When to play Campaign dlcs - advice needed

[@lf]

This is my first time playing BL 2 ( altough, i've a good amount of hours in BL 1 ) and i've a Gunzerker lvl 34 atm. I'm about to start the last mission where we kill the Warrior so, i need to know when i should play the Campaign dlcs.

- Is it worth to play any of them in Normal mode?

- If worth to play in Normal mode, should i play before or after killing the Warrior? Or doesn't matter? Asking this because in BL 1 it's better to play some dlcs before killing the Destroyer.

- Is it better to play them in TVHM? When? At what point of the story?

- Only when i hit UVHM? When? At the beggining? Half of the way?

The only thing that matters to me is get the " must have/use " weps and equipment, that a Gunzerker should have ( ex: Grog, Harold, Rough Rider, etc ) but, as an example, i don't wanna do the dlcs to get them and 10 levels later they are already under leveled, or do the dlcs and my Gunzerker be over leveled for when i get back to main game/story.

So, my question is... When it's the right time to do the campaign dlcs?

I did a search through forum about the same " issue " but can't get a clear idea in any of the threads and Wiki doesn't say zip about it.

Thanks in advance =D

[DefTigerUpRcuT]

Play the DLC after the campaign.
You should really be starting TVHM at around 30 to 35.
the grog is only valid for the playthrough that u unlock the quest (i.e. if you do it in normal it can't be used in tvhm) i also do the grog nozzle first when i go to tvhm or uvhm (in normal i rarely do the dlc).
But in general do all dlc's you want aftter you beat the game. maybe do them in the order they came out.
just add me if u want to discuss further.

[The Last Helldiver™]

Yeah typically after defeating the warrior you should start the DLC's. This because it helps tremendously to have some of the stuff from the DLC's in TVHM (and subsequently UVHM)

Also playing them in the order of release is neither reccomended nor discouraged. Feel free to carve your own path :)

[Eat3n]

Like Cyriel said, "carve your own path". However there are few things i'll say. You can play the DLC in normal mode (do DLC always after you've beaten the warrior), do whatever you want, but the problem is the peak level for Normal and some of the DLC is 30-35. If you go to the DLC at level 30 you'll be far past 35 by the time you're done with them, AND while you may level up past 35 enemies don't so any weapons you get will be 35 and under. When you go to TVHM you'll be high level with low level weapons essentially and be in for some hurt. I had a Zero and was close to 40 when i went to TVHM becaue i had played the DLC...not such a good idea. Also, the "must have weapons" they will probably be under leveled as you go through TVHM. If you don't want gear that's underleved you have to wait until the level cap (50, 61, or 72...depending on what you have). My personal method is to go through TVHM and beat the main story because then everything syncs to level 50. Then do quests i've saved (like the one for the Flame of the Firehawk shield) so then i get great gear at peak level (my level cap is 50) then i go on to the DLCs and get the great gear and then once i'm done and have all the great gear i need go on to raid bosses. I personally don't do UVHM but that's just me. It's kinda a tricky situation, you want the gear at it's best variety but you have to wait to the lvl cap for that but by that time you're done with everything. Honestly, i'd just say do what you want. There really is no right or wrong answer.

[@lf]

Originally posted by Deftower:

Play the DLC after the campaign.(...)

Originally posted by Cyriel Skeggiold:

Yeah typically after defeating the warrior you should start the DLC's. (...)

When you guys say this, you mean still in Normal mode or at the beggining of TVHM?

Kinda "worries" me if i won't be over leveled when i get back to main game/story, because i don't want the game being too easy. Or doesn't matter and enemies will scale to my level ( or close ) once i get back to main game, in TVHM / UVHM?

Thanks for the replies, guys =)

[Eat3n]

Originally posted by Alf:

Originally posted by Deftower:

Play the DLC after the campaign.(...)

Originally posted by Cyriel Skeggiold:

Yeah typically after defeating the warrior you should start the DLC's. (...)

When you guys say this, you mean still in Normal mode or at the beggining of TVHM?

Kinda "worries" me if i won't be over leveled when i get back to main game/story, because i don't want the game being too easy. Or doesn't matter and enemies will scale to my level ( or close ) once i get back to main game, in TVHM / UVHM?

Thanks for the replies, guys =)

Normal, TVHM, and UVHM...DLC after beating the Warrior. Level scaling happens differenting in TVHM and UVHM. In TVHM (and Normal) when you first discover an area, The Dust for example, the level you discovered the area at, say 20, is what everything will scale to so that when you are level 25 later and you go back to The Dust everything will still be 20 or if you go back to Liar's Berg everything will still be level 5. In UVHM everything levels to you so that if you go to The Dust on three different times at different levels, say 50, 60, and 70, each time you go there it will match your current level. If you're 50 it will be 50, if you're 63 it will be 63.

The issue isn't your level, it's your weapons level. So if you level up to 38 in the DLC then go and start TVHM the enemies and such will all start out at level 38. But because in normal mode plus the DLC the enemies don't scale past 35 you'll be using level 30-35 weapons on enemies that are 38 so you'll be outgunned. Does that make sense?

