Krak-On Splat Roller



by Ackbar

​ by Ackbar

Hello my name is Ackbar and I've been a pioneer for the Krak-On Splat Roller. I set a few goals for myself before I made this guide to give it ample logos: ​

Max turf inked with Krak-On Splat Roller ​

A rank of S+99 solely with the Krak-On Splat Roller ​

I enjoy this weapon more than ever and I am thoroughly excited to share what I have learned! I will answer any and all questions in the comments below, or you're welcome to contact me through any of the following: ​





Useful Information:



This guide will have a few resources to act as visual aids. If I use any map locations during this guide, I want you to know where I'm talking about. Here is a link to my team's current Map Callouts:



I also created a 14 minute guide on Youtube to show the major points, a video on beakon placements, and a video on Kraken timing. I suggest that you watch the videos as they are posted on this guide. They act as a visual aid to explain some concepts that may be confusing as text. Here is the main video showcasing the major topics, and below this I will have a more in-depth information and tips to go along with the video!





​ This guide will have a few resources to act as visual aids. If I use any map locations during this guide, I want you to know where I'm talking about. Here is a link to my team's current Map Callouts: Click Here. I also created a 14 minute guide on Youtube to show the major points, a video on beakon placements, and a video on Kraken timing. I suggest that you watch the videos as they are posted on this guide. They act as a visual aid to explain some concepts that may be confusing as text. Here is the main video showcasing the major topics, and below this I will have a more in-depth information and tips to go along with the video!

Abilities:

​





Swim Speed Up is a huge asset for the Krak-On Splat Roller. You want to move around the map as fast as possible. Swim Speed Up helps you get close to opponents fast, which can help you get your swing off before they notice you. I ALWAYS run ~6-9 subs of swim speed.







Special saver helps you get your Kraken special much more often. You really want to stack 1-2 mains of this on your set to ensure that you can have Kraken ready in dire situations, to end their final push, or to create a path for the rainmaker. I run ~1-3 mains of this ability.







This is an optional ability that can work well with certain teams. I currently run no Quick Respawn , but I have used it before and have had good results. This ability can help you get back to your beakons and into the fray more quickly after dying. I do not run this anymore as I've learned to play more careful and defensively. If you do run Quick Respawn , I would suggest no more than 1-2 mains.





​ is a huge asset for the Krak-On Splat Roller. You want to move around the map as fast as possible.helps you get close to opponents fast, which can help you get your swing off before they notice you. I ALWAYS run ~6-9 subs of swim speed.helps you get your Kraken special much more often. You really want to stack 1-2 mains of this on your set to ensure that you can have Kraken ready in dire situations, to end their final push, or to create a path for the rainmaker. I run ~1-3 mains of this ability.This is an optional ability that can work well with certain teams. I currently run no, but I have used it before and have had good results. This ability can help you get back to your beakons and into the fray more quickly after dying. I do not run this anymore as I've learned to play more careful and defensively. If you do run, I would suggest no more than 1-2 mains.

Ink Resistance is one of my favorite abilities to use. I run a ton of swim speed, and it helps ensure that I can both enter and leave engagements without being trapped in a speck of paint. But this is preference, and isn't necessary. The only map that I don't always run this on is Saltspray Rig.







Cold Blooded is another ability that is preference, but I highly recommend you use it. The Krak-On Roller works best when you can sneak up on people from their sides or from behind. Cold Blooded really helps you stay covert and prevents the opposing team from spotting you and out-ranging you in every engagement.



Other Gear:

There are other abilities that can be used with the Krak-On Splat roller, and this is all preference. I have seen several rollers use Defense Up to ensure that they have time to get their swing off. This does have it's advantages, but it is much more useful with the dynamo roller. The use of Strength Up on this roller is also very situational, and if you practice your Ohko aim this shouldn't be necessary at all. The ability Stealth Jump can also be used to give a surprise landing on your opponents. I would only suggest this if your team works well with this strategy, and if you are not conditioned to use beakons often. If you run Stealth Jump , you may want to have a lot of Quick Respawn or Quick Super Jump abilities as well. Quick Super Jump does work very well with beakons, and I have used this before. I have adopted the idea that getting my Kraken is more important in most games, so my gear load out is almost all Special Saver and Swim speed. There is the option of running Special Charge Up > Special Saver . This is also preference. I have tried both and found that I save much more of my Special overall with Special Saver , but it is different for everyone. On modes like Tower Control I'll run more Special Saver to ensure that I have a Kraken ready to either push the tower or stop their push. On maps like Rainmaker I make sure that I have as much Swim Speed as possible ( 8-9 subs ). For Splat Zones I find it best to run a good mix of Special Saver and Swim Speed . I ALWAYS use Ink Resistance--unless It's Tower Control on Saltspray Rig. This is the only map and mode where I don't truly need Ink Resistance . Of course there are other maps where I could go without it, but I would have to change my movement a bit to ensure that I don't get stuck anywhere.

