my minor streak was going to end some time. At least my little skirmish allowed my squidmates to ink the Splat Zones and give us a good lead.
I don't ignore the Splat Zones, though. I like to keep them our colour. But when they are, I feel I can push forwards to control more turf, and to distract the other team. The little dance with one of the green inklings was fun, and although I came out on top, I didn't last long afterwards.
Trying to keep safe for a super-jumping squidmate sees the green inklings capture the Splat Zones and push past, and although I'm in a good position to surprise them from behind, I squid too far and put myself ahead of them. That wasn't good manoeuvring.
I try to recover by heading down the side passage, which the green inklings seem to be ignoring in favour of the main route. At least, they seem to be ignoring it until I go that way. Never mind! I return along the main route and retake our turf, before looking at the Splat Zones, and slightly beyond.
The Splat Zones are ours again, so after a brief dalliance with a wall, I get back to skirmishing. It's not a terribly successful outing, but splatting an Inkstriker is always satisfying, and we get the lead back.
Getting ganged up on isn't much fun, but it happens. And I get my own back, in a way, as super-jumping inklings line up for my Tri-slosher. And as the timer ticks down, I bag a couple more splats just for good luck, as we ease our way to a victory.
I do like sneaking around the back, don't I? I like to think it indirectly helps the objective. I make a more direct effort this time too, on finding few green inklings around. It's a fair enough lead, and hopefully one we can improve on. I just need to avoid Seekers.
As the battle moves to a control phase, I do my best to keep the turf purple, deny access to flanking routes, and help out our charger a bit by splatting a Rapid Blaster trying to knock her off her perch. I even splat an Inkzooka in progress. Nice! I can't stay hidden under an Echolocator, though.
I try to make good use of my Disruptor, and the side corridor to help splat the inklings on the Tower, but our lead is lost by a decent push from the green team. But we regain control of the Tower and the turf, and make another push. We get a good swing in power, and Specials charging at the right time, to look good to retake the lead.
Better than simply retaking the lead, we push the Tower so close to the goal that I think we're going to get a knockout victory! But not quite. It can be difficult to go that last distance, when so close to the other team's base.
Defending again, I work my way around the back, to catch a Killer Wailing inkling, a second Killer Wailing inkling, and then the other two in the team for a decent, if extended, quad-splat. Nice again! My winning streak continues when I realise I should squid out of our base in to a Killer Wail in time.
I'm flattered that a green inkling aims a Killer Wail just at me. It probably wasn't a panic-press Special, which I often do. And although the battle enters extra time, my squidmates have everything under control to ensure us the victory.
My Tri-slosher speed doesn't quite get me to the side route on Urchin Underpass quickly enough, but I remember my Disruptor and engage the other team on my terms. Then press my advantage unwisely and get splatted. I never learn.
Inkstrikes pepper the Splat Zones as I go beyond them, but turn around to keep the turf blue. I keep myself moving, sideways more than forwards, and keep myself relatively safe for a short while, but soon end up having bitten off more than I can chew.
I tidy up our corridor and try to uncover a hiding squid, and finding nothing drop down to help reclaim the Splat Zones. From their to the opponents' corridor, coming back to be behind them. It's not as surprising as I'd hoped, but I get some splats before a tree both helps and hinders me.
A little more skirmishing causes problems for the green team, as they try to get some control over the Splat Zones. But we hold them comfortable, and a chunk of the turf just beyond the Splat Zones. As our counter ticks down to victory, I claim one more cheap splat, from a super-jumping inkling. Woomy!
I can move pretty quickly with my Tri-slosher. And if I move quickly enough at the start of a battle on Urchin Underpass, I believe I can sneak up the side route. Well, maybe not sneak, as such, as I leave an inky trail, but I can get up there and around the back of the other team. Much like in this battle!
I don't get many splats for my initial efforts. My squidmates have done all the work, and more conventionally. Splatting the opponents, capturing the Splat Zones, and charging their Specials. It's all looking rather good. I'll go back around the side.
I get a splat, thanks to a charged Bubbler, but by the time I circle around looking for activity it's all in the now-orange Splat Zones. The battle's starting to go awry! At least we don't quite lose the lead, and regain control, but the battle really is afoot.
I try to manoeuvre well and not dive in to silly confrontations, but I still manage to see Splat Bombs a bit too late, and don't fare well when surrounded by orange inklings. They pick their game up well enough to take the lead from us, which is unfortunate.
The battle's not over. But it gets close. I sneak around to just across the Splat Zones and get some splats and spread some ink, Suction Bombs peppering my Bubbler, to stop the orange counter at 2. That was close! I even realise I don't quite recapture the Splat Zones, so turn back to get them before moving on.
But it's too late. I try to go around the back to surprise the orange inklings, but I would have been better served to loiter by the Splat Zones, given how late in the battle it is. The clock ticks to zero and we enter Extra Time as the orange inklings turn up to cover over my teal ink. That's a lesson to learn for another time.
I'm trying out the E-litre 3K for a bit, to get some extra range over the Splatterscope and see if the lack of tunnel vision helps. I dunno, maybe, I'm mostly just feeling the longer charge time at the moment. My trigger finger is aching from urging the 3K to charge.
The extra range is nice, though, particularly in Splat Zones, where inking turf has its advantages over going for splats. That's good, because I get no splats in this battle, but manage to ink a fair amount of turf. I think.
I'm also trying to use the Burst Bombs well. I've seen other inklings make good use of them ink turf, either by their feet, just ahead of them, or in the Splat Zones themselves. I can do that, but still have to work on my aim when trying to get inklings away from me.
