Weapon Brands: Which Ones Do YOU Want?

The intent of this guide is to provide a better outline of the individual brands of firearms in Borderlands 2, their quirks and perks, and what ones you should ideally strive for. While a case could be made that anyone could figure it out on their own, some people may occasionally seek a second opinion. That's where this steps in, and while I may have some bias, this guide will strive to present itself as neutral and informative as possible.

-Disclaimer-
This guide was written with help from the Borderlands 2 Wiki, but the vast majority of what is contained therein is handwritten by myself.

Intro: "Guns, Glorious Guns!"

Borderlands 2 carries on the tradition of weaponized individuality by keeping with weapons manufacturers. The eight manufacturers found in the game are:

• Bandit
  
• Dahl
  
• Hyperion
  
• Jakobs
  
• Maliwan
  
• Tediore
  
• Torgue
  
• Vladof

Seven of the eight brands featured here were found in the original Borderlands, with Bandit being the new face. Gone from the universe are Atlas, Eridian, S&S, and Gearbox (Which while not a legitimate company in the universe, is still a brand). All companies in essence produce the same thing: sticks that go boom and cause whatever unfortunate pile of life that falls in its path to vacate this reality, but each brand goes about things a little differently. I will, as best as I possibly can, explain the pros, cons, highlights, and best choices (per my opinions) for each brand.

Each brand will be listed alphabetically, for my convenience.

Bandit: The Outlaw's Brand

Bandit is the new face on the block in Borderlands 2. Bandits, being the predominant population of Pandora, have taken it upon themselves to create their own weapons. Bandit also has the unique feature of being the only manufacturer with five weapon types, as compared to four with the others. Common traits in these weapons are misspelled weapon names, taped/screwed parts, and rust colors.

Available Bandit weapon types:

• Assault Rifles
  
• Pistols
  
• Rocket Launchers
  
• Shotguns
  
• SMGs

Pros:

• Ultra-high magazine capacities
  
• E-Tech compatibility
  
• Very reasonable damage-per-hit

Cons:

• Long reload times
  
• Less-than-satisfactory Accuracy and Fire Rates

Bandit sets itself apart by combining elemental tech weaponry with very large magazines, but the underwhelming damage and accuracy compared to other brands, along with the painfully drawn out reload times will likely have you walking away. Your best picks for a Bandit weapon will be their Assault Rifles and Shotguns, with Rocket Launchers being a viable option if damage isn't your number 1 priority.

Dahl: For the Military Man In You

Dahl returns from the original Borderlands in surprisingly good shape. Dahl firearms are, as they put it, geared for soldiers and mercenaries, the battlefield types. Common traits with Dahl weapons are camoflaged skins and animal-based weapon names.

Available Dahl Weapon Types:

• Assault Rifles
  
• Pistols
  
• SMGs
  
• Sniper Rifles

Pros

• Recoil reduction
  
• Burst fire while zoomed
  
• E-Tech compatibility

Cons:

• Burst fire while zoomed
  
• Relatively low damage-per-hit

You may be looking at this list and thinking "Hey bro, you listed 'burst fire while zoomed' as both a pro and a con, what's the deal?", and to that I say it is because it IS a pro and a con. Burst fire while zoomed can be an amazing weapon feature, but ONLY if the weapon benefits from it. In this case, Dahl Sniper Rifles, which already draw from a low total ammo pool, are simply eating ammo on wasted shots. It MAY help you if you find yourself facing a Badass mob, but you'll often find yourself wishing you had a different brand of Sniper Rifle. HOWEVER!! Dahl Rifles and SMGs make fantastic use of the burst fire feature, both with ammo conservation and accuracy. That said, your best choice with Dahl brands are their Assault Rifles, and SMGs will find the best use in the hands of an Anarchy-build Gaige.

Hyperion: Do You Know Jack?

Hyperion enters Borderlands 2 as essentially a bad guy and good guy. Because of them, you're being hunted across the planet, but without them you're officially dead any time you die, thanks to the New-U Stations. Hyperion weapons really strike me as the middle-of-the-road, neither good nor bad. Common traits in Hyperion firearms are angular designs, excessively/pointlessly long-worded weapon names, and top-loading magazines.

