Getting Started
The structure of the guide will be as follows: 4 slots in each category for the Top Gear: the best bits of gear from that type in terms of synergy with Salvador’s skills and overall effectiveness. Each piece of gear will be accompanied by a short rundown on the weapon, ideal parts and the means to acquire it. Following that, there will be a short collection of Honorable Mentions, gear that is fairly good in their own right, but not quite on the level of the Top Gear. Everything is shown in relative order of preference: Weapon type, entries within each section, and parts (if multiple are suggested).
Note: The best stock is almost always Dahl on Weapons that can have them, with Hyperion being the runner-up. For Shotguns, the Hyperion Stock is the best, except for Hyperion Shotguns, where it’s a tossup between Torgue and Hyperion, depending on preference.
Pistols
Grog Nozzle / Rubi
Simply put, these are the key to Salvador’s survivability at endgame. With one of these in your hand, any and ALL Damage you deal heals you! Rubi heals for 12%, and Grog Nozzle heals for a whopping 65%. These work best as “Slag offhand” Weapons, allowing you to use a very high DPS Weapon in your main hand so that you don’t have to worry about swapping Weapons for Slag or healing like those other chump Vault Hunters that only hold 1 gun at a time. Grog Nozzle is the better of the two not only because of the higher healing percentage but also because it has a hidden 200% Critical Damage bonus. In addition, it has a random chance to make you “drunk” for a few seconds, cutting your Fire Rate by almost half but multiplying the number of bullets fired with each shot by 6.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan Grip
- Binary, Expeditious, or Surfeit Prefix
Obtaining:
- Grog Nozzle: Mission Item from “The Beard Makes the Man”
- Rubi: Mission Reward from “Rakkaholics Anonymous”, when turned in to Moxxi
Unkempt Harold
Not only is this generally the most powerful Pistol in the game, it’s also one of the most powerful guns, period. Despite that, it’s also one of the easiest Legendaries to get since you can buy it from Torgue Vending Machines. Costs 3 Ammo for 1 pellet with 100% Splash Damage that spawns 6 additional pellets with 70% Splash Damage each. Costs twice as much Ammo for twice as many pellets if you get the Double Penetrating prefix, which is the most sought-after and the highest DPS.
Best Parts:
- Torgue Grip
- Double Penetrating Prefix
Obtaining:
- Torgue Vending Machines in Torgue’s DLC
- Drops from Savage Lee in Three Horns – Divide
Anarchist / Stinger
Vladof Pistols with the Vladof barrel are called Anarchists. They’re a solid pick for flying enemies that are difficult to hit with Unkempt Harold. Stinger is effectively an Anarchist whose bullets bounce when they hit something. Garnet Anarchists are the best option in this category, boasting higher Accuracy and a 7.5% Critical Damage bonus. Great synergy with the skills Inconceivable, 5 Shots or 6, and Legendary Hoarder Class Mod.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Purging Prefix
Obtaining:
- Anarchist: Butt Stallion/World Drop
- Stinger: Drops from Ancient Dragons of Destruction in The Winged Storm
Lady Fist
This gun has 800% Critical Damage Bonus, and is Hyperion, getting more accurate the longer you shoot it. It’s perfect for what it does. Use with Grog Nozzle for at least 2,400% Critical Damage ([yes, you read that right][1]). Don’t be fooled by the below-average Damage shown on the card, the ludicrous Critical Damage more than makes up for it. Also good as a Slag offhand Weapon to boost the Critical Damage of your main hand, if you don’t need the healing from Moxxi Weapons.
Best Parts:
- Hyperion Grip
- Win-Win or Redundant Prefix
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “Uncle Teddy”, when turned in to Una Baha
Honorable Mentions
Stalker
A Vladof Pistol that shoots slow-moving needles that bounce off of walls. It has an abnormally high Fire Rate, but the slow bullets hold this back from being on-par with Anarchist and Stinger. Still, if your enemies are not airborne, this gun is great. Try strafing while shooting to make a wall of needles.
Best Parts: Vladof Grip, Purging Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from OMGWTH in Digistruct Peak, Tubbies, and Legendary Loot Midgets
Vladof Pistols
Seriously, I can’t stress enough how great these are for Salvador.
Thunderball Fists
A Shock-only Maliwan Pistol with unique Splash Damage. When the bullets hit, after a short delay, pulsing Shock balls spawn and travel a short distance upwards. Fun for stripping Shields. Unfortunately, the lackluster nature of Shock itself, and the 2 Ammo cost per shot (4 with x2 prefix) is what holds this gun back on Salvador.
