2K Games’ Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel has plenty to offer. Along with a terrific new moon setting that lets you play around with gravity, elements that you can apply to weapons for different effects and all-new co-op features, the game provides hours of shoot-em-up fun for casual players and Borderlands fanatics.
In addition, The Pre-Sequel lets players grind unwanted weapons using a special device located in Concordia. With it, you can gain better Legendary weapons, along with secondary Luneshine enhancements that make a difference in battle.
On that note, here’s everything you need to know about the Grinder.
Head for Janne Springs
The first thing you’ll need to do before you access the Grinder is find Janey in Concordia. Here, she’ll provide you with a side mission called Grinders, which you should be able to complete with some friends.
Once you do, you’ll gain access to the device that lets you take different items and literally grind them together to produce a new one. Different items produce different effects, but we’ve found a few that are superior.
First, keep an eye on item colors. For instance, if you put three blue weapons or similarly colored items into the grinder, you have a better shot at achieving a purple one, which provides a greater weapon effect than the others, depending on the usage.
Second, applying three similar weapons doesn’t always give you the same weapon output. We encourage you to get creative here, like binding together two conventional weapons and a grenade mod into a rocket launcher. That’s a good way to go, although you can also get a killer assault rifle with the combination of a shield, SMG and sniper rifle, as well as a shotgun with the mixture of an SMG, pistol and shield.
Mixing and matching is the best way to see what the Grinder has to offer, so don’t be afraid to take your extra guns and see what you come up with. The more weapons you get from it, the more chances you have to gain Legendary items down the road.
Item rarity
The Grinder can be a crapshoot when trying to get rare items, but there are two things you can do to increase the odds of scoring a Legendary item.
First, put together three different item types that have the same rarity level, as indicated on your weapons screen. By doing this, you’ll automatically go up a rank with your new weapon, and be able to earn similar weapons – and then go back to the Grinder and do it again if you feel like mixing and matching.
Second, you’ll want to seek out as many Moonstones as you can. Throwing a Moonstone into the mix boosts the opportunity to get a rarer and/or Legendary item from the Grinder. Without this, you can still take a gamble with three other items of the same type, although you probably won’t level up as you would with the previous tactic.
Moonstones bring enhancements
You’ll want to use Moonstones as often as you can in mixtures in the Grinder. Not only will you increase the chance of a better weapon, but you’ll also get a Luneshine enhancement for your trouble, which can provide you a number of benefits when battling enemies.
Your best bet is probably the ability to earn additional XP from killing enemies via Fast Learner. This is a great way to level up even quicker than before. Others, however, provide better weapon effects. The Boominator, for example, picks up your grenade damage, making it easier to hurt enemies in groups. The Safeguard restores any shielding you might have lost in the heat of battle without having to wait for a recharge. Piercing Rounds can go a long way against shielded enemies. Finally, Punisher lets you deliver even bigger critical hit damage – ideal for tougher bosses in the game.
Try and find Moonstone Loot Chests scattered in each level. Using these will pay off big time with each visit to the Grinder, and eventually, you’ll have the kind of Legendary weapon that will leave your teammates in awe – and your enemies running scared.
Be sure to get the complete, official guide to Borderlands the Pre-Sequel, available now.
