Quick Guide

Next Wave

What's New
  • Ranks: The Salmon Run ranks are now Intern > Apprentice > Part-Timer > Go-Getter > Overachiever > Profreshional Part-Timer > Profreshional +1 > Profreshional +2 > Profreshional +3 and Eggsecutive VP. Hazard Level Max is now achieved with a lobby average of 865 rank and is 333% difficulty with the highest quota now being 35 instead of 25. Ranks now reset to 40 after each rotation depending on your rank.
  • Rewards: There is now a Salmon Run catalogue in-game where you can unlock new Slopsuits, Banners, Stickers and items for your locker.
  • Difficulty Spike: Salmon Run: Next Wave has a higher difficulty compared to Splatoon 2. This is due to higher quotas, new bosses, buffed lessers and some specials being quite weak. Lessers are more aggressive in this game so you may get splatted by them in situations that in Splatoon 2 you would have survived.
  • Squid Roll: This is a useful mechanic in Splatoon 3 that allows you to surge in and out of ink. Whilst swimming, if you change directions and jump, it performs a Squid Roll which keeps your momentum and provides a small window of protection from enemies. Squid Roll is used by many to collect eggs quickly and serves as a useful dodge/parry tactic, both of which are very important in Salmon Run. 
  • Squid Surge:This is a technique that allows you to jump higher when clinging on a wall. Hold B whilst climbing a wall and Squid Surge to the top. This is especially useful when climbing Fish Sticks if you’re unable to paint it quickly as a short range weapon (for example, the Inkbrush).
  • Snatchers: Snatchers are now airborne, they will pick up eggs and fly away with them. They can carry up to 8 eggs and it is useful to keep an eye on what direction the Snatcher is facing. If it is facing the basket area, let the Snatcher pick up the eggs and then splat it when it’s near the basket. It is useful in general to keep an eye out for Snatchers during the wave, especially when you are near the basket, as they can often help save waves if they bring eggs to basket later on.
  • Performance: Not something we want to mention but it’s part of the game unfortunately. You will notice considerable lag spikes and frame drops in this game, especially at high difficulties. This is just the game struggling to cope and you can’t do much about it. The lag is especially bad during Goldie Rush waves and although the game slows down the clock doesn’t, which is frustrating. Do your best to splat the enemies to avoid frame drops. But when they do happen, throw a bomb or safely use a special.
Egg Throw
  • Although it’s a simple mechanic that allows you to now throw eggs into the basket by pressing A, there are a few things to think about when doing this.
  • Ink Consumption: If you find yourself always low on ink it’s probably because Egg Throw does consume a lot of ink, roughly around 67%. Awareness of what is around you when throwing your eggs is important as it may leave you with little to no ink, which could get you splatted. Weapons such as Dynamo consume a lot of ink with it’s main weapon so it may be best to limit egg throwing with such weapons.
  • Chaining Eggs: A great strategy is to collect one egg from a defeated boss and throw it to where you are going and then pick up another egg from that same defeated boss. While you travel to the first egg that you threw, your ink will be re-charging and you can throw your current egg forward and pick up the first egg that you threw. This way you are depositing 2 eggs but travelling the same distance.
  • Egg Assists: On the results screen next to your egg count in brackets is how many eggs you threw that were then deposited by teammates. 
  • Greed: The pitfall of this mechanic is wanting to throw as many eggs as possible. However, if you sit in an area waiting to recharge your ink after an egg throw it can easily get you splatted, especially at higher ranks. Be mobile and aware of your surroundings and it’s okay to give up on certain eggs if they are not safe to run.
  • Damage: Egg throwing also deals 100 damage to enemies in close proximity. The hit box is more prominent behind you than in front of you. You can utilise this to clear out Chum and Smallfry around you while you are trying to egg throw, or to finish off a weak boss while throwing as well.
  • Paint: Egg throwing paints a small circle around your feet. While this isn’t ink efficient, it can be faster and more accurate than trying to shoot your feet for ink or if your weapon has a long wind up before attacking.
New Bosses
  • Big Shots: appear at certain designated spots on each map. Given how far away they are from the basket, it is not ideal to spend too much time staying at the launcher. This can cause bosses to move away from the basket and overwhelm the players at the launcher. It is often wise to splat the Big Shots and head back to the basket quickly. Throwing a few eggs into the launcher is fine – but don’t stay long enough that you end up splatted.
  • Flipper Floppers: can be lured based on what we have tested so far. So if you can, bring these closer to the basket, especially if quota is low. If you attack the Flipper Flopper but don’t splat it within its attack cycle, it still retains its damage and you can continue to attack above you before it hits the ground. Splatting the Flipper Flopper before it attacks renders its turf below void.
