A few final notes before we jump into it:
unless otherwise noted, preferred stocks are Hyperion for shotguns and Dahl for everything else
Sights/Scopes are mostly personal preference, take whichever one you get/want
Twister
It’s a really good gun with anarchy in general but it really shines in a LBT Gaige and should be in every Gaiges’ possession.
It’s an elemental Jacobs shotgun which means its gets the high Jacobs damage and the x2.3 critical multiplier plus elemental damage and splash damage.
It’s very efficient in both OP8 and lvl 72.
- Ideal Parts: Jakobs grip
- Prefixes: Rustlers
- Obtaining: Omnd-Omnd-Ohk (DLC3 and HH5)
Omen/ Blockhead
With its fixed bullet spread it works perfectly with anarchy. It’s also just a great shotgun to have. It deals 100% splash damage which is boosted by anarchy. Bullets innately ricochet and therefore receives no penalties from close enough.
- Ideal Parts: Tediore grip
- Ideal Prefix: New and Improved (Omen), Gentle (Blockhead)
- Obtaining:
Omen: Ancient Dragons of Destruction
Blockhead: Creepers
Conference call/ Interfacer/ Butcher
It’s one of the best shotguns for Gaige; that fast and unique firing pattern combined with Anarchy at any number of stacks and Close Enough makes for a powerful, incredibly fun weapon.
- Ideal Parts: Bandit Grip
- Ideal Prefix: Practicable
- Obtaining: Warrior, Handsome Sorcerer (DLC4)
Casual SWORDSPLOSION
this shotgun is already insanely strong. Combined with anarchy this gun works wonders. Be extremely careful, this will start to kill you at around 200 stacks of anarchy. Not advised for high anarchy other than getting out of FFYL. Probably best to treat it more like a rocket launcher than a shotgun. Close enough applies to every little sword that comes out of the big sword.
- Ideal Parts: Torgue grip
- Ideal Prefix: Casual
- Obtaining: Sword in the Stoner quest reward, DLC4
Hydra
The very high pellet count at the cost of 3 ammo make this weapon among the most ammo-efficient weapons in the game in terms of projectile-to-ammo ratio, firing ~20 pellets at a time. This is another shotgun with a fixed spread (effected my anarchy). Gaige can get a lot of use out of it due to close enough. Highest damaging non-elemental shottie. Up close, can take out mobs without Anarchy in 1~2 shots. Preferred prefix- Rustler’s.
- Ideal Parts: Jakobs grip
- Ideal Prefix: Rustlers
- Obtaining: rare drop from Rouge in Candlerakk’s Crag in DLC3
Flakker
Each pellet and subsequent explosion receive a full Anarchy bonus. Spread becomes extremely tight with Discord. dropped by Warrior, Handsome sorcerer or torgue vendor in DLC2
- Ideal Parts: Torgue grip
- Ideal Prefix: Casual
- Obtaining: Warrior, Handsome Sorcerer (DLC4), Torgue vendor (DLC2)
Ravager
only non unique shotgun here. If you cant get any of the others this is a viable option. High pellet count, bad ammo consumption, solid damage.
- Ideal Parts: Torgue grip
- Ideal Prefix: Casual
- Obtaining: World drop or Tougue Vendor (DLC2)
Honerable mention
Pre-stackers
Tediore grip skatter guns green+, Jakobs grip longrider green. other versions exist.
- Ideal Parts: refer to description
- Ideal Prefix: Texas
- Obtaining: World drop
Lascaux
the easiest farm in the game. It’s just in a pool of water in frostburn canyon. If you ever find yourself without good guns in UVHM go get yourself one of these since in UVHM it will always be your level. Very Very high fire rate and burst count. With high anarchy treat it more like a shotgun or use it with the expectation of relying on close enough. I could be wrong but i believe the Stopping prefix increases damage.
