Pistolero Zero
I noticed there were no pistol builds on Zero’s build collection. So I am going to add a general one.
The Build
Sniping
5/5 Headsh0t
5/5 Killer
5/5 Precisi0n
1/1 B0re
5/5 0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill
3/5 Vel0city
Cunning
5/5 Fast Hands
5/5 Ambush
1/1 Death Mark
5/5 Rising Sh0t (Should be 11/5 with Disturbed Stalker com)
5/5 Innervate
5/5 Tw0 Fang
1/1 Death Bl0ss0m
Bloodshed
5/5 Killing Bl0w
5/5 Grim
5/5 F0ll0wthr0ugh (Should be 10/5 with disturbed Stalker com)
1/1 Execute
This build is pretty basic. You shoot stuff, it dies. Nothing fancy really.
Gear - Only Pistols and Slag Weapons
Slag Weapons
Zero’s best slag weapon is the Pimpernel, and since all of the guns in this build are pistols, you should use the pimpernel as your main slag weapon as to not encroach on pistol ammo by using the grog or the rubi.
Pimpernel
Since this is only a slag weapon, the only element to worry about is slag. Make sure you get a maliwan grip as well because it raises the slag chance to 64% while with a non-maliwan grip it is a 56%.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Maliwan Grip, Dahl/Hyperion Stock
- Best Prefix: Banbury
- Location: A mission in DLC1, Don’t Copy That Floppy, from C3n50r807 in the Washburne Refinery.
Slagga
A great smg for slagging.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Bandit Grip, Dahl Stock
- Best Prefix: Bullets Go Fasterified
- Location: Drops from Tector & Jimbo Hodunk at the end of the Clan War side quest line when you side with the Zafords.
Grog Nozzle
Have this just to use for the healing, do not use it as a slag weapon because it will use up your pistol ammo and since all of the main weapons are pistols you should not use this as a slag weapon.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Maliwan Grip
- Best Prefix: n/a. Whatevs.
- Location: Mission Item from “The Beard Makes the Man”.
Pistols
Unkempt Harold
This Torgue Legendary is quite simply the highest dps pistol in the game, shoots 7 slow moving explosive pellets in a wide pattern with splash damage. The center bullet has 100% splash and the others around it have 70%. Unlisted pellets means it can take full advantage of amp shields. Limited range of use because the slow speed of bullets and wide spread. It consumes 3 ammo per shot as well, but for its damage and the amount of pistol ammo you can carry ammo consumption is not an issue. The ammo consumption of the DP version can be an issue with 6 bullets per shot, thats why some prefer the Hard version with less damage but only 3 pellets per shot and still more than powerful enough for mobs, or any mode before UVHM when you don’t need as much damage. When it comes to raids and bigger bosses always go DP.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Torgue Grip
- Best Prefix: Double Penetrating
- Location: Savage Lee or Item of the day in Torgue vending machines in DLC2.
Infinity
Everyone is going to hate me for this one, but the Infinity really is a good choice for this build. It always gets the bonus from 0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill, and with the infinite ammo you never have to reload. With the com and relic bonus the fire rate of this thing skyrockets. If you absolutely hate it and cannot get over the stereotype, only use it when you are low on ammo.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Vladof Grip
- Best Prefix: Vengeful
- Location: Doc Mercy in Three Horns Valley is the most reliable, I have seen it drop from LLMs The Gold Golem in the Mines of Avarice, and Tubby Bones.
Stinger/Anarchist/Stalker
These pistols all replace the Infinity. If you hate the Infinity, the Stinger is a better version of it that actually uses ammo. If you have the same parts on the Stinger and the Anarchist (non-unique purple Vladof pistol with Vladof barrel), the stats are identical. The Stinger’s projectiles reflect off of surfaces, but they have slower bullet speed. But that is remedied with Vel0city so I use the Stinger but it is up to you. If you are going to use the Stalker make sure you have multiple points in Vel0city to remedy the slow bullet speed.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Vladof Grip
- Best Prefix: Vengeful
- Location: Stinger - Ancient Dragons in DLC4, Anarchist - World Drop, Stalker - LLMs, OMGWTH, Tubbies.