​ is one of my favorite abilities to use. I run a ton of swim speed, and it helps ensure that I can both enter and leave engagements without being trapped in a speck of paint. But this is preference, and isn't necessary. The only map that I don't always run this on is Saltspray Rig.is another ability that is preference, but I highly recommend you use it. The Krak-On Roller works best when you can sneak up on people from their sides or from behind.really helps you stay covert and prevents the opposing team from spotting you and out-ranging you in every engagement.

** My Current Gear: **

( Last Updated 04/26/2016 )







​

Beakons:



How Useful are Beakons?

Beakons are my favorite sub in the game. This sub helps you play a supportive role by helping your teammates keep a constant pressure on the opposing team. I had a scrim the other day: Rainmaker on Kelp Dome. I looked over my game afterwards to count how many beakons I put up, and it added up to 21 beakons in one game! If even 15 of those beakons were put to use, and they each saved my teammates ~10 seconds each, then I helped my teammates save 2.5 Minutes of time in a 5 minute game. That is HUGE! Of course most games you won't place nearly as many beakons, but if you do utilize them then you can be a huge asset to your teammates.



Alright, so where should I place my beakons?

This takes a lot of trial and error. I have found several unique locations on every map, but during most games I find myself just placing them behind walls, in corners, or anywhere I feel would be an annoyance to the other team. If my team is making an offensive push then the majority of my beakons will be in enemy soil, and in a location that makes them go out of their way to destroy it.



I have short video to show my favorite beakons on every map. Watch it, then let me know what you notice about all of these locations!







What did you notice?

Every beakon was either:

A. Placed against a wall

B. Placed in a corner, or

C. Placed on an elevated platform

Corners and walls help keep the beakons hidden, and being on higher ground is always great for this weapon.



My Logic:

Are you in danger?

Yes: Go kill someone. No: Find a corner and place a beakon.

Are all three of your beakons up?

Yes: Good. No: Go put up more beakons.



So what else are beakons good for?

Beakons can alter the paths and plans of your opponents. If I'm ever expecting someone to be approaching me soon, and I have paint to hide in, I will place a beakon as a distraction to ensure that I get the jump on them while they're distracted. DISTRACTION BEAKONS can be placed literally anywhere. I end up placing these in wide, open places, swim a bit to the side or behind it, and wait for people to approach. THIS is why my name is Admiral Ackbar--I set maybe 2-3 traps every game and it can really help maintain control. My video guide has several examples of this. ( @





​ Beakons are my favorite sub in the game. This sub helps you play a supportive role by helping your teammates keep a constant pressure on the opposing team. I had a scrim the other day: Rainmaker on Kelp Dome. I looked over my game afterwards to count how many beakons I put up, and it added up to 21 beakons in one game! If even 15 of those beakons were put to use, and they each saved my teammates ~10 seconds each, then I helped my teammates save 2.5 Minutes of time in a 5 minute game. That is HUGE! Of course most games you won't place nearly as many beakons, but if you do utilize them then you can be a huge asset to your teammates.This takes a lot of trial and error. I have found several unique locations on every map, but during most games I find myself just placing them behind walls, in corners, or anywhere I feel would be an annoyance to the other team. If my team is making an offensive push then the majority of my beakons will be in enemy soil, and in a location that makes them go out of their way to destroy it.I have short video to show my favorite beakons on every map. Watch it, then let me know what you notice about all of these locations!Every beakon was either:Corners and walls help keep the beakons hidden, and being on higher ground is always great for this weapon.Go kill someone.Find a corner and place a beakon.Good.Go put up more beakons.Beakons can alter the paths and plans of your opponents. If I'm ever expecting someone to be approaching me soon, and I have paint to hide in, I will place a beakon as a distraction to ensure that I get the jump on them while they're distracted.can be placed literally anywhere. I end up placing these in wide, open places, swim a bit to the side or behind it, and wait for people to approach. THIS is why my name is Admiral Ackbar--I set maybe 2-3 traps every game and it can really help maintain control. My video guide has several examples of this. ( @ 2:34 , @ 3:00 , and throughout the example game at the end.)

Kraken:





The Kraken is the PERFECT special for this roller. Having this special helps you practice playing in close quarters and helps you practice approaching opponents. The Kraken takes 200p of turf to get, and the Krak-On Splat Roller is is fantastic at covering turf. Every swing grants up to 8% (~16 points) of your special gauge. I run tons of Special Saver , and over the span of a 5 minute game I may get 4-6 Krakens, which can be a huge help in pushing the rainmaker or the tower forward. The video guide shows exactly what the Kraken can do, so I will try to share some tips on how and when to use it.





You want to make sure that you have your Kraken is built up for when you need to push the tower for the lead, or if you need to push ahead of the rainmaker to give it a safe path. Tell your teammates when you have your special, and you can time your special well with other specials for the best results. If our charger is pushing the tower and he uses his Kraken, once his special ends I can jump to tower and use my kraken to push it even further. Some games we have not one, but two people who use echo locator--THIS IS DEADLY if combined with your Kraken. I love nothing more than getting 3-4 kills with one Kraken, and having their locations shown makes that very possible.



When should I use my Kraken?



There are bad times to use your special. You want to use your Kraken when you're guaranteed at least one kill, and with some forward momentum. If you time it right you can kill your opponent BEFORE they have a chance to swim away. If they do start to swim away, NEVER follow their path exactly. I have helped teammates dodge Krakens and I have learned all of their possible routes and found which ones work best for them and adjusted accordingly. To dodge a Kraken, they would swim away in a straight line and then go straight left or right and then swim back towards the kraken to stop all of it's momentum when it has to stop and turn around. Your route with Kraken, if on a flat playing field, should be as follows:





Do you have momentum forward?



Yes: Use the Kraken close enough to your opponent to get them BEFORE they have a chance to swim away



No: You're either about to die but HAVE to stay alive, or you're trying to push the tower.





If your opponent swims away, what should you do?



If they swim backwards, follow them for maybe 1-2 seconds, NO MORE! After a second or two their route will change. They will either:



A. stop swimming and start firing at you to propel you



B. swim straight to the left or right to try to get around you



C. throw up a wall to stop your approach





For A: This one requires quite a lot of practice to get the judgment right. You have to decide if you have the time or positioning to reach your opponent before your Kraken ends. If I'm in a small hallway like their closed on walleye (with not a lot of room to move around) then my odds are FAR LOWER than if I was in the zone of walleye with plenty of space to serve around. If they have a weapon with a low firing rate like the .96 gal then they will almost always counter-Kraken or just swim away as far as they can to try to out-swim you. If their weapon is like the tentatek or octobrush, then they will have a fairly easy time propelling you. While you still have your Kraken, you might as well try to reach these opponents by swimming very far to the left and then to the right and repeating this in hope that not all of their shots hit or propel you.



Ex: You're on their bridge of Bluefin Depot and two of their shooters are at the top of the bridge shooting down to try to propel you. You to reach them both by swerving left and right on that little bridge, but you don't have that much room to work with. When ~80% of your Kraken if wasted, what should you do? You know that you will be killed once your Kraken ends, so why stay there? You can jump off of the bridge and place your right thumb in the bottom of your gamepad to jump back to base before you hit the water. If your opponent is able to propel you for the duration of your special, then you have to practice when you should jump back to base. There is also the option of using "





For B: Again, it's never good to just follow their path to reach them. As you swim towards them, try to cut off their escape routes by turning straight left or right when they start their path to try to go around you. Try to read their movement and cut off the option that seems "most logical" in their eyes to escape. If anyone has questions on this, I can make a short guide on this to show when I change my route and how to read your opponents.





For C: You can break any wall with two Kraken hits. If they're trapped right behind their wall, and you have time, then break down their wall and the kill is all yours. If they put down the wall and continue to swim away, then you may want to choose another target to give your Kraken some use.





It is possible for you to cancel your opponent's killing shot and get the kill yourself if you time your Kraken well.

Scenario:

You are 1v1 against a .96 gal. You start your swing as soon as they take their first shot at you. You take the first hit of damage. The first frame the paint leaves your roller you use your Kraken. Your paint from your swing kills them, and their 2nd shot, that would have made this engagement a trade, ends up hitting your kraken instead.