  • Fish Sticks: have designated landing spots so it is useful to know these spots and if you see any near the basket, try and splat them quickly. When defeated, the stick will remain until the end of the wave. This either provides a safe vantage point or an obstacle to move around. Be careful if using a defeated Fish Stick as a safe spot – Maws can climb the stick, Stingers will target you and Flyfish missiles will continue to rain down on you!
  • Slammin’ Lids: can be lured if the team maintains distance. Whilst you may want to get rid of these quickly to prevent overcrowding of lessers, keeping these alive may prove useful for a short while. When they attack and slam down, they crush everything underneath it. It takes out attacking and non-attacking bosses, most notably Steelheads, with one fell swoop. It can OHKO nearly every boss or deals a large amount of damage
New Specials
  • Crab Tank: A very strong and versatile special that requires some skill to maximise. It has a turret mode that fires an array of bullets which is useful for clearing lessers and bosses. A charged shot – activated by pressing R – fires one large slosh that can one shot bosses such as Flyfish (if aimed above the cockpit at the lids), Stingers, Steelheads, etc. It also does damage whilst rolling, which can be useful to splat lessers who may attack you when using this special. Its rolling mechanism can also take out Stinger pots. You are safe from being splatted when rolling but overall, the Crab Tank can still take damage and be destroyed. Note: Whilst walking in Crab mode, it is faster to walk from side to side instead of forward and backwards.
  • Booyah Bomb: Although this special was in Splatoon 2, it was not in Salmon Run. It is a great special when used to immediately clear a crowd of Salmonids next to you. When activated, you have a small window of invincibility, which can be useful for staying alive momentarily. You can then deploy the special to splat bosses and lessers and revive teammates. In addition, it can be thrown quite far on the map – consider using this if a far boss is causing problems, as this special can help eliminate the threat quickly.
  • Triple Inkstrike: A good special for splatting bosses such as Flyfish, Stingers and Fish Sticks as the strike latches on to those bosses if thrown close enough. You may want to hold the aim button longer to see the trajectory of your strike. A big downside of this special is that you can’t submerge into your ink whilst using it, so be careful.
  • Killer Wail: A good special for targeting far bosses that would take a lot of time to reach and splat ordinarily. If you can line up bosses when deploying this special, then that is useful as you can get more value out of it. Be aware that it is hard to target far bosses when there are other bosses between you. Does not target lessers.
  • Wave Breaker: Useful for clearing lessers, especially around the basket area which can help egg running if the quota is low. Also has the ability to revive teammates which can be very important. Can be destroyed if thrown into a Steel Eel or Maws.
  • Reef Slider: Great for crowd control in a small area and it can travel through bosses which can help keep you safe and splat bosses from a further starting point. There is no invincibility when deploying this special so make sure you are safe first.
  • Kraken Royale: Is a very strong special as it has the ability to pierce through armour. If you hold ZR you are able to do a charged attack that can pierce through bosses such as Steelheads and Drizzlers. It has a weaker but quicker jump attack that can be used to splat Salmonid and it can be used to great effect against Flyfish. 2 jump attacks at the Flyfish pilot to splat it.
  • Triple Splashdown: It has similar uses as Booyah Bomb and Reef Slider. Great at clearing out Salmonid in a concentrated area. It can be used to splat Flyfish also.
New Modes
  • Mudmouth: An easy mode to pass, just throw 3 Splat Bombs inside the Mudmouth’s mouth to splat the Mudmouth and receive up to 6 eggs from it. Green Mudmouths will spew Smallfry or Chum and gold Mudmouths will spew Cohocks. Important for powerful weapons to clear Cohocks: For example, the Dynamo can just stand in front of a Mudmouth and roll lessers with ease allowing teammates to throw bombs. Explosher can slosh into the base of the mouth and it will have the same effect as bombs. A charged attack with the Grizzco Splatana can damage Mudmouths. Crab Tank and Inkjet shots aimed inside the Mudmouth can also have the same effect as throwing bombs. Killer Wail, Triple Inkstrike and Booyah Bomb can splat Mudmouths.
  • Giant Tornado: Another very simple mode; after popping the egg box it is easier if 3 teammates throw eggs into the middle area of the map and 1 person (can be high DPS or mobile weapon) picks up and throws those eggs closer to the basket. Lessers drop in a wide area with the low tide basket as the center. That player should stay mobile while shooting the lessers so they don’t get splatted easily. At this point, 1-2 teammates that were throwing the eggs from the box should move into the middle and help with throwing eggs closer to the basket and splatting lessers. A good mode to practice Squid Roll to pick up eggs quicker and provide a little extra distance because of the roll to throw the eggs a little further. Another tip is to always keep moving and think of ways to use your ink efficiently while balancing egg throws and lesser control.
New Weapons

