On your way to becoming a true profreshional at Salmon Run in Splatoon 3? This guide can help you take down all the normal Boss Salmonids you’ll encounter in a standard run. Quickly dispensing with Boss Salmonids helps you avoid pay cuts and farm those scales. 

Note that some of the Boss Salmonids below are rated “High Priority,” because it is my belief these Boss Salmonids are worth the extra effort to prioritize. Of course this is very situational, and one shouldn’t put themselves at too much risk just to take down these particular Boss Salmonids. In addition, there are situations and times where those that aren’t marked as “High Priority” can cause as much or more damage.  

STEELHEAD

High priority

The Steelhead creates a large balloon-like bubble on its head that it tosses at nearby Inklings and Octolings. To defeat it, you have to splat the balloon before it launches. Inking any other part of the Steelhead does no damage. Fast inking and ranged weapons work best for this. Perching up high above the Steelhead also helps, as Chum attacking you at the same time can make it difficult. If you’re in possession of a weapon like a roller or brush, it’s best to let your teammates take out the Steelhead, but you can help by luring it or taking care of the surrounding Chum.

FLYFISH

High priority

Flyfish launch a weapon similar to the Tentamissles and if not dealt with swiftly, they can cause chaos and exponential problems. To destroy a Flyfish, you must toss a bomb into both of the Boss Salmonid’s launchers when they open. Having a good line of sight, squaring up against the Flyfish, can be key as you can use the lids as a sort of backboard to land your bombs. It is possible to land a bomb in one launcher, get enough ink and land a second bomb in the other launcher in one go, but Flyfish are best taken down quickly as a pair or team.  

STEEL EEL

A Steel Eel, like the Scrapper, attacks more physically, and can crush you against a wall or push you into the water or other enemies. Steel Eels have a long winding mechanical body, but only the driver, at the back, is vulnerable to attack. To take down a Steel Eel you have to splat the salmonid driver. Often taking to higher ground or sneaking past a Steel Eel who is pursuing a teammate can get you in position. When it is safe to do so, it can be worth letting a Steel Eel chase you closer to the basket so that you can easily deposit the eggs after destroying them. When maneuvering to avoid a Steel Eel in pursuit, try not to lead it to wrap itself in a circle, making it even harder to splat the driver.

DRIZZLER

The Drizzler attacks using a torpedo of ink that when activated acts much like an Ink Storm.  A rain cloud appears over where it burst and rains down ink. A Drizzler can only be attacked after it launches one of its torpedoes, and the salmonid is exposed.  An expert way to take down a Drizzler is to launch the torpedo right back at them, but executing this requires precise positioning. It’s often worth taking out the torpedo to prevent the downpour of ink, but it’s easy to get caught in the pattern of attacking the torpedoes and ignoring the actual Drizzler and not actually making progress, so one rainstorm of ink may be worth taking out the Drizzler. Unless you have a particularly powerful weapon, you may not be able to take out the Drizzler alone or in one go, which makes the torpedo method best if it is possible.

STINGER

High priority

Stingers stay near the shore and blast a laser beam of ink, somewhat similar to a charger-type weapon, but for a much longer duration. They target one player and depending on factors that might limit that player’s mobility can be quite tricky to avoid. Stingers are best deal with by players who have rapid-fire weapons, but tossing a bomb near them is always helpful. When approaching them from a distance, a well placed bomb will take out the first several rows of pots, and even if your weapon isn’t ideal, will help make the work much quicker. When it feels safe to do so, turning to face the stage from behind the Stinger can help eliminate any other enemies in the area who may be now approaching you, although it puts you at risk of falling into the water or attack from newly spawning enemies behind you. 

SCRAPPER

Scrappers are one of the easiest and least-threatening Boss Salmonids there are, but as with all of these Boss Salmonids, there are cases where they become lethal. Trying to narrowly swim past a Scrapper can result in a push into the water or into other enemies. Scrappers turn with their protective armor to make the exposed Salmonid on the back hard to reach, but after enough damage they become temporarily paralyzed, and an attacker can swim around to take them out. Teamwork can bring them down more quickly, with one player flanking them from behind. Because they are a relatively small threat overall, it’s often worth letting them pursue players closer to the basket, for easier depositing of eggs.

