Hatreds Shadow Query

Borderlands 2 Gameplay Discussion (Spoilers!)
#1

Currently I am playing as Gaige at Level 63 in UVHM and started the Hatred’s Shadow mission in Tiny Tina’s Dragon Keep DLC. My question; is level 63 too early for this mission? After killing the orcs and getting the Loot Ninja side mission I progressed up the hill to the entrance with defence and ammo shrines in the doorway. Then the shock. All the following orcs were Ultra Badass with the skull showing above them and the number 68. Does this mean that I need to be at level 68 to have any reasonable chance of getting through this? Earlier in the game there were the Duke of Orc Ultra Badasses at the start of the Mines of Avarice and the Orc Camp in the Forest, but here there were ledges or hide-aways where you had a chance against them. Alternatively, is there a strategy to beat these Orcs as my cash reserves went from $20m down to $7?

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#2

The difficulty should scale with you, and the most over you a enemy should be is 2 levels, with the exception of enemies that Evolve like the Orc Captain/ Duke or Orc that gains levels with each evolution. If you save+quit and make your way back to that spot do you have the same issue?

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#3

Got you moved to a better section.

I’ve heard of this happening occasionally on a couple of maps. As @Isthiswill suggested, the best option is to simply save-quit-restart and try again. You should have a mix of orcs ranging from your level to +2, with the Duke of Ork (the really bad guy in the main camp) above that. Note that the Duke can and does level up so, if you don’t take him out quickly, you’ll be in trouble pretty fast.

There are a few strategies you can adopt here:

  • Cheese him around the central pit
  • Get him to chase you along the railway track up to the mine cart at the end of the tunnel. It will break loose and hopefully nail him (just jump out of the way!)
  • Get him to chase you along the railway track in the opposite direction. You can either cheese him right back to the start and dodge around the pillars, or drop on to the shelf below the cliff edge just at the spawn end of the bridge: he can’t hit you there at all, but you can let him have everything you’ve got.
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#4

Doesn’t the Warlord / Duke level up surrounding orcs too? Could explain the overlevelling of others.

@knighm This is a tough bit in a tough campaign - don’t feel disheartened. As VH said, the trick with the Warlords (big orcs) is to head them off early before they level up. Keep strafing and use DT as a distraction.

I find it’s quite helpful to familiarise yourself with the pattern of attack the big warlord /duke orcs have - if you’re too close they can give you a devastating blow, but if you’re way away they can leap at you across a long distance and do similar damage.

I try and keep a middle ground, strafing carefully so that they’re always running after you, not quite close enough to catch you with the short range slam/axe but not tempting him to leap at you either. Then slag him and pound with as much firepower as you can.

It’s a great feeling when you finally make it through that map.

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#5

Been a minute since I played the map, but that’s possible, though I don’t recall it being the case. But we know it’s in the game with the Witchdoctors, so the Duke could have that property too.

Biggest thing I would suggest for Gaige is to make sure you use slag and a strong fire weapon. This is definitely a case for the Heartbreaker if ever there weas one. The elemental damage, the healing, the fixed pattern, will all be helpful if you can get on on level.

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#6

I remember seeing big red rings appear around multiple orcs, but I never got close enough (or stayed still long enough) to check if their level increased. It does get pretty chaotic there!

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#7

There are at least three areas where I have seen the leveling, in the Woods at the Orc Camp, in the Mines of Avarice near where you pick up The Beard Makes the Man, and the Pit we’re all talking about now. I am going to head back with a character and check it out. Good money the leveling mechanic is at work, or the healing mechanic.

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#8

Took Bandit Gaige for a spin in some of these areas just now.

In Camp Dwarf Torture (where the Duke appears in Mines of Avarice) he levels up his minions when he does himself. His minions also appeared at level 75, whereas other orcs where 74 (74 is standard, I play at OP3). I’m intrigued as to whether this higher starting level was because they were levelled by the big guy before I met them (they do travel across the map to get to you there) or whether it’s an intrinsic thing.

After these enemies were bravely smote, I went to Hatred’s Shadow. The big guy I encountered was overlevelled when I met him, as was one of the minions I met, at 75. He levelled himself up and became a Duke, but didn’t level up the minion. This might be a one-off thing, I’ll try again, or it could be a difference with the warlords here? Intruiging.

Anyway, I’ll probe this further when I’m next procrastinating, but I think it might be customary to always meet this crew overlevelled.

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#9

Well, the same thing does happen in TPS occasionally, so maybe it’s a feature… :bldancing:

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#10

I took Ner0 up after a long layoff. Turns out he was just entering the Immortal Woods so I had to fight those darn dragons after maybe a year of not playing Ner0. Sheesh, that was an adjustment. I eventually got my act together and killed the Kings, catching a few “L’s” along the way cause me and Flying enemies and a Sniper Ner0 are a match made in Hades.

Anyways I got it done, and got to the Mines. Warlord Turge showed up at level 75 after I killed the 10 Invading Orcs the Story Mission requires. I am not in the OP levels at all, just max level, so I can only assume he was just up the hill leveling up to his heart’s content. He leveled up once after I engaged him and leveled up some Orks with him and did me in when he hit level 77 and those Horned Bezerker Orcs showed up resisting my crits.

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#11

I hate the Duke of Orc … Not sure if my tactic may be frowned upon but I just normally put on my biggest shield and run for my life past the orcs until they agro out … normally just past the dwarf that you have to punch in the face before getting to the bridge where Claptrap greets you …

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