Borderlands the Pre-Sequel: The Best Weapons For the Job

If there’s one thing you can always rely on in a Borderlands game, it’s access to guns. We’re talking lots and lots of guns. In fact, Borderlands 2, when it came out a couple of years ago, had a “bazilliondier guns.” So, more than likely, a similar count is available for Borderlands the Pre-Sequel, including a few Legendary weapons that will lay waste to enemies rather quickly.

Now the real question is what weapons are best for the job. As you’re running around on the Moon, you’ll have a fair amount to select from, but you’ll want to find out which ones you want for the job, whether it’s mowing down a boss or taking on a bunch of Scurvs outside of a base.

Here now is a quick breakdown of the types of weapons you’ll find in the game, and what situations they’re best used for.

Assault Rifles

This is a general, fully-loaded weapon that has a good amount of ammunition going for it. Most of these rifles come with about a 200+ bullet count, and it’s fairly easy to find ammunition for them, whether dropped by an enemy or from a nearby vending machine.

When to use them: Keep these handy when it comes to taking on typical enemies. Shielded foes, however, will require something stronger.

Lasers

These are kind of new to the Borderlands series, and pretty common with space battles that you’ll be running into head first – you are on the Moon, after all. However, they come with two different firing rates, depending what you’re in the mood for. There’s straight forward laser fire, or a continuous beam that can do damage to larger enemies. Both are rather powerful, but they consume quite a bit of ammunition.

When to use them: save these for tougher enemies, or if you need to wipe out a group right away. Also, it’s not a bad idea to use one if you’re in the mood for a “Han Solo moment,” as it were.

Pistols

Pistols act as a last-resort weapon most of the time, if you happen to be low on ammunition on your other guns. That’s because of its lower bullet count and its slower firing rate. However, some pistols are actually quite handy, especially if they pack a punch along the same lines as a sniper rifle. Shop around and see if you can find something to suit that Dirty Harry itch.

When to use them: save them for when you absolutely need a weapon, or, in the case of the more powerful ones, use them for bosses and higher-grade foes.

RPG’s

Of course we love a rocket launcher. Who doesn’t? With a single shot from one of these babies, you can do a whole lot of damage. In fact, most of the time, a well-aimed rocket can take out most enemies, leaving only a bloody mess behind. In return, you’ll have to deal with the downside – the lowest count of ammunition available, and limited refills. Still, it never hurts to have an RPG in tow.

When to use them: save them for bosses and tougher enemies within the game, or let loose when you’re surrounded by a group of Scurvs nearby. They’ll scatter like a bunch of debris.

Shotgun

Here’s another weapon that may not have the huge ammunition count as SMG’s and assault rifles, but still knows how to go boom. The shotgun is the perfect short range weapon when you have a bad guy in your face, or if you really want to do damage to an enemy’s weak point, with the most critical hits you can deliver. Just be prepared for a slow reload speed, and having to scramble for shells.

When to use them: save your shots for when they count against skirmish-based bosses and larger enemies – or if you just want to see a weaker enemy fly across the screen.

SMG’s

The SMG has a similar effect to the assault rifle, but is smaller to carry, thus it may have slightly less ammunition. Regardless, the right one can get the job done for you, especially when you’ve got a group of enemies nearby. Load up on the more Legendary types and watch the damage count pick up as well.

When to use them: a good general weapon overall, but not the greatest for when you’re going up against a boss – unless you have a Legendary one, that is.

Sniper Rifles

The sniper rifle is easily one of the most effective weapons in the Borderlands series, provided you know how to use it. The downside with the weapon is that it requires precision to make its shots, and has the lowest firing rate outside of the RPG’s. The upside, however, is that when you fire it just right, you can do incredible damage to a foe, even with the lower grade ones. Plus, they reload moderately quickly, depending on the grade of the weapon.

When to use them: these are perfect for taking on enemies from a distance, particularly bosses that talk a big game and shoot from afar. Make sure you have plenty of ammunition on hand, though.

Get the official Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel complete strategy at your favorite game store, or get the digtial guide now!