MAWS

Death can come quickly from below in the form of Maws. They attack from underground, but they give a warning in the form of a circle with a bobber in the middle. So long as you stay outside of that circle, you’re safe. When they’re attempting to attack, you can fire normally at them, but that method takes several rounds to bring them down. Landing a bomb in the circle will cause the Maws to eat the bomb and instakill it. Timing and landing the bomb can be a bit tricky, but this method is generally preferred. When it is feasible to do so, Maws is another enemy that you can draw closer to the egg basket to make your work of carrying eggs a bit easier.

FISH STICK

These tall towers are carried onto the stage and land, creating a ring of enemy ink below the circling enemies at the top of the tower. Depending on your weapon and the surrounding threats, you can choose to either climb the tower to take out the Fish Stick or you can do so from the ground. By inking the side of the tower, you’re able to swim up it and destroy the salmonids. From the ground, you have to aim even more precisely to take them out. Both methods are easiest with a fast-firing weapon, and when destroying them from the ground you need something with range. Be careful on top of a Fish Stick, because while it can feel like a safe space, you are still vulnerable to attacks from several Boss Salmonids, such as Maws and Flipper-Floppers. When attacking from the ground, make sure your immediate area is safe as you’ll be looking up and if not careful, you could be attacked or knocked into the water.

FLIPPER-FLOPPER

The Flipper-Flopper feels like one of the easiest Boss Salmonids to take down, but if not careful, and in certain situations, they can be deadly. They create a ring of enemy ink on the ground indicating where they’ll land and if a player is caught in that space, without entirely inking that ground, they’ll be splatted. To quickly dispense with Flipper-Floppers, ink the circle they’ve created. This is always fastest with teamwork and depending on your weapon and the position of the circle, you may not be able to do it alone. Always try to do so from outside the ring if possible, to reduce your risk of being splatted. Once you’ve inked the ground completely, the Flipper-Flopper won’t be able to pass through and will slam against the ground, where you can easily splat them. Just don’t forget to take them out once you’ve created the opportunity, because if you don’t, they’ll be right back at it.

SLAMMIN’ LID

These UFO-like enemies creep close to players and spawn extra enemies. If a player swims under their radius, they’ll slam down to attack. When they’re above flat, accessible ground, one of the easiest ways to take them out is to trigger their slam, by just barely swimming or walking under their range, and quickly exiting. When they slam down, you simply hop on top and take them out. An extra tip is to, whenever possible, maximize their slam as it not only takes out Inklings and Octolings, but also chum and other Boss Salmonids. If there’s a Steelhead or other enemy heading toward a Slammin’ Lid, make sure you have them slam down at an opportune time to take out those enemies for you.  You can also snipe or rapid-fire take down Slammin’ Lids from a distance if you’re at the right height, negating the risk of forcing their slam. When a Slammin’ Lid is at above angled platforms, this can be the preferred strategy as hopping on top can be tricky in such situations.

BIG SHOT

High priority

Big Shots spawn near the shore, and if not dealt with, they can quickly multiply and become more than just an annoyance. They attack by launching cannonballs from a launcher that also spawns near the shore. When those cannonballs land, they create a ring-based attack like the Wave Breaker. There’s no special trick to taking out Big Shots, you simply ink them with your weapon. What makes them a bit tricky is that they are pretty strong and they descend back into the water after firing their shots. So teamwork is best to take them down quickly. Once a cannon has spawned, it’s good to keep an eye on it, as multiple Big Shots will spawn and use the same cannon. In addition, you can utilize their cannons to launch eggs back towards the basket. While this is often a great idea, don’t forget to get back to the basket to deposit the eggs nearby before Snatchers come and gather them up.

Well that’s it for our How To on beating all the normal Boss Salmonids in Splatoon 3. Have a tip we missed? Want to see us cover the known occurrences such as Glow Flies and Grillers? Let us know in the comments below or come discuss on the Boss Rush Discord. Don’t forget to check back weekly on Wednesdays for more How To articles from the Boss Rush team.

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