- Ideal Parts: Dahl grip
- Ideal Prefix: Stopping
- Obtaining: Frostburn spawn
Tattler
Works great with low Anarchy stacks, and synergizes with any elemental preference. High usage from The Better Half.
- Ideal Parts: Bandit grip
- Ideal Prefix: Murduring
- Obtaining: Hyperius (DLC1)
Florentine
Shock and slag, yes please. Perfect if you go down the LBT tree. It initially deals slag damage and electric splash damage. Little synergy with the Anarchy tree. Consummate increases damage while impetuous increases bullet speed.
- Ideal Parts: Maliwan grip
- Ideal Prefix: Impetuous
- Obtaining: DLC4 Seraph vendor
Slagga
probably the best smg to slag anything ever. Fires 3 shots for the price of one. It’s basically a legendary version of the tattler. Deals slightly less damage than the tattler but a higher elemental chance Good for BFF tree if you let deathtrap do most of the damage but you are slagging everything in his path. chance to drop from Tector & Jimbo Hodunk located in The Dust. It also has an increased chance to drop from the Handsome Dragon in Hatred’s Shadow within Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC
- Ideal Parts: Bandit grip
- Ideal Prefix: Bulets Go Fasterifed
- Obtaining: Jimbo & Tector after completion of Clan Wars
Bekah
Works from 0 stacks to 400, which is a great help for any Gaige user. This gun has a multiplicative crit bonus of 15% on top of the base additive 50% inherent to Jakobs, a bullet split that synergizes well with Anarchy, and four total projectiles per shot that directly increase damage. It also has a pseudo-B0re penetration effect that gives it similar properties to the Twister. While ADSing, the gun is extremely accurate and allows crits even at relatively high stacks. As it is a Jakobs assault rifle specifically, it also has a huge ammo-to-damage ratio that gives it an edge on many of the other Gaige Top Gear assault rifles, that being due to the four given shots per ammo used. Anarchy simply provides extra damage on top of it’s high base damage, and it also has a good deal of synergy with Nth Degree due to the extra projectiles.
- Ideal Parts: Jakobs grip
- Ideal Prefix: Boss
- Obtaining: Tubbies and OMGWTF
Ogre
it does massive damage, especially with a Jill of all trades com. It doesn’t work super well with anarchy so you have to keep a pretty close/medium distance from the enemies but it shreds them.
- Ideal Parts: Dahl stock, Torgue grip
- Ideal Prefix: Nasty or Wild
- Obtaining: King of Orcs in the Badass round (DLC4)
Rapier
only good if you choose to play a melee Gaige. Only necessary for this one play style as it has low raw damage. Try to get a slag version, it makes everything easier.
- Ideal Parts: Vladof Grip, Slag
- Ideal Prefixes: Swift or Rabid
- Obtaining: Message In A Bottle quest reward (DLC1)
Seeker
Seeking capabilities enhanced with use of Close Enough, without the ricochet. The Seeker can only be obtained from trading with the Seraph Vendor in Flamerock Refuge. DLC4
- Ideal Parts: Torgue grip
- Ideal Prefixes: Wild or Plump
- Obtaining: DLC4 seraph vendor
Hail
- Ideal Parts: Vladof Grip
- Ideal Prefixes: Rabid (avoid Swift)
- Obtaining: Bandit circle of slaughter round 5
Kitten
Highly conditional weapon. A moxxi assault rifle that acts more like a shotgun. Fires 3 bullets for the price of one. You really need to be at point-blank range to directly hit anything with this gun. Works well with close enough because bullets rarely go within the crosshairs.
- Ideal Parts: Vladof Grip
- Ideal Prefixes: Rabid
- Obtaining: Everybody Wants to be Wanted quest reward (DLC2)
Rubi/ Grog Nozzle
Grog:
This is not specifically good for gaige but it is needed for health gating. its twice on this list but for different purposes. up until level 72 the rubi will be sufficient for healing. at op 8 players will notice that they need the grog nozzle to remain in health gating range. An important weapon for any class. Rubi is a Quest reward from Rakkaholics anonymous and Grog nozzle is a quest item from the Beard Makes the Man, do not hand that quest in.
