Ballistic abilities, tips, & best weapons to master the character in Apex Legends

Ballistic abilities, tips, & best weapons to master the character in Apex Legends
Images via Respawn Entertainment

Written by 

Alex Garton

Published 

10th May 2023 11:46

Contents

To master Ballistic in Apex Legends, it's key you're familiar with his abilities and equipped with the best tips & tricks to push his kit to the limit on the battlefield. Not only that but knowing the background lore of Ballistic is important if you're going to main the Refined Gunslinger.

So, let's check out everything you need to know to master Ballistic in this ultimate guide for the Legend.

Ballistic's abilities

Here are all of Ballistic's abilities that he has access to while taking on foes in the Outlands:

Passive: Sling

A sling where you can store a third weapon. Access via inventory. The sling weapon cannot take attachments.

Tactical: Whistler

Shoots a guided projectile that debuffs the enemy. Enemy guns will start to heat up as they shoot. Overheating will cause a reaction and deal damage. Holding the Tactical will allow it to lock on to a target.

Ultimate: Tempest

When activated, nearby teammates get a buff applied. It gives faster reload speed, armed move speed, and infinite ammo. Ballistic's sling weapon will be equipped and upgraded to Gold.

Tips & tricks to playing Ballistic

Use weapon in Sling with hard-to-find attachments

Havoc Apex Legends weapon
Click to enlarge
Courtesy of Respawn Entertainment

When activating Tempest, Ballistic adds gold attachments to whatever gun is being held in his Sling. As a result, a good strategy is to carry a gun in your Sling that requires a hop-up to be top-tier.

Options like the Havoc & Devotion for the Turbocharger are great, as well as the Wingman for the Skullpiercer, or the Mozambique for Hammerpoint Rounds.

This will ensure you have a massive advantage over your foes when your Ultimate is activated and alongside the faster reload times, you'll be a force in the Outlands.

Combine Ballistic with Revenant Ultimate

Revenant Apex Legends
Click to enlarge
Courtesy of Respawn Entertainment

If you're looking for a deadly Ballistic combination, it may be worth pairing up with a Revenant in your matches. Activating Rev's Totem and Ballisitic's Tempest together will make short work of any opponents in your path thanks to the extra mobility and reload speed.

Not only that but even if they manage to take you down, you'll be able to respawn and rush back into the gunfight to cause even more chaos.

Hold your Tactical for aggressive enemy pushes

Tactical Ballistic Apex Legends
Click to enlarge
Courtesy of Respawn Entertainment

While shooting Ballistic's Whilster every time it's off cooldown can be an effective strategy, it's often better to be patient with the ability.

Oftentimes, an enemy player will push you aggressively with an SMG, looking to rack up kills. Waiting for them to come blistering at you with their weapon is the perfect time to fire out the Whilster, as it punishes them for firing their weapon, dealing extra damage.

On top of this, as the Tactical locks onto foes, so there's no risk of you missing the ability.

Best weapons to use with Ballistic

Wingman Apex Legends
Click to enlarge
Courtesy of Respawn Entertainment

While weapons choice in Apex Legends all comes down to preference, there is a select set of guns that work extremely well for Ballistic.

As his Ultimate gives the Refined Gunslinger incredible mobility and reload speed, SMGs are always a solid choice as well as shotguns. However, the Wingman is another lethal pick if you're skilled enough to land your shots.

Check out the list of Ballisitic's best weapons below:

  • Wingman
  • R99
  • CAR SMG
  • EVA-8 Auto
  • Nemesis

Here are all the best weapons to put in your Sling for maximum value from Tempest's gold attachments:

  • Devotion
  • Havoc
  • Wingman
  • Mozambique
  • Rampage LMG (Instantly charges up)

Ballistic lore

Ballistic Apex Legends
Click to enlarge

At a glance, Ballistic shares a striking resemblance with Kuben Blisk, the founder of the Apex Games. Blisk is a primary antagonist in the Titanfall series and a key player in the lore of Apex Legends. Leaks surrounding Blisk entering the Apex Games have been circulating for some time now too.

However, despite speculation before his release, Ballistic is not Blisk and his full name is August Brinkman.

In his youth, Brinkman earned a reputation for being the youngest celebrity Thunderdome Games champion. Despite showing incredible skill with a weapon, Brinkman's selfish playstyle and poor attitude led to his career being cut short.

Decades after retiring, he noticed that his son was attempting to join the Apex Games. Brinkman agreed to return to the battlefield as Ballistic as long as the organizers stopped his son from joining the competition.

Now he's looking for redemption and while the Refined Gunslinger is in his later years, he shouldn't be underestimated under any circumstances.

When did Apex Legends release Ballistic?

Ballistic joined the Apex Legends roster in the Season 17 "Arsenal" update on May 9, 2023.

Sign Up To Our Newsletter

Get exclusive news, content, and discounts sent directly to your inbox

You've joined our newsletter. Thank you!
Sorry, there has been an issue in subscribing to the newsletter.

Be sure to check out our Apex Legends homepage for more news and guides, or take a look at the best Apex Legends aim trainers to help you refine your aim.

Alex Garton
About the author
Alex Garton
Alex is a Senior Writer at GGRecon. With a BA (Hons) in English, he has previously written for Dexerto & Gfinity. Specialising in Call of Duty & Apex Legends, he loves (attempting) to improve his aim in competitive shooters and will always make time for a single-player RPG.
Why trust GGRecon?

Established in 2019, we don’t just cover games - we live them. Our expert team is full of dedicated gamers, qualified journalists, and industry insiders who collectively boast decades of experience covering gaming and esports. This deep-rooted expertise allows us to provide authoritative and nuanced perspectives first-hand from a team who are playing, and researching every game covered on our website. 

Our foundation is built on a profound commitment to editorial independence, ensuring our content remains free from external influence and advertising pressures and is held to the highest level of editorial conduct, integrity, and quality. 

Every article on GGRecon comes from rigorous research, informed analysis, and a passion for gaming that resonates with our readers. We uphold these standards through a transparent editorial policy, accessible here, which governs our processes and maintains our accountability.

Trending
Apex Legends player count in May 2024 & is it a dead game?
What is Apex Rumble in Apex Legends?
Apex Legends Urban Assault Collection event release date, Apex Rumble & Octane Prestige skin
How to get the Cobalt Katar Apex Artefact in Apex Legends
How to play & win the Lockdown LTM in Apex Legends