Splatoon Raiders introduces significant changes to the familiar turf war formula, altering fundamental aspects of the series. Notably, sub-weapons are now decoupled from primary weapons, allowing for greater customization and combination with any main weapon. Players also have a robotic companion to assist in challenging encounters, making weapon selection and strategic gadget use more critical than ever.
Essential Gadget and Movement Strategies
Early in the game, players unlock special tanks that grant access to gadgets, Splatoon Raiders' equivalent of sub-weapons. These should be utilized frequently, activated at the start of any skirmish and reapplied as their cooldowns permit. Gadgets provide battlefield control by marking enemies, creating distractions, eliminating weaker foes, and enabling tactical repositioning while still dealing damage. While this strategy is less crucial when playing with friends who can provide support, effective gadget usage is paramount for solo progression.
Despite the absence of a traditional turf war, covering the environment with your ink remains a beneficial tactic. Moving through ink is faster than walking, a significant advantage in later stages against large numbers of Salmonids. Furthermore, players should actively avoid or cover enemy ink, which impedes movement and gradually depletes health. Covering it with your own ink helps maintain survivability.
Leveraging Your Robotic Companion
Solo players are not entirely alone, as a companion bot accompanies them, equipped with its own ink launcher. This bot largely operates autonomously, capably engaging enemies. However, players can actively summon the bot by pressing X to provide immediate assistance or disrupt enemy groups. The bot's arrival deals damage to nearby foes and initiates an attack. While effective at drawing enemy attention, the bot can be overwhelmed and temporarily disabled after sustaining damage.
The bot also offers a launchpad ability, which, while encouraged for reaching elevated platforms, can be used offensively in combat. Gaining a height advantage provides clearer targeting opportunities and safer repositioning, with the slow descent allowing ample time to attack enemies below who cannot retaliate.
Adapting Playstyle and Loadouts
Weapons in Splatoon Raiders are designed for distinct playstyles, mirroring the mainline series. Shooters and Dualies excel at close to mid-range engagements due to their rapid fire rates. Conversely, Sloshers and Chargers are slower and more effective at a distance or when paired with an evasive approach. Attempting to charge into enemy groups with these weapons is ill-advised; instead, focus on strategic positioning and selecting gadgets that complement the primary weapon's function.
The game encourages experimentation, as there is no penalty for switching weapons or gadget tanks. While acquiring more mods might require some in-game effort, players are free to try out all available options to discover their preferred combinations.
Loot, Upgrades, and Mod Management
Players will not miss out on essential gear within a level. Even if exploration is limited or time is scarce, any uncollected items are automatically added to the player's loot haul after a raid.
Skill points can be allocated to tank upgrades, such as increasing mod slots. Any points spent on a particular tank's upgrades apply universally to all gadget tanks, eliminating the need for repeated investment when switching between types.
After each run, players receive new weapons and tank upgrade mods. It is important to review this post-raid loot to identify potential build improvements. Small percentage increases in stats like reach or damage can be significant when facing numerous enemies.
For players overwhelmed by the number of available mods, Splatoon Raiders offers an automated system that selects mods. This feature is well-optimized and can simplify the decision-making process, allowing players to focus on gameplay without excessive menu management.