Best Parts: Maliwan Grip, Potent Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from Captain Flynt in Southern Shelf and Sparky Flynt in Wam Bam Island
Shotguns
Interfacer
The combination of unlisted pellets, hidden Critical Damage, Elemental variety, and high Fire Rate make this not only the highest damaging Shotgun for Salvador, but one of the highest DPS weapons in the game. When scoring Critical Hits with all or most of the pellets, Interfacer’s DPS exceeds even Double Penetrating Unkempt Harold. Costs 2 Ammo per shot. After a few feet, 2 full sets of extra pellets spawn on either side of the main shot, fly out to the sides in an arc and meet up again in the middle a few feet later, drawing a circle. This unique firing pattern makes Interfacer one of the harder to use guns in the game since it’s so dependent on your distance from your target. To get the most out of this gun, you have to try to keep your enemies’ Criticals right where all the pellets converge at the far end, or where the secondary pellets spawn near the barrel.
Best Parts:
- Hyperion Grip
- Practicable Prefix
Obtaining:
- Drops from Voracidous the Invincible in Candlerakk’s Crag
Conference Call / Butcher / Heart Breaker
Not one of these guns can stand up to Interfacer in terms of DPS, but they’re good options if you can’t get the hang of its odd firing pattern. Conference Call is the best of these. Heart Breaker is in the middle of these two, but it only comes in Fire. It shoots in a heart-shape, which is adorable. It also heals you by 2% of all Damage you deal while holding it, which is even more adorable; has a 50% Critical Damage bonus, which is triply adorable. and shoots 10 pellets instead of 6. Shame it can’t come in Slag.
Best Parts:
- Conference Call / Heart Breaker: Hyperion Grip
- Butcher: Bandit Grip
- Practicable Prefix
Obtaining:
- Conference Call: Drops from The Warrior in Hero’s Pass and Handsome
- Sorcerer in Dragon’s Keep
- Butcher: Drops from OMGWTH in Digistruct Peak, Tubbies, and
- Legendary Loot Midgets
- Heart Breaker: Mission Reward from “Safe and Sound”, when turned in to Moxxi
Ravager / Hulk
Explosive Weapons are some of the best in the game, so it should come as no surprise that Explosive Shotguns feature in the Top Gear for Salvador since he can overcome their two major weaknesses: Fire Rate and Reload Speed. They take some skill to line up properly with their slow Projectile Speed, but they’re insanely potent. Ravager costs 4 Ammo per shot and Hulk costs 3.
Best Parts:
- Torgue Grip
- Casual Prefix
Obtaining:
- Butt Stallion/World Drop/Torgue Machines
Blockhead / Omen
The Blockhead only comes in Fire, but it’s one of the best Fire Weapons in the game. It shoots 9 (11 with Gentle prefix) “blocks” in a 3×3 square that can Crit and bounce off of walls. If this came in other Elements, it would feature higher than Ravager/Hulk. The Omen is what you get when the Blockhead and the Octo have a baby. The Omen shoots in a circular pattern with a central shot, and the whole pattern expands and contracts around that shot. A bit harder to use than the Blockhead, but this one comes in all Elements. Both use a single Ammo per shot and have a bonus 80% Splash Damage.
Best Parts:
- Tediore or Bandit Grip
- Blockhead: Gentle Prefix
- Omen: New and Improved or Basic Prefix
Obtaining:
- Blockhead: Drops from Badass Creepers in Caustic Caverns
- Omen: Drops from the Ancient Dragons of Destruction in The Winged Storm
Honorable Mentions
Slow Hand
A Hyperion Shotgun that comes in every Element but Explosive. It’s like a Splatgun, but it shoots straight and activates Get Some. It’s also a Moxxi Weapon, healing you by ~2-3% of all Damage dealt while in-hand. With the Practicable prefix, it will shoot 3 blobs for 2 Ammo. The blobs move slowly, and they can hurt you. Very high Elemental Effect Chance, making this a great Slag offhand Weapon as well.
Best Parts: Hyperion Grip, Practicable Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from Badassasaurus Rex and Piston in Torgue Arena
SWORDSPLOSION!!!
A Torgue Shotgun that suffers from a similar issue as Slow Hand in that its shots can harm you. Still, it’s one of the better Shotguns in the game. With the Casual prefix, it costs 2 Ammo to shoot 3 swords. each of which explode and spawn 3 more exploding swords.
Best Parts: Torgue Grip, Casual Prefix
Obtaining: Mission Reward from “The Sword and the Stoner”
Hyperion Shotguns
Their gimmick overcomes one of the major drawbacks of Gunzerking: a lack of Accuracy. They also have high Fire Rate, which plays to one of Salvador’s strengths. If you can’t find a good Pistol, try a Hyperion Shotgun.