Available Hyperion Weapon Types:

• Pistols
  
• Shotguns
  
• SMGs
  
• Sniper Rifles

Pros:

• Among the highest damage-per-hit weapons in the game
  
• Increased stability while firing
  
• E-tech compatibility

Cons:

• "Reverse recoil"

One of the key features of Hyperion weapons are that they start out with wild accuracy, but the longer you hold the trigger down, the more accurate they become. This may or may not annoy you, depending on what weapon type you're using. While Hyperion has Sniper Rifle DPH second only to Jakobs, because of this feature I CANNOT recommend using a Hyperion Sniper Rifle. Granted, as long as you're scoped the wildness will dissipate, but the time spent waiting for your aim to stabilize you could have killed three or four with another brand. Your best choice for Hyperion weapons are their Shotguns, since not only is the accuracy low enough to ignore any wild volleys, but they have damage that can compete with Jakobs shotguns with the option for elemental application.

Jakobs: Old-Fashioned Like It's Back In Style

Jakobs stays the course they set in the first Borderlands, and has everything to gain from it. The Jakobs brand of weapons all feature the most unique trait in the game, in that only four named weapons in the entire game have elemental tech. After all, Jakobs is an old-fashioned company, and elemental tech is for those newfangled hippies. Common traits are wooden motifs, western-fashioned designs, and a generally smaller magazine size.

Available Jakobs Weapon Types:

• Assault Rifles
  
• Pistols
  
• Shotguns
  
• Sniper Rifles

Pros:

• Highest damage-per-hit Sniper Rifles in the game
  
• Among the highest damage-per-hit weapons across all available types
  
• Incredibly high fire rates
  
• Generally high overall weapon stats

Cons:

• Reload speed
  
• No E-tech compatibility

With the exception of 4 DLC weapons, Jakobs is completely vanilla damage. This allows for their weapons to have ultra-high DPH stats. Coupled with the weapon feature Fires As Fast As You Pull The Trigger, Jakobs can be a vicious weapon in the right class and build. I myself find Jakobs to be the most reliable weapons manufacturer for Pistols and Snipers, since those weapons are based upon high-damage hits and can drop just about anything in one headshot. Their shotguns are also very nice, but I prefer using something elemental for that weapon type. I don't, however, advise the use of their Assault Rifles. Unless you're a very quick trigger-finger or are using a fire macro, you'll find the semi-automatic feature of them to be a hindrance, and with other, more versatile Assault Rifle brands, the damage doesn't really offset the loss of continuous fire and elemental application.

Maliwan: The Elementalist's Choice

Maliwan continues its elemental mastery in Borderlands 2 with it's focused production on exclusively elemental tech weaponry. This makes Maliwan the best choice for any person playing Gaige, Maya, or even Krieg, as their elemental effects best benefit from the bonuses Maliwan provides. Common traits are a sleek designs, unique reload animations, and an emphasis on the color blue in weapon skins.

Available Maliwan Weapon Types:

• Pistols
  
• Rocket Launchers
  
• SMGs
  
• Sniper Rifles

Pros:

• Highest elemental application chance of the manufacturers
  
• Certain weapon types give bonus elemental damage
  
• Quick reload times
  
• Guaranteed elemental weaponry (excluding explosive)

Cons:

• Low damage-per-hit
  
• Typically smaller magazine sizes

The beauty of Maliwan is also its bane. In exchange for high elemental application, it suffers from low DPH, and depending on what you're fighting, if you don't have a few different elemental types at your disposal, you'll be seeing very disappointing damage numbers. Don't let that dissuade you though, Maliwan can be a deadly choice in the hands of an elemental build, and on those grounds alone I recommend their SMGs as your number one choice for that type. Their pistols, however, are rather underwhelming and leave quite a bit to be desired.

Tediore: Throw It Like You Mean It

Tediore undergoes an overhaul to their weaponry in Borderlands 2, introducing a thrown-weapon reload feature to their firearms. Any time you wish to reload a Tediore weapon, instead of changing out the clip like standard firearms, you simply chuck the weapon away, and "digistruct" a brand-new, fully-loaded copy of the weapon. This gives Tediore the fastest reload times of any brand, and the fact that the thrown weapon explodes like a grenade is a definite plus.

