Borderlands Walkthrough for Xbox 360 and PS3 By SENIORBILL Version 1.0 December 21, 2009 Copyright 2009 by William Poneta E-mail: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 BORDERLANDS <BOR> 2 GAME PLAY <GPLY> 3 STRATEGY <STRA> 4 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS <PLAY> Walkthrough (Prefix--M=Mandatory; O=Optional) SECTION 1: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS/SKAG GULLY <sec01> <m001> FRESH OFF THE BUS <m002> THE DOCTOR IS IN <m003> SKAGS AT THE GATE <m004> CLAPTRAP RESCUE <m005> FIX�ER UPPER <m006> BLINDING NINE TOES SECTION 2: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS/SKAG GULLY <sec02> <m007> NINE-TOES: MEET T.K. BAHA <m008> NINE-TOES: T.K.s FOOD <m009> GOT GRENADES (action skill build for Roland in this section) <m010> NINE-TOES: TAKE HIM DOWN <m011> NINE-TOES: TIME TO COLLECT <m012> JOB HUNTING SECTION 3: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS/SKAG GULLY <sec03> <m013> CATCH-A-RIDE <o014> T.K. HAS MORE WORK <o015> T.K.s LIFE AND LIMB <o016> BY THE SEEDS OF YOUR PANTS <o017> WHY ARE THEY HERE <m018> BONE-HEAD�S THEFT SECTION 4: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS <sec04> <m019> THE PISS WASH HURDLE <o020> HIDDEN JOURNAL: THE ARID BADLANDS <m021> RETURN TO ZED <o022> GET A LITTLE BLOOD ON YOUR TIRES <m023> SLEDGE: MEET SHEP <o024> GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE SECTION 5: THE ARID HILLS/THE LOST CAVE <sec05> <m025> SLEDGE: THE MINE KEY <o026> BRAKING WIND <o027> SHOCK CRYSTAL HARVEST <o028> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: THE LOST CAVE <o029> THE LEGEND OF MOE AND MARLEY <o030> SCAVENGER: SNIPER RIFLE BADLANDS SECTION 6: SLEDGE�S SAFE HOUSE/THE ARID BADLANDS <sec06> <m031> SLEDGE: TO THE SAFE HOUSE <o032> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: SLEDGE�S SAFE HOUSE <m033> SLEDGE: BATTLE FOR THE BADLANDS <o034> WHAT HIT THE FAN <o035> SCAVENGER: COMBAT RIFLE <o036> INSULT TO INJURY SECTION 7: THE ARID BADLANDS <sec07> <o037> SCHEMIN� THAT SABOTAGE <o038> FIND BRUCE McCLONE <o039> PRODUCT RECALL <o040> CIRCLE OF DEATH: MEAT AND GREET <o041> CIRCLE OF DEATH: ROUND 1 <o042> CIRCLE OF DEATH: ROUND 2 <o043> CIRCLE OF DEATH: FINAL ROUND SECTION: 8 THE DAHL HEADLAND/NEW HAVEN <sec08> <m044> LEAVING FYRESTONE <m045> GETTING LUCKY <m046> POWERING THE FAST TRAVEL NETWORK <m047> ROAD WARRIORS: HOT SHOTS <m048> ROAD WARRIORS: BANDIT APOCALYPSE <m049> POWER TO THE PEOPLE <o050> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: NEW HAVEN SECTION: 9 THE DAHL HEADLAND <sec09> <o051> FUEL FEUD <o052> DEATH RACE PANDORA <o053> WELL THERES YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE <o054> GHOSTS OF THE VAULT <o055> SCAVENGER: REVOLVER <o056> BIG GAME HUNTER SECTION: 10: THE ARID BADLANDS/RUST COMMONS WEST <sec10> <o057> IS T.K. OKAY <o058> LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME <o059> UP TO OUR EARS <m060> SEEK OUT TANNIS <o061> HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS WEST SECTION 11: RUST COMMONS WEST/EARL�S SCRAPYARD <sec11> <o062> SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS <o063> FIREPOWER: ALL SALES ARE FINAL <m064> MEET CRAZY EARL <o065> SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN <o066> FIREPOWER: MARKET CORRECTION <m067> GET OFF MY LAWN <o068> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: EARL�S SCRAPYARD <m069> TODAY�S LESSON: HIGH EXPLOSIVES SECTION 12: TETANUS WARREN/SCRAPYARD/WEST COMMONS <sec12> <o070> CORROSIVE CRYSTAL HARVEST <o071> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: TETANUS WARRENS <o072> KING TOSSING <o073> JACK�S OTHER EYE <o074> FIREPOWER: PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE MAN <m075> HAIR OF THE DOG SECTION 13: RUST COMMONS EAST <sec13> <o076> MISSING PERSONS <o077> MIDDLE OF MOWHERE NO MORE: INVESTIGATE <o078> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: FUSES <o079> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: SMALL FAVOR <o080> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: SCOOT ON BACK <o081> ALTAR EGO: BURNING HERESY <o082> HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS EAST <o083> SCAVENGER: SHOTGUN SECTION 14: KROM�S CANYON <sec14> <m084> THE NEXT PIECE <o085> EARL NEEDS FOOD BADLY <o086> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: KROM�S CANYON <o087> TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT SECTION 15: RUST COMMONS EAST/NEW HAVEN <sec15> <m088> JAYNISTOWN: SECRET RENDEVOUS <o089> GREEN THUMB <m090> JAYNISTOWN: A BROTHERS LOVE <o091> RELIGHT THE BEACONS <o092> ALTAR EGO: THE NEW RELIGION <o093> A BUG PROBLEM <m094> JAYNISTOWN: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES <m095> JAYNISTOWN: SPREAD THE WORD <m096> JAYNISTOWN: GETTING WHATS COMING TO YOU <o097> DUMPSTER DIVING FOR GREAT JUSTICE <o098> ALTAR EGO: GODLESS MONSTERS SECTION 16: TREACHER�S LANDING/ JAYNISTOWN <sec16> <o099> WANTED FRESH FISH <o100> IV�E GOT A SINKING FEELING <m101> JAYNISTOWN: CLEANING UP YOUR MESS SECTION 17: THE TRASH COAST <sec17> <m102> ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE <o103> HOUSE HUNTING <o104> BAIT AND SWITCH <o105> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: TRASH COAST <o106> EARL�S BEST FRIEND SECTION 18: OLD HAVEN/DAHL HEADLAND <sec18> <o107> SMOKE SIGNALS: INVESTIGATE OLD HAVEN <o108> SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN <o109> BANDIT TREASURE: THREE CORPSES <m110> NOT WITHOUT MY CLAPTRAP <o111> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: OLD HAVEN <o112> BANDIT TREASURE: X MARKS THE SPOT SECTION 19: RUST COMMONS WEST <sec19> <o113> CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: MEAT AND GREET <o114> CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: ROUND 1 <o115> CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: ROUND 2 <o116> CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: FINAL ROUND SECTION 20: THE SALT FLATS <sec20> <m117> THE FINAL PIECE <o118> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: SALT FLATS <o119> SCAVENGER: MACHINE GUN SECTION 21: THE CRIMSON FASTNESS/CRIMSON ENCLAVE <sec21> <m120> GET SOME ANSWERS <o121> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: CRIMSON FASTNESS <m122> FIND THE ECHO COMM CONSOLE <m123> ACTIVATE THE ECHO COMM SYSTEM SECTION 22: DESCENT/THE ERIDEAN PROMOTORY/THE VAULT/WEST COMMONS<sec22> <m124> FIND STEELE <m125> DESTROY THE DESTROYER <m126> BRING THE VAULT KEY TO TANNIS Update-Version: 1.1, January 10, 2010 I have added bookmarks to all 126 missions. Cleaned up the procedure for SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS. Additional details have been added to the weapons section; and I have added extensive details and alternate strategies throughout the document. Update-Version: 1.2, February 22, 2010 I have added a large section outlining the general strategy used for the opening stages of this walkthrough. I have also added a brief section on the merits of the four playable characters. I have also added additional weapon detail and rather extensive details to many of the missions, and notes detailing some of the more lucrative gear harvesting areas. Also included is a list of the weapons acquired when level 50 was reached on a second playthrough. BORDERLANDS <BOR> There is a legend, the legend of the �vault;� and it is rumored that it exists somewhere in the Borderlands of the planet Pandora. It is of alien construction, and is said to contain ancient artifacts of awesome power and value. You, a Bounty Hunter, depart the bus in Fyrestone and are immediately propelled into the quest. A disembodied voice, the ephemeral Guardian Angel, will request your help; and she will offer you information and encouragement as you progress through the wasteland, blazing your way toward the fabled vault. The massive campaign takes place amid a backdrop resembling a post- apocalyptic ramshackle wild west, but one with high-tech weapons; and its missions will guarantee you days of addictive game play. This is an awesome game with highly varied battlefields, a plethora of baddies, Humanoid and alien, a truckload of loot and the most extensive and spectacular array of weapons conceivable. Borderlands, with its awesome arsenal, allows multiple approaches; but the fact that you have four playable characters, each with a specific, potent action skill, makes it more like four games in one. This walkthrough chronicles the game as Roland, the soldier, whom I believe has the best action skill for solo play. The Scorpio Turret is exactly as he says, �like havin� another soldier on the field,� and his class mods are awesome for solo play as well. That being said, most of the approaches and game details will adapt to the other characters as well. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// GAME PLAY: LOOT, WEAPONS, MODS AND SHIELDS <GPLY> LOOT: Acquiring loot like cash, weapons, shields, class and grenade modules and health packs is accomplished during game play by raiding weapons chests, lockers, safes, etc. and by enemy drops, and there is a ton of them. This can be augmented by making discreet purchases from Marcus�s or Dr Zed�s vending machines, and by re-starting the game and then revisiting the re-spawned �gimmes� like RED and SILVER CHESTS. The game seems designed for this purpose, so exploit it-or not. You can often get the weapon you are looking for in this manner, and can raise huge sums of cash by selling what you don�t require. Opening a chest, especially in the game�s final stages, is much like rolling the bars on a slot machine-sometimes you get red sevens, like a 4X incendiary sniper with 350 firepower, a 2.7 scope, an extended magazine and auto ammo regeneration-you never know. This can be an addictive pursuit. ACTION SKILL: The action skill is available when you reach level five and is activated by selecting it on the skills screen. Roland�s Scorpio Turret is an excellent perk, and as you upgrade the firepower and then the cool down time it becomes highly effective, especially when you acquire elemental artifacts during game play. The first tier is available as soon as the skill is unlocked and the next tier when five action points are spent in the prior tier, etc. For a percentage of your cash you can also have the points refunded at any New-U Station, allowing you to reallocate them however you wish. CLASS MODIFICATION MODULES: Class modules (mods) are specific to your character, and are given as bounty, found in chests or even skag piles; and random mods are offered and may be purchased from Dr. Zed�s health vending machines. They are equipped in your class module slot by clicking on the desired mod in your inventory. Only one can be equipped at a time, but they can be very important items. The soldier, for example, has mods that regenerate ammo, sometimes at prodigious rates. Mods that increase the XP you gain for eliminating hostiles by as much as 20 plus percent are also common and allow rapid leveling up. Others regenerate health and/or shields at varying rates, or increase weapon damage, magazine size, lessen weapon recoil, or improve sniper stability, etc. Do not discount these items. As mods become available, and your inventory slots grow, mods should claim some of those slots. A good health regeneration module, for example, will allow you to not carry health packs in inventory; or you won�t need to carry a weak shield because it has health regeneration capabilities. The ammo regeneration mods become readily available as the game progresses; and keep an eye out for the electrocute and electrocute resistance mods later in the game to help with the Guardians. SHIELDS: Shields are also an immensely important item and can be purchased, picked-up off the ground and found in containers and skag piles. Get the highest you can with the fastest recharge rate, but perks like auto health regeneration and elemental resistance are also important considerations. As the game progresses shields of all types and strengths are available quite frequently. Again you can maintain as many as you wish in inventory but can equip only one at a time. MISSIONS: Missions are most often acquired at the local bounty boards or from individuals whom you will be directed to. Oftentimes the voice of a local Claptrap will announce new missions. You can have as many missions in your queue as are available. While some missions are mandated, may are user choice, but oftentimes your level may make some of these too taxing. The level of each mission is displayed when highlighted but is not always a good indication of its difficulty. Some missions are procedural-like meet Shep Sanders, which is simply a vehicle to dole out additional missions. At other times your present level, if above the level of the highlighted mission, may assign it a trivial level when, in fact, it isn�t trivial at all. One thing, however, is certain; tackling a mission that is several levels above your current level will be exceedingly difficult if not impossible. There are 126 missions, but only about a third are mandatory. I will list whether the mission is optional or not, but failure to pursue most of the optional missions will leave you at a much lower level that the available missions. WEAPONS: With over 15,000,00 weapons possible, no one can tell you what you�ll have let alone what to use; but a good mix is essential to success. A good array of snipers, with a gradually improving incendiary-the first elemental available-leading the way is essential. A fast firing incendiary SMG or combat rifle, or rather two, one scoped and one not, is an awesome combo. The same can be said for a caustic SMG or combat rifle, scoped and not. A well-aimed burst from a good elemental will allow an enemy to bleed down while you wait under cover, your shield recharging, to finish him of. Conventional weapons will dominate early play and they progress rapidly in strength and, even with the advent of the elementals, they will remain a key part of your arsenal. They are essential for certain boss battles and against other foes impervious to elementals as well. Against spiderants they are likely the best choice. Without getting into a long expose on weapon capabilities I will give some general things to consider. Firepower, accuracy, speed, ammo count, elemental properties, or not, and an array of other perks like recoil reduction and burst fire count are displayed when a weapon is acquired and can be compared to those you have. High is almost always good-high accuracy, high firepower, high elemental properties, large magazines; but you must sometimes do a balancing act since all of these qualities will not be high. Elementals, for all weapons, are tricky because a very low firepower weapon at 4X may not be as good as a higher-powered weapon at 1X. This applies for all the weapon types, and not all 4X weapons, for example, show the same elemental effect. A shotgun with high firepower better be really high, because if it�s got low accuracy or, equally important, a slow rate of fire or small magazine, it will be having you using that �horrific death and dismemberment insurance� all too often. A scope on a shotgun, a point and shoot weapon is generally a nuisance; and a shotgun with 50 FP x12 (meaning 12 projectiles capable of 50 damage) is not so good if its accuracy is only 15%. Small magazine size is also a major handicap. The Bulldog series of shotguns usually offers good firepower, acceptable accuracy and an excellent rate of fire combined with magazines as high as twenty rounds. They become possible pick-ups in New Haven and will require a level at or near 25 to use. A combat rifle with decent firepower and high accuracy and speed may be better than one of higher firepower and similar speed and accuracy because it has a much larger magazine size. High elemental level combat rifles, meaning greater than 1X, are rather rare and can be devastating when coupled with high firepower and much reduced recoil. As the game progresses, potent combat rifles become common and one with good accuracy and an extended magazine can be formidable. Incendiary combat rifles are also available very early in the game and can be used as early as level 4. Incendiary and conventional combat rifles in the 12 to 15 firepower range can be found, or can be purchased at the store; and these can be the best weapon available in the game�s early stages prior to achieving level 7. Revolvers, especially the scoped revolvers, are not only fun weapons but also show extremely high elemental effects even at 1X. While not so great in an in-your-face firefight, they can act as mini-snipers in many situations and the elemental effects are striking. A potent incendiary or caustic revolver is recommended. A rare but potent specialized weapon called the Chimera deals elemental damage of all four types. Repeaters will be useful early on in the game, but in the later stages only the highly elemental are worth the trouble. I generally keep a high level incendiary or caustic with a good scope to take advantage of the ammo slot. The 4X Firehawk, an incendiary repeater, however, probably shows the highest elemental effect of any weapon in the game, and is a treasure, especially one with a scope. It will toast a Crimson Lance with a short burst-hoorah! Sniper rifles in all elemental flavors, plus a heavy hitter conventional is a must as your inventory expands; and these weapons become frequently available as the game wears on. Just assign a sniper to the down spot on your controller. These will be primary killing machines throughout the game. An incendiary rifle is supreme against flesh and is a must from the early stages of the game to the very end. The Volcano line of incendiary snipers begin to appear once you reach New Haven and at bit of harvesting there can usually get you a Volcano with 250 or higher firepower, and it is a devastating weapon, far exceeding any other incendiary sniper. Don�t pass it up. Submachine guns (SMGs) progress rapidly in quality from the game�s start, and highly elemental ones, 4X aren�t uncommon. They become available fairly early, and will quickly rival the combat rifles as conventional weapons as well. The 4X Combustion Hellfire SMGs are