Home » Blog » How Borderlands 4 Can Innovate Dahl Weaponry

How Borderlands 4 Can Innovate Dahl Weaponry

Dahl Weapon Level Up
How to improve Dahl weapons in Borderlands

Dahl weaponry in the Borderlands franchise has always been a bit bland while other weapon manufacturers have all these cool weapon traits. I think Gearbox Software needs to level up the Dahl manufacturer and make them more interesting in Borderlands 4.

The great thing about the weapons in Borderlands 3 was that a lot of weapon manufacturers received new weapon traits. This made the game’s arsenal feel fresh and exciting, however, the Dahl company didn’t receive as much love as some of the others.

Dahl is tailored toward tactical military shooter enthusiasts as Gearbox plays into that with the look, the camo skin, and the burst fire. However, there is much more that Gearbox Software could do with the Dahl manufacturer. Having different firing modes and zoom scopes isn’t a very exciting weapon trait in my opinion.

So what can the Gearbox Software developers add to the Dahl weaponry that still plays into that tactical military vibe but isn’t a gimmick for the sake of adding?

Option 1: Modern Soldier

Borderlands 3 Legendary Assault Rifle - Breath of the Dying

I would add some of the Vladof under-barrels from Borderlands 3 to Dahl in Borderlands 4 because I think a Shotgun and Grenade Launcher under-barrel would make more sense on a tactical rifle than the Vladof weaponry.

Vladof has always been a Russia-inspired weapons manufacturer, therefore, I think a Tesla coil, flamethrower, or rocket launcher under-barrel would be better suited for that arsenal.

Dahl always had the grenade launcher-type weapons so having that as an under-barrel would make sense. Having different types of grenades could make it a tactical tool.

  • Incendiary Grenades that set the floor on fire and deal damage over time but actually this could be any elemental damage.
  • Cluster Grenades that drop mini-MIRVs.
  • Flashbangs that stun enemies for a brief moment. In Borderlands 1 you could Daze enemies which basically did the same.
  • A Legendary Dahl could shoot your equipped Grenade Mod as a projectile. The number of alt-fire projectiles and refill cooldown would balance the special effect.

Option 2: Sci-Fi Soldier

Borderlands 3 Legendary Assault Rifle - Barrage

Borderlands already has other gun manufacturers that lean towards the future sci-fi soldier, however, I see a desire in the community that would like to see Dahl producing Laser weapons.

I would love to see these types of weaponry be accompanied by a drone, something like you see with the Atlas OPQ System or the Tediore Ten Gallon to enhance that future soldier experience.

These drones could be used for additional firepower and as a utility by marking enemies. If Dahl weapons have Tactical Rounds that allow you to shoot through walls having enemies outlined would make it easier to hit your targets. There could even be a drone that marks one target, but you gain a damage bonus if you attack that specific target.

Option 3: Gears of War

Borderlands 3 Legendary SMG - Boomer

Borderlands 4 could implement the active-reload mechanic from Gears of War to Dahl weaponry because it adds to the proficient soldier feeling while rewarding the player with bonuses.

The Active-Reload mechanic is basically a mini-game. Reloading a weapon takes a few seconds but if you press the reload button again at a specific time during the reload animation you shorten the reload time and gain a damage boost. Each weapon type has its own timing.

The Active-Reload mechanic can be used as a trigger to activate Tactical Rounds on Dahl weaponry. The Alt-Fire option could have you switch between multiple special abilities.

  • Armor Piercing Rounds
  • Explosive Rounds
  • Shoot Through Walls
  • Trespass ability, bypass enemy shields

Conclusion

All the ideas that I mentioned above make me excited about what’s possible in the next Borderlands game.

The Under-Barrels seems to be the “easiest” thing to implement and I would welcome that. I think Gearbox Software can add some fun variations with that but it also feels like something we already had in Borderlands 3.

The future soldier idea is something Gearbox Software could implement into the Atlas weaponry. They already have the HUD overlays that mark enemies. Piercing Rounds and Homing Projectiles kinda end up being the same.

The concept of Active-Reloads sounds fun and engaging, however, I’m not sure how Gearbox Software should implement that in a Borderlands game because it’s a whole new mechanic. This will require an indicator for the timing and the reload animation should also still work because reload animations are more than just a hand slowly taking the weapon magazine out of the gun and putting it back in a linear movement.

So while I really like the Active-Reload idea, it’s also the most difficult one to implement.

Let me know in the comments or on social media; which idea you liked the most or maybe you have a different cool idea.

Written by
I'm a Content Creator by day and a BattleBread Baker at night. I'll provide you with your recommended slice of entertainment! I'm a Gearbox Community Badass and a proud member of the official Borderlands & Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Creator Team (2K Games / NextMakers).

Let Me Know What You Think

3 0

Leave a Reply

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Thank You Badass !
Follow me on social media so we can talk
Send this to a friend