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Out of all the weapons in Splatoon 3, Shooters are by far the most common. In fact, they are so common they almost make up half the roster of weapons in the game. There are 7x more Shooters than there are Splatanas, Brushes, and Stringers. They are everywhere, and they are, for the most part, the most basic weapon type you get your hands on.
This is not a bad thing, as the more unique weapons are also far more specialised. Shooters are your go-to weapon that can do just about everything and can fill just about any role depending on which Shooter you choose. Now not all are made equal, and there are some duds in the lineup, but we are going to walk you through them all.
More Splatoon 3 content:
Chargers | Blasters | Sloshers | Brellas | Rollers
What Are Shooters?
Shooters are largely split into three categories. They are either short-ranged and fast-firing, long-ranged and slow firing, or they exist in the Goldilocks zone where they are in the middle of everything. This also applies to damage, with slower Shooters typically dealing more damage to compensate for their slower speed, etc. They are a jack-of-all-trades kind of weapon, and there isn’t anything else in Splatoon 3 that can do that. Most other weapon types are locked into one playstyle. Shooters don’t have that problem.
How To Use Shooters In Splatoon 3
Shooters are incredibly simple to use. All you have to do is point and shoot (press ZR). That’s it. There is nothing more complex about them, they just fire ink, and they do it very well. Now, depending on Shooter, you will want to play slightly differently. But, in general, Shooters are quite an aggressive class, and often like getting stuck in.
This means you want to get into range of enemies and splat them. Elevation can also be very handy – especially with longer-range Shooters. If you have a rapid-firing Shooter, you could also consider inking turf in your early games just to get a hang of them. Shooters are great at coverage (mostly), so get inking.
List Of Shooters
Here is a complete list of all the Shooters in Splatoon 3.
| Shooters | Sub | Special |
| Splattershot Jr. | Splat Bomb | Big Bubbler |
| Splattershot | Suction Bomb | Trizooka |
| Aerospray MG | Fizzy Bomb | Reefslider |
| N-Zap ‘85 | Suction Bomb | Tacticooler |
| Splattershot Pro | Angle Shooter | Crab Tank |
| Sploosh-o-matic | Curling Bomb | Ultra Stamp |
| .52 Gal | Splash Wall | Killer Wail 5.1 |
| L-3 Nozzlenose | Curling Bomb | Crab Tank |
| Jet Squelcher | Angle Shooter | Ink Vac |
| Splash-o-matic | Burst Bomb | Crab Tank |
| .96 Gal | Sprinkler | Ink Vac |
| Squeezer | Splash Wall | Trizooka |
| H-3 Nozzlenose | Point Sensor | Tacticooler |
| Hero Shot Replica | Suction Bomb | Trizooka |
Tips On Using Shooters
There are a whopping 14 Shooters in Splatoon 3, and there is a lot of overlap between them. Because of this, we won’t be going into quite as much detail as we have on other guides simply because it’s not needed. We will of course go over all the important bits to get you up to speed as quickly as possible.
Splattershot Jr.
This is the first weapon you get at the start of the game, and would you believe us if we said it was easily one of the best? As in, you could only ever use this gun and you would be running a seriously powerful weapon that can go toe-to-toe with most other weapons in the game? The Splattershot Jr. is a beautiful all-rounder that doesn’t excel at anything in particular but does everything you’d want it to do. The quintessential Shooter.
Splattershot/Hero Shot Replica
These two guns are more or less identical (visuals aside). Similar to the Splattershot Jr, the Splattershot is actually one of the best Shooters in the game. It has a lower rate of fire, but an increased range and damage. Whether you are inking for splatting, this thing has your back. It even has an excellent loadout to back it up, rounding it out perfectly.
Aerospray MG
The Aerospray MG is a good weapon that is held back due to its more specialised nature. The Aeroshot MG has a really short range and even lower damage. It makes up for this with an incredible rate of fire, however. Unfortunately, the ink it fires is painfully unreliable, sometimes missing enemies who are directly in front of you. This can get you killed, making it a risky combat tool.
That being said, with access to Reefslider, the Aerospray MG grants a lot of mobility and pushing power, which is a nice boon. It also covers excellently, letting you claim/reclaim turf effortlessly.
N-ZAP ‘85
The N-ZAP ‘85 takes what the Aerospray MG does, but does it better for the most part. The N-ZAP ‘85 has a good range, a very high rate of fire, and enough damage to kill very quickly. Not only that but it’s accurate and reliable. You can take it up close and personal, or skirmish at mid-range and feel right at home in both scenarios.
