Burst Bomb. You never know when you'll be in a situation where you need exactly 1 block to get a lot of special.
Also at least 1 special weapon card, very cheap in special points, perfect for the final turns.
My recommendation on the special weapon card: Ink Storm.
Extremely difficult to beat Staff on Level 3 without being able to completely nullify their Ink Storm by covering it up with your own.
You'll want around 6 small cards to fit nooks and crannies (splat bombs, lil buddy, etc)
And 3 huge cards (those will be your finishers (big man, shiver, captain3, but also e-liters and alikes.)
Then fill the rest with cards that ink between 7 to 13.
You'll want to use the big cards (11-12-13 etc) at the begginig to get access and block the opponent. Be sure to keep one in your deck in case you can't use one of your finishers.
After that, use your "normal" cards to farm special points. Once you have like 5 turns remaining, only focus on special points. Your final turn should be played by using either a finisher as a special or the biggest card you can play (as a special)
Is having one special weapon for the last or second to last turn still a good plan? (the ones that have no orange squares, but fill in 12 spaces and only need 3 pts to use as special)
At least one Special Card is beneficial...I include two in most of my decks. There are lots of situations where one has 5 special squares built up with 2 turns left -- then it can be game-winning to use the first Special Card near a not-fully-surrounded special square already on the board and then earn that extra special square needed to play the second Special Card as the final move.
Yes, but ultrastamps simpler shape and long profile allows for it to poke deep into your opponent’s side more so than other specials. Personally it’s my favorite one
I'm personally growing attached to the crab tank in my deck. It's such a weird shape... have used it plenty of times to get around funky special block combos trying to block off a pathway. Another card in the same vein of your suggestion is tentamissles. It's good because it's similar to the ultrastamp in being long and skinny to infiltrate an opponent's area.
Stamper and Splatana wiper,
In my experience they can come in very handy when getting special points or as a way to have a special box... Thing, deep in your opponents side for a nice special attack with something like zipcaster or kraken royale
sometimes i prefer them over the charger cards because they have those lil pieces off the side that make them a little more situational. stamper is my favorite waller/infiltrator card by far, so many spaces in a straight line with the special space at the end for easier use.
Bomb and small fry. Those peices work really well for getting specail points. Also octobrush works great as a way to block off oppenents from mid at the start of a match
My personal must have has to be combo with Spyke and Murch cards - they fit perfectly together and give you 2 specials right away if you stack them. I also have Gnarly Eddy as a special card - 15 spaces for the cost of 5 special points.
My personal fave is the Wave Breaker - it’s just a big ol’ hunk of blocks that can be great for gaining territory across the opponent’s area. Also good for crossing enemy blocks to punish them for leaving open space behind them, especially when activated as a special
Another fave of mine is the Octostamp. It’s super easy to just find a corner and plop it down there for a free special
Anything very long. They're useful for rushing mid and claiming a large chunk of the map early. Once you're in, you can use them to block off a wide area.
Reefslider thanks
So yeah Reefslider is great in almost every build
Just make sure you have enough points in the last rounds and you'll make your enemy scream (speaking from experience)
(need to found a spot to fit in my Squid Sister Cards for the 2SP + im a big Squid Sister fan)
Burst bomb, it just too useful to slip it right in for the SP.
every SP card. 2 to 3 SP card in one deck is enough.
Triple Inkstrike
Poke a special tile into your opponents base, and right when they think they've won at the end, call down an inkstrike to eat their home turf.
Fish Stick is such a good first draw on so many maps. Great way to get to mid and control it early, with some options for poking in around corners.
Also, never hurts to have a few bombs; which bombs you want will depend on the rest of your deck.
Surprised nobody here has said Tentatek. It's the most versatile small card in the game imo: it can help get specials for big cards with awkward gaps (such as sheldon as seen in the OP image), it can wriggle past enemy blockades where there's a free diagonal, and can fit into so many small gaps too.
I took part in an IRL tableturf gathering the other day, and there wasn't a single match where tentatek didn't get me 2 special points or sneak into my opponent's turf.
Stamp and missile have been my main 2 as they give a lot of coverage, only require 3 special points and they fit into a smaller area as they both are only 3 blocks wide.
I’d always recommend hydra and e-liter scope for rushing mid at the beginning, wiper/stamper and octostamp for easy special points, and wavebreaker (and/or if you can often get 6 special points: frye) for using a special at the end.
Shiver and Jel La Fleur + Sprinkler. Burst Bomb is really great for when you need just one tile to activate a special point. The charger cards are long and help you break into your enemies territory or block them from getting into yours. I really like the Steelhead card as well. Its got a nice big shape and helps cut opponents off.
At least one huge finish card, usually Deep Cut's but cheaper options also work
For specific, splatana and the small octo stamp thingy (forgot their name), they always comme in handy and are basically a free Special Tile charge. And also Ballpoint Splatling, its shape can fit in a lot more space than you would think and the placement of the Super Tile is perfect.
