What Am I Doing? Part 1: Weapon Roles



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This is part 1 of a series intended to help players understand some standard tactics in Splatoon 3, so they can understand the flow of the game better and make faster, more informed decisions. Parts 2-5 will each focus on a different ranked mode, using these weapon roles defined in part 1 to communicate what different types of weapons should be doing to effectively score points in objective modes.

Much of this video paraphrases this work by flc, “Fluid Priorities and Roles,” found here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t97IZrN0pI_ceUtJrB-8clapCp1P3oddyFzSQ2lGICg , though my ideas presented in this video do deviate slightly from his framework.

Inkling in thumbnail comes from “[Splatoon Animation] Newbie” by John Sandwich on YouTube. Go watch it, it’s adorable! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t8nH98sOvs

My videos that I reference:
Aim Drills for Learning Motion Aim: https://youtu.be/5_wZwXNx_Aw
Motion Aim is Better for Improving: https://youtube.com/shorts/-AknyR7vyo0
Beginner’s Guide to Callouts and Team Coordination: https://youtu.be/GhWHS4lFkkc
Strafing: The Most Important Movement Splatoon Doesn’t Teach You: https://youtu.be/BRjN1rvYyBg

All BGM comes from the Splatoon 3 Soundtrack. I don’t know official names for most of the tracks, or else I’d list them.

#splatoon3 #roles #strategy

0:00 Introduction to Weapon Roles
5:12 Anchor
7:24 Slayer/Skirmisher Pair
10:58 Support
17:53 Where We Go From Here

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37 thoughts on “What Am I Doing? Part 1: Weapon Roles”

  1. this video singlehandedly made me realize I've always been best with the weapons considered to be in the "slayer/skirmisher" category, and I've been doing much better in splat 3 by focusing on that playstyle now!

    Reply
  2. This video is also incredibly helpful for Salmon Run, though the roles there are more about long range Boss Slaying, high fire rate Boss Slaying, Chum Slaying, and Support/Egg Running.

    Not every weapon should be doing those four things for very long, and certain weapons should primarily be doing only one for most of the match, but the idea that different weapons necessarily have a different role and not every weapon should be trying to accomplish the same tasks is a critical concept

    Reply
  3. Love the breakdown, but I think you're just as confused as anyone else about the support role/playstyle. I think just how you link skirmish and slayer, you should link anchor and support. Support should be maintaining and consolidating gains allowing the anchor to move up, keeping flanks to the backline clean, and paths to the objective open. I agree a REEF-LUX painting base for missile spam is not support, but when everyone is playing slayer and your backliner in stranded in an ocean of ink desperately tap-shotting for a playable space, you see the need for support as a role or mindset.

    Reply
  4. ok so inkexploder the beeg paint bomb weapon SUPER HARD to hit people in your face in fact i'd say it down right suicide as it's set range is kinda weird to work with so for this weapon specifically should i never push unlss there is a safe spot for me to do so? I had a game today where took the enemie's high ground and got like 5 kills but this is mostly due to thm not paying attention to me. am i a slayer or skimmersher at that point?

    Reply
  5. Side note but: That Overwatch character’s name was changed to Cassidy cause the person he shared a name with turned out to be an awful person and no longer works with Activision Blizzard

    Reply
  6. Good to know my general play-style already lines up with my main weapon, not perfectly, but I'm a splattershot main and i tend to find opponents that aren't focused on me and take them out

    Reply
  7. I kept seeing these terms floating around, but I never actually saw a clear explanation on what they were (and it seems like "support" is in a bit of flux right now. Or would it be reeflux–)

    Thanks for the video! I can't say for sure it'll help me, but it at least is nice to be aware of what these things all mean.

    Reply
  8. I've always mixed skirmishers and support together, and honestly both roles can be filled by the same weapon, like the n-zap or dualie squelchers. I've noticed that with those kinds of weapons, it's good to take safe fights where you have an advantage/can retreat from, yet they still kill just as much as slayers
    These weapons usually outrange, outmaneuver or outpaint other weapons, but have lower killpower than slayer weapons, and can usually take map control and build up special very well as they can survive a long time compared to slayers (not as long as anchors though)

    Reply
  9. I’m not a competitive player at all but I’m so happy I’ve stumbled across videos! I love splatoon a lot and recently started wondering how I can do better and then saw your videos. I’ve gotten such a better understanding of how to play better. I don’t think I’ll ever become competitive but just want to be as best as I can be!

    Reply
  10. Really good video! Splatoon 3 is my first Splatoon game but I've played a lot of valorant and it's interesting how the different roles actually align. Anchor: Sential, Skirmisher: Initiator, Duelist: Slayer and Support: Controller

    Reply
  11. Hi, aerospray main here, bloblobber secondary.
    I find this mode of thinking really interesting and I found your comments on the support role most peculiar.
    it feels awesome to put it into words for the first time, but I've typically found myself fulfilling support roles and I've never been one to hang back to fill the special meter, in fact the opposite, if anchors are defense and skirmishers are frontline fighters, supports are the ones who should be scoring goals so to speak.

    Reply
  12. My favorite weapons to play as of right now are the tri stringer, tenta brella, and dynamo roller. What stinks about this is that I have to rely on my teammates knowing how to play the game, which leads to alot of losses because i cant carry a game with a primarily supportive weapon.

    Reply
  13. Thanks for the insight, now I understand why I naturally play so upfront using a carbon roller, the special absolutely sucks as it's so tricky to master but well, One day I will master it , hopefully.😂

    Reply
  14. I play heavy mainly and I tend to bounce between being an Anchor and supporting from the back and going full on aggro and killing everything if an opportunity presents itself, usually via the opposing team huddling up to close or getting stuck in a choke point where I can go unga bunga and making them go through a hail of bullets. Skirmishing I struggle with since I can't run away very well, and if I play Hydra I can't do it at all.

    Reply
  15. Thank you so much for this video, it’s really informational— and i really appreciate the effort you put into all of your videos! Splatoon 3 is my first personal game (I used to share with my siblings), and I’m really trying to get better and I would like to start my own competitive team— so this really helps to solidify what I could do/ what other teams do for the team!

    However, what I’m really struggling with is the topic of the Tri-Stringer… I main this weapon religiously, and it’s the weapon I found that FINALLY works for me! I would really appreciate if you could go over the weapon, since (to me) it is vastly(?) different compared to the Reef-Lux. I’m just really confused on its positioning and just exactly— how beneficial it really is. ☺️

    Reply
  16. I’m grateful to have this video recommended to me by YT. The way you explained everything was clear, concise, & had me thinking which roles I was already playing without knowing it. As a first time Splatoon player, I found this very helpful & look forward to more videos!

    Reply
  17. My only real strategy is "get as far downfield as possible and become a problem".
    The effectiveness of this strategy depends entirely on how well my team is able to work with whatever time I can buy, either by actually holding back the opponents or making a mess they need to clean up.

    Reply
  18. Discussing skirmishers was a huge eye opener for me. I know about the other 3 but I find myself bouncing between skirmusher and support in most modes but never understood that I was even being a Skirmisher. Going forward I will have a much clearer idea and what I'm doing.

    Reply

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