Hello, Before starts the topic I must to tell you that I’m not good at English. But I will do my best.
—Malfunctions, Irregulars and Glitches etc—
(1) Elemental status effects blocks sight of Iron Bear when right after get in Iron Bear
*I guess that this glitch was fixed when Revenge of the Cartels, the summer event patch and hotfixes.(this change didn’t write on patch note.)
Cryo
There is a lot of glowing cryo dust and fog in sight. But it was short time.
Someone can say “Is that just visual effect from enemy’s cryo bullet or cryoed Iron Bear?”
There is some glowing cryo dust at cryo splash effect. But not that much. And If Iron Bear got elemental status effect, changed Iron Bear’s body color.
Radiation
Thankfully there is no sight glitch at Irradiate.
Shock
It is very short time to notice sight blocking. But clearly this is different visual effect with enemy’s splash damage and electrocuted Iron Bear.
Corrosive
Now the glitch is completely blocks the sight. And fog is trying to follow wherever sight rotates.
Incendiary
Worst sight blocking. I couldn’t see anything even I tried to rotate the sight.
I tried another thing. It seems that getting in Iron Bear while be affected by elemental status effect causes this sight blocking glitch.
It was short at this video. But If player is affected by several elemental status at same time, Looks like sight blocking glitches also can combine each other.
Let see this glitch in the viewpoint of third person by using photo mode.
You can see there is elemental visual effect in front of Iron Bear’s two camera eye.
(2) The Skills and Bonuses that Only affects on Iron Bear’s Left Arm
Damage Increased: Drowning in Brass, Phalanx Doctrine
Fire Rate Increased: Scorching RPM’s, Mayhem Modifier
Reload Speed Increased: Mayhem Modifier
Scorching RPM’s 5 points with dual basic minigun
(3) Skills, Do not Increase Iron Bear’s Elemental DOT (Damage-Over-Time)
Basically, These skills increase Iron Bear Damage. But don’t increase Elemental DOT at all.
Scorching RPM’s, Stainless Steel Bear, Desperate Measures
I think this is quite important matter. Salamander, the flamethrower arm of Iron Bear.
This weapon arm deals more damage by Elemental DOT than its projectile damage.
All augment arms of Salamander is same way.
And addition to this. ‘Hammerdown Protocol of Vanquisher Rocket Pod’. Probably you already know, this weapon arm fires a big badass nuclear warhead. After fire, this arm needs some time for reloading. And enemies that hit by nuclear warhead almost certainly get radiation status effect (Irradiate). So, Hammerdown Protocol can deal damage with radiation DOT while its reloading. I think this is not small part of Hammerdown Portocol’s DPM
(4) Stainless Steel Bear
When purchase this skill, There is visual glitch with fuel bar. but it is only visual glitch.
Don’t worry, Fuel increase well.
(5) Bear Fist and Bear Fist’s Augments
Not affected by Drowning in Brass, Phalanx Doctrine. Even left arm.
After last hotfix, thankfully Desperate Measures skill affects at Bear Fist.
By the way… this is personal opinion that Bear fist is hardest to use among all arms of Iron Bear. Close combat arm, can’t hit critical hit, doesn’t increased fire rate by Scorching RPM’s and mayhem modifier, and there is only one skill (Desperate Measures) that can increase damage in skill tree (Shield of Retribution) where Bear Fist is.
It’s also hard to use with another weapon arm. I only tried Bear Fist - Close the Distance (Shock) on right arm and Salamander - Fuel Economy (Incendiary) on left arm …before hotfix. Already I told you that Desperate Measure no longer increase elemental DOT with last hotfix… so yup! I can’t use this now.
Easy way to use Bear Fist is using dual-wielding. Plus to maximize this, you need Special Bear skill in Bottomless Mags skill tree.
However close combat arm, It means you need making durability more than ever. Stainless Steel Bear in Demolition Woman skill tree can increase fuel, armor and damage of IB. If use Bear Fist - Wild Swing, Vampyr in same skill tree can heal IB’s armor with elemental splash damage of Wild Swing.
But you can’t choose these both. lack of skill points. hmm… yeah,Or just because I’m too greedy. Also It can be too soon to talk about it. Because there is no extending for max level yet.
I almost forgot. Plus, all of melee attack bonus not applied on Bear Fist. Roid perk of Shield, Increased melee damage from class mod and artifact, all of artifact which improving melee attack (For example, Knife Drain, White Elephant etc ), melee damage bonus at cryoed enemy. And Mayhem Modifier.
Speaking of Mayhem Modifier, Bear Fist is affected by ‘Normal Bullet’ and ‘Skill Damage’ from Mayhem Modifiers.
(6) Stomp, basic melee attack for Iron Bear
Yes, Bear Fist is melee attack arm of Iron Bear. Before that, IB already has way of melee attack. The Stomp! Well… there is no official name. I think just can calling it stomp.
About stomp, How do I put this… None.
Skills, Equipment. Not be affected by almost anything. Even scaling Patch.
Yup, That one. I checked stomp damage 4164 at 11/12/2019. Still same 4164.
Only way to increase damage of stomp is Mayhem Modifiers.
Which mayhem modifiers increase stomp damage? let see some screenshots.
10K DMG, Interesting thing is applied over +50%. I assume it +150%.
15K DMG
4164 DMG (+0%), No affected by skill damage modifier!
6038 DMG (+45%)
8328 DMG ((4164+150%)-20%)
9161 DMG (+120%) in Mayhem 4
I don’t know why 120%. Is it just 150%-30%= ?
Well, That modifier at mayhem 3 was +50% right? and came to Mayhem 4 and changed to +20%. So I just assume 150%-30%. Argh! My head starts hurt. Lets stop thinking of it.
