Moze’s recent buffs made Iron Bear definitely a presence you cannot ignore so easily. And because what makes Iron Bear can also make Moze herself powerful([Guide] Short Fuse - Analysis and Breakdown), I decided to construct a build where both Moze herself and the Iron Bear can be utilized to near perfection.
First let’s look at the skill set.(https://bl3skills.com/gunner/#504310155110150330531501010100000000000)
So it’s basically Infinite Ammo + Explooooooosions. The reason I took these two are simple.
-Sapper Moze are basically dead when she’s not shooting, which is to say, reloading. So we need to minimize the need to reload to be invincible. So we are taking the Bottomless Mags tree.
-Because Moze’s invincibility is 99% thanks to Sapper, her shield is busted about 70% of the playtime. So I couldn’t ignore the feeling that so much of the skill points we use on the Shield of Retribution tree are completely wasted. Even though Railgun and Desperate Measures are such charming skills, I simply couldn’t fit in all the skills I need. So instead I gave up the orange tree entirely, except only the Security Bear.
The Security Bear allows the IB to be hella lot bulkier, and also provides Moze a safety zone for a short time when she jumps out of the IB. It may not look like much, but it’s a 1 point 1 tier skill. All it costs to use this skill is -1 points from Matched Set, which really doesn’t make much difference if it’s 4 or 5. It’s definitely worth a point, believe me.
-So this brings us to the Demolition Woman tree. The Auto Bear, Vampyr, and Short Fuse are all awesome skills that go perfectly with the Sapper class mod. And because Iron Bear buff passives also powers up Short Fuse, this was evidently the best choice since my goal was to maximize both IB and Moze.
Next is the gear.
I must say I didn’t use a huge variety of weapons, mainly because I was able to beat True Takedown just with 4 elemental Redistributions. All of them are Consecutive hits anointments, but +125% damage anointments are just as great. To be honest, any gun with enough mag size and good fire rate is the right gear for Moze. Shreddifier, Warlord, Faisor? Why not? Soul Render? Yes please! Hyperfocus? Just as good as Redistributor. Grab a gun you want, and never stop shooting.
For the Relic it’s the Pearl. Of course. You’re looking at a non-stop firing build, what did you expect?
As for the shield, this is where it gets interesting.
I have tried almost all the so-called ‘good’ shields, including the obvious Transformer, BBB, ReCharger to some insane choices like the Frozen Snowshoe or Rough Rider, Adrenaline Initiative, and so on. All did its job, but none seemed to hit the spot. Then I came across this beauty.
Band of Sitorak with the right parts provide extra health for both Moze and IB, increased damage and fire rate plus mobility, one of the key weakness of Moze. This was the shield I was looking for. It doesn’t harm Moze’s survivability, makes IB a LOT bulkier, gives her extra firepower, and enables her to run faster. This thing was really the perfect choice for this build.
The low shield’s con is perfectly supplemented by the insane healing of Sapper plus Vampyr plus IB’s support, and Moze can benefit with literally every trait this shield has. This is seriously awesome, and I highly recommend picking this up.
One of the main pros of this setting is that you can change the direction of Moze simply by switching the Class Mod and shield. You want to use IB as main? Grab a Raging Bear Mod with Deadline bonus. You want to melt bosses faster? Set Green Monster or Blast Master plus Stop-Gap, and you’re good to go. Though it may not be good as a perfectly setted build, it gives you an insane pool of choice without having to run to Sanctuary and use a fortune to reset the skill points.
However there are, of course, cons for this build. Because we are not using the Blast Master, Mind Sweeper, or Green Monster which all gives HUGE dealing potential to Moze, Sapper Moze is significantly weak in firepower compared to other Moze builds(though believe me, I did my damnest best to bring out the firepower as much as I could). And that is why I took my time to make the skill setting be as compatible to different builds, as I mentioned a second ago.
The main focus of this Sapper build is its stability and utility. As long as you are shooting something, and throwing grenades and using IB at the right timing if you can’t find a target, you can guarantee survival in almost any circumstances. Because your firepower is weaker, it might take some more time killing mobs, but you won’t be seeing FFYL everytime you make the smallest mistake. I can guarantee that this is definitely one of the bulkiest build in the entire game, so you must understand you have sacrificed dealing perspective to a certain extent. I crushed the mayhem 4 True Takedown with only Redistributor, so I would say it’s definitely worth the risk.
I’m always open for improvements, so don’t hesitate sharing your ideas. Hope you have fun blowing things up next to your Iron Bears!