I have no idea how I last so long against that persistent inkling. Her shorter range had a clear advantage over my E-litre 3K, but perhaps she was wary of my Burst Bombs, thinking I knew what I was doing. It was good practice for me!
I try to exercise mostly turf control after that incident, and even remember that I can super-jump back to base if I get in to trouble, albeit a little later than would have been ideal.
Turf control works well, but the occasional splat would really help to tip the balance. Thankfully, my squidmates can do that. But even with the range of the E-litre 3K, I can't apply too much pressure on the Splat Zones from where I am. But I think it's more than if I got closer and got myself splatted.
The battle isn't looking good for us. The scores are 57 (+22) to 8 (+12), with less than twelve seconds to go. We take control to send the battle in to extra time, and although the Splat Zones go neutral occasionally, with some consistent pressure we keep our score ticking down. And down. And down.
I bet the pink team were really sweating by the end of this battle!
Not a bad start to this Tower Control on Piranha Pit. The Splatterscope isn't where I expect him to be, but I find him easily enough, and catch him by surprise. I even kinda dodge the Splat Bomb he rolls out. I move on to try to stop the Tower, but I get the wrong side of it and am overwhelmed by yellow ink.
It's bad timing to come down the central channel just before an Inkzooka loads, and I'm not sure there's much I can do to prevent the next splat. I'm not sure how my ink misses so many inklings either. It may just be one of those battles.
Avoiding a Suction Bomb rush gets me on to the Tower, almost, so I hop on and, well, am forced off. I have the presence of mind to lob a Disruptor as I go, though, and actually make it off. But I run in to an inkling, and that's another splatting.
I try going around the back, as is my usual tactic, and it works encouraging well. Not so well the next time, but so it goes. I try alternative my routes, not be predictable, but it's not easy in a small map. Not small enough for my Disruptors to hit reliably, it seems. I need to aim better.
I would like to think I'm trading splats, but I'm really not for the first half of the battle. It's quite frustrating. Thankfully, I am able to recognise this and do something about it, which lets me get splats, build a charge on my Bubbler, and survive a bit longer. I break out of my poor patch.
We still don't have the lead, although it looks like we could perhaps challenge for it. More so if I stop running in to Bombs, Splat or Suction. And with seconds to go, I get a good Disruptor throw and help to clear the Tower. From there, I try to apply some pressure, but not so much that I get in to trouble.
And I spy my moment! My Bubbler charges just before we enter extra time, the Tower trundling towards me in the distance. I squid ahead fast, hop on to the Tower, and pop my Bubbler to give us some safe riding time. All is looking good, and I even manage to squeeze out a timely and appropriate 'Nice!' as we cross the line. Woomy!
The inklings in my lobby have stuck around for a fair number of battles. Good for them, I say! But it does mean that the chargers have seen the routes I've taken to sneak around the back. It will do me good to shake them up a bit. Or so I think.
The Squiffer has take a different route this time too, and we meet. And I don't back off when I clearly can't win, which is silly, and I pay for it with a dunking. I should battle smarter.
At least heading back to the base so soon lets me ink over a mess a green inkling has made, no doubt hoping to get the Rainmaker over a lot of turf quickly. Not on my watch, mister. I then wonder how he made that jump. Or if he made it.
I can do better than this! I'd better start trying. Back to my old route, which lets me cover over more green ink too, and finally I get a splat. And from there, when inky pressure comes my way, I skirt right around the other side and find the Squiffer where I left him. Woomy!
I squid over the water to the podium and play some cat-and-mouse with the Squiffer, this time not being quite as gung-ho, and getting myself a handful of solid splats.
On top of the splats, the Rainmaker is behind me, and my inking the turf up the podium looks like it's helping, as he squids his way up there to dunk the Rainmaker! If only my splat-cam had been looking the right way.
I'm not too confident about being in the open spaces with my Tri-slosher on Mahi-Mahi Resort. I feel exposed with a short-range weapon, and generally get splatted quickly. The feeling is lessened in Rainmaker, when the action can be concentrated elsewhere, but I still find myself skirting the edges and looking for flanking points.
So it is that I set about skirmishing to indirectly support my squidmates and the Rainmaker, rather than making the Rainmaker my focus. My usual back route to start with can often be noticed, but this time it isn't, which is good. But the inklings don't stay on that ledge, and I have to jump down to give chase. I get a couple of splats, but maybe could have got more with some fancy footwork. Never mind.
I can't quite reach the Splatterscope, but I pressure her away from reaching the potential of her Splat Bomb Rush, and divert to take another route around the back, where I get the jump on a handful of inklings. Nice! Of course, I eventually push my luck. Back to the base! Jumping in to a Splat Bomb sends me back sooner than expected too, as does jumping in to the Rainmaker's blast.
But I know my way around most of these maps (except for one nook on Mahi-Mahi where I fell in to the water a few times today), and sneak around and behind the purple inklings near our base. I don't think they expected that. My Bubbler reactions are good tonight, saving me again, but the Rainmaker shield gets in the way of an Inkstriking inkling that ultimately causes me a splatting. Oh well.
I'm not giving up on the flanking strategy, and again it works a treat, along with a timely Bubbler charge. There's nothing quite like splatting the backs of other inklings with a Tri-slosher. But we still have a big lead to overcome, and time is running out.
We enter extra time holding the Rainmaker, and even though we've barely got close to the podium all battle, some good concentration, caution, and dashing at the right moments, and we squid in to a surprise victory. Woomy!
