FL4K is my main, and it's all because of this gear+perk combo for the pet:

Borderlands 3 FL4K the Beastmaster
#1

Double Downer + Friend Bot + Too Angry To Die + Lick The Wounds + All My BFF’s + ASE Lifesteal Anointment.

This combination of gear and perks allow your pet to remain in the fight, potentially indefinitely. Although the damage is lacking, the utility provided is incomparable.

Firstly, All My BFF’s and a lifesteal anointment allows your pet to regenerate its health whenever you do, with its percentage being proportional to the amount you gain depending on how many points invested into the skill. This means that by activating your action skill and obtaining 15% lifesteal, the damage you deal will also heal your pet. If you’re ever in a situation where you’re caught in the middle of a reload and cannot deal damage to top off your pet, and it goes down with no time to spend reviving, then Friend Bot comes into play. It’s legendary effect allows you to immediately revive your pet, whether its currently in FFYL or on a respawn timer, whenever you slay an enemy. Since you are FL4K, that is your specialty. And if there are no enemies to kill, then you can revive it through normal means (though managing to kill your pet with no enemies is an impressive feat…).

The aforementioned combo’s potential is realized once you get past the uncomfortable and negative thoughts around FFYL. Yes, you want to avoid going into FFYL at all costs, but once you’re there, that does not mean that the fight is over. Ensuring that your pet is alive and hearty enough to make clutch revivals at any time is still a defensive option to take advantage of, even if it doesn’t follow the traditional means of damage reduction, damage reflection, and constant leeching to stay alive. Knowing this, I can focus all of my attention on dishing out damage numbers instead of wondering how I’m going to survive an incoming attack with health to spare…because I don’t need to…not when I can trust my pet to help me up. And by using the Double Downer shield, and the Too Angry To Die guardian perk, you should be able to remain in FFYL long enough for your pet to come to your aid. And if a nearby enemy slays your pet in the middle of your revival, well…that’s a nearby enemy to get your second wind from!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

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#2

That’s a very fresh perspective and nice way of dealing with the situation Fl4k are in. Meaning no shield skills, no life leech etc.
I still enjoy Fl4k since day 1 and cannot find much joy in other VHs. Even though it’s gotten quiet in here which I directly relate to all players abandoning Fl4k after early nerfs. So this keeps it fresh.
Thank you!

#3

What action skill and which pet are you using? With Gamma Burst, Burst Aid, and All My BFF’s, my Skag, for example (if i’m sitting in the Rift), can gnaw on Wotan’s ankle and not die. I mean, his health bar is bottomed out, and the instant the Rift closes, he dies, but Gamma Burst recharges before he dies, so there’s an insta-revive too.

I have a hard time shaking the ‘embrace FFYL’ mentality (just wasn’t that down with Krieg either), but this sounds like a hoot (and I’ve been waiting for someone to post a good use for that shield).

Got a video?

#4

unfortunately my fl4k takedown experience usually boils down to spamming scourge while repeatly enter/exit ffyl to finish off a screen full of crap.

He just arent survivble enough to not ffyl

#5

Its weird seeing people have so much trouble but, I and others can solo everything on m4 with ease. I’m curious of your setup and how you play?

I’m curious why are you putting so much effort to keep your pet alive currently? Although this might have potenial later if pets get a good buff and are worth putting in effort to be kept alive You can use instead a bounty hunter,stalker com etc. for more dps and just switch in and out friend bot when your pet goes down.

#6

Just switch pets from the menu screen when the pet goes down. You don’t even need to switch COMs. The only reason to use friend bot is if you are running a red fang swap out. The pet really offers little outside of not my circus and gamma builds. I honestly would spec for as much damage as possible with FL4K, and use gear that give you survivability.

1 Like
#7

Can you not read? did i say i have trouble?

#8

scoffs Of course not reading is for chumps. People like me stare at the strange symbols on the screen and will them to say what I think they mean.

Nhaa but my B.

#9

With FL4K I’ve become a huge fan of The Cure shotty from GL&T. I run a Fade Away build with FL4K and a purple Jakobs shotty of some flavor has always been my primary weapon, and the Cure is just that plus lifesteal, which I’ve found really helps. Apparently it can’t come in anointed flavors, which is kind of a bummer, but I still love it.

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