Introduction
DO YOU LIKE EXPLOSIONS? WHAT ABOUT NOT DYING? DO YOU WANT A FAT SHIELD AND TO COVER PANDORA AND YOUR ENEMIES IN CLOUDS OF RADIATION?
Well then listen up boyo 'cause I got the build for you!
In this guide I will try to give a brief overview on what I am currently rocking with Moze as far as skills and gear as well as some general gameplay tips for the build. This whole thing is a work in progress and I will update it if skills change and as new gear is found.
About Me / How this build started
Hi I’m McFeeds, literally nobody but a college student who’s played waaaaaaaaaay to much borderlands. I am by no means an expert at building for this game, nor an expert at guide writing but I’m trying my best here. There have been ZERO detailed builds thus far posted for my girl Moze and I seek to change that.
Anyway, I picked Moze as I wanted to live that fantasy of shooting a shredifier nonstop without ever reloading. After playing through normal mode as Botomless Mags Moze I realized something was amiss with the skill tree (aside from a missing legendary class mod … Gearbox pls). While I could shoot forever, my damage seemed to be lacking especially in TVHM and Mayhem 3.
It was at this point I got the Blasmaster class mod and swapped to a primary demolition woman build with secondary bottomless mags. This let me shoot and chuck nades forever and health tank with the power of vampyr. This was fun and the COM gives it that oomph it really needed.
I still didn’t have quite the survivability I was looking for and no relic that I had found really fit in. It was at this point I saw the ridiculous shield stacking that Moze could accomplish from a subreddit post and the rest was history
Overview
The build utilizes the borderline broken Vampyr skill coupled with the endless streams of grenades from Means of Destruction to allow you to tank literally anything. The rest of the Demolition Woman tree gives you some big booms and makes some big DPS.
Phalanx Doctrine and Desperate Measures give you some massive gun damage buffs to pack that much more of a punch while the rest of the Shield of Retribution tree makes you ungodly tanky, especially Thin Red Line.
The bloodletter class mod is just icing on the cake marrying the two trees together. This lets you use vampyr at it’s maximum effectiveness as you are always at 1 hp. The massive healing goes straight to your shield, courtesy of the class mod, keeping you permanently topped off.
Proze
- EXTREMELY durable
- High Splash Damage
- Infinite Grenade Spam and Heavy Weapon Ammo
- 40k+ Shield
- EXPLOSIONS!!!
Cons
- VERY gear reliant
- Iron Bear exists just to proc anointed gear and to be a panic button
- Flying enemies are the bane of your existence
- Can’t cheese enemies with Torgue stickies as well as bottomless mags or Fl4k
- Your graphics card will hate you
Skills
^ Link to the build on the interactive skill trees
Bottomless Mags
sigh even though I was a huge proponent for this skill tree going into the game it just isn’t good enough to make the cut here.
Demolition Woman
Fire in the Skag Den 5/5: Not much to say here. 15% bonus incendiary damage on everything we want to do; yes please! Also since we don’t care about the bear the other skills are eh.
Means of Destruction 3/3: You get a 'nade, you get a 'nade, everyone gets a 'nade. This skill is bonkers. You can regen grenades, rocket ammo whatever you need just by shooting or chucking which we were already planning on doing.
Torgue Cross Promotion 5/5: Honestly kind of just filler as I didn’t know where else to put the points. Definitely need at least 3/5 to progress through the tree. But hey bigger booms seems at least pretty good.
Pull the Holy Pin 3/3: Thou shalt count to 3 no more no less that is the number of points that will go into this skill. Hmmm nade crits gimme gimme
Auto Bear 1/1: Another flexible point, I like having autobear to make make mech actually more than just a panic button but its mainly there so that we can get those sweet annointed procs and actually get something out of using our action skill
Vampyr 5/5: This skill coupled with the permanent 1hp that we have means that every grenade heals us for 20% of your max health for every pesron we hit. This goes straight to our shield making us at full shield 99% of the time. It should be noted that mirv nades like the quasar or the hex will proc this with ever single tick which is what gives us the insane shield regen the build has.
