The Nukem is a Legendary Weapon in Borderlands 2 and Borderlands the Pre-Sequel. This is a Torgue rocket launcher that you definitely want as it is extremely powerful. While Nukem fires rockets in a heavy arc it does have a very large blast radius that deals massive damage. If you look at the explosion it also comes with the mushroom could. The Nuken will only spawn with the explosive element just like you would expect from other Torgue weapons. Therefore this rocket launcher will also benefit from grenade damage boosts. The Nukem is a great weapon to use when you are in ‘Fight For Your Life’ mode because the sheer damage and blast radius are often enough to put down most of your enemies in a single shot. However, keep in mind that the reload speed is extremely low, therefore, you won’t be shooting a lot of rockets with this one.
Element:
Explosive
Special Weapon Effects:
“Name Dropper.”
- Rockets fire in an arc and explode in a mushroom cloud upon detonation.
- Extremely slow reload speed.
- Extremely high damage.
How to get the Nukem ?:
- Borderlands 2
- You can get the Nukem randomly from any obtainable loot source but has an increased chance to drop from The Black Queen located in The Dust.
- It is also available randomly at any Torgue Vending Machine as Item of the Day in Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage.
- In Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, it has a chance to drop from the Sorcerer’s Daughter.
- Borderlands the Pre-Sequel
- You can get the Nukem randomly from any suitable loot source, but it has a chance to drop from Flame Knuckle in Helios Station or The Holodome.
How to Grind the Nukem ?:
You can use the Grinder in Borderlands the Pre-Sequel to create the Nukem. While there is no guaranteed recipe, you can combine 2 Legendary Weapons and 1 Purple Rocket Launcher to obtain a random legendary Rocket Launcher. Be sure to make it a Luneshine grind for a “guaranteed” legendary and also get a chance of getting a Luneshine buff.
Notes:
- Having the rocket velocity attachment on a Nukem significantly increases its effective range. However, using the arc of the rocket to hit enemies over walls and obstructions is also made much more difficult.
- Use of Maya’s Accelerate skill or Zer0’s Vel0city skill is highly recommended for anything but short range encounters, as it makes use at longer ranges significantly easier. This is also supplemented by the projectile speed accessory, which further lengthens the arc.
Trivia:
- The Launcher’s name “Nukem” is a reference to the franchise and character Duke Nukem, whose most recent game, Duke Nukem Forever, was developed by Gearbox Software.
- The Nukem’s red text, ‘Name Dropper’, refers to mentioning important people, institutions or other things of importance in an off-hand and colloquial manner (in this case, Duke Nukem).
- The weapon as a whole is a reference to nuclear bombs, as it features the radiation trefoil symbol and the archetypical mushroom cloud that nuclear bombs create upon detonation.
