When you want overwhelming firepower and a unique ability to oppress an entire team – if not flat-out cause a Wipeout – then there is only one weapon worth talking about in Splatoon 3. Of course, we are talking about the earth-shattering, team-crushing, ink-shredding, Splatlings. With one of these in your hands, nobody is safe.
Splatlings are one of the few Weapon Types in Splatoon 3 that require careful positioning to pull off effectively. Whereas a lot of combat tends to be fast-paced, in your face, and hectic, Splatlings prefer a more relaxed style of setting up and blitzing from a distance. Suppressing fire is the name of the game here…that and splats of course.
More Splatoon 3 Content:
Beginner’s Guide | Brush Guide | Stringer Guide | Splatana Guide | Super Sea Snails
What Are Splatlings?
Splatlings are, as the name suggests, Gatling guns that fire ink. They are big, they are brutal, and most of all, they are deadly. In the right hands, Splatlings are the bane of any team’s offensive efforts. They can hold an entire team back on their own, they can keep a lane secure, and if they get a clear bead, then nothing will save the hapless squid who made that mistake.
Splatlings don’t often get a lot of Inking done, but they make up for that in other ways.
How To Use Splatlings In Splatoon 3
Every Splatling in Splatoon 3 is unique, so not all controls will be the same across the board. That being said, for the most part, Splatlings will operate as such (with a few slight variations). To fire, all you have to do is hold down ZR and charge up. Splatlings can hold multiple levels of charge, with higher levels allowing you to fire for longer once you finally let go of ZR.
You are free to let go of ZR at any time, and this will cause the Splatling to fire early, which is ideal when in a close-range scrap or when you want to do some inking. Due to the high damage of Splatlings, you can splat your enemies with less than a single level of charge a lot of the time if your aim is good.
Splatlings do have two major drawbacks when using them, however. Firstly, Splatlings are very slow when firing. By this we mean you move slowly. This hindrance to your mobility pushes Splatlings into a more static playstyle. Setting up shop somewhere with good sightlines, and mostly staying in one place
Secondly, many Splatlings can’t cancel their fire animation. This means once you start firing, you can’t stop. This can catch you out if you need to quickly escape or swim somewhere, since, for the most part, you can’t. This makes you very vulnerable to things like Splatbombs.
To make up for this, Splatlings tend to have exceptional range. We are talking about a range that rivals Chargers. This ability to reach out and touch targets long before they are a threat to you makes them brutally effective when on the high ground.
How To Use The Heavy Splatling
The Heavy Splatling is the first Splatling you will get your mitts on, and it’s one of the best. This is thanks to its very balanced playstyle. It has great range, damage, and charge time making it brutally effective. With practice, you can even get splats in close combat with a quarter charge if your aim is true.
If you want a Splatling that can do just about everything but doesn’t commit to a specific Splatling path, then the Heavy Splatling is for you.
Sub
The Sprinkler is a great Sub for the Heavy Splatling since you can throw this down anywhere, get some free coverage, and move into position to perform your anchoring duties. The Sprinkler won’t save your life, and it’s not flashy, but it does what it does perfectly, and it helps round out the Heavy Splatling nicely.
Special
The Wave Breaker is one of the better Specials in the game. It is very good at shutting down advancing enemies as it not only deals damage but also reveals them if they are hit by one of the three waves. This is excellent for the Heavy Splatling as you can spot enemies easier, allowing for quick splats. It also lets you lock down lanes and generally disrupt your enemy’s game plan, which is always a good thing.
How To Use The Mini Splatling
The Mini Splatling is fairly underwhelming, which is unfortunate because it’s an interesting take on the Splatling formula. The Mini Splatling has the fastest charge time of any Splatling but also has the least number of charge levels and a very short range.
What this means in practice is that the Mini Splatling is a bit of an odd duck. It doesn’t have the toolkit to hold an objective, it doesn’t have the range to secure a lane, and its pitiful fire time often leads to you running out of juice before you can land a splat against more agile opponents.
Sub
It does come with the Burst Bomb, however, which is one of our favourite Subs. This is great for dealing quick damage in a scrap and for putting pressure on the enemy backline. Unfortunately, the Mini Splatling struggles to make use of this since it struggles to operate in its preferred range bracket.
Special
Thankfully it does have access to the wonderfully powerful Ultra Stamp Special, which lets you bring the fight to the enemy with a giant hammer. Not only that, but you can throw the hammer if you want to try and get a sneaky snipe at a distance. This is a great Special on most weapons, and the Mini Splatling loves it too – even if the gun itself is a bit underwhelming.
