Splat Magazine May 2024

MAY 2024

WELCOME

Head Author: Rosearrow Lead Artist: Sockz

Splat Magazine is a project with the goal of boosting the splatoon competitive community. We aim to document what is going on in the scene and present it in an engaging way! This project will be a monthly issue that brings together the competitive and broader splatoon community!

What we plan to feature:

- Tournament results from prominent low, mid, and top level events

- Interviews with players and other notable figures in our community

- Meta analysis

- Team/player spotlight

- Overview of upcoming tournaments

- Q&As

- Themed fashion section (gear insider)

- Artist highlights

- Resources and tips

We hope for your support!

DAPPLE PRODUCTIONS

LOW LEVEL HIGHLIGHT

Proving Grounds

INKLING PERFORMANCE LABS

or Sink

or Sink

LOW INK

LUSH LUSH

How long have you been a team? Lush been together since early April, it’s been 2 months since we formed the team.

How many Low Ink’s have you played in? Lush participated in 2 low inks before taking gold in May 2024.

What advice would you give to teams hoping to win LI?

What are your plans for after Low Ink? Our plans after low ink is to continue pushing higher and higher into the comp scene to become better players to refine our skills together

Question Question Question

Q&A Q&A

FEATURING POPGUN

& & &

How do you normally make your Low Ink

Top 10? Are there certain sources that influence this list more than others?

Why do you think Low Ink is such a staple tournament in the community?

Low Ink is a tournament with consistently over 100 teams; how has the event evolved from a management standpoint to accommodate for so many players and what challenges did you face?

What is your favorite part about being a TO?

Answer Answer Answer

I help with verification each month so I get to cheat by looking at the history of every player that signs up. I had more thought behind things years ago when I was still actively playing against teams that were eligible for low ink, but nowadays I just go off of results and gut feeling, which seems to be working better.

Low Ink is a tourney that belongs to the community, and the community takes care of it Our players market the tourney for us through word of mouth and that has become a huge part of our success. As we grow, so does the entire community.

Running Low Ink ain’t as difficult as it may seem, or as we as staff can sometimes make it out to be. Hoeen helped create Low Ink in 2018 and has been apart of it since then I won as a player back in 2020 and have been TOing it ever since, and brush is one of the best young TOs we have in the whole scene. We also have a great staff that works on the event every single day. The challenges we face are things we have been facing for years and know how to handle Experience is everything

The best thing about TOing is meeting other people in the community We use Low Ink as a way to socialize with our players and provide the opportunity for teams to make memories. I always love teams that post their day 1 results on twitter and talk about how much fun they had even though they went 2-4 That stuff makes it all worthwhile

What was your journey as a competitive player?

How did you get into making the Popcast?

There are over 200 episodes of the Popcast; are there any specific episodes that stand out in your mind?

How often do you play the game casually now that you’re retired?

Founded Destiny Troops in November of 2018 with my friends from a casual clan called Sploot Troops. Started out as Div 6 back when Div 7 was the floor. A year and a half later we won Low Ink and Ash Cup A year after that we finished 2nd place in SAC Season 3 and worked our way up to Div 2 Made a lot of lifelong friends and memories along the way.

The Popcast came about because I wanted to do something and I thought there was a need for someone to tell the stories of the low level side of the scene. So I just turned on the stream one day and haven’t stopped talking Nowadays the Popcast is more open ended and not just a low level podcast, but I still spend a lot of time talking about low level stuff.

I’ve been doing The Popcast for almost 4 years now and the ones I always look back on are the episodes about LANs. I love covering them even when I’m not participating in them. Even the EU LANs I can find ways to talk about them and get folks on who attended. LANs are just a fun time and are the peak of the competitive Splatoon experience, so I always enjoy having excuses to talk about them

I play enough to get the catalog each season and that’s about it. Currently working on 5 star range blaster which is something I would never waste time on if I was still grinding comp, so that’s been fun.

HIGHLIGHT HIGHLIGHT

SLOSHER SLOSHER SLOSHER CLASS CLASS

MACHINE

WeaponSpecialist:Gus

Favoritemaps:mahi,undertow,crableg, hagglefish,brinewater,barnacle,romen,umami.

