Borderlands 2 remains one of the greatest looter shooters ever made, even over a decade after release. Handsome Jack is widely regarded as gaming's best villain, the procedural weapon generation creates billions of unique guns, and the 4-player co-op scales perfectly from solo to full parties. The game's six playable vault hunters each offer distinct skill trees that support multiple viable builds through Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode and the OP level system. With all DLC included, Borderlands 2 offers hundreds of hours of content including four campaign DLCs, headhunter packs, and the endgame Digistruct Peak challenge. The farming and build optimization community remains active to this day.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unkempt Harold | S | Gunzerker, all characters | A Torgue pistol firing a spread of explosive rounds that split mid-flight. |
| Bee Shield | A | Siren (with Sandhawk), all characters | An amplifier shield that adds massive bonus damage to every projectile when shields are full. |
| Sandhawk | A | Siren | A Dahl SMG from the Captain Scarlett DLC that fires a burst of projectiles in a hawk pattern. |
| Norfleet | B | All characters (FFYL insurance) | An E-tech rocket launcher that fires slow-moving energy orbs covering the entire screen. |
| Conference Call | B | Gunzerker, Siren | A Hyperion shotgun where pellets spawn additional horizontal pellets on impact. |
S-Tier: Unkempt Harold
A Torgue pistol firing a spread of explosive rounds that split mid-flight. The Double Penetrating prefix (DPUH) doubles the projectile count. Drops from Savage Lee in Three Horns Divide or from Torgue vending machines for 613 Torgue tokens. The single best weapon in the game.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Gunzerker, all characters |
| Key Mechanic | procedural weapon generation |
| Recommended Role | Gunzerker |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Unkempt Harold: Pairs naturally with Gunzerker thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Bee Shield
An amplifier shield that adds massive bonus damage to every projectile when shields are full. Zero recharge delay when not taking damage means constant amplification during safe play. Combined with multi-pellet weapons, the damage is multiplicative per pellet.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Siren (with Sandhawk), all characters |
| Key Mechanic | skill tree builds |
| Recommended Role | Siren |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Bee Shield: Pairs naturally with Siren thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Sandhawk
A Dahl SMG from the Captain Scarlett DLC that fires a burst of projectiles in a hawk pattern. Each pellet gets full Bee Shield amplification, making Sandhawk + Bee the highest sustained DPS combo in the game. Farm by resetting the DLC.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Siren |
| Key Mechanic | co-op scaling |
| Recommended Role | Assassin |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Sandhawk: Pairs naturally with Assassin thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Norfleet
An E-tech rocket launcher that fires slow-moving energy orbs covering the entire screen. Drops only from Hyperius or Vermivorous, making it extremely rare. Used primarily for Second Wind (kills while downed) insurance due to massive AoE.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | All characters (FFYL insurance) |
| Key Mechanic | elemental damage types |
| Recommended Role | Commando |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Norfleet: Pairs naturally with Commando thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Conference Call
A Hyperion shotgun where pellets spawn additional horizontal pellets on impact. With the Bee Shield, each secondary pellet also gets amplification. Effective against large targets where all pellets connect. Drops from the Warrior.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Gunzerker, Siren |
| Key Mechanic | raid boss encounters |
| Recommended Role | Mechromancer |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Conference Call: Pairs naturally with Mechromancer thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Sanctuary
- Bee Shield → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Sandhawk → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Unkempt Harold → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Farm the Unkempt Harold early. Savage Lee respawns instantly by saving and quitting in Three Horns Divide. The DPUH prefix is the god roll — keep farming until you get it.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Borderlands 2 Guides
- Borderlands 2 Borderlands 2 Overview
- Borderlands 2 Best Builds
- Borderlands 2 Tier List
- Borderlands 2 Walkthrough
- Borderlands 2 Beginner's Guide
- Borderlands 2 Tips & Tricks
- Borderlands 2 Combat Guide
- Borderlands 2 Boss Guide
- Borderlands 2 Maps & Locations
- Borderlands 2 Crafting Guide
- Borderlands 2 Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Borderlands 2, check out these related guides:
- Counter-Strike 2 Weapons Guide — fps game with similar mechanics
- Apex Legends Weapons Guide — fps game with similar mechanics
- Rainbow Six Siege Weapons Guide — fps game with similar mechanics