Splatanas

  • Wiper: The regular Splatana swipes are great for painting and dealing minimal damage. To maximise the potential of this weapon, use the charged shot as much as possible to deal greater damage. You can also follow up a charged shot with a regular swipe.
  • Stamper: Although it is slower than the Wiper, this weapon is strong. The fast swipes are slower and do minimal damage, but the charged shot deals a great amount of damage (it can OHKO Cohocks, for example). Both Splatana’s charged shots have good range, so be sure to maximise this to your advantage. Think of them like melee weapons: If you charge a shot and release it at point blank range, it deals more damage.

Stringers

  • Tri-Stringer:A strong weapon that can OHKO bosses such as Steelheads with a charged shot. A fully charged shot fires 3 projectiles that can stick to the terrain and deal burst damage. It also paints well so be sure to utilise this to have turf control. If you jump and shoot, the weapon fires vertically which can be useful to paint Fish Sticks or shoot Stingers.
  • REEF-FLUX 450: It works similar to the Tri-Stringer but does considerably less damage. It is one of the best painting weapons in the game but that is its main strength. Use its ability to paint and quick movement to get around the map and help with weakening lessers and bosses and collecting eggs. Do not challenge hordes of lessers on your own as it is too weak and be sure to maintain a safe distance.

Other Weapons

  • Splattershot Nova: A great turfing weapon but it doesn’t do much damage. Think of this as a longer range Aersopray, so you can play it in a similar style but you have more range to take advantage of.
  • Snipewriter 5H: A unique charger that stores 4 shots on a full charge, which is good for dealing with bosses. Its weakness is that unlike most chargers, it doesn’t deal piercing damage and you can’t hold your charges if you submerge in ink. It struggles massively with groups of lessers as a result. It does have excellent range however, so keeping your distance is important.
  • Big Swig Roller: This weapon turfs very well and efficiently. Unlike most rollers where it is best to roll lessers, this roller is on the weaker side so it is best to use roller flicks in most cases. It’s not great at slaying so you want to be careful when approaching a group of Salmonids. It’s does well at supporting other teammates by painting for them and dealing chip damage. It excels against bosses such as Fish Sticks and Flipper Floppers.

Grizzco Stringer

  • The Grizzco Stringer fires 9 arrows in a very large spread, tap shooting it will paint a lot of ground in front of you!
  • Each fully charged arrow deals 150 damage, meaning all 9 arrows deal 1350 when all of them hit. Both the tapshot and the charged shot can be used horizontally and vertically. 
  • Its tap shots are a great tool to quickly paint a lot of ground and to kill lesser Salmonids, the shots are relatively close together but spread out enough to damage big groups of lessers in front of you.
  • Fully charged shots are excellent boss killers, as a ranged weapon it can fire over lesser Salmonids to reach higher boss weak points but it’s also very good at dealing with more close ranged encounters with exposed bosses.
  • Despite being a ranged weapon it also excels at close range combat since it’s easier to hit all 9 arrows this way. This can be a problem when using it over longer ranges, as the spread of the arrows is increased. The Grizzco Stringer is very good at quickly adapting to the situation, when using it, try to judge which play style is best.
  • Quick tip: try to always keep some ink in your tank as its vertical shots are very effective for painting escape paths!