Flakker
A Torgue Shotgun that’s not exactly what it appears to be. This is one of the best Weapons in the game, but the learning curve is so steep (steeper than Interfacer, if you can believe it), that it goes unnoticed. This learning curve is why it only gets an Honorable Mention, but make no mistake: it’s a monster in the right hands.
Best Parts: Torgue Grip, Casual Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from The Warrior in Hero’s Pass and Handsome Sorcerer in Dragon’s Keep
Torgue Machines
Rustler’s Orphan Maker
This Jakobs Shotgun is better than it looks, but it requires a certain setup to be used properly and without the Rustler’s prefix, it’s average at best. Normally it hurts you when you shoot it, but this doesn’t happen if it’s in your offhand. Also, Money Shot for the left hand is calculated using the right hand’s Mag Size. Armed with these two facts, @DeputyChuck made a build using this gun that is both unconventional and extremely effective.
Best Parts: Jakobs Grip, Rustler Prefix
Obtaining: Mission Reward from “Message in a Bottle” in Oasis
Twister
With its unique spread, this Shock-only Shotgun takes some getting used to, but it’s a great weapon with good burst Damage. For a challenge, it’s a nice option. As with all Jakobs weapons, the lack of automatic fire really hurts it for Salvador.
Best Parts: Jakobs Grip, Rustlers Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from Omnd-Omnd-Ohk
Rocket Launchers
Topneaa
A Vladof E-Tech Rocket Launcher. Being Vladof, it “consumes reduced Ammo per shot,” meaning that every third shot will be free. Not only that, but they have very high Fire Rate for a Rocket Launcher. Starting to get the drift? These are the epitome of Salvador’s ridiculousness. Using a Sham, you can avoid downing yourself, as well as absorbing rockets. Use 5 Shots or 6 and your main hand Topneaa will occasionally add 1 rocket to the Magazine instead of using one, even on the free shot! Inconceivable works wonders on this setup, as well, and so do any Magazine Size increases you can get. Never stop shooting huge balls of purple glowy doom.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Vladof or Torgue Exhaust
- Vladof Sight
- Turbulent or Rugged Prefix
Obtaining:
- World Drop
Norfleet
The best Get-Out-Of-Fight-For-Your-Life tool ever made. You don’t even have to aim, just point in the general direction of red dots on your minimap and shoot. Shamfleeting is a popular cheese tactic for clearing mobs. It’s exactly what it sounds like: wear a Sham Shield and use a Norfleet, or in Salvador’s case, two Norfleets. The Sham will absorb rockets and stop you from downing yourself most of the time while Norfleet Blows Up Everything!!! The only reason Topneaa ranks above this beauty is its Fire Rate and ability to shoot forever without spending much Ammo. Norfleet is an Ammo hog at 3 rockets per shot, but it’s worth it for a FFYL Weapon at the very least.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan Grip
- Torgue or Bandit Exhaust
- Tediore or Vladof Sight
- Puissant Prefix
Obtaining:
- Drops from Hyperius the Invincible in Washburne Refinery or
- Vermivorous the Invincible. Good luck.
Badaboom
This is another great Rocket Launcher that works well with Sham, 5 Shots or 6, and Inconceivable. This is the Shotgun of Rocket Launchers, costing 1 Ammo for a 6 rocket spread, and it generally has a large Magazine, to boot. Another good use for this Launcher is as a “Grenade Jump” substitute. Shoot the ground (with your Sham on, don’t get crazy) immediately after jumping to boost your momentum and reach places undreamed of by low-flying birds and Kriegs everywhere.
Best Parts:
- Bandit Grip
- Torgue, Vladof, or Bandit Exhaust
- Tediore or Vladof Sight
- Big or Rappid Prefix
Obtaining:
- Drops from King Mong in Eridium Blight
Creamer
While not the most damaging of Rocket Launchers, this cute little number is a Moxxi Weapon, meaning it heals you by all Damage you deal while holding it. If you’re dual-wielding Rocket Launchers (totally viable on Salvador), you can use this in your offhand for some healing. It’s a pretty decent FFYL tool, as well, because you can heal back the Damage you dealt to get your Second Wind. Costs 1 Ammo for 1 Rocket that splits in two after a few meters.