awesome incendiary weapons and one with 60 plus firepower is a game changer-probably the game�s best weapon if it has a good rate of fire. The Double Anarchy series are generally the best of the conventionals. Rocket Launchers seem to lack the �punch� one associates with the type. While certainly useful, they are not game-changers-even the 4x elementals. With Roland�s ammo regeneration mods the launcher can be used to saturate heavily defended facilities but targeting individual enemies is difficult unless your positioning is perfect. The Eridean weapons (alien) that you will eventually acquire are, in my opinion, woefully lacking. While useful in some situations, they seldom equal the conventional weapons in that same situation. They require frequent recharging, lack good scopes for distant work, some have extremely slow projectiles and they will generally sit idle because of it, all the time hogging an inventory slot, where something more useful can reside. The Eridian Thunder Storm is an exception. While weak against humanoid and useless against the local fauna, it is devastating against the Guardians. A single blast aimed at the head of a Principal or Arch Guardian is death and even the Badsass Guardians succumb to a short volley. Its shortfall is its small magazine, so have a back-up. Similarly, the other Eridian weapons are effective versus the Guardians-if you can hit them. Grenades start off weak, but are still effective against the weaker foes; but they will get progressively more powerful and expand to include specialized and elemental types and will become a major part of your arsenal as various mods become available. The rare incendiary Bouncing Betties are awesome against personnel. The author�s preferences are explosive and incendiary Bouncing Betties. ELEMENTALS and CONVENTIONALS: You will quickly see in this document that I prefer elemental weapons over the conventional weapons; but both are necessary to success in the Borderlands. I find the incendiary weapons to be, by far, the best in the game. Since most of your targets will be �flesh� and since incendiary is designed for defeating flesh it is your best choice for most enemies. A single burst from a good incendiary will begin to burn down your victim and, as he burns, you can duck into cover only to pop out and finish him off. These weapons are offered early in the game, oftentimes as soon as Marcus� store re-opens. If you don�t harvest them, buy an incendiary sniper and an incendiary SMG as soon as you have the funds to do so. They work equally well on both Humanoid and on skags and other native fauna. These weapons continue to improve throughout the game, and if a Combustion Hellfire SMG becomes available, don�t pass it up. Like any weapon, however, you must continuously upgrade to keep pace with the enemy. A lowly level 7 incendiary sniper rifle will not fare well against level 20 enemies. The ultimate incendiary snipers appear as level 25 weapons-the Volcano line by Maliwan-�get you one.� How much non-elemental damage an elemental weapon deals is a bit of a mystery. You can take out an elemental hostile, a shock dog, for example with a shock weapon but it will take far more ammo that with a conventional weapon of similar power; but how much damage is dealt seems to vary with each weapon. If there is a formula for this it must be a doozy. In the same vein, elemental damage is also a bit of a mystery. A 4X volcano sniper at 200 FP, for example, deals far more damage than the next best 4X 200 FP sniper-the Incendiary Wrath. So- there is no cast-in-iron rule. Each weapon varies and you must be the judge. Caustic weapons are the next best against most enemies, working much like an incendiary; but they will not start to appear until well into the game, with an occasional caustic weapon showing up just prior to exiting to the Dahl Headland. The �Pestilent Defilers� are potent caustic revolver, and one with high firepower is an awesome weapon. A caustic sniper is also a useful weapon. Static weapons will mostly lie idle in your inventory; but whenever facing the Guardians or certain heavily shielded bosses, like Sledge, they are an absolute must. The endgame would be next to impossible without a good static sniper, SMG or static shotgun. Acquire a static sniper and a shotgun and either an SMG or combat rifle for those times. An Eridian Thunder Storm is also an excellent choice against the Guardians. Watch out for the enemy with static weapons-while they seem to do a poor job in your hands, they are very effective against you. The explosive weapons, in my opinion, are the least valuable of the four. This is strange since the explosive artifact used on the Scorpio Turret is devastating, even to the Guardians. The elemental effect, for small arms, however, just doesn�t measure up to the others. The most useful are the shotgun and SMG, but only when they become more potent later in the game; and even then they are a poor choice when the incendiary and caustics are in your inventory. But watch out for the enemy wielding this weapons-they work quite well against you. Conventional weapons will dominate early in the game and are absolutely essential in defeating foes that are impervious to elemental effects. Sledge, for example, is best taken down using static fire to break his shield and a fast-firing conventional to take him out. They can be used against all enemies and against boss types like the Destroyer or the Rakk Hive, they are your best option. A powerful conventional shotgun is an absolute must and will occupy a slot most of the time. Keeping a pair of potent combat rifles and a pair of potent SMGs, scoped and not, is recommended and necessary for success. Conventionals also work well against the spiderants and are often the best option for targeting the weak abdomen. STRATEGY: <STRA> The opening stages of Borderlands can be challenging, but can be made far less painful by properly preparing for the action. This will require both looting, repeated gear harvesting and completing challenges during the opening stages in order to improve your arsenal and to gain cash and the experience points that will allow you to rapidly level up. When you step off the bus near Fyrestone you will have a single low- powered weapon in your possession. As Roland this will be a weak combat rifle and similarly low-powered weapons is the order of the day for the other characters as well. For the rest of the game your task will not only be finding the fabled vault, but improving your gear-weapons, shields and mods-to be able to continue the quest against an endless parade of assorted hostiles. The Borderlands of Pandora is a looters paradise; and the gameplay is designed to allow you to exploit the bounty. It even awards experience points for opening loot containers, weapons chests and for acquiring cash. All lootable items, with only a few exceptions, will re-spawn when you quit game play and re-start the game. This allows endless harvesting of the myriad of lootable containers. The toughness of the enemy is roughly tied to the games 50 levels of play, approximately 35 of which you will attain on a first playthrough by gaining experience points. These experience points are gained by completing missions, killing enemies, who yield a broad range of points depending on their difficulty, and by completing challenges. This later item-challenges-will play an important role during the initial stages of the game. Staying even or ahead of your enemies level is crucial during the games opening stages because your weapons are relatively weak. This leveling up also will allow you to use weapons requiring a level 7 status. Challenges can be viewed on the HUD of your ECHO device. This walkthrough advocates the following procedure. The mission: NINE- TOES TAKE HIM DOWN is a level 4 mission, but taking down Nine-Toes and his two tough skags is a real challenge at level 4; and the missions that follow will all be well above your level if you manage to take out Nine-Toes at that point, thus continuing the pain. It is quite easy to level up to 7 prior to taking him on. This will allow you to remain near the level of the following missions and will allow you to use level 7 weapons, which include the use of a wide variety of incendiary weapons and more potent shotguns, combat rifles and other conventional weapons. Spending a little extra effort and time early on will be rewarded for the rest of the game-so spend the time and make your quest more enjoyable. You will need 13,886 experience points to attain level 7. Some of these points will be awarded for completing the opening tutorial missions and some will come from killing hostiles. The lion�s share, however, will come from completing �challenges.� These can be seen on the HUD of your ECHO device. Most of the following challenges, depending on what weapons you use, can be achieved by looting, killing hostiles and re- starting the game to repeat the process. These would occur over time as the game play unfolds, but forcing the issue is the key to success during the opening stages. The following challenges are within easy reach: �What�s in there� open 50 lootable items for 1,000 XP �Relentless� kill 5 enemies (skags at this point) with no more than 7 seconds between each kill for 500 XP (exploit the five skags just south of the Fyrestone gate to easily complete this quest) �Ooo! Shiney!� loot 5 weapons chests for 1,000 XP �Treasure Hunter� open 25 weapons chests for 2,000 XP (perhaps a stretch for the impatient among us) �Rat a Tat� make 50 kills with SMGs for 1,000 XP �Skag Slayer� kill 50 skags for 1,000 XP �Scavenger� open 250 lootable containers for 2,000 XP �One Shot, One Kill� make 50 kills with sniper rifles for 1,000 XP �Headhunter� make 50 human kills for 1,000 XP �Impulse Buyer� buy 5 items for 1,000 XP �Draw!� make 50 pistol kills for 1,000 XP �Spray and Pray� make 50 kills with combat rifles for 1,000 XP �Hot! Too Hot!� make 25 incendiary kills (you can use an incendiary combat rifle as early as level 4) for 1,000 XP �Pocket Change� earn 10,000 dollars for 1,000 XP �Get off my lawn!� make 50 kills with shotguns for 1,000 XP After exiting the bus, simply follow the game play walkthrough, looting the approximately 40 available item containers prior to Fyrestone, then the twenty or so containers in Fyrestone as you continue the initial missions. The walkthrough will then take you to the Bandit camp to the west of the Fyrestone gate. Loot the eight containers there, including the RED CHEST. Continue a counterclockwise loop out the south gate of the Bandit camp, killing the 7 skags there, and then complete the loop past T.K.s place back to Fyrestone. This initial circuit will net approximately 25 humanoid kills, 15 or more skag kills and approximately 75 lootables, including 1,500 to 2,500 in cash and six weapons. Re-start and repeat the circuit to achieve as many challenges as possible, to acquire weapons-the Bandit camp hostiles don�t re-spawn but the RED CHEST does, and oftentimes yields good weapons-and to acquire cash for purchasing a better shield and any weapons that you covet at Marcus� shop. During this walkthrough I purchased both an incendiary sniper and an incendiary SMG-and they are level 7 weapons. Incendiary combat rifles in the 15 firepower range, however, have a level requirement of only 4 and are a dominant weapon in the initial stages and are frequently available right after the store opens in Fyrestone. Repeat this harvesting procedure three or four times and you will be level 7 and will be bristling with potent weapons. Cash is only important during the initial game play, so don�t hesitate to spend early on. Soon enough you will have more money than you will ever need. Harvesting will continue to be an important part of the game, but never more important than early on. PLAYABLE CHARACTERS: <PLAY> Roland: For solo play I believe that Roland is easily the best choice, especially for a first playthrough. The Scorpio Turret is, hands down, the best action skill for solo play. It is, indeed, �like havin� another soldier on the field.� It allows you to target the enemy while remaining under cover and its shield can provide cover when none is available. Many enemies will actually attack the active Turret rather than you, allowing you to target them. Its one shortcoming, its long cooldown time, is greatly alleviated when you apply action points to reducing the cooldown period. It can target and eliminate multiple enemies and can even single-handedly kill boss types like King Pee Wee, the Guardians and most Badass types. Killing Sledge is made easy, as it will eliminate his shield, allowing you to target him with a potent weapon. This is typical of this action skill. His class mods are also among the best. You can use an experience mod to more rapidly level up, making missions much easier. Some of these mods add over 20% to your kills. You can equip ammo regeneration mods that can regenerate ammo at prodigous rates and there are shield and health regeneration mods and others that improve weapon damage, reduce recoil and increase magazine size, by as much as 60%. An electrocute class mod increasing static damage by up to 40% is often coupled with an electrocution resistance perk, allowing you to easily tackle the Guardians. Even though Roland�s expertise is with shotguns and combat rifles, he has access to all other types of weapons as well as do all of the players. At both long range and short, Roland and his Turret are death come calling. Mordecai: Mordecai�s expertise is with sniper rifles and pistols and since I particularly enjoy sniping I�m inclined to say his character is next best to Roland; but that position is probably Liliths. The Bloodwing is second only to Roland�s Turret for dealing damage to the enemy and becomes very potent as it is upgraded, but it can�t equal the Turret. Even when fully upgraded it cannot kill higher-level hostiles on its own. Even though the games hints say it is good against enemies under cover, I find it more effective when an enemy is line-of-sight and not nearly as useful against those under cover. Mordecai�s class mods are very good, with health regeneration mods outclassing all of the other characters and his bloodwing damage mods are also excellent. His mods for both sniper rifles and pistols are also good, but he comes up short of Roland for solo play, although he is a fun character to play, especially if you are cautious and calculating, liking sniper play rather than brute force. This is my preference-sniping-but Mordecai doesn�t measure up to Roland in the other phases of the game when direct intervention is called for as it frequently is, but then no one is. Lilith: When you first play Lilith you will wonder if her action skill is good for anything-I did- but you will soon see that it definitely has its uses and you will employ it frequently. While I seldom kill anything with it, it is quite useful for getting out of jams, dazing enemies and for bypassing hot spots. A good example of this is The Lost Caves. This can be a very difficult scenario, with multiple hostiles in large groups, and you are l;ikely to be under-levelled. First Crab Worms, then skags, then Bandits, then more skags and yet more Bandits. Lilith can bypass the Bandit camp or the skags and still get her XP by choosing a more advantageous sniping position. When phase walking the enemy will lose track of her, giving her a huge advantage. She can oftentimes just run past the enemy, like the Guardians during the final stages of the game. When your shield or health is low, just phase walk to safety. But Lilith�s strong suit isn�t even her action skill. Her expertise is SMGs and when her spark skill is fully upgraded and a class mod for 40 % ignite damage and a plus 3 spark skill is added, she is a fire- breathing dragones, especially if you can get your hands on a Combustion Hellfire SMG, a Volcano sniper and other potent incendiaries including incendiary grenade mods. Other mods can increase SMG damage by up to 40%, making all SMGs extremely potent and ammo regeneration mods for SMGs are oftentimes on the same mod as SMG damage. Action skill cooldown mods, shield capacity boosts up to 36% are easily acquired and the electrocute damage and electrocute damage resistance mods also make alien meat out of any available Guardian. Her melee action is also an excellent weapon, dealing substantial damage. All in all, Lilith, with good incendiary weapons coupled with the right mods, make her rival Roland for individual play, especially after she reaches level 25, allowing the use of the games best incendiary weapons. Brick: In my opinion Brick is the toughest character with which to play solo. His action skill-Berserk-allows him to enter a rage state during which his punches rival the damage dealt by good weapons. But charging into a group of enemies with guns is never a good idea. When Brick is in Berserk the enemy will backpedal, run away and side step to avoid his rage state, oftentimes emptying a full magazine into Bricks chest as they do. He is tough but not that tough; and, more than any other character, you will find yourself constantly at dead�s door. His healing perks are good but they are needed all too often. The red border that appears during the Berserk state can also can be very disorienting, causing you to lose your sense of direction as you dart about trying to punch the enemy. Too often you will exit the state and find yourself in a place you don�t want to be. If you enjoy the in- your-face melee style and you are good at it, and you don�t mind near death experiences, you may enjoy the mahem that is characteristic of Brick. For me the skill often becomes a way to get out of harms way rather than a way of dealing out harm and will often become a way of avoiding contact, much as Lilith�s action skill allows. An exception is the Guardians. They have a tendency to charge at their nemesis, playing into a punching Bricks wheelhouse; and with the shock artifact equipped he can laugh at the Guardians. The game�s explosive weapons, especially the rocket launcher class, are not the best weapons for general usage and they are Brick�s preferred class. The rocket launchers, in particular, seem to lack the punch associated with that class of weapons. Like the others, Brick can acquire and use any of the weapons available in the game, but he has few of the perks available to the other players. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// BORDERLANDS WALKTHROUGH Note: The details in this walkthrough were achieved by playing parallel games on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 and from five additional playthroughs. The game play is identical on both consoles. Actual game play, however, unfolds, not because of any system difference, but because of a limited randomness in the game itself. For example, during SLEDGE: TO THE SAFE HOUSE, one system provided minimal opposition during the initial rooms of the mission-a few Bandits and Psychos. The other provided massive resistance in the form of a rocket launching Badass Bruiser covering the only approach to the next area. This random factor is within the game itself. Oftentimes I will say six hostiles- there may be only five or there might be seven-this again varies slightly. Skags and scythids numbers and types vary even more than the Humanoid opponents, so expect some surprises. I have included RED and SILVER CHESTS that can be accessed during the game play as outlined; but have not given the location of the ones that are not-I don�t even know where they all are. So exploration can yield many that are not included in this document. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec01> SECTION 1: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS/SKAG GULLY <m001> FRESH OFF THE BUS: (Mandatory) Level 1 Mission: Follow the Claptrap into the �peaceful� town of Fyrestone. Marcus, the arm�s dealer and bus driver, will fill you in on the planet Pandora-a wasteland, dangerous and barren and with a mysterious past; and somewhere in its vast borderlands there is purported to be a vault of alien construction whose contents will convey great power and wealth to its discoverer. As Marcus insults one and all, you will select your character to pursue the quest for the vault. This walkthrough�s details were achieved using the character Roland, the soldier; but should adapt to the other characters as well, especially Mordecai and Lilith. The ephemeral Guardian Angel will enlist your aid as you step off of the bus. Take the ECHO device and HUD from Claptrap, but before following him to the gate, head for the red motel building beyond him and scavenge the many containers, dumpsters, lockers, safes and skag piles in the area, which display a green beacon. Go up the stairs in back of the motel. Jump onto the platform and then to the corrugated roof. From there jump onto the roof to find your first RED CHEST. It is possible that the items acquired there may require you to level up before you can equip them, but take them anyway. Scavenge the entire area for money and ammo before moving on with Claptrap. Interact with the New-U Station, which is the ultimate �horrific death and dismemberment insurance policy,� to activate it. Change your name and clothing colors if you want. Claptrap will fill you in on the New-U Stations functions. Follow Claptrap toward the �peaceful� town of Fyrestone. Near the gate a swarm of Bandits will enter the area and after Claptrap opens the gate you must take out an initial wave of six Bandit Thugs, usually coming in two groups of three, after which Claptrap will point out a �one time� RED CHEST. Take the weapons and when the next gate won�t open he will lead you through a hole in the metal barrier. Continue toward Fyrestone, scavenging all the way. Jump over the short metal fence and eight more Bandit Thugs and Raiders will attack you before you reach the �ugh� peaceful town. Killing the eight hostiles will level you up to level 2, increasing your health bar from 100 to 115. This health bar progression will happen each time you �level up.� Claptrap�s announcement of the raiders decline and Dr. Zeds advent completes, FRESH OFF THE BUS. <m002> THE DOCTOR IS IN: (Mandatory) Level 2; 48 XP Mission: Open Building 03 in Fyrestone, and meet Dr. Zed Note: I have experienced an occasional �glitch� on both console systems at this point. If the Claptrap remains unresponsive and doesn�t announce the demise of the Bandits to the citizens of Fyrestone, exit and start a new game. Do not restart the existing game as this condition will not go away. This seems to happens perhaps once every five or six starts during playthrough 1. Claptrap will fill you in on the workings and details of your mission log and on the purpose of the waypoint. Talk to Dr. Zed to complete the mission, and he will give you the mission: SKAGS AT THE GATE. Take note of his medical vending machine and raid his place for cash and ammo. <m003> SKAGS AT THE GATE (Mandatory) Level 2; 144 XP; $313 Mission: Kill five skags and return to Dr. Zed. Follow the Claptrap toward the gate. Before the Claptrap gets to the gate, a Bandit raiding party blasts him. It is now up to you to take out the four Bandit Raiders and Thugs who pour over the metal barrier, two on each side, near the locked gate. <m004> CLAPTRAP RESCUE (temporarily intervenes) (Mandatory) Level 2; 72 XP Mission: Perform a diagnosis on Claptrap by interacting with him, then find a repair kit and return to him to do the repairs. The Guardian Angel will ask you to help the injured Claptrap. Interact with the Claptrap to do a diagnosis and then do an about face and go to the waypoint, as is indicated on your map, to find the repair kit. It is in plain view sitting on a makeshift table under the ragged red awning across the street from and southwest of Dr. Zed�s place. Take it and return to Claptrap to complete the mission. SKAGS AT THE GATE (continued) With the gate now open, head that way and open fire on the skags below to lure them out of the low area. You must take out five. If you have procured a shotgun, you can use it, but an automatic weapon also works well and keeps takes them at a distance. The early shotguns all have a slow fire rate, making it more difficult to take out multiple enemies quickly. Pressing the right analog stick initiates a melee attack that is highly effective against these initial weak skags. Quick kills here, 5 in 7 seconds, will net you the �Relentless� challenge which can gain you 500 XP. These challenge items will allow you to level up more quickly if achieved and can be viewed on your HUD. Return to Dr. Zed to complete the mission. This initiates the mission, FIX�ER UPPER. <m005> FIX�ER UPPER: (Mandatory) Level 2; 192 XP; $188 Mission: Obtain a power coupling, repair the med vendor, and buy your first shield. If you haven�t done so already, scavenge the Fyrestone area for money, ammo and health packs. There is an ammo chest and money safe on the corrugated platform below the water tower across from Dr. Zeds. A large boulder in back of the water tower can get you to it via the shack�s roof. Go out the main gate that Claptrap opened for you and turn left. You will see the green sparkle of the power coupling at the end of the path. Grab the power coupling and four skags will attack. Kill them and return to Dr. Zed�s place and interact with the glowing green cylinder on the med vendor to get it up and running. You can also just grab the power coupling and sprint back into Fyrestone and only one or two skags will follow you in. Interact with Dr. Zed�s Med vending machine to purchase your initial shield for 245 dollars. A blue bar with your shield strength will now appear above your health bar. The shield will now absorb damage until it is depleted, after which you will begin to absorb damage. You can now sell off surplus weapons at the vending machine. Talk to Dr. Zed to complete the mission and he will give you: BLINDING NINE-TOES. <m006> BLINDING NINE-TOES (Mandatory) Level 2; 480 XP; $313 Mission: Nine-Toes is a constant threat to Fyrestone and his Bandit gang has a stronghold near the town�s gate. Kill eight of the Bandits of his local crew and return to Dr. Zed. Head out the main gate and go toward the waypoint to the southwest of Fyrestone. The Guardian Angel will give you a pep talk as you exit Dr. Zeds. You will have to kill several low-level skags en-route. You must then take out eight of the dozen or so assorted Bandits to satisfy the mission specs, but if you clear the compound you can safely access a RED CHEST near the middle of the compound. You will likely level up to 3 here, extending your health bar to 130. Open the RED CHEST and then scavenge the area for cash, health and ammo and note the entryway to the Fyrestone Coliseum. This particular compound�s bad guys will not re-spawn so you now have access to a RED CHEST with little opposition for future weapons harvesting. Waste a skag or two as you make your way back to Dr. Zed to complete the mission: BLINDING NINE-TOES. Dr. Zed now gives you the mission: NINE- TOES: MEET T.K. BAHA. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec02> SECTION 2: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS/SKAG GULLY <m007> NINE-TOES MEET T.K. BAHA (Mandatory) Level 3; 90 XP Mission: Talk to T.K. Baha at T.K.s claim. Head toward the waypoint, southwest of Fyrestone, to meet T.K. Baha. A couple of skags will be in your path and a Humanoid assailant; likely a Mutant Midget Psycho, will pursue you from the west. If you linger a Bandit Thug or a tougher Bandit Killer will show as well. Interact with T.K. to complete the mission; and T.K. will offer you the mission: NINE-TOES: T.K.s FOOD <m008> NINE-TOES T.K.s FOOD: (Mandatory) Level 2; 480 XP; $313 Mission: Skags have made off with T.K.s victuals. Recover T.K.s four stolen food packs and return them to him. Head west from T.K.s claim, after scavenging the area, to get the first of the four food bundles. The waypoint on this mission will change as you pick up each food bundle, directing you to the next. You will likely level up to 4 as you dispatch the six or seven skags near the first food bundle that is plainly visible on the ground. The second bundle is just north of the first one. The third bundle is further north and another half-dozen skags, some the tougher Whelps, will challenge your approach. If you have a sniper rifle you can target the charging skags to prevent close-in combat. The fourth bundle is just a short distance from the third. Now with the area cleared, forage among any skag piles for loot. Return to T.K. Baha to complete the quest. T.K. will now offer the mission: GOT GRENADES. <m009> GOT GRENADES (Mandatory) Level 2; 48 XP Mission: Marcus has re-opened his weapon�s vendor in Fyrestone. Before going after Nine-Toes, you will need some grenades. Head on over to Fyrestone and buy some. Then return to T.K. to complete the mission. You will probably have leveled up to level 5 by now, so unlock your action skill by clicking on, for Roland, the Scorpio Turret; or on your character�s action skill. Note: Every time you level up you will receive an action point to enhance your action skill. The following is the build I recommend for a solo run with Roland. Assign the first 5 points to �Sentry�. This will increase the damage dealt by the Scorpio Turret by approximately one- third. Assign the next 5 to �Defense� increasing the recharge rate of your shields. This will also allow the next tier in �Support� to become available. Assign the next 5 to �Barrage� which increases the number of shots fired by the Turret. Most importantly this makes �Deploy� available. This reduces the cooldown of the Turret by 100% when 5 action points are spent on it. This easily makes the Scorpio Turret the supreme action skill in the game. Further points can be allocated to suit your style of play. Take out the ever-present skags along the route to Fyrestone and eliminate the Bandits, now sporting shields, that prowl west of the gate or they may follow you into town. Head into Marcus� newly opened store. Interact with Marcus� ammunition vendor to purchase your 3 grenades, and then check what�s for sale in the adjacent brown vendor. Many of the weapons available there will require a higher level to use than your present level. Sell anything you can spare and buy anything that strikes your fancy. An incendiary sniper is usually offered quite early for all of the characters and is a must weapon. It will usually require you to be at level 7 to use it, however. Incendiary SMGs are also offered quite early, and an incendiary SMG at FP 15 or above will be an excellent addition to your arsenal. During this walkthrough, I purchased both early on, acquiring enough cash by re-starting several times and looting lockers, skag piles, weapon chests, etc. It is quite possible that you may get a free incendiary sniper from the RED CHEST in the now-vacant Bandit camp but it is usually rather weak at FP 50. You can usually get one at FP 70 at Marcus� vending machine early on. Don�t fret spending your cash-other than a few weapons, like an incendiary sniper, an incendiary SMG, an incendiary combat rifle and a health regenerating shield you will have little use for the extra cash and the weapons will be extremely useful. You will acquire plenty of cash as the game progresses. Return to T.K. Baha to complete the mission and he will offer the mission: NINE-TOES: TAKE HIM DOWN. Remember to also check Dr. Zed�s vending machine, where you may find a stronger, health-regenerating shield available. This can be a key item and should be one of your first investments. As Dr. Zed says, �You won�t regret it.� <m010> NINE-TOES: TAKE HIM DOWN (Mandatory) Level 4; 2,880 XP Mission: Destroy T.K.s barricade, find the gun stash and kill Nine-Toes and his minions in their lair. Note: At this time-or anytime-if you exit the game and re-start, the RED and SILVER CHESTS, moneyboxes, safes, toilets etc. will re-spawn. So you can revisit the RED CHEST atop the hotel to improve your arsenal or your money supply, if you sell what you don�t want. The RED CHEST just before Fyrestone was a �one-shot� affair and will not be there, but the RED CHEST in the Bandit camp will re-spawn and the Bandits will not. So if you kill a few skags and a few Bandits in route, you can raid that same chest again, gaining XP as well as weapons and cash. You can do this again and again if so inclined to better your position. The RED CHEST in the cleared Bandit camp will sometimes provide usable pick-ups. Furthermore, if you exit and re-start while in the Bandit camp, you will find yourself back in Fyrestone, unscathed and ready to do it again and again-or not-your choice. Doing this will also allow you to complete numerous �challenges� (as can be seen on your ECHO device) to level up more quickly, as well as providing you with additional funds for purchasing a shield and weapons. You can easily complete the 50 skags killed challenge, 50 items looted challenge-even 250 items looted challenge and many others allowing you to hit level 7 before taking on Nine-Toes. Level 7 is a key point, allowing the use of more potent weapons, which are readily available at Marcus� shop-if you have the cash. NINE-TOES: TAKE HIM DOWN (Contunued) You will encounter three skags before the turn to the east of the waypoint and another three just beyond. Use the detonator to demolish T.K.s barricade and proceed into Skag Gully. You�ll encounter about seven or eight routine skags as you enter the gully and another three near T.K.s wife�s grave. You will acquire the Lady Finger, which is an ordinary repeater, so you likely won�t be fulfilling T.K.s deceased wife�s wish that you use it to take down Nine-Toes. There are another six slightly tougher Whelp skags near the mine entrance and a couple of Midget Psychos will charge from the mine entrance. Enter the mine and two Bandits will greet you east of the vending machines. Three more Bandits, one of them possibly tougher, will next block the way near the turn to the north. The Scorpio Turret is useful here, so deploy it. Make the final approach to Nine-Toes lair via the metal ramps and drop down; making sure the Turret is available. Immediately hit Nine-Toes with your most powerful fast-firing weapon. I used a combat rifle; FP 21; Accuracy 82.4; Rate 7.9 with a magazine of 24. When he comes at you deploy the Scorpio Turret and retreat to the right and toss a couple of grenades in front of him, and then keep the heat on Nine-Toes with your machine gun so he goes down before the skags are on you. The Turret and grenades should damage the skags, so finish them off with the fast-firing weapon. A shotgun will work against the skags but if its fire rate is slow you will take substantial damage and might require a second wind. If necessary, retreat onto the surrounding platforms to deal with the skags. Take �The Clipper� a rather weak elemental incendiary weapon and scavenge the area. The �Scavenger Achievement� leveled me up to level 7 while looting the area before Nine-Toes lair. There is a RED CHEST on the north end and a SILVER one near the east wall. The Bandits will not have re-spawned but those prolific skags are back in numbers. A half-dozen near the cave�s exit. If you haven�t used an incendiary weapon give �The Clipper� a try to see the effects of even a weak incendiary weapon, but keep your shotgun slotted in case you miss with the scope-less repeater. Six or eight more skags appear just past the rock arch. Exit the gully and eliminate the six skags along your route to see T.K. Interact with him to complete the quest. T.K. will give you the mission: NINE-TOES: TIME TO COLLECT. <m011> NINE-TOES: TIME TO COLLECT (Mandatory) LEVEL 7; 108 XP; $2,210; a grenade module Mission: Go to Fyrestone where Dr. Zed owes you for services rendered. Gun down the four or five gate skags and then talk to Dr. Zed to complete the mission, NINE TOES: TIME TO COLLECT. He will reward you with your first grenade mod and he will offer the mission: JOB HUNTING. Accept it. <m012> JOB HUNTING (Mandatory) Level 7; 108 XP Mission: Check the Bounty Board in Fyrestone for available jobs. Exit Dr. Zeds and bear left to the Fyrestone Bounty Board where the Claptrap hangs out. Interact with the Board to complete the mission. Two new missions are presented, CATCH-A-RIDE and T.K. HAS MORE WORK. Click on both to put them in your mission log. