Stuck at OP 3 with Krieg, what am I doing wrong?

[Kentaurfader]

I have been stuck at OP 3 in Digistruct Peak for a while now, and I can’t get past it. I am running a Hellborn build, but nothing seem to work with it, the healing doesn’t work very good and i rarely stay ignited for very long.

But my main problem right now is damage output, especially with the constructors and Scorch x2.
I can barely kill constructors fast enough with the Dpuh(the Hornet does nothing to kill them), but I still fall into Ffyl constantly when there are both mobs and a constructor at the same time.
Killing smaller mobs can be a pain too, the Hellfire won’t do much at all to enemies like Slagged Centurion Spiderants or Monarch Spiderants, and the Omen isn’t that effective either, but I feel like that is the better choice in most cases.
I am also having a very hard time to keep dots going for the healing from Elemental Empathy, so I am always very close to get downed. The dot problem also makes it hard to keep myself on fire, so the bonuses related to that often aren’t active either, resulting in a decrease in my Dps.

When I do get to the Scorches, I start to switch between my Slagga and Dpuh, trying to focus on one at a time, slagging and switching to the Dpuh, but I only manage to remove about half of one of the Scorches health before I get downed and am unable to get a Second Wind.

So to sum up, my Dps is to poor to be able to kill enemies fast and save ammo, and I’m having a hard time generally staying alive. Is there any weapons I can switch out to help with killing constructors and Scorch, or maybe where my skillpoints would fit better? I am open to change my playstyle completely too, to maybe a more melee-oriented build or a hybrid.

Below is my build and all the gear I use, the Blood of the Ancients would probably work better if it boosted Pistol ammo instead of SMG, but maybe a different relic altogether would be better? I feel completely lost right now, wondering if anybody has any tips as to what I should do to get through the peak easier. I can add that I want to do this solo, and without any use of gibbed.

Thanks in advance!

[Carlton_Slayer]

This is your current build:
http://bl2skills.com/psycho.html#55000500030050050505000055505102051

Here’s my current Krieg build:
http://bl2skills.com/psycho.html#51400500000040550104150141505104051
Reason for the changes- RtB will be your Get Out of Jail Free card as far as health restoration and your thrown axes can still weaken/kill enemies at a distance; Feed the Meat for more health; Redeem the Soul gives you 50% more FFL time, which is always a good thing; Salt the Wounds is for the shotguns you should get to replace the Hellfire- there’s another thread on the board about DOT/fire scaling on the Peak, check it out. Speaking of which the DPUH is a great weapon but w/o a Sheriff’s Badge it’s a little slow firing (also IIRC the Sheriff’s Badge helps with how fast you can throw your ax while EE is active- I forget the exact details but there is a thread about that somewhere in the Krieg section). A Chain Lightning would be great to heal yourself with if you had a Moxxie weapon equipped but you don’t mention one so maybe try to get a Rubi/Heart Breaker/Grog Nozzle, etc? And Fastballs- Krieg could make Axton jealous with how much damage he could do with grenades- try to get a few explosives ones like maybe a Bonus Package? Last but not least, use the terrain and strategy- drag the twin Schorches back to the entrance to form a bottleneck so they can only come at you one at a time (which should make it easier to deal with any other enemies that might accompany them as well)…

[Hattie (Sloth in the time of corona)]

I’m not a Krieg (or even a Borderlands) expert, though I am improving thanks to the help of this forum which my info here is based on - but I struggled my way to OP8 mostly solo so can confirm it’s possible, although difficult. There’s some great threads on the forum (by real experts!) so do a search too.

After thought, I go for melee Krieg with Mania and Bloodlust rather than Hellborn. Enemies on the Peak don’t have elemental weaknesses in the same way as in regular play, so DoT is less effective there. But that’s my personal preference.

In terms of strategy… discretion is the better part of valour, i.e. play it slow and safe. Don’t be afraid to run around enemies for as long as you need to whittle them down. The more time you take the better, basically. Painful as that is! Always go for the surveyors first. Use cover, especially with enemies like Dukino’s Mom and OMGWTH.

This is my usual build. I use a Legendary Sickle. http://bl2skills.com/psycho.html#53500515055150550005155100000000000
Silence the Voices is too powerful to skip in my opinion, but it needs caution or you’ll end your own run. Don’t go in for a direct melee kill unless the target is weak. If you do get one, pull back and throw axes because Fuel the Blood will make them very effective indeed.

