Mastering the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite: Tips and Tricks for Accurate Targeting
Looking to gain an edge in Fortnite battles? The Lock on Pistol might just be the weapon you need.
Find out what the Lock on Pistol is, how to obtain it, and most importantly, how to use it effectively in-game. Improve your aiming skills, understand its advantages and disadvantages, and master this unique weapon in Fortnite.
Buckle up and get ready to level up your gameplay with the Lock on Pistol!
Contents
- Key Takeaways:
- What is the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite?
- How to Get the Lock on Pistol?
- How to Use the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite?
- What are the Advantages of Using the Lock on Pistol?
- What are the Disadvantages of Using the Lock on Pistol?
- How to Improve Your Lock on Pistol Skills?
- What are the Pros and Cons of Using the Lock on Pistol?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways:
What is the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite?
The Lock on Pistol is a weapon in Fortnite added in Chapter 3 of Season 1 on December 5, 2021. It is a rare variant of the Rubber Band Repeater revolver. Unlike most weapons that need to be aimed and shot like in the real world, when players use the Lock on Pistol they automatically target the correct enemy.
Electra from the Gamer Sensei explains, the Lock on Pistol is a hitscan weapon that requires only one pull of the trigger to start shooting. It forces the player to consider how close they can keep their reticle to the enemy as they are shooting.
Once a player allows their crosshair to hover over the enemy, the weapon uses an auto-aim assist feature to ensure that gunfire reaches the enemy player, hence the term Lock on. The lock-on pistol has a 50% damage bonus for hitting within 1 second after each other, lest the weapon engages a cool-down period where shots are only half as effective. Despite its above-average damage output, it is considered by most to be a low-skill weapon.
How to Get the Lock on Pistol?
To get the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite, you need to eliminate IO Guards. Once an IO Guard is eliminated, they may drop the Lock on Pistol as a pick-up weapon.
Players can be identified by their full armor, including their helmets. They spawn on Island Base, Locations, and Guarded Encampments. While most locks-on damage rates are less than average, the range of the lock-on pistol is helpful for practice with the lock-on mechanic.
How to Use the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite?
The Lock on Pistol is the only weapon that automatically locks onto enemy players when they are near the crosshairs, but only up to a specific point outlined by a lock-on indicator on the scope of the weapon. Once the target player is within range of the crosshairs (10 meters), the Fortnite pistol will automatically aim at the opponent. This is how to use lock on targeting the Lock on Pistol: There is no need to use lock on aiming or any other input to get the pistol to lock on when the enemy is close.
Other mechanics unique to the lock-on pistol are that the weapon acts as a makeshift jetpack for low gravity movement and only loses roughly fixed height from the initial height when it hovers. When landing from a height, any damaging weather effects cease to affect the player once the Lock on Pistol is fired.
The Lock on Pistol was introduced with the release of Chapter 3 of Fortnite Season 1 as a normal-use weapon. It is one of the two most common weapons and variations are widely available with different rarities industry shown.See the Weapon and Ammo Stats section under Items in the Fortnite Battle Royales Game Guide for adjustments to the Lock on Pistol’s damage, magazine size, and utility metrics.
Step 1: Equip the Lock on Pistol
You can equip the Lock on Pistol in Fortnite by following these steps. Select open slots using the selected item wheel. Once the desired crates of the weapon have been obtained, drag the Lock on Pistol onto the item slot of choice. If the game is in play, press the key/number corresponding to the slot where the Lock on Pistol resides. This can range from keys 1-5 for PC players and buttons 1-4 for mobile users.
Step 2: Aim and Lock on to Your Target
Aim and lock on to your target with pistol crosshair centric targeting based on your desired assist type settings. If using standard or FNCS aiming mode assists, the assisting mechanisms will auto lock-on when you point the camera in the general direction of enemy targets, allowing for near instantly landing the shot without much precise aim. This assist technology will also provide target tracking until the target evades line of sight, allowing for partial auto shooting. This is useful against jumping, zigzagging, or slaloming opponents as target tracking takes care of movements and user focus is on appropriate aiming. The effectiveness of Aim snap extra strong at helping lock on with a precise pistol is shown in this photo.
