Borderlands 2 Tips & Tricks
A beginner's guide to Borderlands 2 covering class selection, weapon strengths and weaknesses, the Slag element, and early economy habits. Ideal for first-time Vault Hunters who want to avoid common mistakes and reach the endgame in good shape.
10 Tips · 4 categories
5 tipsProgression
Maya is the Easiest Starter Class
Maya's Phase Lock action skill suspends enemies in mid-air, giving you easy critical hit windows. Her Cloud Kill skill from the Cataclysm tree unlocks at level 16 and is exceptionally strong in Normal Mode, producing a corrosive cloud that deals heavy damage-over-time to Loaders and most flesh enemies.
Salvador is the Strongest Class Overall
Salvador's Gunzerking lets him wield two weapons simultaneously while recovering health, reducing incoming damage, and regenerating ammo. Once you build into the right skill synergies and pair him with the appropriate weapons, he outperforms every other Vault Hunter and is the best solo option for raid bosses.
Don't Stress Over Badass Rank Allocation
BAR bonuses are negligible until a single attribute reaches 10%, which takes a long time to accumulate. If you do spend tokens, prioritize max health, shield capacity, reload speed, fire rate, and the gun, grenade, and critical hit damage bonuses. A misallocated token early on is not worth worrying about.
Complete Side Quests When You Feel Underleveled
Side quests are the fastest way to close a level gap against tough areas. Many also reward red text weapons with special properties that outperform generic drops. The Bad Hair Day quest gives a Jakobs sniper rifle very early on, which is one of the strongest weapons available at that point in the game.
Don't Farm Legendaries Until Maximum Level
Farmed weapons drop at your current level and become obsolete quickly. A legendary farmed at level 7 will be outperformed by green weapons by level 20. Wait until you reach max level before grinding for specific gear so the time invested has lasting value.
2 tipsGear
Skip Most Bandit Weapons
Bandit weapons underperform in accuracy, recoil, and damage compared to every other manufacturer, only standing out for large magazine sizes. Other manufacturers produce better shotguns, ARs, SMGs, and pistols. The exception is Bandit uniques and legendaries like the Badaboom, Tattler, Bone Shredder, and Tinderbox, which are worth keeping.
Assault Rifles Have a Hidden Crit Penalty
Nearly every assault rifle has an inherent critical hit penalty that weakens them compared to pistols, SMGs, shotguns, and sniper rifles, particularly as you level up. Jakobs ARs are the exception and receive a crit bonus instead. The Jakobs Gatling Gun, Dahl Double Tap, Vladof Hail, and Torgue Blaster are worth using despite the category's general weakness.
2 tipsCombat
Sniper Rifles Carry You Through Early Difficulties
Sniper rifles deal four times base damage on a critical hit, making them the strongest weapon type for players who can aim consistently. Jakobs snipers reach up to five times damage on crits. Vladof snipers with double barrels trade raw crit power for a higher fire rate, which outperforms single-shot models against enemies with very high health pools.
Learn Slag Before Reaching Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode
Slag turns enemies purple and doubles all non-slag damage dealt to them. In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, slag triples damage and lasts twice as long, making it close to mandatory. Get comfortable applying slag with a dedicated weapon or grenade now, while Normal Mode still lets you get by without it.
1 tipEconomy
Use the Golden Chest Every Few Levels
The Golden Chest in Sanctuary opens with Golden Keys and always drops purple or E-Tech loot scaled to your current level, far better than most standard drops. Sign up for a SHiFT account to claim free key codes and open the chest every three to four levels when you are struggling to find good gear.
Verified: 2026-05-24 · All content is original with full credit to original creators.