Best Parts:
- Torgue Grip
- Torgue or Bandit Exhaust
- Tediore or Vladof Sight
- derp or Deep A Prefix
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “Creature Slaughter: Round 5”
Honorable Mentions
Nukem
An excellent wide-area Torgue Rocket Launcher with enormous Damage, useful to get No Kill Like Overkill bonuses, but difficult to wield due to the wide radius and slow, arcing delivery, as well as small Magazine Size and 2 Ammo cost per shot.
Best Parts: Torgue Grip, Torgue Exhaust, Tediore Sight, Derp or Deep A Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from The Black Queen in The Dust
Torgue Machines
All Other Vladof and Bandit Rocket Launchers
Being very Ammo efficient, they synergize well with Salvador’s Ammo efficiency skills and the Sham Shield.
Sniper Rifles
Pimpernel
The God of all Sniper Rifles. When the main bullet hits something, 5 “orbs” shoot off in a star shape from the impact in an arc. The trick is to hit with the orbs, since they can crit. There’s a slight learning curve here, but basically you shoot everything in the crotch for great success. The rules are the same for Salvador as for Zer0 except Sal doesn’t have B0re. Pair this with a Grog Nozzle for a huge Damage boost and occasional orb-spam mode. This is one of my personal favorite combinations.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan Grip
- Barking or Banbury Prefix
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “Don’t Copy That Floppy”
Lyuda
This Vladof Sniper has pretty good Fire Rate, and for 1 Ammo you shoot a bullet that splits into 3 after a few meters. This is effectively a high-powered Assault Rifle worth scoring Crits with. This gun plays to Salvador’s strengths, while Salvador can overcome the gun’s two biggest weaknesses: Reload Speed and Ammo consumption. It’s a great match.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Gromky or Skorry Prefix
Obtaining:
- Drops from Gettle in The Dust
Moloko
A latecomer to this list, this E-tech Vladof Sniper has even better fire Rate than the Lyuda. Although it consumes 2 ammo per shot and has terrible crit penalties (like all E-tech guns), it compensates through sheer brute force: Damage and fire rate. Salvador can deal with its appetite for ammo with no problem and it rivals the Unkempt Harold for best weapon to score a money shot chain with. It also bypasses Nomad shields and skeleton helmets and ricochets off walls.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Gromky, Skorry, or Dobby Prefix
Obtaining:
- World drop
Honorable Mentions
Longbow
This rifle has a slight learning curve, but being Hyperion, it’s extremely accurate, and also has exceptional Damage output. The only drawback is the odd trajectory, but once you’re used to it, this thing melts faces. Pairs well with Grog Nozzle or Lady Fist.
Best Parts: : Hyperion Grip, Venture Prefix
Obtaining: : Drops from Badass Creepers in Caustic Caverns
Droogs
Vladof Snipers with the Vladof barrel. These are excellent on Salvador for all the same reasons Lyuda/White Death is.
Best Parts: : Vladof Grip, Gromky, Skorry, or Razrez Prefix
Obtaining: : World Drop
Assault Rifles
Lead Storm
This beauty of an Assault Rifle fires in an arc, which can take some getting used to, but the bullets split into three after a few meters. Once you get the hang of the trajectory, this gun is hilarious. Perfect synergy with Salvador’s Fire Rate and Ammo consumption negation abilities. Avoid the Swift prefix as that will cause your bullets to fly in a higher arc, and increase the distance before they split.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Ferocious or Severe Prefix (Avoid Swift and Rabid)
Obtaining:
- Seraph Vendor in Hunter’s Grotto
Hail
Being a Moxxi Weapon that comes in Slag, it makes sense this would make it onto the list. It fires in an arc, and the bullets split in two after a few meters. This gimmick makes it a great companion for Lead Storm. Also has +200% Critical Damage, and deals 80% Splash Damage. It’s interesting to note that the prefix Rabid doesn’t seem to affect the Accuracy of this gun due to its Grenadier reticle. Dual Hail is also completely viable.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Rabid Prefix (Avoid Swift)
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “Bandit Slaughter: Round 5”
Kitten
The more user-friendly Moxxi Assault Rifle. While less damaging than a properly-used Hail, is still surprisingly good at putting out Damage for a Moxxi Weapon. It fires in a relatively wide smiley face pattern, which will be smaller depending on your Accuracy. That’s why I prefer Severe prefix on my Kittens. Great as either a Slag Offhand for other Assault Rifles, or as an Elemental main-hand. Very flexible gun.
Best Parts:
- Vladof Grip
- Severe Prefix (Avoid Rabid)
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “Everybody Wants to be Wanted”
Ogre
This is a Legendary Torgue Spitter with the Vladof “Spinigun” barrel. Being Explosive, it’s pretty flexible and powerful. Great synergy with 5 Shots or 6 and Keep It Piping Hot. Pairs well with Kitten.