Step 3: Fire at Your Target
Once the Lock On prompts appear on your screen, aim and start to fire at your target. The prompts will reappear every time you have dealt damage, and as long as you keep dealing damage sustainably they will always appear when the opponent drops out of your crosshair. If the target is killed quickly, the lock prompts may not be necessary.
Forget about trying to line your cursor up with your opponent. The best way to use the Lock On pistol is to aim for a direct hit – whether this is a shot to the upper body or head. The Lock On pistol only applies if you deal damage to your opponent. If you miss an initial shot but want the assistance of the Lock On prompts, spray them down in short bursts. When you do hit your target, begin to deal damage faster. The lock-on prompt will only appear for as long as you are actively damaging your target. Faster sustained damage before you have to readjust your aim means the locked-on damage will be more effective.
What are the Advantages of Using the Lock on Pistol?
The advantages of using the lock-on pistol in Fortnite include a much higher hit ratio and a long-distance accuracy boost. While data on the accuracy rates of Fortnite players with and without the lock-on pistol is not officially available, the anecdotal evidence implies that the enhanced targeting provides a major, if not overwhelming, advantage in close-quarter battles. To test its efficacy, try playing Fortnite with and without the lock-on pistol and observe how much quicker and easier it is to nail that next head, chest, or limb shot. On the other hand, for more passive players, it may hinder their ability to avoid non-combat scenarios and move into locations ideal for their play.
Another advantage of the lock-on pistols is that they are simple, easy to use weapons that pair well in a mixed-rarity loadout. As of the launch of Chapter 3, players can use any gun without needing to obtain a background in like guns, changes from previous chapters that were there. Typically, the lock-on pistol is useful as a rapid every moment weapon which pairs well with a shotgun (like the Charge Shotgun or Pump Shotgun) in the active slot, and tradition AR (like the M4 Assault or Burst Assault Rifle) locked further off the hot-bars.
The quick and easy acquisition of lock-on pistols and active attunement to close-range battles is why they are preferred as they are useful weapons once upgraded or replaced later in the game.
Increased Accuracy
Lock on with the lock on pistol in Fortnite to increase accuracy, as it aims the bullet at the location of the target by making it easier to match a shot in the direction and timing with a moving target. The Lock-on Pistol in Fortnite is recommended by some tip videos after the v16.10 patch for its new lock on feature.
Faster Target Acquisition
If you have trouble finding and following opponents on mobile or otherwise with the Fortnite lock on pistol or similar low accuracy weapons. Try combining the lock on mode with the lock off sight, which doesn’t reduce movement speed. Use lock off to find and track an opponent while moving, then quickly switch to lock on to acquire, aim, and fire. This strategy is effective because while lock on can reduce your movement speed in the lock on state, you can still use the much faster lock off movement to find and align with opponents.
Easier to Hit Moving Targets
The Lock-on Pistol is easier to hit moving targets than other weapons due to it’s homing and tracking capabilities. Use the movement reduction slider to adjust the weapon’s movement speed to better match the enemy’s movements and acquire the lock more easily. This will give you an advantage in situations where mobility is limited, such as mid-air enemy confrontations or while running for cover.
What are the Disadvantages of Using the Lock on Pistol?
- Inability to be an aggressive playmaker against good players.
- Less practice for manual aiming capabilities.
- Inability to rapidly snap 180 degrees.
- Less flick shots to learn and benefit from in tight spaces.
- More prediction shots required for targets behind cover.
- Running out of charge is common and must be managed carefully.
- Charge time can slow the ability to fire in a clutch run and gun situation.
- Peenciling may be necessary when missing in a box fight to retain a slight advantage.
- Deep breath accuracy struggle in an impending high aggression situation.
In conclusion, while the scope pistol fills the useful niche of training wheels for new Fortnite players transitioning from initial weeks on the phone to console/PC, its limitations prevent it from being more than a stepping stone. Expert Fortnite players rapidly outgrow the scope pistol while those training to become exceptional dedicate deliberate training time against bots to improve their manual aiming capabilities.