My basic gear / enemies:
Constructors and TNKs:
Corrosive pimpernel, if you can get one. (Relying on mission weapons is a pain on the Peak of course). I’ve also used a Hornet or corrosive sniper on them. There’s a thread about Krieg v constructors here. Corrosive plasma caster is also great for TNKs.

Centurian spiderants:
These are monsters. Swordsplosion is fantastic with them, but needs caution. A Ravager will also do the job.

Scorch:
I primarily rely on the DPUH, but a risk is running out of ammo. I always rock an ammo relic on the Peak (currently extra pistol and smg ammo).
I’ve also found Fastballs great for doing damage, as well as helping you out of health gating if you’re using them with a Grog Nozzle. Get a Tina magic grenade and you can recharge them while using guns or in Rampage, allowing for a limitless supply of these beauties.
Other good guns: Ravager, Ogre, Kerblaster.

Surveyors:
A shock Conference Call works here, but they’re elusive.
I often use Sniper rifles or SMGs in multiple elements (not plasma casters as personally I find them harder to catch a moving target with). First slag, then shock if the shield is still up, then corrosive.
Swordsplosion is also surprisngly effective
It can be very helpful to whittle down an enemy so its calls for repairs and the surveyor stays there.

in general… Rough Rider and Grog Nozzle (throw Chain Lightnings or Fastballs for health regen); Tediore weapons, especially plasma casters or the Baby Maker. Chucking reloads when you’re in FFYL, particularly with Blood Filled Guns, can be more effective than a rocket launcher. Be careful with the Baby Maker though, as the secondary explosion can kill you once you’re up (one of the many ways I’ve screwed up my Peak runs!)

Company usually makes things easier on the Peak - he is tough to solo. A Maya by his side always helps (and they make such a great couple). But it is possible solo with patience and a lot of cash, and doing it helped me learn much more about how to play him.

[Kentaurfader]

Ok, which shotguns do you think I should replace the Hellfire with? And what Class Mod do you think would work best with this build?

[Kentaurfader]

Hmm, interesting tips! So you think I should start by taking out the tougher mobs, for example Constructors and Centurions with guns, and then start meleeing through the weaker? And what class mods and shields do you use for the minibosses, such as Dukino’s Mom and OMGWTH?

[Hattie (Sloth in the time of corona)]

If there are some vicious enemies about it’s good to focus on them (like turrets, RPG loaders etc) first. My rhythm for melee is to only use rampage if I’m low enough on health to use Release the Beast. Then I go into rampage; if there’s a weak enemy nearby melee kill it and then throw axes at the boss. Otherwise I use guns.

I use the Rough Rider and Sickle all the way through. Release the Beast against enemies that will be continually health gating you (like Dukino’s Mom) can be a risky strategy as you obviously can’t health regen during rampage, so it’s often preferable to either use the Grog for healing, or keep your distance when you’ve activated RtB.

[xmngr (Amara is a saner Krieg)]

Omen, Butcher, Conference or Interfacer.

My best bet goes to the Omen.

[Kentaurfader]

Wow, doesn’t it take a very long time to kill Dukino’s mom or OMGWTH like that? And what weapons do you use against those particular bosses?

[Hattie (Sloth in the time of corona)]

It does take time and ammo. Being used to the Bee on Maya I found it frustrating at first! But it is possible and the Bee just doesn’t work well on Krieg. Digistruct can be a massive grind, although for Maya it’s a bit of a cakewalk in comparison.

For Dukino’s Mom I use a corrosive plasma caster and an Ogre, and Fastballs. If she spawns with midgets you can kill one with melee and then thrown axes will be more powerful. Because it’s a long fight I find myself at risk from miss-timing health gating, but it can be done. Embrace the Pain speeds it up a lot which is one of the reasons the Rough Rider is so good. I tend not to use shotguns for that fight, though the Omen is good, because shotgun ammo is quite limited and there’s a long way to go before the next vendor.

OMGWTH isn’t too bad because you can use the bunker for cover. Take as long as you need. I like the Hornet, Omen, plasma caster, Storm Fronts or Pandemics. He resists explosive and will resist slag if you slag him during construction.

[xmngr (Amara is a saner Krieg)]

I won’t lie you. Taking Krieg through the peak is hard.

Your best bet is to go coop.

