Heavy Splatling sets: Ranked Mode

Splat Zones: Vanilla set

With enough Run Speed Ups, you become a mobile backline anchor that's nonetheless vulnerable to bomb assaults. While evading attacks, toss a Sprinkler so as not to lose all the paint you've laid. If Sprinklers cover the Zones, an opponent might switch its attention, allowing you to mount a counterattack.

You can also use Sprinklers in the conventional manner: tossed at walls facing away from enemies so as to lure foes to you. More effective than Point Sensors at revealing opponents. When in control, Sprinklers can be tossed across the enemy base as a distraction or a safe meter building device.

Wave Breaker beats Kraken in one respect: it allows you to keep painting with your main and subweapon. It impedes enemy forays into the zones and ultimately helps your control position. With a Sprinkler active, it gives you a freedom of option as what to do next.

Tower Control: Deco set

The Deco set is built around mobile support, highlighting others with Point Sensors so as to best determine your next action. They're necessary to keep track of enemy movement if you are ever forced out of position. You don't need to pursue the foe, just find the best place to block them from reaching the tower.

As mobile area denial, you want to take up as much space in front of the tower as possible. This demands aggressive play in which you identify and root out enemy threats. Although riding the tower gives you a vantage point, swimming ahead to take up vital space is key.

Kraken Royale serves as additional insurance when playing ahead of the tower. On defense, it stops any enemy push by immediately forcing players off the tower. It survives any opposing special, and allows your return to the usual tasks after weathering the worst the other team threw at you.

Rainmaker: Vanilla set

Specializing in area denial, the weakness of the Heavy Splatling is the necessary charging of the weapon to achieve full power. Sprinkler thus serves as a decoy to buy time. Expect the focus of action to change repeatedly in Rainmaker, so a Sprinkler tossed ahead serves to see if it's safe for you to come out.

Sprinkler also serves to slow down the destruction of the Barrier by the enemy, giving you time to walk around and take aim at these foes. On defense, a Sprinkler hanging overhead can survive bombs and blasts meant to displace you, giving your position some measure of resiliency.

Wave Breaker is a versatile special and a free ink refill. It's also another object to clutter the field and impede any kind of enemy advance. Finally, Wave Breaker is more likely to hit something which makes it easier for you and your teammates to get a splat and get the Rainmaker moving.

Clam Blitz: Deco set

Heavy Splatling takes a control role in Clam Blitz, using Point Sensor to mark enemies and limit their involvement. A marked opponent is less likely to move forward and extend territory, allowing teammates to push and gain easier access to various clam spawns.

Area denial is the hallmark of Heavy Splatling, and Kraken Royale serves as an additional line of defense to block a push that would breach your basket. With less space at their disposal, splatting from Kraken comes easier. Invulnerability also protects clams handed to you, seeing how you're the backline of the team.

Offense comes harder. Play conventionally and fight chargers when teammates offer an advantage. From a good position, you can hold off the opposing basket line with Splatling alone. Again, Kraken Royale serves as a sort of panic button from the front lines, a safety against counterattacks from flank.