Crab Tank
TheCrab Tank is aspecial weapon inSplatoon 3. It is a piloted assault vehicle that can both rapidly fire ink shots and launch explosive ink blobs.
Appearance
The Crab Tank is a crab-shaped mech that can curl up into a ball. Its outer shell changes color to match the user's ink. It is armed with three turret-like cannons, one on each front limb, and one in the center of its body.
Splatoon 3
| Category | Special | |
| Class | ||
| Sub | ||
| Special | ||
| Special points | ||
| Special depletion | ||
| Range | ||
| Damage | ||
| Impact | ||
| Fire rate | ||
| Charge speed | ||
| Ink speed | ||
| Mobility | ||
| Durability | ||
| Handling | ||
| Level | ||
| Cost | ||
| Requirement | ||
| Added in | Specifications | |
| Weight | ||
| Base damage | 32 (Rapid fire) 30 (Cannon, Splash) 50 (Cannon, Direct hit) 40 (Rolling) | |
| Base duration | 8 seconds | |
| Ink consumption | ||
| Base range | ||
| Rate of fire | ||
| Muzzle velocity | ||
| Base accuracy | ||
| MPU effect | ||
| SPU effect | ||
| SPU effect | ||
| Other variant |
The Crab Tank can walk and strafe like players, or curl up into a ball to move faster and climb up walls,inking the surface as it moves, similar to theBaller. Like a real crab, the tank walks faster side-to-side than it does forwards or backwards. When climbing, the crab tank cannot move left and right, only up and down.
The Crab Tank has 500 HP and has varying damage multipliers against certain weapons:
| Weapon | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Main weapon | |
| Splatanas (charged melee) | 0.65x |
 Bamboozler 14 Mk I | 0.8x |
| Chargers | 1.3x |
| Splatanas (uncharged melee) | 1.3x |
| Brellas (shot) | 1.3x |
| Stringers | 1.3x |
| Brushes (swing) | 1.4x |
| Rollers (swing) | 1.4x |
 Dynamo Roller (swing) | 1.6x |
| Splatanas (projectiles) | 2.6x |
 Big Swig Roller (swing) | 2.8x |
| Sub weapon | |
 Fizzy Bomb | 1.6x |
 Torpedo (explosion) | 2x |
| Special weapon | |
 Ink Vac (shot) | 0x |
 Crab Tank (cannon) | 1.5x |
 Killer Wail 5.1 | 1.5x |
 Tenta Missiles | 1.5x |
 Trizooka | 1.8x |
 Booyah Bomb | 2x |
 Wave Breaker (waves) | 2x |
 Inkjet (direct hit) | 2.0835x |
 Ink Storm | 2.5x |
| Inkjet (exhaust) | 2.5x |
| Ink Vac (shot explosion) | 2.8x |
 Ultra Stamp (thrown hammer, direct hit) | 3.273x |
| Inkjet (indirect hit) | 3.5x |
 Kraken Royale | 4x |
| Ultra Stamp (stamp) | 4.5x |
| Ultra Stamp (thrown hammer, explosion) | 6x |
 Reefslider | 7.28x |
In walking mode, the tank has two firing modes: pressing fires a ball of ink in an arc that pierces enemies and explodes on contact similar to theExplosher, while fires a rapid stream of bullets from two turrets, similar todualies. Continuously shooting with increases the Crab Tank's firing rate drastically; it starts with a fire rate similar to the.96 Gal, but the peak rate of fire is the same as theHydra Splatling. Interrupting the continuous fire by rolling, using the cannon with, or letting go of will reset the fire rate to its starting point. The user sits on the back of the tank, where they can be damaged from above, behind, or the side.
In ball mode, the Crab Tank can move in all directions freely and climb walls, leaving a path of ink behind itself and dealing modest contact damage to enemies. It can also do a small "crab hop" by pressing. The player is completely protected in ball mode, and can heal at an accelerated rate similar to swim form. Although the Crab Tank turns and adjusts its aim very slowly while in walking mode, it faces in the direction of the camera when coming out of ball mode. Switching to ball mode and back to walking mode can allow it to turn more quickly, although the special cannot fire for a brief period after exiting ball mode (except inSalmon Run Next Wave).
The Crab Tank flashes red when its duration is almost up, warning the user the special will run out soon. Once the special ends, the crab tank will disappear and the player can move after a short delay. If the tank itself is destroyed, the player is ejected rather than splatted, and the special ends.
This special is one of the nine available specials in Salmon Run Next Wave.
