Stuck about 1/2 Through First UVHM Run

Borderlands 2 Gameplay Discussion (Spoilers!)
#1

First of all, I will admit I have no delusions of being a good player (average might be pushing the generosity button). I am trying to complete my first UVHM run and have hit a brick wall on the “Where Angels Fear to Tread” mission. I am playing as Axton and have reached level 63. Assuming the link will work here is my current build:

http://bl2skills.com/commando.html#51055153015150510010055002110000

My questions boil down to the following:

1.)How terrible is this build? I am not above a respec if this is one of those seems good on paper stinks in practice cases. I will go ahead and clarify the original aim behind this build was wanting to emphasize Axton’s gift with explosives and the amusement I get from Torgue weapons. Most of my second winds have been a by product of fastball chunks.

2.) Does anyone have suggestions for acceptable alternatives to the frequently recommended legendary weapons and gear outside the beat to death quest rewards such as the Sandhawk, Pimpernel, and Kitten? I know these guns are awesome but considering they are 1 unlock per playthrough, I was hoping to save them until I reached max level. I know I can farm the train in Mercenary Day and have Golden Keys for the chest, but didn’t know if anyone had a suggestion for “x” is usable if you insist on having an AR or “y” SMG is underrated. Ultimately I know the stock legendary gear mentioned by several community members are the most friendly options for less skilled players but 50 straight nothing runs on Midgemong, Boll, the Boom Bros, and Savage Lee have created a let’s take a break from legendary farming feeling.

3.) Besides “shoot it until it dies” or “aim for the eye,” how in the heck are you suppose to deal with the constructors on UVHM? This is an enemy that has always given me fits even on the lower difficulties thanks to how its advantages stack. I didn’t kill the first one encountered in the highlands as I somehow manged to get close enough to trigger its jump and slam attack and ran under it instead.

4.)If I do manage to reach the bunker, can I save and quit and drop to a lower difficulty to restock my ammo through the cheaper priced vending machine or the random ammo chests in a less dangerous setting without having to redo the run when I switch back to UVHM? I know the bunker fast travel is a one way street so I would not want to leave the area.

As a final point I hope these can be answered from a solo run standpoint as the only friends I have who play Borderlands 2 rage-quit UVHM and refuse to give this mode another shot.

Any help or hey captain oblivious you missed this linkis appreciated.

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#2

UVHM is rough when you’re first running through it, so you aren’t alone there. I’m not an Axton expert but I would like to think i’m experienced enough to maybe offer some decent advice. I understand that Legendaries are tough to come by, but i’d recommend you go and farm Knuckledragger for a Hornet. You can leave the area to Southern Shelf, and then turn around and go back to where Knuckledragger is, and save quit there and you’ll respawn right there. The Hornet is exceptional for dealing with armoured enemies, as you may already know, plus it will benefit from Axton’s splash damage boosts.

As for Constructors, the best way to deal with them is aim for the eye as you say, you may find a Hornet will do the job, but alternatives include a Vladof corrosive sniper rifle (preferably a Droog), rarity doesn’t matter all that much, just so long as it’s corrosive. A Dahl corrosive sniper rifle would also be useful. These things are easily farmed in Sanctuary by checking all the machines (Marcus is a vendor too). Another decent way to do Constructors reasonable damage is to get a Tesla grenade, I know they’re shock but they do decent damage if they’re on level.

You can also farm for a Gwen’s Head in The Dust, a Dahl unique pistol which can come in all elements and also no element. I’d recommend a shock one, since you in theory already have a hornet. There are several spawn points for the Gwen’s Head (it can spawn in any of six places, I think) but the easiest to farm are either inside Eliie’s Garage (when you get inside, look on the floor to the right) or at the Lynchwood Train Station (on the platform near the two green Dahl containers).

Axton’s buffs also apply to splash damage, not just explosive, so I think this may help you. As for the question about the Bunker, yes, once you get to that area, you can save and quit safely.

Use your golden keys though, honestly. No point saving them for maximum level, since that’s when you will farm the better stuff, you can get some very nice things from that chest.

I’d probably use something like this at your level

http://bl2skills.com/commando.html#55055150015005015010005050130000

But i’m not an Axpert, as I say, so hopefully some more experienced users of him can comment too.

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#3

Switch the points from Overload to Metal Storm for the kill skill fire rate bonus. Unless you’re mainly using grenades and launchers (and are deliberately going for an explosive build) I’d also switch some points from Steady into Battlefront. You can put points back for a more explosive build later.

If you’re sticking with an explosive build, I’d farm up an Unkempt Harold (Stiff or Hard are acceptable alternatives to Double Penetrating) or a KerBlaster (Midgemong in Southern Shelf Bay).

If you want to stick with ARs, the Togue/Jakobs spitter/splitter spiniguns are excellent. There’s also the Hammer Buster (McNally in The Dust during The Bane side quest); a purple Jakobs AR with a scope is like a sniper rifle with more ammo and higher fire rate.

Make sure you slag your targets, and work with your turret to take down slagged enemies fast.

