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What weapons will the Shacknews crew be using in this weekend's Splatfest? Find out in this week's edition of Shack Chat!

Splatoon 3 has been out for about a couple of weeks and the team here at Shacknews has been having quite the time painting the town various neon colors. Now, with this weekend’s Splatfest upon us, we thought we’d find out what everyone’s weapon of choice has been so far.

I thought I'd be a roller for life. I still use the rollers every now and then, but Splatoon 3's new Splatana Wipers have all the fun of a melee weapon with extra splashback. It's not the most efficient weapon on the field, but when I'm making Salmon Runs and have an increasing number of Salmonids that are closing in, it's nice to be able to take the fight straight to them.

I like a weapon that takes finesse, skill, and can knock out an opponent before they ever even knew I was there. For all of those reasons, I really like the Goo Tuber. It falls into the sniper-like Charger genre of weapons in Splatoon 3, which is my go-to in the first place. One of the defining characteristics of the Chargers is that you have to charge it up nearly all the way if you want a one-shot splat. What I like about the Goo Tuber is that you don’t even need the full charge for an outright slaying blow. It comes at the cost of some range, but the Goo Tuber takes less effort to get ready. I might not be the most active on the team, and I might not get the most splats, but I will cover your back from down the field and I will take out your opponent before they ever realize they never had the upper hand while they were in my sights.

Splatoon 3 is my first go-around for the series and I’m still pretty dang new to the whole franchise. However, I’m pretty sure I’ve found my main weapon already. The Paint Roller is great because it not only covers a massive swath of territory with each roll, but can also steamroll over opponents who get too close.

I also really dig its puck-like bombs. Sliding one of those bad boys in front of me gives me a trail I can swim through to get even deeper into enemy territory so I can give their whole base a makeover.

The other thing I’m really digging is the way your wardrobe can augment your weapons. Right now I’ve got some fancy shoes that give me a much larger paint reserve tank, so I can basically roll away for an extended period of time without having to worry about diving into ink to refill. I feel like the paint roller has been a great introduction to Splatoon 3’s meta and has helped me figure out what kind of role I’m looking to fill in a team composition as well. If I have one complaint about it would be that it’s hard to paint walls with the Paint Roller, which can make it tough to get into certain areas, but that’s what teammates are for, right?

The dualies, no matter what form they come in, are my go-to weapon right now in Splatoon 3. While I think all of the other weapons are neat in their own right, I love the mobility that the dualies afford me. Not only do I enjoy the squid-based movement in the ink, but I get a dodge roll that makes me difficult to hit. This extra movement comes in handy when I’m flanking the enemy team, racking up kills, and securing the turf for my rollin’ buddies to come on in and paint the ground.

As for which of the dualies, right now the early-game one that comes with the Splat Bomb and Wave Breaker. The small grenade is useful when I need to nab a kill quickly while the Wave Breaker, when placed effectively, can highlight my next few kills with ease.

When it comes to Splatoon 3 weapons, the one I use almost exclusively is the Aerospray MG. Even though I’ve unlocked most other weapons, few are as satisfying to me as the Aerospray. I like to pair it with clothing that helps me both save and recover ink, and increase movement speed. The result is me consistently being able to snag the top inker spot each match.

The Reefslider ability tied to the Aerospray MG, among other weapons, is fantastic as well. I feel like the rollers are the preferred weapon of choice based on the matches I’ve played, but I gotta say… don’t sleep on the Aerospray. If you want to get 1,000-1,500p or more in ink each match, the Aerospray is where it’s at.

The introduction of Dualies in Splatoon 2 had me very intrigued, and the guns still rock in Splatoon 3. I prefer the ability to dodge and roll while aiming. Playing Splatoon 3 with Dualies reminds me of simpler times when Microsoft released Halo 2 and it didn’t suck. Dual “Deadly” Needlers were my jam in Halo 2, and Dualies are my preferred Splatoon 3 weapon.

Splatanas are a new weapon type in #Splatoon3. Send blades of ink flying with the Splatana Wiper or perform a charged slash to devastate your enemies! pic.twitter.com/k766awcvhN

Splatana is my kinda style, there’s a certain amount of range and power that comes with the weapon that I like. Yeah, it takes some skill and precision, but once you figure out how to angle it properly you can catch multiple splatters slippin. It’s also pretty cool in some of those tight areas.

What is my favorite Splatoon 3 weapon? First a trip down memory lane as I can remember when the first Splatoon was front and center at E3. Nintendo had a large stage to play the game in four-on-four matches. The idea of a “capture the flag “ styled game by covering the most land with ink is a cool idea. Fast-forward to 2022 and we’re on the third installment of the series and haven’t stopped running. That being said, I haven’t played too much of the series but I do have a fondness for the Paint Roller/Splat Roller. Being able to cover large amounts of land at a time is a good thing to have. You never know when that could come in handy. The enemy could come out of nowhere and you need to splash a large amount of ink to kill them or to make your escape. You also have the Curling bombs at your disposal and that adds another element to the Paint Roller. I’m going with a classic weapon, the Paint Roller as my favorite Splatoon 3 weapon.

Well, there you have it folks! Looks like a lot of our crew is mowing down their opponents with a Paint Roller or doing a little slicing and splatting with the Splatana. Have you had a chance to play Splatoon 3 yet? What do you think so far? Do you have a favorite of your own? Let us know what’s on your mind in the Chatty comments thread below, and good luck with this weekend’s Splatfest!

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group. 

Shack Staff posted a new article, Shack Chat: What's your favorite Splatoon 3 weapon?

Depends on the mode I’m playing but I love splattershot pro, jet squelcher, nzap, and plain ole splattershot. The only ones I really dislike are the various blasters.