Best Parts:
- Torgue Grip
- Slippery Prefix
Obtaining:
- Drops from King of Orks in Murderlin’s Temple
Honorable Mentions
Blaster
The E-Tech Vladof Assault Rifle has abnormally high Fire Rate and base Damage offset by consuming 2 Ammo per shot. While they don’t have perfect synergy with 5 Shots or 6, they can seriously pump out the Damage.
Best Parts: Vladof Grip, Ferocious or Swift Prefix
Obtaining: World Drop
KerBlaster
The Legendary Torgue Grenade Launcher is an interesting Weapon on Salvador. It’s useful against enemies that normally reflect bullets, since its explosions won’t reflect. Each shot will explode, then spawn a small Grenade which will also explode after a short delay. Potent if used properly, but difficult to master.
Best Parts: Torgue Grip, Slippery or Nasty Prefix
Obtaining: Drops from Midge-Mong in Southern Shelf – Bay
Torgue Machines
Rapier
This Weapon has the highest Melee Damage bonus in the game. If Salvador carries two of these, he doubles the Melee bonus.
Obtaining: Mission Reward from “Message in a Bottle” in Hayter’s Folly
SMGs
Slagga
The Slagga has extremely high Slag Chance, with 24% on each bullet. The Slagga is only outclassed by the Grog Nozzle because of its additional 65% healing, which is what gives Salvador his reputation of being practically Invincible.
Best Parts:
- Bandit Grip
- Bulets Go Fasterifed or Akurate Prefix
Obtaining:
- Drops from Tector & Jimbo Hodunk in The Dust
Tattler
The Tattler is basically a more powerful Slagga that can come in all elements with slow bullets. The DPS it provides is second to none in SMGs. The Bone Shredder is a decent alternative.
Best Parts:
- Bandit Grip
- Blade is fixed
Obtaining:
- Drops from Hyperius
Plasma Caster / Florentine
Hyperion and Tediore Plasma Casters have very high Damage per bullet, but consume 2 Ammo per shot. Luckily with Inconceivable and Ammo regen during gunzerking, this is less of an issue. The Florentine is essentially a Chullain/Plasma Caster hybrid, with the high Damage and Ammo consumption of the Plasma Casters and the Shock/Slag combo of the Chullain. One of the best things about these weapons is the fact that Grenade Damage boosts affect them, which means you get even more Damage if you’re using KiPH and Get Some.
Best Parts:
- Hyperion or Tediore Grip (Match Manufacturer)
- Rightsizing/Hefty or Proactive/Brisk Prefix
Obtaining
- Plasma Caster: World Drop
- Florentine: Seraph Vendor in Flamerock Refuge
Bitch
The Bitch is the legendary SMG manufactured by Hyperion. The Bitch has pinpoint Accuracy, high Fire Rate and high Crit bonus. One of the best uses I’ve found for the Bitch is when fighting Dexi. If you wear a Bee (Ugh) and offhand a Lady Fist you can hit Crits very efficiently.
Honorable Mentions
Sand Hawk
While often considered the highest DPS SMG in the game, the Sand Hawk doesn’t shine as brightly on Sal. First of all, if you can’t ADS (like Sal) the Sand Hawk’s Fire Rate becomes very lackluster. The Bullet Speed isn’t great either. The reason why it’s even on this list is because it can pair extremely well with NKLO, and has been used along with the Bee to take down raid bosses. Outside of this combo, the Sand Hawk is not that great of a choice for Sal.
Best Parts: Dahl Grip, Flying Prefix
Obtaining: Mission Reward from “Whoops”
Lascaux
The Lascaux has a LOT going for it: it shoots 2 bullets at once, it’s got a fixed pattern and ZERO Recoil (big points for Sal, since he can’t ADS) it’s got decent-to-great all around stats, and best of all: it’s the easiest gun to get in the game. It’s downfall: it’s always Non-Elemental. Still, it’s a great leveling weapon while in UVHM.
Best Parts: Dahl Grip, Stopping or Deft Prefix
Obtaining: Sitting in a puddle in Frostburn Canyon
Grenade
Quasar
This is the ultimate in Crowd Control Grenade technology. Singularity Grenades like this are already excellent for grouping mobs and stopping them from shooting at you for a brief moment, but the Quasar has an additional Tesla effect that runs from right after the Singularity pull until it explodes, which can be exploited for healing with Moxxi Weapons, and does a good job of stripping Shields to boot. This Grenade is amazing. If you can get one, DO IT. It will not disappoint you. If it does disappoint you, you’re doing something WRONG.
