@VofEscaflowne
Good point. You'd have to be really, really skilled to make good use of that with the tower moving around and at the same time trying to move around yourself in order not to get sniped down.

@VofEscaflowne

I think a charger could be useful if you're on the tower. The height of the platform makes it a good vantage point, and a charger's superior range could theoretically push the other team away from you, the platform, and your teammates.

By the way, I came across this fan-made album of rearranged and re-imagined songs from Splatoon. It's pretty cool!

@Octorockin
But wouldn't the charger's comparatively slow speed be a problem when approached by a number of moving targets?

@Octorockin

What @r_hjort said. The opposing team will always be after the tower and a charger stands no chance against several moving targets. I think they'd be better on the sidelines and take out the enemy as soon as they take control of the tower.

@r_hjort

If the environment is inked in your team's favor, then their approach will be slower. In that instance, the player with a charger has more time to line up shots and space out the opposing team with long-distance inking. If the environment is not inked in your teams favor and your opponent is rushing you down, then it could be more problematic. That said, it's still a 4 on 4 game. I think solid teamwork could cover up the weaknesses of the charger atop the tower.

@Octorockin

Still, a charger's advantage is striking when your enemy doesn't expect it. If they know a charger is atop the tower, they won't be sitting targets for a charger to hit.

@VofEscaflowne

But even if the enemy knows that you're on that moving tower, they still have to close in on you if their weapon doesn't have excellent range. They won't be able to get close enough to overwhelm that charger-equipped inkling if you and your teammates make their approach difficult. The element of surprise is a great advantage to have if you're using a charger, but I think that weapon type's defensive capabilities are also great. Keeping the other team at bay for even a few seconds could help your team win the game.

This is just me theorizing about a charger's capabilities in this new mode. I think you bring up some valid concerns, too. From one fan of charger weapons to another, let's hope we can make good use of these weapons in Tower Control!

Goddamn they should do new modes that aren't just for ranked.

This will get me to try ranked finally though.

@carlosrox

Why aren't you already trying it? Splat Zones is fun as heck!

So good:

@deathly_hallows
Nice! I especially like the use of accordion, very inspired.

@deathly_hallows

That's really cool!

Caught a bit of Treehouse demoing the new Tower Control mode. Looks really fun and intense! They also showed off a new map coming soon but I opted to not look at it and keep it a surprise for when it launches.

@VofEscaflowne

I like how Nintendo is releasing content for this game. They've done a great job making each update feel special enough to keep the post-release excitement for Splatoon going strong. We've got the first Splatfest, a new stage, and a new mode all coming soon!

Anyway, good games, Chris! Too bad that last match ended in a funky way. Ink that can't be inked is never a good sign.

Oh man, I like this new Tower Control mode. Probably the most fun mode yet! I played charger and it's quite an effective support weapon since everyone else is occupied with trying to take whoever is on the tower. You can easily take out people without them seeing you and taking out those on the tower isn't too bad either. Taking control of the tower yourself is damn hard though but I somehow managed it this one time. My team kept staying in the back painting... yeah I don't know. But I was on the tower, killed all 4 of the opposing team one after the other. Then one jumped on my tower but my sprinkler killed him (how humiliating ) and then killed a 6th and 7th one with my Killer Wail ability since I saw their jump point. Success! Actually pulled the tower into their base after that. So yeah, very intense and very fun mode!

Ohboyohboyohboy! I can't wait to log on and try Tower Control mode! I might even try to learn how to use a charger properly now! I love hoe every time we get an update like this I go straight back into launch window hype mode.

EDIT: Fantastic mode! I love Tower Control! So tense! Too bad about the goddamn ranking system making it tense for the wrong reasons though.
How does ranked mode rules work now? Will we be able to select Tower Control or Splat Zones, or is it random?

@r_hjort

It looks like the Ranked Battles will alternate between Tower Control and Splat Zones. I personally don't mind this if both modes get rotated in equal measure, but it's a bit disappointing for people who want to freely select one or the other.

I'm really enjoying Tower Control right now. Like Vof said, charger weapons play a great support role based on the games I've played. It allows you to splat an opponent in control of the tower before they get close enough to change the lead. Taking control of the tower is challenging, but I've had some success keeping the other team at bay while riding it. I feel like it's difficult to stay on it no matter what weapon you're using, and that makes sense given the limited space of the tower and the attention it draws. It's a fun alternative to Turf Wars, and like the rest of the game, I've never played anything quite like it before. Also, the music that plays on the tower is delightfully goofy!

I don't know how I feel about Tower Control. It's hectic and fun, and requires team work more than any other mode I think. It also gives a fresh take on some of the maps because you'll be using terrain that you normally don't frequent too much in Splat Zones. But I feel like it's a bit too much of a clusterfuck, because of the focus on the tower, you often have multiple enemies after you at the same time and if you squid jump into the action you're more than likely to be splatted instantly. It's an interesting concept, so I'll give credit where it's due. But I think I prefer the more cautious and strategic element of Splat Zones. And no, this doesn't have to do with the fact that I dropped from A- to B rank since the Tower Control update.

I'm liking Tower Control a whole bunch. The Treehouse livestream beforehand got me interested in using the Blaster weapons for it.
When things get chaotic. I tend to jump off the tower and have blaster-shots explode in the air above. I'll often end up splatting 3 or 4 enemies who are fighting over space on the tower, and winning a power-play for my team.

@Dark Weres
Yeah, I noticed the blasters are very well suited for Tower Control. Especially combined with an Inkzooka for taking out distant foes while you're riding the tower.