Best Shock Weapons in Borderlands 3

Shock weapons are great for defeating Shielded enemies in Borderlands 3 because they deal increased damage against those enemy types. While you won’t encounter many Shielded enemies at the start of the game, they are more prominent halfway through the game and in End Game Content. Dealing 200 to 250% damage can make all the difference when taking on the most challenging content like the Guardian Takedown. In this Borderlands 3 Guide, I’ll tell you which weapons you should have in your arsenal.

Shock Damage Explained

Shock damage is strong against Shields and causes targets to be electrocuted. Electrocution deals very high damage over a 3-second duration (9 ticks).

Why do you want to use Shock Weapons?

You will encounter many Shielded enemies playing Borderlands 3 in True Vault Hunter Mode and/or Mayhem Mode. These blue shield bars are weak against Shock and Radiation damage, with Shock being the most effective.

The enemies during Borderlands 3’s End Game have much bigger health bars and matching the enemy’s elemental weakness becomes more essential during this stage. So if you want to eliminate them swiftly, it’s best to have at least one Shock weapon in your backpack at all times because

Shock weapons deal 200% damage against shields in normal mode and 250% damage against shielded targets in True Vault Hunter Mode/Mayhem Mode. So matching elements becomes very lucrative on higher difficulty tiers. Check out this guide if you want a complete breakdown of all the elemental damages.

What are the Best Shock Weapons in Borderlands 3?

Here is an overview of the best shock weapons in Borderlands 3. They are grouped per weapon type so you can decide which one works the best in your character build. The first one in each list would be my personal favorite but that doesn’t rule out the others.

Best Shock Pistols

The Light Show is a top-tier weapon that comes in any elemental damage type so naturally it is also a recommended pistol for dealing Shock damage.

1. Light Show
2. Free Radical
3. Beacon
4. Hellshock

Best Shock SMGs

The Plasma Coil will destroy everything in its path and is considered one of the strongest weapons in the game. This Maliwan SMG shoots a 16-round burst of elemental orbs that deal Splash Damage. Because it’s a Maliwan weapon, you can switch between the Shock and Radiation damage types, while Radiation is less effective against shields it is more effective against other health bars.

1. Plasma Coil
2. Dark Army
3. Flipper
4. Kaoson

Best Shock Assault Rifles

The Soulrender is a great Dahl Assault Rifle that also occasionally shoots a homing skull that deals massive elemental splash damage.

1. Soulrender
2. Kaos
3. Rowan’s Call

Best Shock Shotguns

I really like the Brainstormer because it is an awesome shotgun that chains enemies together and deals Shock damage. It’s a great Shock Shotgun for Mid-Game, however, its damage falls short during End Game content and therefore, the other weapons on this are better options if you have reached Mayhem Level 10/11.

1. Trevonator
2. Convergence
3. Anarchy
4. Brainstormer

Best Shock Snipers

The Lyuda is a great Corrosive Sniper as you can use it as an Assault Rifle. The bullet from the Vladof weapon will split into 3 projectiles whereas the 2 on the outside will fan out. If you get the distance between you and your target just right, you can hit all 3 projectiles onto a single target, dealing massive damage.

1. Lyuda
2. Boogeman
3. Complex Root
4. Sand Hawk

Best Shock Launchers

The Backburner is an awesome Vladof Launcher that also comes in a Corrosive variant. This weapon shoots a slow-moving orb that explodes on impact creating a singularity effect while also spitting out additional MIRVs in an upwards arc. Great for single targets and while mobbing.

1. Backburner
2. Plaguebearer
3. Scourge

Best Shock Grenades

While grenades aren’t the most viable damage source during End Game, the Fish Slap is the best because it can trigger the “Ground Breaker” Guardian Rank Perk resulting in massive damage. The bouncing delivery mechanic can be challenging unless you can use your Action Skill to deliver it. The other suggestions on this list are homing grenades and therefore much easier to use.

1. Fish Slap
2. Hex
3. Quasar
4. Storm Front
5. Hunter Seeker

These are my recommendations as the best Shock weapons. If you have any suggestions or honorable mentions, then let me and the community know in the comments below.

MentalMars