Huzzah! Finished the Peak Solo!

Borderlands 2 Zer0 the Assassin
#1

Whelp…did it! Solo. Took a Zer0 from Level 1 to OP8 and it has been quite a journey/learning experience.

A PAINFUL learning experience at times…LOL

Zer0 is sooooo different then Axton and even Maya…sooooo different. Breakthhrough for me was when I picked up DM and DB combined with Deception. Game Changers and in my mind, the absolute skill that makes Zer0 viable

Thankful for:

Thank goodness for golden keys
Thank goodness for old mules
Thank goodness for Torgue Tokens
Thank goodness for Serif Chrystals
Thank goodness this is still an active forum with excellent advice
Thank goodness I am a stubborn SOB

Lessons Learned:

  • Underleveled equipment is a death sentence after about OP3. Just bite the bullet and farm new Gear…Tinder Snowflake/Marcus’s train is superb for decent equipment and eridium…and the Mods are EXCELLENT including Legendaries.

  • Get a Grog…DO NOT complete the Beard mission in the Tiny Tina DLC

  • Lyudas on Zer0 are just the Cats Meow

  • You only need ONE Pimp…Slag

  • The DPUH with Zer0’s mods is just AWESOME

  • Bees are paper but there are places that they almost become a necessity.

  • Corrosive Sandhawk ALSO the cats meow

  • Topneaas…mixed with a Chaotic Neural Rogue are just…OP. And you can get them pretty easily from Marcus’s train

  • I found Magic Missiles the most useful overall grenade for slagging and healing (Grog in hand)

  • Chaotic Neutral Rogue = Game Changer

  • The ONLY AR Zer0 probably needs is a Seeker (Explosive Damage Relic REALLY makes it pop…add a Bee and WOW!

  • Be prepared to die a lot while you learn Zer0 and ESPECIALLY while you traverse the Peak.

Scorecard:

OP1 = 1 death…stupid mistake on my part
OP2 = 2 Deaths
OP3 = 4 Deaths
OP4 = 4 Deaths
OP5 = 8 Deaths
OP6 = 18 Deaths (OP 6 was my “wall”…I was starting to get really frustrated)
OP7 = 11 Deaths (Re-farrmed better gear after about Death 5…seemed like I was hitting em with puff balls)
OP8 = 3 Deaths (I raided my Commandos for GREAT gear and ohhhhh, so much better…LOL)

Now off to do some Arenas and Raiding with Hattie, Ab, Gulf and some friends.

I’m interested to see if Zer0 will be a BEAST in my hands in the Magic Slaughter…or Suck.

Probably suck…not because of the character…because of well…me…LOL

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#2

Nice. I need to step up my game. I still haven’t gotten my fresh start Zer0 to OP8. I got to OP6 and then got a “peak overload” as I was running 4 different characters through that ringer back to back. It started feeling tedious so I’ve been doing other stuff for a while.

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#3

I can’t even get my head around trying to do multiple characters at the same time in that minefield that is “The Peak”

Hats off to you.

NO WAY I would do that.

Hard enough just concentrating on ONE guy!

I haven’t done a new Character for 18 months…never done a Zer0…it was time.

1 Like
#4

I just got my second Zero to OP8 two days ago. I loved your post here, and it was interesting to me to see where we lined up vs where we diverged. A corrosive Pimpernel is a cornerstone of every Zero run I do, largely because I eschew the Bee at D’s Mom and Saturns.

If I recall correctly, I actually died a LOT more between OP0 and OP3 than I did after that my first time taking Zero through. I had gone through a ton of experimentation with COMs and guns, and had difficulty letting go of the Legendary Hunter. I was thinking defensively, and was trapping myself in this space where I couldn’t drop enemies quick enough, so I had to rely on Deception as a defensive tool. After making it to OP5, I finally had the “AHA!” moment, and began focusing more on bursting priority targets. Embracing offensive COMs (specifically, Legendary Sniper and Disturbed Stalker) set me free. I went from fearing Doc Mercy and the Assassins to smashing Docs, and feeling calm against the Assassins.

