I live for the adrenaline packed ink-on-ink combat at the heart of every Splatoon match. Over 1000 hours spent splatting foes across the series has given me an intimate familiarity with the ins-and-outs of all the tools of turf war. As an avid fan playing since the original Splatoon on Wii U, I‘ve eagerly tested out every new weapon addition and variant introduced in the latest Splatoon 3 entry on Nintendo Switch.
In this guide, I‘ll be drawing from my veteran player expertise to definitively rank the cream of the crop – the 5 most lethal and dominant weapons any ink-slinging squid kid or octoling needs to have in their arsenal.
What Makes a Weapon "The Best"
Before revealing my top picks, let‘s quickly go over what factors and stats I analyzed for each weapon to determine rankings:
Ink Spread – The basic bread-and-butter of turf war. How quickly and efficiently can a weapon cover ground and ink large areas? Critical for map control.
Higher ink spread allows gaining map control quicker
Damage – The sheer power and lethality of the weapon‘s shots. Weapons with higher damage per shot can splat enemies much faster with fewer hits.
Damage per second measured in frames taken to splat.
Range – Can the weapon effectively engage opponents at long distances across the map? Or is it only lethal at close quarters combat? Knowing engagement range is vital.
Some weapons out-range others significantly.
Mobility – How maneuverable is the player when wielding a particular weapon? Mobility ties into survival. Low mobility weapons leave users exposed.
Mobility measured via shot movement speed + weight.
Ease of Use – Is the weapon mechanically demanding with a high skill floor? Or is it beginner friendly enough for anyone to pick up and succeed with?
Special/Sub Abilities – Do the supplemental abilities and special weapons you earn complement the weapon nicely? Or do they feel oddly matched? Great subs/specials enhance a weapon further.
By evaluating traits like these and prioritizing strengths that lead to success in battle, I settled on my personal top 5 weapons for competitive play after extensively play testing the entire roster available.
Now without further ado, let‘s reveal the creme de la creme – my definitive picks for the deadliest Splatoon 3 weapons that will have you splatting foes left and right and unleashing utter mayhem across the battlefield!
#5: Splattershot Jr. – Reliable All-Rounder
Kicking off the list we have the humble yet surprisingly formidable Splattershot Jr. As a lightweight but well-balanced shooter type weapon, it serves as an excellent jack-of-all trades option. Don‘t let its starter weapon designation for new players fool you – it can still dominate lobbies even against veterans like myself!
For a shooter, it spreads ink quickly thanks to a healthy fire rate while retaining enough range and impact to win most head to head duels. The Splat Bomb sub lets me rout out camping enemies and the Big Bubbler special renders me temporarily invulnerable for clutch objective pushes.
It‘s this versatility and reliability paired with great mobility that earned it a spot as one of the best and most user-friendly weapons here. I often slay even S-Rank players wielding more advanced weapons with my trusty Splattershot Jr!
Recommended Gear Abilities
To maximize my slaying potential with the Splattershot Jr. I run ability chunks for:
- Run Speed Up – Further improves mobility for flanking
- Ink Saver (Main) – Offsets high ink consumption while shooting
- Special Charge Up – Charges Bubbler faster for more pushes
This well-balanced build enhances the all-rounder nature of the weapon nicely.
The Splattershot Jr.‘s solid performance across all criteria with no crippling weaknesses is what gives it an edge over similar beginner shooters like the Splash-O-Matic and Aerospray MG. It has both great inking power and lethal combat viability – the best of both worlds!
#4: Custom E-Liter 4K – Long Range Domination
The highest skill cap weapon in my top 5 splashdown list, the Custom E-Liter 4K definitely takes countless hours of practice to master properly. But in the hands of a capable player, no other weapon in the game can match its sheer long-range domination capability.
The E-Liter 4K turns you into a lethal sniper, capable of surgically picking off enemies from across the map with its concentrated high-damage ink stream. A perfect charged shot is a guaranteed insta-splat! The optimal damage, range and accuracy possible here is unmatched.
But it‘s a notoriously unforgiving weapon – you only get a single shot before having to briefly recharge. Missing leaves you vulnerable for long durations so you must have flawless aim to succeed. Expect a subpar performance until you master leading shots and quickscoping.
Once you do though, no enemy is safe – you can spawn camp with sheer impunity and shut down entire lanes from afar!
Pro Gamers Tip!
Use the E-Liter‘s thermal ink tank to temporarily reveal hidden foes and finish weak opponents retreating for cover! This weapon epitomizes long range dominance.
The skill ceiling may be daunting, but writing off the E-Liter is foolish. I‘ve repeatedly demolished unprepared teams in high level Rank X play who never saw my lethal ink stream coming!
#3: Splatana – Melee Mayhem
The most uniquely disruptive new weapon addition in Splatoon 3 has to be the Splatana class – the first ever melee-centric option! And the high risk, high reward Wiper variant in particular epitomizes a aggressively lethal playstyle.
Nothing is more satisfying than closing the gap on an unsuspecting opponent before ruthlessly unleashing a series of rapid slashes from this giant ink-coated sword to hack them to pieces in an instant!