To the Last 1/1: Makes getting out of FFYL easier, nuff said.
Explosive Punctuation 2/5: More filler, honestly these points could be in Why can’t I carry all these grenades but I haven’t had any problems with running out of grenades so they go here where they get at least some use being sure our panic button / annointed proc are off cooldown when we need it.
Shield of Retribution
Armored Infantry 5/5: This gives us a permanent 15% gun damage and 13% damage reduction as our shields will always be active. This outclasses the other skills at this tier so we will gladly take it.
Thin Red Line 3/3: Much like Blood Soaked Shields in BL2 anyone worth their salt can tell you that having your shield is better than having health. TRL loses us 60% of our max health and gives it to us as shields. This is one of the trinity of shield stacking on Moze that can get us insane numbers.
Drowning in Brass 5/5: These points are flexible anywhere in the tree but having 20% gun damage to the whole squad can help chew through badass enemies after you clear the trash. This skill is still good solo but really shines in group play.
Vladof Ingenuity 2/5: More flex points here. I put them here to make us that much more tanky and to help alleviate the big glowing weakness to shock that this build has. Only a 2/5 as I liked drowning in brass better but you can mix and match to your hearts content. Selfless Vengeance or Security Bear are your other options for the 7 flex points. I am not a fan of security bear as we bearly touch the mech but the bonus damage from selfless vengeance could be nice if you are reloading often especially in fights where you can’t get kills for drowning in brass stacks/
Experimental Munitions 1/1: Even more damage. This synergizes with Pull the Holy Pin to make our grenade crits that much stronger.
Full Can of Whoop-Ass 1/1: If for some reason your shields get low and you can’t 'nade leech this serves as your panic button. It hasn’t really come up in me playing with this build but it is nice to have the option. Also, while conditional, you can save allies and troll your Zane who’s trying to have his shield broken.
Desperate Measures 3/3: Pretty much the whole reason to use the red tree. Along with Thin Red Line and some of your gear we will always be at 1hp making this skill a permanent 50% damage boost. One of the cornerstones of this build
Phalanx Doctrine 2/5: One of the skills that Moze was hyped up about the most. This thing is insane while mobbing, making you even tankier and hit even harder. Unfortunately it doesn’t mesh well with bosses but it’s on our COM so you bet we will be putting what we can here.
Core Gear
In this section I will go over the 4 pieces of gear that are needed to make this build work, or at least the pieces that have insane synergy and you REALLY want to get. All Gear listed in this section is in order of importance
The Bloodletter COM
This baby is the single most important piece of gear in the build. It has the absolute insane ability of making any and all healing, heal both your HP and your shield. Coupled with a massive shield and the Vampyr skill our shield will be constantly regening keeping us at full effective hp 24/7. The COM also boosts 3 of Moze’s best skills making us even tankier and hit even harder.
The priority on the COM is Desperate Measures as a 100% uptime damage buff is amazing. The other two are great skills that further our survivability and mobbing ability but are not nearly as good as an 17% damage per point. As you can see my COM isn’t even level 50 but that’s because my rolls on weapon damage and shotgun damage make this thing even better.
The Flakker
High base damage
Splash damage
These are the two things we are looking for in a gun, thus the Flakker is our weapon of choice. Due to all of our +gun damage buffs we want high base damage on the weapons we use and we want splash damage on them to synergize with the Demolition Woman tree. In this sense the Flakker is the perfect gun, carpeting the battlefield in high damage explosions. The gun comes in both no element and radiation (that I’ve found thus far) with radiation being the better type IMO as the radiation explosion effect is just more procs for all of our Demolition Woman skills.
A Good MIRV Grenade
Want any grendae that deals constant tick damage. This gets you continuous Vampyr procs, constant ammo and grenade regen from Means of Destruction and continuous procs of all the other splash damage skills. The two best that I have found for this are the Hex and Quasar. The Hex has the advantage of being any element whereas the quasar is locked into shock but does have a singularity effect. What sold the Hex for me was the fact that with the MIRV prefix it spawns 3 child grenades to give you even more procs. In reality this build can use any grenade it wants but these two really stood out to me, the constant tick damage just makes managing your shield and ammo that much easier.