Leastfavoritemaps:Manta,Sturgeon.

Typically the builds between the Machines do not differ significantly. Mostly, you focus on providing either or a combination of run speed up & swim speed up, some ink efficiency subs such as ink saver (main), common utility subs (e.g. quick super jump, ink resistance) and stealth jump. The primary difference is that the vanilla machine usually uses last-ditch effort to improve its ink efficiency and the neo variant usually uses comeback to improve its fighting capabilities

My biggest tip to playing this class is practice your spacing and learn how to play around cover Sloshers are a unique weapon class where we do not necessarily have RNG so using that to our advantage when fighting at a distance whether its right in front of the enemy, behind a ledge or a block will help you. There are two attributes you want to consider when building a comp: 1) paint and 2) chip damage. Machine is not the best painter given the nerfs it has gotten over the years so pairing it with weapons that can paint for it will allow Machine to do its job better in pressuring and picking off the enemy As for chip damage, Machine does really high damage with a maximum damage output of 76 so it can combo with a lot of things Some weapons I recommend pairing with Machine because of the main, sub or special weapon attributes are: Blue Pencil, Splash, and Splattershot. If you want to get experimental on slosherdominant maps (e g Flounder, Mako), you can pair with a TriSlosher Nouveau as an example.

SLOSHER

Weapon Specialist: Ori

Favorite Maps: humpback, mako, and flounder

Least Favorite: eeltail, crableg, and bluefin

For any aspiring slosher players, really keep the enemy teams weapon comp in mind and consider what angles you can use to your advantage because slosher has a few hard matchups. Remember that slosher is a very high damage weapon, doing minimum 50 from whatever range you can reach, so use your teammates to your advantage. It's very easy for a lot of weapons to combo off of sloshers damage, so if you can take an off angle, you can follow up on your teammates damage and kill someone, or make somebody weak for your teammates to kill them. And all ledges are your friend. Slosher is able to random 70 damage shots where any other weapon wouldn't be able to even do damage. Use that to help you find more kills and take positions. Your kit is also important. Splat bombs are helpful in 1v1s and poking, and strikes are a great tool to create space for your team or do objective work, like capping zone, or cheesing tower. Ideal team comp for slosher imo is slosher, pencil, shot, and stamper or fsqueezer

EXPLOSHER

WeaponSpecialist:Vapor

Favoritemaps:Flounder,Humpback

Leastfavoritemaps:Crableg,Sturgeon

For aspiring explo players, you want to understand what needs to be filled It can be played similar to ballpoint, as a "jack of all trades" weapon. you can be a slayer, paint support, skirmisher, wall, anchor, and a chip support It is all a part of what is needed at that time. Using Vex, it is best to play support heavy. You can keep sensors and paint out for your team at all times Storm is often to be used as a zone tool to keep opponents out of a key position, or to cut their path off from a weakpoint for your team. Cex is the more common you see in solo for good reason. The kit in comparison is more self-centered and is built around keeping offensive poking pressure. Splash wall is best used in fights as a stall tactic. You do not want to spam your wall. You want to use it to block your weak spots and protect from sight lines, especially in neutral.

Splashdown is an odd choice for special but it works for what this kit wants to do. It helps relate with that stall factor and control-based game the weapon wants to play. Even though I have over 1,000 wins with Cexplo as of writing, I still am not the most proficient with the special. Often, I use it as a dive-bomb special to catch people when they try to take a fight with my team, as a trade/stall factor to keep that offensive pressure when the team respawns, or a zone tool to separate players from the objective

It is simple to pair explo into weapon comps after a kill-power quota has been met I find it best to understand strengths of what other weapons can do before pushing to its full extent. Do not be afraid to test wacky comps with this weapon, as it is often a really good anchor/support substitute for pickups (outside of meta options)

