Apex Legends: How To Play Ballistic Effectively

Updated:

04 Jul 2023

Ballistic is the newest Legend to the Apex Games, and god damn did he make a massive impact. Ballistic is another Assault type Legend in the game but plays quite differently from what we've seen in the past with other Legends.

People shooting you in a fight is what gets you killed right? Well, Ballistic can alleviate some of that by overheating their weapon! He’s a really fun Legend, but one that needs practice to get better at.

Ballistic is an Assault Legend, meaning he can carry more ammo per backpack slot and can even open special Assault bins around the map for better attachments and gear. Ballistic sort of plays a support role as well in an Apex team thanks to his abilities. He can be a Legend you run and gun with but plays better around a coordinated team and some other Legends to cover his weaknesses.

Ballistic’s tactical ability is up first, and it's insanely powerful. Ballistic can pull out a smart pistol that tracks onto enemies after being in his sights for a short amount of time. Once fired, the bullet will track the enemy and land on them or near them if they pass by a wall.

A small area will then open up, giving enemies who’re caught inside it a debuff. This debuff causes their weapons to overheat if they keep firing, dealing damage. Damage is also dealt with on the initial hit of the bullet.

His passive comes up next, and that is the bread and butter of this Legend. Ballistic can carry another gun in his pocket but at a cost. Unlike his two main guns, this gun cannot store any attachments on it. The thing is though, his ultimate makes this gun one of the best tools in the game and makes Ballistic click.

Finally, his ultimate is what makes Ballistic work. When used, Ballistic will give himself, and his team in an area reload speed, unlimited ammo, and faster-armed movement speed. This lasts for 30 seconds and is increased by 5 seconds per kill from either Ballistic or his team.

That's not all it does though, as it also makes Ballistic’s third gun into a fully kitted golden version. This works on any gun in his sling slot, giving them hop-ups, magazines, stocks and sights etc. it makes his gun perfect and that paired with his buffs makes him a beast in combat.

Ballistic can also be paired with other Legends to make him even better. Because of how his abilities work, Ballistic wants a movement-heavy team. His team needs to be pushing fights and using his ultimate correctly. Therefore, Legends like Octane, Pathfinder and Valkyrie work best. He can also pair with another Legend I will get into later!

Now you know how great Ballistic is, let's discuss how to play him better.

How to Play Ballistic Effectively:

15. Use his tactical on any enemy you see

Luckily the cooldown of Ballistic’s tactical is pretty short, relative to others that is. Because of that, make sure to use it whenever you want. Yeah, there are more optimal ways to use it, as I will discuss later, but honestly just use it on any enemy you come across that's begging for a fight.

14. Remember to track enemies with your tactical

It's easy to forget that you need to lock onto an enemy for the tactical to track them. All it takes is a little wait after pulling out the smart pistol before firing it. Trust me, it works. Also, remember to look up after it tracks to make sure the smart bullet won't just hit the next piece of cover they walk behind.

13. His tactical deals damage on hit

One of the most important parts of his tactical is the damage it deals when enemies overheat, but it also deals decent damage upon impact. Keep that in mind when someone is running away as that little bit of damage might just get you a kill.

12. Use his tactical in the middle of a fight

Stopping someone from shooting is the game plan of Ballistic, but using the tactical in the middle of a fight makes more sense. If you hit the enemy when they’re reloading, you can therefore get the advantage over them. It's good to fire it whenever you can, but if you time it perfectly it's gonna make an even bigger impact.

11. Push with your team

Despite being an Assault Legend, Ballistic plays more like support than any other in his class. This means you should be with your team. The strengths of your ultimate ability come from your team as well, so make sure they are being boosted.

10. You control the fight, remember that

Either of Ballistic’s abilities can completely turn around a fight, and remember that. You're the one in control here, press your ultimate or tactical at the right time and your team will win the fights, it's as simple as that.

9. Make sure to have a sling weapon

Many players completely forget whilst playing ballistic, but off drop just grab any gun for your sling. It's gonna come in clutch either way, but don't just wait for that best gun. Even if it's a p2020, it's better than nothing.

8. Have a good base loadout

Ballistic might have the power of his Tempest Ultimate in his back pocket, but having good normal guns is still a good idea. Just like any other Legend, I recommend using an Assault rifle like the R-301 or even the Volt SMG for medium to long range, then having an R-99 or Peacekeeper for those close-range engagements. It's better to be prepared for every situation.

7. Use the best guns for your sling

Now, one of the most important parts of Ballistic, having the best sling gun. There are quite a few, but some of the best are R-99, Havoc, Devotion, RE45, Mozambique, Volt, Rampage and Wingman. These guns are gonna up your game as Ballistic, so get using them!

6. You can use your sling gun without your ultimate

Another thing I see Ballistic players forgetting all the time is using your sling gun even when you don't have your ultimate charge. It might not have any attachments or much ammo, but using it in a pinch can win you a gunfight.

5. Use your ultimate before a fight

The best way to use Ballistic’s ultimate in my opinion is as you enter a fight. If your team is about to enter a fight, push that ultimate to make sure they're all in it and get those benefits. It's gonna change the pace of the fight from the get-go and catch those enemies off guard.

4. Know the radius of your ultimate

Though Ballistic should use their ultimate with their team around, you can still get them in the radius after use. If you run into your teammate’s area, then the ultimate will apply to them. It's great for making sure everyone has the buffs in a fight.

3. Fire your tactical on doors to hit rushing enemies

Similar to Legends like Ash, Ballistic can bait enemies into walking through his tactical. Fire it next to a door so enemies run through it and get caught. It's an easy hit, and it's gonna change the fight in your favour for once.

2. Ballistic Melee bug

Now onto something that should be getting fixed. I won't be telling you how to specifically do this glitch as it's kind of overpowered right now, but Ballistic has an infinite melee bug. If you want to know, look it up, if not, get back into the Apex games with these tips. Hopefully, they help those Ballistic players out there.

1. Big Maude’s and Rampart

One final thing is something that only really applies to one Legend and also a map. First, on World’s Edge, you can find Big Maude’s. Here you can buy gold guns with Rampart reload and magazine passive on them. This reload buff also applies to Ballistic’s ultimate, so it makes you reload near instantly on guns like the R-99.

Speaking of Rampart, she also pairs well with Ballistic thanks to his reload speed buff. When using planted Sheila, Rampart can reload it insanely quickly in Ballistic’s ultimate buff. This is crazy, but not something you can do every game. Good luck out there in the Outlands.