Deathless Relic
The Deathless Relic is another part of what lets you stack shields to astronomical numbers. It sets your health to 1 but doubles your shield, while providing you with some nice shield related bonuses. It should be noted that to get the most out of the relic you want to equip it last as I have noticed some weird snapshotting behavior with your shields if you put the relic on before speccing into Thin Red Line or equipping a shield. The relic does roll with different prefixes that say what primary effect it will have, mine here has bonus melee cryo damage so be on the lookout for something that actual contributes to this build but getting the deathless effect is good enough in its own right.
Other Gear Options
Here I want to show off some other gear that is great to rock with this build but isn’t a core part of it. This section will primarily be a WIP as a) I test more guns b) I get more time to expand this guide c) I REALLY like using the Flakker so other guns … what other guns. Also I keep accidentally selling stuff so I can’t get pictures of some guns that really should be here. cough the Echo. I’ll try to keep gear within a section roughly ranked in the order that I felt they were best in. I.E. the first gun you see was my favorite with this build.
Pistols
The Devastator
It’s no Unkempt Harold but this thing packs a punch and has splash damage so it definitely has a place in the build.
Devils Foursum
High damage, multiple pellets, splash damage, and comes in multiple elements, this pistol slots excellently into this build. However due to it’s strange firing pattern can be a bit unwieldy to utilize.
Roisen’s Thorns
Solid splash damage pistol sporting multiple pellets. Also has corrosive damage to make up for the fact that radiation is weak to armor
The Duc
High damage and makes explosions another seemingly natural fit but an exceedingly low mag size
The Breeder
Good damage and spreads explosions everywhere. Kinda lacked some oomph compared to the devastator, the low mag size also didn’t help things.
Shotguns
Every shotgun that I’ve found has the unique problem of, not being the Flakker thus anything listed here is mostly irrelevant once you can FLAKK THE WORLD.
The Butcher
One of a few non splash damage guns that show up. If you played BL2 you know this gun slays. While its a better fit for botomless mags Moze or another character, this gun is still insane and can work wonders. Unfortunately its competing with the Flakker
Brainstormer
Like The Butcher this gun just feels good and the chain lightning effect is pretty solid. Probably better used on Amara but its can still put in some work.
Assault Rifles
Ogre
I debated for a while about putting this in the core gear section, this gun was made for this build. Its a vladof AR that shoots 'nades what more do you need? My go to weapon for dealing with pesky flying enemies or things that are too far away to get flakked
Pent-Up Alchemist
Sticky Torgue AR that does both fire and shock damage. While it doesn’t hit as hard as the Ogre it gives some added utility while still being a solid gun.
Laser-Sploder
Lasers + Explosions what more needs to be said. Mine is corrosive and is my current go-to to help shred through the occasional armored enemy.
Bearcat
Fairly high base damage, sprays grenades everywhere, fits with what we are trying to do. This AR is outclassed by the other 3 listed but can be a suitable option.
Snipers
Headsplosion
While not as insane as the BL1 Cobra, this thing is still a freaking explosive sniper. Pinpoint accurate from the hip and ricochets to help clear rooms on a crit this is the perfect sniper for this build. Unfortunately it has a slow fire rate and a negative crit modifier, but it is still an excellent piece of gear
Can be farmed from The Man-Vark on one of Hammerlock’s Hunts.
Lyuda
Everyone’s favorite assault rifle in disguise is back. The lyuda sports insanely high damage and multiple projectiles making it a deadly sniper. Unfortunately it chews through ammo faster than two cannibals on a fat guys rib cage. Due to the fact I have yet to find an explosive sniper the Lyuda will reign supreme for this section (The Storm and ASMD don’t count).
Cold Shoulder
This thing is the Lyuda lite. Same benefits as the Lyuda but doesn’t have the unique branching pellets. The upside is, that it’s a guaranteed quest reward.