- Ideal Parts: Maliwan grip
- Ideal Prefix: refer to description
- Obtaining:
Rubi: Rakkaoholics anonymous quest reward
Grog Nozzle: Beard makes the Wizard quest item (DLC4)
Fibber
It ricochet’s off into 9 bullets. The damage on the gun card has the highest bullet damage out of the 3 barrels. Since all pellets are unlisted it deals full amp damage for every one of those new bullets. Combined with close enough you can clear entire areas while looking at your feet; with or without the bee shield. Try to get it with a win-win, dynamic or redundant prefix. Win win means more damage. Dynamic means higher fire rate its the better version with the bee. Redundant is better with high anarchy but because it shoots 2 shots you do use ammo faster. This gun is gaige’s version of beehawking but anarchy replaces the bee shield. There is no penalty from close enough with this gun.
- Ideal Parts: Barrel 3, Hyperion Grip
- Ideal Prefixes: Win-Win, Dynamic, Redundant
- Obtaining: A Real Boy: Human quest reward
Thunderball Fists
Synergizes great with the LBT tree. You get 2 electric explosions per shot. Pain in the ass to farm. If the name didn’t give it away its always electric. When a shot hits the ground or an enemy, a small (shock) explosion occurs a few seconds later, dealing roughly double the damage of the shot. It provides a ton of damage, can hit multiple enemies at once, and is generally useful while mobbing. Dropped by Captain Flynt in Southern Shelf
- Ideal Parts: Maliwan grip
- Ideal Prefixes: Potent
- Obtaining: Captian Flynt or Sparky Flynt (HH5)
Little evie
Always shock elemental. Very high elemental chance and shock damage. Also has very high fire rate for a Maliwan pistol. Projectiles fire in a parabolic arc. Killing an enemy increases the action skill cooldown rate by 12%. This means more death traps and it always comes in shock which is what you want if you go down LBT. Little Evie is obtained from Lil’ Sis after killing Mr. Bubbles without hurting Lil’ Sis in the process. DLC1.
- Ideal Parts: Maliwan grip
- Ideal Prefixes: Potent
- Obtaining: Little Sister (DLC1)
DPUH
while spread with >200 stacks can be extremely unreliable, all pellets + any splash damage receive a full Anarchy bonus. *Spread becomes reliable with Discord. Gotten from Torgue Vendors in DLC3
- Ideal Parts: Torgue grip
- Ideal Prefix: Double Penetrating
- Obtaining: Savage Lee, Torgue Vendor (DLC2)
Very hard to use with Gaige as most sniper rifles rely on the accuracy, which we usually do not have. You can accurately snipe with up to about 100 stacks and then the accuracy loss becomes too much for long distances. These snipers are specialty snipers and are not used in a traditional manner. If you choose to use other snipers discord looping makes it possible, though maybe not functional for Gaige.
Pimpernel
It is effective at op 8 with no stacks, Aim for the navel on human enemies. The “sweet spot” is different on most enemies for gaige. take the time to relearn them for each enemy. It takes a lot of practice but is worth it once you get passed the learning curve. Secondary orbs from the pimpernel also get undivided damage bonuses from anarchy. A high elemental chance makes it perfect for the LBT tree. This gun works from 0 stacks to 400 and has a sweet spot around 200. This gun has high damage per shot, making it ammo efficient, and keeps high accuracy up to 250 stacks. It has high synergy with Nth degree due to the projectiles per shot, and Anarchy gives it high raw damage stats in return for little accuracy loss.