Best Parts:
- 0.9 Fuse Time
- Longbow Sticky Delivery
Obtaining:
- Drops from Ultimate Badass Varkids
Bouncing Bonny / Jumping Betty / Crossfire
Grenades for Raid Bosses that wipe Slag off quickly like Terramorphous. Not particularly useful in other situations, if you use a Slag offhand Weapon (like you should). Still, these are so ridiculously good for Raiding against these types of Raid Bosses, they get the number 2 slot. The difference between a Slagged and a non-Slagged Terramorphous fight is huge (hmmm, maybe something like 3x difference? ). Try to get these in LOW LEVEL variants, so you don’t accidentally kill yourself with them. Don’t bother trying to get a Crossfire, the Seraph version of this Grenade type. It costs Seraph Crystals, where are relatively rare, while you can buy a decent Bouncing Betty from an Ammo Dump machine in Normal mode for less than you sell White guns for at OP8. Crossfire is not worth the cost.
Best Parts:
- Short or Long Fuse (Depending on Raid Boss)
- Lobbed or Longbow Delivery (Depending on Raid Boss)
Obtaining:
- Bouncing Bonny: Drops from Legendary Loot Midgets
- Jumping Betty: World Drop
- Crossfire: Seraph vendor in Badass crater of Badassitude
Fastball
Legendary Tediore Grenade, got a huge buff during the Loot Hunt event. It now does more Damage than Ahab (and comes in different Elements!), despite being a mere Grenade. It’s got a pretty small Radius though, so it’s only really effective on a single target at once. Still, it’s got excellent synergy with No Kill Like Overkill because of its enormous Damage potential on Slagged enemies. It can kill most non-bosses in a single throw if they’re Slagged. Fun, and effective. It’s good for healing with a Moxxi Weapon, too, for reasons similar to Chain Lightning, though Fastball does require you to aim.
Obtaining:
- World Drop
Chain Lightning
Excellent spot-healing tool with Moxxi guns, and great against Surveyors and Stalkers. Also regenerates Grenades. All good things. Not much else to say about this one.
Obtaining:
- Drops from Badass Wizards
Storm Front
Slightly outclassed for spot-on healing with Moxxi weapons by the Chain Lightning, the Storm Front makes up for it by lasting a long time, ensuring you stay upright even in prolonged firefights.
Obtaining: Drops from Splinter Group in Bloodshot Stronghold
Honorable Mentions
Transfusion Grenades
A great option if you’re having trouble staying topped off, or if you aren’t using Moxxi Weapons. I like these best in Slag, for obvious reasons.
Obtaining:World Drop
Meteor Shower / Bonus Package
The best of the best in MIRV Grenades. Used with Double Your Fun, you can clear entire spawns of mooks easily.
Obtaining:
Meteor Shower: Seraph Vendor in Badass Crater of Badassitude
Bonus Package: Drops from Boom and Bewm in Southern Shelf
Torgue Machines
Magic Missile
If you want a Slag Grenade to use for Mobbing, this is the one to use. It’s got an above-average (almost guaranteed) Slag Chance, it’s homing, and it regenerates your Grenade Ammo over time. The Damage isn’t terrible, either, so if you’re toting Moxxi guns, you can get an okay heal out of the impact, too. Pretty swag grenade, to be honest.