Here is an example video to show the timing for this:







This takes practice, but I utilize this in just about every single game. Learn the timing for this and you'll improve your roller skills immensely.



TLDR: The Kraken can be a HUGE game changer. Use it with forward momentum, know when your kraken ends and if you need to jump back to base. Make reads to trap or outplay your opponents.











ALRIGHT! We're at the good stuff now! This will be a ton of bullet points on things that you should utilize to improve your game play as a whole.

I'll try to describe these as best as I can. If any of these are confusing let me know and I'll make a video visual aid for you! ​ The Kraken is the PERFECT special for this roller. Having this special helps you practice playing in close quarters and helps you practice approaching opponents. The Kraken takes 200p of turf to get, and the Krak-On Splat Roller is is fantastic at covering turf. Every swing grants up to 8% (~16 points) of your special gauge. I run tons of, and over the span of a 5 minute game I may get 4-6 Krakens, which can be a huge help in pushing the rainmaker or the tower forward. The video guide shows exactly what the Kraken can do, so I will try to share some tips on how and when to use it.You want to make sure that you have your Kraken is built up for when you need to push the tower for the lead, or if you need to push ahead of the rainmaker to give it a safe path. Tell your teammates when you have your special, and you can time your special well with other specials for the best results. If our charger is pushing the tower and he uses his Kraken, once his special ends I can jump to tower and use my kraken to push it even further. Some games we have not one, but two people who use echo locator--THIS IS DEADLY if combined with your Kraken. I love nothing more than getting 3-4 kills with one Kraken, and having their locations shown makes that very possible.There are bad times to use your special. You want to use your Kraken when you're guaranteed at least one kill, and with some forward momentum. If you time it right you can kill your opponent BEFORE they have a chance to swim away. If they do start to swim away, NEVER follow their path exactly. I have helped teammates dodge Krakens and I have learned all of their possible routes and found which ones work best for them and adjusted accordingly. To dodge a Kraken, they would swim away in a straight line and then go straight left or right and then swim back towards the kraken to stop all of it's momentum when it has to stop and turn around. Your route with Kraken, if on a flat playing field, should be as follows:Use the Kraken close enough to your opponent to get them BEFORE they have a chance to swim awayYou're either about to die but HAVE to stay alive, or you're trying to push the tower.If they swim backwards, follow them for maybe 1-2 seconds, NO MORE! After a second or two their route will change. They will either:stop swimming and start firing at you to propel youswim straight to the left or right to try to get around youthrow up a wall to stop your approachThis one requires quite a lot of practice to get the judgment right. You have to decide if you have the time or positioning to reach your opponent before your Kraken ends. If I'm in a small hallway like their closed on walleye (with not a lot of room to move around) then my odds are FAR LOWER than if I was in the zone of walleye with plenty of space to serve around. If they have a weapon with a low firing rate like the .96 gal then they will almost always counter-Kraken or just swim away as far as they can to try to out-swim you. If their weapon is like the tentatek or octobrush, then they will have a fairly easy time propelling you. While you still have your Kraken, you might as well try to reach these opponents by swimming very far to the left and then to the right and repeating this in hope that not all of their shots hit or propel you.Ex: You're on their bridge of Bluefin Depot and two of their shooters are at the top of the bridge shooting down to try to propel you. You to reach them both by swerving left and right on that little bridge, but you don't have that much room to work with. When ~80% of your Kraken if wasted, what should you do? You know that you will be killed once your Kraken ends, so why stay there? You can jump off of the bridge and place your right thumb in the bottom of your gamepad to jump back to base before you hit the water. If your opponent is able to propel you for the duration of your special, then you have to practice when you should jump back to base. There is also the option of using " Mesh Jumping " with your Kraken ( where you jump onto netting or grates where the opponent is, get the kill, and super jump back to base unharmed). The timing window for this trick is very big. You want to jump back to base as soon as you hear the "tick" indicating that your Kraken hit.Again, it's never good to just follow their path to reach them. As you swim towards them, try to cut off their escape routes by turning straight left or right when they start their path to try to go around you. Try to read their movement and cut off the option that seems "most logical" in their eyes to escape. If anyone has questions on this, I can make a short guide on this to show when I change my route and how to read your opponents.You can break any wall with two Kraken hits. If they're trapped right behind their wall, and you have time, then break down their wall and the kill is all yours. If they put down the wall and continue to swim away, then you may want to choose another target to give your Kraken some use.Scenario:You are 1v1 against a .96 gal. You start your swing as soon as they take their first shot at you. You take the first hit of damage. The first frame the paint leaves your roller you use your Kraken. Your paint from your swing kills them, and their 2nd shot, that would have made this engagement a trade, ends up hitting your kraken instead.Here is an example video to show the timing for this:This takes practice, but I utilize this in just about every single game. Learn the timing for this and you'll improve your roller skills immensely.TLDR: The Kraken can be a HUGE game changer. Use it with forward momentum, know when your kraken ends and if you need to jump back to base. Make reads to trap or outplay your opponents.ALRIGHT! We're at the good stuff now! This will be a ton of bullet points on things that you should utilize to improve your game play as a whole.I'll try to describe these as best as I can. If any of these are confusing let me know

