TVHM Too Hard?!?

[DALCOhstangultion]

I finished the first run of Borderlands 2 with a Zer0 Sniper-tree build at around level 36 without too much trouble. I started the TVHM run and, essentially, have had my posterior-dorsal handed to me. By doing all the side missions I can find, I've managed to claw my way up to level 40. But, I'm still dying ridiculously: I can barely handle the scags in the wilderness, let alone the real enemies in the mission-runs. And, as for the bosses, forget it.

I thought I could level up some more by shooting all the general enemies in the areas. But, I get only trivial amounts of experience points for each kill. At that rate, my computer would be obsolete by the time I leveled up that way. I grab all the loot I can and try to keep my gear at the highest level I can find, but it's still taking silly numbers of critical hits to take down each of the way-too-common badasses that are spawning. And, that's assuming I can find a position to snipe from that's safe enough for me to pump 50 or so shots into them. Lately, I've been dying within 30 seconds of running into one of them. I've even tried resetting my skill points and using the other trees. But, I died even faster that way.

I don't know what happened between the normal run and the TVHM run, but this isn't much fun any more. Am I missing something?

[SPAWN]

Better weapons, most machines have greens and whites better than your PL1 purples. Try them, don't get too attached to your weapons. And occasionally post for help on these boards. You'd be surprised how helpful this community is.

[Zereita]

I sent you a friend request. I just started TVHM on a character and will help if you are doing it legit. Otherwise, like SPAWN said, get someone to level you up a bit more and donate some weapons.

[400 angry babies]

indeed the peeps out there are suprising :P

[Bortedet]

Just change your build a little, adapt the harsh environment of Pandora :D I was using bloodshed builds, but when enemies got tougher and tougher I had to switch to cunning skills. Death Blossom is great way to deal good damage without exposing yourself, and if you manage to slag your enemy with kunais, it's even better when you appear out nowhere and shoot him in the head! and don't just use sniper rifles because you play an assassin use every type of weapon. When you get to TVHM enemies start to resist elements. So if you see an armored enemy don't try to kill it with fire or shock they'll just resist.

[Martin Cruise]

The game is either too easy or too hard, depending on your level. I would have though the level 36 was more than high enough to start TVHM as it starts at about level 30/32, meaning that you should be 4/6 levels ahead of everything. At level 40 you should be about to or facing Bloodwing for the game to be at your level.

[smokey57]

I think if I'd first hit TVHM with my sniper, I'd probably be in the same boat- but I went there first with my turret commando, and that is easy-mode compared to a sniper. Then I used the stuff my commando could find/buy to twink my lower level sniper when he finished normal mode (at 36), and it helped tremendously. You can still die in a blink in TVHM if you get careless, but at least now he can kill stuff in a reasonable amount of time.

['Lil Yeti]

slab, upgrade your weapons load out and don't run into the heat of battle like a skaglicker.

[Scotterius]

Becareful of doing side missions. Many offer quest rewards that you would rather have level 50 versions of. If you complete the main quest (the missions with the vault symbol) first, any side missions you start after that point will scale to your level.

[DALCOhstangultion]

Part of the issue (as several people noted) is my gear. Even though I go through it every time my backpack fills up and swap it out for the best I can find, it's still not good enough. Regardless of the color, the vending machines seem to only sell stuff that's about 4 or 5 levels below me and I'm finding very little better in the drops. My best source of weapons has been those darn slot machines at Moxxi's: they might suck me dry of money very quickly, but, as is, that money just goes to the resurrection process (or whatever it's called). Plus, when I sell the gear I don't want, I usually recover about half what I spent.

I managed to get through the "Cult Following: The Enkindling" quest in Frostburn Canyon and picked up the Maliwan Flame of the Firehawk shield (continuous Novas when the shield depletes). That's helping a bit. Now, when the low-level vermin in the areas take out my shield in one hit, the Novas at least have a chance of taking them out before I die. It's still not much help against the Badasses: they'll take out the shield in one hit and kill me on the next (thus shutting down the Novas).

With the lack of decent weapons in mind, I think the biggest problem is the lack of sniping positions/hidey-holes in the areas I'm in. In the back part of Frostburn Canyon, I managed to find two spots where I could stay out of reach of the Badasses long enough to pump 20 or 30 (hopefully critical) rounds into them (remember, two or three hits from them kill me). That's how I got that shield. Right now, I'm in Bloodshot Stronghold. Except for Mad Mike's area, that's basically a tunnel with no sniping/hiding places. The darn intermediate-area Badass guardians are wiping the floor with me.