[DefTigerUpRcuT]

tvhm only scales after you finish the main story. think the starting points is some where around level 30-35. if you play the gunzerker i would just do the tiny tina dlc in tvhm until u get the nozzle, then do all the story missions in tvhm. and then do the dlcs.

[@lf]

Ok, got it. Thanks EAT3N and Deftower for the explanation. Thanks guys =)

[Waste_of_skin]

OK, it's a bit complicated. :-)

In Normal Mode (first playthrough), completing the story missions in the main game has no effect on the levels in the DLC, so it doesn't matter if you beat the Warrior first.

The DLC has a range of possible levels in each mode.

Normal Mode:
Headhunter packs -- 15 - 35
Pirate and Torgue DLC -- 15 - 30
Hammerlock and Tina DLC -- 30 - 35
Digistruct Peak -- 35

TVHM (second playthrough):
Headhunter packs -- 30 - 50
Pirate and Torgue DLC -- 30 - 50
Hammerlock and Tina DLC -- 35 - 50
Digistruct Peak -- 50

Within those ranges, the DLC maps generally seem to scale to your level when you first enter them, and, in Normal Mode, the map levels don't change after that. So, for example, if you had started the Pirate DLC when you were level 15 (or below), the first map would still be level 15, but new maps after that would probably be level 30 (the limit for that DLC in Normal Mode). If you start the Tina DLC now, the first map will be scaled to level 34 (your current level), but if you reach level 35 while playing it, later maps (and the missions in them) should be scaled to level 35.

In TVHM, the DLC map levels work basically the same way, _until_ you complete the story missions in the main game (beat the Warrior). After that, most maps and unaccepted missions in the main game and the DLC will scale to level 50. However, if you started any of the HH packs at a lower level (eg. 40), they will probably stay at that lower level.

In UVHM, everything (except already accepted missions) always scales to your current level.

FYI, the main game is going to start around level 31 in TVHM, so, at level 34, you're already a bit over-leveled for the main game, but it will catch up eventually (you get less XP when your level is above the enemy/mission level, so you'll level up more slowly in the main game, until the levels start to even out).

Another basic issue to keep in mind is that you probably don't want to be too much above level 50 before you start UVHM. UVHM always scales to your level, but any gear that you find in TVHM (except in the Golden chest) will be limited to level 50, so if you level up too much from farming or playing the DLC, you could have a really hard time when you start UVHM.

Having said that, feel free to play any of the DLC in Normal Mode, but any gear you get in them will be limited to around level 30 or 35, depending on the DLC, so most of it won't be useful for long once you start TVHM. One thing that might be worth going for is the Magic Missile grenade mod in the Tina DLC. It's one of the 3 "magic" grenade mods in that DLC. They all slowly regenerate grenade ammo, and the MM sends out homing slag balls. It's one of the more popular methods for applying slag. Then again, you may not be using slag much yet, so you may not have much use for the MM now, but it's something to keep in mind. You'll be needing slag sooner or later. :-)

As for the 3 specific items you mentioned, the Grog Nozzle, Unkempt Harold and Rough Rider:

The GN is kind of a non-issue. As someone else mentioned, the regular GN is a mission gun, so you'll only have it in the mode/playthrough where that mission is active (and you can't trade it or put it in the Stash). Accepting that mission in Normal Mode only gives you a GN in that mode.

However, during the "Loot Hunt" event, Gearbox had the game drop non-mission versions of the GN that are just normal guns (can be used in any mode, etc.). You can probably get some of those from people in the In-Game Trading sub-forum. FWIW, the level is kind of unimportant (as long as it's not above your level, of course), because the level only alters the damage, and you shouldn't be using the GN for damage (it's just a fraction of what you get from a regular elemental gun). The healing factor and other special effects are the same, regardless of the level.

You can get the Unkempt Harold from Torgue vendors (in the Torgue DLC), or Savage Lee, or just as a random find. The Torgue vendors will be limited by the DLC level limits, so you won't get one above level 30 from them in Normal Mode. You can try them in TVHM, but you'll need to get Torgue tokens first. Or just farm Savage Lee once you start TVHM (in Normal Mode, he's going to be a very low level).

You kill a specific enemy in the Hammerlock DLC to get the Rough Rider. You can do that now in Normal Mode and get one around level 34 (your current level), or wait until you're level 35 (the max level (more or less) for that DLC). You could wait until you start TVHM and then go there at level 35 to get one, but that will set the level for that map and it will stay that way until you complete TVHM in the main game, so you won't be able to get a higher level one until then. So, if you want a Rough Rider now, I'd go after one in Normal Mode. Then, some time later, maybe when your level is in the 40's, you can go after one in TVHM. Then go back and get a level 50 version at the end of TVHM.

However, I think some people prefer a lower level Rough Rider, because it adds less health (making health gating easier), so you might actually prefer a lower level version. Your call.

[@lf]

Thanks for the excelent explanation and for the dlc range lvls, in each mode, Waste of skin =)

[Waste_of_skin]

You're welcome. I know it's a lot to read, but, like I said, it's complicated. :-)