Lady Fist
This. This is the pistol of pistols. The Lady Fist is a unique Hyperion pistol that becomes a laser after the first few shots with an 800% type A critical bonus. With a large mag and a decent fire rate which becomes insane with all of zero’s buffs it feels like the Bitch as a pistol.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Bandit Grip
- Best Prefix: Win-Win or Dynamic
- Location: The mission reward of Uncle Teddy in the Arid Nexus - Badlands when returned to Una Baha.
Hornet
A Dahl corrosive-only pistol with a 6 round burst and 80% splash damage (100% with the community patch). This will tear apart loaders and all armored targets. Not much to say other than it is a damn good pistol, and can even melt flesh enemies.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Dahl Grip
- Best Prefix: Neutralizing
- Location: Drops from Knuckle Dragger in the Winshear Waste.
Maggie
The Jakobs masher if you played borderlands 1, shoots 6 pellets for the price of one. Also fires as fast as you can pull the trigger, up to 14-15 fire rate. With its fast shot and massive damage this thing is a killer if you are good enough to use it. Like all Jakobs has more crit than your usual pistol as well as well as some of the best bullet speed in the game. the downfall is you need a quick finger trigger, and the recoil can be pretty bad depending on parts.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Jakobs Grip
- Best Prefix: Dastardly
- Location: Drops from Mick Zaford at the end of the Clan War questline when you side with the Hodunks.
Gub
Now you may think “The Gub frikin sucks.” No it doesn’t. It is nearly as powerful as the
Hornet, if you use the right gear with it. It is also corrosive only but has a much lower fire rate of 3.3. The Hornet is still a better weapon even if not by a huge margin.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Bandit/Vladof Grip
- Best Prefix: Rapider/Murdurer’s/Dubble
- Location: Drops from Laney White in The Fridge.
Teapot
This is just a weaker Hornet, and it is easier to get. It has a 2 round burst and less splash, but is is still a great pistol to get if you are just going through the playthrough.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Dahl Grip
- Best Prefix: Neutralizing
- Location: A mission reward for completing Tiny Tina’s tea party questline.
Fibber
This gun has 3 optional barrels, a critical barrel which you should not use because the Lady Fist is better, a ricochet barrel that when you shot a wall ricochets and splits into 9 bullets, and a shotgun barrel. The Lady Fist makes the critical barrel redundant, the ricochet is difficult to use on Zer0, its not really his playstyle, but the shotgun there are no qualms with, except for the fact that the guns above are stronger.
- Elements:
- Best Parts: Bandit Grip, Shotgun or (if you feel like it) Ricochet barrel.
- Best Prefix: Win-Win or Dynamic
- Location: The mission reward of Mal in the Eridium Blight after his mission chain is completed.
Only With Aaron0000’s custom mods AND the Comunity Patch 4.1.
Shadowevil made the patch with some friends, and it buffs a bunch of guns that were crappy. Most of the guns above actually got buffs. If you do not know what this is look it up on google/youtube.
Aaron0000 being the amazing person he is added some amazing pistols and changes to the game in his custom mods page. I think the most amazing thing he did for Pistol Zer0 is he made it so that the Infinity no longer has that crappy spread. It shoots normally, so now you can actually aim with it. He added the Luck Cannon from TPS and the Nemesis from bl1, which is just stupidly good on pistol Zer0, plus tons more. Go check out all of the custom bl2 mods here.
Shields
The Bee
The Bee is of course the best shield damage wise for this build. But honestly, it makes the game so easy that it is boring. So I recommend that you do not use it. Use one of the shields below for survivability, and save The Bee for bosses unless you want to be bored to death. Also, Zer0 relies on his shield for survivability, and The Bee is terrible for survivability. You will die. A lot.
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Best Prefix: Inflammable or Alkaline
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Best Parts: Maliwan, Maliwan, Maliwan
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Location: Hunter Hellquist in the Arid Nexus - Boneyard or Treants in DLC4.
###Blockade
This is another of the more balanced shields in the game, big capacity, decent stats outside that but it gives you 27% damage reduction weather it is depleted or not. So bullets or melee this shield helps you stay alive. This can have as low of a delay as 1.79. -
Best Parts: Bandit, Bandit, Bandit
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Location: Ancient Dragons of Destruction in DLC4.