Getting Zero through required more problem solving than pulling off a no-Moxxi, no FFYL run as Axton, in my experience.

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#5

Did you ever grab Execute?

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#6

Congrats on a job well done. There should be a box of chocolate chip cookies waiting for every character that unlocks OP8- of course, if they were made by Doc Tannis I might be a bit leery of them (she does like to experiment with things after all :grinning:…).

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#7

IMO, every playstyle can benefit from skills you develop while playing Zer0.

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#8

Assassins never die!!!

…

Ok, that’s total BS. I die a s*** load. lol Nice work and congrats! Best character and burst-damage god.

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#9

It was a good skill but I just never used it so I dropped it to boost FollowThrough to it’s max which I WAS using…a LOT.

A Staker mod and FollowThrough at 11/5…just WOW.

The speed is intoxicating!

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#10

Yeah, once you get to a point where you’re skilled, geared, and built to tank a little damage, Zer0 can be surprisingly fun.

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#11

The Blockade was also a gamechanger…at least for me…

Tissue paper Zer0 all of a sudden could take a bit of damage without dying.

Good benefit for an older guy like me with slower reflexes.

I used my commandos top farm one at every OP Level…thank goodness there is a good source for that shield.

2 Likes
#12

I think…because of Axton’s defensive skills and his turrets…

A no bee Peak run is actually…

Pretty easy.

You just have to be patient…mind your ammo and DEFINITELY use the natural choke points like the entrance gates.

Let them come to you…

Choke them at your turrets…

Bombs Away!

The two Saturns are a pain though…with no Bee…at least to me.

Not real fun and just takes forever.

1 Like
#13

I’ve done it with no Bee many times. I referred to a no-Moxxi, no FFYL run (also without Grit or launchers). No Bee is definitely no problem. Tedious at Mom and Saturns, but not bad.

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#14

Nice. I’m about to tackle next run for OP7 with Zer0. But I’m doing this dirty, for I have BAR pretty far up(Gun damage+30%) and this time I decided to take another step and farm up Pimpernels. Well, I just prefer taking another day or two to get a better gear than run number of unsuccesful runs where equipment lets me down.

edit: ok, Dukino’s mom destroyed me. I think that I hid behind a rock when she charged the laser attack from the top, but it caught me. Not sure if I didn’t take cover properly or it went through it. But either way my memory on that is fuzzy, still kinda sick and hard to focus.

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#15

I can Swordsplode Mom OK…it’s the two saturns…

I virtually use up all my ammo

Hornet
Veruc
Actualizer
Butcher
Lyuda (don’t have a Corrosive Pimp…probably ought to get one)

They go down but man…they are like damage sponges and Axton does not have B0re…bless his heart…LOL

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#16

Yup. When I’ve done it without the Bee, I’ve used a Corrosive Pimpernel from the ammunition box, supplemented with Pandemics and turrets. Very tedious.

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#17

Just keep running around the rock…don’t stay put

It’s the damn lightning spit that will get you and sometimes she does it a LOT

Counteract that with transfusions…a Slag Transfusion works nicely

Whenver you go into an attack sequence throw a Transfusion first.
If she spits lightning, switch to grog and throw about three transfusions IMMEDIATELY

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#18

Can’t I just evade the laser attack with deception or does it home on my character?

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#19

Angles and corners…

Old soldier survival trick

Just use the rock in the center to block that laser…

She’s not moving while lasering so all you have to do is step behind a corner of the rock…when she gets done you can deception, step out, kunai/DM and blast her.

But throw a transfusion just to be safe before the attack sequence and DO NOT stay in the same place after your attack…run around the rock and set up another attack.

If she spits lightning balls…RUN and get as far from the spits as you can around the other side of the rock is best…switch to Grog and throw about THREE transfusions

DO NOT get close to her…her jumping attack deals some hurt

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#20

I successfully did this ONCE:

Switch to WTF, hold grog. When you feel she is about to laser melee and spam Type-O slags (shooting all the while).

Then gather boosters and clean up w/ DPUH.

I don’t know if WTF damage counts for grog gain, but I wasn’t quite as bad off as normal.

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