It also has a great loadout, with Tacticooler, in particular, giving this weapon oodles of utility and support.
Splattershot Pro
Unlike the other Splattershot weapons, the Splattershot Pro doesn’t quite reach the same heights. This is mostly due to a drastic gameplay shift with this gun. Instead of being a solid mid-range Shooter, the Splattershot Pro is well and truly a long-range option that struggles in closer engagements.
Now, it does hit like a truck splatting in just 3 hits, and its range is excellent. It just fires slowly and doesn’t handle well once the battle comes to it. That being said, it has access to Crab Tank and Angle Shooter, which provide it with even more ranged power and utility when used correctly.
Sploosh-o-matic
The Sploosh-o-matic is one of those weapons that feels great in your hands but doesn’t perform in reality. This thing fires incredibly quickly, deals a lot of damage per hit, and covers beautifully. So what’s the issue? Range. The range on this thing is horrendous – cripplingly so.
Now it does have ways to close the gap, namely with Curling Bomb and Ultra Stamp, but against a competent team, you are likely to be gunned down before you get a chance to do much.
.52 Gal
The .52 Gal is another winner, thankfully. This thing has an alright range and a slow rate of fire, however, it comes in with a devastating damage stat that can two-hit enemies. The punch this thing delivers is brutal, and it can catch many players off guard – especially enemies who are using Brellas, Rollers, Blasters, and Brushes.
Not only that, but the .52 Gal has Splash Wall to give it a huge advantage in firefights and Killer Wail 5.1 which is simply an excellent special.
L-3 Nozzlenose
Similar to the .52 Gal, the L-3 Nozzlenose is quite the beast in combat. It has good range and damage, and it fires in a rather unique way. This thing is a burst-firing weapon, which comes with some advantages and some drawbacks. On the plus side, you can deal a lot of damage very quickly by landing your shots. The downside? You need to be accurate, and there is a delay between your bursts.
This makes the L-3 Nozzlenose very effective in the right hands, but an inexperienced user may struggle to get the most out of it. Its kit doesn’t feel that great either, with the Curling Bomb not doing much for the weapon. Crab Tank is fairly good though, providing some more ranged power in a pinch.
Jet Squelcher
The Jet Squelcher has an incredible range for Shooters, literally quadrupling the range of the aforementioned Sploosh-o-matic, and almost doubling the range of most others. It has a lower rate of fire and fairly low damage. This makes it very ineffective at close range as anything else can kill you before you can really do anything.
Its kit is good though, providing some utility with Ink Vac and Angle Shooter. All in all, we prefer other long-range Shooters like the Splattershot Pro, but this is passable if you wanted something with a bit more reach.
Splash-o-matic
Unlike the Sploosh-o-matic, the Splash-o-matic is actually good. This is because it retains a fantastic rate of fire but comes with double the range and more accuracy. The damage per shot is rather low, but it’s time-to-splat is very quick thanks to that high rate of fire. Throw in the rather excellent Burst Bomb and ever-reliable Crab Tank and you have yourself a wonderfully reliable weapon.
.96 Gal
We are going to keep this one short. The .96 Gal is the .52 Gal, but worse. It fires slower and has a longer range, but that’s it. It technically deals more damage, but it’s still a two-hit splat and it cannot fight at close range since it’s so clunky to use. Sprinkler and Ink Vac are fine but don’t do enough to redeem this rather unappealing weapon.
Squeezer
The Squeezer is interesting because it’s a long-range weapon with good damage, but it can absolutely hold its own in closer-range encounters thanks to a decent rate of fire. Sure, it’s not as fast as a dedicated mid-range Shooter, but it’s not far off. Throw down a Splash Wall and the tide turns in your favour almost immediately.
H-3 Nozzlenose
The H-3 Nozzlenose is the last Shooter you will unlock, and it’s alright. It’s very similar to the L-3 Nozzlenose, only it’s a bit clunkier to use in exchange for more damage. In fact, the H-3 Nozzlenose can kill in a single burst if you land all three shots, making it the fastest killing Shooter at a range if your aim is on point. It can also work well at close range if you hold your nerve and, again, land all three hits.
Its loadout isn’t great though. Point Sensor is fine, but doesn’t necessarily cover the weapon’s weaknesses, and Tacticooler is always excellent, but again, doesn’t help round out the kit. A good weapon that can do work in the right hands.
That’s it for Shooters in Splatoon 3. Check out our other weapon guides for more information on every weapon in Splatoon 3. Happy Splatting!