Limited Range
The Lock on Pistol has a 30-meter maximum locking range. One usually will not get to this maximum range and because of this, a variable damage output should be kept in mind. The damage of this pistol depends on the type of lock-on target, an aspect that can be seen in an article about The Lock on Pistol (Hop Rock Dualies) with 39 base damage points. As the lock-on range becomes longer, the damage per shot grows to a maximum of 52 base damage points.
Limited Ammo Capacity
The Lock Pick is a pistol in Fortnite that has a low base magazine size and small maximum size. It uses Light Bullets with incredible accuracy and great damage drop-off, but with limited range and poor damage potential per shot.
The Lock on Pistol, on the other hand, is currently only available in the Battle Lab for testing purposes. It has a huge magazine size and greater maximum size, but its accuracy is not as good. It uses Medium Bullets, and its range and damage potential are better than the Lock Pick’s.
The problem that most players have when using Fortnite pistols is limited ammo capacity. All pistols have limited ammo capacity compared to other weapons, and they usually do not fit the slot inside which the other player weapons are used.
For an aggressive playing style where numerous rounds are offered to the opponent, pistols are not good options as players will often run out of ammo and be forced to switch to other weapons. This is primarily the reason most players ignore pistols in favor of having another weapon in their weapon slot.
Can be Inaccurate at Close Range
Lock on with the Lock On pistol can be inaccurate at close range. The threshold for the Lock On feature to fully activate for the pistol is 20 meters (or 65 feet). For shorter ranges than this, the Lock On pistol does not fully activate and play like a common pistol weapon.
A good example to consider is when the player Kubulch (a representative from Fortnite’s developers who streams on the popular Twitch platform) played with the Lock On Pistol, and the aim-assist did not always activate when the range to opponents was short. He aimed and missed several times because the aim-assist did not activate immediately. If the purpose is to close in fast for battle, players will miss out on the Lock On advantages because the feature has a distance threshold to engage.
The example provided by Kubulch is a good indication that the Lock On feature is not inaccurate in close quarters but rather, that beyond a certain threshold range, the feature does not engage and must first be triggered, and that could lead to a lack of accuracy in short-range environments. In lockdown conditions where players are substituting special pistols with other weapons, this is particularly useful to know.
How to Improve Your Lock on Pistol Skills?
You can improve your lock on pistol skills in Fortnite by using the lock on pistol in as many games as possible. This is the only way to get a feel for how the weapon operates, practice hitting targets with it, and determine what situations it is most useful in. Sparks frequency from TSM is a popular Fortnite player who has a reputation for being good with the weapon. Watching him play may provide tips on how he uses the weapon effectively, though this is likely less useful for intermediate players who are already familiar with the game and have a certain style of play they are comfortable with.
It’s also good to have a secondary faster firing weapon that you can switch to once you have knocked a player’s shield down to finish them off quickly as you will quickly run out of ammunition with the lock on pistol.
To improve his aim, sparks recommends using an aim trainer such as Kovaak’s or Aiming Pro to practice.
Practice Aiming and Locking on to Targets
During a game of Team Rumble, do not focus on getting easy eliminations like one would when using a shotgun. Instead, use the Lock on Pistol to practice hitting your opponents where you aim every time. Photographs show the crosshairs of the Lock on Pistol on the opponents. You can use this during short jumps to avoid damage when your opponents attack. After dealing 100 damage to your beamed opponents, you can finish them off as you like. You should practice as you can feel enemy movements and predict damage to shoot out of build pieces and walls.
Experiment with Different Sensitivity Settings
- Lock on pistol sensitivity settings are accessed from the game settings tab which is located on the player’s home screen. Sensitivity refers to player control when aiming and makes aiming with the lock on pistol easier the higher your sensitivity settings are. However, these settings must allow for a wide variety of weapon types, distances, and gaming conditions and need to be experimented with to find the perfect balance for you. This can be done in the game’s team rumble mode, which is perfect for testing which sensitivity level is best.
