Apex Legends’ 17th season has introduced another new legend, Ballistic. In this Apex Legends character guide, we will take a look at what Ballistic has brought to the table through his abilities and where he sits in the class system.

Who is Ballistic?

We’ll start by looking at who this new Legend actually is.

Based on the Apex Legends lore, the game’s first British Legend is a former competitor of the Thunder Games. If you remember the old ‘Thunderdome’ on Kings Canyon, that’s where the Thunder Games were held.

He now joins the Apex Games to stop his son from joining, while also having the desire to prove that, though he is 63 years old, he can still perform well against the other Legends in the Apex Games.

With his gravely yet refined accent, Ballistic may just replace Pathfinder as the Legend that offers the most satisfying voice lines in the game, though that is quite the high bar to reach for.

Ballistic’s Abilities

Passive: The Sling

For the first ability on the list, we’re going to break down Ballistic’s passive, as this one is a total game-changer for Apex.

For the first time ever, a Legend will have the ability to carry three weapons. Not a ‘weapon-like ability’ such as Vantage, but any actual weapon from Apex Legends. However, there is a catch.

Whatever weapon is being held in the sling, will not be able to have any attachments on it. You are able to cycle your weapons between the two slots and the sling, and as you do this, you can move attachments across the weapons. If the attachments are compatible with the guns being swapped between a default slot and the sling, the game will automatically swap them over.

This may actually be a pain for Ballistic players though, as it adds another decision to make that could leave you sitting nose down in a death box, or caught un-prepared as you’re debating on which gun to carry. You may also want to run with a Sniper rifle, an AR, and a Shotgun across the three slots, few of which will offer much attachment compatibility, and who wants to waste backpack slots on attachments?

Tactical: The Whistler

Now this ability is a bit of a doozy. Have you ever been annoyed by Maggie’s Riot Drill, Ash’s Arc Snare, or the Fuse Knucklecluster? Ever complained about aim assist?

Allow us to introduce you to your new arch-enemy: The Whistler.

Inspired by the smart pistol from Titanfall, the Whistler will fire a ‘smart’ bullet that chases down your targets. When it hits them, it deals 20 damage, then, it impacts the weapon of the enemy that was hit. If the player goes on to fire that gun too much, it will overheat and do an additional 30 damage, which means you can hit someone for up to 50 damage with this tactical.

Now, we all know what is going to cause the most frustration. The fact that this ability resembles the smart pistol is only part of the factor that is going to instill fear in Ballistic’s enemies.

It’s important to note, you can’t simply fire this ability at random and watch it hone in on a random enemy. There is a bit of a skill factor required for the Whistler, but there will still be plenty of complaints about it all the same.

To use the Whistler, you have to aim it at an opponent until you see the crosshair turn yellow, then once it does, you fire the bullet, and it will track towards the target.

There is going to be some strategy on who to target, as well. The opponent in question cannot use their weapon for fear of taking the extra 30 damage, but, some Legends do have escape abilities, and the overheat will only last around 10 seconds.

Considering that, if you were to target a Wraith who has the ability to phase away, a Pathfinder who could grapple away, or even a Gibraltar who can bubble himself, you are not going to be getting the best possible return on your tactical. Instead, focus Legends who lack an escape option, or opponents who are using a devastating care package weapon.

While this guide is breaking down the new legend, we do want to offer some ideas on how you can counter the Whistler as well. Sometimes, shooting your weapon will be the correct choice, so don’t be afraid of doing so. If you have a player low, or you have the opportunity to punish your opponent, it’s worth taking the chance to do so. Ultimately, 30 damage is a decent trade for a knock or a higher amount of damage to an enemy.

Now, what about if you’re in shambles? Using grenades could be a really powerful solution to the problem. Take cover and use nades (or other abilities if any are available) to stall the Ballistic. This will help you burn down the time that your gun is impacted while avoiding the 30 damage. This could also provide your teammates with the time that they need to reposition and set up a crossfire on the new Legend.

Ultimate: The Tempest

Ballistic’s ultimate, the Tempest, basically releases a pulse that buffs your nearby teammates with faster movement speed, faster gun reloads, and unlimited ammunition.

These buffs will last for 30 seconds, and they do not impact enemy players if they happen to be standing inside the area of effect. Ballistic, however, receives an extra buff when he ults. His third weapon is temporarily equipped and upgraded to fully gold attachments, though these attachments will only last for the duration of his ult.

This synergy with the Sling is going to create some interesting strategies around which weapon you want to have in that third slot. If you’re deploying the Tempest, you’re likely in combat, meaning that weapons that are more effective up close are going to be a good choice. Shotguns in particular, but SMGs will also benefit from the ult.

One particularly interesting combo would be carrying a CAR and an R99, when you pull the sling weapon out, the attachments will be compatible with the other weapon. Plus, when you deploy the Tempest, you’ll have two powerful weapons to cut down enemies in a close-quarters battle.

For another strategy that you can utilize, consider using weapons with specialist attachments that are difficult to collect. The Havoc is a good example, as you’ll instantly have a turbocharger added once you’ve used the Tempest. Alternatively, the Wingman would have a skullpiercer, or the Mozambique would have a hammerpoint. While Apex does change what hop ups are in the game on occasion, the general rule here will remain the same.

Given that this is a new Legend, there are sure to be other ideas we haven’t thought of or seen yet, so be sure to pass the word along if you’ve come up with your own way to make the most of the Tempest and the Sling in tandem. Also remember, even without the Sling aspect, the Tempest is incredibly powerful. Having the faster reload, and the unlimited ammo at your disposal is going to turn you into a walking war machine for those 30 seconds, so make the most of it!

Ballistic’s Class

Ballistic is designed to fit into the Assault class, and while we understand the overall benefits of that class, how do those benefits apply to this new legend specifically?

One of the key perks of the Assault class is the extra ammunition, and when you combine that with the Tempest, you can get away with carrying less ammo. This is going to provide Ballistic with more backpack space for grenades, heals, and ultimate accelerants to help keep the downtime between Tempests even shorter. If you have unlimited ammo in all of your key battles, you won’t need to be holding onto a stack of 360 bullets on you at all times.

Now that you’ve learned all about Ballistic, take him out onto the field and see how he stacks up against the other Legends. Have we missed a cool trick or did we have a blindspot for a potential shortcoming? Spread the word and let us know, as there is still plenty of opportunity out there to learn even more about Apex’s newest addition.