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 majo