Grizzco Splatana

  • The Grizzco Splatana has a powerful slash that deals 200.0 damage however this slash only inks a small area around you so be aware of your surroundings.
  • After charging the Grizzo Splatana, it releases an incredibly powerful short range slash that can instantly splat almost anything. Holding forward whilst releasing the slash will cause you to dash forward.
  • The regular slash is great for taking out lessers and you can quickly take out large groups of them as long as you don’t have too many bosses after you. Note that Cohocks will need two slashes to KO.
  • The charged slash is a powerful tool to single out bosses. A stationary slash is a good way to take out lonely Flyfish or Flipper Floppers. Dashing forwards can be used to take out bosses in crowds! Keep in mind that the dash doesn’t pierce or deal damage, only the slash at the end does!
  • This weapon requires a patient and slow playstyle, wait for opportunities to take out problematic targets and carefully judge your situation to decide your next target!
  • Quick tip: If you don’t want to dash forward, but cannot stand still while charging the Splatana, try to walk backwards when you release your slash, this will prevent you from accidentally dashing forward!

Grizzco Dualies

  • This weapon deals a base damage of 30 per shot and 25 for a partial.
  • The dodge roll explosions can deal 125 damage or 40 based on the proximity of the Salmonids to the explosions.
  • On a full ink tank it is possible to get 9 rolls, so keep an eye on your ink tank and counting your rolls could also help. By the end of your rolls you want to save a little ink if possible to ink around you and move.
  • This weapon lacks range so it is best served getting close up to the Salmonids and dealing damage or splatting them. This is where the dodge rolls can be used to manoeuvre around the map while also splatting lessers using the blast radius.
  • While dodge rolling you can also fire your weapon so keep this in mind for a little extra damage.
  • This weapon excels as the cleaner, similar to Grizzco Blaster and Brella. Be sure to focus Lessers as much as possible by taking advantage of the dodge roll explosions to clear them quickly.
  • Do not get too carried away with the rolls as you can run out of ink quickly and also dodge roll into the water if you lose control. Practising control and ink management with the dodge rolls is important in maximising this weapon.
King Salmonid

Cohozuna

  • The aim here is to defeat the Cohozuna within the time limit to receive a certain amount of bronze, silver or gold Fish Scales which can be used to unlock items. 
  • It is possible to deal damage to the Cohozuna by using your weapons and specials by directly aiming at the Cohozuna. Depending on the strength of your weapon the damage varies. If you splat bosses, it is possible to throw eggs at the Cohozuna and deal a good amount of damage.
  • Specials such as Crab Tank deal a great amount of damage to the Cohozuna when fired in turret mode. Most other specials are best used to splat bosses and lessers.
  • Important to clear lessers and far bosses especially. During downtime shoot at the Cohozuna. Eggs can be thrown at bosses to splat them which is very useful.
  • Try and stay close together and splat bosses in a certain area if possible and keep the Cohozuna close to that area so you can throw eggs at it and splat it quicker. If all the bosses are splatted in one area but the Cohozuna is too far it because difficult to splat it within the time limit.

Horrorboros

  • Horrorboros circles the map above you and will shoot an ink whirlwind from its mouth. It has an estimated 55k HP compared to the Cohozuna’s 40k HP, however there are strategies that make it easier to defeat.
  • It is possible to deal damage to the Horrorboros by using your weapons and specials by directly aiming at the Horrorboros. Weapons that can reach and deal a good amount of damage can shoot directly at the ink bomb in the mouth of the Horroboros to help it explode.
  • To defeat the Horrorboros as quickly as possible, splat bosses and throw the eggs at the mouth whilst it’s charging its ink bomb. You will notice that the more eggs you throw directly at the ink bomb – which has a HP of 2500 – will result in it changing colour. Once you have thrown enough eggs, it will explode in the mouth of the Horrorboros and deal a great amount of damage.
  • If you are not able to make the ink bomb explode then the Horroboros will unleash a targeted ink whirlwind that can splat you. You are able to see where this is going to land if you look up, so be aware of this as you don’t want to get splatted.