How To Use The Hydra Splatling
The Hydra Splatling is the definition of power. This gun has an incredible range and damage. So much so that a single Hydra user in a good position can really hold an entire team back. This is complemented further due to the huge amount of fire time this gun has when fully charged. We are talking many seconds of continuous fire that allows the Hydra to cut through exposed enemies like they were made of paper.
Of course, there are downsides. The biggest is how slow this weapon is. It takes a ludicrous amount of time to fully charge the Hydra, meaning you are very vulnerable in close-range encounters. Not only that, the first level of charge takes the longest. Therefore, even when doing a partial charge, you might not have enough juice to fight in those scenarios.
The Hydra is unforgiving in every sense of the word. Enemies will die if they get in your way, but if you mess up, you are in for a quick splat yourself since you can’t defend yourself anywhere near as effectively as many other Splatlings on this list.
Sub
The Autobomb is just an excellent tool for pressuring enemies. Its tracking ability allows it to hunt enemies hiding behind corners or even in ink. This forces them to move, disrupting them and possibly bringing them into your line of sight (exactly where you want them). It’s unlikely to deal damage since it’s rather slow, but the utility it brings is where its real strength lies.
Special
The Booyah Bomb is one of the best Specials in the entire game. It has incredible range, it deals a ludicrous amount of damage, and it allows the Hydra to protect itself in difficult situations. You could throw this at yourself to deal with any encroaching enemies, or throw it at the enemy team to force them to move – possibly into your Hydra’s sights. There is nothing to dislike about this Special.
How To Use The Nautilus 47
The Nautilus 47 is one of the most interesting Splatlings in the game because it operates as a mix of multiple other Splatlings. Firstly, its range and damage exist somewhere between the Mini Splatling and the Heavy Splatling. However, its charge time is more akin to the Heavy, making it rather unusual.
To make up for these clear negatives, the Nautilus 47 can hold its charge when swimming through ink. This is substantial, as it allows you to be mobile when using the Nautilus in ways that other Splatlings simply can’t. Not only that, but the Nautilus 47 can even stop firing and charge back up. This gives it more options on the battlefield, at the expense of poorer raw stats and power when compared to its rivals.
Sub
Point Sensor is a solid Sub that gives the Nautilus 47 even more utility than it already had. It allows you to pinpoint enemies in a small area, and this information is also conveyed to your team. This lets you spot enemies, and then effectively deal with them. Great for any Splatling.
Special
Ink Storm is another excellent Special found on a Splatling. The Inkstorm is ludicrously oppressive as anyone caught in it is basically dead. It’s a slow-moving ink cloud that will damage and slow anyone hit. The damage is less relevant when compared to the movement debuff, however.
Slow enemies can be picked off easily with the Nautilus 47, allowing you to throw this out and then mop up without much hassle.
How To Use The Ballpoint Splatling
The Ballpoint Splatling is a weapon that requires a lot of practice to use. Like the Nautilus 47, it has a lot of built-in utility. Unlike the Nautilus, it doesn’t sacrifice much in terms of raw stats. This gun has great range, decent charge, and a lot of power behind its shots.
What makes the gun unique is its variable fire rate. In short, the first burst of ink from the Ballpoint is very short-range, but also incredibly fast. Once this initial burst has worn off, the Ballpoint reverts to a long-range menace with incredible accuracy. This uniquely allows the Ballpoint to fight enemies up close and at a distance, the trade-off being your ranged power is hindered by the need to fire a short burst first.
Similar to the Nautilus, the Ballpoint can also stop firing and resume its charge, giving it more mobility and freedom than most of the Splatlings on this list.
Sub
Fizzy Bomb is one of the best Subs in the game. You can just throw it out for a quick explosion, or hold the button to shake the bottle before throwing it. The more you shake it, the more it explodes, allowing you to deal great damage and have decent coverage. A powerful tool you can whip out for a variety of combat scenarios.
Special
Inkjet continues the trend of powerful Specials tied to Splatlings. The Inkjet is a great way to pressure enemies thanks to its powerful rockets and ability to fly. You can easily splat enemies, disrupt their formations, or take out stationary targets like Chargers. What’s more, once the timer runs out, you are launched back to the spot you activated it from, letting you get back to blasting almost immediately.
That’s it for Splatlings. Keep an eye out for other Splatoon 3 weapon guides. Until then, happy splatting!
