RPG - Black Ops 2 Weapon Guide

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This time, we're covering the RPG.

The last of the three launchers, this explosive option has seen numerous outings in a variety of forms, starting with Call of Duty 4.

In Black Ops 2, the RPG is a futuristic interpretation of the Russian RPG-7: a Soviet design dating to 1961.

The RPG-7, or 'Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomyot', meaning 'Hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher', is a relatively straightforward design capable of firing a variety of warheads.

Little more than a steel tube and trigger mechanism, the RPG is a man-portable design fired from the shoulder.

It is most often employed within an anti-armour role, with shaped charge warheads funnelling a stream of molten metal capable of piercing thick steel.

Some warheads use a tandem charge to ensure effectiveness against reactive armour, with a smaller primary charge clearing the way for the larger secondary explosive.

There do exist rockets designed for an anti-personnel role, too: either via fragmentation or thermobaric effect.

In-game, the RPG deals substantial explosive damage over its radius of effect - wounding those caught in the periphery and killing unprotected enemies outright towards the blast epicentre.

Blast radius is identical to that of the SMAW, so each offers similar performance, with a lethal radius of a couple of metres.

Enemies with Flak Jacket will prove troublesome to kill outright with the RPG: only a direct impact will kill.

The RPG lacks any form of lock-on, so tackling air support can be tricky: larger, slower-flying aircraft such as the VTOL Warship are the easiest targets, while attempting to down a UAV will normally result in a wasted shot.

Should you successfully strike your target, however - you will down it with a single rocket.

Note that the RPG's projectile follows a meandering path - making long-range accuracy heavily reliant on luck.

Rate of fire is very slow - even under perfect conditions, you'll only be able to fire the equivalent of around 15 rockets per minute.

As a single shot weapon, a reload is required after every time you fire - and as such this is the major factor limiting your output.

Handling is generally very slow, as with all the launchers: the RPG takes nearly half a second to aim, at 400 milliseconds.

Hipfire is impossible, too - you will need to aim prior to firing, greatly limiting your effectiveness in reactive gunfights.

Your mobility will be similarly sluggish whilst you have the RPG equipped, too - you'll move at 90 percent of the base movement speed.

As a single shot weapon, there's no magazine to speak of: and readying a new round to fire takes 3.29 seconds, slightly slower than the SMAW.

You do benefit from a greater initial supply than the SMAW, however - the RPG gets two rockets upon spawn instead of just one.

Your reward for this combination is the ability to occupy advantageous position over your enemy, while blunting their approach with a continuous barrage of deadly explosives.

Such tactics rely less on precision, with your blast radius filling in the need for fine aim - but are more reliant on positioning and anticipation of your enemy's movement.

This can work well in objective game modes - where it's easier to determine your enemy's spawn, and where their movements might lead.

Should you prove successful, you can land impressive multikills; and blunt the opposing team's offensive efforts.

Of course, there exists one very potent counter to such a build - Flak Jacket will be your bane with any explosive weapon, and any sensible enemy will be in a hurry to equip this perk once they're wise to your tactics.

As such, the RPG might be best employed as a situational weapon, as continued use might see diminishing returns.

The RPG is the best launcher for use in an anti-personnel role: the larger starting supply putting it ahead of the dual-purpose SMAW.

This enhanced supply means you can make more liberal use of the weapon: suppressing the enemy's movements through chokepoints to better take control of the map, and to swing games in your favour.

Of course, your explosive force is easily blunted - Flak Jacket and the Trophy System can render you impotent in the face of conventional weapons.

Paired with its lethargic handling traits, the use of this anti-personnel launcher is a high-risk, high-reward affair: terribly effective against unprotected enemies clustered near objectives or chokepoints, but with a severe risk of proving ineffective and leaving you vulnerable.

Still, such is the price of taking the explosive option: you trade reliable lethality for a wider area of effect.

While it might sometimes blow up in your face, the RPG can sometimes prove decisive: so if you want to have a blast, equip this launcher...

...and go out with a bang.

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