Splatoon 3 Meta Knowledge Expert

Domain knowledge for semantic labeling and analysis of Splatoon 3 gear builds, abilities, and competitive meta patterns. Designed for SAE feature labeling and build pattern classification.

Quick Reference: Core Frameworks

The AP System

Main slot: 10 AP (also written as 1.0 in Japanese notation)
Sub slot: 3 AP (also written as 0.1)
Max per build: 57 AP (3 gear pieces × 19 AP)
Diminishing returns: First sub = ~10% max effect (HIGHEST efficiency), First main = ~30%

Japanese Meta Terminology

| Term | Meaning | Implication | |------|---------|-------------| | お守り (Omamori) | "Charm gear" | Small investments (0.1-0.2) preventing catastrophic outcomes | | ゾンビ (Zombie) | Death-embracing playstyle | QR + Comeback + Stealth Jump; weaponizes respawn | | カムバゾンビステジャン | Meta build template | Comeback + Quick Respawn + Stealth Jump | | 調整 (Chousei) | Adjustment/breakpoint | Finding exact AP for maximum ROI | | 付け得 (Tsuketoku) | "Pure benefit" | Abilities where even 0.1 is always worth it |

The Four Omamori (Universal 0.1 Investments)

Always valuable at single-sub investment:

Quick Super Jump — Escape vector, gauge preservation
Sub Resistance Up — Combo breaking (30→28.4 dmg)
Ink Resistance Up — Mobility floor, DoT buffer
Special Saver — 50%→41% gauge loss on death

Labeling Workflow

Step 1: Identify Build Archetype

Determine primary playstyle from ability composition:

| Archetype | Key Indicators | Death Philosophy | |-----------|----------------|------------------| | Zombie Slayer | QR ≥1.0 + Comeback + Stealth Jump | Weaponizes death | | Stealth Slayer | Ninja Squid + SSU ≥1.0 + Stealth Jump | Approach concealment | | Anchor/Backline | Respawn Punisher + Object Shredder | Never dies | | Splatling Turret | RSU ≥2.0 + Ink Res | Strafe fighting | | Support/Beacon | Sub Power Up + ISS + Comeback | Team utility focus | | Special Farmer | SCU ≥1.0 + Special Saver + Tenacity | Special as win condition |

Step 2: Classify Ability Relationships

For each ability in the build, identify its functional role:

Primary Categories:

omamori — Safety/insurance investment (typically 0.1-0.2)
zombie — Death mitigation / aggression enabler
mobility — Movement and positioning
efficiency — Ink/special resource management
information — Vision control (stealth or tracking)
punishment — Making kills hurt more
team-utility — Benefits teammates

Secondary Tags:

breakpoint-dependent — Value hinges on specific AP threshold
weapon-specific — Only valuable on certain weapon classes
mode-dependent — Value changes by game mode
slot-exclusive — Competes with other main-only abilities

Step 3: Identify Synergies/Conflicts

Check for known relationships:

Critical Synergies:

Ninja Squid → REQUIRES SSU ≥1.0 (offset 10% penalty)
Comeback + QR + Stealth Jump → Complete Zombie package
Respawn Punisher + Object Shredder → Anchor control package

Critical Conflicts:

Respawn Punisher + Quick Respawn → RP reduces QR by 85%
Respawn Punisher + frontline weapon → Self-penalty exceeds benefit
Stealth Jump + Drop Roller → Same slot exclusion

Reference Files

For detailed information, consult:

references/abilities.md — Complete per-ability domain knowledge including:
- Japanese terminology and shorthand
- Standard AP adjustments and breakpoints
- Weapon-specific context
- Synergies and anti-synergies
- Semantic tags for labeling
references/archetypes.md — Weapon archetype mappings:
- Core abilities per weapon class
- Playstyle associations
- Template builds
references/synergies.md — Relationship matrices:
- Synergy chains with explanations
- Anti-synergy conflicts with severity ratings
- Slot competition mappings
references/weapons.md — Complete weapon reference:
- Weapon ID to name mappings (for mechinterp output)
- Sub and special weapon for each kit
- Weapon class groupings
- Special-dependent weapon list (benefit heavily from SCU)
references/weapon-vibes.md — Per-weapon "vibe" profiles ⚠️ Community consensus:
- Ink/movement/aim feel per weapon
- Typical ability investments (ISM, RSU, IA)
- Range, approach style, Ninja Squid affinity
- Role (lane/job) and death tolerance
- Quick lookup tables by trait