Available Tediore Weapon Types:

• Pistols
  
• Rocket Launchers
  
• Shotguns
  
• SMGs

Pros:

• Quickest reload speeds of any manufacturer
  
• E-tech compatibility
  
• Overall good stats and damage-per-hit
  
• Thrown reload weapon deals damage proportional to ammo left when reloaded

Cons:

• Ammo is lost when reloading a Tediore weapon with ammo still inside
  
• Middle-of-the-road damage and elemental chance

Tediore is really a hard brand to hate, unless the thought of throwing exploding guns at people doesn't amuse you. The true benefit of the Tediore reload method is that any ammo in the gun at the time of the reload is spent and added to the total damage of the weapon's explosion, meaning potentially high damage at the cost of whatever ammunition the gun uses. With that in mind, an ideal strategy would involve using a Tediore weapon in a type you do not already actively use, and carrying it as essentially a spare set of grenades. With exception to Pistols, any Tediore weapon you use will be of benefit to you, and the only reason I do not recommend their pistols is that Jakobs and Torgue will both provide better options in that type.

Torgue: HOLY F***ING S**T EXPLOSIONS

Mister Torgue is, without a doubt, the greatest character in all of Borderlands 2. There is no equal, no debate. His brand reflects his love of things that go boom by making guns that shoot explosions. Yes, you read that right. All Torgue weapons come with Explosive elemental affixes, and deal area-of-effect damage to their targets. Torgue weaponry also has the benefit of being on par with Jakobs in terms of damage-per-hit.

Available Torgue Weapon Types:

• Assault Rifles
  
• Pistols
  
• Rocket Launchers
  
• Shotguns

Pros:

• Mister Torgue would want you to use these weapons to prove how badass you are
  
• Neck-and-neck with Jakobs for highest damage-per-hit across weapon types
  
• Deals area-of-effect damage

Cons:

• Certain weapons may have slower-moving projectiles, requiring you to lead your target to hit
  
• No other elemental effects
  
• Mediocre accuracy

Torgue has the upside of having high damage coupled with splash AOE damage, with the downside of some of the most annoying projectile weaponry in the game. When mastered, though, Torgue weapons can drop even the hardest of badasses within a couple of hits. To that end, I highly recommend Torgue Pistols and Shotguns, and am agreeable to their Rocket Launchers. I do not recommend their Assault Rifles, as the change in projectiles tends to do this type more harm than good.

Vladof: Row Row Fight the Power

I really wanted to like Vladof more in Borderlands 2, as they made quite a few guns I liked in Borderlands, but it simply just didn't happen. While Vladof weapons have a fairly high rate of fire, their overall stats just don't really stand out. Common traits in Vladof weapons are European-themed skins and rebellious-style naming.

Available Vladof Weapon Types:

• Assault Rifles
  
• Pistols
  
• Rocket Launchers
  
• Sniper Rifles

Pros:

• Launchers can possess the Reduced Ammo Consumption ability
  
• Sniper Rifles can have increased magazine sizes
  
• High rate-of-fire weaponry
  
• E-tech compatibility

Cons:

• Underwhelming overall stats
  
• Damage-per-hit on par with Maliwan, with weaker elemental chances
  
• Emphasis on multi-barrel weapons

Vladof is among the best for fire rate among weapons, but unfortunately suffer from middle-of-the-road stats in all other categories. While I still have some nostalgia from the days of Borderlands, when Vladofs could demolish anything and everything, most of that is now faded thanks to these changes. However, Vladof may be down, but not entirely out, as their Assault Rifles and Rocket Launchers are still keeping up with some of the more superior brands, and while their Pistols aren't what they used to be, they can still serve as a viable alternative if you're not lucky enough to net a Jakobs or a Torgue.

Conclusion: The Best Of

The final hurdle for you, fellow guide-readers! Herein lies what I believe to be the best three brands for every available weapon class in Borderlands 2. Now, it must be noted that this section is deeply subject to my bias, and your mileage may vary, but for the most part many of these are fairly established selections. Without further ado, the list~!

Assault Rifles

• Dahl
  
  • Dahl takes top spot for assault rifles for sheer flexibility. Among the top three in damage output, as well as having elemental tech and considerable stats make Dahl Assaults hard to beat. Chain that with their Burst Fire While Zoomed feature and you have a weapon that can drop most anything easily.

