10 Splatoon 2 Turf War Multiplayer Tips And Tricks
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Surf And Turf
Splatoon 2, the sequel to the colorful Wii U shooter, arrives on Nintendo Switch on July 21. It introduces a new co-op mode called Salmon Run and a new-and-improved version of the original's single player. But most notably for the PvP-minded, it also brings new maps to the standard Turf War multiplayer mode, plus some tweaks to weapons and gear.
Turf War is the first game mode you'll be able to play and the only mode for the more casual regular battle category. To gain access to ranked battles, you have to reach level 10 by playing Turf War matches. If you're new to Splatoon or just a little rusty, click ahead for tips and tricks to getting better at Turf War.
For more on Splatoon, check out our review and our beginner's guide to weapon classes.
Play The Single-Player Mode
Splatoon 2's single-player campaign is a great introduction to all the weapon types--you'll be able to use a wide variety of weapons throughout. Not only is it fun to play, it'll give you a good idea of what weapon you'll want to use in multiplayer, and it'll help you master the game's movement mechanics.
Learn How Turf War Works
Turf War is a 4-vs-4 PvP mode that tasks you with covering more of a map's area, or "turf," than the other team. Each match last three minutes. Inking turf is a priority, but you'll also be "splatting" your opponents to slow their progress (and avoiding getting splatted yourself).
You can check the map with X to see how much turf your team has inked. After your three minutes are up, the team that inked the most turf wins. You receive experience points and money even if you lose, but the winning team gets better rewards.
Focus On Inking At First
When you're first starting out, you won't be able to buy new gear or weapons--you have to be level 4 to go into the shops. In order to level up quickly, focus on inking rather than going to the front lines and splatting opponents. They'll likely have more powerful weapons than you, so it's a better use of your time to rack up points for your team and hang back a bit.
Choose Your Weapon Carefully
Once you hit level 4 and can buy new weapons, you'll want to pick one that best fits your playstyle. Do you like combat and dealing a lot of damage, or would you prefer to ink more often? If you're having trouble deciding, be sure to read our beginner's guide to weapon classes for the full rundown.
And Pick The Right Gear
Gear in Splatoon can be a bit tricky to manage. Everyone wants to look as fresh as possible, but don't forget that gear has abilities! Each piece of gear (headwear, clothing, and shoes) has a main ability and up to three sub-abilities. The main ability can't be changed, but you can speak to Murch in the Square to alter sub-abilities and add ability slots for a price.
When you're buying new gear, check the abilities it comes with to see if they fit with your playstyle. If you find yourself running out of ink quickly, try prioritizing gear with the Ink Saver or Ink Recovery Up abilities, for example. You can press ZL when shopping for or equipping gear for more details on what each ability does.
Note that sub-abilities are rolled randomly as you level up. You can change them if you don't like them, but it's costly, so save that for your favorite outfits.
How To Use Specials Effectively
In order to use your special, you have to fill your special gauge by inking turf. Your special gauge will decrease whenever you get splatted, so use your specials early and often. To be most effective with the offensive specials, you'll want to use them when multiple opponents are in your line of sight or when you're surrounded by enemy ink that your special will help cover.
Don't Forget To Super Jump
Pull up the map with X and then select an ally with the D-pad to launch to their location. This is really helpful when your team has solid control of the area around your spawn, since swimming to the frontlines can take a while without gear perks that increase your speed. Just be sure not to Super Jump into certain death; pay attention to the ink around your teammate to see if there are enemies close by.
Unless you have the Stealth Jump perk, there will be a small circle showing everyone where you'll land, so keep that in mind. And if your teammate is jumping to you, do your best to protect them from danger.
Just Keep Swimming
Try to swim in ink as often as possible. You’ll move faster, stay hidden, and refill your ink tank in the process. The more you play, the better you'll be at timing this most efficiently, but a good rule of thumb is to never let your ink tank run out--that means you're not swimming nearly enough.
Stealth Can Be Key
You don’t always need to engage right away. Hiding in ink and popping out at the right time can help you get the jump on opponents and fill your special gauge. Also, hiding on walls is a great way to launch a sneak attack for someone rounding a corner.
Bonus: You Can Remix The Wait Music
While you're in a lobby, you can mess around with the buttons on your controller to remix the music. Experiment while you wait!