L-3 Nozzlenose

Nozzlenoses · Sub: Curling Bomb · Special: Crab Tank

Of the ranked modes, L-3 Nozzlenose wins most in Splat Zones in version 11.3, where it is A tier at S–S+2. Its best stages there: Museum. Estimated from stat.ink battle data through November 9, 2026.

Data through November 9, 2026

A Shooter that fires a 3-round burst per trigger pull. It has longer range and better painting than the Splattershot, nimble run speed and good ink efficiency, so it's great at painting and farming specials. It takes at least 2 bursts to splat, so its splats are slow, and its unique controls take some getting used to. The kits are Curling Bomb + Crab Tank, Burst Bomb + Ultra Stamp, and Splat Bomb + Inkjet.

Strength by modeTier and score (win-rate points vs. an average weapon).

Best stages / Worst stages

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Strengths

• Range, painting and run speed all beat the Splattershot, and it's ink-efficient, so it paints very efficiently
• Fast painting makes it easy to build special, and it gets Crab Tank out faster than most Crab Tank weapons
• Accurate shots that don't spread much, even on jump shots
• One burst can finish an enemy who's taken even a little damage, and bomb combos speed up your splats

Watch out for

• Needs at least 2 bursts (4 shots) to splat, so its TTK is slow
• There's end lag after every burst, so if you take the first hit you'll almost never win the fight
• Its range edge is small, so faster-splatting short-range weapons like the Splattershot and N-ZAP '85 can easily get into range
• Carelessly showing yourself to long-range weapons often means getting splatted before you can escape
• Few scouting tools, so it's weak to Ninja Squid and lurking ambushes

Tips

• Prioritize painting and specials over splats, and shake up the map with Crab Tank and the like
• Use Curling Bomb to push forward or open escape routes. Hold the button to make it explode nearby, which even hits enemies below cliffs
• Start fights from just outside the enemy's range, and use your run speed to strafe while landing shots
• For faster splats, land a Burst Bomb (D) or Splat Bomb (Glitterz) first, then finish with one burst from your main

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 11)
• 11.0.0: Main weapon: shot speed up by about 24% (range unchanged), paint radius at impact down by about 15% (source 11)
• 11.1.0: Special change, Ultra Stamp: 220-damage radius of the throw reduced by about 10% (L-3 Nozzlenose D) (source 12)
• 11.2.0: Main weapon: shot speed up by about 5%, which increases range (source 13)