Beginner basics for Splatoon 3: tips for improving in battle

Greetings, and thank you for stopping by! In this article, we’ll introduce some tips to help you improve your battle techniques in Splatoon 3.

Battle techniques

For those who want to control the battlefield, win shootouts, and not get splatted, here are a few tips and tricks.

Utilise swim form in shootouts

You're more likely to get hit if you just stand there and shoot. So if you switch to your swim form after firing a few shots, you can simultaneously attack and avoid attacks.

Save yourself with a Squid Roll

Have you ever been splatted by a sudden Splat Bomb? In cases like that, you can use a Squid Roll to potentially save yourself.

A Squid Roll is a technique that allows you to perform a jumping spin from out of any ink. Not only does it allow you to quickly change direction, it also reduces any damage immediately after you use it. For example, if you do a Squid Roll right as a bomb explodes, you can survive the blast.

The Squid Roll can be done by swimming and simultaneously flicking the Left Stick in the opposite direction and pressing the B Button once ink starts to splash. This allows you to jump over steps or jump far away without losing speed.

*Ink won’t splash if you have the Ninja Squid Primary Gear Ability equipped.

Hide the left half of your body behind an obstacle

When in a shootout, it's better to hide behind an obstacle to avoid being hit by less ink. Inklings and Octolings will hold most weapons with their right hand. Thus, it's recommended to hide the left half of your body behind an obstacle.

Obstacles can block your ink if you cover your right half.

Tips for battles

Here are some things to be aware of right after the battle starts, and for favourable and unfavourable situations.

Things to keep in mind when the battle starts

If you don't get to the frontline right after the battle starts, your opponents will close in on your territory, putting you at a disadvantage. To prevent this, during Anarchy Battles it’s important that everyone immediately heads to the centre and intercepts any opponents.

For Turf War, the team should also immediately head to the centre, but it's also a good idea for one person to ink around the spawn point.

Simultaneously suppress your opponent and ink the area

When you see your opponent at the centre of the stage, it's important to suppress and block their progress. Bomb sub weapons when thrown far, or using long-range main weapons that can splat opponents from afar are especially good for this.

It's important to suppress opponents while also inking the centre of the stage. This way, allies can more easily move around and intercept opponents.

Create an opportunity to attack

You need to do more than suppress the opponents to win. Keep track of their positions and find an opening in which to attack them.

Using a special weapon is one such option. A special weapon can easily disrupt your opponents’ formation.

Things to keep in mind in favourable situations

When you are in a favourable situation, such as when your team has more active members, here are some things you can do to keep that momentum up.

Push up the frontline

When your team has more active members, it is important to work together and cover the stage in ink so that you can push up the frontline. If the opponent retreats, that's your chance to push up the frontline.

If you can push up the frontline in an Anarchy Battle, you can secure or maintain points more easily. For example, in Splat Zones, if you push the frontline after securing the area, it will be harder for the opponent to approach the centre and take it back.

After pushing up the frontlines, it's easier to keep your lead by going to high places to gain the upper hand in shootouts or wait and hide behind obstacles to ambush opponents.

Be wary of ambushes

It's not uncommon to let your guard down and run straight into an ambush. Remember to move with caution, as opponents will often hide in hard-to-see places such as around corners or uneven terrain.

It is especially difficult to spot opponents submerged in their ink. If you don't know where your opponents are, it's a good idea to shoot places they may be hiding along the way to prevent being ambushed.

Things to keep in mind in unfavourable situations

When you or your allies have been splatted, or the opponents are pushing the frontline, here are some things you can do to turn the tide.

Stick together

When there are fewer allies on the frontline, you’re more likely to get counterattacked if you attack alone. So if you're in an unfavourable situation, it's important for you to stick together as a team.

If you get splatted while an ally is respawning, you'll end up returning to the battle at different times, making it harder to push up the frontline. As such, it's recommended to prioritise your own safety as you prepare for a chance to counterattack.

For example, if you focus on the front of the stage, where it's easier to meet up with your respawning allies and search for and suppress your opponents while simultaneously inking the area, you can stay safe and charge up your special. If attacked, instead of trying to fight back all alone, by working with a teammate, you're more likely to gradually turn the tables in your favour.

Activate your special weapons together

Special weapons are excellent for pushing through an unfavourable situation. If you and your teammates activate your special weapons together, it makes it especially hard for your opponent to push up the frontline.

The icon on the top of the screen will glow once the special gauge is full, so make sure your teammates’ icons are also glowing before using your special weapon.

Final thoughts

In this article, we offered ideas on how to improve in battles in Splatoon 3. We hope you'll be able to increase your rank by using these battle techniques to adapt to a variety of situations.

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This guide is written in collaboration with the editorial team of GameWith, a Japanese game information website.