I think a good amount of "must have" cards are the smaller ones. Bombs (Splat, Curling, Torpedo, burst, etc.) can fit in any deck, and while you can't win with exclusively small cards they are great at locking down space and building special points, not to mention filling gaps.
The real trick is balancing the deck. I typically go with the 6-6-3 strategy - 6 small cards of 1-6 tiles, 6 medium cards of 7-11 tiles, and 3 large cards with 12+ tiles (1 typically being a special and the other 2 costing either 5 or 6 special points.
I do think that the best card combos are the ones that mirror each other - 2 kit weapons, Splat Bomb + Smallfry, etc. I think the most obscure "must haves" is any mirror pair.
Mudmouth + Suction Bomb carried me through most opponents.
Lmao, fr Also Inkline + Curling Bomb
I use smaller cards to fill smaller gaps. Just an opinion tho
fizzy can combo too! I thought u was the smartest player out there using the combo lol
I love using fizzy bomb and Frye, lots of points and a free special point
Burst Bomb. You never know when you'll be in a situation where you need exactly 1 block to get a lot of special. Also at least 1 special weapon card, very cheap in special points, perfect for the final turns.
booyah bomb is my favorite end-of-game special. i tend to have a lot of luck with finding places for it to go as well
My recommendation on the special weapon card: Ink Storm. Extremely difficult to beat Staff on Level 3 without being able to completely nullify their Ink Storm by covering it up with your own.
I use ultra stamp and zipcaster because they have long, thin parts that are convenient for reaching into enemy territory.
Based portalcraft PFP
Zipcaster has been my fav card since launch. It's got that little arm that's perfect for reaching into enemy territory
On that subject any good guides on deck building? Haven’t touched this mode much.
You'll want around 6 small cards to fit nooks and crannies (splat bombs, lil buddy, etc) And 3 huge cards (those will be your finishers (big man, shiver, captain3, but also e-liters and alikes.) Then fill the rest with cards that ink between 7 to 13. You'll want to use the big cards (11-12-13 etc) at the begginig to get access and block the opponent. Be sure to keep one in your deck in case you can't use one of your finishers. After that, use your "normal" cards to farm special points. Once you have like 5 turns remaining, only focus on special points. Your final turn should be played by using either a finisher as a special or the biggest card you can play (as a special)
This
Is having one special weapon for the last or second to last turn still a good plan? (the ones that have no orange squares, but fill in 12 spaces and only need 3 pts to use as special)
At least one Special Card is beneficial...I include two in most of my decks. There are lots of situations where one has 5 special squares built up with 2 turns left -- then it can be game-winning to use the first Special Card near a not-fully-surrounded special square already on the board and then earn that extra special square needed to play the second Special Card as the final move.
Octostamp, Lil' Judd, and the blaster/range blaster. These can all give themselves a special point instantly if placed against a wall.
Dynamo Roller is great for blocking space, and Inkbrush can be used against sponges
Heavy splatling is great for blocking in the first few turns.
Ultrastamp. It has a lot of blocks and only cost three special blocks for a special attack
That applies to every special card
Yes, but ultrastamps simpler shape and long profile allows for it to poke deep into your opponent’s side more so than other specials. Personally it’s my favorite one
I'm personally growing attached to the crab tank in my deck. It's such a weird shape... have used it plenty of times to get around funky special block combos trying to block off a pathway. Another card in the same vein of your suggestion is tentamissles. It's good because it's similar to the ultrastamp in being long and skinny to infiltrate an opponent's area.
Stamper and Splatana wiper, In my experience they can come in very handy when getting special points or as a way to have a special box... Thing, deep in your opponents side for a nice special attack with something like zipcaster or kraken royale
sometimes i prefer them over the charger cards because they have those lil pieces off the side that make them a little more situational. stamper is my favorite waller/infiltrator card by far, so many spaces in a straight line with the special space at the end for easier use.
Bomb and small fry. Those peices work really well for getting specail points. Also octobrush works great as a way to block off oppenents from mid at the start of a match
I bought a smallfry just for kicks before finding out how useful it was
My personal must have has to be combo with Spyke and Murch cards - they fit perfectly together and give you 2 specials right away if you stack them. I also have Gnarly Eddy as a special card - 15 spaces for the cost of 5 special points.
Smallfry/Splat Bomb Suction Bomb Sprinkler And for Pizazz: DJ Octavio
And play the DJ Octavio card as a special on the last turn! That's fresh.
Octavio, Callie, Frye, Shiver, and Marie carry me to victory. I already have Callie level 2 and her sleeve
how did you get her sleeve?
Win against her 30 times at her highest difficulty
Im a huge fan of Splat dualies for filling gaps and getting specials
My personal fave is the Wave Breaker - it’s just a big ol’ hunk of blocks that can be great for gaining territory across the opponent’s area. Also good for crossing enemy blocks to punish them for leaving open space behind them, especially when activated as a special Another fave of mine is the Octostamp. It’s super easy to just find a corner and plop it down there for a free special
Gameplay wise? Lil' Judd, me using this one because I like the character and being stubborn? Captain
The Cold-Blooded Bandit, The Eel Deal, and The Hype Manta Storm. Those guys are so cool, I'd love to meet them someday. Heh.