Megalodontia

  • Megalodontia is like a giant Maws. It submerges in the ink and a large circle appears which is the radius of the area it will cover when it emerges. It will target 1 player who will have crosshairs placed on them. It has an estimated 65k HP compared to the Cohozuna’s 40k HP, however there are strategies that make it easier to defeat.
  • It is possible to deal damage to the Megalodontia by using your weapons and specials by directly aiming at the Megalodontia. Shoot directly at the pimple on it’s back to deal more damage or the body for less damage.
  • To defeat the Megalodontia as quickly as possible, splat bosses and throw the eggs at the pimple whilst it is stationary. If you are the target of the Megalodontia you can make it spawn in a area where there are several bosses and they will all get splatted by the Megalodontia if they are within the radius. 
  • When you are the target of the Megalodontia try and move calmly so that teammates know where you are moving so they can go in the opposite direction. It’s usually best to move away from the previous area that the Megalodontia emerged from so it is easier to know where the pimple will appear and it’s easier to shoot.
Scenarios
  • Scenarios give you the ability to replay Salmon Run shifts as much as you’d like. This can be used to practice your abilities and boss decisions, push the egg score to its limit or to simply have a good time with friends.
  • How it works: you can download Salmon Run shifts you’ve played in either freelance or in squads and can then replay those shifts in Private Job. Downloading the scenario will give you a scenario code, this code can be shared online for other players to use. Likewise you’ll be able to replay scenarios from other people as well.
  • Use this to sharpen your game: practice high hazard levels without the risk of losing your rank or any other consequences. Use games with situations which you found hard or challenging.
  • Things to note:
    • As the game updates, older scenario codes might no longer be usable
    • You need at least two players to start a scenario
    • Unlike private jobs, you won’t be able to choose your weapons, the weapons will be the same from the rotation you saved the scenario from.

