The answer first
Ink the floor, not every wall. Use Swim Form to move and refill, check the map before Super Jumping, and save enough focus for the final 30 seconds. Splats create opportunities, but painted ground is what the mode measures.
The seven habits
- Ink your way out—then move forward. Cover useful paths near spawn, but do not spend the whole match polishing every tiny bare spot while teammates fight three-versus-four.
- Remember that walls are transportation. Inked walls help you climb and escape, but wall ink does not count toward the Turf War coverage score. Paint them when they create a route, not for points.
- Swim more than you walk. Swim Form moves quickly, hides you in your own ink, and refills your tank. Pop up, paint or fight, then dive again before becoming an easy target.
- Use cover instead of standing in the open. Fire around corners and obstacles. Nintendo’s own beginner advice notes that keeping part of your body behind cover makes you harder to hit.
- Check the map before jumping. A teammate icon surrounded by enemy ink is not a rescue point—it is a landing-zone ambush. Jump to a safer teammate or travel from spawn normally.
- Use the special instead of dying with it. Build it by inking turf, then use it to help the team push, break pressure, or reclaim space. Waiting forever for the perfect moment often wastes the whole charge.
- Treat the last 30 seconds as the real emergency. Stay alive, cover enemy ink, and avoid a desperate solo charge that leaves your team short-handed at the finish.
One-match practice checklist
Official beginner help
Nintendo has additional beginner lessons for improving battle movement and understanding online modes.
Should I ink every inch near spawn at the beginning?
No. Create useful coverage while moving toward the fight. Teammates who respawn later can fill missed areas while rebuilding their special meter.
Do splats count toward the Turf War score?
Not directly. Splats temporarily remove opponents, which gives your team time to paint, move, and control space. The result is still decided by turf coverage.
Why do I get splatted immediately after a Super Jump?
Your landing point is visible, and the teammate you selected may be surrounded. Use the map before confirming the jump and choose a safer landing point.