The Gemgineer: An OP8 Build
Hey guys, Ninja here! Just wanted to give everyone a quick heads up before proceeding into this guide. I didn’t make any part of this build. I simply moved it from the old forums to our newer ones here and added a bit of pretty color so it didn’t look all bland. The original creator is a user named Arcxna. Hope you all enjoy his work!
INTRO:
Hello guys,
I spoke about writing an actual comprehensive guide on my build. For the most part of my time in the community, everyone usually bases their build on the Legendary Soldier COM. Today, I am writing up everything I know and everything I do to make your Axton deadly, but with the help of your turrets. A lot of people prefer strict DPS over situational DPS. This build will cover damage loss in comparison with the Legendary Soldier and how you combat any situation. This build will also utilise all turret skills along the way so it becomes more durable and more defensive.
The build —> HERE
This is an endgame build. You can pick any path you find most effective to your playstyle if you’re still in the process of leveling.
Guerilla Tree:
Sentry [5/5] - Sentry, for the Gemgineer to be most effective, is a must have skill. It increases your turrets duration, which increases overall damage.
Ready (5/5) - Ready increases your reload speed. Some people might not consider this important, but with your lack of permanent damage output, the reload speed allows you to churn out bullets. It also benefits you in FFYL.
Willing [5/5] - This build is an extreme survival build. You will spend a lot of time covering yourself, running and ducking UNLESS you are confident in your weapons. It’s easy to kill enemies, but it’s just as easy to die if you don’t focus.
Onslaught [5/5] - Onslaught will aid you with your DPS. It requires a kill, however you can activate it without firing a bullet yourself. It makes sense, plus the movement speed will aid you in running if need be.
Scorched Earth [1/1] - One of Axton’s best one pointers. It makes the turret more of a powerhouse. Not much more to say.
Able [4/5] - This skill is simply put one of the best skills available between all characters. As far as I’m aware, no other character possesses this kind of ability to get health back. This build does not require use of a Moxxi weapon, as Able is that damn good.
Double Up [1/1] - Using this skill does not require you to use a slag weapon. It increases damage output and slags everything, which then in turn increases damage output from the turret. Scorched Earth benefits as well since the slag damage will be brilliant too.
Gunpowder
Impact [5/5] - Increases your gun damage. Enough said.
Expertise [2/5] - There are two reasons to have this skill. The first being swap speed is extremely helpful. It will save precious seconds in raids and help you out of FFYL. The second reason is that if you need to change your COM, you will not need to respec your skills.
Metal Storm [3/5] - Works in tandem with Onslaught. Increases your fire rate to reach console cap. If you’re playing PC, as per Blut’s testings, you can put more points in.
Longbow Turret [1/1] - Most essential skill for a Gemgineer. Don’t like your turrets being turned into apple sauce by pup skags? Fear no more, the extra turret health can withstand rabids and badasses with no problem. This is also the essential skill for setting off your kill skills. Longbow your turret in the face of a mob and you can waltz in like you’re Linford Christie with a lethal intention.
Battlefront [4/5] - When your turrets are deployed is it fair they do all the work? No? Well with this skill, you wont need them to. The way the Gemgineer works is so your turrets are always deployed. Gonna complain about that extra damage that’s applied more frequently than you can keep up with?
Survival
Preparation [5/5] - This skill works well with Able. Not to mention it further decreases your need for Moxxi weapons. It’s also a way better starting point than Healthy which is a complete no go for this build.
Pressure [5/5] - Pressure is a funny skill. Being circumstantial, but it acts like Willing and gives you reload speed. If you’re close to dying, Ready, Pressure and Willing will save your life. This becomes your best friend in FFYL if you’re using for example a Norfleet for a second wind too. (That’s if you mess up the first two shots or didn’t reload it before going into FFYL)
Phalanx Shield [1/1] - Improves turret lifespan and gives you a quick cover if need be. It survives long enough for Willing to kick in.
Quick Charge [4/5] - Quick Charge beats over any DoT. Also since it’s a kill skill, you can pick up extra shield pretty much anywhere. Perfect companion to Willing when mobbing too.
Resourceful [4/5] - This skill is extremely important to this build. It enables you to have your action skill to be ready quicker than you’ll realize. When you’re in a tight spot, it helps massively.
**Mag-Lock [1/1]88 - Following the trait of Gemgineer, you need Mag Lock for your turret to be it’s pinnacle. There’s a lot of glitchy behaviour to do with this skill; practice stops this. No patience to learn Mag Lock? Stick the point in Resourceful. The biggest benefit is the comfortable usage of the skill. You need to hit a badass behind a wall and draw aggro from the guys in front? Stick a turret to the ceiling and a turret to the floor. Longbowing your turret? You can pick anywhere.
