Buzz Axe Bombardier: This is how it works!

Borderlands 2 Krieg the Psycho
#1

A lot of players don’t know how this skill exactly works. That’s why I decided to spend some time to write an analysis for it. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong or add valuable information I’ve missed.

Contents

  1. Buzz Axe Bombardier General Information
    1.1. Skill Description
    1.2. What it does
    1.3. What it doesn’t do

  2. Synergies
    2.1. Skills
    2.2. Gear
    2.3. Badass Rank Bonuses

  3. Credits

1. Buzz Axe Bombardier General Information

1.1. Skill Description

But it does far more than that!

1.2. What it does

  • lowers the damage output against Constructors significantly
  • increases your damage output against nearly every other enemy type significantly
  • changes the damage type of your thrown axe from melee damage to non-elemental and non-explosive grenade damage which is affected by grenade AND melee damage bonuses
  • adds a portion explosive damage with splash effect to your thrown axe which is affected by grenade and explosive damage bonuses
  • adds the ability to damage yourself by standing too close to the explosion, the self-damage is less than on enemies (about 1/4 of the standard explosive damage) but is affected by explosive damage bonuses
  • let you see the trajectory of the axe (better)

1.3. What it doesn’t do

  • increases the self-inflicted damage of StV procs
  • increases/decreases speed of the axe
  • provides free pizza or bacon strips

2. Synergies

2.1. Skills

  • Fuel the Blood (Melee Kill Skill) increases your grenade damage which leads to a highly increased damage output of a thrown axe. You’ll notice the increase only on the non-explosive direct/grenade damage part.
  • Strip the Flesh increases the damage of the explosive splash damage, not the non-explosive direct/grenade damage. Because of this Strip the Flesh isn’t worthwhile most of the time if you want it to only increase the damage of BAB.
  • Elemental Elation increases the axe throwing frequency. In combination with Fuel the Blood you can throw far more high-powered axes while FtB is active.
  • Buzz Axe Bombardier is able to trigger Blood Bath. This is a powerful combination if kill an enemy at the end of Buzz Axe Rampage and gain the bonuses from Blood Bath to overpower your guns, especially if you’re using a Blister or Legendary Reaper class mod (because of the increased kill skill duration).
  • A thrown axe while Fuel the Blood is active causes insane havoc in combination with Bloodsplosion.

2.2. Gear

  • A Sheriff’s Badge increases the axe throwing frequency. In combination with Fuel the Blood you can throw far more high-powered axes while FtB is active.
  • An Elemental Relic which boosts explosive damage increases the damage of the explosive splash damage, not the non-explosive direct/grenade damage. Because of this this relic isn’t worthwhile most of the time if you want it to only increase the damage of BAB.
  • A roid shield affects the non-explosive direct/grenade damage and the explosive splash damage. The increase in damage of the explosive splash damage portion is only marginal.
  • A melee relic increases the non-explosive direct/grenade damage part, but not the explosive splash damage. Besides that the increase is marginal.
  • Wound (after kill) and Chaotic Barbarian class mods also increase the axe throw frequency. The former isn’t good at all and the latter can be used to build a crazy axe slinger/thrower Krieg with points in Buzz Axe Bombardier, (Fuel the Blood), Elemental Elation, a Sheriff’s Badge and the Mania tree.


2.3. Badass Rank Bonuses

  • The firerate bonus increases the axe throwing frequency.
  • The grenade damage bonus increases the damage of the non-explosive/direct-hit portion and the explosive splash damage.

4. Credits

  • holyslitbatman for addressing the Wound and Chaotic Barbarian class mods
8 Likes
The Community Krieg Guide - All you ever wanted to know
[Build/Guide] Axeplosive Rampage - Bloodlust/Mania
Krieg and melee bonuses
Hellborn Krieg build help!
What did you do in your most recent session, PT2!
[Guide] Splash damage guide
'Buzz Axe Bombardier' Makes 'Fuel The Blood' Greatly Enhance Axe Throw Damage:
#2

TLDR:

