When it comes to weapons, Splatoon 3 well and truly spoils you. Between eleven Weapon Types and over thirty total weapons, there really is something for everyone. Powerful miniguns capable of holding ground, long-range snipers capable of picking off exposed targets, and even jumbo-sized paint rollers for melee combat.
What about explosives though? Does Splatoon 3 have explosive primary weapons? Absolutely, and they come in the form of Blasters. These chunky ink-belchers are capable of taking out even the tankiest of opponents regardless of what cover they may (or may not) have. When you want to make an impression, you pick up a Blaster.
More Splatoon 3 content:
Slosher Guide | Brella Guide | Roller Guide | Splatling Guide | Brush Guide | Stringer Guide | Splatana Guide
What Are Blasters?
Blasters are pretty simple in practice, and most Blasters operate in the same way. These things are big, they are loud, and they fire out compressed balls of Ink that explode when they collide with anything. Failing that, they pop once they have reached their max range. Each blast is an AOE, so even if you miss your shot, there is still a chance you will clip enemies regardless, making it an excellent tool for punching through cover-hugging enemies.
How To Use Blasters In Splatoon 3
Blasters are very simple to use and only have one form of attack (a surprising rarity in Splatoon 3). You pull ZR, and you fire. That’s all there is to it. There are some things to bear in mind when using Blasters, however. Firstly, they are incredibly slow. There is a noticeable delay between pulling ZR and your Blaster firing – this is by design. This makes them difficult to use as they feel clunky (at first).
Secondly, Blasters tend to be close-range weapons. This in combination with the delay makes Blasters feel inefficient at first. You will often find yourself missing mobile targets, putting Blasters at a disadvantage.
So why use them? Simply put, they hit like a truck. Blasters (depending on which one you take) can OHK enemies, destroy Brella shields, and are exceptionally good if you can get the first shot off. Throw in variations, like Blasters that fire quickly, or Blasters that have extended range, and you have a weapon that, in the right hands, can do some serious work.
List Of Blasters
There are a total of six Blasters in Splatoon 3, and they all come with unique loadouts and traits. As you level up, they will become available for a single Sheldon Ticket, although you can buy higher-level weapons by exchanging three.
| Blaster | Sub | Special |
| Blaster | Autobomb | Big Bubbler |
| Rapid Blaster | Ink Mine | Triple Inkstrike |
| Range Blaster | Suction Bomb | Wave Breaker |
| Luna Blaster | Splat Bomb | Zipcaster |
| Clash Blaster | Splat Bomb | Trizooka |
| Rapid Blaster Pro | Toxic Mist | Ink Vac |
Tips On Using Blasters
Getting to grips with each Blaster can be a bit tricky, so we have a few tips to help you get the most out of them and make that early game experience go by a little bit smoother. In general, all Blasters like some elevation so they can use their AOE shots to hit enemies from unexpected angles.
Blaster
Your standard Blaster is a great weapon that fills a niche. If your team doesn’t need that niche, then the Blaster can be a bit of a hindrance. The plus sides of this weapon are massive damage and a large AOE. You can easily OHK anyone with a direct hit, and in most cases, you can miss and still splat in two. This makes the Blaster brutal against clumped-up enemies.
The downsides are its incredibly slow fire rate, making it very difficult to use in close quarters. This is combined with a fairly short range and awful inking potential. The lack of inking means you are likely going to struggle to get your Special more than a couple of times per game.
Luckily the Special in question is very good, being the ever-useful Big Bubbler. This allows you to protect yourself and your team whilst pushing aggressively. Game-changing if used at the right moment.
Rapid Blaster
The Rapid Blaster is largely the same as the Blaster, only it has a shorter range and fires more quickly. The downside is slightly lower damage, turning this into a 2 hit splat. Despite this slight reduction in power, the Rapid Blaster enjoys performing the same role. Using its powerful AOE shots to disrupt and damage groups of enemies at once.
Be warned, the Rapid Blaster, despite its name, still fires very slow compared to most weapons. It also struggles to get coverage, although it does far better than its standard counterpart.
Rounding out the kit is Ink Mine, which is rather underwhelming, and the very effective Triple Inkstrike which should be used to lead enemies, and tacking with groups at a distance.
Range Blaster
Once again, the Range Blaster takes what the standard Blaster does, and makes some slight adjustments. The Range Blaster takes a noticeable hit to the Blaster’s already-slow fire rate in exchange for a substantial boost in range. The Range Blaster also maintains its damage, allowing you to easily OHK on a hit or 2HK on a miss. Again, the Range Blaster loves to target groups, and it can be devastating if you catch enemies unawares.
The Range Blaster also has a phenomenal kit, coming with the very powerful Suction Bomb and Wave Breaker. Both of these give the Range Blaster even more range and kill potential, whilst boosting its innate disruption significantly.
Luna Blaster
The Luna Blaster is very much like the standard Blaster, only it seems to have even less range without any major improvements to make up for it. It’s still a very slow weapon, its coverage is still underwhelming, and it still splats in a single hit.
Unfortunately, its kit is actually noticeably worse as well. Splat Bomb is excellent, but it is comparable to Autobomb in many ways. However, Zipcaster is a noticeable downgrade and doesn’t compare favourably to any of the Specials mentioned thus far. The Luna Blaster just struggles to make an impression in a sea of better Blasters.
Clash Blaster
If the Luna Blaster was a rejig of the standard Blaster, then the Clash Blaster very much does the same for the Rapid Blaster. It fires quickly, can splat in two hits, and has a short range. This makes it easier to use (due to speed), but riskier (due to range). That being said, the Clash Blaster has a great kit that helps round it out.
Splat Bombs are a great tool in any kit, and help give the Clash Blaster some much-needed range. A well-placed Splatbomb can splat an enemy at full HP after all. Its Special, the Trizooka is difficult to use due to its awkward reticle, but very potent once mastered. This adds another ranged tool to the kit and allows you to snipe enemies from a distance or deal large amounts of AOE damage if you miss.
Rapid Blaster Pro
The Rapid Blaster Pro is another fast-firing Blaster, but it comes with some added benefits. Firstly, it has a long-range – longer than any other Blaster. It also still splats in two hits, making it very good at sniping enemies or chipping them from a safe distance.
Not only that, but the Rapid Blaster Pro has a great toolkit, providing all kinds of utility. Toxic Mist is not great on every weapon, but it sings on the Rapid Blaster Pro and can be used to lock enemies down for a quick splat or disrupt their movements/positioning. Ideal for a weapon that already does that in droves.
Finally, the Ink Vac allows you to deal huge amounts of AOE damage whilst also protecting your team by sucking up enemy ink. This is especially good against fast-firing weapons like Splatlings. Overall, the Rapid Blaster Pro is a great weapon that can do a lot in the right hands.
That’s all we have for Blasters. Keep an eye out for more Splatoon 3 weapon guides. Happy Splatting!
