Ballpoint Splatling
An unusual Splatling that starts in a fast-firing short-range mode and switches to an accurate long-range mode if you keep firing. You can stop firing and top off the charge, so one weapon covers painting, close fights and long-range pressure. It's a very strong weapon, but switching between the two modes takes practice.
Strength by modeTier and score (win-rate points vs. an average weapon).
| Mode | C–A | S–S+2 | S+3 and up | X Battle | Regular |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splat Zones | B -1.0 | B -0.0 | B +0.9 | B -0.8 | — |
| Tower Control | C -2.7 | C -2.4 | B -1.4 | C -3.3 | — |
| Rainmaker | C -2.6 | C -1.7 | B -1.0 | C -2.5 | — |
| Clam Blitz | B +1.0 | A +1.0 | A +1.4 | B -0.4 | — |
| Turf War | — | — | — | — | -0.2 |
Best stages / Worst stages
Tower Control
Rainmaker
Turf War
Strengths
- Long-range mode outranges a lot of weapons and is by far the most accurate Splatling, so your shots land where you aim
- Short-range mode fires very fast, which makes it easier than most long-range weapons to punish enemies who get close
- You can top off the charge mid-fire, so you can switch between shooting and stopping freely
- You walk fast while charging and in short-range mode, so you can fight while dodging bombs and shots
- Short-range mode paints thick lines like a Shooter, which makes it easy to lay down paths
Watch out for
- Can't win head-on against weapons with more range, like the Splat Charger, E-liter 4K and Snipewriter
- Fights at in-between distances are the hardest: short-range mode can't reach and long-range mode is hard to aim
- Long-range mode paints poorly, and you walk slowly while firing it
- At close range it struggles against a deployed Splash Wall, Rollers, Splatanas and Brellas
- The charging and firing effects and sounds stand out, so your position gets exposed easily
Tips
- Learn when the mode switches on the test range so you can use short and long range on purpose
- Even when firing in long-range mode, manage your charge so you can snap back to short-range mode if needed
- Charge behind cover and don't show yourself more than you need to draw attention
- If you end up fighting at that awkward middle distance, first think about backing off to a range you're good at
Common gear
Run Speed Up, Special Power Up, Ink Resistance Up, Intensify Action, Drop Roller, Quick Super Jump, Ink Saver (Main)This kit
Fizzy Bombs clear spots your main can't easily reach and paint paths to move, and Inkjet lets you bombard from above to force splats (note you can't use your main while it's active).Recent changes
- 11.0.0: System change for all weapons: main weapons get bigger hitboxes against players (the shorter the range, the bigger the boost), squid form gets a smaller hurtbox, and the game adds "Flow Aura" (a temporary power-up when you keep performing well) plus a remaining-health display (source 8)
- 11.2.0: Special change, Inkjet: damage to Big Bubbler increased by about 30% (Ballpoint Splatling) (source 9)
- 11.3.0: Special change, Ink Vac: amount of enemy ink absorbed reduced by about 9% (Ballpoint Splatling Nouveau) (source 10)