Borderlands 2 Axton

Some notes I have taken for myself while playing Borderlands 2. Mainly with Axton the Commando.

Borderlands 2 Axton Skill and Leveling Guide

Overview

This leveling guide focuses on maximizing Axton’s damage output by investing primarily in the Gunpowder and Guerrilla skill trees, with additional points in the Survival tree for improved shield capacity and health regeneration. The build emphasizes gun damage, fire rate, grenade effectiveness, and utilizing the turret for buffs and slagging enemies. To effectively level Axton in Borderlands 2, you can follow this skill allocation guide. The focus is primarily on maximizing damage output through specific skill trees.

Skill Allocation Order

Initial Skills

  • Action Skill: Saber Turret - Deploys a turret that can shoot enemies and gain additional abilities as you progress.

2. Middle Tree (Gunpowder)

  • Impact: 5 points - Increases gun damage significantly. (Try to get this on your class mod)
  • Metal Storm: 5 points - Kill Skill. Grants a fire rate bonus after kills.
  • Longbow Turret: 1 point - Enhances turret health and allows it to be thrown like a grenade.
  • Battlefront: 5 points - Provides bonus gun and grenade damage while the turret is deployed.
  • Steady: 5 points - Increases grenade and rocket launcher damage, plus reduces recoil.
  • Do or Die: 1 point - Enables throwing grenades while in Fight for Your Life (FFYL).

Tier Three Skills

  • Ready: 5 points - Increases reload speed, crucial for maintaining damage output.
  • Sentry: 5 points - Extends turret uptime and effectiveness.

Further Enhancements

  • Scorched Earth: 1 point - Allows the turret to shoot rockets.
  • Onslaught: 5 points - Kill Skill. Grants gun damage and movement speed after kills.
  • Able: 4 points - Provides health regeneration when damaging enemies.
  • Grenadier: 5 points - Increases grenade capacity. - //Get a Longbow Grenade//
  • Double Up: 1 point - Adds a second turret for increased damage output.

Survival Tree (Optional)

  • Preparation: 1 point - Increases shield capacity and health regeneration.
  • Pressure: Points can be added here to enhance reload speed based on health levels.
  • Quick Charge: (4 or 5 Points) Kill Skill. Killing an enemy grants shield generation for a short time.
  • Phalanx Shield: (Optional). Gives your turret a protective shield, blocking enemy projectiles but letting through ones from teammates.
  • Mag-Lock: Stick you turret to walls and ceilings. In combination with Longbow Turret give you endless possibilities.
  • Resourceful: (3 Points) Increase skill cooldown rate which results in more turrets.

Going towards Level 80?

  • Resourceful: two more Points into skill cooldown rate.
  • Healthy: (4 Points) Increase maximum health.
  • Gemini: Allows you to deply a second Sabre Turret.

The last point can be put into any of the following skills:

  • Quick Charge (5/5)
  • Healthy (5/5)
  • Willing (1/5)
  • Crisis Management (1/5)

Summary of Skill Focus

The primary focus of this build is to maximize Axton’s damage output through his turret and weapon skills while ensuring survivability through health regeneration and shield enhancements. The skills are arranged to progressively enhance your combat effectiveness, starting with damage-focused skills before branching into utility and survivability options.

For the class mod you would want one with Impact (Gunpowder tree), Ready and Sentry (Guerrilla tree), Preparation.

Equipment

When you are playing Axton, you might want to consider getting a Longbow grenade. But here is a longer list of weaopons you might want to farm:

Assault Rifles

  • Peak Opener (Shock Variant)

    • A shock damage version of the KerBlaster.
    • Described as a good weapon to use.
  • KerBlaster (Explosive Variant)

    • Also referred to as the “Nasty KerBlaster.”
    • An explosive weapon similar to the Peak Opener.
  • Flame Toothpick

    • Highly effective when paired with the Mouthwash relic.
    • Increases damage output significantly.
  • Ogre

    • Mentioned as a rare weapon.
    • Not recommended to farm due to its rarity, but worth obtaining if possible.

Pistols

  • Unkempt Harold

    • Recommended for the pistol category.
    • Known for its high damage output.
  • Grog Nozzle (NOT EASY TO GET) - A quest item or Hacked!)

    • Described as the best slag gun in the game.
    • Heals the user when dealing damage.
    • Ideal for survival and slagging enemies.
  • Lady Fist

    • Noted for its high critical hit damage.
    • Can be used as an alternative to the Grog Nozzle.

Shotguns

  • Practical Conference Call (All Elements)

    • Recommended shotgun available in all three elements (Fire, Shock, Corrosive).
    • Effective for crowd control due to its spread pattern.
  • Rustler’s Hydra

    • Used for reflecting bullets from Hyperius with the Antagonist shield.
    • Causes massive damage through bullet reflection mechanics.
  • Interfacer (All Elements)

    • High damage shotgun available in all three elements.
    • Known for its effectiveness against bosses.
  • Butcher (All Elements)

    • “Practical Butcher” versions mentioned.
    • Noted for its ammo efficiency and high fire rate.