- Ideal Parts: Jakobs or Maliwan grip
- Ideal Prefix: Barking or Banbury
- Obtaining: Don’t copy that floppy quest reward (DLC1)
Longbow
This can be used as a mid-range sniper or assault rifle. Sniper wise with the right parts it is effective up to about 200 stacks. You will see some crazy numbers. Dropped by Creepers in Caustic Caverns
- Ideal Parts: Hyperion or Jakobs Grip
- Ideal Prefix: Venture
- Obtaining: Creepers
Stupidly high damage with high anarchy stacks, try not to kill yourself.
Topneaa
The fact that you can spam these “single-shot Norfleets”, just make them that much more awesome! Preferred prefix Rugged. Obtained randomly from anywhere
Hive
You get some insane numbers with enough anarchy. Because its homing its resistant to the negative effects of anarchy. Dropped from Saturn.
Norfleet
Gaige can probably hit the damage cap with a good Norfleet and max anarchy stacks(unproven but you will still deal a massive amount of damage.) Gaige is the best shamfleeter( Sham +norfleet) in the game. (this is just a visual damage cap, the game will only show you dealing a certain amount of damage but u actually can deal more.) Great for getting second winds.
- Ideal Parts: Maliwan grip, Tediore sight, Torgue exhaust
- Ideal Prefix: Prudential, Puissant
- Obtaining: Vermivorous or Hyperius (DLC1)
Gaige does not get grenades or explosive bonuses like a few other characters. Anarchy has no effect on grenade damage so even a powerful grenade such as the bonus package is not extraordinary on Gaige. As a result, you will most likely be using grenades for their secondary effect and not for pure damage. Most of these on the list are just great slagging tools and are not specifically good with any tree, but are still very important for gaige.
Crossfire/Bouncing Bonny
it is best to get a very low-level version because higher leveled ones WILL KILL YOU! These act like normal bouncing Betty grenades except they throw out child grenades as they bounce. Slag versions can effectively slag large areas of enemies. They can also kinda slag bosses because they continuously slag those around them as long as they are active. To best take advantage of these get the slag versions. The Crossfire can only be obtained from trading with the Seraph Vendor in the Badass Crater of Badassitude. Bouncing Bonny is obtained randomly from any suitable loot source, but has an increased chance to drop from Loot Midgets. In order of usefulness for prefixes- Longbow, Lobbed, Homing and 0.0 fuse time.
Chain lightning
Does great damage with a LBT build and is an easy heal with a Moxxie weapon.If you use a gun to slag this is a great grenade to use for most playstyles as with a LBT build it can kill smaller enemies at a pretty efficient range. With other build it strips shields like there was no tomorrow allowing you to hit fleshy enemies with fire. You don’t have to worry about enemy shields and it can easily kill surveyors.
The Chain Lightning is a rare drop from Badass Sorcerers DLC4
Game play video Demonstration of awesome shield stripping,
O-negative
This is the best transfusion grenade in the game and will easily keep your health in the health gating range. I suggest the slag variant as you will not be using this for raw damage, might as well multitask. the O-Negative can only be obtained from trading with the Seraph Vendor in the Badass Crater of Badassitude in True Vault Hunter Mode and Normal or as a drop from Pete the Invincible in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode.
Magic missile
Unless you get Interspersed Outburst gaige does not have a way to slag its opponents. For mobbing, this is the best possible grenade to have if you want to reliably slag enemies and not worry about running out. Up to level 72 the damage isn’t too bad either. Magic Missile is dropped by the wizards, as well as their badass counterparts. You want the x4 purple variant
Storm front
The only grenade actually used for its damage. Since it is always electric this grenade gets heavily boosted if you go down the LBT tree. chance to drop from Lee, Mike, Dan or Ralph located in Bloodshot Stronghold. It can also be dropped by Flinter. In order of usefulness for prefixes- Longbow, Lobbed, Homing and 0.0 fuse time.
the first two on this list can only be acquired by killing chubby/tubby enemies.
Legendary Catalyst
boosts just about every useful skill in the LBT tree. Basically, a must have if you want to properly take advantage of the LBT tree.
