Hello, this is XboxAhoy and this is the twenty-fourth episode of my Black Ops 2 Weapon Guide.
This time, we're covering the Executioner.
Unlocked at level 31, this weapon is an unusual addition to the selection of pistols available
- a hard-hitting shotgun revolver.
The Executioner is Black Ops 2's representation of the Taurus Raging Judge XXVIII - a Brazilian
revolver design with the unusual ability to fire 28 gauge shotgun shells.
The original Taurus Judge was introduced in 2010, firing either .45 Colt pistol cartridges
or .410 bore shotgun shells.
The later Raging Judge model was a larger variant with bigger frame and longer cylinder
- extending the Raging Judge's ability to chamber the powerful .454 Casull round in
addition.
The 28-gauge version of the Raging Judge was shown in 2011 but never made it to production.
It would have fired 28 gauge shotgun shells exclusively - intermediate in power between
.410 bore and conventional 12 gauge rounds.
In-game, damage is very high, although your range is severely limited.
Up-close, the Executioner is entirely capable of killing with just a single shot, and is
the only weapon in the pistol category capable of such a feat.
Of course, its damage quickly evaporates - and outside of close range engagements you'll
be unable to hit your opponent at all.
Rate of fire is limited to 468 rounds per minute - although slow by most standards,
you probably do want to moderate your trigger finger, to conserve ammunition and to ensure
optimal placement of shots.
Hipfire spread is the worst within the pistol category - and while the multiple pellets
fired with every shot mean that hipfire can be effective at a close range, you will experience
more consistent performance when aiming down your sights.
Recoil is high - but again, given the pellet spread and lower fire cap, the Executioner's
kick is seldom a factor in your success.
Aim time is a little slower than the other pistols, at 200 milliseconds - but the other
handling traits are as swift as you'd expect - as is your mobility, at 100 percent of the
base speed.
Magazine capacity is one of the Executioner's key weaknesses - as a trade-off for the one-shot
power of the revolver, you'll have only 5 rounds at your disposal between reloads.
Reloads aren't exactly quick, either - shells are inserted individually, with the first
round (including ejection of spent shells) taking 1.7 seconds - and every subsequent
round an additional 0.6 seconds.
This means a complete reload will take 4.1 seconds, although a partial top-up is always
possible.
Our build with the Executioner is designed to fill in the weapon's flaws, in an attempt
to make a viable build for using the weapon as a surrogate primary.
To that end, we'll be making good use of the Secondary Gunfighter Wildcard to load up on
attachments, permitting two choices to maximise the Executioner's effectiveness.
First up - and near essential for sustained use - is the Fast Mag attachment.
This will allow you to completely resupply in one reload action, rather than having to
insert rounds shell-by-shell.
You do lose the ability to cancel your reload partway through, but given that you can only
insert two rounds in the time Fast Mag will replenish all 5, this is seldom an issue.
It's always a good idea to keep your revolver fully populated with shells ready-to-go, and
to that end this attachment is essential.
Next up is the Long Barrel attachment, enhancing your grasp by 16 percent.
Limited range is the Executioner's key downfall, so if you plan on using the weapon extensively
then long barrel is a sensible choice - else you might find your 5-round supply spent,
and your opponent merely tickled by your fire.
Our perk selection is a rough-and-tumble set designed for higher survivability and maximum
mobility, to help you get close and remain in the thick of the action.
We'll be taking two perks from the first tier, courtesy of the Perk 1 Greed Wildcard - and
our first selection is a firm favourite for a close-range weapon, Lightweight.
Seven percent higher mobility means you'll be better equipped to get close to your enemy
- something the Executioner is particularly reliant upon.
Next, Flak Jacket will protect you from explosives - enhancing your survivability, and making
Bloodthirsty medals marginally easier to attain.
As well as being great for objective based game modes, you'll also be able to stroll
right past your entrenched foe's defences - with bouncing betties or claymores posing
next to no threat.
Next up is Scavenger, providing you with the ammunition you'll need for sustained use of
a secondary - as well as resupplying your equipment.
With the Executioner, you'll only spawn with 20 shells total - so resupplying is essential
for the longer streaks.
Our final perk is Extreme Conditioning: this option doubling your sprint endurance and
permitting a sustained assault without falling short in the stamina stakes.
Our final point is allotted to C4 in your lethal slot - this close-range explosive proving
reliably lethal against close-range attackers - very useful should you be caught needing
a reload.
Otherwise, the explosive is great for crowd control - in gunfights where 5 shells aren't
sufficient, a deft toss can finish off any still standing.
That's our build - a highly mobile class designed to enhance the Executioner's potential, and
to make for a viable option when wielding the shotgun-revolver solo.
Your success with the weapon is largely determined by your ability to force engagements in tight
spaces - and so sticking to interior locations will often reap reward.
Otherwise - try to limit your long-ranged exposure, and attempt to eke out single opponents,
lest you bite off more than you can chew.
The Executioner is a unique weapon that adds a quick-swapping one-shot defence to your
build.
No other pistol is as powerful, and the weapon's spread means that pin-point accuracy isn't
necessary either.
However, the Executioner's very limited range and short magazine means it will only function
well at a very close range - what it boasts in power it lacks in versatility.
This limited grasp does make it a perfect close-range backup weapon, for times when
you can rely on your primary for longer-ranged combat - but using the Executioner as a standalone
weapon will prove challenging.
Still, there's no other weapon quite like the Executioner - and certainly no other pistol
can hope to kill with just one shot.
With this unusual weapon you'll be able to single-handedly mete out justice...
...judge, jury - and executioner.
Thanks for watching, this has been XboxAhoy.
Join me next week, when I'll be covering the M27.
Until then, farewell.