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec03> SECTION 3: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS/SKAG GULLY <m013> CATCH-A-RIDE: (Mandatory) Level 7; 108 XP Mission: Find and check out the Catch-A-Ride station outside of Fyrestone. The Catch�A-Ride station is across the street and north of the Fyrestone gate. The gate skags and western Bandits will fight you, and each other, as you make your way to the waypoint. Interact with the Catch-A-Ride pole to complete the quest. You will be given BONE HEADS THEFT. Click on it to put it into your log, and then go up the hill to see T.K. Baha. Make T.K. HAS MORE WORK your active mission. <o014> T.K. HAS MORE WORK; (Optional) Level 10; 359 XP Mission: Go to see T.K. BAHA, who has more jobs. Talk to T.K. to complete the mission and receive both, BY THE SEEDS OF YOUR PANTS and T.K.s LIFE AND LIMB. Click on both to put them in your mission log. Note: The game�s internal difficulty indicator is presented for each mission, and as the game progresses, if you have leveled up, it will change. Mission difficulty is hard to access due to these level discrepancies so use the game�s internal assessment with that in mind. Leveling up does not yield a huge leap in ability, so being a level or two above a mission�s assigned level does not necessarily make it any easier, but being far below a missions level will make it extremely difficult. At this early stage having good weapons is extremely important to success. <o015> T.K.s LIFE AND LIMB: (Optional) Level 7; 4,320 XP; $2,210; T.K.s Wave (a shotgun) Mission: Kill Scar in Skag Gully and return T.K. Baha�s prosthetic leg. <o016> BY THE SEEDS OF YOUR PANTS Level 9; 1,979 XP; $1,386; sniper rifle Mission: Gather Bladeflower seeds and return with them to T.K. Baha. Go east to Skag Gully. You will encounter three small groups of low- level skags along the way, about ten in all. Enter Skag Gully and, just past the vendors; you will see a glowing green item just before exiting to the main path. It is a broken data recorder and it initiates the mission WHY ARE THEY HERE. It is initiated when you interact with it, but must be turned in at the Fyrestone Bounty Board. <o017> WHY ARE THEY HERE Level 7; 1,944 XP; $1,658; a shield Mission: You have discovered a damaged data recorder but there are two more somewhere in Skag Gully that might shed light on the Bandit�s activities in the area. Search for them and return them to the Fyrestone Bounty Board. You now have 3 missions in Skag Gully and we will pursue all three, swapping missions when needed to locate the various waypoints. For the purpose of comparison, the following are in inventory. Hunters Shotgun 26x7; 69.9; 0.5; magazine of 6 Frantic Machine Gun (CR) 21; 82.4; 7.9; magazine of 24 Violent SMG 7; 77.5; 12.1; magazine of 28; 1.7 scope Burning Sniper 60; 95.7; .6; incendiary 3X; magazine of 6; 1.0 zoom Purchased for $2034 Burning SMG 16; 78.7; 6.9; incendiary 3X; magazine of 36; 1.7 zoom purchased $1834 Nasty Repeater 15; 83.3; 3.1; magazine of 16; 1.8X zoom Long Sniper 67; 97.2; 0.4; magazine of 5; 1.5X zoom; 150% critical hit Healing shield 74/10 auto health regeneration; purchased for $624 Explosive MIRV Grenade module 11 Select WHY ARE THEY HERE to get the waypoint for the first data recorder and head out into the gully. Eight or nine low-level skags prowl the area before the rock archway and require killin�, as T.K. would say. Go under the arch and begin the long clockwise trek that will get you to the first waypoint far to the east. Six or more regular skags will prowl near the mine entrance and another ten will be in the low area north of the mine and will come at you when provoked. Near the 11 o�clock position in the big looping pathway, a new adversary will attack-flying rakks. About six to eight will announce their presence with a shriek and will swoop in on you. A shotgun blast into their formations will thin them out and a few well-aimed blasts will eliminate the threat. Before descending from the high ground, snipe any visible skags as you face toward the waypoint. A couple of regular skags will emerge from their burrows as you descend the slope toward the rock bridge. As you move onto the rock bridge, you will see a large number of skags, over a dozen with tougher varieties like Corrosive Spitters among them. Down a couple with a sniper and as they charge, deploy the Scorpio Turret. Back off so you�re not knocked off the bridge if any get past it-it�s a long walk back. Take on any survivors of the Turret. Pick-up the first of the two data recorders, and help yourself to the RED CHEST to the north of the recorder. Switch to BY THE SEEDS OF YOUR PANTS and then jump off of the rock bridge and start north. The first waypoint is far to the north and indicates the position of the first Bladeflower. As you enter the valley, a half-dozen skags including the corrosive-spewing Spitters will block your way. As the �first� red-plumed Bladeflower comes into view, there will be four skags roaming near it. The next waypoint is to the northwest. As you approach the �second� Bladeflower, be prepared for a rushing onslaught of about a dozen skags including Spitters and some tough Adults. Hit one or two with sniper fire from well to the east of the Bladeflower, and when they charge, deploy the Scorpio Turret and supplement it with incendiary fire (if you have any such weapons), which are amazingly effective against the skags. Note: I purchased an incendiary sniper from Marcus� vendor, even though I could not use it until I leveled up to level 7. Elemental weapons, in this case incendiary, are a force multiplier and they are extremely effective against flesh, including skags. Only a few of the enemies you face are impervious to elementals. It is a �gift� that keeps on giving- a short burst will oftentimes start a burning reaction that will continue for many seconds. The �third� Bladeflower�s waypoint is to the north, and getting it will require a short jump from the rocks on its north side. Go north again and there will be a low valley with another dozen or so skags including the tougher ones like Adults, Elders and Spitters. Snipe as many as possible from the high area before jumping down. A Badass type may make an appearance here as well. Most of the skags can be taken out from the high ground. The �fourth� Bladeflower is plainly visible to your right as you overlook the valley. Go up the slope to get it. The waypoint for the �fifth� is to the northeast. It will be unopposed. The next, the �sixth�, is to the south and several more assorted skags roam the low area and the terrace ahead. Sniper them until they charge your position and then deploy the Turret. After that skirmish, it is clear to Bladeflower number six. Number seven is around the loop to the south and east. As you round the bend a dozen skags will charge in small groups and the bunch may include a Badass type. The Turret and a good incendiary or potent conventional is your best bet against this tough relentless wave. Grab the �seventh� and continue around the loop to the south. As you approach the eighth Bladeflower, several assorted skags can be seen in the distance. Sniper the bunch. Take the �eighth� flower and help yourself to the RED CHEST south of it. There is a good chance of acquiring a shock or incendiary weapon here. Activate T.K.s LIFE AND LIMB and look out over the cliff south of the RED CHEST. Kill any skags below and then drop down. The shortcut, the ramp way just to the southeast as is shown on your map, cannot be used. You must take the long loop to the east, traveling counterclockwise to the objective. There are five or six skags at the lower part of loop and another three or four just beyond. At the central east edge a group of four or five skags attack and then about a dozen rakks a bit farther north. Have your shotgun handy. After clearing the rakks, reactivate WHY ARE THEY HERE, the waypoint for the second recorder is just ahead under a makeshift tent. Re-activate T.K.s LIFE AND LIMB. Just up the slope there is a jutting promontory where you can view the area beyond and below. Scar is big and tough but he is woefully slow, but he has six or eight buddies. Snipe Scar or any of the skags below to get them coming to your position. (With an incendiary sniper you can actually bleed Scar out before he gets to your position) They will come at you ahead of Scar, so eliminate them first and deploy the Turret as the slower Scar arrives. Scar may even lose interest and return to the high ground. Hit him as he reels from the Turret fire to finish him off, and dodge his slow attacks and lunges if needed. Take T.K.s leg to fulfill the mission. Three or four more low-level skags will emerge from their burrows as you approach the RED CHEST in the lower area. The former �shortcut� platform is now extended, so you can descend and be rather near the exit or you can re-start and be there without pain. If you hoof it, a few skags will need killin� near the base of the ramp and a few more near the exit, although you can just run past them. Either way, return to T.K. Baha, killing the half-dozen skags, on the way. Turn in both T.K�s LIFE AND LIMB and BY THE SEEDS OF YOUR PANTS to complete the missions. Activate WHY ARE THEY HERE and head into Fyrestone, killing the usual suspects along the way if they have re-spawned. Turn in WHY ARE THEY HERE at the Fyrestone Bounty Board. BONE HEADS THEFT is now your only available mission and it can be quite difficult if you haven�t got a good sniper rifle and if you aren�t at or near its difficulty level of 10. Once again an incendiary sniper rifle works well on this mission and will allow you to stay out of range of his Bone Shredder SMG while he is meeting his maker. <m018> BONE HEAD�S THEFT (Mandatory) Level 10; 4,319 XP; $1,552 Mission: The Catch-A-Ride station is not working because Bone Head has stolen its Digistruct module. Kill him and his crew, regain the module and install it in the Catch-A-Ride station. Bone Head�s lair is to the west of Fyrestone and he is tough. He has a stout shield that seems to regenerate rather quickly and he has a crew of toughies with him. Oftentimes this bunch will include a Bruiser or even a Badass Bruiser or Psycho. How hard he is depends on how good your weapons are. I easily took him down using a 60 FP incendiary sniper rifle at 3x, and most of his crew with a combination of SMG incendiary fire and Turret fire. Make your approach from the large skag infested area to the west of the narrow path. Make sure you have eliminated both the western Bandits, as you have many times already, and the skags outside the narrow entry to Bone Head�s lair. This will keep your �six� clear of opposition. You will have to get their attention, so move forward and when they take notice, deploy the Turret, and then back off to a safe sniper distance, out of effective range of their weapons. Bone Head is brash and he will usually stay in sight, allowing you to pick away at his shield. Usually he will stand firing at you and allow you to pummel him, but he may also scamper back and forth. Don�t let up; keep pouring it on, relenting only to take cover against the rock face to recharge your shield. If there is a Psycho in the compound, he will come charging, but the Bandits will usually stay put and make you come to them. Once Bone Head is down you must eliminate his buddies to get the module. Sniping may or may not get the job done, so move in if necessary and use the Turret as well as your other weapons. The module is in a SILVER CHEST at the back of the lair. Return to the Catch-A-Ride to complete the mission. You now have wheels. The mission: PISS WASH HURDLE will become available as soon as you turn in BONE HEADS THEFT. Accept it and for now suspend any harvesting re-starts- unless you want to re-kill Bone-Head since one of the Journals is in his camp. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec04> SECTION 4: FYRESTONE/THE ARID BADLANDS <m019> THE PISS WASH HURDLE (Mandatory) Level 10; 719 XP Mission; Sledge�s boys have closed the gate on the road to the west of Fyrestone and you must get to the other side by jumping the Piss Wash Hurdle with your runner, allowing you to kill his boys and open the gate. Claptrap will inform you that new missions are available at the Fyrestone Bounty Board. Generate your first �ride,� drive to the gate at Fyrestone and accept both: GET A LITTLE BLOOD ON THE TIRES and HIDDEN JOURNAL: THE ARID BADLANDS at the Bounty Board. Generate a runner at the Catch-A-Ride choosing whichever turret weapon you prefer. The rocket launcher works best against hostiles and the machine gun against other runners, but you won�t encounter any runners in the Arid Badlands. With THE PISS WASH HURDLE your active mission drive west and when you see the gate, bear south and then west toward the waypoint. Run over the skags and Bandits in the area and align yourself with the metal ramp. Drive onto it and hit the �turbo boost� to jump Piss Wash gully. The new waypoint is the gate, so head north and turn east toward it. Use the vehicle�s rocket launcher or machine gun, whichever you generated with the runner, to eliminate the three sentries at the gate and the skags scampering around the area; or, even better, run them down with the runner. Dismount and use the switch on the right side of the gate to open it and to complete the mission THE PISS WASH HURDLE. RETURN TO ZED is activated as the mission is completed. <o020> HIDDEN JOURNALS: THE ARID BADLANDS (Optional) Level 13; 2,700 XP; $5,454 Mission: Patricia Tannis has hidden five of her journals in and about the Arid Badlands, and now she needs the information on them. She wants you to find them and send the information to her via the Fyrestone Bounty Board. <m021> RETURN TO ZED (Mandatory) Level 10; 719 XP; $1,552; a third weapon slot Mission: With the road open and the Catch-A-Ride operational, Dr. Zed is obligated to give you a little reward. Before doing anything climb the tower on the southwest side of the gate and take the first of the five �Hidden Journals� �Day 119.� Listen to them-they are oftentimes quite amusing. <o022> GET A LITTLE BLOOD ON YOUR TIRES (Optional) Level 10; 1,151 XP; $2,329 Mission: You got wheels. Why not run over some bad guys and/or things. Run over ten of anything living to complete the mission. Note: Because you have accepted the missions GET A LITTLE BLOOD ON YOUR TIRES and HIDDEN JOURNALS: THE ARID BADLANDS you have fulfilled at least some of the specs without making either your active mission. You have probably completed GET A LITTLE BLOOD ON YOUR TIRES already. Selecting a mission as active will yield a waypoint, but selecting it is not necessary to fulfill its requirements. Drive back to Fyrestone and talk to Dr. Zed to complete RETURN TO ZED. Upon completion, Dr. Zed will give you the mission: SLEDGE: MEET SHEP. Accept the mission and then visit the Fyrestone Bounty Board and take the mission Claptrap announced is available: SHOCK CRYSTAL HARVEST. Select GET A LITTLE BLOOD ON YOUR TIRES and, if you have sent ten baddies to meet their maker, accept your bounty at the Bounty Board; if not, go kill the required number and come on back to complete the mission. <m023> SLEDGE: MEET SHEP (Mandatory) Level 10; 143 XP Mission: Shep Sanders has a vendetta with the top Badlands Bandit Boss- Sledge. He murdered Shep�s family and Shep may be able to help you in your quest to find and kill him. The Guardian Angel will also inform you that Sledge has something she needs you to procure. Drive west to the waypoint and stop when you see the health station with the medical vendor. Shep is standing in the shack there. Interact with him to complete, SLEDGE: MEET SHEP. Shep has three missions: SLEDGE: THE MINE KEY; GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE and BRAKING WIND. Accept all three and then make HIDDEN JOURNALS: THE ARID BADLANDS your active mission. The waypoint for the next Hidden Journal is in familiar territory-Bone Head�s lair. If you have re-started since his recent demise, he and his crew will have resurrected, but this time you have a runner. If you haven�t re-started the compound should be clear. If you have re-started, enter the compound and fire to get everyone moving around. Take care as they can quickly destroy your runner. Back off if necessary to recharge its shields and then either shoot or run down the hostiles. When cleared, follow the waypoint to find �Journal Day 1.� It is plainly visible on an �I� beam on the north side of the compound. As an added bonus, if you have re-started since Bone Heads first death, you get another Bone Shredder and any other weapon or grenade mod drops from his horde, which you can peddle at Marcus� store. Off load your bounty in Fyrestone and, for once, ignore the waypoint, which is far to the southwest; instead go to the Bandit camp just southwest of the Fyrestone gate. �Journal Day 43� sets near the RED CHEST that you have probably been routinely raiding. It was the green light that couldn�t be picked-up. The next Journal is marked by that waypoint we momentarily ignored and is southwest of Fyrestone. It requires another jump of Piss Wash Gully. It also takes you past Shep�s rakk hive so you can do that mission on the way. <o024> GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE: (Optional) Level 10; 2,879 XP; $2,329 Mission: Shep plans on regaining control of the wind farm from the Bandits, and he is afraid the rakks nearby are doing damage to their blades. Kill the rakks and report back to Shep. Jump the Piss Wash gully and change your active mission to GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE. Drive to the waypoint. Make a close approach to the hive to flush the rakk. You can simply run forward and back and they will dive into the vehicle doing minimal damage to the vehicle while killing themselves in the process, or you can back away, man the gunner�s seat and use the vehicle�s turret on the swooping rakk. This will satisfy the mission specs of ten kills. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec05> SECTION 5: THE ARID HILLS/THE LOST CAVE <m025> SLEDGE: THE MINE KEY (Mandatory) Level 10; 1,439 XP Mission: In order to get into the Headstone Mine you will need a key. It is at the Zephyr Substation in the main office. Change your active mission to SLEDGE: THE MINE KEY and enter the outskirts of the Zephyr Substation. Begin eliminating the locals, which will include assorted Psychos, Bruisers and an assortment of Bandits. After clearing the first half-dozen. Work on the guys on the roof of the central building. When the area is secure go into the central building and interact with the document on the counter to complete SLEDGE: THE MINE KEY and to get SLEDGE: TO THE SAFE HOUSE. Put it into your mission log and re-select HIDDEN JOURNALS: THE ARID BADLANDS. Exit the building and turn right on the deck. Jump onto the crate with the small moneybox; then jump onto the tank and then to the metal roof and from there to the roof of the building. The �Journal Day 76� is in the dumpster on the southeast side of the roof. <o026> BRAKING WIND: (Optional) Level 10; 3,023 XP; $2,329; a shield Mission: The Bandits have set the brakes on the three wind turbines, cutting the power to the area. Shep wants you to release those brakes and restore the power. Raid the RED CHEST and select BRAKING WIND. The first waypoint is northwest of your position. Go up the wooden stairs on the west side of the rock outcropping and release �Turbine Brake A�. The next waypoint will lead you to a round storage unit to the southeast. Release �Turbine Brake B.� A second wave of four or five Bandits will likely occupy the area and may include another Bruiser. �Turbine Brake C� is to the east on an identical round storage unit. It seems that the �A, B, C� designation and their respective locations may change depending on your location, so use the waypoints given if different. Once again change your active mission to HIDDEN JOURNALS: THE ARID BADLANDS and head for the waypoint far to the west. Approach the objective from the south and prepare for a bit of a skirmish. The area is heavily defended with possible high-level enemies and swooping rakks that can easily damage your runner. Use the runner�s turret to kill all comers and back away when necessary to allow its shields to recharge. The last �Journal Day 172� is sitting on the ground among a group of barrels on the southwest side, just outside the main complex. You can actually drive into this area, grab the Journal and drive quickly away, but you will, depending on which hostiles are there, take substantial damage from them and the pursuing rakks. Select GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE to generate a waypoint and return to Shep Sanders to complete both GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE and BRAKING WIND. He will not have any new missions. Drive back into Fyrestone and turn in HIDDEN JOURNALS: THE ARID BADLANDS at the Fyrestone Bounty Board. Three new missions will be offered there, CIRCLE OF DEATH: MEAT AND GREET; THE LEGEND OF MOE AND MARLEY and SCAVENGER: SNIPER RIFLE. Put them in your mission log. You are probably currently at level 12 or maybe even lower and all the missions available are at or above your current level. Select SHOCK CRYSTAL HARVEST as your active mission and head for the waypoint to the west. <o027> SHOCK CRYSTAL HARVEST (optional) Level 15; 3,672 XP; a Shock artifact Mission: Collect 50 shock crystals from the Lost Cave. Use the ammo vending machine to top off your ammo, you�re going to need it on this quest. The crystals will be scattered along your path and will be the least of your problems as you work your way deeper into the cave. Just shoot them with a shotgun or melee them and pick up five from each location. You will need 50 in all. The first wounded Claptrap mission will be offered within the Lost Cave and it will yield three extra inventory slots. You will encounter the first of perhaps a dozen purple goo-spitting Larval Crab Worms just past the first crystal cluster. Their weak spot is their glowing eye and a single sniper bullet can net you nearly 1000 XP for each kill when you are at level 12 or 13. If they get close, retreat before them and switch to a shotgun or fast-firing SMG and aim for that eye. Dangerous but lucrative-you can easily level up a level or five-yes five with a few re-starts-killing them, and the Alpha Skags that prowl the dead-end side path that loops to the north. Static fire is good against the Crab Worms but it is unlikely that you will have any static weapons at this point. These guys also burn, so an incendiary weapon is also a good choice. Seven Alpha Skags, four in the first group and three straggling in later will come out if you coax them to do so; or you can just walk past their lair, leaving them undisturbed. They can yield over 8000 XP for a level 12 player; so, if you want that perk, take them on, but be aware that at level 12 this is quite a challenge, especially with any character but Roland. If you�re game, stay well outside their lair and snipe the first one you see, preferably with an incendiary sniper. The first group will charge, so immediately deploy the Scorpio Turret and hammer the tight milling group with an incendiary SMG. The second group will stay well back roaring their defiance. Hit them in their exposed mouths with incendiary sniper or SMG fire. Note: You can restart and repeat this process over and over again if you want, gaining major XP and leveling up rapidly, though this will decrease the XP a bit each time you level up. You can also re-harvest the same crystal cluster over and over, though getting the crystals is not difficult as you move deeper into the cave to find the wounded Claptrap. This harvesting will become progressively easier as you level up and there is a RED CHEST just beyond the territory of the worms and before the skags lair; it is on a ledge on the right side of the grotto and it often yields good weaponry. As you move deeper into the cave more Larval Crab Worms, and after them a group of mixed Skags, which will include Spitters and sometimes a Badass Corrosive, Shock or Fire Skag-real toughies-will appear. There is also a RED CHEST in the large bulge south of the path, and a host of skags including Alphas and maybe a Badass type protect it as well. Just north of that big southern bulge, as depicted on your map, there is another RED CHEST, sitting on a platform along the north wall. If you walk along the north wall going west it will lead you up to it. If you look ahead you will see the thrashing, whimpering Claptrap on the edge of a major Bandit encampment. (see �NOTE� below) The Bandits have good cover, but yours is not so good. Begin sniping, either from the platform where you found the RED CHEST or from the edges of the narrow passage leading into the camp. The opposition includes a tough bunch, including Bruisers and rushing Psychos with a Badass Psycho usually among their charging ranks. They will also throw grenades. Have your shotgun available and be ready to back pedal and retreat if needed. To make matters tougher, the purple Larval Crab Worms will begin to re-spawn and hit you from behind if you take too long to clear the camp. From this point on ammo can become a problem, so collect it whenever possible. Once you have cleared the area interact with Claptrap to initiate CLAPTRAP RESCUE: THE LOST CAVE. Its waypoint is deep inside the cave. Before departing, go south into the narrow passage where you will find a RED CHEST and then pilfer all the ammo you can from the empty camp. Continue gathering crystals until you have the required 50. NOTE: A bold approach to this first Bandit camp is to dart past the skags east of the camp and sprint, with full shields and health, into and out the north exit. You will have to go back for Claptrap, but the defenders will battle the half dozen or so skags and you can take up position near the metal barricade at the north exit and utilize the Turret and other weapons against the survivors. This is easy if you are playing Lilith, not quite as easy with the others. <o028> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: THE LOST CAVE (Optional) Level 15; 1,020 XP; three storage slots Mission: Find the repair kit and return to Claptrap. As you travel the loop counterclockwise toward the waypoint for the repair kit you will encounter a group of skags, which may include Corrosive Spitters, Alphas and Badass types, possibly even an elemental Fire or Shock Dog. This varies greatly and can prove taxing. The railway tracks mark the outskirts of another Bandit camp. This bunch is tough as well, with two groups of about six each. Work your way through carefully as they again have better cover than you do. It will likely include several Bruisers. When they are down, take the repair kit, in plain sight, at the waypoint and replenish your badly depleted ammo supply. There are two RED CHESTS northeast of the repair kit, and they are usually guarded by a colony of eight or more Alpha Skags, that will come at you in small groups. If you want the contents of the RED CHESTS move east on the platform where you found the repair kit and then look north where you will see the two RED CHESTS, and the first of the skags. Use your incendiary weapons and the Turret to take them down, staying in the high area as long as possible. Good luck! At times, for some reason, a lone Alpha will guard these RED CHESTS-maybe, you�ll get lucky! Return to the east and jump down from the platform to put yourself near the first Bandit camp. As you approach it, the camp re-spawns, so you must clear it again to get to Claptrap for your three additional inventory slots; and these guys keep coming. Use the narrow chokepoint north of the camp, ducking behind the metal barricade when needed. Many of the hostiles will come at you, so deploy the Turret and duck for cover. The enemy will include at least one Badass type. Interact with the Claptrap to get your inventory slots. This concludes CLAPTRAP RESCUE: THE LOST CAVE. I hope you got the fifty crystals along the way. Had enough. Just reset to go to the entrance, or fight your way back through the skags and the Larval Crab Worms. Return to Fyrestone and turn in CORROSIVE CRYSTAL HARVEST to complete the mission. You will receive a �shock� artifact that will be helpful in your imminent campaign against Sledge. The Lost Cave has likely leveled you up to 16 or even higher; so select THE LEGEND OF MOE AND MARLEY and then drive west to the Arid Hills where you will be pursuing three missions. Note: for an easier ride level up to 18 by killing Crab Worms. At level 18 the XP yield drops to under 400 for killing a Crab Worm and level 18 will put you well ahead of the level of the next missions. Guns/items in inventory after CORROSIVE CRYSTAL HARVEST: (level 16) Combat rifles: Pearl Machine Gun 40, 74.4; 6.9; magazine of 27 Repeaters: Burning Repeater 15; 83.3; 3.1; incendiary 3X: magazine of 16; 1.8 zoom Revolvers: Raw Revolver 97: 83.9; 1.3; magazine of 3 Shotguns: Raging Shotgun 27x7; 61.1; 1.5; magazine of 9 Static Sweeper 20x8; 6.7; 1.4; Static 1X; magazine of 5 SMGs Lightening Stinger 17; 78.7; 12.5; static 3X; magazine of 39 Double SMG 28x2; 78.3; 10.8; magazine of 33 Burning SMG 16; 78.7; 6.9; Incendiary 3X; magazine of 36; 1.7 zoom Sniper rifles: Solid Sniper 139; 96.7; 1.4; magazine of 9; 1.0 zoom Burning Sniper 125; 97.8; 0.6; incendiary 4X; 1.8 zoom Grenade mods: Explosive MIRV grenade module 11 Shields: Healing Shield 80/10 <o029> THE LEGEND OF MOE AND MARLEY (Optional) Level 15; 6,119 XP; $4,105; an incendiary artifact. Mission: There is a bounty on Moe and Marley, two of the toughest skags to walk Pandora and you�re out to get that bounty. As you enter the Arid Hills, six or eight skags will block the route, and three or four more near the metal shack. As you head north a tall platform with two guard shacks, one on each side of the path, overlooks the area. Snipe both sentries on the opposing platforms. Just around the rock face, there is a small Bandit encampment of six, with Psychos, Bandits and possibly a Bruiser to tend to. Follow the north rock face and when you hear the rakks, ready your shotgun and take them out. Snipe the skags to the northwest and deploy the Turret when they come to call. You will probably catch a glimpse of Moe the Fire Skag in the distance. Equip a conventional or static weapon and head west after the Turret is again available. Near the waypoint-you will encounter several skags, and then, in all likelihood, Moe the more aggressive of the pair. He is aggressive but slow, use the Turret equipped with the static artifact and conventional or static fire to pepper him and his minions that will be joining in the action. Run if your shield depletes and use the scattered boulders for cover. Additional boss types like corrosive or fire skags may also be in this mix. Marley, the shock dog, is shy and will spit shock bolts at you from a distance, and he is quite accurate; dodge them as best you can and use an incendiary weapon to burn him down. Just north of this area there is a small Bandit camp, where three hostiles patrol. There is a RED CHEST in this camp. <o030> SCAVENGER: SNIPER RIFLE (Optional) Level 12; 1,932 XP; a sniper rifle. Mission: Retrieve the four parts of a sniper rifle from the Arid Hills. Change the active mission to SCAVENGER: SNIPER RIFLE and begin the trek to the northeast. As you approach the opening in the metal barricade, a complex of tall structures appears ahead. Take out anyone in sight and then hit the barrel high and to the right, to eliminate the sentry. Move forward to the narrow entrance through the metal barrier and snipe all visible hostiles, including those on the upper walkways. The waypoint is a general marker on this mission and does not mark the location of any of the Rifle�s parts. With your sniper scope you can see two of the parts; one on a high structure to the right the other on the ground to your left. Move carefully toward the part to your left Take the rifle�s �sight.� Some of the hostiles may now move toward you. Continue north up the dirt path and curl around to the south and go up the thin metal ramp. Hop onto the rusty tank and from it to the rooftop to get the �stock.� Watch your back. A hostile or two may be lurking near the shack to the north, or coming up from the low area. Jump back down over the rusty tank, go right onto the platform and then left past the storage barrel to find the rifle�s �barrel� on a table near the edge of the platform. Head east past the barrel and take the diagonal ramp southeast and then curl right when off of the ramp to the shack ahead. The rifle�s �body� is behind the shack. There are only minor pick-ups in this area. No RED or SILVER CHESTS. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec06> SECTION 6: SLEDGE�S SAFE HOUSE/THE ARID BADLANDS <m031> SLEDGE: TO THE SAFE HOUSE (Mandatory) Level 14; 5,760 XP; Mission: The mine key is at Sledge�s safe house and you need it to get into the Headstone Mine. Change the active mission to SLEDGE: THE SAFE HOUSE and go north from where you found the �body� and jump down. Go up the hill toward the waypoint, but continue up the slope past the entrance to find a RED CHEST. Enter Sledge�s Safe House and top off your ammo. Buying a better shield is also a good idea; since the ones offered usually start to improve here. Enter the left doorway. You will probably be spotted and a hostile will taunt you and may advance. Quickly enter and deploy the Turret on the narrow walkway. Retreat into the doorway and take out the three or four hostiles in this first area. Advance down the walkway past the first doorway on your left. Look left around the corner and snipe anyone in the area ahead, which will get the attention of its other occupants. Return to the doorway you just passed and use the cover of the entryway to hit and duck, but watch for grenades and charging Psychos coming in from the north. Occasionally you will get a Badass Bruiser with a rocket launcher who will pummel the doorway-that�s bad. Move through the cleared room and up the stairwell on the opposite side. Turn right, ready to fire and, if activity in the previous room was light, the bad guys will probably be in here. Move eastward, clearing hostiles, to the base of the incline and check for hostiles at the top of the incline. Go up the ramp and move around the mesh fence, continuing east, and be prepared for action. About now you will hear a whimpering Claptrap. Move around the crates, clearing any hostiles, toward the graffiti-ed passage to the right of the white and red skull banner. Go down the stairs, get the attention of the Bandits and then quickly deploy the Turret around the blind corner and then step back through the doorway. Clear the chamber of the random bad guys and go west to find a RED CHEST and a defunct Claptrap. Accept the repair mission. <o032> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: SLEDGE�S SAFE HOUSE (Optional) Level 14; 950 XP; three inventory slots Mission: Find the repair kit and return to Claptrap. Retrace your route back up the stairs to the incline leading to the lower area, but don�t go down it. Turn left toward the opening to the New-U Station and turn right and right again through the opening behind the mesh fencing. Jump onto the small box and look up to see the repair kit. Take it and return to Claptrap to complete CLAPTRAP RESCUE: SLEDGE�S SAFE HOUSE. Follow Claptrap and he will unlock a door leading you to a RED CHEST. Exit the RED CHEST chamber and go straight ahead, and then go left down the hallway. Step into the large chamber to the right. This will trigger an onslaught of Midget Psycho chargers and Psychos. Toss a couple of grenades toward the emerging Psychos and then deploy the Turret near your narrow entry point. Step back into the hallway and use your shotgun on any approaching survivors. Go east through the long room and then left down the stairs. At the base of the stairs turn left to access a RED CHEST and ammo cases. Exit and turn left up the stairs and be prepared for the rush of four Midget Psycho chargers. The narrow stairwell is a good point to tackle them. Continue east along