TRI-SLOSHER

Weapon Specialist: Aloha

Favorite Maps: humpback, mako, Umami

Least Favorite: Brinewater, Bluefin

Since the game released, tri slosherespecially the vanilla version - has always remained a decent option but never a toptier pick. Because of this, you have to be creative with how you play. Taking a carbon playstyle as a blueprint could work, but you’ll often find that tri isn’t that fast compared to other frontlines. Tri also can’t one shot, so always moving, applying pressure with mists, and looking for an opening is what I frequently do. The hitbox/mist/inkjet combo gives it a great toolset for holding space. Knowing how to fit in a comp and expressing your creativity really makes the weapon fun and in my opinion able to hold itself even at top level. Tri’s tools aren’t strong enough to impose a rythem on the game by itself as opposed to pencil or 52, but you ’ re still given enough freedom to play as you like. Someone with a different mindset could use the weapon ’ s strengths completely differently!

I never felt forced or even just nudged towards one style which is why I have mained the weapon almost exclusively for 6 years now

MAP TIPS:MAP TIPS:

WRITTEN BY POTATO

The green area of the map represents common openings and important spots to hold on your side of the map. The upper area in mid gives direct access to the zone and is commonly held by short range shooters or midline weapons and is the most important part of the map to hold. The glass wall is often occupied by backlines as it gives a commanding view of the zone and sightlines to the bottom right area of the map but lacks cover and is very vulnerable to specials. The bottom left area is a one way drop from your spawn that gives more aggressive weapons like a splatana or blaster the ability to pressure the opponent’s ledges early.

Yellow areas are parts of the map that are actively contested by skirmishers that are trying to draw attention away from the middle of the map by forcing enemies to drop into them and then take advantageous 1v1s. These drops from mid also force the enemy team to play around how you are positioned as a flank is always an option via the bridge that connects the lower parts of the map. These areas are also good options for retake as it forces the enemy team to deal with you thus making more space for your teammates to move up.

If your team scores a wipeout, you can take control of the red area. The raised platforms on either side offer high ground that you can use to deny the most important retake options from your opponent while offering you plenty of options to safely move back. The glass wall is also an amazing position for backlines as they can look directly down the ramp leading into mid and can drop into the lower area if they are being pressured too much.

Lastly, the blue areas are your team’s strongest defensive points when being locked out. The right side from your spawn is a commanding high ground ramp that you can use to push the attackers off the strong raised platforms and gives most backlines the ability to pressure mid as well. The platform in the middle is amazing for chargers and forces the enemies to take positions farther back in the zone and take cover on the bottom right side. The area on the left can clear ledge camping weapons away from pressuring your snipe area and can set your own aggressive weapons up for a smooth retake.

CALLOUT GUIDE:CALLOUT GUIDE:

Recent Achievements:

Won SoCallie 2, 3, 4, 5 (shoutout to Shiny), Top 8 D2 S14

Fun Fact:

Our team name came from the fact that Triggerfish Zones was the highest win % or favorite map-mode of all 4 founding members, then we just became Ink Sigma 2.0. We love playing the obscure maps & modes!

Advice to Aspiring Teams:

Don't let your memes be dreams... seriously! Play whatever weapon fits your style best, regardless of what the meta says. Also, play with people you consider true friends.

Recent Achievements:

1st Megalodon Monday 6, 2nd FLUTI 5 - div S, 2nd Proving Grounds 31, D1

Fun Fact:

We are 2 and a half years old as of May 27!

Advice to Aspiring Teams:

Your teammates should be more friend than teammate. We find that the team that do the best and last the longest are the ones who have the most fun!

Recent Achievements:

Lankay:

Femmy:

Soshi:

Nourmal:

Lightest:

1st Mesozoic Mayhem, 1st Deadline, 5th SJ

Fun Fact:

All of us are different ethnicities

Advice to Aspiring Teams:

Be more than just a splatoon team; not being friends is what makes you disband in three months. play other games together, learn to take things more lightly sometimes, that’s how you build a strong team

T WHATISTHE CCA?

he Collegiate Cephalopod Association

(CCA) is a community dedicated to uniting college students who play Splatoon 3 and help enrich collegiate Splatoon programs at universities worldwide The CCA aims to bring Splatoon 3 into that spotlight by hosting competitive tournaments and by providing a platform for college students who enjoy competing in Splatoon 3 To foster community growth and engagement, the CCA hosts a wide variety of events to appeal to its different audiences

