Ported from the old thread.
Inspired by Chuck80’s guide to Salvador’s Class mods, this guide explores every one of Zer0’s Class Optimization Modules (or COMs for short) in the game, as a supplement to the T0p Gear guide.
Wiki Article on COMs in Borderlands 2
List of Max Stat COMs for Zer0 from Zoo’s Max Stat gear list.
jiandersonzer0’s Guide to Zer0’s Skills.
DISCLAIMER: While this provides a concise reason for each COM, do be aware that the ranking is influenced by OP’s opinions/experiences/playstyles, and are liable to be changed. All players are entitled to their own opinions about the viability of each individual skill or class mod. I recognize that there are varying degrees of skill across all Zer0 players, and that this is not a 100% accurate representation of every single player’s feelings on each class mod. If you feel differently on the rating a given class mod, please describe why and give your opinion below. The integrity of this guide depends on your input!
All COMs in the game provides various passive bonuses, as listed on the Item Card. For example, a Ninja COM with +50% Melee Damage will add +50% Melee Damage to Zer0 right off the bat while it’s equipped. In addition, all COMs above White level rarity increases the rank of a skill or skills up to +5 (or +6 with a Blue COM) at level 50, increasing the rank over 5/5 (up to a cap of 11/5 with a Blue COM). However, the bonuses are only applied if you already have a rank in the skill that is boosted. So expanding the previous example, a Shadow Ninja provides +6 to Backstab, but you won’t get an extra +48% Melee bonus when striking an enemy from behind until you actually spec into Backstab.
Rarity of COMs are as follows:
White COMs only provide their variables bonus, with no skill boost
Green COMs will provide the same variable bonus as white COMs, and will boost one of the 3 skills listed in their entry, by a maximum of +5 (starting at level 50)
Blue COMs will have the usual bonus, and will boost 2 skills out of the 3 listed, one by +6 and the other by +5. Blue rarity COMs are the only way to get a skill boost of +6 and therefore make a skill 11/5.
Purple COMs will also provide the basic COM bonus, and will boost all 3 skills listed, one by +5, the other 2 by +4 at maximum, but often boosts skills by +5, +4, and then +3.
While Purple guns are generally better than Blue guns (Blue Guns with red text are the exception,) this is not always the case with COMs. In fact, depending on the build, a Blue COM will be better than a Purple COM, especially if one of the skills boosted by the COM is unused. For this reason, the ideal COM’s prefix will be highlighted the same color as the preferred rarity. Likewise, the skills boosted by each COM will be highlighted in Green for Sniping, Blue for Cunning, and Red for Bloodshed.
The ranking system I’ll be using is the same one used in most other guides.
Below-Average: When a class mod is least preferred among most players with heavy criticism on its attributes, this rank is given.
Average: When a class mod is generally considered to be a viable choice but has more preferred alternatives, this rank is given.
Good: When a class mod is preferred among most players with minimal criticism on its attributes, this rank is given.
Outstanding: When a class mod is highly recommended and praised among all players at endgame, this rank is given.
NOTE: The COM’s maximum stat bonus listed below will be for lvl 72/OP 8. Obviously at levels above and below lvl 72 will have different maximum values, along with the randomness/difficulty of trying to find a COM with the maximum stats, much less one with the skill boosts you want. For a better idea of the stats across lvl 50, 61 or across OP levels, check out the Max Stat spreadsheet above.
Infiltrator Below-Average
lvl 72: +31% Fire Rate, +45% Melee Damage
OP 8: +32% Fire Rate, +48% Melee Damage
Be Like Water (Graceful)
Unf0rseen (Tricky)
Iron Hand (Rugged)
This COM aims for a mix between Gun and Melee Zer0, but ultimately doesn’t do too well with either. Both Iron Hand and Be Like Water give overall minor additive bonuses to melee (+15% and +30%, respectively and at 5/5.) While Be Like Water gives bonuses to Melee AND Gun Damage, it can’t do both at the same time due to how it works. As a result, some players tend to pick up other COMs like the Ninja or the Killer for their hybrid builds.
Pros: Stat boosts are actually pretty nice.
Cons: Boosts Sub-par Skills. Also, Be Like Water with a COM that boosts Fire Rate? What?!