• Vladof
  
  • I've come around on my opinion of Vladof Assaults. Initially Bandit had the 2-spot for the better magazine capacity, but the Vladof Rate-of-Fire and faster reload speeds have one-upped that. Both Bandit and Vladof share elemental tech, but with Vladof's ability to drop ammo on a target more quickly and accurately have given them a bump up.

• Bandit
  
  • Bandit makes their living off high-mag-count weapons, which is a good thing, but their accuracy, damage, and reload times can serve as a deterring factor compared to the other two. Don't let that discourage you though, Bandit Assaults can still be mean with the proper stat balance.

Pistols:

• Jakobs
  
  • Lots of commentors have expressed their opinions for Torgue and Vladof pistols being their #1, and they have great points. However, I still find that Jakobs has no equal when it comes to their sidearms. Their lower ammo count and average reload is by and large offset by the Fires As Fast As You Can Pull The Trigger feature, their amazing accuracy, and above all else, their damage on par with some of the better Sniper Rifles.

• Torgue
  
  • Still not sold on making them my #1, but nevertheless a Torgue pistol can be dangerous, and fun. A solid #2 option for players who aren't interested in or not lucky enough for Jakobs, their projectile damage can beat out Jakobs, but the velocity and fire rate are negative factors in my eyes.

• Hyperion
  
  • I'm standing by Hyperion for my #3, but for those of you who feel Vladof is the better answer here, there's really very little separating these two brands aside from personal preferences for weapon functionality. I'm still very much averse to the Reverse Recoil mechanic of Hyperion weaponry, but their damage is top-notch, and once you hammer down enough on them for the accuracy to kick in, you can place a bullet through a needle's eye from half the map away.

Rocket Launchers:

• Torgue
  
  • My personal opinion on Rocket Launchers is they're more hassle than they're worth. However, Torgue is a company that knows how to blow things up, and they nail down the top spot for the weapon class that focuses on that one feature. Best-in-class damage, and helluva fun.

• Bandit
  
  • Following closely behind Torgue in the Launcher category is Bandit. While Torgue is locked to explosive-type only tech, Bandit elemental tech is all-inclusive. Pair that with the ability to fire multiple rockets for the cost of one, and Bandit suddenly becomes a very desirable option here.

• Vladof
  
  • Taking a very respectable third place is Vladof. Like Bandit, it has access to full elemental tech, but the feature that pushes Vladof into contention is their Reduced Ammo Consumption feature, which gives you a chance to not use ammo when fired. Vladof wins the fire rate competition without a fight, but Bandit's multi-fire and higher ammo count for a weapon class that features low ammo propel it above Vladof. Still, a Vladof launcher won't disappoint.

Shotguns:

• Hyperion
  
  • The de-facto champion brand of shotguns in my mind, Hyperion's Reverse Recoil feature has zero negative impact on this weapon class, and if anything only makes it more deadly with it's increased projectile spread. Full elemental tech compatibility, damage that can compete with Jakobs, and solid reload speeds make this choice obvious.

• Torgue
  
  • Shotguns are all about getting up in someone's grill and spraying it full of buckshot. Torgue shotguns give you explosive buckshot. While not as versatile as Hyperion, Torgue shotguns have best-in-class damage when factoring projectile area-of-effect damage.

• Tediore
  
  • Bandit has taken a fall off this list for the 3-spot, due in large to their terrible reload times. Tediore, however, specializes in reloading speeds, and will oftentimes be faster than all other brands, even when sporting a reload speed fix. The damage may not be something to get excited about, but they're a practical brand with lots of flexibility for this weapon class.

SMGs:

• Maliwan
  
  • The only thing you need to know is that a Maliwan Plasma Caster will trump every SMG you will ever find. This is the best weapon class to spread elemental afflictions, and the brand that focuses solely on elemental tech NEEDS to be your #1 choice.

• Dahl
  
  • Not to be outdone by anyone else, Dahl SMGs provide higher damage-per-hit than Maliwan, in exchange for a smaller elemental application chance. This class also makes good use of their Burst Fire While Zoomed feature, and can rival their Assaults. If spreading affliction around isn't something you're overly worried about, a Dahl SMG will suit you just fine.