During the spring and fall semesters, the CCA runs the CCA League, its flagship seasonal league that runs over 8 weeks Teams play in groups of 6 before the top 2 in each group advance to a single elimination bracket

With this recent season finishing this past May, Season 5 has been the largest league the CCA has ever conducted, with 134 teams from 76 unique universities participating. Many of the newer teams who joined this academic year have left their mark on the entire collegiate community with their dedication and newfound improvement. Furthermore, with the founding of the CCA 4 years back, the first generation of CCA players are slowly taking their leave as they graduate; however, they are not going without a final hurrah!

C C A C C A

MEETTHEWINNERSOFCCASEASON5

Division 1

Team Name: UCSD Esports Gold

University: University of California, San Diego

Twitter: @UCSDesports

One of the founding programs in the CCA, UCSD has always been a consistent top dog within the collegiate scene. While they have never missed a Division 1 playoff, Season 5 was the first time they have made it past Round 1. Scoring impressive victories over EaUCD Banana Split, (UCF) Knight Sharks, and, the number one overall seed in the entire league, (ISU) Red Emberz, UCSD Esports Gold proves the strength of their program once again! All eyes are on them as they lose a critical member with CD woomy graduating this past spring semester and the competition continues to grow more fierce!

Division 2

Team Name: Splatlanders

University: New Jersey Institute of Technology

NJIT has had one of the more bountiful academic years for their program with the continued growth of their only team Splatlanders. Finishing 2nd in Division 4 last season, Splatlanders had something to prove in Division 2 this season and had one of the most dominant runs in this chaotic division After winning Division 2, they now set their sights on more non-collegiate competition this summer

Division 3

Team Name: CSULB BLack

University: California State University, Long Beach

CSULB has been a new program to the collegiate scene this academic year and has brought quality Splatoon players and fantastic teams these last two seasons. Barely making it into playoffs with a record of 32 from the most complicated group in Division 4, CSULB’s second team, CSULB Black, fought tooth and nail in playoffs. Winning the critical game 9 in the grand final, CSULB Black brings home CSULB’s first division champion title!

Division 4

Team Name: WPI Grizzco Union Busters

University: Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Twitter: @WPI Splatoon @WPIEsports

Affectionately called “GUB” throughout the league, WPI’s second team, WPI Grizzco Union Busters, has had one of the most dominant seasons in CCA history, having entered the Division 4 grand final match

completely undefeated While they did give up two games, this team of seniors completed their swan song by winning WPI’s third division champion title! They now looked to further compete in the larger scene under the name Larboard Leviathans

Division 5

Team Name: The TableTerp Troupe

University: University of Maryland College Park

UMCP’s second team, The TableTerp Troupe, had quite the shoes to fill from their older sister team (Old Bay Brigade), but have made incredible waves this academic year! Scoring playoff runs both seasons and performing upset after upset in Division 5, The TableTerp Troupe claim UMCP’s second division championship and blaze a bright future for the program. They will be competing in tournaments throughout the summer under the same name

Division 6

Team Name: Auburn Navy

University: Auburn University

H CCASUMMER2024

eading into the summer, the CCA will host more one-off events, both open tournaments and invitationals, to connect to current students and alumni

The CCA collaborated with the TOs and teams from the National Student Esports, which runs a collegiate Splatoon league in the UK, for the Collegiate Crossfire! The top 4 teams from each league participated in an invitational this last Saturday under the banner of friendly competition and camaraderie between the two organizations

Here are the results:

�� PSU Blue

�� KCL Sea Lions

�� VCU Big Fat Sea Cows

Auburn Navy, AU's only collegiate team, learned a lot from their rough debut in Season 4 Coming into a new division in Division 6, they found their footing and entered the playoffs with only 2 games taken off of them The dark horse of the playoff bracket, Auburn Navy swiftly crushed through the bracket and scored their first division champion title in their second season of play

The CCA will be hosting Booyah Bowl 3 later this month, where the top 16 teams from the academic year will duke it out in CCA’s Cream of the Crop tournament! Featuring 8 division winners, a plethora of CCA Division 1 talent, and the notable teams from this year, this is an event you won’t want to miss

The CCA will also make a return to the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio this September to host its Collegiate Crews LAN event at Riptide 2024. This is the second collegiate in-person LAN event that the CCA has hosted, where Purdue University took the crown in the inaugural Collegiate Crews held at last year ’ s Riptide.

