Borderlands 2 still dominates the looter-shooter scene in 2025, and knowing which elements shine brightest can save you hundreds of hours of grinding. After 1,000+ hours across all difficulties, I've ranked every major component from overpowered S-tier legends to the disappointing D-tier failures that'll leave you questioning Gearbox's balance team.
Table of Contents
- Character Classes Tier List
- Legendary Weapons Rankings
- Vehicle Tier Analysis
- DLC Content Rankings
- Farming Locations by Value
- Best Build Archetypes
- Next Steps for Your Vault Hunter
Character Classes Tier List
| Tier | Character | Why They're Here |
|---|---|---|
| S | Salvador (Gunzerker) | Broken damage scaling, infinite ammo, trivializes raid bosses |
| S | Maya (Siren) | Cloud Kill buffs, Beehawk combo, incredible crowd control |
| A | Zer0 (Assassin) | Bore mechanic breaks the game, but requires skill and positioning |
| A | Gaige (Mechromancer) | Anarchy stacking melts everything, Death Trap tanks effectively |
| B | Krieg (Psycho) | Fun melee builds, but inconsistent damage output at OP levels |
| C | Axton (Commando) | Decent turret utility, but outclassed by every other option |
Salvador sits alone at the top because Gunzerking with a Grog Nozzle and Unkempt Harold literally breaks the game's damage calculations. You're invincible and dealing millions of damage per second.
Maya earned S-tier through the 2021 Cloud Kill buffs that turned her DoT damage into a delete button. Pair that with Beehawk strategies, and she demolishes everything from mobbing to raid bosses.
Axton languishes in C-tier because his turret becomes paper at higher difficulties, and his damage bonuses can't compete with other classes' multiplicative scaling. He's perfectly functional but why settle for functional when you can be godlike?
Legendary Weapons Rankings
S-Tier Legendaries (Game-Breaking)
Unkempt Harold - The unofficial king of Borderlands 2. This Torgue pistol fires explosive rounds that split into additional projectiles, creating absurd damage multipliers. Farm it from Savage Lee in Three Horns Divide or Torgue vendors.
Sandhawk - Maya's best friend and arguably the strongest SMG in any Borderlands game. The projectile pattern creates multiple hits per shot, synergizing perfectly with amp shields. Captain Scarlett DLC exclusive.
Pimpernel - Sniper rifle that fires additional projectiles below your target. Sounds weird until you realize it can hit the same enemy 9 times per shot. Also Captain Scarlett exclusive.
A-Tier Legendaries (Excellent Choices)
Norfleet - The nuclear option for clearing rooms. This Maliwan launcher fires splitting projectiles that can wipe entire areas. Hyperius and Vermivorous drop it, but expect a grind.
Conference Call - Shotgun that fires additional projectiles from the sides of your target. Handsome Sorcerer drops it reliably, making it more accessible than other top-tier options.
B-Tier and Below
Most other legendaries fall into B-tier or lower because they either lack the multiplicative damage scaling of S-tier weapons or have situational uses that don't justify their rarity. The Volcano sniper looks cool but can't compete with Pimpernel's raw numbers.
Vehicle Tier Analysis
| Tier | Vehicle | Combat Rating | Traversal Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Buzzard | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| B | Technical | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| B | Bandit Technical | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| C | Runner | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| D | Sandskiff | 3/10 | 4/10 |
The Buzzard helicopter dominates vehicle combat with its missile pods and machine guns. You'll farm Hyperius much faster with aerial superiority than any ground vehicle can provide.
Ground vehicles suffer from Borderlands 2's vertical level design. Why drive around mountains when you can fly over them?
DLC Content Rankings
Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty takes the crown for containing the most essential weapons. Sandhawk, Pimpernel, and Tattler all live here, making this DLC mandatory for endgame builds.
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep offers the best storyline and memorable moments, but fewer game-changing rewards. The Grog Nozzle quest weapon provides essential healing for many Borderlands 2 best builds 2025.
Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt ranks dead last with tedious fetch quests and forgettable rewards. Skip it unless you're a completionist.
Farming Locations by Value
Understanding BL2 farming locations efficiency saves massive time investment:
The Dust (Savage Lee) - 30-second runs for Unkempt Harold make this the most efficient legendary farm in the game. Quit and reload, he respawns immediately.
Opportunity (Constructors) - Multiple legendary class mods drop here with decent rates. Clear the entire area for maximum efficiency.
The Fridge (Laney White) - Bunny rocket launcher farm, but only worth it for rocket launcher builds or novelty collecting.
Wildlife Exploitation Preserve - Loot midgets spawn consistently here, offering random legendaries and massive XP. Bring a Relic of Vault Hunting for better rates.
Best Build Archetypes
The meta has solidified around several dominant strategies that form the backbone of any Borderlands 2 character guide:
Beehawk Maya combines the Bee shield with Sandhawk SMG for multiplicative amp damage on every projectile. This build trivializes most content and requires minimal gear investment beyond those two pieces.
Deputy Sal uses Gunzerking with Law pistol and Order shield for massive melee damage while maintaining gun DPS. More complex than Grog/Harold but incredibly satisfying.
Anarchy Gaige stacks damage multipliers through missing shots, eventually reaching absurd damage levels. Requires patience early but becomes unstoppable with 400+ stacks.
These archetypes dominate because they exploit Borderlands 2's multiplicative damage calculations rather than relying on additive bonuses.
Next Steps for Your Vault Hunter
Start with Salvador or Maya for your first playthrough - their power curves make learning the game's systems much more forgiving. Focus on getting an Unkempt Harold from Savage Lee in Normal mode, then push through True Vault Hunter Mode to unlock Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode where the real endgame begins.
Check out our detailed character builds guide for specific skill point allocations and gear recommendations. The Borderlands 2 legendary weapons guide will help you prioritize which weapons deserve your farming time versus which ones look cool but perform poorly.
Remember: Borderlands 2 rewards experimentation, but these tier rankings will keep you from wasting time on underpowered options when you could be melting raid bosses instead.