Deep into its release, Borderlands 3 received an update for Mayhem Mode that increased the difficulty level by several notches, while adding various modifiers to keep Vault Hunters on their toes. This allows players at the top of their game to receive even more powerful versions of their favorite weapons. This added difficulty and chaos includes increased enemy health and shields, and other wild elements such as larger enemy heads and healing drones for foes.
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While some welcome these challenges, others find that grinding up to Mayhem 10 can be rather intense and tough — and not all weapons perform as well with such a high degree of difficulty and unpredictability. Thus, this list will aid in highlighting which weapons are best to gun for when finally hitting that treacherous peak of Mayhem 10 or 11.
Updated January 25, 2025, by Stephen LaGioia: Since the release of the Mayhem 10 level, which drastically elevates difficulty and loot drops, Gearbox released the Mayhem 11 update, which further amps up the toughness of this grind while dropping the game-changing modifiers. With this added challenge — plus the release of the epic DLC and heavy discounts bringing a renaissance to this looter-shooter — we felt it was a good time to revisit this powerhouse of a list. After all, there are so many awesome legendary guns to be had in BL3. With all of this grueling content and a wealth of potent weapons, fans will surely have much to occupy themselves with while waiting for Borderlands 4.
24 Projectile Recursion
Maliwan
- Obtained from any loot source, but has a 20% chance of dropping from General Traunt in Desolation's Edge.
- High elemental damage output.
- Can come in any elemental variant.
This Maliwan-manufactured blaster is a great option for those who like to deal ample DPS to their foes at close range. While verging on a more "mid-tier" weapon compared to most Mayhem-worthy legendaries — thanks partly to its frequent charging and high ammo consumption — the Recursion is a great finisher in a heated skirmish.
What's unique and generally neat about this shotgun is that the particle beam fired will automatically hone in on secondary targets after hitting its initial mark. This distinct chaining perk makes it a good option for crowd control, and there's plenty of that to go around in the 10 and 11 Mayhem modes.
23 Redistributor
Hyperion
- Obtained via any loot source, but has an increased chance to drop from Watan the Invincible (18%) or Valkyrie Squad.
- Fires amped shots (every seventh fired) that will chain to nearby targets.
- Can come in any elemental variant.
This crowd-punishing gun can wipe out hordes of enemies fairly easily and effectively, especially when taking advantage of the elemental boosts. True to its name, the Redistributor spreads out chains of potent blasts that latch onto several nearby foes.
While these specialized amped shots only kick in every seventh blast, this still occurs pretty rapidly, given the swift fire rate of SMG. It's a great way to soften the defenses of large mobs of baddies with its damage over time and high DPS abilities.
22 Anarchy
Tediore
- Obtained randomly from any loot source, but has a 12.5% chance of dropping from Kukuwajack in Negul Neshai.
- Each kill or reload grants a 30% damage bonus, stacking up to ten times.
- Accuracy is reduced upon giving this damage boost.
- Projectiles ricochet when shot at targets, as well as critical hits.
Tediore weapons can be a mixed bag, to say the least — with their often-jarring reload function that usually doubles as a second weapon attack. But this is one players will want to gun for when delving into the chaos of Mayhem Mode.
While a bit erratic, this weapon boasts a pretty high damage ceiling for those who have a steady hand, as its damage stacking buff allows for loads of DPS. In fact, a whopping 1,370% damage increase is possible when the stacking is uninterrupted. This is useful in Mayhem Mode, which is rife with targets gunning for players.
It should be noted though, that players will want to keep this gun out as long as possible, as any stacks or damage bonus is reset when swapped out.
21 Yellowcake
COV
- Can only be found in Revenge of the Cartels, obtainable from Fish Slap (6.6% drop rate), Smallums (6.6%), and Joey Ultraviolet (11%).
- Always has Radiation.
- Projectiles travel a short distance, but burst into two mortars that explode and split a second time.
- Loads of raw damage output.
Rocket Launchers can be iffy, especially when compared to the boss blasters and 'Fight For Your Life' savers they were in Borderlands 2. But while most may not have the explosive effectiveness they had in BL2, this weapon — A COV of all manufacturers — is one of the strongest in the game, bar none.
Players merely need to get used to the distinct and peculiar mechanics of this mortar-firing launcher. It's certainly better for bosses, badasses, and generally larger targets, as the odd trajectory of the splitting mortars makes it tough to land direct hits from even middle distance. Aside from the range limitation, there's also high heat generation to factor in, so this weapon shouldn't be spammed too often. It only takes four shots for this beast to overheat.