Switch things up with a Good Touch (tip Moxxi - you can upgrade those regularly) for some healing, and a nice corrosive plasma caster for the bots. Lots of other good blue, purple, and etech to be had, but even green and white gear can get the job done if its got decent DPS and you slag your target.

Corrosive and shock grenades are your friends. I’d go for corrosive cloud and tesla (Quasar if you can score one). A fresh Hornet from Knuckledragger or a shock/corrosive Emperor from the Assassins in Southpaw Steam will also do wonders. If you’re struggling with the up-close-and-personal approach, a decent corrosive sniper (eg vladof or maliwan with high ROF) can do wonders, and you can duck into cover between bursts.

This should be possible since a save-quit-restart at the Bunker leaves you at the same one-way fast travel.

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#4

Okay lets see…

  1. I’m not an Axton player so I won’t comment here.

  2. I’d recommend either use the golden chest and grab a few purples otherwise Unkempt Harolds, Hornets, Hammer Busters, Maggies and Lyuda’s are about as easy as they come to farm and will all be able to get you through. Bonus point for farming the dust bosses is you can look out for Tubbies who could drop you a few legendary class mods. Also there is a red chest in opportunity that you can run to without entering combat, which is useful for refreshing gear if you run out of golden keys.

  3. Fast firing weapons are your best bet, Jakobs, Vladof and Dahl are all great. My weapon of choice on most characters is the Lyuda, even at 6-7 levels under it can still be sufficient to take constructors down quickly and continuous fire to the eye often interrupts the digistructing of support.

And lastly take heart from 63-72 your characters skill points will make the game slightly less punishing, the big scaling shock is already over now that you’ve passed 60.

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#5

Since it sounds like you are burned out from farming, the Lascaux is not top gear for Axton, but it is about the easiest on level gear to get and is still pretty solid.

Fast travel to Frostburn Canyon, but don’t go for it right away. Run and transition to Three Horns - Divide, turn around and exit back to Frostburn Canyon five or six times and there will be three Lascaux’s in the pool to choose from, or sell if you have space to carry them to the vending machine. Look for Stopping prefix and Dahl stock and grip.

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#6

I’d agree about the Lascaux, but don’t get too hung up on getting perfect, i’ve never seen a perfect one in my game. It’s useful for 2-3 levels and is the easiest to farm weapon in the game too.

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#7

Yes, I should have said “or” instead of “and” for the parts. Just to help choose among the three or so Lascaux’s in case any of those parts show up.

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#8

Yeah dude, I wasn’t arguing with you as such :slight_smile: just making the TC aware not to get hung up on waiting for perfect.

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#9

Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far to the discussion as it has given me some ideas to think about while not derailing or turning nasty; I know by forum standards this post could still be considered an infant, but still.

I have tweaked my build to this:
http://bl2skills.com/commando.html#51055153015052510010035020120000

For a few it doesn’t look like you fully listened why bother choices, it was based on the following:

1.) I am very explosion weapon dependent in my playstyle so keeping the extra damage for grenades and launchers made sense. I am also under the impression most Torgue weapons benefit from the steady skill. If I am mistaken that will be a future edit.

2.) I tend to throw between 9-11 grenades per mob clearing area. I would rather have 1 or 2 too many than be 1 or 2 short.

3.) The “Ready” skill is actually operating at an effective 6/5 thanks to a Legendary Soldier Mod.

4.) In other games I tend to hide behind health stacking. While I do freely admit these points could possibly be better spent, I am trying to wean myself off minmaxing health as going cold turkey would inadvertently cause glass cannon play as I would be use to having that one more hit to not die.

5.) I know Overload gets mocked a ton for being lackluster, but I do like to have at least one AR on hand and it’s usually a Torgue so low mag is a common drawback.

Again I appreciate everyone’s input I put my reasoning to the build tweak not to argue, but to get a different perspective and possibly have logic traps/noob misconceptions called out.

As for gear: Derp on me I forgot Torgue battles could be replayed to farm tokens. Instead of beating my head with Savage Lee, and the Boom Bros I will just farm tokens by slaughtering Flyboy’s buzzards for the Torgue goodies. At least for the Harold and a Bonus Package.

New Question:

Are the other Torgue legendaries worth it? I know the Kerblaster was mentioned, but couldn’t tell if it was with enthusiasm or a because it looks like you want an AR. I have heard the Nukem called a poor man’s Norfleet, but what launcher isn’t? At least if you listen to some Youtubers.

Again thanks for all the help and for dealing with a new to the forum scrub.

#10

Yes, the legendaries are good, but you already know that. Guns and equipment that will do the job, and that are easy to come by. Let’s see… The Golden chest have already been suggested, and that’s a great way to get good gear.

Bandit SMG’s are sadly underestimated in this game. They’re an excellent choice for taking out constructors. Basically any rarity will do the job as long as it doesn’t have slag or fire element. The key to wrecking constructors is to lay down the hammer on them right from the start. The eye is, ofc, the spot to shoot at. The crit damage is nice, but since it also interrupts the constructors building process, it’s vital to keep firing until it’s dead. The alternative means you’ll get overrun by loaders eventually.

