Here’s how to beat Haderax The Invincible, Borderlands 2’s newest “Invincible” raid boss.
In case you haven’t heard, Borderland 2 just got a brand new free DLC seven years after the game first released. It’s called Commander Lillith and the Fight For Sanctuary, and along with a new story, a bunch of new bosses, and new loot, there’s also a brand new raid boss for vault hunters to take down along with a group of their friends.
Or alone, if you have the right tools and the right strategy.
The raid boss is called Haderax The Invincible, and like other raid bosses, you can get some pretty spectacular loot from farming it.
But before we get to talk strategy, let’s go over where you can find good ol’ Haderax. First, you’ll need to beat the Commander Lillith DLC by killing Hector and saving the planet from a flowery fate. Then you’ll have to talk to Hammerlock after he shows up at Moxie’s new ramshackle bar. He’ll give you the “A Most Cacophonous Lure” quest which will send you to the Writhing Deep located in The Burrows.
What Haderax The Invincible Can Do
As with other raid bosses, you’ll need 20 eridium to summon Haderax. Then get ready for a fight.
Haderax is basically a sandworm that has grown to unusual size due to Hector’s mutating plant gasses. This thing is a tough customer, as it’s got a bunch of very wide area attacks that can hit you even if you’re not even remotely near the impact area. It’s also got a homing slag missile attack, a giant corrosive gas attack, and to top it all off, it heals. If you’re not doing constant damage to Haderax, its health bar will just refill on its own and you’ll have to start over from square one.
The Best Weapons For The Job
So, how we do defeat this massive beast? First, you’ll need the right gear. Basically, anything that does a TON of damage will work. The Bee Shield and the Conference Call shotgun are old standbys that’ll work for basically any character, but there are a few character builds that make this combo excel such as Anarchy Gaige or Titan Sal. Maya with a Bee Shield, fire elemental Sandhawk SMG, and a Legendary Cat class mod is also quite viable.
If you don’t have a Conference Call, sniper Zer0 works as well, although it can be tough avoiding Haderax’s many attacks. A Moxie weapon such as The Grog Nozzle or Rubi is essential in order to recoup lost health.
Once you’ve got your favorite high-damage combo equipped, head on into the fight. The key to defeating Haderax is dealing enough damage to its crit spot to stun it, then hammering its open mouth crit spot so hard that you kill it before it can wake up.
That’s easier said than done. Haderax conceals its crit spots pretty well so they’re not always accessible with conventional weapons. However, a gun like the Conference Call, with its unique mechanic of striking from multiple angles, can still manage to find Haderax’s crit spots even when they’re not visible.
Without a Conference Call, you’ll need to get to higher ground. Fortunately, various geysers around the arena will catapult you onto rocky ledges that provide a good angle to strike Haderax’s cranial crit spot. Then, once stunned, drop down beneath the rocks in the center of the arena to hammer its mouth crit spot with everything you got.
What Haderax Drops, And Other New Loot
One other option exists that’s worth mentioning. Recently provided in the Commander Lillith DLC are new Effervescent or “Rainbow” rarity items that when combined provide incredible power in certain situations. One of those sets is called the Hygiene Set, and includes the Toothpick Dahl assault rifle, the Mouthwash relic, and the Retainer shield. Wear all three of these items at once and you’ll gain incredible speed and jump capacity that will allow you to dodge Haderax’s blows while also having an extremely powerful fire-based assault rifle to take down the giant sandworm.
Once dispatched, Haderax will shower the vault hunter with loot and also spawn four chests that are guaranteed to drop either the Hard Carry relic, the Peak Opener assault rifle, or the Easy Mode shield. These Effervescent items also combine to provide the vault hunter with greater firepower and toughness during the Raid on Digistruct Peak DLC.
Haderax is tough, but so long as you’ve got the right tactics and the right weapons you'll carry the day. Now get out there and farm yourself some giant sandworms. Pandora and the Crimson Raiders will thank you as we all wait for Borderlands 3.