There are a lot of awesome Legendary Weapons in the base game of Borderlands 3, however, with each new DLC, Gearbox Software adds new weapons to the game that dictate the new meta. This power creep also dictates what the most powerful builds in Borderlands 3 are, however, you might not own the Season Pass or additional paid DLCs, therefore, this guide is for you!
In this Borderlands 3 weapon guide, I will tell you what the best legendary weapons from the base game are that don’t require any of the paid DLCs. It’s not exactly the vanilla game as this guide will include items from free content updates like Events, Takedowns, and Mayhem Mode.
Borderlands 3 Legendary Weapon with No DLC
These are the Best Legendary Weapons that don’t require any of the paid DLC.
20. Maggie
The Maggie is the hardest-hitting Jakobs Pistol that deals pure damage. The Maggie fires 6 projectiles per shot and has a fast reload speed. This Masher-style pistol will outperform most revolvers if you compare the damage output, however, it will do so at the cost of its accuracy.
The Maggie is great for close to mid-range combat. It can be obtained from any loot source but has a high chance of dropping from Tremendous Rex which is located in the Cistern of Slaughter.
19. Rowan’s Call
The Rowan’s Call is a great alien barrel Jakobs Assault Rifle because if you manage to score a critical hit with this weapon, your magazine will refill automatically and 2 bullets will ricochet instead of the default 1 for Jakobs weaponry.
The Rowan’s Call can be obtained randomly from any loot source but has a 50% chance of dropping from Red Rain who is located in Slaughterstar 3000.
18. Hellshock
The Hellshock always comes with the incendiary and shock element. You can switch elements by using the alternative fire option. The legendary special effect lets projectiles ricochet off surfaces and swap the projectile’s element. So if you are shooting fire projectiles, the missed shots will ricochet and deal shock damage and vice versa.
The Hellshock is a great weapon for late-game mobbing as most enemies will have both a shield and a health gauge. By setting the Hellshock on incendiary, you can shoot at the ground just before your enemies and the projectiles will ricochet and strip the shield. Once the shield is gone, you can shoot directly at your opponent to finish the job.
The Hellshock can be obtained from any loot source but has a high chance of dropping from Gigamind which is located in the Meridian Metroplex on Promethea.
17. Sand Hawk
The Sand Hawk has a unique projectile pattern as the Sand Hawk fires a line of 7 bullets that move to mimic the way that a hawk flaps its wings. It’s basically an SMG Sniper as it shoots really fast and deals a lot of damage like snipers should.
The Sand Hawk is Mayhem Mode 6 or higher Legendary. You can get it from Katagawa Jr. who is located in the Atlas HQ on Promethea.
16. The Lob
The Lob shoots slow-moving elemental orbs that can pass through enemies. These orbs will damage nearby enemies and slowly tick away their life gauge. For the first 6-months of the game’s life cycle, this weapon was pretty poorly received. However, with the February 27, 2020, hotfix Gearbox Software buffed the Lob. Since then the Lob has been outperforming the Cutsman, the previous “Go-To Weapon“.
The Lob can be randomly obtained from any loot source but it has a 10% chance of dropping from Graveward who you can farm in The Floating Tomb located on Eden-6. However, if you are feeling badass, you can also farm the Skag of Survival on True Trials Mode for a 50% drop chance.
15. Kaos
The Kaos is a Dahl Assault Rifle is a great weapon to use because of its high stability and accuracy, you can target enemies with ease but the Kaos’ true power comes from its special ability. Killing enemies with this weapon will create an elemental explosion that can spread its elemental damage to nearby targets. This way you can create a chain of explosions that spreads like a disease across the combat zone.
The Kaos can randomly be obtained from any loot source but has a high chance of dropping from the Psychobillies who are located in Ambermire on Eden-6. Only, Billy can drop the Legendary Item.
14. Face Puncher
The Face Puncher was always a unique weapon as its projectiles deal Melee damage instead of regular bullet damage. With the Melee now scaling properly with Mayhem Mode you can do some crazy things again. Combining this with a ‘Unleash the Dragon‘ or my favorite ‘White Elephant‘ artifact you can really deliver a punch to the enemy’s face.
The Face-puncher can be obtained from any farmable loot source but has a high chance of dropping from Handsome Jackie who is located in Skywell-27 on Promethea.
13. Smog
The Smog is a Hyperion SMG gives your projectiles an AMP damage increase while you are aiming down sight and your weapon shield is at max capacity. This basically doubles your damage output as long as your shield remains undamaged.
The Smog has a 44% chance of dropping from Scourge the Invincible during the Guardian Takedown which is located on Minos Prime. The drop chance is slightly decreased to 39.1% when playing on Mayhem 6 or above .
12. Reflux
The Reflux is the better Brainstormer while it deals Corrosive instead of Shock damage its damage output is far higher than its shock counterpart. Both weapons will spark an elemental beam between enemies draining their life bars.
If you don’t play on Mayhem Level 6 or higher go farm a Brainstormer from Katagawa Ball which is located in Skywell-27 on Promethea. But if you are playing on M6+ you can get the Reflux from GenIVIV which is located in Voracious Canopy on Eden-6.
11. Trevonator
The Trevonator is a beast because this Maliwan Shotgun has no charge time and deals great damage. The Trevonator shoots a burst of 3 orbs that explode on impact.
The Trevonator can be randomly obtained as a world drop from any loot source but it has a 15% chance of dropping from Private Beans who you can farm at the graveyard located on Athenas.