Ideal: Tricky Infiltrator (+5 Unf0rseen, +4 to others)
Killer Good
lvl 72: +50% Team Critical Damage
OP 8: +54% Team Critical Damage
Fearless (Unpredictable)
Killer (The)
Ambush (Contemptible)
An excellent COM for players with a mixed gun loadout but still like making things’ heads explode. Not only does it increase the Critical Damage for your teammates as well, the Ambush skill can be up almost 100% when with a partner or three, making this a welcome Co-op COM.
Pros: Everybody gets to pop some heads!
Cons: Killer is a Kill skill, which is not always guaranteed in Co-op…
Ideal: Contemptible Killer (+6 Ambush, +5 Killer)
Ninja Outstanding
lvl 72: +57% Melee Damage
OP 8: +61% Melee Damage
Backstab (Shadow)
Resurgence (Bloodied)
Killing Bl0w (Lethal)
Hands down the best COM for Melee Zer0 until the Legendary variant was released. Along with boosting Melee damage, the COM boosts Backstab and Killing Bl0w, both multiplicative skills.
Pros: You get to be a ninja without being a mutant turtle.
Cons: You’re not a mutant turtle. Also, no gun bonuses.
Ideal: Shadow Ninja (+6 Backstab, +5 Killing Bl0w)
Professional Good
lvl 72: +34% Reload Speed, +116724 Shield Capacity
OP 8: +35% Reload Speed, +310304 Shield Capacity
Tw0 Fang (Unequaled)
Killer (The)
Ambush (Succinct)
Very similar to the Killer COM in skill boosts, with the exception of Tw0 Fang instead of Fearless, the bonuses to Reload Speed and Shield Capacity makes lean slightly more towards for solo play rather than co-op. The increase in Reload Speed is very welcome, especially once Killer is proc’d, which really helps with guns that frequently reload or have a long reload time. The increase in Shield Capacity can help a little with shields with low capacity, but do be aware that this COM doesn’t boost any skills that increase Shield Recharge, which can add another second or two to fully recharge a shield. This can hurt Nova and Amp Shields (except for The Bee), so use shields that have their effects active regardless if they’re only partially charged.
Pros: You now have the means to kill everyone you met, now you just need a plan.
Cons: Potential synergy problems with some shields, if one isn’t paying attention to overall loadout, but fairly minor.
Ideal: Succinct Professional (+6 Ambush, +5 Killer or +5 Ambush, +4 others.)
Rogue Outstanding
lvl 72 | OP 8
+34% | +35% Accuracy (Lawful)
+50% | +54% (+81% | 86%) Magazine (Neutral, True Neutral if it rolled Magazine size twice.)
+34% | +35% Fire Rate (Chaotic)
And
+34% | 35% Reload Speed (Good)
+50% | +54% (+81% | 86%) Magazine (Neutral, True Neutral if it rolled Magazine size twice.)
+50% | +54% Critical Damage (Evil)
Velocity
Tw0 Fang
Like the Wind
Being a Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep exclusive COM, the Prefixes aren’t tied to the Skill Boosts, but rather to the varied weapon bonuses it provides. Because of this, is a great COM for Snipers in particular since it can boost Mag Size and Fire Rate or Reload Speed for building stacks of Critical Ascensi0n. However, the Skill boosts are often ignored, since Melee Zer0s won’t find much that this COM offers beyond Like the Wind, and Sniper Zer0s tend to forgo Tw0 Fang since it wastes sniper ammo, as well as Vel0city since Lyuda and Pimpernel don’t play nice with this skill. Other than that, this COM’s varied Stat Boosts can be useful for any Gun Build.
Pros: One of the few COMs for Zer0 that can buff Fire Rate and Magazine size.
Cons: Variable stat bonuses means that you’re gonna have a rough time farming for these. 2 of the skills boosted are Tier 5 skills, which require a lot of investment in their respective trees to even use.
Ideal: Insert Alignment Here Rogue (Varies, depends on your loadout. Refer to this old thread for help. +6 Velocity, +5 Two Fang, or +6 Tw0 Fang, +5 Like the Wind when using the Pimpernel, Twister, etc.)
