The B!tch and the Beast
Build and Level Guide for Gaige The Mechromancer
Build - http://bl2skills.com/mechromancer.html#550050101551500055150000410150151000
Action Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG1nuMPYKWw
This build is focused on max damage and survivability. It will mainly focus Anarchy and Death trap skills. The gear will be selected to best utilize Gaige’s skills and HP healing as well as Shield instant regeneration.
Let’s talk guns and gear. It’s very important to understand that all enemies have a weakness to an elemental type depending of the type of enemy they are. For humanoid flesh types its fire, Metal or Armored enemies its acid, for shielded enemies its electric. Then there are 2 damage types that are universal: Slag and Explosive. For the most part, BL2’s enemy base is either flesh or armored with a sprinkle of shielded enemies. That being said you will mostly rely on fire or acid type weapons. Slag will come into play in the hardest modes of the game. Explosive when your enemies are a mixed bag.
Primary: The Hail or Plasma Casters.
- Honestly, I think the Hail is the best primary in the game but that’s debatable. The problem the Hail has is its more of a mortar gun than an AR. It’s shots instead of going straight and fast, shoots in an arc and a slower moving projectile speed. The good thing is that each pellet is a twin shot even though the stat card it gets doesn’t mention a 2x on it. In actuality it hits for 2x the damage before the projectile splits into 2. The Hail is also a Moxxi Weapon and heals you for a percentage of damage done from any source you make. This makes the Hail quite a gun if you can handle the skill curve of it. If not interested in the Hail, the only other gun that comes close are E-Tech Plasma caster SMGs.
Secondary: Slag, Explosive, or Moxxi weapons.
*This is your go-to for when the game throws a different enemy or situational bad-ass that demands a different elemental type of damage. I usually let this slot keep a Slagga or Ravager or a Herold in this slot.
Third: Sniper or alternate element weapon.
*This slot will be for when you run out of ammo or want a different approach of attack.
Fourth Slot: Rocket Launcher
*It’s for when you need a one shot kill to get you revived (which will be rare in this build).
Shield: Nova type
*Blood Soaked shields is no joke. Instant recharge of shields is just too good and with nova shields like Blackhole and Firehawk easily obtainable make having Nova shields a no brainer. The best shield in the game for this will be Hide of Teramorphous.
Grenade: High damage elemental or a transfusion type
*Grenades like Meteor shower, Fire Bee, or Stormfront are a must here.
Mod: Jill of all Trades or Legendary Mechromancer.
*Mods are nice if they can add more to the skills chosen in this build. The Legenday mod helps respawn Death trap and the Jill mod helps AR damage for the Hail.
Relic: Elemental or gun damage type.
*I’ve used many mods and most really don’t make much difference to what you do or how you play other than damage enhancing relics.
Skills: http://bl2skills.com/mechromancer.html#550050101551500055150000410150151000
Once you hit level 5 and have Death Trap you will invest in these skills accordingly as you level.
Lv. 6: Anarchy
*Anarchy is here for damage potential. The cost to accuracy is very minor and inconsequential to guns that would need it (sniper guns for example) for nearly 50 stacks. The trade off in damage is overwhelming for the accuracy you lose. Even if your shots miss, we are going to be picking up Close Enough skill in this build.
Lv. 7-11: Cooking Up Trouble
*Cooking Up Trouble Is great way for in between fight healing up. Also there are other skills and class mods that will synergize and buff up this skill.
Lv. 12-16: Close Enough
*Close Enough will cover for the missed shots you may get using Anarchy but its real use is being able to hit targets that take cover and making better use of very inaccurate weapons (especially explosive guns or the Hail that have great damage often shoots everywhere else but what your aiming at).
Lv. 17-20: Smaller, Lighter, Faster
*Only really need it to get further into the Ordered Chaos tree and faster reloads is nice to gain anarchy stacks and trigger Shock and AAAGGGGHHH skill.
Lv. 21: Robot Rampage
*Death Trap will now become more deadly and allow you to revive more often when he finishes an enemy for you when you’re down.
Lv. 22: Upshot Robot
*This will keep Death Trap (your new DPS buddy) up more.
Lv. 23-27: Blood Soaked Shields
*So far, we are going to pass on Buck Up and Fancy Mathematics because Blood Soaked Shields just defeats their purposes and only costs 5 Points anyways. This skill paired with a high damage nova shield like the Black Hole or Hide of Teramorphous will instantly recharge your shield and/or auto revive you should it finish a nearby enemy. Arguably one of the best skills in the game for survivability period.
Lv. 28: Discord
Maybe you need some accuracy. Maybe you need some health. Maybe you fcked up and hit reload and you don’t want to lose your stacks of anarchy. Discord to the rescue.
Lv. 29-31: Typecast Iconoclast
*Helps Build Anarchy? We’ll take it!
Lv.32: Rational Anarchist
*25 stacks for the first stack? Hell yes!
Lv. 33-34 Typecast Iconoclast
*Finish what we started.
Lv. 35-38: The Better Half
*Faster rate of fire is always appreciated and helps us with more reloads for more Anarchy stacking.
Lv. 39: Explosive Clap
*More arsenal for Death Trap DPS.
Lv. 40: The Better Half
*Finish what we started.
Lv. 41-45: Made of Sterner Stuff
*This is mainly for Death Traps DPS and has a small bonus for Gaige. It pairs really nicely with Robot Rampage.
Lv. 46-48: 20% Cooler
*Calling on Death Trap more often is way cool since he is now a Beast on the field.
Lv. 49: Sharing is Caring
*This Gives Death Trap a copy of your shield. The best shield for this skill is usually a Nova or Roid (Melee) damage shield. The Hide of Tetramorphous is the best option for this skill.
Lv. 50-51: 20% Cooler
*Finish what we started.
Lv. 52-56: More Pep
*Only thing left to do with these final levels is look for more DPS. Going to pass on Myelin because we do want our Nova shields to go off more and giving shields a buff negates that.
Lv. 57-61: Strength of Five Gorillas
*Moar Melee damage for our Death Trap? Sure!
Lv. 62: Shock and AAAHHHHGGG
*Electrical explosions are cool and can trigger other dots when we invest in Electrical Burn.
Lv. 63-67: Electrical Burn
*More DOTs? Sure!
Lv. 68-72: Evil Enchantress
*Enhancement for the DOTs? OKNP!
Just a side note, if you need to adjust the build to fit your taste past level 50, I would suggest pulling up to 4 points from Cooking Up Trouble.