Team Elemental Effect Damage
+5 Wires Don’t Talk
+5 Evil Enchantress
+5 More Pep
+5 Electrical Burn
+5 Interspersed Outburst
Legendary Anarchist
The innate gun bonus works the same way as stacks of anarchy. It is added to any stacks you currently have rather than multiplied. +5 in typecast iconoclast is also amazing for anarchists.
Gun Damage
Gun Accuracy
+5 Strength of 5 Gorilla
+5 Myelin
+5 Unstoppable Force
+5 Smaller, Lighter, Faster
+5 Typecast Iconoclast
Legendary Mechromancer
easy enough to get from loot midgets. Good general class mod. Useful for a lot of builds
+Cooldown rate %
+5 Cooking Up Trouble
+5 The Better Half
+5 20% Cooler
+5 More Pep
+5 Strength of Five Gorillas
+5 Smaller, Lighter, Faster
Slayer of Terramorphous
Its important to note this is the only class mod that allows gaige to get 600 stacks of anarchy. However aside from that it is mostly useless.
+burn chance
+burn damage
+max Health
+4 Interspersed Outburst
+4 Evil Enchantress
+4 Made of Sterner Stuff
+4 Fancy Mathematics
+4 Preshrunk Cyberpunk
Prodigy
the ideal COM for raiding. A purple version gives points into “more pep” which you do not need. For this reason get a blue version
+n% Reload
+n% Accuracy
+6/+5 Cooking up trouble
+5/+6 The Better half
Necromancer
The best two versions of this COM are Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Good.
+Accuracy: % (“Lawful” in the name)
+Critical Damage % (“Evil” in the name)
+Fire Rate % (“Chaotic” in the name)
+Magazine Size 73% (“True Neutral” in the name) or +45% (“Neutral” in the name)
+Reload Speed % (“Good” in the name)
Variants of the Necromancer class mod may grant the following bonuses up to:
+6 Made of Sterner Stuff
+6 Strength of Five Gorillas
+6 Wires Don’t Talk
Technophile
If you want to get the most out of interspersed outburst this is the class mod to use. Great substitute for the legendary catalyst class mod.
Variants of the Technophile class mod may grant the following bonuses up to:
+Shield Capacity:
+Shield Recharge Rate:
-Accuracy:
+6 Fancy Mathematics
+6 Strength of Five Gorillas
+6 Interspersed Outburst
With all shields, you should go for the inflammable or alkaline prefix. This respectively gives fire and corrosive DOT immunity. Gaige probably has one of the best abilities related to a shield. Blood Soaked shields at 5/5 refill 100% of your shield after a kill. Gaige is a shield tanker. Her skills heavily support the idea that she is meant to use her shields to absorb damage. She has 4 skills that help keep your shields up. Fancy Mathematics, Unstoppable force, Blood Soaked Shields and buck up. Other characters can take continuous health damage and stay alive (Salvador for example), but gaige is mostly about shields. A good portion of these shields are up to personal preference. The nature of shields dictates that they synergize with play style and not specifically with any tree. It all depends on what you want your shield to do. All of these except the bee can be used with relative success if you get the skill sharing is caring. The best BFF shield in my opinion is the hide of terra due to its massive damage bonus for him. Look at the max shield stats link from the top of the thread for the proper parts and stats for these.
Sham
because sham. Dropped from the BNK3R
Love Thumper
the trick is to give the death trap this shield with sharing is caring. WARNING! HE WILL KILL YOU IF YOU GET TOO CLOSE, Deathtrap will destroy everything in his path including you. Its like watching the finale of a fireworks show because of how often the novas go off.
