Splatoon 3 has a lot of weapons that specialise in fighting in close quarters. We would go as far as saying that most battles in Splatoon 3 will end up being in close to mid-range, so having a weapon capable of operating in this zone is very handy. Few weapons epitomise this quite like Dualies, however.
Bringing a high rate of fire, mobility, coverage, and even damage, Dualies are a menace on the battlefield. They are masters of their craft, and they can very easily run circles around their slower counterparts. Whilst not as explosive as Blasters, or defensive as Brellas, Dualies are as slippery as the ink they fire.
More Splatoon 3 content:
Chargers | Blasters | Sloshers | Brellas | Rollers | Splatlings | Brushes | Stringers | Splatanas |
What Are Dualies?
Dualies, as the name implies, are twin pistols that rapidly fire ink. They have some of the highest rates of fire in Splatoon, and depending on the Dualies in question, they can even have some respectable range and even damage. They love getting in close, but they have some versatility that lets them push range if needed. Oh, did we mention they get a whole new mobility trick? Because they have a whole new mobility trick and it’s key to their play style.
How To Use Dualies In Splatoon 3
Dualies largely play like any other shooting weapon. You point your gun at an enemy, and you pull ZR. This then fires a stream of ink. Each pistol has its own dedicated reticle, but they tend to stay close together, making them somewhat accurate when firing at a single target.
Where Dualies shine is in their ability to dodge-roll. To do this, all you have to do is press B when firing, and you will rapidly move in the direction your left stick is pointing. This move is very quick, covers a decent distance, and can be used twice before going on (a brief) cooldown.
This move is not just a defensive measure, however. After dodging, your Dualies will overlap reticles (gaining perfect accuracy) and will receive a substantial boost in fire rate. This lets a skilled Dualies player dodge enemy attacks, and quickly counter with an unstoppable salvo of ink.
Where Dualies’ struggle is at range. They are very susceptible to being zoned by longer-range weapons, even basic Shooters. In extreme close range, they become very vulnerable to things like Splatanas, Rollers, and even Brushes. They are a dominating weapon in the right hands in the right situation, but they do have their troublesome matchups, so be careful.
As a Dualies player, your goal is to be a Slayer. This means your purpose in life is to splat enemies whenever you can and to be the driving force that pushes turf and claims objectives. This does mean Dualies require more skill than some weapons, as you will be engaging in hectic fights on the regular.
List Of Dualies
There are a total of five Dualies in Splatoon 3, and they are mostly pretty darn good. They often follow the same general formula, but some do have rather unique features that make them stand out. Of course, every pair of Dualies has a unique loadout, and we will cover all of that shortly.
You can buy Dualies from Sheldon for a single Ticket providing you are at a high enough level. You will need to spend three tickets if you want to claim one of these Dualies early.
| Dualies | Sub | Special |
| Splat Dualies | Suction Bomb | Crab Tank |
| Dualie Squelchers | Splat Bomb | Wave Breaker |
| Dapple Dualies | Squid Beakon | Tacticooler |
| Dark Tetra Dualies | Autobomb | Reefslider |
| Glooga Dualies | Splash Wall | Booyah Bomb |
Tips For Each Weapon
As we said earlier, Dualies tend to fill the role of Slayer. This is all about getting in, getting kills, and taking objectives. We will cover how each pair of Dualies functions in this role, and whether or not they are worth dabbling in.
Splat Dualies
The Splat Dualies are the first Dualies you will gain access to, and as is usually the case, they are incredibly well rounded. They have balanced stats across the board and pack a very solid loadout that is able to pressure enemies from a distance, up close, in 1v1 engagements, and even in group encounters. That being said, these are still Dualies, in a straight-up fight, they do lack range which is their biggest drawback.
Dualie Squelchers
The Dualie Squelchers are an excellent upgrade to the Splat Dualies. This is for a number of reasons, the biggest being the noticeable bump in range, without losing too much in terms of fire rate or damage. In fact, Dualie Squelchers are just a flat-out fantastic weapon that allows players to engage effectively in mid-range combat whilst still having the punch and mobility required to fight in close quarters.
This is backed up by an outstanding kit containing both the Splat Bomb and Wave Breaker – some of the best Subs and Specials in the entire game, both of which compliment the Dualie Squelchers perfectly.
Dapple Dualies
Going from the highest highs to one of the lowest lows for the Dualies. Dapple Dualies exchange a hefty chunk range for an increase in damage, and frankly, the trade isn’t worth it. Dapple Duales hit hard, but when they are effectively half the range of the aforementioned Squelchers, they really struggle in a lot of matches.
Just about every weapon in the game will outrange this thing, and its kit is not great either, really hammering home that the Dapple Dualies are not that good. Squid Beakon and Tacticooler are both great Subs and Specials, but neither help the Dapple Dualies do what they want to do or cover up any of its weaknesses.
Dark Tetra Dualies
Dark Tetra Dualies are pretty amazing in the right hands. They have decent range, damage, and fire rate, making them, well, decent. What the Dark Tetra Dualies bring to the table is unmatched mobility as they can perform a whopping FOUR dodges in a row. This is twice as many as any other Dualie, and it lets you effortlessly move around the battlefield and encircle your prey.
This is then further amplified with its access to the Reefslider, making the Dark Tetra Dualies one of the most mobile weapons in all of Splatoon 3 – not just in the Dualies category.
Glooga Dualies
Gloogla Dualies are an interesting weapon as they have a lot of range (for Dualies) and deal alright damage. If that’s all they brought to the table, they’d be an alright pick in a sea of better options. However, the Glooga Dualies have an ace up their sleeve, and that is a fantastic power shot after dodging.
Glooga Dualies, like the Dark Tetra Dualies before it, heavily rely on dodging to get the most out of their kit. In this case, damage. If you can land your dodge shots, the Glooga Dualies out damage every other weapon on this list, whilst also maintaining range. We are talking about damaging the Dapple Dualies whilst also firing twice as far. It does take a lot of practice to land these shots, however.
Rounding off the kit is the Splat Wall and Booyah Bomb – both of which are excellent. The Splash Wall can protect you and your teammates, whilst the Booyah Bomb lets you drop a tactical nuke every now and then for massive damage and disruption.
That’s all we have on Dualies for now, but feel free to check out our other weapon guides. Until then, happy splatting!
