How to Play Rainmaker Mode on Splatoon

Last Updated: October 4, 2018

Rainmaker mode is a variation of Ranked Battle that appears every so often. Rainmaker mode can be very confusing for those who have no idea how it works. The game will give you a tutorial, but this guide will add further detail if you're not sure how to play in this mode.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Before Battling

1
Get to Level 10. Before you can even try Rainmaker, you need to understand that ranked battles require being Level 10 or higher. You can increase this by battling in regular mode. Be sure to paint plenty of the map, excluding walls, and remember that you level up faster when your team wins, but don't get too competitive!

Image titled Play Rainmaker Mode on Splatoon Step 2

1
Understand how ranked battles work. Ranked battles involve a certain type of battle and ranks. When you win a battle, it goes towards increasing your rank, and the other way around. Ranks go from C- to A+, and the elusive S-, S, and S+ rank.
- A recent update added a new rank- Rank X. It's elusive, but with skill, it can be reached.
2
Get a good battling setup. This means a good choice of gear and weapons. First, it comes with choosing a great weapon that's easy for you to use. The most popular weapons happen to be snipers since you can get your enemies from afar, but as long as you can easily "splat" your enemies, as well as spread a good amount of ink, your weapon should be good.
- You also some great gear. Try getting 3-star gear, as it can hold more abilities at once. Make sure the gear you get comes with abilities to help with your weapons work more efficiently. For example, sloshers use up quite a large amount of ink, so use gear with abilities that give you the power to use less ink with any weapon. It's not just about looking good, but if it looks great and works well, then that can make you more confident in battle!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
During Battle

1
Go directly towards the rainmaker. Look at your gamepad, or press X in Splatoon 2, and quickly, yet carefully, decide the best route from your base to the center of the map, where the rainmaker lies. Don't let anything else lose your focus. Only destroy your enemies if they are absolutely in your way, and be quick, or the other team gets the rainmaker.
2
Obtain the rainmaker. Make sure there are no enemies nearby, and at least one player nearby if possible. You'll notice that there is a glowing ring around the rainmaker which can be destroyed by using your weapon until it bursts. When it does, it spreads a large amount of ink in the area around it, quickly sending all enemies in the area where the rainmaker's ring exploded back to respawn. Then swim straight towards it to collect it, or let another teammate do so if you're feeling generous.
3
Understand the boundaries of using a rainmaker. A rainmaker may seem cool since everyone is trying to get it, however, there are some drawbacks. First of all, a rainmaker is very heavy, so it is impossible to super jump to the enemy base and just win. Second, it works similar to an inkzooka, how it just blasts ink and knocks you back, but there is always a charge time, where you have to hold ZR and let go after a few seconds if you want the impact to immediately splat someone. Splatoon 2 rainmakers don't function like inkzookas,

but instead they function like bombs.

Image titled Play Rainmaker Mode on Splatoon Step 6

1
Aid the player with the rainmaker on their journey. Since they have the rainmaker, they are a popular target for the enemy team, considering that when the player with the rainmaker is splatted, the rainmaker is dropped, and the ring around it reforms, ready for someone else to try and grab it. To win, you need to be able to protect the player with the rainmaker, becomes sometimes having a powerful weapon that takes a while to charge isn't exactly convenient.
2
Make it to the enemy base. Within enemy turf, lies a pillar where the rainmaker is placed by your team, and vice versa. It is tall, and you can't just jump on it, so you have to ink the side of it, and swim up to the top, and watch as your character places the rainmaker on the pillar, and thereby winning the battle.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
After the Battle

1
Think about how the battle went. It may sound highly unnecessary but in order to improve in future battles, you should spend time thinking about what you think worked really well in battle, and what you think you could improve on. Try thinking of techniques based off of what other players used, including your enemies, that could help you win next battle. This is a good idea, even if you lost your previous battle.
2
Take a break. After you've played 20 battles, you should consider letting yourself rest. This way, you can let your fingers, neck, and eyes relax. You can calm down after being so worked up over the battle. You can even help avoid an epileptic episode, due to Splatoon's bright, flashy colors.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I use a dynamo roller with ease in the rainmaker mode?

Community Answer

Be sure to use the rolling feature of the weapon as much as possible. The dynamo roller has a very large width of ink when rolling and can easily crush opponents. If you're using the standard dynamo roller in Splatoon 2, be sure to use as much sub power up on your gear as possible. This will cause your ink mines to affect opponents for much longer.
Question

What is the best weapon to use to break open the Rainmaker's barrier?

Community Answer

The E-Liter 3K/4K is the most efficient at popping the Rainmaker's barrier because of its powerful shots.
Question

Should I place a beacon near the rainmaker drop for teammates to superjump to it in Splatoon?

Community Answer

This may work in some cases, but not all, as teammates could get caught out by the enemy. I would only place a beacon in places you know it will be safe to do so.
Question

How do I fire the rainmaker in Splatoon?

Community Answer

In both Splatoon and Splatoon 2, you hold down ZR to fire the rainmaker. Splatoon will have you release an ink tornado, while Splatoon 2 will have you aim the Rainmaker in an arc and explode like a bomb.
Question

What weapons are recommended in Rainmaker?

Community Answer

Rollers are good to use, because they spread lots of ink with little ink consumption.
Question

I always get splatted by a charger each time I have the rainmaker. How can I stop that from happening?

Community Answer

Try to splat the person or swim away if possible. If you can't and get splatted, sneak up on the person and splat them.

Warnings

Remember to abide by the safety manual at all times when playing videos games. The safety manual has a digital copy of itself already on the Wii U console.

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Don't play games for more than 1-2 hours at a time, and play responsibly.

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