Captain Squawk NOT Underpowered

Question

I've seen complaints about this particular variant being underpowered or too weak, when really I find that many simply don't know how to play as him very well. So here are some tips for using him effectively...

The powerful Gull Blaster should only be used at long ranges. The few people I see using Captain Squawk will sometimes try to use him at mid ranges, where he is not effective at all. If an enemy sneaks up on you, the Flem Thrower can be used as close-range self defense.
Make sure you have proper cover from wherever you are firing from. The Gull Blaster requires a reload after every shot which means you're vulnerable after every shot. This is why good cover is a priority when playing as Squawk.
Don't play aggressively. A pure sniper-oriented character like this requires a more conservative play style. Find a good vantage point, and be patient. The reticle takes a couple of seconds to zoom in all the way, so be patient and allow yourself the time for a precise shot. Too many players seem to "rush for the kill" instead of prioritizing accuracy by waiting for a full zoom.

For newcomers to Captain Squawk, hopefully these tips help you utilize this variant better.

Overall, I find Squawk to be very well balanced... not too powerful for a sniper character, and definitely not weak. It's only natural that a "higher-skill" variant like this will be deemed underpowered due to his niche role as a sniper character, and it's unlikely you'll end up with the Vanquish Master boast very often, but I think Squawk fits a nice role for the Zombies and finally offers a proper counterpart to the Camo Cactus.

superxmario128 · Answer

His DPS is a lot lower than some of the other pirates because he shoots slower and his accuracy isn't as good either since you have to wait for the the target reticule to center while aiming. It's not that he's underpowered (only due to his high damage per shot) but there are at least 5 other pirate versions better than him which puts him pretty low on the list. captain cannon might even be better than him now with his buffs but i haven't really bothered to use him after i maxed him which was forever ago since detonation characters weren't good back then

shavedthronel0 · Answer

Captain sqawk was a hard character. I still got vanquish master with him. My best vanquishes with him is 52 in turf take over. The reload, speed, and toxic upgrade are what I use. Sometimes if you fire then zoom in again the reticle stays small so you can shoot 2 times with good accuracy quickly. I feel his flem thrower is terrible. He can use barrel and just stay next to plants because of his toxic aura.&nbsp;

Answer

He just doesn't live up to the aggressive&nbsp;potential the other Pirates have.

Captain Squawk needs time to focus a scoped shot to be accurate enough to hit, and his scattershot is near useless, putting out less damage than Toxic Chomper's breath attack.

All the other Pirates have potential to be lethal at any range.&nbsp;Most have a very powerful scattershot to fall back on for close ranged combat, and should the&nbsp;Pirate be accurate with their scoped shots, they can land&nbsp;criticals back to back at any range, even up close, when the enemy&nbsp;is out of range of the scattershot.

As you do say, Captain Squawk is more of a Zombie&nbsp;counterpart of the&nbsp;Camo Cactus than anything. But seeing as how you can't just fire away as soon as someone is in your sights, the scope takes about two seconds to prepare another accurate shot, it takes 3+&nbsp;critical hits&nbsp;to finish off&nbsp;most&nbsp;enemies,&nbsp;and the scattershot's damage is terrible, I&nbsp;just can't find much use for him, outside of playing solely as a sniper, when all the other variants can play much more aggressively.

ninjamcnuggets · Answer

@Jetset575 wrote:

but I think Squawk fits a nice role for the Zombies and finally offers a proper counterpart to the Camo Cactus.

I agree about them being counterparts. &nbsp;They both do a fine job of sitting in the customization both waiting until the day I need to level them up to Master. &nbsp;In the meantime, other variants are more fun to use, and do a far better job.

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Captain Squawk NOT Underpowered

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