Many Fortnite influencers emphasize the importance of finding the right lock on pistol aiming sensitivity settings. Popular Fortnite streamer SypherPK mentioned in one of his streams that all settings are different and personal preference needs to cater to one’s playstyle.
It is possible to use the sensitivity settings of a favorite bunless weapon to guide in the search for the correct settings for the lock pistol aiming. Try out various sensitivity settings in the practice mode to ease the aiming difficulty with the vehicle weapon.
Lastly, take the time to review newly created lens’s full field of view so that weak points and optics that will allow for faster and more accurate hits can be identified to have the lock pistol function at its peak as a precision weapon.
Watch Tutorials and Tips from Experienced Players
YouTube is full of gaming vidoes from known Fortnite experts. Watching these tutorials from experienced Fortnite players can educate any user on using the Lock on Banky Pistol advantages. In the best of cases, the creators have their own gaming style which may help find out the best way to benefit from the personally chosen preferences. While some experts play using third person, others like Ninja and Bugha frequently switch between first person and third person. Here is a list of Youtube channels from Fortnite players to get started on researching this unique pistol.
- Bizzle: Bizzle is a professional and mechanically talented Fortnite player from the United States known for his deep understanding of the game’s mechanics.
- Tfue: Once considered one of the best Fortnite players in the world, Turner “Tfue” Tenney’s rise to fame on Twitch and YouTube was rapid due to his extraordinary skill set that included accurate aim, edits, and smart games.
- BenjyFishy: Another professional Fortnite player from the UK, Benjy “Ben” Fish, is renowned due to his natural talent and speed in building, aiming, and decision-making.
What are the Pros and Cons of Using the Lock on Pistol?
The pros of using the Lock on Pistol tend to lean toward enhancing a player’s weapons skills. The advantages of learning to use the lock on pistol include those listed by Jamar TV:
- forces players to improve their game skills
- improves gun accuracy
- forces players to concentrate better
- helps learn aiming and headshot positioning
The only con to using the lock on pistol is the lower damage output and the fact that odds are it is always better to use other guns if they are available.
Pros
The top pros for using the lock-on pistol in Fortnite are faster target acquisition, quicker time-to-shoot, and free time-delayed aim during gunfights. Meaning once a target has been locked onto, the player doesn’t need to waste time aiming and can directly shoot. This makes it easier for novice or low-skilled players to get direct hits on shots. In the case of pistols like the Rare Lock-on Pistol, lock-on time across multiple targets, magazine capacity, and reload speed also make the lock-on pistol an A+ pistol.
The addition of the lock-on feature in the Fornite 18.2 Update significantly reduced the skill gap in the game. Before, the dependable skill-based aim was essential. However, with the lock-on feature, the game is now very dynamic and allows low-skilled players to take down players with greater firearms skill. This it helps organization the hurt among all players in the round to the players using it kill everyone in close combat, it is just a low-skill weapon type.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to lock on with the lock on pistol in Fortnite?
The lock on pistol in Fortnite is a useful weapon that automatically aims at your enemies. To use it, simply aim in the general direction of your target and the pistol will do the rest.
2. Does the lock on pistol have unlimited range?
No, the lock on pistol has a limited range just like any other weapon in Fortnite. It is most effective at medium to close range, so be sure to use it strategically.
3. Can you manually turn off the lock on feature?
Yes, if you prefer to have more control over your aiming, you can manually turn off the lock on feature by pressing the aim button again while using the lock on pistol.
4. How accurate is the lock on pistol?
The lock on pistol is generally very accurate, but it may not always hit the bullseye on your target. It is still important to aim and adjust your shots if necessary.
5. Are there any drawbacks to using the lock on pistol?
While the lock on pistol can be a powerful weapon, it does have some drawbacks. It has a slower fire rate and can consume a lot of ammo quickly, so use it wisely.
6. How do you get the lock on pistol in Fortnite?
The lock on pistol can be found as loot in chests, supply drops, and supply llamas. It can also be obtained by eliminating enemies who are carrying it.