Obtaining: Drops from Badass Wizards
Shields
Flame of the Firehawk
Some might say that this Shield doesn’t have real synergy on Salvador because he doesn’t really have a way to keep it down like Krieg does. I say that’s a load of baloney. When you spend the majority of a fight being shot at, your Shield doesn’t refill all that well, I find. Most people take cover, but with this Shield, you don’t have to. Salvador can Gunzerk almost indefinitely in the right setup, which means he can have a Moxxi Weapon out all the time while still doing damage with his other gun. Meaning the Novas from Flame of the Firehawk will keep him healed even if he’s not currently shooting. As Salvador, your main form of survivability is Moxxi healing while shooting, so your main vulnerability is when you’re not shooting. This Shield eliminates that weakness. If that’s not synergy, I don’t know what is. I actually recommend Bandit Body/Battery over Anshin because it increases the delay while preserving the recharge rate/capacity ratio of Maliwan (19%). Despite the lower damage and radius, not having to wait 13 seconds for it to recharge if those parts were Anshin is pretty great.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan, Bandit, or Anshin Body
- Maliwan, Bandit, or Anshin Battery
- Maliwan Capacitor (Fire Immunity)
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “Cult Following: Enkindling”
The Rough Rider
I might catch some flak for making this number 2 even though it’s the premiere Raid Boss Shield, but I’ll explain myself. Flame of the Firehawk takes care of two things: 1: It’s down often, activating Inconceivable at its maximum potential; 2: It passively heals Salvador if he has a Moxxi Weapon out (and besides that can kill weaker enemies outright). The Rough Rider only does one of these things. But it’s the best at what it does. Having no Capacity means it always counts as “down,” unless your Class Mod gives -Shield Capacity. While that doesn’t matter for Inconceivable (it still works as intended with such Class Mods and Rough Rider), it does stop Out of Bubblegum from working, so be aware of that. Aside from a little Damage Resistance, which has diminishing returns thanks to Gunzerking’s innate 50% Damage Resistance, this Shield adds Health as though it were an Adaptive Shield. It’s not as good as Flame of the Firehawk for mobbing, but it’s better for Raiding. So there. Some people like having lower-level version for easier Health Gating while still having full Inconceivable against Raids.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan Body
- Maliwan Battery
- Hyperion Capacitor
Obtaining:
- Drops from The Bulwark in Hunter’s Grotto
The Sham
This is a useful Shield for anyone thanks to its ridiculously high Bullet Absorb Chance, but it’s really fun for Salvador in a Rocket Launcher build (See Topneaa entry for an example), allowing you to not only avoid killing yourself with Rockets, but to absorb Ammo at the same time. You can also use any Torgue-barrel Assault Rifle to absorb Rockets if you shoot the floor under you. Spiker Pistols work too. This Shield is an excellent option for areas with Fire-Resistant enemies that shoot bullets, where Flame of the Firehawk might not help you much. This is an excellent defensive Shield for the majority of the game, it only really falls flat in areas with no gun-users unless you’re using Rocket Launchers.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan Body
- Maliwan Battery
- Hyperion Capacitor
Obtaining:
- Drops from BNK-3R in The Bunker
Evolution / Neogenator
These are basically The Sham against critters that don’t carry guns. They tend to spawn Elemental Badasses, which is where these Shields shine, if you don’t have a Flame of the Firehawk. Also useful against Master Gee. Evolution has higher Capacity but longer Recharge Delay and lower Recharge Rate. Either one could be preferable in different conditions.
Best Parts:
- Maliwan Body
- Maliwan Battery
- Hyperion Capacitor
Obtaining:
- Evolution: Drops from Hyperius the Invincible in Washburne Refinery
- Neogenator: Drops from Spycho in Frostburn Canyon
Honorable Mentions
Blockade
Like a Rough Rider that has a Shield Capacity instead of a Health bonus. It’s a decent Shield, certainly better than most “basic” Shields. But due to the nature of Damage Reduction and Health Gate, it’s far from outstanding at endgame, but it’s still among the better Shields that don’t have an offensive ability.
Best Parts: All Bandit parts
Obtaining: Drops from Ancient Dragons of Destruction in The Winged Storm
Transformer
Extremely useful in Digistruct Peak against Surveyors, who deal Shock Damage and are complete dicks. Otherwise it’s not that great. Be advised that you take the damage dealt by Shock before the Shield will refill from the Shock Damage, so be careful.
Best Parts: All Anshin parts
Obtaining: Drops from Pimon in Wildlife Exploitation Preserve
Class Mods
Legendary Gunzerker / Unhinged Berserker
When it comes to Salvador, the main thing is Gunzerking. His best builds revolve around Gunzerking, his survivability, DPS and fun factor all depend on it. So it would make sense that a COM that lets him Gunzerk forever would be the best choice for him. With boosts to Yippee-Kay-Yay and Last longer, you’ll often have completely reset your Cooldown by the time your gunzerk ends, and immediately be ready for another. The 3 other skills the Legendary Gunzerker boosts are also very good.
Obtaining:
- Legendary Gunzerker: Drops from Tubbies
- Unhinged Berserker: World Drop
Monk / Auspicious Raider
Money Shot is arguably one of Sal’s best skills, and a primary source of DPS for many builds. If your build is one of them, both of these COMs are worth using. The Monk COMs are generally better than the Raider ones, especially the Chaotic and Evil versions that boost fire rate and critical damage respectively. The True Neutral Monk, while overall less versatile than the Chaotic Evil, is very useful to pull off the RL/Pimpernel combo.
Obtaining:
- World Drop (Monk will only drop inside the Tiny Tina DLC)
Legendary Berzerker
An all-around great COM for Salvador. Doesn’t favor any particular playstyle, but provides solid bonuses to health, fire rate, ammo, reload speed, movement speed, etc. Probably the best Brawn COM around too. If you’re experienced enough with Salvador to manage your gunzerking uptime and don’t need the bonus from the Gunzerker COM, this might be the best all-purpose COM around.
