As you go through the roguelike Splatoon 3 Side Order, you’ll acquire Color Chips for your Palette that affect your abilities. Some may end up feeling stronger or more useful than others, though your mileage may vary. Here are some of the best Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC Color Chips you can pick up to improve your performance in any run.
Best Drone Color Chips in the Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC
There are three chips I recommend grabbing for Pearl if you can. All of them are handy, because they can make her a little more helpful. While her Killer Wail one she gets during the tutorial is fine, I think these other three can offer greater range.
- Drone Inkstrike: She’ll be able to use an Inkstrike. This is great, since there’s greater range and odds of it getting enemies than something like Killer Wail.
- Drone Items: Pearl will create support items and drop them down to you as she charges up.
- Drone Sprinkler: This is probably the most controversial of my picks. You know the Sprinkler sub-weapon in Splatoon 3? This makes the Pearl Drone that for a while. Since she follows you, it can help!
Best Lucky Color Chips in Splatoon 3
So with the Lucky Color Chips, my recommendation is getting ones that increases the length and window of the chain. This is because the other chips are more specialized. If you like extra armor, extra Pearl Drone batteries, more Canned Special items, or Ink Bottle items, then one of those Color Chips might be the best one for you. But these other two are more universal.
- Lucky Chain Window: With this one, it focuses on a larger duration, which increases your odds of getting items if you hit enemies one after another.
- Max Lucky Chain: This Color Chip’s focus is on the maximum length. Again, it’s about bolstering the odds of drops.
Best Mobility Color Chips in Splatoon 3
There are a lot of Mobility abilities that can be great! My favorites are the ones that help build up charges. But also the general ones that increase movement speeds are fantastic. Since these are so specialized depending on your own build preferences, I’m just going to go ahead and list some of the general great ones you should consider.
- Extra Dodge Roll: You can roll one more time when Dualies are equipped.
- Mobile Drone Gauge: The Pearl Drone’s gauge fills up when you move around.
- Mobile Ink Recovery: You will get ink just by running around.
- Mobile Special Charge: Your Special Gauge will increase when you walk around a stage.
- Moving Ink Speed: If you use a Brush or Roller, you’ll move faster when you have it on the ground and are running ink the ground.
- Run Speed Up: You’ll sprint faster when you’re in the humanoid Octoling form.
- Swim Speed Up: You’ll swim faster when in the octopus form.
Best Power Color Chips in Splatoon 3
Power Color Chips tend to be universally helpful in Splatoon 3. Like you can’t turn down dealing more damage to enemies, because it really helps with survivability. There are a few specialized ones that might not be as useful in every run, like the Sound Wave Damage Color Chip. But in general, a lot work with any run you have going.
- Ink Damage: Increases Pearl Drone and weapon damage.
- Main Damage (Close): If you’re close to your enemy, then you’ll deal more damage than usual.
- Main Damage (Distant): This is really only best with weapons that have a long range, like the Bow or Charger Palette, but it could pair with the Main Range Color Chip.
- Main Firing Speed: Your rate of fire goes up.
- Poison Ink: Given how easy it is for a fleet of Swarming Languendo to mob you, I love and fully endorse this one. (It’s great for the other Jelleton enemies too!)
Best Range Color Chips in Splatoon 3
A lot of the range updates are super useful, but come down to your personal preference. Do you have trouble aiming? Ink Attack Size is good to help with that. Want more range, but hate Chargers and love Dualies? Main Range is a good way to deal with that. If you’ve also been going with Color Chips like Poison Ink or Sticky Ink that either damage or slow enemies walking on your ink, then Main Ink Coverage, Rush Ink Coverage, and Hindrance Damage make sense.
But in general, I suggest these Range Color Chips. They aren’t really dependent on builds.
- Main Piercing: Adds a Pierce effect to your main weapon’s attack, so it will go through enemies to hit ones behind them.
- Special Charge Up: When your ink hits surfaces, your Special Gauge will fill.
- Turf Drone Gauge: Pearl Drone’s gauge will fill when you get your ink on the ground or other surfaces.
- Turf Lucky Chain: This one is my favorite, as it means your Lucky Chain will increase just by getting ink on the ground and isn’t solely determined by enemies.
Splatoon 3 and the Side Order DLC are available now on the Nintendo Switch.