20 Hellshock
Maliwan
- Obtained randomly from any loot source, but has a 15% chance of dropping from Vermilingua in The Splinterlands on Pandora.
- Always incendiary and shock.
- Projectiles bounce.
- Yields a magazine size boost of +20.
This unique, potent Maliwan pistol is great for spamming and crowd control in general, but users will need to work around its inaccurate, unpredictable nature. Projectiles will always bounce, and even more useful, they'll begin as one element before shifting to the second after their first impact.
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If it successfully hits its mark, this can unleash a barrage of hefty damage and DoT at a level few weapons are capable of. Players may want to continually pump the trigger and aim for the feet of targets to get the most out of this one, and work around its distinct mechanics.
19 Kaoson
Dahl
- Dropped from Captain Traunt (16.5%) at Mayhem 6 or higher. He can be found on the east side of Athenas.
- Fires sticky projectiles at a very high speed, and with high accuracy.
- When reloading or after 1.3 seconds upon impact, these stickies explode for 100% splash damage (no self-damage).
This nifty SMG has all the speed, accuracy, and portability of a pistol, with the DPS and explosive nature of heavy machine guns and even small launchers. Its speed, sharp accuracy, and splash-damaging stickies allow players to deal loads of damage to multiple targets with ease.
This already powerful gun can be amped up even further, as certain prefixes yield double bullets fired/used.
18 Face-Puncher
Hyperion
- Obtained randomly from any loot source, but has a 15% chance of dropping from Muldock the Anointed in Floodmoor Basin on Eden-6.
- Spawns with a melee accessory and absorbing frontal shield.
- Firing sound resembles that of a boxing glove punch.
- Yields a high chance of causing enemies to stumble when hit.
The aptly named Face-Puncher adheres quite strictly to a boxing/melee theme, not only with its amusing punching sound effect, but also its perks. This disruptive weapon draws from a Vault Hunter's melee strength, and looses a melee accessory in every instance of being spawned.
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This offensive boost based on melee can be especially useful in Mayhem — as players will likely have a build with potent melee abilities at this stage in the game. With its high damage ceiling, players taking advantage of a solid melee-focused build can unleash a walloping on enemies at close range.
17 Maggie
Jakobs
- Obtainable from any loot source, but with an increased chance to drop from Turnkey Tim (15%) in Floodmoor Basin.
- Fires bursts of six projectiles per shot.
- Increased magazine size and critical hit damage.
The Maggie boasts nearly all the markings of a swift and sharp Jakobs pistol, while packing a punch from close or medium range that can essentially take the role of a strong shotgun. While it's not the most accurate pick, it more than makes up for this shotty-like spread with its massive damage output.
It's particularly great for whittling down some of the larger, tougher bosses and minibosses that populate the game. While the accuracy and damage per projectile go down a bit with each shot-per-clip, it's still well worth blasting foes with this deceptively deadly tribute to Monty Jakobs' wife.
16 Nukem
Torgue
- Has an increased chance to drop from Loco Chantelle (10%), found in the VIP Tower (The Handsome Jackpot).
- Massive damage and splash radius.
- Rockets fired in an arc and trigger a large explosion on impact.
While the rocket launcher group received a fairly big downgrade in terms of effectiveness and availability compared to past BL entries, the Nukem is a rare gem in this category. This beast can wipe out crowds and leave a major dent in bosses in just a few quick shots, despite its highly limited magazine size and bizarre trajectory.
Its huge blast radius can thin out even some of the largest, most potent crowds — though players will want to keep their distance, as it can drop its user rather easily too.
15 Sand Hawk
Dahl
- Obtained from the boss Katagawa Jr. At Mayhem 6 or higher.
- Fires bursts of seven projectiles in a bird shape, with opening wings as it glides.
- Can come in any elemental variant.
This legendary Dahl sniper can be an ammo glutton, consuming three per shot, and a bit slow when it comes to bullet speed. Otherwise, though, it is very worthwhile, even for those who don't favor the clunky sluggishness of snipers.
With loads of damage-dealing and a widespread that continues expanding, this is a rare sniper that's solid for both boss fights and crowd control. This can also be tightened up with its semi-auto firing mode, which keeps the spread closer and more reliable. Factor this in with the exponentially strong elementals, and the Hawk is a true killer as close and medium range.