How to Beat Salmonarch in Splatoon Raiders

Salmonarch is the campaign’s final exam

Salmonarch waits in the Throne Room at Level 20 / sublevel 20 of the Great Salmon Mess Hall, the capstone dungeon of Splatoon Raiders on Nintendo Switch 2 (released July 23, 2026). The fight tests everything the Spirhalite Islands taught you: ink movement, gadget roles, Exploration Bot drills, and Deep Cut Showstoppers. It also decides your story outcome—Good Ending if you bank enough Power Eggs, Bad Ending if collection fails during the same encounter.

This guide covers pre-fight prep, phase priorities, egg routes, tank recommendations, and co-op notes. For ending consequences, read How to Unlock Endings. For post-Salmonarch progression, see Post-Game Walkthrough and How to Complete Bottomless Buffet.

Know the win condition before you enter

Salmonarch is not a pure DPS check. You must defeat the boss while managing Power Eggs that spawn from Lesser Salmonids, destructible throne props, and phase transitions. Running out of eggs before the fight ends pushes the Bad Ending even if Salmonarch’s health bar hits zero. Running the quota successfully triggers the Good Ending and the post-credits scene.

Plan your intent before the door opens:

• Good clear — Prioritize egg pickups over greedy damage. Keep swim lanes painted toward egg clusters.
• Bad clear — Ignore or skip eggs on purpose; combat is identical, epilogue differs.
• First-time players — Good-clear is usually better so post-credits and Hidden Ruins hints land immediately.

Both outcomes live on one save file; you can replay the Throne Room later for the alternate ending without a new profile.

Recommended prep on the Hideout Ship

Tank and gadgets

Bring the tank you can pilot cleanly for ten-plus minutes of pressure:

• Power Tank — Reliable shield breaks and crowd control; Splatchet-style tools keep Lesser packs from stealing egg timers.
• Speed Tank — Strong if Salmonarch telegraphs wide sweeps; use mobility to tag eggs along wall routes.
• Tactical Tank — Shot Pots and deployables hold lanes while you drill throne-side spawns.

Match gadgets to the Builds page loadout you already upgraded—this is not the fight to experiment cold. Cross-check priorities on the Tier List and run the Raid Checklist so HP, weapon rank, and gadget slots are filled.

Bot Buddy and Bond

Raise Bot Buddy Bond before Salmonarch so Showstoppers recover bad egg phases. Shiver’s control, Frye’s area burst, and Big Man’s lure each solve different throne-room layouts. Bond farming routes live in How to Increase Bot Buddy Bond.

Difficulty choice

Tourist, Raider, and Survivalist change enemy strength only—loot does not change. If Throne Room Lesser Salmonids overwhelm you, drop to Tourist or Raider without sacrificing rewards. Survivalist is optional bragging rights here, not better eggs. Full rules: Difficulty Guide.

Resources to stock

• Mega Power Eggs for Bot energy during drill windows.
• Upgraded weapons from Frye’s stash (How to Upgrade Weapons).
• Gadget parts that extend ink coverage—eggs often sit in ink-starved corners.
• Briny Scrolls or tomes if you are one rank shy of a key upgrade (Briny Scrolls).

Great Salmon Mess Hall approach

The Mess Hall is a long dungeon; sublevel 20 is the Throne Room gate. Conserve specials and Showstoppers for the boss—not the warmup halls. Use the Walkthrough dungeon notes if you need crystal or collection reminders on earlier sublevels.

Enter the Throne Room with:

1. Full ink tank and gadgets off cooldown.
2. A mental route for first egg spawn locations (usually side platforms before Salmonarch enrages).
3. Co-op roles assigned if you are grouped (How to Play Co-op).

Phase-by-phase fight strategy

Opening — Lesser control and first eggs

Salmonarch opens with throne summons: Lesser packs rush the center while the boss charges area denial. Clear trash quickly but pick up eggs before chasing damage on Salmonarch. Exploration Bot drills on marked throne cracks often reveal bonus eggs—listen for the bot ping.

Paint loops around the arena edge so every egg slide stays in swim range. Tactical deployables can hold one side while you swim the other for pickups.

Mid-phase — Mechanic checks

Salmonarch adds armored swipes and ink storms that push you off platforms. This is where Showstoppers earn their keep: freeze or burst Lesser waves, then snap up eggs during the breather. Do not burn every special on boss HP if eggs are still on the floor—they despawn on timers.

Power players break armored Lesser shields first; Speed players reset to high eggs; Tactical players re-anchor turrets near spawn doors.

Enrage — Quota race

The final phase increases spawn rate and tightens egg timers. Salmonarch’s weak points may glow—balance boss damage with mandatory egg sweeps. If the quota UI warns you are behind, ignore luxury loot and call the bot to drill nearby cracks.

Co-op tip: assign one player to egg runner, others to boss and Lesser control. Call for Help is allowed here unlike Bottomless Buffet later.

Co-op, version, and LAN notes

Online and local wireless co-op (up to four Mechanics) can trivialize Lesser density if roles are clear. Ver 1.1.0 (July 22, 2026) is required for online; everyone in a lobby or LAN session must share the same version per Patch Notes. Music adjustments and bug fixes from that patch do not change egg rules but prevent disconnects mid-Throne Room.

After Salmonarch

Good Ending — Post-credits plays; sail toward Atke, Suma, and Kinp Hidden Ruins. Bad Ending — Darker epilogue, no post-credits; replay for Good when ready.

Either way, post-game islands open for relic hunts that eventually unlock Bottomless Buffet (Survivalist-only, no Call for Help, Floor 100 Lord Saltimatum secret ending). Golden cosmetic milestones at floors 30/60/100 and Endless Search Relic rewards are Buffet concerns—see How to Complete Bottomless Buffet.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Chasing boss DPS while eggs despawn — The ending cares about eggs, not speed-kill medals.
• Entering on Survivalist for “better loot” — Loot parity across difficulties; lower settings if you miss quotas.
• Saving Showstoppers for a cinematic finish — Use them when spawn density threatens egg loss.
• Forgetting bot drills on throne cracks — Hidden eggs often decide Good vs Bad.

Salmonarch rewards disciplined raids, not panic. Mark your ending intent, prep on the Guides Hub, and return to the Throne Room anytime your save needs the alternate epilogue or a cleaner Good clear for post-credits.