10. Bekah
The Bekah is a powerful Jakobs Assault Rifle that works best on enemies at mid-range. After the main projectile has traveled a short distance it will be followed by 3 additional projectiles that are in a horizontal pattern.
With each shot, you will hit your enemies at least twice. When you are at an optimal distance you will also be able to land the other 2 projectiles that travel a bit to the side. This basically means that you can quadruple the damage that is displayed on the item card.
Like every Jakobs weapon, each critical hit will ricochet the projectile to a nearby enemy.
The Bekah is a great reward for completing the legendary hunt challenge.
9. NoPewPew
The NoPewPew is a COV Assault Rifle shoots multiple projectiles per shot and its fire rate keeps increasing the longer you hold the trigger.
Ammo consumption is pretty decent as it only consumes 1 ammo for 3 projectiles. The x4 consumes 2 ammo and the x5 consumes 3 ammo. Once you kill an enemy a lava pool will spawn at their location, just like the Ember’s Purge, making it a “No-Go-Area” for you and your opponents.
The NoPewPew is a Revenge of the Cartels Legendary. You can get it from Roaster, The Tenderizer, and Joey Ultraviolet in Villa Ultraviolet during the Revenge of the Cartels Event.
8. Krakatoa
The Krakatoa acts like a slow firing automatic assault rifle after its initial charge up. The Krakatoa always has a fire element. When you kill an enemy with this weapon, a lava puddle will spawn in the enemy’s location. This lava puddle will occasionally spit out fireballs.
With the March 5, 2020 update, this weapon received a massive buff. Pushing the weapon damage over 9000 and capable of putting out serious damage.
The Krakatoa can be obtained from any loot source but it has an increased chance to drop from The Rampager which is located at the Forgotten Basilica on Promethea.
7. Lyuda
The Lyuda is Vladof Sniper Rifle is one of the most powerful weapons in the game. Each bullet will split into 3 projectiles dealing a ton of damage, however, the split happens when the projectile has traveled a short distance. Therefore the Lyuda is best used for medium-range combat.
The Lyuda can be obtained from any loot source and is a guaranteed reward for completing all of Zero’s Target of Opportunity missions. But it also has a 50% chance to drop from Tremendous Rex who spawns in the Cistern of Slaughter.
6. OPQ System
The OPQ System is an Atlas Assault Rifle that allows you to spawn a drone copy of the weapon. The drone will be active for 13 seconds and will shoot the same target as where you are aiming at. The Drone will despawn if you switch weapons.
While the OPQ System is a non-elemental weapon, projectiles can occasionally explode and deal Shock splash damage. The impact of the Shock projectiles can hurt you.
The O.P.Q. System is a Revenge of the Cartels Legendary. You can get it from Josie Byte, Franco Firewall, and Joey Ultraviolet in Villa Ultraviolet during the Revenge of the Cartels Event.
5. Hellwalker
The Hellwalker is a beast that’s made to kill because this Jakobs Shotgun is basically the shotgun from Doom and the game also plays into that. Just point and shoot everything in your path and watch it explode. The Hellwalker always spawns with the “Speedloadn’” prefix.
The Hellwalker can be randomly obtained from any loot source but it has a 10% chance of dropping from Road Dog who is located in The Splinterlands on Pandora.
4. Kaoson
The Kaoson shoots stickies like a Torgue weapon. After the initial impact damage, the stickies will explode after a few seconds, dealing the second chunk of damage.
The Kaoson is Mayhem Mode 6 or higher Legendary. You can get it from Captain Traunt who is located at the end of Athenas on Athenas.
3. Yellowcake
The Yellowcake is a COV Launcher that shoots a projectile that splits into 4 balls that have some drop-off and explode on impact. The explosions have a high splash radius.
The Yellowcake is a Revenge of the Cartels Legendary. You can get it from FISH SLAP!!!, Tyrone Smallums, and Joey Ultraviolet in Villa Ultraviolet during the Revenge of the Cartels Event.
2. Plaguebearer
The Plaguebearer shoots a large slow-moving orb that will spawn additional orbs that home into enemies just like the Scourge. The main projectile creates a singularity effect on impact.
The Plaguebearer is Mayhem Mode 6 or higher Legendary. You can get it from Warden who is located in The Anvil on Eden-6. If you are not ready for M6+ go and farm the Scourge from Brood Mother who is located at The Pyre of Stars on Nekrotafeyo or Alicritous Vanda who is a named enemy in the Cistern of Slaughter.
1. The Monarch
The Monarch is a Vladof Assault Rifle that kinda shoots like a shotgun. It has a high magazine capacity and fire rate. With the Bipod Mode, it kinda functions like the Dictator as the pellet spread increases.
The Monarch is Mayhem Mode 6 or higher Legendary. You can get it from Killavolt who is located in Lectra City on Promethea. If you are not ready for M6+ go farm a Dictator from Agonizer 9000 or Terror who are located in the Guts of Carnivora on Pandora.
Honorable Mentions
- Redistributor – A very powerful weapon in the hands of Zane as he can constantly trigger the weapon’s special legendary effect by equipping the Barrier.
- (Boom) Sickle – You need to get this weapon with the ‘Boom’ prefix. That’s when it’s true power begins to shine and with Moze‘s skill trees you can deal some real serious splash damage.
- King’s Call / Queen’s Call – Scoring critical hits not only increases your damage but also returns ammo to your magazine. Something that’s very easy for FL4K to trigger because of their skill tree.
More Legendary Loot
- Every Borderlands 3 Legendary Weapon
- Best Early Game Legendary Weapons
- Best Borderlands 3 Legendary Weapons