To the last thing about Stomp, Stomp can’t launch barrels.
This ‘melees’ means Bear Fist.
(7) Vanquisher Rocket Pod - Hammerdown Protocol
Not affected by Drowning in Brass and Phalanx Doctrine. Even left arm.
Thankfully after patch, Desperate Measures applies to Hammerdown Protocol.
Yes, same description with Bear fist.
Interesting thing happens when use it with Cloud of Lead skill.
Hammerdown Protocol + Cloud of Lead 5 points
Instead of bonus incendiary damage, It fires same radiation nuclear warhead.
Oh, this is possible because Cloud of Lead skill actually calculates two arms as one.
But it is not my intend like “Lets use this double technique!”. It is just theoretical and impractical. I wanted to show irregular skill working.
(8) Crosshair (Reticle) Glitch When Using Combined Weapon Arms.
Each of Iron Bear weapon arms have own accuracy and size of crosshair circle.
So it should show combine crosshair when using combined weapon arms.
But, It has to right arm have more accuracy than left arm.
In opposite situation? Only lower accuracy crosshair appears on the screen.
Right arm: Minigun, Left arm: Salamander
Right arm: Salamander, Left arm: Minigun
I hope this data can help you avoid the crosshair glitch.
[ Accuracy List ]
Minigun, Let Off Some Steam, General Winter ↓
Exploding. Bullets. ↓
Salamander, Fuel Economy, Chemical Warfare ↓
Molten Roar ↓
Railgun, Hell on Rails, Capacitive Armature, Corrosive Sabot Round ↓
Bear Fist, Wild Swing, Close the Distance, Shockhammer ↓
V-35 Grenade Launcher, Shaped Charge, Musical Chair, Lock and Speedload ↓
Vanquisher Rocket Pod, Active Tracking, Hammerdown Protocol ↓
Target Softening ↓
(9) Dakka Bear & Critical Damage Bonus
Gains Increased Damage Bonus from Stainless Steel Bear and Scorching RPM’s skills.
Gains Critical Damage Bonus from Guardian Rank Bonus, Scorching RPM’s skill, Class mod that equipped. And gun that holding before get in the Dakka Bear’s turret.
*Experimental Munitions skill also apply at Dakka Bear.
Stainless Steel Bear 5 points + Scorching RPM’s 5 points + 6.35% Gaurdian rank + Unforgiven (432%)
(10) Can’t Ping while being in Iron Bear
Even can ping while being in vehicles, There is no why that can’t ping while being in Iron Bear. I like the Ping system, It helps solo-playing and team-playing. Usually use it team-playing, for give some intel or thought to other team player in short time.
On solo-playing, it helps tracking specific enemy while heavy fight. Like tracking and killing NOGs from Maliwan troops.
So, I want to say can’t ping while in Iron Bear, and it is quite big problem.
(11) Drowning in Brass and Phalanx Doctrine don’t increase damage of Singularity Grenade from V-35 Grenade Launcher - Musical Chair. Even though firing with left arm.
---- Suggestions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Hoping to fixing above problems is obvious. And…
(1) Needs Immune from Knockback
Auto Bear is flying by Grogs
Not only Auto Bear, also can feel some knockbacks while getting in Iron Bear. I think IB needs some heavy weight as its Heavy Armor Mech appearance.
(2) Needs Immune visual effect from Varkid Sting
Varkid Sting visual effect while IB
Kind a feels ridiculous when happening this. Wearing heavy armor mech that thicker than maliwan heavy armor suit. This is mech! But Varkid can sting through penetrating the armor?
In this video, after sting there is visual effect of varkid bites.
I understand bite visual effect, because it can warn you that wild creatures are near under your sight. Could same thought for Varkid Sting? hmm… But still kinda feels some ridiculous.
(3) Security Bear
It’s two thing. First, Security Bear shield can’t block elemental status effect from enemy projectiles. For example, Can block incendiary bullet but can’t block ignite. Second, Security Bear shield not activate or re-activate at Auto Bear.
So, how about Security Bear shield can take elemental status effect damage instead of IB and automatically activate at Auto Bear?
(4) Cloud of Lead
This can be quite too personal for suggestion.
Do you remember this skill calculates Iron Bear’s two arm as one?
How about Cloud of Lead calculates Firing of both side arms separately?
Before game released, I watched this skill at skill calculator in Borderlands official site.
I think its some kind of Tracer Bullet, and changed in game contents is cooler (or hotter) than original Tracer Bullet! I was happy to imagine using this skill with dual-minigun Iron Bear.
*This is Tracer Bullet with minigun from Discovery UK youtube channel for reference material.
So, Let see my happy moment come after game released.
Cloud of Lead 5 points with Dual-Minigun
Firing at same time, only one arm fires skill shots. Well, I imagined it skill shots fired from each minigun. I don’t know other players have same thought about this. Honestly, it made me quite depressed and disappointed at the first look.
When it meets Scorching RPM’s skill. It changes its look like.
Cloud of Lead 5 points + Scorching RPM’s 5 points with Dual-Minigun
Because of one arm fire rate bonus, It changes where it fired periodically at both arm.
Although it looks like what I wanted but I can’t be happy yet.
This is just Abnormal*Abnormal = Offsetting Ab and being look like normal.
If one arm bonus has fixed, Cloud of Lead situation will be back to like above video.
So, I highly suggest that make Cloud of Lead skill calculates right and left arms of IB separately.
Yup, I admit this is quite personal suggestion.
Finally, Thank you for watching this long post. That’s everything I know about Iron Bear.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday
