Borderlands 2 Best Weapons: Tiers, Drops, and Builds

S Tier: Weapons With Exceptional Damage and Versatility

The right gun can turn a punishing boss fight into a manageable farm. This Borderlands 2 best weapons tier list puts the Pimpernel and Lyuda at the top, with the Conference Call and Interfacer close behind. The rankings emphasize OP10 combat without Badass Rank bonuses, weighing mob clearing, boss damage, utility, and performance across characters.

Acquisition details below cover the base game and the named DLC campaigns.

Weapon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Pimpernel	S	Exceptional damage per shot, powerful slag utility, and strong interactions with B0re and Chain Reaction; requires careful aim.
Lyuda	S	Fast fire rate and splitting projectiles deliver tremendous damage across ordinary fights and raid encounters; sustained fire consumes sniper ammunition quickly.
Conference Call	S	Extra sideways projectiles punish large targets, with strong mobbing and raid applications.
Interfacer	S	Converging projectiles and a critical hit bonus produce outstanding damage; spacing and ammunition use demand attention.

Pimpernel: Damage and Slag in One Weapon

The Pimpernel is a unique Maliwan sniper rifle obtained from “Don't Copy That Floppy” in Washburne Refinery, part of Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty.

Its impact produces a rising projectile that blooms into additional projectiles. That pattern gives it excellent damage while also making a slag version a powerful support weapon.

Aim below an enemy's critical spot. Against a humanoid, start around the abdomen and adjust until the rising bloom catches the head.

The Pimpernel also works especially well with Zer0's B0re and Maya's Chain Reaction. Its combination of damage, projectile coverage, and slag application earns the top position here.

Lyuda: Rapid Fire With a Devastating Sweet Spot

Gettle in The Dust drops the Lyuda. You encounter him during “The Good, the Bad, and the Mordecai.”

This Vladof sniper combines a fast fire rate with a 25% special critical hit modifier. Its projectile splits into three, creating a substantial damage increase when the split lines up with the target.

Adjust your distance until the projectile divides at the enemy's critical spot. That placement matters more than simply holding the trigger.

The Lyuda handles mobs, bosses, and raid bosses, but its firing speed can empty your ammunition supply. Fire controlled bursts when a target is moving out of the split pattern.

Conference Call: Projectile Coverage for Large Targets

The Conference Call drops from The Warrior in Vault of the Warrior and Handsome Sorcerer in Dragon Keep.

Its defining feature is the additional projectiles traveling sideways across its firing path. Large enemies give those extra shots more opportunities to connect, making the shotgun particularly effective against targets such as Haderax.

It also handles groups well. Line up large targets so the sideways projectiles pass through their bodies.

Interfacer: Huge Damage at the Right Distance

The Interfacer is a Hyperion Seraph shotgun from Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt. Voracidous in Candlerakk's Crag is a dedicated acquisition target.

The shotgun generates extra projectiles that converge along its firing pattern and carries a 60% special critical hit modifier. It has an enormous damage ceiling when those projectiles connect together.

Move forward or backward until the converging shots meet on the target. Treat that distance as part of your aim.

Its two-ammunition shot cost makes sustained firing expensive.

Official page: Borderlands 2 (store.steampowered.com)

A Tier: Powerful Guns With Clear Tradeoffs

These weapons remain excellent choices for demanding fights. Their limitations are more noticeable: slow projectiles, dependence on critical hits, or restricted elemental options.

Image: Steam / Gearbox Software

Weapon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Sand Hawk	A	Strong damage against mobs and bosses, plus exceptional Bee synergy; slow projectiles make moving targets harder to hit.
Lady Fist	A	An 800% critical hit damage bonus and excellent range reward accurate shooting; its main advantage depends on accessible critical spots.
Unkempt Harold	A	Broad character compatibility and powerful explosive body-shot damage; limited range and its fixed damage type reduce flexibility.

Sand Hawk: More Than a Bee Delivery System

The Sand Hawk is the reward for “Whoops” in Washburne Refinery, within Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty.

It fires a bird-shaped spread of slow projectiles. Those additional projectiles are unlisted on its damage card, allowing each to receive amp damage from The Bee rather than dividing that bonus among the entire spread.

The gun also delivers strong damage without that shield. Its main handling problem is projectile travel time.

Lead moving enemies and prioritize large or stationary targets. The Flying prefix increases projectile speed, while Maya's Accelerate and Zer0's Velocity can also help. Maya can hold enemies still, making the spread easier to land.

Lady Fist: Make Every Critical Hit Count

The Lady Fist is a Hyperion pistol rewarded through “Uncle Teddy” in Arid Nexus Badlands. Side with Teddy's niece to receive it.

Its standout stat is 800% bonus critical hit damage. Combined with its range and compatibility with The Bee, that bonus makes it a formidable precision weapon.

Use it against exposed critical spots and keep enough distance to aim consistently. Elemental versions also let you match the weapon to a target and pair it with a corresponding Bone of the Ancients.

Switch to a less critical-dependent option when the enemy's weak point is difficult to reach.

Unkempt Harold: A Reliable Explosive Problem Solver

Farm Savage Lee in Three Horns Divide for the Unkempt Harold. Torgue vending machines in Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage provide another acquisition route.

Its spreading explosive projectiles deliver substantial damage through body shots, making it useful across characters. Axton can also benefit from its grenade splash damage.

Give the projectile pattern room to spread, then keep the target inside it. The Harold loses some appeal at longer distances.

The Double Penetrating and Hard versions are both strong options. Its fixed explosive damage limits elemental matching, but its versatility makes it an easy weapon to reach for when a fight becomes troublesome.

B Tier: Heavy Hitters With Bigger Handling or Ammo Costs

B tier here still includes weapons capable of excellent OP10 performance. Their position reflects practical limitations during extended combat.

Image: Steam / Gearbox Software

Weapon	Tier	Why it ranks here
Peak Opener	B	Excellent mob clearing and special Digistruct Peak equipment synergy; ammunition efficiency limits longer raid fights.
Lead Storm	B	Splitting projectiles, extra-shot behavior, and a critical modifier support high damage; both distance and vertical aim require practice.
Norfleet	B	Enormous immediate damage and wide splash coverage; three rockets per shot sharply limit sustained use.

Peak Opener: Explosive Crowd Clearing

The Peak Opener is a shock Torgue assault rifle obtained from Haderax in Writhing Deep, part of Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary.

Its explosive coverage makes it especially effective at clearing mobs without the precise projectile placement required by the Lead Storm.

It also interacts with the Easy Mode shield and Hard Carry relic at Digistruct Peak, adding a specialized reason to build around it there.

Use its area damage against groups and watch your ammunition during long boss fights. Its shock restriction also gives it less elemental flexibility than the Lead Storm.

Lead Storm: Rewarding Once You Learn Its Arc

The Lead Storm is a Vladof Seraph assault rifle available from the Seraph shop in Hunter's Grotto for 120 Seraph Crystals.

Its projectile splits into three, supported by a 35% chance to fire twice and a 30% special critical hit modifier.

The challenge is landing that split correctly. Adjust both your distance and vertical aim until the projectiles separate onto the target. Large bosses simplify that setup, and Maya can hold ordinary enemies still.

The Lead Storm can handle mobs, bosses, and raids, but erratic targets make its strongest damage pattern harder to maintain.

Norfleet: Massive Damage on Demand

The Norfleet drops from Vermivorous and Hyperius. It fires a devastating blast with enough splash coverage to make it an excellent emergency weapon for securing a Second Wind.

The cost is ammunition. Each shot consumes three rockets, so a 33-rocket reserve provides 11 shots before ammunition recovery enters the picture.

Keep it ready for urgent kills or dense groups. Its immediate damage is exceptional, but using it as your main weapon requires an ammunition recovery setup, such as interactions involving The Sham.

Utility Weapons Worth Carrying

Damage rankings leave out part of what makes a loadout survive. These weapons cover healing, slag application, and an alternative launcher role.

Image: Steam / Gearbox Software

Grog Nozzle: Healing Support

The Grog Nozzle is tied to “The Beard Makes the Man” in Mines of Avarice, within Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep.

Its main value is healing support rather than its own damage. It also applies slag and has a drunk effect that can enhance certain weapon interactions, although that effect can interfere with other guns.

Choose it when healing is the job your loadout needs filled. For dedicated slag application, consider the Slagga or a slag Pimpernel.

Slagga: Dedicated Slag Application

The Slagga is a Bandit SMG associated with Tector and Jimbo Hodunk in The Dust.

Its appeal is efficient slag application. Apply slag, then switch to your damage weapon. This gives it a clear purpose alongside weapons such as the Harold, Lyuda, or Conference Call.

Badaboom: A Different Launcher Tradeoff

The Badaboom drops from King Mong in Eridium Blight. It launches six rockets for one ammunition, trading accuracy for a broad burst.

Keep targets within the rocket spread to land more of the volley. It offers a useful alternative when the Norfleet's three-ammunition shots are too costly for the role you need.

Which Weapons Should You Farm?

Choose farms around the gap in your equipment rather than chasing every gun at once:

• For a versatile base-game damage weapon, farm Savage Lee for an Unkempt Harold. Its strong body-shot damage reduces dependence on exposed critical spots.
• For ranged damage, target Gettle for a Lyuda. Practice the splitting distance before spending time chasing a particular roll.
• For precision pistol damage, side with Teddy's niece in “Uncle Teddy.” The Lady Fist's critical bonus gives it a distinct role.
• For Captain Scarlett's campaign rewards, pursue the Sand Hawk and Pimpernel. They provide different projectile patterns for sustained damage and precise burst damage.
• For large-target shotgun damage, pursue the Conference Call. Choose the Interfacer when you want to build around projectile convergence.
• For Digistruct Peak, pursue the Peak Opener and its associated equipment. That combination gives the rifle a specialized advantage beyond ordinary mob clearing.

Match elemental variants to the enemies you plan to fight. The Harold's explosive damage and the Peak Opener's shock damage are fixed, while guns such as the Lyuda, Sand Hawk, and Lady Fist offer more flexibility.