this upper walkway and top off at the ammo chests. Follow the walkway east and turn south. Check the area below for a hostile or two and then drop down over the railing; turn east and go down into pit. Use the two crates to climb out into the arena-or not. The area is defended by a tough but lethargic Roid Rage Psycho who wields a rocket launcher, and a swarm of eight Midget Psychos will join in once the battle is on. If you have a good incendiary SMG you can use it on the Roid Rage Psycho without exiting the pit. Locate him to the east of the circular arena while standing on the highest crate. Look between the fence pole and the mesh to locate him. Pummel him. An incendiary weapon will work wonders on this guy. If you stay in the pit he won�t move and the Midget Psychos won�t begin to swarm. He will go down without firing a single rocket. Locate the four Midget Psychos ahead and to the right and sniper them. You can then exit the pit and easily deal with the four remaining Midget Psychos. If you do exit the pit, run left and right to avoid the Psychos� rocket launcher salvos. Hammer the massive Roid Rage Psycho with a fast firing incendiary SMG or combat rifle. Little Midget Psychos will quickly join the fray so watch for them. They will even continue after the big guy goes down. Position yourself near a wall so they can�t come in behind you. Use the hanging controller in the center area to raise the platform, jump onto the platform and take the key to Sledge�s place. If you retrace your route going out, be prepared to face a horde of re-spawned bad guys; or, treat yourself, re-start and be at the entrance with the RED CHEST re-spawned instead. You now have to make it out of the Arid Hills intact. You can fight your way back, or you can actually sprint south past the sniper rifle mission platforms, through the lower area and then bear northwest where you can jump from the rock arch to the ground below. You will probably have to take out a flock of Rakks and a possible pursuer or two before the jump, but if you can absorb a little punishment you can easily make it to the exit alive. Grab a �ride� near the Arid Hills entrance and drive back to Fyrestone. Turn in SCAVENGER: SNIPER RIFLE and THE LEGEND OF MOE AND MARLEY. You will receive an incendiary artifact for killing Moe. No new missions are offered in Fyrestone at this time. With SLEDGE: TO THE SAFE HOUSE as your active mission, drive to the waypoint to the southwest. Interacting with the entry to the Headstone Mine completes SLEDGE: TO THE SAFE HOUSE and gives the mission: SLEDGE: BATTLE FOR THE BADLANDS <m033> SLEDGE: BATTLE FOR THE BADLANDS (Mandatory) Level 17; 9,802 XP; $6,866; a class mod. Mission: Infiltrate the Headstone Mine, kill Sledge and get the Eridean Artifact. Enter the area and use the corner of the first structure with the vending machines to snipe the hostiles. The five or six may include a Bruiser or Psycho, maybe even a Badass variety, so have your shotgun handy for any chargers. Top off your ammo if needed and be aware that it will become scarce as you penetrate deeper into the area. Move to the next building to the west and clear the three or four assorted hostiles in the area. Use your sniper on the sentry on the elevated tracks to the northwest and then move across the roadway to check out the SILVER CHEST. Depart the structure and go right and up the stairs. Open the gate after getting to the top of first stairwell. The switch will glow green. Follow around and go up the second stairwell and into the building on your left. Check out the SILVER CHEST and go to the south side windows. Snipe any visible hostiles, but watch your back for the cackling Psychos you can hear. When opposition wanes move out and loop counterclockwise along the north side of the map, passing through the structures and eliminating any hostiles. Your path will take you past a RED CHEST. The area to the south may seen rather empty but is manned by numerous hostiles, as many as a ten, and some will come up the stairs to pay you a visit. As you look across a Turret Gatling Gun on a low platform is visible between the second and third support beams for the tracks. You can easily find a sheltered spot in the structure and take out the gunner. Aim at the gunner just above the barrel for an easy kill. Move toward the stairwell and a group of hostiles will jump over the fence near the large rusty tank dead ahead. Toss a couple of grenades in their path and mop up with small arms. When quiet reigns, move cautiously down to the low area. More hostiles will pop up, and a Badass type is likely. Take refuge in the isolated shack on the west side where you will find another SILVER CHEST. When clear, scavenge the lockers and ammo chests in the area because ammo pick-ups are slim in the coming areas. Go up the stairwell, past the Gatling Turret, up the next stairwell and continue into the narrow passage to your right, following the tracks. Three hostiles will patrol this area and a Badass Bandit is possible. Continue down the metal ramp past the New-U Station and move up the rocky slope to snipe the three or four hostiles beyond, which may also include a Badass type. Continue forward and the gate to the left will lift. Use the covered bundle as a shield to snipe hostiles through the gate. Use the Scorpio Turret or shotgun on any chargers. Move ahead through the gate and up the stairs into the tall structure and begin sniping the compound below. Watch your back for flanking Psychos. Exit the structure and check below to the right for a stray Bandit or two and then move down the stairs and around the corner and be prepared for half a dozen more hostiles. Once the upper area is secure, advance to check out the lower. It will be swarming with about eight or ten tough Bandits. Use the rocks and derelict equipment to snipe away. When clear advance and another six or so will be in the lower area. A good long-range sniper is extremely useful here. For a better view go up the long stairwell where the overhead track runs to more easily snipe into the area below. Follow the track way and jump down southwest of the large building. Before you reach the elevator going up to Sledge�s place, another four or five will guard the final approach. Take them down, raid the RED CHEST and use the elevator to get to Sledge�s lair. Top off your ammo and advance to the entrance. Equip the Turret with the static artifact to attack Sledge�s shielding, and because Sledge is resistant to most elementals, equip your strongest quick-firing conventional weapon or a static weapon, which seems to work against him. A static weapon of some type is essential to breaking his potent shield. Without a static weapon you will likely run out of ammo before you can deplete his shield and kill Sledge and his companions. Open either door-I prefer �or�-and advance to the lever to trigger Sledge�s entry. Get back to the door where you entered and get out. Open the door when you hear Sledge and if he is in sight deploy the Turret and begin hammering him, ducking when he goes for the hammer slam or when he knocks out your shield. Back away to close the door. If Sledge doesn�t come to you, step out to lure him and then step back in. He won�t go far, and you can alternate opening the door to pepper him with allowing it to close to avoid his attacks or to reload. Always open the door when your shield is at full strength. A continuous attack by Turret or by your weapon inhibits his ability to retaliate. Sledge will also have several buddies who will need killing, and they oftentimes shoot at you when the door opens. Note: Sledge�s shield will regenerate if you take too long to re-open the door after first knocking the shield out. Will he come through the door after you? Yes, but he will not be able to leave the area of the doorway, after which you can hang back and pepper him and duck for cover to reload or recharge your shield. I have only seen infrequently in many battles with Sledge. If his shotgun penetrates the closed door, do not approach it-wait until it retracts before approaching the door. After Sledge and his boys are down, take his powerful but inaccurate shotgun and the Eridean artifact. A doorway on the east side of Sledge�s place will allow you to drop down and bypass the long loop to the south. Jump down and enter the metal building on the right for a RED CHEST. Then go north through the building, taking out any locals in your path. Go out onto the long metal walkway, clear the area to the east with sniper fire, drop down to the stairwell, and sprint for the exit. As you get a �ride,� Claptrap will announce that new missions are available from Shep Sanders and from the Fyrestone Bounty Board as well. Drive northeast and stop by the Med Vendor�s Shop to see Shep Sanders. He will offer you: WHAT HIT THE FAN. Accept the mission and head into Fyrestone. First head over to Dr. Zed�s place to turn in SLEDGE: BATTLE FOR THE BADLANDS. He will also inform you that you now have access to the Dahl Headland and New Haven. He will give you the mission: LEAVING FYRESTONE. He will also give you your first �class modification mod.� It will likely, for Roland, be an ammo regeneration module. Put LEAVING FYRESTONE into your mission log, and make WHAT HIT THE FAN your active mission. Go to the Fyrestone Bounty Board and accept all four missions offered: SCAVENGER: COMBAT RIFLE; FIND BRUCE McCLONE; INSULT TO INJURY and SCHEMIN� THAT SABOTAGE. <o034> WHAT HIT THE FAN (Optional) Level 13; 2,700 XP; $4,363 Mission; The wind turbine in Howling Defile is plastered with rakk droppings and Shep wants you to shoot them off. . Just drive west from Shep�s hangout to the waypoint. The droppings are easily shot off the turbine by manning the gunner seat of your runner and using the rocket launcher or machine gun-I guess bullets don�t hurt the blades. Six droppings removed satisfy the mission specs; but, for fun, pick a fight with the rakks by bumping their hive with the runner. They will flock up and fly into your sights real pretty-like. Before you return to Shep, activate SCAVENGER: COMBAT RIFLE. <o035> SCAVENGER: COMBAT RIFLE (Optional) Level 15; 2,345 XP; a combat rifle Mission: The four parts of a custom rifle are missing and you�re being asked to find them. Drive west from Shep�s hangout and as you approach the waypoint run down the assorted skags in the roadway-just because-because you won�t have them on your back during the sniping to come. Park and before entering the complex begin sniping-you can drastically reduce the opposition before entering the maze of ramps and platforms. The enemy will include about six hostiles and may include a Bruiser and/or a Badass type. Carefully snipe the upper platforms before moving forward onto the long metal ramp. Advance and take the �stock� in plain sight atop a crate on the long walkway. Be aware that several additional hostiles may appear out of nowhere while you are getting the rifle parts. Go right down the first ramp near the south end of the walkway and take the �barrel� near the base of the ramp. Restock your ammo, if needed, and go back up the metal ramp and turn right up the ramp and go through the first shack, then up the second ramp into the next shack. You will be taunted by hostiles while collecting the parts and one of them will likely be near this second shack. The RED CHEST here often contains some high quality weapons, oftentimes requiring a much higher level than your present one to use. Oftentimes you may acquire your first corrosive weapon here. The �sight� is behind this shack on the metal walkway. Go back down through the lower shack and up the steep ramp ahead. The �body� is on a crate to the right at the top of ramp. In is quite possible that you may encounter another hostile on this platform. Exit back to your car which-since you did �skagicide�-won�t be surrounded by the lil� fellas. Change the mission to INSULT TO INJURY, and drive west toward the next waypoint. <o036> INSULT TO INJURY (Optional) Level 15; 4,079 XP; $2,736; a shotgun Mission: The Bandits at Titan�s End have murdered ten archaeologists and mounted their skulls as trophies. Go there, kill the dastardly group and take the skulls. The waypoints for this mission changes and marks the actual location of each skull. The �first� skull is at the entry gate. Start by sniping the Bandit or two on or near the tower to the left of the entrance. Move forward toward the next waypoint and prepare for an onslaught of charging Psychos, Bandits and possibly a Badass type. Pick up the �second� skull. As you move forward be aware of flanking Bandits, but once you have cleared this area, it will remain free of opposition. The next waypoint is to the south. Go up the metal ramp for skulls �three� and �four.� Move off the walkway and jump down into the low area below this ramp and raid the RED CHEST. Take the �fifth� skull from the post near the shacks north entrance. Climb out of the pit on the northwest side and loop around to the southeast side of the pit. Take the �sixth� skull from the pole near the round hut. The �seventh� is southwest of it on the observation platform, at the end of a long pole. Exit the platform for the �eighth�-to the north on a pole near a round hut. Skull �nine� is on a pole to the north, at ground level near the arching ruins of a roof; and the �tenth� is on an observation platform north of the same ruined structure. Exit to the north and make SCHEMIN� THAT SABOTAGE your active mission. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec07> SECTION 7: THE HEADSTONE MINE/THE ARID BADLANDS <o037> SCHEMIN� THAT SABOTAGE (Optional) Level 18; 4,800 XP; $7,689; a grenade mod Mission: Infiltrate the Headstone Mine, place three explosive charges and destroy the pipeline. Drive southeast to the Headstone Mine. Opposition here will largely depend on whether or not you have re-started the game since killing Sledge. If you have not restarted, opposition in the first area will be light and the RED and SILVER Chests will not have re-spawned. If you have re-started, enter the area and use the corner of the first structure with the vending machines to snipe the hostiles. The five or six may include a Bruiser or Psycho. Have a shotgun handy for any chargers. Top off your ammo if needed. Move to the next building and begin clearing some of the four or five hostiles in this area. Use your sniper on the sentry on the elevated tracks to the northwest and then move across the roadway to check out the SILVER CHEST. Watch out for Psychos and incoming grenades while in this shack. Depart the structure and go right and up the stairs. Open the gate after getting to the top of first stairwell. The switch will glow green. Follow around and go up the second stairwell and into the building on your left. Check out the SILVER CHEST and go to the south side windows. Snipe any visible hostiles, but watch your back for Psychos. Take out the Turret�s gunner to the south before he opens up on you. It is easily located by looking south and it will be under the ragged red awning on the platform. When opposition wanes move out and loop counterclockwise along the north side of the map. Eliminate the four or five mixed hostiles and go into the next structure to the northwest and raid the RED CHEST. The area to the south may seen rather empty, but, as you move down the stairwell, about half-a-dozen hostiles will hop over the fence to the east and will need killing-some will be charging Burning Psychos. Retreat back into the structure to eliminate their threat. When the first wave is down, head for the first waypoint to the south, this seems to trigger the next wave of hostiles. Set the charge on the first support column and head for the next column south of it marked by the waypoint, Use the cover of the support beams and cargo containers to eliminate the Bandits. Head for the last support beam and set the last charge. Move up the long stairwell dead ahead, go past the Turret Gun and up the stairwell to the upper area. Turn left and the detonator will be dead ahead as will two or three hostiles. Take them out. Interact with the detonator to complete the destruction. If you haven�t played non- stop since killing Sledge, the RED CHEST in the building on the southeast of this area will be available, so check it out before heading north to the shack there. Exit onto the long metal ramp. Jump down to the stairs and sprint to the exit, leaving any opposition in your wake. Change your active mission to FIND BRUCE McCLONE. <o038> FIND BRUCE McCLONE (Optional) Level 15; 3,059 XP Mission: Bruce�s fianc�e is worried. Bruce was running a scam on some local Bandits and is now missing. She fears the worst and needs your help to locate him. Drive east toward the waypoint near Zephyr Substation and use the vehicle�s turret to eliminate the three or four hostiles outside of Bruce�s place. The entrance is on the east side, so enter and equip your shotgun. Go down the rocky incline and kill the two Midget Psychos that come screaming at you. Interact with Bruce�s remains to acquire his Journal, completing FIND BRUCE McCLONE, and initiating, PRODUCT RECALL. Raid the RED CHEST and then make PRODUCT RECALL your active mission. <o039> PRODUCT RECALL (Optional) Level 15; 3,467 XP; $4,105 Mission: Bruce scammed the local Bandits and paid for it with his life. You must round up the poisonous cigars he was peddling to prevent any innocent deaths. The waypoint is far to the west. Stop near the vendors and the New-U Station and you will see a narrow path, indicated on your map, leading to the waypoint. If you have disturbed the peace in the compound to the east, rakks will attack as you exit your vehicle. Leap up the rocks west of the vendors to find the first box of cigars on the rock ledge unopposed. Raid the RED CHEST and abuse as many of the three hostiles below with your sniper or rocket launcher as you can. A Badass type is likely among their ranks. They may not all come out to play so move into the low area by jumping down from your high perch. As you jump down you can see both boxes. A half-dozen skags, with an Alpha and spitters among them, will block the way. Toss a few grenades to soften them up and mop up with small arms. Grab the last two boxes sitting in plain view on the wooden crates along the west wall. Exit the box canyon through the narrow opening to the north; bear right after exiting to get to your runner and head back to Fyrestone. Turn in PRODUCT RECALL; SCAVENGER: COMBAT RIFLE; INSULT TO INJURY and SCHEMIN� THAT SABOTAGE. Select CIRCLE OF DEATH: MEAT AND GREET, the final mission in the Fyrestone area-for now, at least-and drive west to the waypoint and talk to Rade Zayben, the proprietor. <o040> CIRCLE OF DEATH: MEAT AND GREET (Optional) Level 12: 504 XP Mission: Go west to the waypoint and talk to Rade Zayben, the proprietor of the Circle of Slaughter. Interacting with Rade Zayben completes CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: MEAT AND GREET. <o041> CIRCLE OF DEATH: ROUND 1 Level 12: 1,680 XP; $1,947; a shield Mission: survive round one. You will beset by a wave of skags, perhaps eight or ten, with an Elder, an Adult and Spitters in the mix. Rather easy at level 20. <o042> CIRCLE OF DEATH: ROUND 2 Level 15; 2,651 XP; $4,105: a grenade mod Mission: survive round 2. You will be beset by an initial wave of assorted skags led by an Alpha Skag, and another wave with another Alpha or two and possibly an elemental supported by a small wave of lesser skags. Not as easy, even at level 20. <o043> CIRCLE OF DEATH: FINAL ROUND Level 18; 4,800 XP; $4,105: a combat rifle. Mission: survive round 3. First a swirling wave-a mix of Elders, Adults, Corrosives and lowly Whelps in a relentless procession. Next, a trio of Alphas, sometimes accompanied by an elemental, likely a Badass Fire Dog, will enter the mix. All of these rounds are highly varied in what skags you draw and how difficult it is because of it. I didn�t even use the Turret for the final round, but at other times, it hasn�t been enough. Good luck! Select LEAVING FYRESTONE and head west to the waypoint. Claptrap will open the Dahl Headland gate and announce that you have a 94.3% chance of a �horrific� death experience-he is being kind. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec08> SECTION: 8 THE DAHL HEADLAND/NEW HAVEN <m044> LEAVING FYRESTONE (Mandatory) Level 18; 1,200 XP Mission: Find Claptrap and gain entrance to the Dahl Headland. Locate Ernest Whiting who knows the area better than anyone. Enter the Dahl Headland and drive up the hill to the waypoint and see Ernest Whiting. This completes LEAVING FYRESTONE and initiates GETTING LUCKY and BIG GAME HUNTER. Accept both and make GETTING LUCKY your active mission. <m045> GETTING LUCKY (Mandatory) Level 18; 2,400 XP; $1,922; a grenade mod Mission: The local Bandits have taken over The Last Chance Watering Hole, Lucky�s place, and he is trapped inside. Your mission is to rescue him. As you approach Lucky�s from the north, two hostile runners will depart the area. Take them out with your vehicle�s turret or you will be fighting on two fronts as you take out the mandatory 15 bandits in Lucky�s place. Hunt the second one down if needed. Park your runner near the north end of Lucky�s compound and move toward the waypoint. Take out the snipers on the tall structure ahead, on your left, by sniping and hitting the volatile barrels. There will be additional Bandits emerging onto the upper platform so take them out and anyone on the platforms below. The hostiles may keep coming onto the tall structure, so keep an eye on it. Burning Psychos may also come toward you early in the fight. The large garrison will include assorted Bandits, Bruisers and Badass types. The Bruisers will be in the low area and Burning Psychos will occasionally come at you from the low area. Stay on the north end until you have your 15 kills, using the cover there to regenerate your shield. Lucky is in the small building on the south side of the compound; and the way in, for now, is through the enclosed compound and via the door on the east side. Start into the seemingly cleared compound with a shotgun and the Turret with either the shock or no artifact equipped. As you approach the gate, near the SILVER CHEST, an explosion will release a horde of mixed Psychos. Deploy the Turret and toss grenades into the path of the charging Psychos. Use your shotgun to polish off any survivors. The barrel near the gate can be helpful. Raid the SILVER CHEST and wait for the Scorpio Turret to become available. As you approach the waypoint, the east door, a Badass Bruiser will emerge gun blazing. Deploy the Turret and back off. Supplement the Turret fire with an elemental weapon or a stout conventional and gain an easy 1500 plus XP. Retreat to the north if needed, using the extensive cover there to take out the Badass Bruiser as he advances. Open the glowing green barrier inside the building and locate Lucky, on the pot-as always-and interact with him to complete GETTING LUCKY. He will give you the mission: POWERING THE FAST TRAVEL NETWORK. Accept it and go back out through the east door and locate the RED CHEST on the west wall of the compound that you just cleared of the 15 bandits. Many of the weapons in this chest may be a step up from what you now have and may require leveling up to use. There is also another SILVER CHEST on top of the roof in front of the building with the vending machines. It can be accessed by climbing the tires on the south side of the building inside the compound walls. Note: Lucky�s is a good place to harvest weapons and other gear from the three weapons chests there. If you don�t exit the Dahl Headland, the hostiles at Lucky�s will not re-spawn, allowing bother-free harvesting. <m046> POWERING THE FAST TRAVEL NETWORK Level 20; 2,375 XP; $2,411 Mission: In order to get the fast travel network up and running, you must close in the two open breakers and throw the master switch. Select POWERING THE FAST TRAVEL NETWORK and generate a runner with a machine gun. Drive south to the waypoint, dismount and climb on the boulder behind the tower. Jump to the first platform, then to the next and throw the first breaker. Scythids will make an appearance with Bursting Scythids, Badass Poisonous Scythids, Giant Scythids, Desert Scythids and others possible. Stay on the tower and reap some easy XP, or just sprint to your runner and head for the next tower to the south. Use the boulder to get onto the first platform, then jump onto the higher one, crouch move under the support beams and look up to get the next breaker thrown. A runner will likely attack you here, so use your sniper, rocket launcher or an automatic weapon to destroy the runner. You can also return to your vehicle, lock onto the runner and get a feel for killing runners with the turret. Scythids, the same as before, will also assail you. You must now throw the �Master Switch� which is located to the east. Park near the entrance of the facility and use the runner�s turret on anyone that will leave shelter; but most of them will have to be rooted out and they include Bruisers, Thugs and a horde of mixed Psychos. Go to the narrow entrance and deploy the Scorpio Turret when a target becomes available. About a dozen hostiles must be taken out before you can climb the three stairwells to the �Master Switch� on the southwest side of the upper platform. Note: Once you turn this mission in, the fast travel network will allow you to instantly travel to any New-U Station that you have previously visited. Just interact with any New-U Station and select any of the available destinations. Descend the platform after throwing the switch and another small group of Bandits and Psychos will have arrived. If you get back to your runner quickly you will avoid this re-spawning group. Take them out, if needed, and return to Lucky�s, taking out any challenging runners as you drive north to Lucky�s to complete this mission: POWERING THE FAST TRAVEL NETWORK. Lucky, still on the pot, will give you the mission, ROAD WARRIORS HOT SHOTS and the Claptrap will inform you that new missions are available at Lucky�s Bounty Board. Step out of the west door and accept all five missions at Lucky�s Bounty Board: FUEL FEUD; WELL THERE�S YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE; GHOSTS OF THE VAULT; SCAVENGER: REVOLVER and DEATH RACE PANDORA. Select ROAD WARRIORS: HOT SHOTS and equip the turret on your runner with the machine gun which is best for taking out runners. <m047> ROAD WARRIORS: HOT SHOTS (Mandatory) Level 18; 2,400 XP; $1,922 Mission: Mad Mel has been terrorizing the Dahl Headland and has blocked entry to New Haven. Take out eight of his runners to get his attention. You�ll have to eliminate eight of Mad Mel�s patrol runners in the northern area of the Dahl Headland. Find a high spot and when you spot a runner fire on it to get the festivities going. Don�t �lock on� if you�re using the rocket launcher. This makes it harder to target the opposition. With the machine gun locking on, however, makes targeting much easier and is the better choice against runners. At times you will have to hunt down the prey and at others you may be doing battle with three at one time. Return with eight kills to Lucky�s place and interact with Lucky, still on the can, to complete ROAD WARRIORS: HOT SHOTS and to get the mission: ROAD WARRIORS: BANDIT APOCALYPSE. Select ROAD WARRIORS: BANDIT APOCALYPSE as your active mission and before leaving Lucky�s, stock up on ammo. <m048> ROAD WARRIORS: BANDIT APOCALYPSE (Mandatory) Level 20; 10,559 XP; $9,646; a fourth weapon slot. Mission: The elimination of most of Mad Mel�s runners has made him angry and his men are questioning him. Seek Mel out and take him and his companions down to release his blockade of New Haven and free the Headland of his domination. If you don�t have an ammo regeneration module, top off your ammo supply before driving south to meet Mad Mel and his sidekicks. As you drive into the large circular arena with the flaming center all is calm, but drive to the opposite side and the gate closes, blocking your way. A pair of runners enters the track and the fight is on. Note: Truth to tell, I have never survived this ordeal by using the vehicle to eliminate the runners and Mel-almost, but not quite. I�ve always come up short, meaning dead, and used the procedure that follows to make it into New Haven thus continuing the game. Good luck!! If you also end up dead and give up, try the procedure that follows. Once you have experienced that �horrific death� as Claptrap says, don�t re-enter the arena. You may actually end up at Lucky�s but you will not be required to re-enter the arena to continue the mission. Stay near the entry lip and either snipe or use a fast-firing incendiary, explosive or caustic weapon to chisel away at the runners and Mad Mel rolling around the track. Sometimes a single shot or burst will destroy or heavily damage one of the vehicles including Mad Mel�s. Just duck away when your shields bleed down, taking shelter alongside the open gate to stay out of range of the compounds axe throwers. You can even toss grenades and deploy the Turret near the edge to help out. A well- placed grenade does major damage, even to Mad Mel. In a short time Mel and his minions will be toast and you will be on your way to New Haven. A happy Claptrap gives you access to New Haven. Drive into town and see Helena Pierce at the waypoint. Interacting with her completes, ROAD WARRIORS: BANDIT APOCALYPSE and initiates POWER TO THE PEOPLE. You will also receive a fourth weapon slot. <m049> POWER TO THE PEOPLE (Mandatory) Level 20; 2,375 XP; $2,411 Mission: Your task is simply to restore power to New Haven by turning on five generators scattered about town. The first waypoint is near Scooter�s hangout, close to your entry point into New Haven. Fire up the first generator that will pulse red and green. Exit through the nearby west city gate to find the next generator alongside the road near a pile of tires. The third generator is on the east central side of town alongside a building. The fourth is on the rooftop of the building north of the New-U Station and Scooters place. Climb the stairwell due north of the New-U Station to access it. The last generator is on the north end of town near the metal barricade. Go south to interact with Helena Pierce to complete POWER TO THE PEOPLE. This will give you the mission: SEEK OUT TANNIS and the New Haven Bounty Board will have new missions as well. Go back north along the main street and as you approach the Bounty Board you will hear a whimpering Claptrap. Interact with him to initiate CLAPTRAP RESCUE: NEW HAVEN. Accept the mission. <o050> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: NEW HAVEN (Optional) Level 21; 1,379 XP; three inventory slots Mission: Find the repair kit and return to Claptrap to repair him. Go south toward Helena Pierces place but go up the stairwell just north of it. Turn left and jump onto the washer or dryer that sits against the wall. Jump to get onto the roof. Raid the SILVER CHEST and turn right. The repair kit is on a narrow ledge below. Drop gently off the roof onto the ledge to get the repair kit. Drop down and return to Claptrap to complete the mission. An exuberant Claptrap will reward you with three additional inventory slots and he will open a closed hatch to reveal another SILVER CHEST. After raiding the chest and selling off unneeded equipment, go to the New Haven Bounty Board near where you found the wounded Claptrap and accept the missions: SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN; LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME; HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS EAST; KING TOSSING and CORROSIVE CRYSTAL HARVEST. Head south to Scooters place, near the New-U Station, and accept his missions, SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS; IS T.K. OKAY and UP TO OUR EARS. Go to see Marcus Kinkaid. He is inside the store near the vending machines and he will give you the mission: FIREPOWER: ALL SALES ARE FINAL. You now have fifteen missions in your queue, some of which could have been done prior to entering New Haven; but there is a reason for coming here. Two RED CHESTS that are game changers. They provide guns, shields and class modification mods at twenty times (best guess) the rate of most of those you have so far encountered; but, be careful, many of the items will require you to be at a higher level than you are currently at in order to use them. There are two RED and four SILVER CHESTS that I know of, in New Haven and near it. The first SILVER CHEST is in the small building on the north end of New Haven, north of the Bounty Board. Claptrap opens this after you use the repair kit to repair him. It contains the normal gear you expect from a SILVER CHEST. Another SILVER CHEST sets on the roof of the building south of Helena Pierce�s place on the south end. Go up the stairwell near the �dollar� sign, turn left and jump onto the Washer. From there, jump to the roof and turn left, go past the antenna to the SILVER CHEST. It contains the normal gear of a SILVER CHEST. You can find a third SILVER CHEST by going to the New-U pole, on the north end, facing north and going up the rear stairwell dead ahead. Continue north over the plywood �bridge� and north again to the plywood �bridge.� Jump over the handrail and go north to find another SILVER CHEST around the first corner. It will contain normal items. The fourth SILVER CHEST is south of town and contains normal gear. Go south past the yellow barrel, bearing slightly right over the low path to the left of the fence. Go up the road ahead and go under the dingy canopy on the left. The SILVER CHEST is under the canopy and contains normal items for your level. This area is also crawling with scythids that will gravitate to your position quickly. The first of the lucrative RED CHESTS is on the south side of town. Go south from the entrance to Helena Pierces place, past the shack with four lockers and you will come to a yellow barrel near a metal fence. Jump onto the barrel and from there make the long jump to the roof or use the crate around the corner instead. From there jump to the projecting metal wing and then to the buildings roof. The RED CHEST is right there and will yield high quality items at a prodigious rate. The second of these lucrative RED CHESTS is on the north end of town. Go to the north gate leading out of town, where you started the generator, and face south. You will see a rusty blue �JAKOBS� fuel tank near the corner of the building on the west side of the main avenue. Jump onto the tank and then make a short jump forward to get to the thin top of the rusty fence. From there jump and move the stick right to get to the lower roof of the building. The RED CHEST is right there and generates high quality merchandise equal to the one to the south. It is up to you whether or not you want to take advantage of the bounty provided by these two RED CHESTS. You can raid them and re-start and raid them again and again-or not. If you do, just be aware that many of the items procured there may require you to level up before you can employ them. You can easily replace weapons that you need to continue game play and end of with an awesome array of weapons that you cannot use. As you level up, the items in these chests will not always exceed the quality of weapons from other environmental pick-ups; but, for now, they certainly will. You can usually acquire a Maliwan Volcano sniper rifle and a Combustion Hellfire SMG as well as numerous other excellent weapons here. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec09> SECTION: 9 THE DAHL HEADLAND <o051> FUEL FEUD (Mandatory) Level 18; 4,800 XP; $3,844; a grenade mod Mission: The Bandit traffic in the Headland is extensive. If you can take out their fuel supply, you can limit their presence and make travel easier. Select FUEL FEUD as your active mission and fast travel from New Haven to Lucky�s in the Dahl Headland. Generate a runner with a rocket launcher, which is the better choice since you will be facing both hostile runners and numerous Bandits, and drive west and then south toward the waypoint. You must pass through the building there to get to the first �fuel tank,� and the building is full of assorted scythids. Open the door and blaze away at the scythids which are not generally much of a threat; but there are a lot of them. Go out through the back door and shoot the first �fuel tank.