[Hattie (Sloth in the time of corona)]

Krieg and Maya…

[Carlton_Slayer]

While @xmngr tossed out the best examples I’d add in the Swordsplosion with the Casual prefix as well- just be careful of the resulting mini explosions . You could also try any of the Torgue shotguns as they deal bonus explosive damage or maybe even a Kerblaster as AR’s have deep ammo pools. If you’re going with my build suggestion then either a L. Torch to boost the on fire benefits or L. Reaper for the kill skill duration.

[Kentaurfader]

Just finished OP 3! I switched out my Slagga for a Consummate Florentine with Maliwan grip, and used a Corrosive Omen for the Constructors and the TNKs, and everything worked out great! I used your spec too, and my problems were solved. Thank you, thank you! Also used a Grog Nozzle for healing when I were about to go down.
Now I hope that the rest of the peak won’t be too much trouble, of course Dukino’s Mom will suck, but that is always the hardest part more or less. The four assassins spawning simultaneously on OP 7 will be hard also, but I think swapping between the Grog and a Shock Omen will keep me alive while whittling down their health will do the job. Also throwing Chain Lightnings or Storm Fronts while holding the Grog will help too.
Many thanks for all of your help, Carlton, Hattie and xmngr! I couldn’t have done it without you

[Hattie (Sloth in the time of corona)]

Well done! The Asssassins are the hardest in my opinion. Something else to note… when you meet Saturn at OP7, cover is essential. Either stay down by the bunker or up by the vendor (you can back right into the assassin arena), but don’t get caught in the open between!

[Kentaurfader]

Yeah, really that can take any amount of time and ammo since there is a vendor there. I could use a Beehawk and stay up at the vendor, just because it can be used at range and it does good damage. That’s the safest option. Now I’m going to try to get a Casual Swordsplosion or a Kerblaster for the Scorches, and maybe I’ll farm for an OP 4 Dpuh from the Torgue vendor.

[Carlton_Slayer]

Congrats- you did the hard work, we just gave advice As far as farming for new gear- depending on the character and what the gear is- I used level 72 guns up through OP4 (gear like relics and class mods don’t follow this rule as sometimes a lower level one might have better stats or the skill buffs you prefer) while only trying to keep my shields on level. My OP4 gear could last until OP6, after that I tried to keep it on level. For this purpose the loot train is a great source for on level gear and has a chance to have legendary gear on it as well- always try to hit it at the start of every new OP level. If you are going to farm the Torgue vendors I’d suggest maxing out your Torgue tokens- that way, once you reach the next OP level you’ll have less grinding to do to get that new on level Kerblaster As for the Swordsplosion try going the trading route as resetting the game just to get that weapon at a higher level might be a bit frustrating- that or try to hold off on getting it for as long as you can in your current play thru…

[the_Nocturni (RavingRants are back)]

I’m not even close to being an expert compared to the other ppl who replied(in fact I’m at op5 rn soloing through the Peak with Krieg)
But I personally advise against using the SWORDSPLOSION!!! On Scorch
SWORDSPLOSION!!! Is a good weapon for medium ranged use and Scorches tend to jump at you
If that coincides with when you decide to fire
You end up killing yourself(i personally screwed up op4 peak run like 5 times due to that-told you I’m not pro haha)
I switched to using a DPUH after that and it worked well for me so far(i use Legendary Reaper so I have 10/5 Blood Bath which
helps a lot)

SWORDSPLOSION!!! Is a great weapon(and my favorite gun in the game) Nontheless

[Hattie (Sloth in the time of corona)]

I also prefer DPUH on Scorches, and usually Ravager if I run out of ammo. With a lot of practice I don’t usually kill myself with Swordsplosion anymore… usually… But 2x Scorch means you have to basically perform ballet so it’s quite tricky to stay in control.

I would definitely recommend it for Centurian Spiderants though, and in some circumstances surveyors too.

[Kentaurfader]

RIght now, I have an OP 5 Dpuh with Torgue grip which currently is on my Zer0. I’m planning to give that to Krieg once he can use it, but right now I only have an OP 2 Dpuh, which is to weak for the Scorches in OP 4. And I have no problem with farming quest rewards, as you can use the “read-only” method to make it a lot faster. Also I have maxed out tokens on my Salvador.
Though I’m rethinking using a Swordsplosion, because that’ll kill me to easily. A Ravager and a Kerblaster will probably do fine.

[the_Nocturni (RavingRants are back)]

Yup

I rarely kill myself with the SWORDSPLOSION!!! either but dual Scorches are an exception…
I use it for everything other than Surveyors and Scorches tho(oh and explosive resistant enemies ofc…)
Its just that awesome haha