Splatoon 3 Charger Guide: Tips, Build, and Perks

In any fight, fire or water, there are those who prefer to be a little less up-close-and-personal with their opponents. For these more discerning individuals, a plain old Shooter won’t do the job. You need something with a little more… pressure. Here’s a guide to using Chargers in Splatoon 3.

Splatoon 3 Charger Guide: Tips, Build, and Perks

Chargers are the long-range sniping weapons of the Splatoon series, good for both distance inking and distance splatting. As the name implies, holding down the trigger fills up a small, circular charge bar. When it’s full, release the trigger to launch a straight, pressurized shot of ink, creating a line on the ground. You can also release the trigger before the meter fills to launch a shorter shot. Most Chargers can store their charge for a few seconds when you dive into ink.

Chargers come in seven standard variants:

• Splat Charger: Baseline Charger, no gimmicks.
• Splatterscope: Same as a Splat Charger, but with a scope that zooms your view as you charge up.
• Squiffer: Faster charge with piercing shots, but severely reduced range.
• Bamboozler: Fastest charge, but reduced range and damage. Can’t store its charge.
• Goo Tuber: Slightly more damage, slightly less range. Can store its charge for longer than other models.
• E-Liter: Powerful shots with longest range, but extremely long charge time and heavy ink consumption.
• E-Liter Scope: Same as an E-Liter, but with a scope.

Chargers are the thinking squid’s weapon, ideal for those who like to seek out vantage points and camp out before taking their shots. If you can get a feel for the charge-up time and the effective range of your Charger of choice, you can lay out near-insta-splats one after the other. In this way, you can be both an offensive powerhouse and a vital support for your team.

Related: Splatoon 3 Slosher Guide: Tips, Build, and Perks

Chargers have a bit of a high barrier to entry, though. You need a good amount of practice to really feel out the charge while positioning yourself for an ideal shot. A skilled Charger main can be an asset in any game mode, but an amateur will have some stumbling to start. Also, a Charger only works with a team to support them; they are not frontline weapons, no matter how strong they are.

Eyes on the Prize

Amongst the various Charger types, the most highly-regarded one is the E-Liter. While its long charge time and voracious ink thirst take a lot of getting used to, you can’t argue with that kind of all-encompassing range and damage. Between the scoped and un-scoped versions, most Charger mains prefer going un-scoped, just so they have a better view of their immediate surroundings.

If you’re coordinating gear for a Charger build, you’ll definitely want these abilities:

• Ink Recovery Up: All Chargers, especially the E-Liter, can suck your whole ink tank dry in just a few shots. When the time comes to reload, make it a shorter reload when possible.
• Ink Saver (Main): Same as Ink Recovery Up; you want to squeeze your full ink tank for all it’s worth before needing to refill.
• Quick Super Jump: Being a sniper is all about fast repositioning. Whether you’re in danger or already splatted, you need to make a quick jump to elsewhere on the stage.
• Swim Speed Up: Of course, it’d be ideal if you could avoid getting splatted when possible. If your perch has been compromised, you’ll need to swim the heck out of there as quickly as you can.
• Respawn Punisher: If you’ve got a good perch off the front lines, you hopefully won’t get splatted as much. In such case, you can afford the respawn penalty this ability hits you with in exchange for lengthening your opponents’ respawns.

If you’re going to be a sniper, don’t forget the three professional standards: be polite, be efficient, and have a plan to splat everyone you meet.