Nonelemental damage or Explosive damage builds?

Borderlands 2 Axton the Commando
#63

Even if the Norfleet is not buffed by grenade damage it is still the most powerful rocket launcher in the game and you can just slap on an elemental relic that matches the Norfleet. Being an E-tech the Norfleet ignores cover when the rounds detonate, enabling it to kill enemies regardless if they are behind a wall or not but this also goes for the wielder as well.

I would stay away from the Antagonist shield. I used to love it but it has a habit of slagging you if you are struck while standing behind waist high cover and the slag orbs have a very low chance of slagging. You can either use the Blockade as Khimerakiller mentioned or if you want to replenish your grenades and rockets without relying on ammunition drops the Big Boom Blaster shield should be considered as the boosters it drops give one grenade and one rocket each.

If you want to carpet bomb entire areas with grenades get either the Bonus Package or the Shooting Star. The Shooting Star has more risk involved but if you toss into a confined space full enemies it will do a lot of damage. Or if you’re struggling with slagging either the 2x or 4x magic missiles will work and also make it easier to get out of FFYL if you have Do or Die. Not saying the Fast Ball is bad (there are videos out there of Axton players one-shotting everything with it) just throwing more options out there for you.

If you want to have a more “Quick and the Dead” setup use a Legendary Ranger instead and just move some skills around to get the most out of it when the kills start rolling in. Granted with the Legendary Ranger COM you develop a glass jaw but you can also bulldoze enemies left and right.

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#64

Thank you both for the advice! Is the Basaboom with damage prefix and Explosive even more powerfil, consodering all my grenade buffs and explosive relic?

#65

Also, I promise i’m not illiterate, i just have really chubby thumbs on a tiny Vita.

#66

The explosive relic gets it closer, but the versatility of the Norfleet’s massive explosion radius that can go through walls still makes it top dog even without a Bone to back it. Where with the Badaboom you need to basically d-impact the enemy.

I only mentioned it because it is the best FFYL launcher that can come in explosive IMO, if you wanted to stick to the theme of the build.

#67

I assume you meant the meteor shower :wink:.

#68

Yeah…that doohicky.

#69

Thank you for all the help, guys! one last question: i am running a slag Avenger, DPUH, Kerblaster, shock Norfleet, legendary soldier, Fastball, and an Antagonist. (cant get Blockade) Would an explosive +39% relic or a 39% capacity, recharge rate, 33 shcok resisyance, and 25.5% nonelemental resistance Skin of Ancients be better?

#70

Explosion noise! :boom: If you’re not in danger of dying a lot, go with the extra damage.

#71

What about the Rolling Thunder? A little trickier to use, but toss it down into a canyon, along a corridor, or into a room, and it can be quite effective against mobs.

#72

My problem with the Rolling Thunder is the same with every other bouncing grenade in that enemies can avoid it and when compared to the Bonus package and Meteor Shower it is not as good in terms of final explosion. In a crowded room with little to no room or lots of enemies clumped together (Badass Bar, Lilith’s Hidey Hole, Brick’s Throne Room, ect) it works great but so do the other two grenades with the Meteor Shower being down right devastating when all the bomblets are forced into one giant area.

If you get one as a drop and don’t have the others, that’s great, but I would not substitute the Bonus Package or Meteor Shower for a Rolling Thunder.

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#73

Bonus Package = Good

Meteor Shower = Better

IMHO

And custom Meteor Showers with the fuse and delivery you want are sooooo easy to get.

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#74

So as a general consensus, everyone agrees that an explosive relic is better than a Skin of Ancients on Axton?

#75

Yes

(Sigh) Gifs don’t like me :frowning:

#76

Double Yes…SoA is a niche relic…albeit a good one…with the right combo.

Explosive damage relic you will use almost constantly

#77

Doesnt the explosive relic remain literally 39%z therefore basically increasing the damage on a weapon cardby that amount? Skinbof Ancients only boosted my shield by 400000.

#78

But you are only talking about ONE of the boosts an SoA can give you.

A great SoA relic can give up to four boosts.

3 resistances and one shield boost
Or 2 resistances and 2 shield boosts

Shield boost are always Cap and Recharge…one or the other…or both.

Even with all those boosts though…on Axton…90% of the time you want him wearing an Explosive Damage relic.

#79

Do you think a Fastball can eplace a Norfleet? i’m thinking of swapping it forbanbexplosive Ravager. it isbabsutely absud in Axtons hands.

#80

The Fastball and the Norfleet really have quite different uses, so it would be awkward.

#81

With Do or Die in your spec you can use the Fastball as a FFYL tool, if it was what you meant. This way you free your launcher slot for the Ravager, but I would always use the Swordsplosion instead. If you want to use something at short range the UH can fill this role easily.

#82

That makes sense! Could th Basaboom with all of Axtons launcher upgrades and an explosive relic outdamage the Norfleet, assuming uou are at mdrange focusing on a single rarget?