Overview

Strategy
  • Inking: Before the wave starts use that time to ink the map. Walls and areas around the basket are most important.
  • Anticipation: Before the wave starts go to basket and look where bosses are spawning from. If they are mobile bosses stay close to basket and let them come to basket.
  • Awareness: Sometimes while refilling your ink tank assess what is around you and try to manage the most dangerous bosses and work out what is the best way to fulfil the quota. Also assess your team and pinpoint their intentions based on their movements and positioning.
  • Role: Understand the weapon set and see where you can be most useful in different scenarios depending on your weapon.
  • Taking Risks: Avoid tunnelling bosses, ignoring lessers and be flexible. If something looks too risky often you can wait for a better opportunity and focus on something else in the meantime.
  • Basket eggs: If you splat a boss at basket those eggs can often be run later or left for teammates and you can focus on other bosses.
  • Snowball: This is when waves overflow with bosses and lessers. You want to avoid these as much as possible. This usually comes with experience and improved game sense. The best way to prevent snowballs is to keep up with spawn directions and splat high-threat enemies like Flyfish, Stingers, Big Shots, Steelheads, and Steel Eels early. Be aware of Drizzler torpedoes. If you have time based on the quota splatting Stingers or making them target you so teammates can fulfil the quota can help. Don’t be afraid to use specials, it doesn’t always have to be an ideal situation for using specials.
Mentality
  • It can be a bad habit to blame losses on teammates, bad RNG or other excuses. This can lead to lack of progression in your own play by not taking accountability. After every game, win or lose focus on your own gameplay first and analyse what you could have done better. Think back on what walls you inked and in what order, how you kept up with spawn changes, how you moved and positioned when splatting enemies and running eggs, when and where you splatted by certain bosses and when and where you used your specials.
  • You can quantify some aspects of your individual play by downloading the Nintendo Switch Online mobile application: Google Play Store or App Store and analyse statistics such as amount of boss splats, eggs run, death rate etc.
  • Don’t get too stressed as a positive mindset will help you stay focused and result in better gameplay and avoid auto-pilot/tunneling.
Game Management
  • Flexibility: In Freelance especially be flexible in your gameplay and take responsibility for managing the game and meeting quota. Running the most eggs and splatting the most bosses doesn’t always result in wins.  Adapt to the map, composition (weapons and specials), teammates, quota, hazard level, shift RNG (wave types), wave RNG (spawn directions, bosses), and more.
  • Stay Alive: Staying alive is very important, don’t take too many risks or tunnel vision eggs/bosses. Sometimes it is best to splat a boss and ignore the eggs. There are plenty of eggs to be run during the 100 seconds so dying far away from the basket, you may not get revived after a long period causing a snowball of bosses when you are back. Play as if you are the most important player on the team, always. Prioritize yourself, even if at the cost of your team. Your safety allows you to keep splatting and therefore keep the rest of the team safe. While it may seem unintuitive should every player on the team adopt this style of thinking, having all four players evasively on threat control will mean enemies die fast, leaving plenty of time for two to three people to run eggs.
  • Specials: Do not be afraid to use specials even during Wave 1 or 2. Especially if there are many bosses or you feel the quota may not be met. Specials can be used to save yourself, prevent snowballs, cull snowballs, and patch holes in the weapon composition’s ability to deal with certain threats.
  • Luring: Lure bosses like Maws and Scrappers close to basket when possible. Avoid splatting these bosses in particular far away from basket if possible. However in Salmon Run Next Wave, especially at higher hazard levels it is best to splat bosses early to avoid snowballing while waiting for lures. If a lure gets (repeatedly) broken, work with your team even if they won’t work with you. Generally, being the closest to a boss as it is spawning, moving or attacking will make it target you next, but there are many (many) nuances to this. Force your teammates into this role by performing well as a slayer and you will see success.
  • Lesser & Turf Control: These have become even more important in Next Wave. Lessers are more aggressive and come in high quantities so often where they could be ignored previously. Now they should be dealt with first, to stop them surrounding you later. With the addition of extra boss types such as Fish Sticks, Flipper Floppers and Big Shots; turf control is so important now to help you be able to maneuver around the map and collect eggs safely.
Weapons
  • Knowing your weapon’s capabilities is very important, always try and play to the strengths of your weapon and understand it’s weaknesses.
  • Short range: Deal a good amount of damage and have great mobility so focusing lessers or going out to far bosses is great for these weapons. Steelheads may be a problem so you may have to rely on teammates to help or put yourself in a position where you have some high ground or jump and shoot to deal some damage.
  • Mid range: Very similar to the above but Steelheads aren’t an issue so this is usually a good flex weapon.
  • Long range: Specific chargers or splatlings should try and stay near basket when possible and splat bosses using their high DPS and range if the basket area is getting crowded.
  • Rollers: Very strong at dealing with lessers as you can roll over them to clear the basket area effectively. Weak against Stingers so only go for these if nobody else is and the path is relatively clear.