Death-Related Ability Nuances

Critical distinction for labeling death-mitigation features:

| Ability | Mechanism | Incentivizes Death? | |---------|-----------|---------------------| | Quick Respawn | Faster respawn on no-kill deaths | YES — activates only on consecutive deaths without kills | | Comeback | 20s stat boost post-respawn | NO — rewards capitalizing on window, not dying | | Special Saver | Reduce gauge loss | NO — passive insurance | | Stealth Jump | Safe aggressive jumps | INDIRECT — enables riskier positioning | | Respawn Punisher | Punish opponent deaths | NO — punishes YOUR deaths harder | | Haunt | Track your killer | INDIRECT — provides value from being killed |

Feature Label Examples

When labeling SAE features, use patterns like:

Feature: High QR + Comeback + Stealth Jump activation
Label: zombie_slayer_package, death_mitigation_hard, aggressive_reentry

Feature: Ninja Squid without SSU compensation
Label: incomplete_build, missing_synergy, suboptimal_mobility

Feature: Respawn Punisher + QR co-occurrence
Label: critical_conflict, anti_synergy, build_error

Feature: Exactly 0.1 of QSJ + SubRes + InkRes + SpecialSaver
Label: omamori_package, optimal_utility, japanese_meta_standard

Feature: RSU ≥2.0 without Splatling weapon
Label: potential_mismatch, weapon_context_required, investigate

AP Threshold Flags

Flag these specific investment levels:

| Ability | Threshold | Significance | |---------|-----------|--------------| | SSU with Ninja Squid | ≥1.0 (10 AP) | Mandatory offset | | Quick Respawn | ≥1.2 (12 AP) | Minimum effective Zombie | | Intensify Action (Shooters) | 0.2 (6 AP) | "Golden ratio" for jump accuracy | | Intensify Action (Blasters) | ≥1.0 (10 AP) | Ground accuracy while jumping | | Run Speed Up (Splatlings) | ≥2.0 (20 AP) | Minimum for strafe viability | | Special Saver | 0.1 (3 AP) | Highest efficiency single investment |

MechInterp Integration

Use this skill when mechinterp analysis shows weapon-specific patterns.

After weapon_sweep Analysis

If weapon_sweep shows a specific weapon dominates activation:

Look up the weapon's kit in references/weapons.md:
- Find the weapon by name or ID
- Note its sub weapon and special weapon
Check if other high-activation weapons share kit components:
- Same sub weapon → Feature may encode sub weapon playstyle
- Same special weapon → Feature may encode special farming/spam builds
Cross-reference with weapon characteristics:
- Is this a "special-dependent" weapon? (See references/weapons.md special list)
- What archetype does this weapon belong to? (See references/archetypes.md)

Kit-Linked Feature Detection

When multiple weapons share a sub or special but feature activates for all of them:

| Pattern | Likely Interpretation | |---------|----------------------| | All high weapons have Squid Beakon | Beacon-focused playstyle feature | | All high weapons have Ink Storm | Zoning/area denial special spam | | All high weapons have Trizooka | Kill-focused special builds | | All high weapons have Wave Breaker | Pressure special stacking | | All high weapons have Crab Tank | Heavy special farming builds |

Example: Feature 18712 Kit Analysis

weapon_sweep findings:
- Octobrush Nouveau: +0.22 delta (DOMINANT)
- Range Blaster: +0.09 delta
- Rapid Blaster: +0.08 delta

Kit lookup from weapons.md:
- Octobrush Nouveau: Squid Beakon + Ink Storm
- Range Blaster: Suction Bomb + Wave Breaker
- Rapid Blaster: Torpedo + Triple Inkstrike

Pattern check:
- No shared sub weapon
- But ALL are "special-dependent" weapons per meta

Conclusion: Feature encodes "Special Charge Up on special-dependent weapons"
           not just "Octobrush Nouveau builds"

Quick Kit Lookup

For common weapon IDs in mechinterp output, see references/weapons.md.

Example high-frequency weapon IDs: | ID | Weapon | Sub | Special | |----|--------|-----|---------| | 1111 | Octobrush Nouveau | Squid Beakon | Ink Storm | | 220 | Range Blaster | Suction Bomb | Wave Breaker | | 240 | Rapid Blaster | Torpedo | Triple Inkstrike | | 2021 | Big Swig Roller | Splash Wall | Ink Vac | | 2050 | Custom E-liter 4K | Squid Beakon | Kraken Royale |