Gear building in Splatoon 3 is more than just finding stylish outfits—it’s a system of calculated trade-offs, strategic enhancements, and personal playstyle expression. While it may not grant miraculous power, gear can be the difference between consistency and chaos, between a quick comeback or a costly death. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to think about abilities, manage diminishing returns, build for your weapon and style, and make your gear not just look good—but play smart.

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The Basics: AP and Gear Structure

In Splatoon 3, gear abilities are measured in Ability Points (AP):

• One main ability = 10 AP
• One sub ability = 3 AP
• Each gear item (headgear, clothing, shoes) contributes 19 AP (10 from main, 3×3 from subs)

This means 3 subs total only give you 9 AP compared to the 10 AP of a main ability. Certain gear-specific quirks exist, like Ability Doubler, which replaces your main ability with two sub-level copies of itself, effectively giving 18 AP in total. It’s slightly weaker, but can be situationally useful when you want a moderate amount of a specific ability without over-committing.

Diminishing Returns: Why More Isn’t Always Better

One of the most important rules of gear building is diminishing returns. The first sub of an ability gives a huge boost. The second and third sub give increasingly smaller improvements.

For instance, Swim Speed Up provides a noticeable jump with just one sub. Add more, and the incremental improvement shrinks. The difference between 0 and 1 sub is significant, but the difference between 3 mains and 3 subs is relatively small.

This is why many pro players use “utility subs”—one or two sub slots of various supportive abilities—rather than stacking a single one.

Utility Subs: Tiny Costs, Massive Value

Some of the most efficient investments you can make are in 1-sub “utility abilities.” These offer disproportionate value for their low cost:

• Ink Resistance Up: Prevents you from getting stuck in enemy ink.
• Special Saver: Reduces the penalty of dying with your special.
• Quick Super Jump: Cuts down your super jump charge time by over 20 frames with just one sub.
• Sub Resistance Up: Lessens the impact of enemy bombs.

Special Saver Example:

• 0 gear: Respawn with 50% special charge
• +1 sub: Almost 60%
• +1 main: Just over 70%
• +2 mains: ~82%

As you can see, the first sub gives a great return, but stacking more starts to cost increasingly more for smaller gains.

Opportunity Cost: What Are You Giving Up?

Every slot you assign has opportunity cost—the value of what you could have used instead.

Abilities like Opening Gambit give strong early-game boosts but go dormant after 30 seconds. Is that better than something consistently useful like Swim Speed or Ink Saver for your full match?

The same applies to abilities that activate only under certain conditions. But some of these “come from behind” abilities are actually powerful safety nets:

Quick Respawn (QR):

• Useless if you get a kill during your life
• But if you die without a kill, you respawn faster
• Great for risky playstyles or aggressive weapons

Comeback:

• Lasts 20 seconds after you respawn
• Boosts many stats including Ink Recovery, Run Speed, and Special Charge
• Very helpful if you tend to die 2–3 times per game

Last-Ditch Effort (LDE):

• Activates during the last 30 seconds of a match or when the enemy leads in ranked
• Buffs ink efficiency, not mobility
• Especially strong on ink-hungry weapons and frequently seen in competitive play

Kit Synergy: Play to Strengths or Patch Weaknesses

A gear ability is only as good as how often you use what it enhances. For example:

• Run Speed Up benefits backliners and strafing weapons like Splatlings.
• Sub Power Up only matters if you frequently use your sub weapon.
• Special Charge Up matters more on weapons that don’t paint well but rely on special utility (like Blaster + Big Bubbler).

When planning your gear, ask:

• Do I use my main or sub weapon more?
• Does my weapon need help with mobility?
• Is my playstyle aggressive or cautious?

Patch weaknesses or boost your strengths. Add Swim Speed Up to slower weapons like Explosher. Use Ink Resistanceon Blasters to move freely while painting. Equip Quick Super Jump on Chargers for safer escapes.

Even odd builds can thrive if they support your playstyle. As one example, a Blaster player reached 2800 X Power using Special Charge Up to get Big Bubbler more often—a rare but highly effective strategy when used intentionally.

Hybrid Builds and Adaptability

Not all gear has to be optimized for one strategy. You’ll face a wide range of match scenarios, and your build should reflect that. Plan for:

• Best Case: You’re dominating—abilities like Ink Saver can help you snowball.
• Worst Case: You’re losing—abilities like LDE or QR help you recover.

Don’t over-commit to a single ability or assume every ability must be maxed to be useful. One sub slot can make a massive difference.

Final Thoughts: Experiment and Understand

The best gear builds are the ones you understand.

• Know why you picked each ability.
• Test alternative builds—maybe you don’t need that third Swim Speed.
• Use tools like sendo.inc to simulate builds, view meta trends, and experiment.

There is no one perfect gear setup for every player. Your gear should align with:

• Your weapon’s kit
• Your preferred role (slayer, support, anchor)
• Your personal strengths and weaknesses

Ultimately, flexibility and awareness will take you farther than any single main or sub. So get out there, experiment, and find what works best for you.

Happy building, and good luck in the Splatlands!