  • it will no longer trigger Fuel The Blood but Blood Bath (both components)
  • it adds a an explosive [EXPLOSIVE DAMAGE TYPE] splash component of 100% of the BASE melee damage (WITHOUT ANY ADDITIVE MELEE damage bonuses). Grenade and explosive multipliers apply.
  • the ‘melee’ component [NON Elemental DAMAGE TYPE ] can CRIT and doesn’t use the fixed *2 crit multiplier . (BAR bonus will apply and possibly pain is power nerf ) (its damage is the damage of his axe throw without bombardier with the exception of the grenade damage multiplier - the additive melee damage term obviously applies here; BxR/RTB melee damage with *3 multiplier instead of *5)
  • 99% certain the grenade damage bonus multiplier applies to the ‘melee’ component as well

see test numbers bellow:

BAR OFF

  618281   431905.313 Max    403396.719 Cur   431905.313 Prev    28508.594 Damage
    1391   431905.313 Max    374888.125 Cur   403396.719 Prev    28508.594 Damage

5 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) = 28508.59961

// goliath RTB

	 218547   161964.500 Max    123905.516 Cur   161964.500 Prev    38058.984 Damage // flying ax *0.6 ?
         15   161964.500 Max    123294.617 Cur   123905.516 Prev      610.898 Damage // ????1?!?!
       1563   161964.500 Max     59862.984 Cur   123294.617 Prev    63431.633 Damage
       1547   161964.500 Max     59150.270 Cur    59862.984 Prev      712.715 Damage // ??????!?!?!?
   3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) * (1 + 1 + 0.075 * 3) = 38058.99 // 3 7.5% salt the wound stacks thrown ax
   5 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) * (1 + 1 + 0.075 * 3) = 63431.65 //

// BxR no RTB

	 528094   134970.406 Max    117865.250 Cur   134970.406 Prev    17105.156 Damage // impact
         15   134970.406 Max    117009.992 Cur   117865.250 Prev      855.258 Damage // DOT ?!?
3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) = 17105.164  // ok

// spend the point in the BAB
seems to add explosive splash BUT original hit IS NOT (color of in-game pop ups )

15 % explosive strip the flesh

       2750   134970.406 Max     63983.996 Cur    81089.156 Prev    17105.160 Damage
         16   134970.406 Max     44313.063 Cur    63983.996 Prev    19670.934 Damage
       2797   134970.406 Max     27207.902 Cur    44313.063 Prev    17105.160 Damage
          0   134970.406 Max      7536.969 Cur    27207.902 Prev    19670.934 Damage

So impact component is the same ! It adds 100% explosive splash
3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) = 17105.164 // ok ‘melee’ impact
3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) * (1 + 0.15) = 19670.939 // OK explosive splash impact

BAR on ~11.8 melee damage ; ~12.5 grenade damage ;

// BxR no RTB

     403000   134970.406 Max     95487.992 Cur   117009.992 Prev    21522.000 Damage 
          0   134970.406 Max     73358.828 Cur    95487.992 Prev    22129.164 Damage 
       2875   134970.406 Max     51836.828 Cur    73358.828 Prev    21522.000 Damage 
          0   134970.406 Max     29707.660 Cur    51836.828 Prev    22129.168 Damage

3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) * 1.118 * 1.125 = 21514.02 // ? grenade damage bonus applies to the melee impact ? the error seems significant
3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) * ( 1 + 0.125 ) * (1 + 0.15) = 22129.80 // melee damage DOES NOT apply to splash, grenade damage and explosive DO

// RTB

      66187   134970.406 Max     44053.508 Cur   134970.406 Prev    90916.898 Damage //CRIT
          0   134970.406 Max     21924.340 Cur    44053.508 Prev    22129.168 Damage
       4297   134970.406 Max     94205.656 Cur   134970.406 Prev    40764.750 Damage
         16   134970.406 Max     72076.484 Cur    94205.656 Prev    22129.172 Damage

3 * 20 * 1.13^43 * 0.8 * (1 + 0.02 * 43) * ( 1 + 0.118 + 1 ) * 1.125 = 40757.33 //
90916.898 / 40764.750 = 2.23 crit multiplier. // It uses ‘gun’ crit multiplier NOT *2. (11.5% my BAR crit) 2 * 1.115 = 2.23…

THE explosive splash component ignores melee damage bonus. Same as the simple BxR before.

EDIT: more accurate testing numbers

3 Likes