Submachine Guns (SMGs)

  • Baby Maker (All Elements)

    • A throwable weapon that explodes on reload.
    • Comes in multiple elemental types, including a Rainbow rarity version.
  • Slagga

    • Excellent for slagging enemies.
    • Considered the second-best slagging weapon after the Grog Nozzle.
  • Sand Hawk (All Elements)

    • Referred to as possibly the best SMG in the game.
    • Fires multiple projectiles in a bird-shaped pattern.

Sniper Rifles

  • Lyuda (All Elements)

    • He refers to it as “Grump key Loda.”
    • Available in all elements and known for high damage and fire rate.
  • Pimpernel

    • One of the top two snipers alongside the Lyuda.
    • Unique projectile pattern allows for massive damage.
  • Trespasser

    • A blue rarity sniper rifle.
    • Penetrates shields and hits health directly.
    • Used to “knock the H off” Pyro Pete and in the Veritas fight.
  • Amigo Sincero

    • Possibly referred to as “Zero which penetrates through shields.”
    • Shares similar properties with the Trespasser.

Rocket Launchers

  • Norfleet (All Elements)

    • Has three Norfleets, including a slag version.
    • Known for high area-of-effect damage.
  • Badaboom

    • Referred to as “Butter Moon.”
    • Used for rocket jumping due to its multi-projectile firing.

Other Weapons

  • Logan’s Gun

    • Used for regenerating rocket ammo when combined with the Sham shield.
  • Fastball (Grenade)

    • Mentioned in all elemental variants.
    • Known for high single-target grenade damage.

Grenade Mods

  • Shock Storm Front

    • A powerful shock grenade.
    • Possibly a modded grenade not found in the base game.
  • Crossfire

    • Can be obtained at a low level to prevent self-damage.
    • Slags enemies effectively.
  • Quasar

    • Used for grouping enemies due to its singularity effect.
  • Chain Lightning

    • Can be paired with the Grog Nozzle for healing.
  • Magic Missile

    • Effective for slagging enemies.
    • Regenerates grenade ammo over time.

Relics

  • Mouthwash Relic

    • Increases assault rifle damage by 47.5%.
    • Boosts the damage of the Toothpick when used together.
  • Explosive Damage Elemental Relic (42%)

    • Increases explosive damage for grenades and explosive weapons like the Ogre and KerBlaster.
  • Sheriff’s Badge

    • Increases pistol damage, pistol fire rate, and Fight for Your Life time.
  • Deputy’s Badge

    • Referred to as “Deb City Badge.”
    • Increases shotgun damage and reload speed.
  • Bone of the Ancients

    • Compared with the Mouthwash relic.
    • Provides elemental damage boost and cooldown rate increase.

Shields

  • The Bee Shield

    • Described as the best shield in the game.
    • Provides amp damage without draining shield capacity.
  • Antagonist Shield

    • Used with the Hydra shotgun to reflect bullets.
    • High capacity and damage reduction.
  • Evolution Shield

    • Offers high elemental resistance.
  • Blockade Shield

    • Has one of the highest shield capacities.
    • Provides moderate to major damage resistance.
  • Sham Shield (94%)

    • Rare to obtain with a 94% absorption rate.
    • Can regenerate rocket ammo when used with Logan’s Gun.
  • Inflammable Bee Shield

    • Grants immunity to burn damage.
  • Corrosive Bee Shield

    • Provides immunity to corrosive damage.
  • Rough Rider Shield

    • Mentioned as an alternative but less preferred compared to the Bee Shield.

Class Mods

  • Legendary Soldier Class Mod

    • Preferred for its overall stat boosts.
  • Legendary Pointman Class Mod

    • Offers high health bonuses.
  • Legendary Engineer Class Mod

    • Enhances turret-related skills.
  • Master Grenadier Class Mod

    • Significantly increases grenade carrying capacity.
  • Impact Rifleman Class Mod

    • Boosts assault rifle damage and magazine size.

Additional Items

  • Butt Stallion (Possibly referred to as “Boss Beer”)

    • Could be a misinterpretation; no specific weapon called “Boss Beer.”
  • Lady Fist

    • High critical hit damage pistol.

Notable Mentions

  • Moxxi’s Weapons

    • While not specified by name, he refers to the best slag gun from Moxxi, likely the Grog Nozzle.
  • Pearl Weapons

    • Mentioned but not preferred; he refers to them as “not that great.”

Notes

  • Weapon Pairings:

    • Flame Toothpick with Mouthwash Relic for increased damage.
    • Chain Lightning grenade with Grog Nozzle for self-healing.
  • Weapon Farming:

    • Ogre is rare and not recommended to farm extensively.
    • Sham Shield at 94% is rare; suggested to get it if possible.
  • Weapon Preferences:

    • Prefers Lyuda over Trespasser despite both serving similar functions.
    • Considers Pimpernel and Lyuda as the top two sniper rifles.