Are there any early-game vending machines that sell gear near the player's level?

And, just for reference, these two links were of some help to me in trying to stay alive in TVHM:

http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/728323/borderlands-2-true-vault-hunter-mode-guide-the-end-was-only-the-beginning/

and

http://forums.gearboxsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=206072

[Djisas]

Grabb some golden keys and use them on sanctuary...
Having a fire etec SR and shock etec and a corr one will help you adapt to the enemies, try to get a good jakobs for they high damage...

Grenades spam them, be they vampire ones or mirv or anything...

Get absorb shields, they are great to help you survive, if you find yourself being atacked by mele to often, a spike shield will do more than a nova one...

Get a very strong shotgun, preferably torgue because EXPLOSIONS are good for everything and preferably a quad for extra kick when they get up in your face...

Get smg's of every element, if you get overwelmed by enemies they will burn them faster...

Snipe first and then finish them out with the other guns when they get to close...

Forget the slots, they will only give u guns based on the story mission's lvl...

[DALCOhstangultion]

A status update: In general, extreme gear management has been the key for me to claw my TVHM solo sniper Zer0 build up to level 50 and continue the main quest line a bit more. Unless I have a really good reason to keep a weapon, everything more than two levels below me gets sold. Spamming vampire-type grenades has helped quite a bit, too, and that Flame of the Firehawk shield, though now woefully underleveled for me, has saved my bacon a lot (I mean a LOT).

But, I've got to say, they've got to work on the game balance between characters. Especially for solo play. And, ESPECIALLY for TVHM mode. From my web-scouring sessions trying to find ways survive, it looks like Commando and Gunzerker builds are able to handle solo TVHM stuff OK. Assassins and Sirens seem to be SOL. Team play seems to be OK, but solo is miserable. And the disregard for the sniper is very irritating. Ironically, here's a dialog between Mordecai and Brick:

Mordecai: "[sigh] Like I said, instead of punching, I prefer to keep my distance from the target, pick my moment, and kill them with a single, well-place shot."

Brick: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You lost me at 'instead of punching.'"

Mordacai walks away.

This came to a head with the Slagged Bloodwing boss fight. My TVHM solo sniper Zer0, could not survive in that open, no-sniping-position, no-hiding-place, arena longer than a few minutes. And remember, this is a main storyline, blocking, boss fight. I had to do every single side-quest that exists up to that point to reach a level high enough (49) to survive. So, I finally got through that, did the next main quest (deliver a letter to Slab -- fairly easy since I'm level 49 and the arena-type fight there had hiding places/sniping positions), and tried the next main quest (getting through the gate in Thousand Cuts). I'm stuck again. Maxed out at level 50.

So, once again, contrary to popular wisdom, I have to go through the side quests and try to get better equipment (my sniper weapons are well below level, but the game isn't giving me anything better).

[Wrarrl]

i really feel you man. not in a bad way that is. TVHM is hard solo. do you always play solo,or is it that you want to finish the game first solo?(i did that on my first char) it really is ALOT easier to have just one more with you. the res and the agro really helps alot. also have you tried changing your skill tree? i found that going mid tree(the one with kunai) was really good solo. i don't play zero much,but that was my fav when soloing.
gear is really important,but so is playstyle. my siren was lvl 42 when i faced bloodwing. that was a hard fight,but i made it. try experimenting a bit with the skills. maybe it helps some. if you want some help hook me up. be glad to help you =)

[paul8410]

Do you want some duped gear?

[Djisas]

You know, relying only on slow sniper rifles just makes it that much harder on you...
You should have a good shotgun at all times for those unexpected close encounters, nothing beats a face full of lead, a smg, preferebly an etec fire and corr because what fire can burn in tvhm corr can melt, assault rifles, specially the jakobs variety for their higher dmg and accuracy that you can mid range snipe with...

Dont just stick with sniper rifles only, each situation might need a different gun...

The gunzerker has huge hp regen, huge dps potential with any guns and he is quite tanky, playing with him is to breeze trough the game...

Dunno about the comando, i dont like them...

The siren has good dps potential, but i feel it's harder than my mechromancer, speaking of which, the bot can help a lot...

[r3fleCt.de ツ]

"TVHM Too Hard"? No!

u can use the SHiFT - Codes for this problems!