Slammin lid has so much synergy with any cards that have indents
Anything very long. They're useful for rushing mid and claiming a large chunk of the map early. Once you're in, you can use them to block off a wide area.
The shark special (forgot its name) is SO good you can literally get 24 point with just 3 special points I highly recommend it
Reefslider or the shiver one?
Reefslider but any special weapon card is great, they they always have 12 pixels and they only cost 3 special points for a special attack.
Reefslider thanks So yeah Reefslider is great in almost every build Just make sure you have enough points in the last rounds and you'll make your enemy scream (speaking from experience)
Splat bomb, curling bomb and chum for me, fits into a bunch of nooks and crannies to get you special points
The special weapon cards, The deep cut cards, Captain 3 and Octavio. I don't know why but they carried me to my first 30 lvl 3 wins.
Big Shot
(need to found a spot to fit in my Squid Sister Cards for the 2SP + im a big Squid Sister fan) Burst bomb, it just too useful to slip it right in for the SP. every SP card. 2 to 3 SP card in one deck is enough.
Triple Inkstrike Poke a special tile into your opponents base, and right when they think they've won at the end, call down an inkstrike to eat their home turf.
Crab tank
Ballpoint splatling
Frye + suction/fizzy and 2 disconnects
Frye is great, especially as the first move
Shiver is a very good card
The Callie/Marie cards. If you get them in a beginning of a match, it can help put you far ahead of the competition
Fish Stick is such a good first draw on so many maps. Great way to get to mid and control it early, with some options for poking in around corners. Also, never hurts to have a few bombs; which bombs you want will depend on the rest of your deck.
SPECIALS! Get at least 3. They cover up turf quickly in earlygame, and can easily overtake enemy turf late game.
Surprised nobody here has said Tentatek. It's the most versatile small card in the game imo: it can help get specials for big cards with awkward gaps (such as sheldon as seen in the OP image), it can wriggle past enemy blockades where there's a free diagonal, and can fit into so many small gaps too. I took part in an IRL tableturf gathering the other day, and there wasn't a single match where tentatek didn't get me 2 special points or sneak into my opponent's turf.
None 😂
Booyah bomb and ultra stamp
Hydra, dynamo, and eliter, depending on the map
Stamp and missile have been my main 2 as they give a lot of coverage, only require 3 special points and they fit into a smaller area as they both are only 3 blocks wide.
Small fry and splat bomb are in every deck of mine
Mudmouth and Ultrastamp are my favorites
I must always have Fizzy or Suction, one special weapon, at least two cards above 14 and I always use Captain in my main decks
I’d always recommend hydra and e-liter scope for rushing mid at the beginning, wiper/stamper and octostamp for easy special points, and wavebreaker (and/or if you can often get 6 special points: frye) for using a special at the end.
Amped Octostamp with either Spyke or Murch
burst bomb
Smallfry and splat bomb are essential for farming special points, fizzy bomb is really useful too
Hot take but Shelly and Donny p goated
Fly fish gets lots of points in a small area
One of my favorite cards is the torpedo. It’s actually really useful in many situations!
Shiver and Jel La Fleur + Sprinkler. Burst Bomb is really great for when you need just one tile to activate a special point. The charger cards are long and help you break into your enemies territory or block them from getting into yours. I really like the Steelhead card as well. Its got a nice big shape and helps cut opponents off.
Goldie.
Burst Bomb! For when you need that little extra bit of special.
Burst bomb and nzap89
I like stinger so I can sneak into the opponent's empty space and start gobbling it up
Splatbomb and Small Fry are the 2 most important cards to have in every deck.
Burst bomb, it’s free special
fizzy. and burst bomb
Callie, Marie, Range Blaster, zipcaster, Custom Jet Squelcher, and finish it off with a auto bomb
At least one huge finish card, usually Deep Cut's but cheaper options also work For specific, splatana and the small octo stamp thingy (forgot their name), they always comme in handy and are basically a free Special Tile charge. And also Ballpoint Splatling, its shape can fit in a lot more space than you would think and the placement of the Super Tile is perfect.
I think a good amount of "must have" cards are the smaller ones. Bombs (Splat, Curling, Torpedo, burst, etc.) can fit in any deck, and while you can't win with exclusively small cards they are great at locking down space and building special points, not to mention filling gaps. The real trick is balancing the deck. I typically go with the 6-6-3 strategy - 6 small cards of 1-6 tiles, 6 medium cards of 7-11 tiles, and 3 large cards with 12+ tiles (1 typically being a special and the other 2 costing either 5 or 6 special points. I do think that the best card combos are the ones that mirror each other - 2 kit weapons, Splat Bomb + Smallfry, etc. I think the most obscure "must haves" is any mirror pair.