Borderlands 3 is Gearbox Software's looter shooter, published by 2K and on Steam since 13 March 2020 after six months of Epic exclusivity. Four Vault Hunters chase Troy and Tyreen Calypso across Pandora, Promethea, Athenas, Eden-6 and Nekrotafeyo, the first time the series leaves Pandora properly. The level cap sits at 72, with Mayhem 1 to 11 layered on top to scale enemies and loot for endgame play.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyuda | S | Boss damage at range, and it pairs well with FL4K critical hit builds that already multiply every shot. | A Vladof sniper rifle whose round splits into three after a short travel distance. |
| Hellwalker | A | Close range flesh targets, and any build that wants to delete a room without aiming carefully. | A Jakobs shotgun that fires a horizontal line of incendiary pellets and quotes Doom on its item card. |
| Cutsman | A | Crowds and corridors, where the widening gap between the orbs catches several enemies per shot. | A Maliwan SMG that fires two linked orbs which drift apart as they travel, cutting through anything caught between them. |
| The Monarch | B | Sustained damage on a stationary target, which suits Moze and anyone holding a defensive position. | A Vladof assault rifle from the Bounty of Blood expansion. |
| Plaguebearer | B | Slaughter waves and dense trash packs, and it remains one of the safest Mayhem 11 clear weapons. | A Torgue rocket launcher from Guns, Love, and Tentacles. |
S-Tier: Lyuda
A Vladof sniper rifle whose round splits into three after a short travel distance. Against a large target all three fragments can land, which turns a single sniper shot into triple damage.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Boss damage at range, and it pairs well with FL4K critical hit builds that already multiply every shot. |
| Key Mechanic | Action skills and four skill trees |
| Recommended Role | Amara the Siren |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Lyuda: Pairs naturally with Amara the Siren thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Hellwalker
A Jakobs shotgun that fires a horizontal line of incendiary pellets and quotes Doom on its item card. It is one of the rare Jakobs guns that carries an element at all, since the manufacturer normally does not.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Close range flesh targets, and any build that wants to delete a room without aiming carefully. |
| Key Mechanic | Manufacturer specific gun behaviour |
| Recommended Role | FL4K the Beastmaster |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Hellwalker: Pairs naturally with FL4K the Beastmaster thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Cutsman
A Maliwan SMG that fires two linked orbs which drift apart as they travel, cutting through anything caught between them. Damage scales with how long the projectile stays in an enemy.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Crowds and corridors, where the widening gap between the orbs catches several enemies per shot. |
| Key Mechanic | Elements against health bar types |
| Recommended Role | Moze the Gunner |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Cutsman: Pairs naturally with Moze the Gunner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: The Monarch
A Vladof assault rifle from the Bounty of Blood expansion. It carries a bipod that deploys when you crouch while aiming, adding projectiles and damage at the cost of mobility.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Sustained damage on a stationary target, which suits Moze and anyone holding a defensive position. |
| Key Mechanic | Anointments and Mayhem levels |
| Recommended Role | Zane the Operative |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using The Monarch: Pairs naturally with Zane the Operative thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Plaguebearer
A Torgue rocket launcher from Guns, Love, and Tentacles. It charges before firing and the shot spawns orbs that seek out nearby targets, so a single trigger pull can clear an area you never aimed at.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Slaughter waves and dense trash packs, and it remains one of the safest Mayhem 11 clear weapons. |
| Key Mechanic | Guardian Rank and True Vault Hunter Mode |
| Recommended Role | Fourth skill trees (Designer's Cut) |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Plaguebearer: Pairs naturally with Fourth skill trees (Designer's Cut) thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Pandora
- Hellwalker → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Cutsman → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Lyuda → 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.
- Keep a shock gun, a corrosive gun and an incendiary gun equipped at all times. Enemy health bars are colour coded by type, and a corrosive weapon against an armoured Badass roughly halves the fight compared with the wrong element on a higher damage gun.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Borderlands 3 Guides
- Borderlands 3 Borderlands 3 Overview
- Borderlands 3 Best Builds
- Borderlands 3 Tier List
- Borderlands 3 Walkthrough
- Borderlands 3 Beginner's Guide
- Borderlands 3 Tips & Tricks
- Borderlands 3 Combat Guide
- Borderlands 3 Boss Guide
- Borderlands 3 Maps & Locations
- Borderlands 3 Crafting Guide
- Borderlands 3 Classes & Characters
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