Rakta Ballistica

[Vyrn]

As a fan of Ballistica, I was excited to see the accidentally leaked images in the Codex of what appeared to be a Ballistica Wraith. When I read the patch notes this morning and saw mention of a "Rakta Ballistica," I was ecstatic. I logged on and quickly bought one from Red Veil, and I gleefully equipped my Ballistica before comparing their stats.

 

What I saw was actually really disappointing.

 

 

The only difference was a 25% boost to magazine size and a different damage type that I'd actually say is a bit worse.

 

Why did a rather unloved and forgotten weapon get the worst boost out of all the Syndicate variants of weapons? I'll still use this thing. Heck, I already like it a lot. It just seems...a bit strange, I guess. I do feel it does need a buff, though.

 

The Syndicate version is hardly any better that the original (magazine size and Blight are nice), while the other Syndicate weapons got rather noticeable boosts. Even Marelok, a weapon many claim to be one of the best secondaries, got a more substantial boost than Ballistica.

 

Personally, I'd like to see its crit chance raised to maybe 20-25% and its base damage on charge raised to 112-120 (28-30 for uncharged). A 2x crit multiplier could even help it be a bit better without pushing it over the top.

 

Sure, a boost that major might be a larger buff percentage-wise than the other Syndicate variants, but Rakta Ballistica still wouldn't carry a dominant spot in the damage charts. It still wouldn't be a go-to weapon for many players, and most people would still just avoid it. However, it would make it a bit more worthwhile, and Rakta Ballistica would actually have chance of potentially holding its own against other secondaries.

 

I dunno, that's just my two cents on the gun. Like I said, I'll still use it, but I can't help feeling something isn't right.

[izzatuw]

fire rate 0.8 > 1

crit chance 15.0% > 20-25%

[direcyphre]

According to what has already popped up in the wiki, the only upgrades Marelok got was 5% more crit chance, 5% more status chance, and 4 more in the magazine. Damage shifted some out of Slash to Impact, but zero increases. Wouldn't really call that a substantial boost compared to what you're asking for.

[LascarCapable]

Well, you got 10 damage added as slash damage, it may be a nifty DPS increase. More crit chances would have been lovely though.

 

According to what has already popped up in the wiki, the only upgrades Marelok got was 5% more crit chance, 5% more status chance, and 4 more in the magazine. Damage shifted some out of Slash to Impact, but zero increases. Wouldn't really call that a substantial boost compared to what you're asking for.

 

10 bullets from 6 is a very nice increase IMO. Just add Ice Storm and you'll end with 14 bullets. Also, 35% proc chances is insane.

[GeneralArmchair]

According to what has already popped up in the wiki, the only upgrades Marelok got was 5% more crit chance, 5% more status chance, and 4 more in the magazine. Damage shifted some out of Slash to Impact, but zero increases. Wouldn't really call that a substantial boost compared to what you're asking for.

Those are ridiculously huge buffs considering that the marelok was already a huge outlier that left everything else in the dust.

[Jin_Kazama]

Yeah... Impact damage as a whole isnt really needed tbh with you, just bring toxic, or mag

So im a little upset to see how bad this weapons stats are

[HolyDonut3]

Yeah... Impact damage as a whole isnt really needed tbh with you, just bring toxic, or mag

So im a little upset to see how bad this weapons stats are

 

If you think this weapon is bad, you should see the Suda weapon.

 

The Gammacor is one of the worst secondaries in the game, and the Suda version is hardly any better.

[Omni_Omega]

None of them seem to be at the level of what one would compare to a Wraith or Vandal, they seem just...slight improvements. For the fact that they will be permanently available makes me think that was the plan, after all, the Wraiths and Vandals being event weapons should be well worth the effort.

 

Still, I would like to see a nicer upgrade. Maybe they could come built in with the special syndicate mod effects like Blight and Truth.

[Otenko]

Well, you got 10 damage added as slash damage, it may be a nifty DPS increase. More crit chances would have been lovely though.

 

 

10 bullets from 6 is a very nice increase IMO. Just add Ice Storm and you'll end with 14 bullets. Also, 35% proc chances is insane.

Not only that, but the crit chance is 20%, tying with Lex Prime. Suddenly it not only ties (or flat out beats) the stats of its "brother," the Grinlok, but it also poops on the Lex Prime in everything but damage type  and crit damage multiplier. Bear in mind, that includes damage, reload, status, crit chance, and magazine size which were all already top-notch.

 

EDIT:

Still, I would like to see a nicer upgrade. Maybe they could come built in with the special syndicate mod effects like Blight and Truth.

Allegedly, they already do come built-in with those effects. Actually patch-notes even say it comes with those effects.

Edited November 28, 2014 by Otenko

[NullCurrent]

Not only that, but the crit chance is 20%, tying with Lex Prime. Suddenly it not only ties (or flat out beats) the stats of its "brother," the Grinlok, but it also poops on the Lex Prime in everything but damage type  and crit damage multiplier. Bear in mind, that includes damage, reload, status, crit chance, and magazine size which were all already top-notch.

 

EDIT:

Allegedly, they already do come built-in with those effects. Actually patch-notes even say it comes with those effects.

 

I can confirm that the Marelok from Steel Meridian does come with the mod-effect built-in. When having it equipped it will occasionally do this explosion with the heal-over-time effect, making it really good. And the stat increases are good enough that it is worth using that weapon over the original Marelok based on stats alone if you had it potatoed before, but they are not enormous.