Check out the CCA’s Twitter (X) account and Discord Server for more information Twitter: @CCA Splatoon

SIZZLE SEASON SIZZLE SEASON SIZZLE SEASON

TOP PICKS TOP PICKS TOP PICKS

Hello, NM here! I’m back with another article. After the Fresh Season left a bad taste in most people's mouths, Nintendo is returning with the Sizzle Season. This time, Nintendo decided to hone in on the weapon kits, as numerous kits promise to shake up the current meta and provide fresh strategies for competitive play. Alongside exciting additions like the galaxy-level threat that is BIG Big Run and Lemuria Hub’s addition as a nice homage to Skipper Pavilion, the spotlight is on five new weapon kits, which is a lot compared to the previous seasons that usually only had 1-2 maybe three strong options. These new kits look very promising, filling out unique niches and bringing new elements to the meta. Let’s dive deep into what the Sizzle Season Top Picks are.

After almost two years, Splatana mains finally get a new option to toy with, as the Decavitator has landed on the scene. While Decavitator has heavier movement and slower horizontal slashes, this weapon shines with its charge slash. The charge slash not only comes out fast but also goes a long distance, even delivering a wide hitbox that excels at close range and can hit multiple targets during the dash of the slash. However, not only does the weapon suffer from short range in its slashes and a high ink consumption per slash, but it also only has horizontals to work with instead of verticals, meaning it can’t ledge peek. Decavitator makes up for this with its strong paint output, offering solid supportive play and map control. The Decavitator is further enhanced with its Charcoal variant, including Splash Wall and Inkjet. Splash Wall will complement the aggressive playstyle while also allowing for some nice setups with the charge slash ending in the Splash Wall. Decavitator can also charge slash far from its recall when Inkjet is finished. Not only does the kit complement the aggressive style of the weapon, but it also fills a unique niche of a frontline Inkjet weapon, which we currently don’t have an option for that niche that is also strong.

The Douser Dualies are getting their chance to perform with their new kit, which features Burst Bomb and Triple Inkstrike. The old kit had Ink Mine and Killer Wail 5.1, which was lackluster and didn’t help patch out the flaws of the main weapon. However, the Burst Bomb alone will turn the Dousers into an absolute menace. Burst Bomb can turn Dousers from a four to a two-shot with a direct hit and a three-shot without an indirect. This will mainly help with Dousers’ long-range mode to play in more aggressive positions, as it is very inconsistent with hitting shots. While the Triple Inkstrike will add easier space and objective control, it doesn’t change much for better or worse, but it is still a nice option. With all this considered, Dousers will have a balanced blend of aggression and support, meaning they will be a strong weapon in the meta that can flex to whichever playstyle or position they need. However, players must have good tracking skills and effectively utilize the one dodge roll.

Bamboozler is finally getting its new kit, which will bring some new versatility to the weapon to heal its flaws, mainly the lack of paint and controlling space, as it will come with Fizzy Bomb and Super Chump. Fizzy Bomb will allow for excellent combo potential with its three explosions and help charge its special faster. At the same time, Super Chump, even if under-tuned, can paint effectively both on landing and explosion, force enemies to focus on and clear them, and prove nice combo potential for both Bamboozler and the Fizzy Bomb. Considering the little paint Bamboozler can produce, this kit will be particularly strong in Splat Zones. This kit looks very strong. However, the main issue is fitting this weapon into team comps, as it can’t pair well with Snipewriter for the Tacticooler weapon. Other options, mainly Heavy Edit and N-Zap, could provide synergy, so Bamboo’s future with this kit still looks bright.

