Ballistic Apex Legends: ultimate guide

New or expert to Apex Legends, here is everything you need to know about the new Legend Ballistic! This guide includes tips about his abilities, lore, Legends to pair him with, and techniques for mastering him.

August "Ballistic" Brinkman, a former Thunderdome champion who left the game after tragedy struck, was introduced to players in Apex Legends Season 17 as the 24th legend of Apex. The 63-year-old combat king is back in action with the ability to use a third weapon, neutralize opposing weaponry, and provide comrades with unlimited ammo and quick reloads. Mastering Ballistic requires deep knowledge of his skills and the strategies that can maximize his arsenal on the battlefield. 

Moreover, if you plan to play the Refined Gunslinger in Apex Legends, it's crucial to understand the background lore of Ballistic. Before we dive into it if you'd like to experience even more excitement while playing Apex Legends, check out our Stryda Battle Pass to get thrilling rewards on top of your Arsenal Battle Pass. So let's now look at all you need to know to master Ballistic.

Apex season 17 new legend Ballistic’s lore

The official video Encore, which portrayed how Ballistic fell from stardom after winning the Thunderdome Championship, gives players more background knowledge about the new Apex Season 17 Legend. An ex-champion of the Thunderdome competitions, August “Ballistic” Brinkman was the first Thunderdome celebrity, with merch spanning from lunch boxes to clothing. 

Ballistic was very popular with the crowd at the Thunderdome because of his recklessness, but his flamboyant, self-centered, and risky fighting style ended up costing him both his wife and her brother Kitsyung in battle.  The crimson sunglasses Ballistic is wearing right now belonged to Kitsyung and serve as a constant reminder of the mistakes he has made throughout his life.

Apex Legends season 17: Ballistic abilities

Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment

Ballistic’s Passive: Sling

Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment

Ballistic has a passive ability named The Sling that lets him carry a third weapon. Using your inventory or a utility action on your character will allow you to access your sling. The sling weapon's inability to accept attachments is the only drawback to this passive. If it could, the ability would be fairly more powerful. However, during Ballistic's ultimate Tempest, the third weapon will be fully upgraded into a gold weapon and be able to carry all attachments. 

Ballistic’s Tactical Ability: Whistler

Ballistic can fire a special bullet that warms up an enemy's gun as they shoot, thanks to his tactical ability. Whistler will hurt them if they keep firing while it's active since their guns will overheat. Ballistic's Whistler ability has an automatic lock-on function similar to Titanfall, making it easier to hit your target.

Don't feel guilty if you miss your target ​​amid chaotic combat, though; missing doesn't always mean you wasted your tactical charge on a missed shot. When Whistler is turned on, and you miss your target, the "Smart Bullet" lodges itself into the nearest surface, creating a great trap that gives enemies who step inside it the same weapon-overheating debuff as if they were shot directly.

Ballistic’s  Ultimate: Tempest

When used, a buff that increases reload time, armed movement speed, and endless ammo is applied to Ballistic as well as any nearby teammates. For the duration of the buff, any weapon kept in Ballistic's Weapon Sling will be donned right away and upgraded to a gold tier. In addition, Ballistic has two extra powers that are specific to his legend class. Being an Assault-class legend, Ballistic possesses the following class-specific skills:

Access Weapon Supply Bins

Each red Weapon Supplies Container has a concealed chamber that may be opened by Ballistic. By doing this, he will have access to weapons and accessories that are appropriate for his current loadout, much like the Smart Loot Supply Bins found inside the IMC Armories of Storm Point.

Carry Extra Ammo

Ballistic inventory slots can store extra 20 rounds of Energy Ammunition, Heavy Ammunition, and Light Ammunition. In addition, he can carry 37 Sniper Ammunition and 21 Shotgun Ammunition instead of standard 28 and 16, respectively.