Antagonist
This is probably the most feature heavy shield in the game and maybe the most balanced as well. It has a high chance of deflecting bullets, deflected bullets can do up to 880% damage, it has damage reduction against bullets, and it launches homing slag balls at any enemy attacking you. On top of all that it has good shield stats across the board, high capacity, good recharge and really quick delay. Its almost like having a better balanced KR and a slag version of Impaler on a very solid shield. It can suffer when there are not many bullets in the area you are fighting in (or the entire dlc it was made in) but unlike other shields like the sham it stands on its own as a good shield.
- Best Parts: Hyperion, Hyperion, Hyperion
- Location: Seraph Vendor in Flamerock Refuge in DLC4.
Evolution/Neogenator
To start here I have used both of these and have trouble finding a better one, so lets leave the battle to another thread. These are legendary and seraph adaptive shields. They both have high elemental resistance to what ever element attacked you last, up past 80% resistance. They both add massive health to your max health. They both have health regen that increases as your shield takes damage. The Neo has a smaller capacity, but quicker delay. The Evo has a larger capacity, and longer delay.
- Best Parts: Maliwan, Maliwan, Hyperion
- Location: Evolution - Hyperius the Invincible in DLC1. Neogenator - Spycho in Frostburn Canyon.
Naught - only with community patch
The community patch replaced the Cradle with the Naught from TPS. It has zero recharge delay, so it is always recharging. This might be a shield to consider because at OP8 dots are a huge problem and with it always recharging you just laugh at dots. Plus the com has a +42% shield recharge rate, making it that much better.
- Best Prefix: Grounded. But since the naught is always recharging, you do not need to worry about prefixes and immunities.
- Best Parts: Bandit, Bandit, Bandit or Bandit, Bandit, Maliwan
- Location: Henry in The Highlands
Grenades
(assume 0 fuse time unless otherwise specified)
Longbow Slag Transfusion/O-Negative
Use this for healing and slagging if you choose to not use the Grog Nozzle for healing.
- Best Delivery: Longbow/Sticky Longbow
- Location: Longbow Slag Transfusion - World Drop, O-Negative - Pete the Invincible.
Quasar, Storm Front, Chain Lightning
All of these perform the same tasks just with an added benefit. All of them strip shields and are perfect for moxxi-gun healing. The Quasar’s benefit is it groups enemies, the Storm Front deals the most damage, and the Chain Lightning regenerates grenades.
- Best Delivery: Longbow/Sticky Longbow
- Location: Quasar - Ultimate Badass Varkids or LLMs. Storm Front - Mike, Lee, Dan, Ralph, or Flinter after completing the mission Splinter Group. Chain Lightning - Badass Sorcerers in DLC4.
Magic Missiles X4
This is another magic grenade so it regens as well, made by Maliwan. This one shoots out 4 homing slag balls that do massive damage. You have to be careful with it because if you have enemies close to you it will home in on them and kill you. Not only is this great for slagging but it kills mobs as well. This is one of the higher dps grenades of the game, and the regen allows you to spam them.
- Best Delivery: n/a
- Location: Badass Sorcerers in DLC4
Class Mods
Disturbed Stalker
Rare Disturbed Stalker with the bonuses: Pistol Fire Rate +32%, Pistol Magazine Size +48%, Shield Recharge Rate +47%, +6 Rising Sh0t, +5 F0ll0wthr0ugh.
A Legendary Gunslinger is now available, Dashiku made it on the Borderlands 2 Community Github. You can get the mod here.
Relics
Sheriff’s Badge
This is the best option. This entire build is pistols and the bonuses on this relic are incredible. nuff said.
- Location: The Sheriff of Lynchwood
- Best Stats:
Op8: Pistol Damage 23.5%, Pistol Fire Rate 56%, FFYL 15%
72: Pistol Damage 23.1%, Pistol Fire Rate 56%, FFYL 15%
61: Pistol Damage 22.6%, Pistol Fire Rate 56%, FFYL 15%
50: Pistol Damage 22%, Pistol Fire Rate 56%, FFYL 15%
Bone of the Ancients
This e-tech relic adds elemental damage and cooldown rate. Because of this bonus comes after final damage, splash damage, crit damage and elemental bonuses, it adds far more than you would think at first look and more than any other relic. Toss in a pretty large cool down rate to it and this is the relic of all relics (Derch, “Top Gear for Maya”).
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Location: LLMs
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Best Stats:
Op8: Cooldown 47%, Elemental 39%
72: Cooldown 43.8%, Elemental 37%
61: Cooldown 39.4%, Elemental 33%
50: Cooldown 35%, Elemental 30%
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