Shot Below-Average
lvl 72: +33% Team Accuracy
OP 8: +35% Team Accuracy
0ptics (Long)
Precisi0n (Sure)
Kill C0nfirmed (True)
Zer0’s other team boosting COM, the Accuracy boosts from both the COM itself and from Precisi0n can help a lot with weapons with spread, such as Shotguns or the Skullmasher. That’s basically all the COM really has going for it, with some below average skills otherwise, and Accuracy is not quite as useful for teammates as Critical Damage.
Pros: More accuracy means less wasted bullets!
Cons: Only one of the skills actually boosts the damage of hitting somebody.
Ideal: True Shot (+6 Kill C0nfirmed, +5 Precisi0n)
Sniper Good
lvl 72: +45% Sniper Rifle Damage, +45% Sniper Rifle Critical Damage (bugged, affects all weapons), -122030 Shield Capacity
OP 8: +48% Sniper Rifle Damage, +48% Sniper Rifle Critical Damage (bugged, affects all weapons), -324409 Shield Capacity
Precisi0n (Tranquil)
0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill (One Shot)
Headsh0t (Deadly)
At a glance, the COM only appeals to Sniper Zer0s, but with the Sniper Rifle Critical boost still affecting all weapon types, this can also be a good COM for general gun Zer0s. High capacity shields such as Turtle shields are generally used with this to overcome the reduced Shield Capacity.
Pros: Good for shooting heads off.
Cons: Shield debuff on a character that has few survival skills.
Ideal: One Shot Sniper (+6 0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill, +5 Headsh0t OR +5 0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill, +4 Headsh0t and Precisi0n)
Spy Good
lvl 72 / OP 8: +16% Action Skill Cooldown Rate
Vel0city (Swift)
Ambush (Contemptible)
Unf0rseen (Tricky)
Outside of the Legendary Hunter, this is the only COM that boosts Zer0’s cooldown rate, which pairs well with its boosts to both Ambush and Unf0rseen. The most recent patch to BL2 greatly boosted Unf0rseen’s scaling into UVHM, which also made this COM a lot more useful in late-game.
Pros: More Decepti0n, more often!
Cons: Cooldown Rate bonus is the lowest of all the Vault Hunters, and very little bonuses for out of Decepti0n. Also OP8 Maximum is the same as lvl 72.
Ideal: Contemptible Spy (+6 Ambush, +5 Unf0rseen)
Stalker Good
lvl 72: +31% Pistol Fire Rate, +45% Pistol Magazine Size, +44% Shield Recharge Rate
OP 8: +32% Pistol Fire Rate, +48% Pistol Magazine Size, +47% Shield Recharge Rate
F0ll0wthr0ugh (Shadow)
Rising Sh0t (Disturbed)
C0unter Strike (Razored)
Hey, want to make the Unkempt Harold a bullet hose? Don’t think your Anarchist fires fast enough? Comrade, I have a COM just for you! Combine this with the Sheriff’s Badge to really keep the bullets flying! The Shield Recharge rate is also an underrated, but very useful boost to survival.
Pros: More Fire rate and bigger Magazine, what more can you ask for Vladof pistols?
Cons: Doesn’t do much for Jakobs pistols, and other weapon types only get bonuses from the skills.
Ideal: Disturbed Stalker (+6 Rising Sh0t, +5 F0ll0wthr0ugh) for Gun builds or Shadow Stalker (+6 F0ll0wthr0ugh, +5 Rising Sh0t) for Melee/Gun hybrids.
Survivor Average
lvl 72: +132641 Max Health, 3481.8 Health Regeneration
OP 8: +352619 Max Health, 9256.2 Health Regeneration
Rising Sh0t (Disturbed)
Resurgence (Bloodied)
Ambush (Contemptible)
This has a specific niche with an OP Level Turtle Shield for Healthgate abuse builds. Beyond that, this COM does have some nice survivability for Zer0, as well as boosts to Rising Sh0t and Ambush. It’s a solid COM, but some other COMs can simply do more with other skills.
Pros: Healthgate abuse with pretty good weapon bonuses from skills.
Cons: Healthgate abuse requires very specific COM and Shield level to make the most use. Healthgate abuse is also extremely vulnerable to DoTs.
Ideal: Contemptible Survivor (+6 Ambush, +5 Rising Sh0t)
Legendary C0Ms:
Unlike the C0Ms above, these have their skill boosts/prefixes locked, so the only thing that changes between any two otherwise identical versions of these C0Ms is the invisible parts that contributes to the overall stat bonuses. So instead of Prefixes, I have listed what drops the C0Ms. At level 50 and above, all skill boosts listed under each of these C0Ms are +5, except for the Slayer of Terramorphous which is locked at +4 regardless of how high level it is.
