L96A1 Black-Magnum

"A heavier variant of the fearsome L96A1 chambered for an even more powerful Magnum round. The bolt has been reworked for faster reload."

- The Arsenal

The L96A1 Black-Magnum is a devastating NX-Rare variant of the L96A1, and a Cosmetic Variant of the L96A1 Super-Magnum.

It features a sleek new color scheme, a slight damage boost, and an even faster reload time.

Legacy
By most players, the Black-Magnum is thought to be the most powerful Sniper Rifle in the game.

The Black-Magnum is capable of inflicting 999+ damage with a direct hit to the head but can still be tanked like a L96A1 if you shoot a leg or arm.

The Black-Magnum virtually has the same frame as the rest of the L96A1 series. It also incorporates a Muzzle-Brake (like the Super-Magnum), as well as a more-efficient chamber to increase damage. Unlike the rest of the L96A1 series, it features a unique black-camouflage for stealth and aesthetic prowess.

The Black-Magnum has the same reload time as the Super-Magnum, slightly slower than the L96A1, and inflicts the same amount of damage as well.. Fierce and unpredictable, this user-friendly weapon will have you racking up accolades while your enemy is still in mid-reload.

The Black-Magnum also has very few disavantages, but the most prominent downsides of the Black-Magnum are its scope, accuracy, and the fact that it cannot be silenced; therefore making it ineffective for stealth kills. Because of the limited range-of-fire and low accuracy, you can easy miss a target when playing across a map like Kill Creek. In a close-range map or within modes that require stealth, the loud firing mechanism renders any incognito combat useless.

However, the Black-Magnum's overwhelming raw damage can easily take down a foe with one shot, making covert firing unnecessary. Its accuracy may be lower than that of most Sniper Rifles, but the Black-Magnum still is a Sniper Rifle, so it has far better accuracy most of the weapons in the game.

In the hands of a skilled marksman, the Black-Magnum can be comfortably adapted to any style of combat, in long or close-range combat. This extraordinary weapon can be paired with almost any gun, and still be part of the most efficient and devastating setup in all of CA.

Overview
The Black-Magnum is a weapon followed by player folklore, stories about it being the most powerful gun in the game are shoved down new players' heads within hours of joining Combat Arms. However, the Black-Magnum is on par with the Super-Magnum, doing slightly more damage than the L96A1 but still being tanked if an arm or leg is shot.

Because of its extremely high damage and the relative ease to kill, the Black-Magnum is featured as one of the Overpowered Weapons within Cabin Fever. To combat the Infected, the special version of the Black-Magnum has been uniquely chambered to penetrate even their tough hide. Even as a lowly Sniper Rifle against a horde of the undead, the CF Black-Magnum can take down most Infected in one shot, regardless of where they are hit; while even the most powerful adversary will succumb to just 2 precise headshots.

As the price to being so desired, it is considered to be one of the most exclusive and coveted weapons in the game. As such, a large number of players have expressed the desire for a Permanant Black-Magnum. Even compared to the new OP Snipers (ex. the TPG/TRG series) with seemingly perfect statistics, the Black-Magnum is still preferred over many of them by even the most professional players.

The only legitimate way of obtaining it permanantly is to purchase a Weapon Renewal Kit (since the Black-Magnum is never sold in either Shop, therefore the time limit cannot be extended without one), players have often created unique means of trying to persuade the game developers into putting the Black-Magnum on sale.

On the other hand, this has long been noticed (and possibly even planned) by Nexon, and they often satiringly reference the Black-Magnum in-game. In fact, a song title from the CA:M is bluntly labeled, "Oh, What a Beautiful Permanant Black-Magnum".

Though the chances of obtaining a Black-Magnum are exceedingly slim (as it can only be received via the Supply Crate MYST-N or Supply Case GIFT-N randomly), it frequently appears within Sniper Only matches.

This is due to the fact that it was once legendary for the fractional chance of recieving one, but recent petitions (like the ones mentioned above) seem to have partially convinced Nexon to make it more popular and obtainable. However, the Black-Magnum is still NEVER sold in the Shop/Black Market, even during sales, and the chances of getting it for an extended duration is still very, very slim.

Variants

 * L96A1 (GP-Standard variant)


 * L96A1 Ghillie (GP-Rare variant)


 * L96A1 Arctic Wolf (NX-Standard variant)


 * L96A1 Super-Magnum (NX-Rare counterpart)


 * L96A1 Holiday Wolf (Seasonal Rare variant)


 * L115A2 (GP-Rare cousin variant)


 * L115A3 (NX-Standard cousin variant)

Item of the Week
On 4/23/2010, the Black-Magnum was the item of the week. Here is what the review included:

"This week’s item of the week is the L96A1 Black-Magnum. This is a heavier variant of a classic sniper rifle chambered for an even more powerful Magnum round. The bolt has also been reworked for a faster reload. Like most sniper rifles, the L96A1 is best on larger maps with lots of open space and hidden positions where a sniper can set up a "nest" to take out unsuspecting victims. According to our Combat Arms soldiers, you'll definitely appreciate the qualities of the L96A1 Black Magnum on Snow Valley, Road Kill, Wave Rider and Two Towers. Fans of this gun also point out that it's more powerful shot can take out opponents even if they're wearing protection and have reported some success in destroying Enforcers in Cabin Fever."

Let’s see what a few of your fellow Combat Arms players had to say:

“The L96A1 Magnum is a perfect weapon for all-around situations, for popping that annoying sniper's head in Snow Valley, (and) using its one-hit kill power and quick scoping for Junk Flea games.” – Gus A..

''“Its tremendous power makes it more or less impossible top tank a shot from this beast of a gun. This gun is in a class of its own. No L9 variant even comes close to the power of this gun. Its bolt speed is so fast one can even say that it is semi-automatic. Overall the best sniper I have used.” – Diego W.''

''“I feel the Black Magnum is best on Snow Valley, sitting on top of the tower picking off opponents like they were sitting still. One beautiful shot to the skull sending the rest of their team into a panic. The best kill is in the dead silence, a shot rings out from your gun, the opponent falls dead.”- Joshua P."''

Trivia

 * The Super-Magnum is on par with the Black-Magnum despite the public opinion.
 * During the Sniper Month and End of the Year sales, the Black-Magnum was one of the few Overpowered Sniper Rifles that were NOT put on sale; the Super-Magnum was offered in its stead.
 * The Black-Magnum is one of the few weapons that spawn exclusively in Cabin Fever. This rifle will be available after round 11 is reached, and it is one of the most powerful weapons that can be obtained.
 * The draw rate of this gun is the same as L115A2/3 and L96A1 Artic Wolf/Ghillie; slower than the standard.
 * This weapon has a high chance to take out a fully-equipped Spy in one hit.
 * If you bring your own Black-Magnum to Cabin Fever (or any other zombie based Fireteam), you will not get the same effect as the Black-Magnum you would find in Cabin Fever on round 11. Headshots remain a instant kill however.

Media


thumb|386px|right|The L96A1 Black Magnum review by Baxstar