Best squad composition with Ballistic in Apex Legends Season 17

Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment

Some of the other legends' abilities are also significantly improved by Ballistic's Tempest speed boost, but only a few really compliments his playstyle. Here are the best Legends to pair up with Ballistic in Apex Legends:

Octane x Ballistic 

Given that he is already one of the quickest legends in the games, Octane is a wonderful fit for Ballistic. Thanks to the shared Tempest speed boost, Octane can now enhance his speed without risking his health.

Revenant x Ballistic 

If you want to use a deadly Ballistic combination, it will be a wise decision to partner up with a Revenant in your battles. Rev's Totem and Ballisitic's Tempest, when used together, boost mobility and reload speed, allowing you to eliminate all foes in your path quickly. Furthermore, even if they can kill you, you can revive and rejoin the combat to cause more mayhem.

Mad Maggie x Ballistic 

Mad Maggie already matches Ballistic's skills well due to her Wrecking Ball ability's speed boost and passive Warlord's Ire ability's speed buff, but she can move even more quickly by utilizing the Tempest benefit in addition to her own abilities. In addition, Maggie is a legend of the Assault class, granting her access to Weapon Supply containers for specialized high-tier loot and the ability to carry more ammunition.

Wraith x Ballistic 

As Respawn eliminated her ability to stack the speed bonuses she formerly received from employing her tactical and ultimate abilities simultaneously, Wraith has become a little bit easier to overcome recently. However, it looks like she can stack Tempest with one of her speed bonus abilities, making it simpler for her to quickly phase across the battlefield while providing a route for her crew to flee.

Tips and tricks to master Ballistic in Apex Legends Season 17

Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment

Use Ballistic’s abilities strategically

Save the Sling until you have the weapon you wish to use since Sling weapons turn into Gold-tier weapons with unlimited ammo when Ballistic uses his Tempest ability.

When Tempest is engaged, Ballistic will automatically switch to his Sling weapon, so make preparations if you anticipate using Tempest, mostly in close-quarters combat.

Stay close to your squad

Ballistic may have earned a rep as a flamboyant lone wolf while he was a champion of Thunderdome, but he has since changed, and his abilities now reflect that. He is built for team defense rather than just self-protection. So, you must stay close to your comrades if you are to have any chance of actually keeping them safe. 

Also, using Ballisitic’s ultimate will allow your teammates to enjoy the weapon buffs as well, so keep an eye on the map and try not to use it when your squadmates aren't nearby. Whether you're attempting to flee the ring or fleeing a third-party firefight, make sure you're close enough to share the buff before using Tempest. And at the same time, if Ballistic plays in your team, you should be near him so that you can benefit from the team boosts when he triggers Tempest.

Remember this before using Sling 

Sling weapons are not compatible with any add-ons, not even sights. So, bear in mind that all of your R-301's weapon attachments will fall to the ground the moment you swap it into the Sling slot if you opt to replace the R-301 in your primary weapon slot with the weapon you have stowed in the Sling. Also, the Sling cannot store Gold- and Red-tier weapons from Care Packages since they lack detachable attachments.

Be smart with your approach

Ballistic is cool, calm, and collected despite his reputation for flashing in the ring; characteristics players will want to keep in mind if they hope to conquer this sophisticated new legend. Knowing when to attack with all guns blazing and when to hide in the shadows is crucial to crushing the enemy when you play this adept Apex predator and participate in combat with the other characters in the game.

Always carry a DPS weapon

Your primary objective as an Assault is to initiate and control fights. And Ballistic, who not only strengthens your entire squad but also has the potential to impede the opponent with his tactical prowess, is excellent at setting up situations so that your team can win.  

Always keep a high DPS weapon like R-99 submachine gun and the EVA-8 shotgun in your third slot since these weapons excel in close-quarter engagements. Having a sniper or other situational weapons is, on the other hand, quite a bad idea because you can't attach anything to your third gun.

Ready to play Ballistic in Apex Legends Season 17? Add Stryda to your GGs first!

Now that you know all this knowledge about Ballistic’s abilities and techniques for how to master him, it’s time to put into practice. Don’t forget to download Stryda before you play, so you can have an extra free Battle Pass on top of your Arsenal Battle Pass! What are you waiting for?