Obtaining:
- World Drop
Legendary Hoarder / Unhinged Hoarder
Do you like to shoot bullets? Lots of bullets very fast ? Do you like to feel like you can shoot FOREVER? Then the Legendary Hoarder is for you! With boosts to 5 Shots or 6 and Filled to the Brim, you need not concern yourself with Reloading, because you will seldom have to. And boosts to both Lay Waste and Locked and Loaded make for truly ridiculous Fire Rates. When using this COM, look for guns that use only one bullet per shot, so that 5 Shots Or 6 can truly shine.
Obtaining:
- Legendary Hoarder: Drops from Tubbies
- Unhinged Hoarder: World Drop
Honorable Mentions
Suave Renegade
Pistol builds that don’t rely on Money Shot chains will like the fixed, permanent Pistol Damage boost. The bonus to Incite is also good. Builds that use more powerful Pistols with smaller Magazines (Unkempt Harolds for example) may be better off with Monk or Raider Class Mods that boost Money Shot. Note that the COM will look for a pistol in your main hand to apply the bonus to both hands, no matter what is in the off-hand.
Obtaining: World Drop
War Dog
Criminally underrated, this COM is a different take on the hoarder theme. This one doesn’t have ammo regen, but it gets better magazine size and reload speed to compensate, and gets its fire rate from OoBG instead of Lay Waste, so a great choice to consider if you would rather dip in Brawn over Gunlust.
Obtaining : World Drop
Relics
Sheriff’s Badge
Grants Pistol Damage and Pistol Fire Rate. Also extends FFYL Time by 15% and Health by 15% for every equipped Deputy’s Badge in the party. Not only is this usually the best Relic for Pistols, it’s one of the best Relics in the game generally. The amount of Fire Rate it grants is enormous, up to 56%. The Fire Rate bonus does NOT scale to Level, it only varies based on a “quality” roll. The Pistol Damage does scale per Level but the difference between a level 72 and OP8 of the same “quality” will be less than 1%, so it’s not a major concern unless you absolutely want max stats on everything.
Obtaining:
- Drops from The Sheriff of Lynchwood in Lynchwood
Deputy’s Badge
Grants Shotgun Damage and Shotgun Reload Speed. Also extends FFYL Time by 10% and Health by 10% for every equipped Deputy’s Badge in the party. This is similar to Sheriff’s Badge in that the Reload Speed doesn’t scale per level and is only dependent on the “quality” roll when you drop it. For many Shotguns, the Reload Speed is a huge bonus and may be better than getting more Gun Damage out of another Relic.
Obtaining:
- Mission Reward from “The Showdown”
Bone of the Ancients / Elemental Relics
Increases the Damage of a specific Element (other than Non-Elemental). These are a special multiplier, making them more powerful than Gun Damage in most cases. Elemental Relics can boost one of Fire, Corrosive, Shock, Slag, or Explosive. Bone of the Ancients can only boost one of Fire, Corrosive, and Shock, but also boosts Cooldown Rate. Sheriff’s/Deputy’s Badge don’t increase Damage by nearly as much, but they significantly increase Fire Rate/Reload Speed which can often result in similar or even more DPS than a Bone/Elemental. Basically, if you’re not using a Pistol or a Shotgun, Bone/Elemental relic is probably your best bet unless you can get specific utility out of something else (like Allegiance).
Obtaining:
- Bone of the Ancients: Drops from Legendary Loot Midgets
- Elemental Relics: World Drop
Blood of the Ancients
Being concerned with increasing your Max Ammo Pool (NOT MAGAZINE SIZE), these can be useful especially for Launcher-happy players or people who use Weapons with high Ammo cost that pull from a small Ammo Pool (Torgue Shotguns, Vladof Snipers). The main draw however is the massive health bonus that makes survival much easier without a grog nozzle in hand.
Obtaining:
- Drops from Legendary Loot Midgets
- Honorable Mentions
Might of the Seraphs
Increase Melee Damage and Melee Override Cooldown Rate. Only useful in Melee builds, but Sal is probably the only character that makes great use of them.
Obtaining:
Seraph Vendor in Badass Crater of Badassitude
Credits
- @Sljm for actually writing 95% of the damn thing… This is HIS baby, we’re just porting it. if you read sentences written in the first person, that’s him speaking.
- @Hoyle4 for being my edition monkey (I.E. actually doing all the work)