Grit [5/5] - Axton’s best skill, bar none. It helps more than what you could afford to realize. Plus without the added DPS from other COMs, this will save you forever and ever.
Gemini [1/1] - Two turrets double your fun and make you do twice as much damage. It’s a no brainer.
Now that the build is explained, let’s move on to gear.
The Gear:
Now, I’ve always been about versatility. I’m not about Moxxi weapons. I want weapons that compliment the build. This isn’t like explosive Axton. The world is your oyster supposedly, pick what you want, but please be aware that most weapons simply don’t have the DPS to put up with the Legendary Engineer COM and cannot support your turrets to keep them alive. After months of swapping weapons, farming new gear, trying all offered suggestions on here, I have come to a firm conclusion of the gear that benefits this build the most.
Slot 1 - Razrez Lyuda (Shock or Fire),
(Parts: All Vladof)
Axton is not a sniper. The Pimpernel is an extremely damaging sniper. But it’s hard to use and with this build, I find with how fast paced you need to play, it’s not worth it. The Lyuda however can be used under any circumstance. It benefits hugely from Metal Storm and Expertise. It’s an AR mixed with a Sniper. Perfect for Axton.
Slot 2 - Twin Hornet
(Parts: Dahl sight, Jakobs grip)
Need a corrosive weapon? Look no further, the Twin Hornet is possibly the best pistol to use in Axton’s hands. It’s accurate, damaging and extremely fast paced. Couple it with Onslaught and the burst fire becomes ridiculous. To add to this gun’s capabilities in Axton’s hands, it gains grenade bonus damage, which works in tandem with Battlefront. It doesn’t look like much of a gun, but with the Legendary Engineer, you receive more grenade damage from Battlefront than Steady, which is pretty neat on top of the added gun damage it gives you. The Hornet literally becomes insane.
Slot 3 - Slippery Ogre
(Parts: All Torgue)
The Ogre is a fast paced weapon that has the ability to fire two shots at random. This works well with Metal Storm and with the Slippery prefix, it gives massive potential for great DPS.
Slot 4 -Rustler’s Twister
(Parts: Torgue barrel, Jakobs grip, Hyperion Stock, Torgue sight)
The Twister has the ability to one shot nearly every enemy. It’s incredible. It is great against mobs and raids. There is only one drawback and that is ammo consumption, but other than that, I always find myself using it.
Shield - Antagonist
The Antagonist gives you homing slag, durability, bullet deflection and damage reduction. It’s insane. If you’re in a pinch with no turrets out, this shield will keep you alive. If you have a variation with a 1.43 delay, you are in for a treat with all the shield skills you have.
Relic - Shock Bone of the Ancients
Using a Twister and a Razrez Lyuda, they could use the elemental boost. Plus the cooldown is no joke. Essential to have for your turrets. You will never need another relic with this set up.
COM - Legendary Engineer
This is what the build is based on. You boost Sentry, Able, Impact, Battlefront and Resourceful. It is made to have the turrets do the work. You lack fire rate and damage, but you can make that up if your turrets are permanently available to you.
Grenade - Magic Missile
For slag purposes. It also does a lot of damage. One of the best parts about the Magic Missile is that you can pretty much use it for anything. A lot of the time I’ll slag some stuff, swap it for a Storm Front or a Quasar and put it back on when I need to regenerate some grenades.
Backup Inventory:
Practicable Conference Call
Puissant Corrosive Norfleet
Wyld Asss Sawbar
Energizing Lady Fist
Barking Pimpernel
Double Penetrating Unkempt Harold
Binary Thunderball Fists
Legendary Soldier
Legendary Ranger
Legendary Pointman
Longbow Storm Front
Longbow Quasar
Longbow Fire Bee
Shock Fastball
Corrosive Fastball
The Strategy:
Essentially the way you have to play is no matter what, you throw your turrets. You pick off targets that are not slagged, as your turrets will take them out. You use the Magic Missile to slag the targets you are aiming for. When you’re handling a mob, you have to reclaim your turrets. This is important as it will ready you for a later part in the mob or if you get ambushed after a tough mob. If your shield goes down, you move out of the mob and throw your Magic Missiles. You should in theory never go into FFYL without your turrets being deployed. If you do, you’ve thrown Magic Missiles, you should be able to second wind with your Twister without an issue. You can survive almost any enemy with this set up, if you keep your wits around your cooldown and you utilise every aspect of Mag Lock possible.
For Raids this is slightly different. I haven’t been successful so far, but with the way the build is set up, it gives you leniency with every COM. You can swap to any COM you want and it works a charm.
Thanks all.