Sub Weapons
Every primary weapon is paired with a sub weapon. Whether it comes to spreading ink, detecting enemies, or supplying your team with a forward jump point, sub weapons come in handy in a variety of situations. Each sub weapon consumes ink. So before deploying one, make sure you have enough ink in your ink tank, carried on your character’s back. Some sub weapons can be thrown. Hold down the sub weapon button to reveal the weapon’s arc-like trajectory. This allows you to deploy each device with greater precision, particularly when lobbing them over great distances or bouncing them off walls and other surfaces.
Splat Bomb
Availability:
- Splattershot Jr.
- Splat Charger
- Splattershot Pro
- Splatterscope
- Dual Squelcher
- Gold Dynamo Roller
These ink-filled pyramid-shaped explosives operate on a time-delayed fuse. Once tossed, they bounce around for a few seconds before exploding, spreading ink over a wide area. This allows them to be bounced around corners, rolled down inclines, or skipped across platforms. While the delayed fuse allows for a variety of deployment techniques, it also gives opponents time to get away. For best results, toss Splat Bombs in areas where opponents are unlikely to see them until it’s too late, such as the base of ramps. Splat Bombs only explode on the ground and will not detonate in mid-air.
Burst Bomb
Availability:
- Splattershot
- Custom Jet Squelcher
- E-Liter 3K
Think of these sub weapons as water balloons filled with ink. Although they lack the blast radius of Splat Bombs, Burst Bombs explode on contact. But they inflict very little damage, even when scoring a direct hit. This makes Burst Bombs best suited for spreading ink and applying touch-ups. But unlike Splat Bombs, Burst Bombs consume less ink, allowing you to deploy them with greater frequency. You can toss two or three Burst Bombs in quick succession without depleting your ink tank. This comes in handy when you need to make a quick escape. Toss a few Burst Bombs in the direction of your opponent before swimming to safety.
Disruptor
Availability:
- Custom Splattershot Jr.
- Blaster
When an opponent is hit with a Disruptor, their speed is decreased significantly, making them an easy target—they’re also surrounded by several swimming squid icons, making them easy to spot, even when swimming. In addition to reducing their speed, Disruptor also increases the ink consumption of their weapons while reducing the rate at which their ink tank is replenished. In short, this is a great way to disable opponents. The Disruptor has a sphere-like blast radius. Any opponents caught within this sphere are affected. For best results, toss these in congested areas like chokepoints or Splat Zones where you’re likely to affect multiple opponents.
Suction Bomb
Availability:
- Splat Roller
- Tentatek Splattershot
- Rapid Blaster Deco
As their name implies, Suction Bombs stick to any vertical or horizontal surface they touch before exploding after a short delay, spreading ink over a wide area. These devices have a slightly longer fuse than Splat Bombs—the base of the Suction Bomb flashes repeatedly just before it explodes. The ink coverage of a Suction Bomb is similar to a Splat Bomb, but their ability to stick to surfaces allows you to plant them in spots your enemies might not suspect. Instead of tossing them on the ground, stick them to walls, just above an opponent’s eye level—opponents are less likely to expect explosives on walls.
Sprinkler
Availability:
- Kelp Splat Charger
- .96 Gal
- Dynamo Roller
- Kelp Splatterscope
This device functions just like a lawn sprinkler, spreading ink over a modest 360-degree radius. The narrow streams of ink don’t inflict much damage, but Sprinklers are a good way to maintain ink coverage in high-traffic areas during both Turf War and Splat Zones. Instead of tossing it on the ground, where it’s likely to be spotted and destroyed, consider throwing it high on a wall—it will stick to any surface, like a Suction Bomb. But you can only deploy one Sprinkler at a time. If you toss a second one out, the first one will disappear. Enemy Sprinklers can be destroyed by shooting them. If left untouched, a Sprinkler will continue spreading ink indefinitely.
Point Sensor
Availability:
- Classic Squiffer
- Custom Blaster
- Forge Splattershot Pro
The Point Sensor is like a miniaturized version of the Echolocator special. This hand-tossed device emits a sphere-shaped radius, effectively tagging any opponent within for twelve seconds. During this period, the tagged opponent can be seen by you and your teammates at all times. Your target is constantly circled by a squid icon. This squid animation appears on your team’s screens, even if the opponent is swimming or hidden behind a wall. This makes it much easier to track down and eliminate opponents.
Squid Beakon
Availability:
- Krak-On Splat Roller
This radar-like device can be dropped to give your team a jump point on the stage. Squid Beakons appear on the GamePad’s map as radar icons. Simply select one of these icons to initiate a Super Jump toward the selected Beakon. Once a player lands on a Squid Beakon, it explodes—so don’t be stingy with these things. Keep deploying more Squid Beakons to give your team an advantage. For best results, place Squid Beakons in safe areas near the center of a stage. This gives your team quick access to hotly contested areas like Splat Zones. The GamePad’s map also shows enemy Squid Beakons. Use this intel to hunt down the enemy’s Squid Beakons—they can be destroyed by shooting them. Or simply camp an enemy Squid Beakon and ambush an opponent as they jump into view. Each player can place up to three Squid Beakons on a stage at a time. If all eight players have Squid Beakons, that means there can be up to twenty-four Squid Beakons on a stage at any given time.
Seeker
Availability:
- Aerospray MG
- .52 Gal Deco
Seekers run along the ground, spreading a narrow linear line of ink behind them—swim through this ink trail to quickly get around a stage. In their default mode, Seekers continue moving in a straight line until they hit an object, at which point they explode. But Seekers can also lock on to opponents. Hold down the sub weapon button to lock on to visible opponents—a reticle appears over your target. Release the sub weapon button to send the Seeker toward your target. While Seekers will attempt to chase down your target, they’re incapable of making sharp turns or traversing steep inclines. But they can zoom right up most ramps, perfect for surprising opponents on the other side.
Splash Wall
Availability:
- .52 Gal
- Jet Squelcher
This defensive wall rains down ink, blocking enemy movement and incoming ink. However, you can still shoot through your team’s Splash Walls, making them an absolute game changer during duels, particularly in tight chokepoints. The Splash Wall is powered by its own integrated ink tank, visible along the center vertical pole. The ink level drops the longer the Splash Wall has been deployed—it takes approximately seven seconds for a Splash Wall to fully consume its ink. As enemy ink strikes the wall, the ink within the tank is depleted at a faster rate.
Ink Mine
Availability:
- New Squiffer
- Aerospray RG
- Rapid Blaster
These devices are placed on the ground and remain in place until they explode. Ink Mines are triggered by enemy movement, but they will also explode on their own if enemy movement hasn’t been detected within approximately ten seconds. Drop Ink Mines in high-traffic chokepoints where enemy movement is guaranteed—paths leading out of the opposing team’s spawn point are effective. They’re also effective when dropped at the top of heavily traversed walls. To avoid getting surprised by enemy Ink Mines, stay within friendly ink. When coated with your team’s ink, an enemy Ink Mine will become visible and explode, spreading enemy ink over a wide area. So keep your distance from these mines, even when you’ve uncovered one.