The Splatana does require a willingness to fully commit with melee-range face to face duels. But the unmatched damage potential at close range coupled with the ability to reflect shots while attacking makes winning most skirmishes a breeze.
Plus having an Ink Vacuum special that annihilates everything in its path by stealing enemy ink to fuel your attacks enables turning the tables on any losing match quickly!
Finally a weapon that properly rewards the bold, aggressive playstyle I‘ve always gravitated towards rather than just trading shots from afar! If you want to experience genuine melee mayhem that no other shooter can deliver, the Splatana Wiper is without question an top tier option.
Just be wary of getting caught out by long ranged opponents when dashing straight towards them axe-blades swinging and you‘ll dominate the battlefield!
Pro Build For Max Lethality
To fully optimize my savage Inkling swordmaster, I run chunks for the following gear abilities:
- Ninja Squid – Sneak up on foes while swimming unseen
- Quick Respawn – Return to battle quicker after splats
- Special Charge Up – Build Ink Vac faster to fuel my rampage!
If you want to embrace the way of melee carnage, the Splatana‘s unmatched CQC destruction potential can‘t be ignored!
#2: Nautilus 79 – Rapid Mid-Range Suppression
A brand newcomer weapon debuting in Splatoon 3, the Nautilus-79 instantly clicked with my playstyle. I fell in love with its unique 4 round rapid fire burst that lets me aggressively pin down enemies at mid-range with a blistering onslaught of suppressive fire.
Unlike most shooter archetypes, holding down fire unleashes the Nautilus‘ entire 4 round magazine in an unforgiving blast at a fiery pace. This allows shutting outreturning fire as enemies get staggered by the successive blows.
The spread is tight enough to land all 4 shots accurately even at mid-range, enabling shutting out opposing fire entirely. Its rate of fire is unparalleled – faster than even most dualies class weapons!
Paired with the lethal wombo combo potential of unleashing an Ink Storm special to rain deadly ink clouds from above, you can totally dominate contested zones and force enemies into full retreat from multiple angles of overwhelming fire. Controlled aggression at its finest!
I‘ve managed to rack up ridiculous 20+ splat streaks holding down key mid-range chokepoints with the unrelenting firepower of this exceptional blaster. The satisfaction of pinning multiple foes helplessly with coordinated bursts as they attempt a push is simply unmatched!
An interesting historical note – the Nautilus is actually a spiritual successor to the classic Splattershot Jr. weapon from the original Splatoon on Wii U, known back then as the "Navigator". It retains design similarities as an homage. Dependable and deadly!
If you love heavy suppression fire or anchoring down hot zones, no other weapon can match the sheer mid-range dominance of my beloved Nautilus-79!
#1: Kensa Splat Dualies – Untouchable Agility
Claiming the crown for most combat effective weapon in Splatoon 3 we have the Kensa Splat Dualies! Wielded by a player well-versed in advanced evasive techniques, no other loadout allows you to dance circles around the enemy with such untouchable agility.
The key trait setting dualies apart lies in the dodge roll maneuver activated while firing. This propels me rapidly out of harm‘s way with a burst of speed in any direction. Chaining these rolls both evades lethal fire and enables repositioning for a killing counterblow seamlessly.
I become an untouchable blur on the battlefield – flowing between razor tight gaps in the enemy defense to assassinate with ruthless efficiency before disappearing once more!
And the Splat Dualies offer the smoothest dodge roll action of all current dual weapons thanks to balanced stats:
This is the ultimate hit and run tool – allowing me to weave through contested ground while relying on my evasion to engage multiple targets with impunity. The mobility granted far surpasses any other weapon type.
Paired with Suction Bombs to trap enemies mid-chase and a Storm special to wreak area denial chaos, I become the ultimate guerilla fighter and master of ambush warfare!
Dance between raindrops unscathed with the Dualies Dodge Roll
When wielded by a player with advanced competitive experience using Dodge Roll reset timing to string together sequences of multiple rolls, the unprecedented agility and disorienting assault potential of Splat Dualies simply has no counterpart.
I can‘t count the number of times I‘ve single-handedly run circles around an entire enemy squad manipulating super jumps and flanking relentlessly with the unequaled mobility these dualies provide in the hands of a skilled veteran.
If you wish to experience unbridled freedom of movement with the versatility to adapt to any combat scenario, then the Kensa Splat Dualies will have you dancing nimbly atop the splatted remains of your foes in no time!
Closing Thoughts from a Splatoon Veteran
And there you have it – my definitive picks for the deadliest weapons currently available in Splatoon 3 for competitive players looking to up their game! I hope this overview from my extensive experience helps you on your path to mastering the finer points of lethal ink warfare.
Of course personal preference and playstyle still plays a massive role, so don‘t be afraid to experiment further with the diverse roster available until you settle on the perfect extension of yourself. These weapons should serve as an excellent starting point to finding your main!
Be sure to check Ammo Knights in the Square routinely for new releases and fresh variants that may shake up the meta down the line. And remember – stay fresh on the battlefield my squid kids and octolings! I‘ll see you in X Rank lobbies for our next ink-based showdown soon enough!
Let me know your own favorite weapons in the comments below! This is Callie signing off. Stay off the Hook and get back to splatting!
