10 Fortnite Ballistic Tips for Beginners

Ballistic is a relatively new Fortnite game mode still in early access. This first-person five vs five game mode is similar to Counter-Strike 2 bomb defusal, albeit with fewer rounds. In a Ballistic match, an attacking team tries to detonate bombs, and a defending side attempts to stop them across up to 13 rounds. Ballistic is very different from Fortnite Battle Royale, with regular and direct gun-fighting action throughout. Here are some Fortnite Ballistic tips for raising your game in this exciting new mode.

Use Bubble Shield for Planting or Defusing Bombs

Bubble Shield is one of the five Flex Gadgets you can select to utilize from the start of matches. This Flex Gadget generates a transparent shield around an area that blocks bullets and grenades for about six seconds. It is best utilized to plant or defuse bombs since the shield lasts long enough to do both. Chucking a Bubble Shield at a suitable area is a good way to give yourself or a teammate protection from enemy fire when planting or defusing bombs.

Always Buy Instant Shield

Instand Shield is the first thing you should always buy for all rounds during a match. You can buy up to two of these for a round, which will give you 50 shield. This additional 50 shield will enable you to sustain more damage and last longer during rounds.

Support the Guy Carrying the Bomb

Ballistic is a team mode in which you should try to be a team player. When on the attacking side, always move with the player carrying the bomb to assist with planting it. Your team will have a better chance of detonating the bomb if all its players attack where the carrier is trying to plant, especially when the defending side is more focused on another site.

Guard Dropped Bombs

Killing an opponent carrying the bomb can be decisive for the defending side. However, make sure you don’t let the attacking team pick up the bomb again when you do. First, ping the dropped bomb by middle-clicking it to highlight its location for your teammates. Then, find a good defensive position to shoot down attacking players when they try to pick up the bomb.

Purchase the Enforcer or Striker Assault Rifles

When it comes to weapon choice, I recommend the Striker and Enforcer assault rifles, which are two of the best guns in Ballistic. These well-rounded assault rifles are well suited for the short to mid-range combat prevalent in Ballistic matches. Both guns also have scopes for aiming down sights, which helps enhance shot accuracy from longer distances.

Of the two guns, I prefer the Enforcer AR primarily because it is cheaper and inflicts somewhat higher damage. You can usually purchase additional utility grenades for rounds because the Enforcer AR is $500 cheaper than the Striker AR. However, the superior fire rate of the Striker AR is an advantage for close-quarter dogfights.

Chuck Recon Grenades at Bomb Sites Your Team is Attacking

Recon grenades are a useful Flex Gadget that briefly highlights enemy players behind walls and crates that otherwise wouldn’t be visible. A good way to use these is to toss them toward the bomb sites your team attacks. Chucking them in this way can briefly reveal the positions of defending players who might be lurking around corners or crates to ambush you when attacking. Then, your team will have a better idea of where enemy players are when entering bomb sites.

Recon grenades also come in handy for countering smoke. If an enemy team chucks smoke around a bomb site when approaching or defending it, throwing a Recon grenade into the clouds will enable you to see opponents. Then, you can shoot through smoke clouds to eliminate players who would otherwise be camouflaged by them.

Strafe in Combat

Strafing, a rapid left-to-right (or right-to-left) movement from cover, is a combat maneuver that can help you avoid enemy fire in Fortnite Ballistic. To strafe effectively, find a good cover position like a crate or wall edge to shoot from. Then, strafe out to open fire and back in behind the cover position after taking some hits (or to dodge return fire). Quick, repeated strafing can make you a somewhat harder target to hit and enable you to inflict more damage during matches.

Do Some Aim Training

Aim training is even more imperative for Ballistic than Fortnite Battle Royale. While you can win a battle royale match with only one or two kills, you’re always in gunfights for all rounds of a Ballistic contest. This makes it more essential to practice moving, aiming, and shooting for Ballistic mode.

The Fortnite community has already created a few dedicated practice maps for Ballistic mode. These are maps in which you can practice shooting at moving dummy targets with Ballistic weaponry. Check out the Ballistics Aim Training and The Range Ballistic Aim Training maps to practice your shooting.

Use Smoke Grenades for Bomb Planting

One of the best ways to use smoke grenades is to chuck them around bomb sites your team is attacking. Chuck smoke grenades to generate clouds that limit shooting visibility for the defending team. It’s somewhat harder for the defending team to hit a player planting a bomb when he’s inside a smoke cloud. You can also use smoke grenades to generate clouds at entry points to bomb sites through which the defending team might shoot.

Place Mines Around Your Team’s Planted Bomb

Although the mine might primarily be considered a defensive Flex Gadget, it can also be useful for the attacking team. One good way to use mines is to place them beside bombs your team has planted. Players will be less likely to notice mines planted on or near bombs when they’re in a hurry to defuse them. Even if defending players do spot them, blowing away the mines will slow them down when trying to defuse bombs.

You can climb the rankings faster by sticking to those Fortnite Ballistic tips. Of course, the teammates you’re playing with will also have a notable impact on the outcomes of your Ballistic matches. However, you’ll still win a larger portion of Ballistic matches by raising your performances.