Prima Games eGuides Borderlands 2 Game of the Year eGuide

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Borderlands 2 Game of the Year eGuide Optional Missions

Medical Mystery: X-Com-municate

Mission Briefing

Dr. Zed has made you his honorary research assistant! Your job: find out more about how this E-tech gun works by “field testing” it on some bandits. As in, by “shooting” a bunch of them with it until they “die.”

Availability: Automatically available after “Medical Mystery.”

Unlocks:

Mission Reward: Dr. Zed

Level Money XP Gear

8

791

Pistol (Purple)

Three Horns Valley

It tastes like burning!

Dr. Zed isn’t quite sure how this newfangled E-tech weapon works, so he needs you to put it to use and kill no fewer than 25 bandits with it. A random version of “BlASSter” assault rifle has been added to your Backpack as a Mission Weapon. Equip it and immediately open fire on the Psychos charging your position. Shock Fossil Cavern only contains 15 of the 25 enemies you need to kill, but it also contains those easiest to defeat, so do your best to not kill them through other means.

Despite its massive 184-round magazine, the BlASSter consumes two rounds per shot and churns through ammo faster than you can say medical malpractice. The Psychos drop additional ammo, but the rifle has a shockingly slow reload speed. High technology, my BlASSter! Only reload when you’ve got enough ammo to make it worthwhile; otherwise, switch to a different weapon and farm some assault rifle ammo from loot drops and nearby containers. Those playing as Maya and Zero can effectively use their Action Skills to buy some time while they reload. Roland’s Sabre Turret, though helpful in that it does attract enemy attention, tends to kill too many enemies, thus forcing you to have to search far and wide for additional bandits to kill. Another option is to equip a Spiked Shield so as to at least have some defense from the marauding Psychos while you reload.

You can farm the remaining bandits for Dr. Zed at Southpaw Steam & Power.

Kill all of the Psychos in Shock Fossil Cavern, then exit the cave where you entered and cross the road to the west toward the Southpaw Steam & Power facility. The courtyard has a number of Nomads, Crazed Marauders, and other Psychos for you to hunt down with the E-tech weapon. Still need more bandits to kill? If so, head inside Southpaw Steam & Power, use the Ammo Dump vending machine to load up on assault rifle ammo, then attack the bandits in the facility. Use the Fast Travel station inside Southpaw Steam & Power to quickly get back to Sanctuary and report your findings to Dr. Zed.