Best Flex Gadgets in Fortnite Ballistic, ranked

At first glance, Fortnite Ballistic might seem a little too similar to a game like VALORANT or CS:GO. While the main gameplay loop of Ballistic is the same as those titles, there's one distinction that separates Fortnite's new game modes from those existing behemoths. Flex Gadgets are what separates Fortnite Ballistic from any other game in the tactical shooter space and they can completely change up how each match is played.

Flex Gadgets are one-time use items that can be purchased before a round just like any other weapon in Ballistic. Before a match begins, every player gets to choose one of five Flex Gadgets and once one of the Gadgets is picked, it can't be selected by another player. As such, choosing the right Flex Gadget is crucial to your game.

To see a list of the Flex Gadgets ranked from worst to best in Fortnite Ballistic, keep reading the guide below.

Coming in at the fifth spot on the list is the Proximity Mine. While the Proximity Mine certainly won't hinder your gameplay in Fortnite Ballistic, it also won't do much to elevate it. The Proximity Mine is a throwable item that stays wherever you decide to place it. Once it's in place, the mine will activate if an enemy comes within a certain radius of it.

If the enemy is close enough when the mine explodes, it can severely damage and even kill them. However, more often than not, enemies will either see and shoot the mine before it goes off or the mine won't fully kill them, leaving them with less health but not anything too drastic.

Next up is the Frag Grenade, which has a much more practical use in Ballistic than the Proximity Mine. If you've played any shooter before, then you likely already know how the Frag works. The Frag is a throwable grenade that explodes after it's been cooked for a specific amount of time. If enemies are near the Frag when it detonates, they take damage.

The maximum damage the Frag can deal in Ballistic is 65, so you'll never fully kill an enemy unless they're already weak. However, the Frag is great for softening enemies up before going in for the kill or checking corners to see if anyone is camping.

Right in the middle of the pack is the Bubble Shield, a Gadget that can be extremely useful if used correctly. The Bubble Shield is a throwable shield that spawns a large blue, spherical forcefield around the area it was placed. Enemies can't shoot through this shield or throw any piece of equipment through it, allowing you to stay protected.

Of course, enemies can enter the shield and shoot you while inside it. The Bubble Shield also doesn't last for too long, so it's not meant to be a long-term plan for any kind of play in Ballistic. However, you can use the Bubble Shield when planting/defusing a bomb, to stop enemies from advancing on your position, or to out-maneuver enemies by weaving your way in and out of the shield.

The second best Flex Gadget in Fortnite Ballistic is the Recon Grenade. This is a highly powerful piece of equipment that essentially gives you free wallhacks during the course of a round. The Recon Grenade can be thrown and stuck to a surface. When it does stick, it emits a scan of the area, and any enemy caught within the skin is highlighted for you on your HUD. This occurs through walls and any other surface, so you can see exactly where enemies go after they're scanned.

While you have to pick the right moments to use the Recon Grenade, gaining this kind of knowledge on enemies is extremely useful. Enemies also don't know when they've banned scanned, so they'll usually push you without knowing that you can see their every movement.

Finally, the number one spot belongs to the Impulse Grenade in Fortnite Ballistic. The Impulse Grenade is an aggressive player's dream piece of equipment, but it can be used defensively as well. As Fortnite veterans know, the Impulse Grenade is thrown at the ground and after a second, it detonates in a non-lethal way. However, when it detonates, it launches anyone in the opposite direction.

To get the most use out of the Impulse Grenade, you can throw it at your feet and launch yourself forward at enemies, catching them off-guard. You can also use the Impulse to toss enemies in a different direction, and this includes off of the map. There's not a wrong way to use the Impulse Grenade and it's easily the best Flex Gadget in Fortnite Ballistic.

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