HEAVY EDIT SPLATLING NOUVEAU HEAVY EDIT SPLATLING NOUVEAU HEAVY EDIT SPLATLING NOUVEAU

Heavy Edit Nouveau offers a fresh take on how players will use the Heavy Edit, as it’s getting a more aggressive option with Splat Bomb and Crab Tank. Heavy Edit, as a main weapon, has fast movement and painting speed, which can play aggressively, but the vanilla kit can’t make that happen. This kit, however, will fill the niche of a midline weapon that can paint well and spam Crab Tanks while also playing as far up as it wants. Splat Bomb will provide an excellent defensive tool that can make opponents scatter at will, while Crab Tank will temporarily transform Heavy Edit into a Splatling with a more extended range and DPS. While this means that vanilla Heavy Edit and Snipewriter can’t be the Tacticooler option if paired with Edit Nouveau, N-ZAP looks like it will be the best fit and allow Heavy Edit Nouveau to play to its maximum potential.

CUSTOM RANGE BLASTER CUSTOM RANGE BLASTER CUSTOM RANGE BLASTER

The Custom Range Blaster is back and better than ever, reintroducing the classic kit of Splat Bomb and Kraken Royale. The Splat Bomb will provide some immediate defensive options and force enemies to move away from where Range wants to both go and get away from. This addresses Range’s biggest weakness of opponents getting too close to the user. Kraken Royale will also add some playmaking potential to the kit, allowing Range to chase down opponents for a limited time and deal with specials like Inkjet, Zipcaster, and Crab Tank more easily. While Kraken Royale requires more precise timing and skill than its Splatoon 1 counterpart, it brings a better kit and a more fun and exciting one to play for Range Blaster. This kit will add a new dimension to Range Blaster, making it strong wherever it goes, especially Rainmaker and Tower Control due to the Kraken. The kit won’t make Range Blaster overpowered like in Splatoon 1, but it will provide a fresh experience for anyone who picks up CRB.

These new weapons and kits will diversify the number of high- and top-tier weapons and offer new, fresh strategies and playstyles that will enrich the meta and take time to master. Charcoal Decavitator, Custom Douser Dualies FF, Bamboozler 14 MK II, Heavy Edit Splatling Nouveau, and Custom Range Blaster each bring unique skills, options, and potential to the table, ensuring that no matter your playstyle or preferences, there is a strong option for you this season. Time will tell not only how these weapons will perform in the competitive scene but also if some options not listed here today, like the Mint Decavitator and vanilla Wellstring V, can prove people wrong and become part of the elites covered today. These five kits' unique niches and powerful capabilities promise a shakeup to the meta and an engaging next few years for the meta.

PUSHING NON-META

Imagine This:

you want to get some results in comp Easy enough to understand, right? Sounds simple on paper; pick some good weapons, find 3 people who are confident in what they play, and understand team play, and grind to improve together. Obviously, what I’ve just said is a lot more simplified than it is in practice but bear with me.

Now imagine this: you want to get results in comp using the weapon you like most. For a lot of people, that weapon is still pretty good right now, such as Shots, Gals, Swords, etc. You know, weapons you see a lot across all levels of play. But for some people, that weapon is generally regarded as bad, off meta, outclassed In my case, that weapon is the Luna Blaster.

Luna isn’t that bad, however it just struggles against what is picked across the scene right now. It has no range which hurts its Zipcaster, and struggles into backlines and fast fire rate weapons. It has minimal paint, loses/trades a lot of fights in its range, and gets shot through hammer constantly. Oh, and its existence is pointless due to Tri-Slosher. So why do I play it?

I started playing Kensa Luna in 2021, after playing random weapons in League Battles with a friend. It stuck with me and I kept playing it through that session, and into my own time playing SoloQ. I swapped to the vanilla variant quite quickly since I preferred its kit, but I still nearly exclusively played Luna in all settings of the game Well, besides comp When I started playing comp Splatoon in July 2022, I played Jr. I never dared touch Luna, let alone any other blaster, even though I didn’t care about the meta at all. I was just asked to play Jr. since I could play it to a competent level and it had Ink Armor

Fast forward a year. I’m on a low level team called My Lag Paradise, and I’m flexing Jr and Ttek. I asked my team if I could play Luna Neo for a few games in a tournament, they said yes, and I absolutely fragged with it I’m talking near top fragging and decimating other teams with it. This was the start of a lot for me.