Axton is very good with Tediore guns. They’re also really easy to find. Just keep an eye on your ammo while you chuck away!

And that’s where i got ninja’d! :slight_smile:

Kerblaster is a really good gun. Especially on Axton. Unkempt harold is one of the best guns in the game. Nukem is very powerful, but has a large AoE, so it’s very easy to down yourself with it. It also has an arcing trajectory, so it takes some getting used to.

Regular Torgue launchers are really good in general, so I’d settle for that.

1 Like
#11

http://bl2skills.com/commando.html#53050100005105213010005050054151
I understand how folks want slag on the turrets but having 2 of them gives great strategic advantages. I tend to use grenades for slaggging with the slag Bouncing Betty being a particular favorite (first would be a Magic Missile from the Tiny Tina dlc but that involves a degree of farming as well, and you seem to be a bit burnt out on that right now :sunglasses:). Grit has a distinctive sound- when you tank thru a constructor’s missile barrage you’ll be glad to have it. Mag Lock lets you put one turret in a hard to reach area like the ceiling or high wall- this distracts enemies while allowing you to catch them in a crossfire with the other turret. Preparation, Pressure and Quick Charge are some of the best shield skills in the game and are worth the points IMO. While an Expert or Master Grenadier would be great for an explosive build if you can get hold of a L. Soldier com you’re in luck as it’s considered Axton’s best com. As for constructors some of the best methods and alternate weapons have already been mentioned but barring not getting a Hornet a corrosive Gwen’s head or Vladof Antagonist pistol would also serve you well.

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#12

Don’t forget that you’re still only level 63: you can move a few more points around now just to get past this particular spot you’re having problems with, which will probably get you 1 or 2 more skill points to put back in. Even if you have an end-build in mind, you don’t have to go 5/5-0/5 if 3/5-2/5 gives you more flexibility Right Now™. That was the thinking behind my suggested tweaks, anyway.

@Ronnie_Rayburn’s mention of the Tediore weapons is a good one for your build. I think if you want to get more AR ammo with Torgue body, then Bandit grip (Lumpy prefix) and/or mag size accessory (Plump prefix) will do that. It’ll be a trade off with fire rate and reload speed, though.

Playing Axton, I’ve gone three routes to get past the constructors on the way to Bunker:

  1. Hang back by the gate and snipe the eye, ducking behind the wall whenever the rocket barrage is in-coming (slow and tedious)
  2. Rush to the wall directly below where the Constructor drops and clear the area while avoiding the heat-seekers, then head up the stairs
  3. Rush to the wall, along the wall, and straight upstairs to the rear area where the upright Hyperion chest is. Watch out for surveyors and engineers coming up the stairs, and peck away at the constructor from around the corner (if you can, take out the turrets on the legs asap; watch out for lasers!)

Good luck! This is doable - I was definitely a “below average” player when I took Axton through UVHM (first character for me) and I managed it.

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#13

Thank you for the words of encouragement and for those advice on the various routes! I will give these tips a shot when I give the attack on Bunker another go.

This difficulty mode has definitely been an eye opening experience as I am use to the Leeroy Jenkins/Rambo approach not only working but being the easier method to clear areas.

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#14

Thanks for reminding me about Tediore reloads. I tried them early in normal mode and scrubbed out because I was tunnel visioned and tried to force a traditional approach in either emptying the clip, which minimizes the reload damage, or engaging from too far back for the throw to reach anything. I picked up a tediore smg while grinding Torgue tokens and have found the reloads to be a blast.

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#15

Just to emphasize - this was the best Axton advice I ever got. My Axton sucked in UVHM, repeatedly retired, constantly dying when he went into the field. Then I switched to a Gemini-first build and he’s been in good shape ever since.

Though unlike Carlton_Slayer I use the Slagga to slag, since with Axton’s swap speed it’s no problem going back and forth between that and a dps gun. Fastball, Bonus Package, Fire Bee, etc. are so nice, I hate to use the grenade slot for mere slag… :slight_smile:

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#16

Don’t forget staying below where it’s usually nice and quiet, except for the occasional EXP-Loader that can sneak up on you and ruin your day. Good cover and good spots to deal massive damage!

EDIT: I must have misread this completely, coz my answer makes no sense in regards to the quote. :crazy_face:

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#17

This, completely. I always deal with the Badass Constructor on the run up to the Bunker from the gates that open when you destroy the turrets. Much easier, plus it gives you plenty of notice for the homing rockets, and his nukes can’t reach you. This is good advice for any vault hunter.

#18

Don’t forget that you can also farm Pete’s bar. You don’t have to do the barroom brawl if you don’t want to because the UBA Enforcers will still drop Torgue tokens when you kill them, just make sure the rats don’t scamper off with them first.

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#19

I wanted to give everyone who has contributed one more major thanks.

It wasn’t pretty, but I managed to fight my way into the control core.

The suggested tweaks to my build really helped. Many thanks again!

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#20

This is a great community, i’ve received a lot of assistance myself :slight_smile: glad you got over the hump, so to speak.

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