  • Sloshers: One of the weakest classes, good for dealing damage to lessers if you aim upwards to maximise the slosh range and spread. Regular slosher is weak against Stingers so only go for these if nobody else is and the path is relatively clear.
  • Brushes: They have great mobility so can fulfil a similar role to short range shooters. If in trouble use the speed of brushes running to weave to safety or revive teammates. Be very aware of bomb opportunities and your ability to move on grates.
  • Brellas: If you hold ZR long enough you can release the brella shield for Splat and Tenta Brellas, good for dealing damage to a horde of lessers. The knockback and damage dealt by the canopy opening as well as its tendency to get stuck on walls can knock enemies down elevations forcing them to take long paths back.
  • Grizzco: Grizzco Charger and Grizzco Slosher are the 2 most powerful weapons in Salmon Run. Grizzco slosher deals piercing damage through any boss so maximise this, also one shot splats Flyfish if you aim for the pilot in the centre. Grizzco Slosher can one-shot a Stinger using the steep drop-off property of its shots and Grizzco Charger has many special properties such as E-Liter range, extremely high pierce, and no range/damage scaling.
Team Play
  • Helping each other is important as bosses are splatted quicker and it keeps each other alive. Certain weapons struggle against specific bosses try and identify situations where you can help in these cases.
  • If a teammate goes to splat a far Stinger or Big Shots and the path is busy try and help them clear a safe path. However it may be best to do this from a distance and let them splat the bosses but you return to basket and work on basket bosses or the quota.
  • Regularly check how many teammates are alive as waves can snowball fast and having 4 players alive is important. When going to revive a teammate try not to rush or take big risks that jeopardise your own life.
Lessers
  • Lessers are categorised as Smallfry, Chum and Cohocks. Be aware of these and if you are luring bosses to the basket you can throw splat bombs from a distance to weaken or splat lessers so they don’t cause problems later.
  • One of the most difficult things to manage is splatting lessers when you are focused on splatting a boss instead. It is very easy to ignore lessers, patience can pay off if you clear lessers first and then go for the boss.
  • Chargers deal piercing damage so if lessers are lined up Chargers will deal damage to all the lessers within that line of sight and range. If chargers are struggling to splat smallfry help them out.
Bosses
  • Steelheads: Long range weapons with high DPS should be aware of Steelheads. By moving close to a Steelhead it will target you, lure it if possible. If the basket area is crowded splat them earlier to avoid a snowball. If their target is above them and they are targeting you they will look up and not activate their bomb. If you are below and see this occurrence, go towards the Steelhead so it targets you and get the splat, so no time is wasted. They clear enemies next to them with their blast damage if they are splatted. If bosses and lessers are around the Steelhead you can time the activation of the Steelhead’s bomb to get better value from splatting Salmonids around it. Steelhead bombs can be lured away from the team/high traffic areas/into water.
  • Maws: Should be lured close to basket if possible, if it is targeting you swim to the basket and then wait for it to appear. If a Maws is targeting another player and it pops up but is not splatted get close to the Maws and it will target you, now lure it to the basket. Shooting or rolling into a Maws is a valid strategy with the correct weapon (Dapples, Sploosh, Hydra, Grizzco Charger, Dynamo etc). 
  • Steel Eel: Analyse who the Steel Eel is targeting and anticipate its movement. If you are the target move in a manner that doesn’t cause the Steel Eel to coil and become very difficult to splat. These should be splatted swiftly, especially if there is more than one as they can cause chaos.
  • Scrapper: Lure close to basket, shoot the front and move so the Scrapper rear end is facing teammates so they can get the splat and you can focus other bosses. If there are several Scrappers lined up Killer Wail or Booyah Bomb can be very useful. Scrappers chase nearby players but will target players who hit them last, so lightly tagging a Scrapper to have it follow you.
  • Stinger: Important to splat these early if possible. If multiple Stingers spawn Inkjet, Crab Tank, Triple Inkstrike or Killer Wail should be used if the paths to them are busy with lessers and other bosses or if your weapon cannot handle them. With long range weapons you can splat Stingers, ignore the eggs and get back to basket. Using a Bomb to soften Stingers allows a lot of weapons to remove pots much faster than otherwise. Stingers target the farthest player upon spawning and stopping a firing volley. Stingers have pre-set locations that they remain (for the most part).
  • Flyfish: Ideally splat Flyfish when possible if it is risky then cripple the Flyfish at the bare minimum and try and get back to them on another cycle. If missiles are targeting you don’t move too erratically which may get teammates splatted also avoid bringing missiles to the basket.  Inkjet and Crab Tank shots aimed into the canisters or above the pilot can splat them quickly. Triple Inkstrike, Booyah Bomb and Killer wail are also great at taking them out quickly. Explosher can take out canisters with normal shots. Flyfish have pre-set paths and firing locations. When Flyfish fire, reticles appear on the ground where missiles try to land (unless intercepted) and a ring appears around the targeted player with indicators of where the Flyfish is firing from. Flyfish fire missiles can splat targets on walls and under ceilings if you are positioned for too long.
  • Drizzler: Can be lured close to basket if you move away from them. Anticipate which way the Drizzler torpedo and position yourself so you are able to direct the torpedo back at the Drizzler to splat it. If you wish to shoot the Drizzler directly point it away from the basket area so the rain falls elsewhere.