It appears in 4Return of the Mammalians missions:
- 0000After Alterna
- 0205Tread Heavily
- Rocket 02Alterna Space Center Hangar
- Rocket 04The Spirit Lifter: Steerage
Special Power Up
- Main article:Special Power Up
Equipping Special Power Up with Crab Tank increases its duration. The following table shows the duration, in number of frames, when stacking Special Power Up.[1]
| Abilities | Duration | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 480 Frames | |||
| Main: 0, Sub: 1 |  | 498 Frames | ||
| Main: 0, Sub: 2 | | 514 Frames | ||
| Main: 0, Sub: 3 | | 530 Frames | ||
| Main: 1, Sub: 0 |  | 535 Frames | ||
| Main: 0, Sub: 4 | | | 545 Frames | |
| Main: 1, Sub: 1 | | 550 Frames | ||
| Main: 0, Sub: 5 | | | 559 Frames | |
| Main: 1, Sub: 2 | | 563 Frames | ||
| Main: 0, Sub: 6 | | | 572 Frames | |
| Main: 1, Sub: 3 | | 576 Frames | ||
| Main: 2, Sub: 0 | | | 580 Frames | |
| Main: 0, Sub: 7 | | | | 584 Frames |
| Main: 1, Sub: 4 | | | 588 Frames | |
| Main: 2, Sub: 1 | | | 591 Frames | |
| Main: 0, Sub: 8 | | | | 595 Frames |
| Main: 1, Sub: 5 | | | 599 Frames | |
| Main: 2, Sub: 2 | | | 602 Frames | |
| Main: 0, Sub: 9 | | | | 605 Frames |
| Main: 1, Sub: 6 | | | 609 Frames | |
| Main: 2, Sub: 3 | | | 612 Frames | |
| Main: 3, Sub: 0 | | | | 615 Frames |
| Main: 1, Sub: 7 | | | | 618 Frames |
| Main: 2, Sub: 4 | | | 621 Frames | |
| Main: 3, Sub: 1 | | | | 624 Frames |
| Main: 1, Sub: 8 | | | | 626 Frames |
| Main: 2, Sub: 5 | | | 629 Frames | |
| Main: 3, Sub: 2 | | | | 631 Frames |
| Main: 1, Sub: 9 | | | | 634 Frames |
| Main: 2, Sub: 6 | | | 636 Frames | |
| Main: 3, Sub: 3 | | | | 638 Frames |
| Main: 2, Sub: 7 | | | | 642 Frames |
| Main: 3, Sub: 4 | | | | 644 Frames |
| Main: 2, Sub: 8 | | | | 648 Frames |
| Main: 3, Sub: 5 | | | | 649 Frames |
| Main: 2, Sub: 9 | | | | 652 Frames |
| Main: 3, Sub: 6 | | | | 654 Frames |
| Main: 3, Sub: 7 | | | | 657 Frames |
| Main: 3, Sub: 8 | | | | 660 Frames |
| Main: 3, Sub: 9 | | | | 660 Frames |
Version history
| Version | Adjustments |
|---|---|
| 2.1.0 |
|
| 3.0.0 |
|
| 3.1.0 |
|
| 5.1.0 |
|
| 6.0.0 |
|
| 6.0.1 |
|
| 10.0.0 |
|
Quotes
| “ | Leave your foes in a pinch with the scuttling tank's superiorinkpower. Press for rapid-fire shots - will fire your cannon. Its back is vulnerable to enemy attacks, but you can shift into mobile mode with to protect yourself. | ” | — In-game description | ||
Sets
Badges
- Main article:Badge#Special weapon wins
Wining a certain number of battles with the Crab Tank will reward the player with specialbadges that they can use on theirSplashtag.
| Crab Tank badges | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 30 wins with Crab Tank | |
 | 180 wins with Crab Tank | |
 | 1,200 wins with Crab Tank | |
Gallery
Early promotional screenshot of the Crab Tank
An Inkling riding the early design of the Crab Tank
The Crab Tank curling up into a ball and climbing a wall
A Crab Tank shooting ink from its cannon
A Crab Tank firing ink
The Crab Tank icon in thespecial gauge
Using the Crab Tank inSalmon Run Next Wave
An earlier version of the Crab Tank icon.
2D icon.
2D icon used inSide Order
TheTableturf Battlecard icon of the Crab Tank.
Uncropped version of the Tableturf card icon.
Crab Tank concept art fromThe Art of Splatoon 3
Strategy
For competitive tips about the Crab Tank
 | View the strategy page. |
Trivia
- Prior to theSalmon Run Next Wave trailer, the Crab Tank is primarily yellow with sections that change color to match the user's ink instead of the whole tank matching the user's ink.
- The outside cannons resemble a style of junctionedexhaust headers mainly used in speedboat engines.
- The Crab Tank's multiple legs, ability to turn into a ball, and twin machine guns make it similar to theWrecking Ball mech from the gameOverwatch.
- If a Crab Tank user is tagged (by aPoint Sensor for example), and rolls, their position tag will roll with Crab Tank.
- In Salmon Run Next Wave, the attack acts as a bomb, allowing players to take downFlyfish andMudmouths easily.
- The Crab Tank was not added to anypost-releasedmain weapon until theSplatana Stamper Nouveau inChill Season 2023, being the last special to be put on a new set post-release.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | カニタンク Kani tanku | Crab Tank |
 Dutch | Krabbentank | Crab Tank |
 French | Crabe d'assaut[note 1] | Assault Crab |
 German | Krabbenpanzer | Crab tank[note 2] |
 Italian | Granchio armato | Armed Crab |
 Russian | Кработанк Krabotank | Crab tank |
 Spanish | Cangrejobot | Fromcangrejo ("crab") and robot. |
 Chinese | 螃蟹坦克 Pángxiè tǎnkè (Mandarin) | Crab Tank |
 Korean | 크랩 탱크 Keuraep taengkeu | Crab Tank |
 Internal | SpChariot[2] | Sp forspecial weapon. "Chariot" likely comes from 戦車sensha, which can mean either "(military) tank" or "chariot" depending on context. |