• Tediore
  
  • I've seen a fair share of commentors arguing for Hyperion SMGs as a #3, but I'm (pun intended) sticking to my guns with Tediore here. Tediore gives you damage-per-hit on par with Maliwan, with slightly less elemental application chance. The key factor here is that Tediore has their Digistructed Reload feature, and while Hyperion may have the better damage, a fully-loaded thrown Tediore will still one-shot a lot of tougher mobs.

Sniper Rifles:

• Jakobs
  
  • Best-in-class damage, Fires As Fast As You Can Pull The Trigger feature, and high accuracy all add up to one thing: Jakobs is your brand for Sniper Rifles. You won't feel the loss of elemental tech, ammo count, or reload speed with this brand/class combination.

• Vladof
  
  • After Jakobs, the choices for best brands becomes more a matter of personal preference than anything else. Hyperion may boast second-best damage for this class, but the time spent waiting for the Reverse Recoil feature to wind down is time you're not spending killing things. Vladof's fire rates and respectable damage can get the job done, making it a reliable #2, and my recommended choice for a mid-range Sniper.

• Maliwan
  
  • Rounding off the list is Maliwan's mastery of elemental tech. Also a suitable option for mid-range sniping, Maliwan will in many cases have damage output close to Dahl and Vladof, with a better elemental application chance.

And there you have it. Thank you for reading, whether it was the entire guide, or simply certain parts, and as Marcus so aptly phrases it, "May it help you kill many things on your quest."

Changelog

Revision 1.1
September 2, 2013

• Rankings have been changed for the following weapon classes:
  
  • Assault Rifles
    
  • Shotguns
• Ranking explanations have been expanded upon, to further clarify my decisions why.
  
• Minor revisions to the Vladof section.

Revision 1.11
September 20, 2013

• Minor revisions to the Conclusion: Best Of section.

[_Assassin_Zero_]

Ok, now while I do have some problems with this I can overlook them all but not having Jakobs as best shotguns. Hyperion is not that good. Now that aside, good job.

[Nick_the_miner15]

hey, i agree about torgue in the launcher part, but ill have to say: i prefer the tediore launcher as it can do the reload kill with style. idk if i like torgue or tediore launchers better in all honesty. otherwise, i agree on most of the rankings. still, very nice guide, couldnt do it better myself... have a nice day, and may rng be in your favor.

[Dr.Coomer]

ty its helpfull

[Techhead7890]

This is fantastic and helps simplify my decisions about what guns to try and use/keep without learning all the parts or looking at a list of specific legendaries. Thanks a ton!

[~🐣Venvetta🐣~]

Jakobs SR might have the highest overall damage, but I generally hate the handling of Jakobs weapons, so my favorite brand for SR are hands down Vladof and Maliwan. They just feel so right to aim and reload with.

[Junichi]

Bandit Rifles with the Vladof Spin-Barrel for proper Minigun fun. otherwise, Vladof
Maliwan Slag SMGs or Tediore SMGs in any flavor because I just love Tediores fast reloads.
Tediore or Vladof Launchers for efficiency, unless I'm up to trying Torgues slower rockets.
Vladof or Dahl pistols for fire rate as I dont really like Jakobs semi auto only weapons.
Hyperion Shotguns, or, really, any shotgun with Hyperion barrels as they tighten the pellet spread.
Jakobs Sniper Rifles because landing that absurdly powerful Critical Hit is satisfying as hell.

[Clotho Buer]

@ Argonne : Many times, yes. It's a testament to how well-done the game was, and how loved it is by the fans. Hell, one of the game's best players, AdmiralBahroo, despite having a couple thousand hours invested and having done everything there is, will still play it on stream.

[Clotho Buer]

@ Argonne : I would say at this point, probably not. Won't rule it out entirely, but not something I'm feeling the need for.

[Argon]

Will you ever change this so that it adds other, non-weapon companies? I kind of want to se them for comapnies like Pangolin and Ashin.

[Gingy]

Thing with tediore guns is that if you threw a gun with 3 left in the clip, the new guns clip would be full and deduct 3 less from total reserves.