Legendary Hunter Good
lvl 72: +44% Action Skill Cooldown Rate, +36% Critical Damage, +24% Reload Speed
OP 8: +47% Action Skill Cooldown Rate, +39% Critical Damage, +25% Reload Speed
Using Decepti0n instantly restores 10% of your Health
Headsh0t
Fast Hands
C0unter Strike
Killing Bl0w
Ir0n Hand
A general use COM for Zer0, working with virtually any build with increased survivability from Decepti0n, high bonuses to Reload speed and Critical Damage, and increased Melee power from Killing Bl0w. Best used when more specialized COMs don’t fit your build.
Pros: Jack of all Trades
Cons: Master of None
Dropped by: Vermivorous the Invincible, world drop.
Legendary Killer Outstanding
lvl 72: +53% Team Critical Damage
OP 8: +57% Team Critical Damage
Headsh0t
Killer
Vel0city
Ambush
Tw0 Fang
What the Legendary Killer loses from lacking Fearless, it gains back with Tw0 Fang, Vel0city, and Headsh0t, all of which are active while shields are up. Great with Tw0 Fang gun builds.
Pros: Everybody gets to pop some heads! Also more skills than vanilla Killer.
Cons: Skipping some of the skills with this COM (especially Tw0 Fang) gimps COM’s effectiveness.
Dropped by: Tubby Enemies starting at lvl 62.
Legendary Ninja Outstanding
lvl 72: +60% Melee Damage
OP 8: +64% Melee Damage
Ambush
Killing Bl0w
Backstab
F0ll0wthr0ugh
Resurgence
Angels everywhere (or maybe just Ninja Assassins) sang out in joy when this COM was released, this is THE COM to have for Melee in late game with bonuses to Ambush, Killing Blow, and Backstab all together in one package, beating out a Shadow Ninja by 12% melee damage from boosted skills. The boost to F0ll0wthr0ugh also is fantastic for Many Must Fall chains due to further Melee and Movement bonuses.
Pros: You are now the Hokage.
Cons: You are still not a mutant turtle.
Dropped by: Tubby Enemies starting at lvl 62.
Legendary Sniper Good
lvl 72: +48% Sniper Rifle Damage, +48% Sniper Rifle Critical Damage (bugged, affects all weapons), -148558 Shield Capacity
OP 8: +51% Sniper Rifle Damage, +51% Sniper Rifle Critical Damage (bugged, affects all weapons), -394933 Shield Capacity
Headsh0t
Precisi0n
Vel0city
0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill
Kill C0nfirmed
While it’s an excellent choice for Sniper Zer0s, it loses out to the Rogue COM from Crit Stacking. Also, the bonus to Vel0city would be nice if it didn’t negatively affect the Pimpernel or the Lyuda, Zer0’s two best sniper rifles.
Pros: Better Sniping, and more critical bonuses!
Cons: Still loses some Shield Capacity, but not as much of a one-trick pony with snipers since skills boosted helps other weapons too.
Dropped by: Tubby Enemies starting at lvl 62.
Slayer of Terramorphous Below-Average
lvl 72: +32% Burn Chance, +32% Burn Damage, +122030 Max Health
OP 8: +34% Burn Chance, +34% Burn Damage, +324409 Max Health
(all skill bonus are +4)
Headsh0t
0ptics
Fast Hands
C0unter Strike
Ir0n Hand
Similar skill boosts to the Legendary Hunter (just swap out 0ptics for Killing Bl0w,) it nonetheless is a very lacking COM for Zer0, since he isn’t focused on Elemental Damage, and the +Max Health from Ir0n Hand and COM is questionable in UVHM without Health Regen. With the skill boosts being locked at +4 even beyond lvl 50, this COM becomes nothing more than a trophy to show off to newcomers that one time you killed Terramorphous.
Pros: You managed to kill Terry! Congratulations!
Cons: Hide of Terramorphous is a better Trophy.
Dropped by: Gee… I wonder who you have to kill to get “Slayer of Terramorphous.” Clearly a mystery to everybody…