Practice when to swing, and when to roll. I have a consistent rule of thumb for this topic: If you approach someone and swing, and they survive and are located very close to you, hold ZR and spin the left analog stick in a circle. Even if the tip of the roller hits them, they're a goner. You can make this spin fast enough to prevent them from swimming away. If you swing and the swing does trickle damage ( doesn't one hit kill ) then you shouldn't just move towards them and swing again. Instead, swim towards them at an angle to get another swing at their side to get the finishing hit.

Remember your role on the team. Don't be the first one to approach enemy lines. If the opponents out range you, and have room to work with, then there is a very slim chance you can approach them properly. I start every match by putting a beakon or two out, and positioning myself to end any opening push they may have. Your role isn't to charge into battle and just swing at anything that moves. You can do this once the entire map is painted and you have better ways of approaching them.

Your weapon is really good at turfing the ground. If you're sitting on tower, or just waiting for the opponents to respawn, then you HAVE to use your time wisely by getting turf control.

Practice the sweet-spot range to get the one-hit-knock-out on your opponent. If you know that you're out of the range of your opponent than you can adjust accordingly after the trickle damage hits them. It is also important to know how wide this sweet-spot is. The sweet spot is about as wide as your roller. Any paint that comes off of the roller outside this range will not be a Ohko.

Aim for multiple people at once if they're clustered. As a roller main, you will encounter numerous times where you get 1-3 kills per swing. Use the wide range of your roller to the best of your ability.

Use elevation to your advantage. On maps like Blackbelly Skatepark and Kelp Dome I always make my way to the center of the map, on the raised platform, and drop down on opponents. While you're up there you get a good view of where everyone is going. If a .52 gal puts up a wall in right court of Blackbelly Skatepark then you can jump off the center, turn mid-air and kill them behind their wall. It is immensely easy to drop down on opponents and this should be done whenever possible.

Know the arch of the paint that comes from your roller and use that to our advantage. An example would be arching paint from the zone onto their box on Walleye Warehouse to get their charger. You can reach fairly high locations, and some of these are shown at the end of my video guide.

Do not just roll to where you want to go. It is much faster to swing, swim in your paint, and repeat this process.

Feel free to take more risks if you have a Kraken charged up. I have a clip in the main video @ 4:34 where I do just that, and end up with a triple unscathed. But make sure that you never waste your Kraken!

Always check to see how many beakons of yours are up. If you notice that one of your beakons were taken down, that means that someone will be approaching from that direction. Also, watch the paint around your be akons whenever you jump. If you see paint trails leading to the beakon, then it means that someone is most likely watching for someone to jump in.

akons whenever you jump. If you see paint trails leading to the beakon, then it means that someone is most likely watching for someone to jump in. You can really piss off other teams if you spam beakons all over the map. Don't be afraid to put beakons up in obscure locations either. Go nuts.

Remember to never swim straight at your opponents. You should always swim towards them at an angle to dodge their shots and get as close to them as possible. If you watch my gameplay I end up swimming around my opponents at times before I swing. If you hit ZR before they position themselves to hit you, then you will get the kill every time,



Watch other Krak-On rollers movement and try to pick up on where they move and how they play each map and mode. This is different for everyone, so try different routes to see which ones work best for you.

Sometimes Splash Walls can be a bother for this weapon as you don't have any bombs to throw at them. With the most recent nerf to Splash Walls, they now crumble in ~2 swings. Most of the time you should just swim away from walls and wait for them to go down. In some scenarios you can hit the wall without them being able to shoot you. In THOSE situations, feel free to break down their wall and approach them as you normally would. Remember, your Kraken also breaks walls in two hits, so keep that in mind as a last resort.