Hide of Terramorphous
This is the only nongun gear piece in this part of the thread for a reason; it is considered one of the best shields for Gaige. There are countless builds relying on this as its main shield. If you get sharing is caring this is probably the best possible shield you can give deathtrap as he gets the highest roid damage shield in the game, an amazing spike and a nova shield all in one. It’s a nova, roid, and spike shield all in one what more can you ask for. It’s a pain in the ass to farm but completely worth it. With 5/5 in BSS you frequently get to take advantage of the nova part of this shield. Hold a Rubi or grog nozzle and you actually get healed a little bit every time an enemy decides to melee you. (will not stop you from dying as the healing effects of the Rubi/grog kick in after you receive damage) This shield also makes melee Gaige possible. Dropped from Terramorphous
Blockade
High capacity Blockade is also great for mobbing with BSS. Faster recharge rate variant is great for raiding with minimal adds. Especially coupled with MoSS, can significantly increase damage resistance. Basically, a turtle shield without the health loss. This is one of the more balanced shields in the game. Blockade can only be obtained as a rare drop from the Ancient Dragons of Destruction DLC4.
###Big boom blaster
Shield can be shared with DT, making grenade/RL ammo replenishment easy. Also comes with elemental capacitors, and relatively high cap. The Big Boom Blaster can only be obtained from trading with the Seraph Vendor in the Badass Crater of Badassitude in True Vault Hunter Mode and Normal or as a rare drop from Pete the Invincible in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode.
Ideal Parts:
Obtaining:
###Antagonist
High capacity, wonderful bullet deflection, and throws out slag orbs when enemies hit you. Whats not to love. Very well balanced shield. The Antagonist can be obtained from trading with the Seraph Vendor in Flamerock Refuge DLC4.
Ideal Parts:
Obtaining:
###The Bee
With BSS this shield will rarely see any down time. Honestly it is unnecessary at high enough anarchy but its worth mentioning. Its usually advised that you use a different shield because reliance on the bee reduces Gaige’s survive ability. she is one of the best characters with the bee because of blood soaked shields to cancel out the Poor recharge and myelin to help with the capacity. Add to this a ricochet fibber and close enough and she is better using the bee than most other characters with the possible exception of a beehawking siren. BSS, UF, Buck Up and Myelin all have highly synergistic properties with it. hance to drop from Hunter Hellquist located in Arid Nexus – Boneyard. As of Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, the Bee has an increased chance to drop from Treants and Pixies in the Forest DLC4. Not to be used with sharing is caring.
Ideal Parts:
Obtaining:
###Blackhole
used with Sharing is caring because deathtrap doesnt have to go to the enemies, enemies go to him. Also with high enough anarchy you cannot hit anything more than 20 feet away. It helps if you can drag everyone to you right before you die. chance to drop from Foreman Jasper located in Opportunity.
Ideal Parts:
Obtaining:
###Flame of the firehawk
lose shield -> bunch of novas -> full shield. Not used as much as some of the other shields, but worth mentioning. Due to sharing is caring, up to level 72 this can also be a good shield to give deathtrap as he rarely has time to regenerate his shield. obtained from the mission Cult Following: The Enkindling located in Frostburn Canyon.
#Relics
(back to top)
###Shadow of the Seraphs
“chance to shoot twice” ideal for large mag guns; I.E. Fibber, non-Jakobs shotties, ARs, etc. Perfect for running areas with multiple enemy types. Can significantly increase overall DPS. Proven with DP runs @ OP8. Obtained from Seraph Vendor in DLC4
Ideal Stats:
Obtaining:
###Bone of the ancients
This comes in all elements but if you go down LBT make sure you get a shock variant. It gives the highest elemental damage bonus out of any relic and it also gives a cooldown bonus. The cooldown bonus is helpful for deathtrap as we have the longest cooldown in the game. If you go down any tree grab this relic. Dropped from Loot midgets
Elements: can boost every element except slag and explosive
Locations: Loot midgets
Ideal Stats:
Obtaining:
###Sheriff’s badge
works great with the fibber as it boosts pistol fire rate and damage. Rare drop from sheriff of Lynchwood
Ideal Stats:
Obtaining:
##Honerable mention
