The Zany RPG Borderlands 2 takes the fun adrenaline-laced FPS gameplay of the 1st entry and cranks everything up to 11. There are richer environments, memorable characters, and of course, even more off-the-wall weaponry.
Part of the appeal of taking on the role of the Vault Hunter in the ravaged, cell-shaded world of Pandora is the wide variety of insane and unique guns - from Old West-style revolvers to massive rocket launching beasts of destruction.
Borderlands 3 debuted even more wacky gun varieties (guns with legs!), amplifiers, and newly introduced manufacturers. This list will examine some of Borderlands 2's most powerful weapons. Of course, with a game as deep and customizable as BL2, there are tons of variants that can alter the circumstances. But the goal will be to highlight guns with the highest damage and most effective capabilities in a general sense.
Updated April 26th, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia: Gearbox's chaotic APRG-shooter continues to light it up with a slew of awesome new weapons, expansive maps, and a zany new cast of characters. Yet, its predecessor seems to be continuing to chug along despite being overshadowed by the bombastic third entry.
It makes sense as the game has its own arsenal of memorable guns; many of which fans contend are some of the best in the series. Gearbox has reintroduced various BL2 callbacks in some fashion — like the fan-favorite Unkempt Harold. Yet there still exists a large lineup of great guns that, at least for the time being, remained shelved. With that said, it seemed appropriate to reload this list with even more BL2 guns that would make the 2019 sequel even more epic.
12 Overcompensator
The recent DLC, Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary, brought a memorable post-script to BL2, including a plant-laden wasteland and a colorful new weapon rarity, Effervescent. Of course, some awesome new guns were also introduced, including this Hyperion boom stick.
Powerful, swift, and relatively accurate, this shotty can really unload at close and even medium range. But it also comes with a pretty neat perk — the ability to refill some of its ammo when fired.
While there's no shortage of solid shotguns in BL3, a strong, efficient one like this would surely be welcomed.
11 Slagga
Sure, it may not make a ton of sense to bring over a gun whose key feature revolves around the axed Slag elemental. Still, some sort of Radiation-laced variant of this damage-spraying beast could prove an awesome addition to BL3.
With its hefty mag size and projectile count, this weapon could surely prove handy against the hordes of Tinks, Rakks, and Varkids that scurry about. Perhaps the COV could get to work on a refined, reimagined version of this Bandit classic.
10 Kerblaster
True to its name, this assault rifle can blast foes into oblivion with its explosive power and wicked area-of-effect damage.
It's hard to deny the appeal of this beast, given that it wields the strength of a sniper rifle and the explosiveness of a mini-rocket launcher. Its gluttonous ammo consumption and fairly slow firing is a small price to pay.
Crowd control is just as vital in BL3, if not moreso, and this Torgue weapon truly gets the job done on that front.
9 Hot Mama
Being of the exclusive effervescent club, this Jakobs gun wheels and deal on a level few weapons from BL2 or its sequel can reach. Don't let the trail of purple hearts fool you when firing, there's little that's wholesome about this fiery sniper.
It certainly has the power and accuracy of the aforementioned weapon type. Yet, its swift firing also makes it pretty versatile and not unlike a mid-ranged shotgun.
8 World Burn
Even most BL3 fans are likely to agree that rocket launchers aren't exactly the game's strong suit, at least compared to its predecessor's strong lineup. The recently-released World Burn continues this game's tradition of yielding some truly awesome launchers.
This Torgue launcher is akin to a mini nuclear weapon, with its mushroom cloud explosions, incendiary damage, and insane damage output. Just a simple blast or two from this thing can instantly drop most nearby enemies.
This makes it a great get-out-of-jail-free card when in Fight For Your Life; which is quite useful in the grind of BL3's Mayhem Mode. It'd seemingly also be great for farming bosses; a popular practice in the game.
7 Pimpernel
This uniquely firing sniper really gives quite a bit of "bang" for one's buck and stands as one of the best sniper rifles in the game. As a side note - this gun appears exclusively in the Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty DLC.
When the bullet impacts, it splits into a star-like formation of 5 pellets which can strike a target multiple times. The high frequency of times each shot can nail a target (at least for a sniper) allows a greater chance in both critical hits as well as elemental damage. This is truly a sniper rifle on roids.
6 Unkempt Harold
Despite their smaller, less intimidating appearance, there are in fact a number of pistols that can pack quite a punch. Look no further than the Torgue-produced Unkempt Harold for one of the best examples. This great Legendary can be snagged randomly as a rare drop, though it's reportedly more frequently dropped in the Mr. Torgue DLC.
This deceptively powerful pistol fires shots at a swift rare, which in turn split off into more, allowing for some truly potent offensives. Its shots also explode upon impact, creating a devastating effect that can destroy enemies quickly and cleanly.
5 Interfacer
In another example of a solid Hyperion-made shotty, the Interfacer amplifies its already high damage output by firing projectiles that multiply and flare out. Even without the Bee Shield amplifier, this thing can melt through opponents, particularly from close or mid-range.
And while it's hindered a touch with its slow-moving projectiles, the fact that the gun allows one to aim down the sights without slowing down negates some of this. With its ability to pump tons of high-powered shells at baddies erratically, the Interfacer makes a good option for big clunky boss showdowns. Considering BL3 promises to have a more abundant lineup of bigger, tougher bosses, it'd sure be handy to have one of these trusty boom sticks at our side.
4 Baby Maker
Manufacturer Tediore thrives on guns that are lightweight, swift, and sharp, and these attributes definitely shine in this Legendary SMG, the Baby Maker. It comes equipped with a super fast fire rate as well as reload speed. This ensures the weapon will help in a pinch against smaller, quicker moving baddies, like, say, a flurry of pesky Fire Ants.
Trigger-happy reloaders will get a kick out of this thing in particular, as every reload produces an explosive projectile that's lobbed at close and mid-range baddies. This rapidly firing SMG will simply tear away at foes with corrosive or slag damage in particular, which how many bullets it can pump out.
3 Rubi (Of Moxxi Fame)
Undertaking the Moxxi missions proves amusing for a number of reasons; not the least of which is the awesomely unique and rare weapons she offers at her bar following their completion. One of the greatest is the Rubi, a sharp and quick reloading pistol.
Being a Maliwan developed gun, it sacrifices raw base damage for elemental effectiveness somewhat. Not only can it output a ton of powerful elemental and splash damage though, but it compounds this with its ability to heal the user relative to the damage inflicted.
2 Sand Hawk
For those simply looking for swiftness and high DPS, it's tough to beat a Bee-charged Sand Hawk. This unique drop stands as one of the best overall SMGs in BL2 with its deadly combo of spread and damage output.
This thing fires off eight, count them eight rounds that form the pattern of a bird, at a low cost of only 3 SMG rounds. This makes it an optimal choice for midrange showdowns, and gives it the qualities not unlike a shotgun with its crazy spread, but a shotgun that fires far more quickly. You'll especially want to hang on to one of these bad boys if found with a Flying prefix, as it'll quicken the speed of the relatively slow projectiles.
1 Norfleet
There are a number of truly destructive, Pandora-shattering rocket launchers to be found in BL2, but the nearly undisputed king of the hill has to be the Norfleet. Blasting through entire bands of bandits or melting away the health of a boss (even the epic showdown against Voracidous) will make it difficult to put down this beast.
There's something about unleashing that mad splash damage and blue wave of plasma that's endlessly satisfying. So be sure to step back and fire away (at a safe distance) as it creates a virtual earthquake and wipes out hordes of baddies.