Splat Roller sets: Ranked Mode

Splat Zone: Vanilla set

The Splat Roller is far more useful as an offensive attacker than a zone painter, which is why it relies on Curling Bombs to maintain pressure rather than trick others with Squid Beakons. In addition to adding paint at range, it adds a threat option if your enemy is outside splatting distance.

Stealth is probably your surest way to splat but again, Curling Bombs help out adding a distraction on the field. The worst thing you can do is leave a front line attacker unattended, as they can capture a zone in seconds. Even the threat of explosion can cause opponents to second guess themselves.

Big Bubbler should be dropped on the zones as soon as available; they're your only tool to hold captured ground. There's probably no way to start an offensive push after people have seen you drop a Bubbler, so search for ways to leave the area. You know the zone is domed off, so whatever other opportunities are yours to explore.

Tower Control: Vanilla set

Splat Roller is a versatile and independent slayer flawed only by its short range. Curling Bombs paint the tower area at a distance and threaten opponents into movement, where they are vulnerable to a sudden attack. If under fire, Curling Bombs offer some manner of fighting presence so as to break out.

Ideally, you aren't fighting around the tower at all: you're well ahead of your teammates hunting for isolated targets. Again Curling Bombs serves as a preliminary blow against wary enemies at a distance. Ultimately, your goal is to create as much pressure on the enemy lines as possible. 

In that vein of thinking, a Big Bubbler placed ahead of the tower does more to gather attention than a Kraken Royale. You know the path the tower will take, so plan your special so it takes the best real estate on the map. With attention diverted between tower and Bubbler, you should manage to slink away on the prowl.

Rainmaker: Krak-on set

As an independent and versatile short range slayer, you are able to break away from the pack and hunt on your own. By all means hit the Rainmaker barrier, you have superiorDPS to a short ranged shooter. Once it's free, the stage is yours to hunt or offer support.

Sploosh and Inkbrush rely on their subweapons to deal additional damage and net a splat. Your weapon needs no such help. Thus I recommend the Krak-On set to help support your mates. Squid Beakons are dropped whenever you don't see an opponent. You are not beholden to the front lines and should take side paths to ambush foes.

Kraken Royale is added offense or a panic button, but keeps you relevant on the front lines. You don't want a Bubbler that soon becomes irrelevant as the focus of the battle changes. Stay on the attack until enemy fire drives you away, circle the stage, drop a Squid Beakon, return, repeat.

Rainmaker is all about gaining and maintaining pressure throughout all stages of play. It might be hard to splat opponents with a weapon so easily outranged, so learn when a Curling Bomb is required. You don't need to follow up on its trail just so long as you send a threat on the other team's playing field.

Clam Blitz: Krak-on set

What people need to remember is that Curling Bombs are primarily pressure tools for the Splat Roller, and that it is hard to pressure anyone in Clam Blitz where everyone has their own agenda. Yours is to splat as much enemies as possible, and stealth does a better job of achieving that than any damage subweapon. 

Squid Beakons don't serve any specific purpose but won't go unappreciated. Unless checked by an opponent, the Splat Roller has mobility enough to have free reign over most any maps; it thus falls upon them to share such privilege with teammates through regular beakon points.

Here, Kraken Royale offers that extra "oomph" needed to increase splat counts. The Splat Roller is primarily a short ranged slayer and clam gatherer, and the special acts both as a safety and a way to increase offensive power. Stay on offense, pass clams back to anchors and otherwise play this as Turf Wars, with clams.