 

But I can agree on the Rakta Ballistica, it needs some more improvements to make it worth using over an already potatoed Ballistica.

[ra9una]

According to what has already popped up in the wiki, the only upgrades Marelok got was 5% more crit chance, 5% more status chance, and 4 more in the magazine. Damage shifted some out of Slash to Impact, but zero increases. Wouldn't really call that a substantial boost compared to what you're asking for.

That's true. But the important thing to keep in mind is that a vanilla marelok is already better than anything you could even ask for, any buff to that is amazing by default. Where as the ballistica is on the opposite of the spectrum, it would take a massive buff for it to even me in the same ball park as the marelok. 

[Mind_Bullets]

Man that sucks. I like Ballistica simply because it has unique functionality, and that makes it a nice change of pace. I was planning on saving up for this version; not any more. Extra capacity is nice but I consider a switch from puncture to impact to be a nerf. Shields don't reduce damage like armor does. 

 

Considering that this is already a niche weapon I think they should have boosted and evened out the damage types to give it some versatility. I'm thinking 40 across the board, that would constitute a 20% total damage increase which is a lot, but... it's still Ballistica. It would be nice if it were completely silent also so that you don't have to waste that mod slot for an alternative to the bows.

[R34LM]

The best thing any of these sydnicate weapons have going for them is not their stats but their build in syndicate effects.

[RIOT]

The best thing any of these sydnicate weapons have going for them is not their stats but their build in syndicate effects.

 

problem is that most of the other syndicates got nice little buffs to their weapons

I.E hexis AKboltos got 5 more damage, 10% crit up from 5%, and 12.5% status up from 7.5%.

 

while the bloody ballistica gets 4 extra shots... and having most of it's damage transfer from puncture to impact which is (in my opinion of course) the worst damage type in game.

 

[Oranji]

According to what has already popped up in the wiki, the only upgrades Marelok got was 5% more crit chance, 5% more status chance, and 4 more in the magazine. Damage shifted some out of Slash to Impact, but zero increases. Wouldn't really call that a substantial boost compared to what you're asking for.

Marelok:

Disadvantages

• Somewhat low accuracy over long range.
• Low  Puncture damage.
• Low capacity per magazine, must be reloaded regularly.

Vaykor Marelok was given 4 more on the clip making it a total of 10. Which is a nice upgrade since it covers one of the disadvantage/weakness of the weapon. Ballistica on the other hand was changed to impact damage which is the least flexible of all 3 damage types and was given 4 additional bolts per clip only.

[Noble_Cactus]

 

Personally, I'd like to see its crit chance raised to maybe 20-25% and its base damage on charge raised to 112-120 (28-30 for uncharged). A 2x crit multiplier could even help it be a bit better without pushing it over the top.

 

This would certainly be welcome, though there's one thing that sours a lot of peoples' views of the Ballistica. It's the charge mechanic. It doesn't feel responsive at all, and it has this issue:

 

(From the wiki)

 

 

 

Unlike the other magazine based charge weapons (Lanka and Ogris), there is a period between charge shots in which if you click too soon after a charge shot, the Ballistica will neither charge nor fire. This lowers the actual DPS of a charge build. Roughly .5-.8 seconds after firing a charge shot. Increasing the fire rate decreases this delay however.

 

This needs to be addressed if DE is to make any other changes to the Ballistica.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Noble_Cactus

[Oranji]

Edited November 29, 2014 by Oranji

[armando92]

According to what has already popped up in the wiki, the only upgrades Marelok got was 5% more crit chance, 5% more status chance, and 4 more in the magazine. Damage shifted some out of Slash to Impact, but zero increases. Wouldn't really call that a substantial boost compared to what you're asking for.

 

and since most of the time 1hko enemies filling the bar for the effect its really easy you can not just revive yourself but also Knockdown your enemies with a blast proc and increase your armor by 25% yeah it wasnt buffed at all

[Cyberspace100]

Im a red veil man but the new weapon is so bad. The ballistica was already bad but being moved to impact made it way worse. Id like them to remove impact from the gun and just make it puncture and slash, and to buff the crit to 30% making it a crit weapon.

[zavienh5]

seems Rakta Ballista isnt worth getting unless DE buffs it

[Naftal]

Well, you got 10 damage added as slash damage, it may be a nifty DPS increase. More crit chances would have been lovely though.

No. It's 10 slash damage on both versions of the Ballistica.

[Kasumi-]

I want the Rakta Ballistica because it looks friggin cool. Though I got to rank -1 with Red Veil before I started leveling Steel Meridian (who I will be Rank 5 with tonight) and I won't give Red Veil a forma.

 

But my Red Veil friend is giving me one :D

[Noble_Cactus]

and since most of the time 1hko enemies filling the bar for the effect its really easy you can not just revive yourself but also Knockdown your enemies with a blast proc and increase your armor by 25% yeah it wasnt buffed at all

 

He's talking about the base stats, which are still nothing to write home about. The Syndicate effect may be nice but if using the weapon still feels weak and/or clumsy, then people will refuse to use it.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Noble_Cactus

[Jin_Kazama]

The issue here sadly isnt even the weapon, its IMPACT as a whole.

DE seriously need to have a look at this damage type.

[Oranji]

Imo a 30% crit chance would do.