I became a near one-trick with Luna, playing it as much as possible in tournaments, with my team flat out embracing it. We got upsets, had some good placements, and got low ink banned, and after S14 of LUTI, I parted ways with the team. I then pushed much further forward over the course of the next few months thanks to meeting Rosearrow (the person who made this magazine!!) which allowed me to get much higher level pickups than usual and, in turn, results I reached a point playing Luna that switching off in bad scenarios was no longer worth it, as my personal skill and confidence outweighed both the negatives of me playing Luna and the positives of switching to something better.

I’m gonna stop rambling about my journey and elaborate more about actually pushing it One of the big problems with pushing off meta is what’s needed to play them effectively. In most cases, to play an off meta weapon at a high level you’ll need either: A team who is willing to build a comp built around the weaknesses of your weapon To be absolutely cracked on your weapon to the point those weaknesses are nullified In my scenario, it was the latter, largely due to Luna being an AOE slayer I was so comfortable and confident on my weapon that I could body those who weren’t familiar with playing against a Luna. Likewise, comps wouldn’t need to be built around me much since I was able to set myself up in scenarios that I normally shouldn’t be able to. Of course, the latter point becomes a LOT harder at high level since players understanding of the game becomes a major factor in dealing with silly weapon picks. This is why meta matters very little in low level.

Unfortunately it’s nearly impossible to be able to one trick off meta at higher levels of play. You’re gonna fight people who know exactly how to deal with you You’re gonna fight people who know what you ’ re gonna play beforehand You’re gonna fight people playing weapons that directly counter you. And that’s something you will need to deal with. You can swap off and play something else, or play your weapon into it and attempt to outplay them. Both are valid strategies, however the latter option is extremely difficult to pull off.

I need to mention that everything I’ve said applies to all weapons in the game, meta or not I’ve seen some really strong Dapple, Undercover, and Aerospray players in my day. Heck, I lost to that undercover player while playing Luna, a weapon I should be killing everyday of the week. I don’t believe players should be forced off what they play nearly ever If people wanna push their weapon, let them See what they can do before forming an opinion

Play what you want to play. If you want to play competitive with Bow, do it. As long as your team are willing to play with it (and it makes sense), go show what you can do. Maybe you’ll make a name for yourself with that weapon, get some upsets, win some tourneys It’s a longer process to make work than meta weapons, however as long as you ’ re willing to put in the time needed to make your weapon work, you can do it. It’ll make the game more fun for you in the long run as well, and I think that makes it worth the effort. Just give yourself time.

Artist Highlight

Hitch is an illustrator that specializes in highly-rendered character banners. He has been taking private commissions for about 5 years, but mainly enjoys drawing for his friends!

@hitchbot_spl

Im Pogriff, an artist who mainly draws and plays Splatoon! I also have been playing the game competitively for the best part of a year now! I love the designs of the characters, the music, and the environments and themes of the world, particularly Octo Expansion and Side Order. My commissions are always open!! DM me on Twitter or Discord!!

My name is Jazz, and I've been playing Splatoon for over 7 years now! I make a lot of Splatoon art alongside various other types of media. My favorite weapon is the Splattershot.

OhItsAna19isayoungSplatoonArtist andacompetitiveplayer.Shetendsto focusonhercompetitivescenemorethanthe actualartbutwhenitcomestoherdrawings? Shelovestoaddtinydetailsintoherdrawings, especiallyontheeyesortentacles,thosedetails areoneofherfavouritethingstodraw.Ifyou're interestedinAna'sart,shecurrentlyhassome commissionslotsopen!AsidefromSplatoonart, shewantstoachievehergoalofbecominga high-levelcarbonplayer!

@JazuDesu_

Thank Thank Thank you! you! you! Thank Thank Thank you!

Insider Photos

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