Facebook: http://facebook.com/XboxAhoy Twitter: http://twitter.com/xboxahoy This time, we're covering the Ballistic Knife. Returning from the first Black Ops, this spring-loaded blade rounds out the special weapons on offer, and is unlocked at level 49. The Ballistic Knife is a futuristic interpretation of earlier Soviet designs, where spring-loaded blades or 'Pilum knives' emerged in the late 1970s. Not much more than a knife blade latched in a spring loaded tube, the real-life effectiveness of such a weapon is questionable. They were supposedly employed by elite Speztnaz troops, but there is some doubt as to whether this is actually the case: most examples seen were manufactured as rather dangerous novelty weapons within the United States. Soviet forces did make limited use of a survival knife capable of firing a single pistol cartridge, however: the NRS-2 Special Scout Knife. No doubt more effective than anything launched with springs, the blade on such weapons was fixed - and aside from the shooting mechanism in the handle, functioned in the same fashion as any other fixed blade. In-game, the Ballistic Knife's damage is uncompromising: a successful hit with a launched blade will always result in a one-shot kill. Your accuracy with the weapon is challenged by the non-linear trajectory your blade will take: dropping over time to carve a graceful parabolic arc. This, coupled with the fact that the projectile has a non-zero travel time, will mean that longer distance shots require a touch of adjustment: you must aim above and ahead of your intended mark. The further away the enemy, the higher you'll need to aim - and in the case of moving targets you must predict their path and aim to strike ahead. These factors make aiming difficult - and luck is a huge factor, no doubt - but it's worth bearing in mind in cases where you're going for distant targets. Rate of fire is low - the need to reload after every single shot is the major limiting factor here. Given the high lethality and low fire rate, it's worth taking at least a little time to aim - as a miss will leave you vulnerable. Technically all fire with the ballistic knife is from the hip, but hipfire spread is not a factor, with your shots going precisely where you aim them. Handling is generally pretty good: recoil is not a factor given the single shot nature and slow fire rate, and the instant pinpoint accuracy from the hip means there's no aim time to speak of, either. Switch times are very good, and your mobility almost superhuman, as you'll move at 102 percent of the base speed. You'll only get a single shot per reload with the ballistic knife, so you can consider the magazine capacity particularly low: although thankfully reloads are very quick, taking just over a second to complete. You'll spawn with 4 blades in total: 1 ready to fire, and 3 in reserve. It's also entirely possible to retrieve any fired blades from where they land: simply walk over them to collect. If you're diligent and track down your blades, you'll be able to retain sufficient supply for sustained use of the weapon. Save for a better ranged ability with your spring-loaded capability, you'll want to approach the Ballistic Knife in the same way you might a conventional combat knife. Outmanoeuvring the opposition to force close range engagements is key - so if all else fails, you can resort to more traditional knife tactics. The Ballistic Knife is an interesting secondary weapon that will both improve your mêlée performance and grant a unique one-hit ranged ability. For a knife-only build, the mobility and mêlée speed bonuses are a nice touch - and unlike a conventional knife-only build, you'll no longer be left entirely helpless at a distance. With the blade's high degree of lethality upon impact, and the ability to pick up spent blades from where they fall, it's quite possible to sustain such a style of play indefinitely. Of course, landing accurate shots with the Ballistic Knife takes practice, and it's easy for a shot to go astray. The parabolic arc paired with the non-zero travel time adds much in the way of shot difficulty, so it's inevitable that you'll miss some critical shots from time to time. It can be easy to lose track of your fired blades, too - and as you only start with 4 you may find yourself running out quite often, and reduced to using the knife in a mêlée-only capacity. Still, the ability to launch such a deadly one-shot projectile places the Ballistic Knife some degrees ahead of the standard combat knife in terms of effectiveness. Sticks and stones might break your bones, but if you're looking to add insult to injury... ...then here's a little TIP for you - get the POINT?