In Splatoon Raiders, choosing your initial gadget tank after the early treasure raids presents a seemingly significant decision. While players are not permanently locked into their selection and can swap tanks later, one option stands out for its capacity to foster diverse playstyles without exposing players to excessive risk. The technical gadget tank is recommended as the starting choice due to its versatile utility and strategic advantages.
Technical Tank Advantages
The technical tank's initial gadget, the Shot Pot, is a turret that continuously launches ink globs at the nearest enemy. Crucially, it remains active on the field for several seconds while its cooldown timer resets, allowing for near-constant deployment. This contrasts with the starting gadgets of the other tanks, which are typically single-use with lengthy cooldowns.
The power tank's Splatter Hatchet involves a forward dash and melee attack, which, while dealing heavy damage, can leave the player exposed if aimed poorly or if multiple enemies advance. Similarly, the speed tank's Blast Boot, a jumping area-of-effect attack, has a limited range and may not be effective against large groups of approaching enemies.
The Shot Pot, in contrast, allows players to strategically cover areas their primary weapon cannot reach, effectively acting as a supportive element. This can create escape opportunities or enable players to pick off weaker enemies while concentrating on larger threats. This pattern of utility persists as new gadgets are unlocked. For instance, the technical tank's Bombloon gadget allows players to scatter, link, and detonate explosives to cover large areas with ink, all without directly engaging in close combat.
Changing Tanks and Upgrades
Players can change their gadget tanks by accessing the gear menu via the Plus button, selecting "tanks," and then choosing an alternative. Like weapon modifications, tank and gadget changes can only be made at the ship base between missions and not once a raid has begun.
Upgrades made to gadget tanks using skill points are applied universally across all tanks, regardless of whether they have been used. However, experience points are not shared. To level up new tanks, players must re-earn experience, which can be efficiently done by repeating dungeon stages that allow for multiplier stacking and crystal shattering.