SMG's
Much like Snipers no SMG really meshes with this build (I do need to try chucking some tediore ones tho).
Night Hawkin
The consensus is this gun is just phenomenal. Unfortunately it doesn’t explode which makes us sad. But if you want a good DPS gun to rock on literally any character and any build. Look no further.
Launchers
Jericho
This sucker in mortar mode will clear a room of trash with 1 trigger pull while simultaneously crashing low end computers and making it so your co-op friends never want to play with you again due to the sheer amount of explosions. Jericho has high damage, insane splash radius, and multiple projectiles while it is unwieldy I have yet to find a different launcher that I have even considered using in this slot.
Hive
Buzz Buzz its back. This rocket creates swarms of mini rockets with every shot. While it doesn’t have the instant oomph of a jericho shot, spamming multiple Hives across the battlefield can create a persistent storm of high damage rockets that track down enemies. The Hive also has the advantage of being any elemental type.
Drops from Princess Tarantella II a rare mob spawn in the Splinterlands
Shields
The Transformer
While you won’t hit a shield value as high as the Front Loader this shield is a solid pick and what I am rocking. It completely eliminates the builds weakness to shock and sports a 40% absorb chance.
The Front Loader
Did you like how tanky Thin Red Line made you. Well say no more fam 'cause we got that perk on a shield. The Front Loader is the third piece in the shield stacking trifecta that makes your shield thicc. While this makes you quite tanky, there are other options out there.
Shields Not to Use
Re-Charger and Stop Gap
On paper these shields sound really good. You have a massive shield and if it breaks they give you an insurance policy. Currently the way the game works is the insurance policy will never proc as the overkill damage from breaking your shield goes straight to your 1HP downing you instantly.
Grenades
With the pipe-bomb fix it seems that MIRV grenades, specifically Hex are the best option for this build.
Relics
Grave
My current relic of choice. If you can reach 1HP through other means (Front Loader or COM) the Grave relic rewards you with a permanent 35% damage boost on all splash damage weapons. Losing the Deathless relic does put a sizable dent into the shields of the build but you do gain a significant DPS boost.
Anointed Perks
Being entirely honest, Moze seems to have gotten the short end of the stick with her anointed perks. Most of them seem to be based around having ammo regen or iron bear CD which this build doesn’t really need. Use your head here anything that buffs damage is generally good. The anointed perks that I would look for are the following.
+ Splash Damage
Almost all of the damage we do in this build is splash damage, being able to double that, even temporarily, is a huge boon to our DPS.
Bonus Element
Due to means of destruction we can keep from reloading and have a massive amount of uptime on the 50% bonus damage. Plus that damage can add an additional element to your gun. Have you ever wanted a Flakker that does Radiation, Cryo, and Fire damage? With this you can.
+ Damage
More damage is more damage, comes in a smaller number than the splash damage increase but still a solid perk.
Iron Bear Loadout
I personally like to slot iron bear with utility that way autobear can be somewhat useful. V-35 Launcher and Vanquisher Pod are the only real options as we aren’t enough in bottomless mags for the OP (at least while leveling) miniguns and the Railgun and Fists just feel like garbage. My setup is Musical Chairs to group enemies and Target Softening for even more of a dps increase.
Honestly you can rock whatever feels best to you
Wrap Up
Thank you for reading this build if you have anything you want to see here, gear suggestions, typo fixing, or formatting help (I am by no means a markdown pro) please let me know. I will try to update this guide when I can. I hope that this was helpful to show how I am playing Moze and how insane the character can be. Happy exploding!
Change Log
##9/27/19:
- Removed the pipe-bomb after the fix
- Added Hive, Chomper, Headsplosion, Devils Foursum, and Grave Relic
- Added a section on Anointed Perks
9/21/19:
- Removed the Frontloader from the mandatory section
- Added as section about the autobear loadout
- Added Roisen’s Thorns, Pent-Up Alchemist, Laser-Sploder, Bearcat, and Pipe Bomb