Waves
  • Normal Tide – At the beginning of the wave see where bosses are spawning from and if they are mobile bosses lure them if possible. If there is a mix of both or only static bosses go out to the area and splat the bosses. Quota can be an issue on Normal Tide shifts so always keep an eye on quota and it may be easier to cripple far Flyfish. If you do lure bosses you can also be effective in opposite areas. Sitting and waiting can cause a snowball so try and be productive during lures.
  • High Tide – Try and stay together as you’re going to get bosses in tight spaces so slaying here is more important than luring. For high mobility weapons you will want to keep an eye on Stinger spawns and get to them quickly if possible.
  • Low Tide – Similar to Normal tide stay back and see where bosses are coming from and adopt a similar strategy as mentioned above to begin. You can utilise the space behind the basket to help you lure, use stingray or get to safety. Often it’s difficult to get the eggs after splatting far bosses so it may be best to leave those eggs and stay alive.
  • Grillers – Good to have one cleaner who focuses smallfry, this is usually for weapons with good spread, ink efficiency or mobility. If there is a powerful long range weapon like splatling or charger their job is usually to focus stunning the Grillers. The other weapons can flex but be sure to help each other if smallfry are overwhelming. Anticipate the Griller paths and lure them in straight lines. If you have enough eggs at basket but they can’t be run because of Grillers/Smallfry, if the grillers are on you then lure them away from the basket area so your team can run eggs.
  • Goldie Seeking –The general rule is to open further baskets first and if the gusher is high the Goldie is close by, however there are specific strategies for each map explained in the Tutorials section. It is much easier in Next Wave as Lessers no longer spawn from incorrect gushers. Good rule is if you open a far gusher and it is low press Booyah! and if it is high press This Way! So your team knows where to go.
  • Goldie Rush – Staying close together is important, getting singled out alone will often lead to death. Stay close to basket and weapons with fast fire and high DPS should try and be the first line of defence. Slower weapons should stay back and shoot from a distance and prioritise shooting the Goldies. If it becomes difficult to run eggs there are certain walls you can cling too so you can lead the chum away from the basket for a short time or stay safe until you can revive your teammates. There are pre-set egg drop locations, so eggs sometimes fly to unusual places. There are ideal places to splat Goldies but it is absolutely not necessary. Inkjet and Booyah Bomb can stall and allow you to revive teammates and splat Goldies closer to basket. 
  • Mothership – Spread yourselves so you can maximise the amount of eggs collected. If there are 2 players in the same area, you can rotate so whilst one is running an egg, the other player splats coolers and when they return, you run your egg. If you think the achieved quota is low, then use a special. Killer Wail, Triple Inkstrike and Booyah Bomb are useful, but other specials can be used too. When the Mothership is close to the basket, ensure you aim for the top of the Mothership so you can splat coolers and damage the Mothership at the same time. Remember, the eggs come from splatting the Chinook and not the cooler itself, which is worth remembering if you are slightly late to a cooler. 
  • Cohock Charge – Usually better if heavy weapons use cannons as they have slow swim speed. Cannon users should not splat mobile bosses too far from basket as it takes a long time to run those eggs, be patient. Egg runners should be aware of Maws and Drizzler balloons so cannon users are protected. If egg runners see mobile bosses spawn you can wait and let them come closer. It is possible to have only one cannon user however if you see a build up of bosses and teammates struggling to run eggs or stay alive, consider going to a cannon to help clear Cohocks and bosses.
  • Fog – To maximise this wave’s potential do not splat Goldies far from basket, you can move close to a Goldie so it targets you and lure it. As vision is impaired be on the lookout for Big Shots, Flyfish and Drizzler balloons. It can be easy to tunnel eggs when you pop 10 egg Goldies but be aware of being bunched up and potentially getting wiped. Bosses do not spawn in groups in Fog. Always be aware of where the next few enemies are coming from, because they will come from everywhere. Identify far threats by their lights (Scrappers have green headlights, Steel Eels have red).
Don't Do!
  • Guard eggs: Do not guard eggs in general but especially not ones that are far away from the basket while spamming This Way! There are plenty of eggs to be run during the wave so prioritise ones that can be run closer to basket instead of wasting precious time.
  • Over Luring: A common mistake is to sit at basket and try to over lure. This is not good practice for winning games, especially in Freelance. Work with your team and splat bosses quickly. You always want to be doing something, whether it’s turfing, splatting lessers, running eggs etc.
  • Waste specials: Do not waste specials for no reason as they can be useful later in the wave or other waves. Saving specials especially Killer Wail to celebrate with after wave 3 is pointless and not appreciated by your teammates.
  • Only run eggs: If you win and run the most eggs that doesn’t exactly mean you “carried” the shift. Splatting bosses, reviving teammates, turfing and clearing lessers is just as important.
  • Spam commands: Spamming This Way! or Booyah! for no reason doesn’t help anything.
  • Getting splatted: Constantly getting splatted can hinder the objective especially if you do this far away from the basket. If you are struggling try and make safer choices and use the high ground if possible.