The Tri-Stringer is one of the new weapons that you can get your hands on in Splatoon 3. It can be hard for players to get used to the Tri-Stringer since it's a fresh weapon. The weapon is particularly tricky to use, which makes mastering it even more difficult.
We've talked before about the Tri-Stringer and how it needs some work in order to be more viable. However, if you're set on mastering it, this guide should help you find your way a bit easier.
What Is The Tri-Stringer?
The Tri-Stringer is the basic weapon of the new Stringer class, a class that resembles bows. It fires three separate shots of ink which can be fired in a wide horizontal shot on the ground or in a straight vertical shot in the air. When charged, it releases three canisters that can explode for extra damage.
The Tri-Stringer also comes with the Toxic Mist Sub Weapon and the Killer Wail 5.1 Special Weapon, both of which will be covered in-depth later. The weapon serves the purpose of assisting teammates with its ability to eat at the opponent's health and control areas of the stage. We'll go over each aspect of the weapon and the purposes they serve.
Main Weapon - Damage and Uses
Landing each hit of the Tri-Stringer's uncharged shots will do 90 damage, 30 for each shot. It's nearly impossible to pull this off, so you'll want to focus on using uncharged shots for inking or finishing off damaged opponents that get close. The charged shots will be your main source of damage and kills. Once you charge the weapon, each shot will do 35 damage, making it 105 if all shots hit the target. Each canister will explode for 28 damage, so if you somehow miss each shot but land all the explosions, you'll deal 84 damage total. Charging the Tri-Stringer past the first level will make the shots fire farther and more narrowly.
You'll want to prioritize chipping at the enemy's health with the canisters. While the second charge level allows you to fire more precisely, firing with only the first charge allows your canisters to cover a wider area. It's possible to kill opponents with one shot, but you'll have to work much hard to do so since missing one of the canisters means you don't get the kill. You're better off supporting your team by damaging your opponents from the side or finishing them off. If you are looking to kill, however, you'll find more success in using the aerial charged shots since the canisters have a better chance of hitting an inkling when shot vertically. The weapon is also capable of shooting over walls, so make use of that when possible.
In terms of inking the ground, the Tri-Stringer is not good at it. The weapon focuses on firing three shots in a specific area, so the path that the shots travel ends up being spotty. On top of that, the explosive canisters don't cover any extra ground either. You'll want to use the uncharged aerial shots to ink the ground because it can do so more consistently. However, don't neglect using your grounded shots, either. On the plus side, you can rely on the weapon to ink walls pretty well.
As for the charged shots, the canisters provide decent area control where they land. This makes them great for game modes where players have to stick to specific areas, like Tower Control. They all won't kill an opponent on their own, but they don't need to; your main goal is to assist your teammates by applying damage rather than killing everyone off.
Toxic Mist
The Toxic Mist is a Sub Weapon that releases a noxious gas. The gas covers a spherical area wherever it's thrown, which consumes the ink of any enemies that get caught in it. It also decreases their movement speed. Both of these effects become stronger depending on how long the enemy stays in the mist. It's a decent Sub-Weapon, and while the Tri-Stringer deserves better, the Toxic Mist isn't without its uses.
For starters, it increases the area control capabilities of the Tri-Stringer by cutting off the spots where you place it, or at least making them dangerous to stay in. It does this better than the Tri-Stringer's canisters because it not only covers a wider area but also lasts five seconds. This makes the Sub Weapon especially useful for those previously mentioned modes where you have to stick to a specific location. Note that it's always best to use them both together.
The Toxic Mist also helps with getting the Tri-Stringer out of tight situations. The weapon struggles when it comes to up-close combat; if an opponent that didn't take any damage closes in on you, you're more than likely to get splatted first. The Toxic Mist can help you out by slowing them down and consuming their ink. It's also easy to tell if an enemy is trying to swim through it to get in on you since the mist will be stronger around them. It can be easily forgotten to use, but try to take note of the best opportunities to throw one out.
Killer Wail 5.1
The Killer Wail 5.1 is one of the new Special Weapons for Splatoon 3. It unleashes six lasers that will lock onto opponents and track them down. Two lasers will track one opponent at a time, so you can track up to three of them with it. The lasers are capable of going through walls, as well as through multiple opponents at a time. So, even if you don't lock on to a specific opponent, it's still possible for them to get killed by the lasers. So how does this help out the Tri-Stringer specifically?
The Killer Wail 5.1 is in the same boat as the Toxic Mist. There could be a better Special Weapon to complement its capabilities, but it has aspects that help out the Tri-Stringer nonetheless. It gives away the location of enemies due to the lock-on and tracking of the lasers. This makes it a bit easier to aim for and shoot at them. It can also eat at the damage of opponents that aren't careful, making it easier for your team to finish them off.
The Tri-Stringer is a unique weapon that provides support through area control and chip damage. It's definitely one of the more tactical weapons, where you'll need to think and be wary of what's happening around you more than you would need to with most weapons. This weapon also requires you to work with your team and have them work with you to get the most out of every situation. Hopefully, this guide makes mastering the Tri-Stringer easier for you.