� Locate the two tire piles on the northeast side of that back area and use them to get to the roof to access a RED CHEST. Swap your active mission to DEATH RACE PANDORA and jump down and get to your runner. <o052> DEATH RACE PANDORA (Optional) Level 20; 5,279 XP; $4,099; a rocket launcher. Mission: The old Ludicrous Speedway has been overrun by scythids and they need to be cleared out if it�s to ever re-open. Kill fifty of the vermin to complete this quest. Just drive south past the waypoint. The �vermin� are dead ahead in small groups. The easiest way to get 50 is to just run them down. Just watch out for Fire Crawler Scythids that can damage the runner. You can also jump out and kill them up close and personal for a lot of XP, Badass types yield large XP and Fire Crawlers, Deserts and Giants are worthwhile-and an elemental artifact is possible. This is the fun way to do this, otherwise, ordinary mission and taking them out with small arms yields 5 times the XP as simply running them down. With your fifty scythids down switch back to FUEL FEUD and drive north. You will probably have to do battle with a runner or two along the way. You will see the greenish shimmer of the objective from well out but you won�t see the dozen or more hostiles infesting the small outpost. Use the rocket launcher, targeting the enemies as they come through the narrow gate. The enemy will include Bruisers and Burning Psychos and an additional runner or two will sometimes come out of nowhere to join the action. You must sometimes drive toward the entrance to coax out the reluctant hostiles. Enter and mop up any survivors. Take out the second �fuel tank� and help yourself to the two RED CHESTS. <o053> WELL THERES YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE (Optional) Level 18; 6,000 XP; $7,689 Mission: The water system is riddled with bullet holes, but it can be repaired if you can close off three main valves so the repairs can be made. Switch your mission to WELL THERE YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE and make the short drive to the northeast. Enter the opening in the rock barrier and sprint northwest to the water tower. Interact with the valve and then generate a little XP by killing the few hapless scythids that attack. Swap back to FUEL FEUD. Drive southeast, taking on the runners when you cross paths and stop to the north of the waypoint. Use the rocket launcher on anyone visible to stir up the hornet�s nest. About a dozen mixed hostiles, including at least one Badass type will guard the last �fuel tank.� You can, however, do it another way. Drive up the hill to the northwest of the compound and shoot the fuel tank from there. The remaining garrison is then rather easy pickins�, or you can be benevolent and let them live. Swap your mission to GHOSTS OF THE VAULT to generate a waypoint. It will be just a short jaunt to the west. <o054> GHOSTS OF THE VAULT (Optional) Level 20; 5,279 XP; $2893, an artifact Mission: Patricia Tannis� excavation team got spooked when �ghosts� invaded their work site. Head there and get the vault artifact that she believes is there. Note: You will require a static weapon to more easily accomplish this mission. A static shotgun or machine gun is advised against the Guardians that are highly resistant to incendiary and caustic fire. Conventional weapons will also work but will require a lot of ammo and you will receive massive damage as you pummel the aliens. Explosive weapons are also useful and the shock artifact should be equipped for your action skill. Drive up the steep hill and use the launcher on the guys near the left hut and then turn it on the structure dead ahead. The garrison includes a Bruiser and numerous Raiders and Bandits. Move cautiously onto the long walkway, deploying the Turret against any advance. When the area is clear, take the elevator down and another batch of hostiles including another Bruiser will attack. Your position is quite exposed, so be quick to respond as you reach the bottom. Deploy the Turret and use its shield to quickly eliminate the attackers. You can also stay on the platform and snipe over the sides. Go to the waypoint with full shields and the Turret available and equipped with a shock artifact. Approach the objective. At this point three Guardians will attack and they are highly susceptible to static weapons and will die easily when their shields are dissipated. Deploy the Turret and use a static shotgun or machine gun to make short work of them and gain some major XP. (Note: at close range, a static sniper, used like a shotgun, will also do the trick) When you interact with the blue crystal you will receive an explosive artifact for your Turret and the mission GHOSTS OF THE VAULT will be completed and the mission, SEEK OUT TANNIS is initiated. Raid the RED CHEST. Exit the cavern and get back to your runner with no further opposition. Make WELL THERE YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE your active mission and drive counterclockwise around the mountain to the waypoint. The small installation is the home to a large garrison of Bruisers, Bandits and assorted Psychos. Use the rocket launcher from well out to ravage the compound and watch out for a hostile runner. Move in and interact with the second valve and then take the green glowing boar off the spit. It will serve as bait in the mission BIG GAME HUNTER. <o055> SCAVENGER: REVOLVER (Optional) Level 20; 3,035 XP; a revolver Mission: Find the four scattered parts of a revolver. The next waypoint is to the north near the Catch-A-Ride station. There will be no opposition here unless a passing runner takes notice of you. Change your active mission to SCAVENGER: REVOLVER. First pick-up the revolver �body� lying on the floor of the structure north of the Catch- A-Ride building. Do an about face and go to the wrecked car across the road from it. The �barrel� is inside the derelict. You must jump onto the wreck and crouch down to get it. Go a bit north and then circle around to your left. You will see the third valve for the prior mission inside a locked fence under the water tower. Jump onto the roof of the north building, and then face north. You will see the revolver �cylinder� on a platform there. Make a sprinting leap to get to the platform. Jump from the platform back to the roof and from there to the roof of the Catch-A-Ride. You will see a metal fence ahead. Jump to the ledge in front of it. Use the boulders as stepping-stones to get to the top. Jump onto the platform where you will get the revolver�s �sight� and then drop down inside the locked fence to turn the last valve. Use the barrels and crates to get out and get back to your runner. Select BIG GAME HUNTER and drive southeast to the entrance of the arena. <o056> BIG GAME HUNTER (Optional) Level 20; 5,279 XP; $4,823; an elephant gun Mission: Skagzilla is a mutant of his kind, immune to fire, caustic and static weapons and he is big and aggressive. Set the bait to lure him out and kill the big fella. Since you already picked up the bait while turning the second valve, drive southeast to the entrance of Skagzilla�s den. Park near the long ramp entrance and make your way to the glowing objective at the far end of the large compound. Equip the Scorpio Turret with the explosive artifact and yourself with your most powerful conventional machine gun. Set the bait. Drop the Turret and, as he enters, hammer him with machine gun fire. He will roar as he enters so try to hit him in the open mouth for a much quicker kill. Dodge his attacks by moving laterally and when he is dead, exit to the east and follow the waypoint northeast to Ernest Whiting�s hangout to complete BIG GAME HUNTER. Drive south to Lucky�s Bounty Board and turn in SCAVENGER: REVOLVER; FUEL FEUD; DEATH RACE PANDORA and WELL THERE�S YOUR PROBLEM RIGHT THERE. Fast travel to Fyrestone from Luckys and select, IS T.K OKAY as your active mission. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec10> SECTION: 10: THE ARID BADLANDS/RUST COMMONS WEST <o057> IS T.K. OKAY (OPTIONAL) Level 21; 6,071 XP; $8,102; a grenade mod Mission: Scooter is worried about his old buddy T.K. Baha and wants you to check on him. Head up to T.K.s place and you soon find that he isn�t okay. Go out onto T.K.s back porch to find a RED CHEST. As you exit a group of Psychos will attack from the near T.K.�s outhouse. Deploy the Turret in the doorway and shotgun any survivors. <o058> LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME (Optional) Level 21; 8,279 XP; $8,102: a shotgun Mission: An enormous fire-spitting rakk, called Mothrakk by the terrified locals, is believed to be attracted to flame. Light the torches near his feeding ground and kill him when he comes to call. Select the mission LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME and go down to the New-U Station in Fyrestone. Fast travel to the Lost Cave and exit to the Arid Badlands. This puts you right where you need to be. Grab a �ride� and head to the waypoint and light the three torches. Immediately return to the covered building at the Catch-A-Ride for shelter. Equip a fast firing shotgun or machine gun and wait for Mothraak to come into your sights. Hit him and duck under the roof to avoid the deadly fireballs. A 1X blast shotgun at 31x7 with a fire rate of 1.9 took him down in about 50 shots over 10 or 12 pass-overs. Always have your shield at full charge before ducking out between the support beams near the Catch-A-Ride pole. Hit him and duck under cover. Re-enter the Lost Cave where you can fast travel back to New Haven. Turn in the mission, LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME at the Bounty Board there and then turn in IS T.K. OKAY to Scooter near the Catch-A-Ride station. Note: Mothrakk can also be taken out by using the runner�s machine gun, but the problem here is getting a good lock on him. The �lock� usually ends up locking on a skag or Bandit instead, or usually he is flying too high and is too far away to get a lock. If you do succeed in getting a good lock, you can take him down rather easily. The best location for this is on the roadway east of the beginning area, to the south of Shep�s hangout. Guns/items in inventory: Combat rifles: Caustic Rifle 42; 87; 15; caustic 1X; magazine of 12; 1.4 zoom Incendiary Rifle 27; 87.5; 10; inc. 1X, magazine of 12; 1.4 zoom Glorious Havioc 76; 68; 11.4; magazine of 72; 2.1 zoom Revolvers: Incendiary Revolver 161; 88.8; 1.3; inc. 1X; 1.6 scope Shotguns: Caustic Shotgun 53x9; 50; 0.9; caustic 1X; magazine of 12 Terrible Matador 42x12; 39.8; 1.3; magazine of 6; 3 projectiles Crimson Shotgun 31x7; 62.7; 1.9; explosive, 1X, magazine of 7 Static Shotgun 27x7; 45.3; 1.0; static 2X, magazine of 7 SMGs: Malevolent Thumper (SMG) 82; 90.2; 4.0; 1.7 scope, magazine of 18 Lightening Stinger (SMG) 17; 78.7; 12.5; static 3X, magazine of 39 Incendiary Thumper (SMG) 36; 85; 2.8; incendiary 2X, scoped Burning SMG 14; 78.9; 8.3; inc. 3X Sniper Rifles: Fearsome Gamble (SR) 225; 88.0; 1.1; magazine of 6,1.0 zoom Burning sniper 125; 97.8; 0.6; inc. 4X; magazine of 3; 1.8 zoom Detonating Sniper 18; 96.7; 0.6; exp. 3X, magazine of 3; 2.4 zoom Static Sniper 183; 95.6; 0.6; static 2X, magazine of 6; 1.0 zoom Caustic Sniper 110; 95.6; 0.6; caustic 2X; magazine of 6; 1.5 zoom Shields/ grenades mods Symmetrical healing shield 271, 60 quick health regeneration Explosive MIRV 50 <o059> UP TO OUR EARS (Optional) Level 21; 5,519 XP; $8,102 Mission: Since the Bandit�s stranglehold on the East Commons has tightened, the piping has been gathering all manner of debris and is now blocked. Go there and clear the clogs. Select, UP TO OUR EARS, generate a runner and drive east toward the waypoint. A small guard post, near the New Haven exit, will challenge your exit. An assortment of hostiles, which can include anything from Midget Shot Gunners to Badass Bruisers will come out to play. You must get clearance from Claptrap to enter Rust Commons East this first time, so either wipe out the guard post or get the clearance quickly and get out as soon as possible. Drive east and then cut north toward the waypoint. A pair of assorted hostiles will walk into the road, run them down and look ahead, a number of rakks roost on the metal work. Use the vehicles turret to take them out and continue on. You can normally just speed through this area, leaving all the enemies behind, but this time you will be conducting operations in this vicinity. You need to take up a position on the high ground east of the target, but more rakks, likely including Corrosive and a deadly Badass Fire Rakk will swoop in. Target them with your vehicle�s turret, and when they are down, drive onto the ground overlooking the target. A few spiderants will swarm, so run them over. As you look west toward the waypoint, you will see the green glowing obstructions in the two pipes. Target them either with the turret or a sniper rifle to satisfy the mission specs. Select SEEK OUT TANNIS as your active mission. <m060> SEEK OUT TANNIS (Mandatory) Level 21; 2,759 XP; $2,700 Mission: Talk to Claptrap and he�ll open the gate so you can enter Rust Commons West to see Patricia Tannis. Drive south and then cut north past the facility where you just cleared the pipes. You can stop to take out its six or more assorted bad guys and raid the RED CHEST on its upper walkway but it probably won�t be worth the effort although you can gain major XP by doing so. You can also clear this facility, raid the RED CHEST and take out the clogs from the rear ground level area instead of using the high ground and dealing with the nasty rakks. Continue north through the spiderant infested area and cross the river again. Go up the hill and turn east, crossing the bridge. A lone Badass type always guards the east end of this bridge and if you stop and take him out, you can get major XP and access to the RED CHEST just west of his hut. Go east and stop at the vendors near the entrance to Rust Commons East. This will add �The Underpass� to the fast travel network. Note: While not as prolific for leveling up as is The Lost Cave in the Arid Badlands, the area near The Underpass is a good area for gaining XP and for harvesting the three RED CHESTS nearby. From The Underpass drive west and stop just before crossing the bridge. A lone Badass type mans the guard post and will emerge from the circular hut. He can net nearly 3,000 XP for a low twenties level player, if you take him down with small arms fire. The RED CHEST to the west of the hut often contains usable gear as well. Turn around and head back east curling back westward, heading for the northwest part of the sector. There are two RED CHESTS near the cliffs there and it is also the lair of 50 or more spiderants. You can run them down for good XP, watching the integrity of your shields as you do, or you can take them down with small arms, yielding 5 times the XP as running them down. You will eventually encounter every type of spiderants here, with multiple Badass types and Kings and Queens among the victims. The two RED CHESTS also yield decent gear and the two nearby vending areas will easily allow you to sell the surplus. If you repeat this you can level up fairly rapidly, completing a few �Challenges� and leveling up your weapon proficiencies as well. Continue north to the objective. Use your sniper to pick off a bunch of the spiderants, who don�t normally come up the slope, for some easy XP- Queens, Kings and Badass types like the Zapper are worth a few bullets. Equip your shotgun and enter the rock passage. Use your shotgun on the fifteen or so low level spiderants and deploy the Turret if overwhelmed or against any tougher types that are possible. With the initial spiderants under control and your shield recharged, continue the final lap, shotgun in hand. A second wave of spiderants will sometimes attack including a Badass variety, deploy the Turret and work on his buddies. Rakks will appear on the overhead arches, hanging bat-like. Use your sniper to take them out. Stand your ground in the east approach and eliminate them as the dozen or so swoop at you. Go to Tannis to complete SEEK OUT TANNIS. As this mission is completed, Tannis will give you MEET CRAZY EARL. There are two RED CHESTS in the area. The first is to the north atop the gray rock structures. Jump onto the low rocks and move west toward it. You can see it. Make the final jump across the gap. The next is west of it and is the lair of several rakks. Sniper them and have your shotgun ready as you move in. Raid the RED CHEST. Jump down near the RED CHEST to be at the exit. The spiderants near the exit will have re- spawned. Either get back to your runner or plant the Turret in the narrow entry/exit passage for some easy XP. <o061> HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS WEST (OPTIONAL) Level 23; 6,000 XP; $20,328 Mission: Locate five of Patricia Tannis� Journals scattered around the West Commons and turn them over to the New Haven Bounty Board. Swap your active mission to HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS WEST. The first Journal is in the top center of the Rust Commons West map-to the northwest of �The Underpass.� �Day 224� is sitting on a box between two circular huts and you can simply grab it and run, get in your runner and speed off. �Rakkinishu�, a giant fire spitting rakk, will attack you if you linger. If you want to take him out, you can duck into either hut to shotgun it, ducking for cover into the hut just like you did for Mothrack. He is good for several thousand XP if you kill him, and his drops can include both weapons and shields. Like Mothrakk you can also use the runner�s turret on him; and ,in this case, getting a lock is not as difficult. The next waypoint is well to the south and is well defended. There will likely be seven defenders and a Psycho or Bruiser will be among them. Begin eliminating them with your vehicle�s rocket launcher from either the riverbed or from the hillside to the north of the structures. Watch out for low-level spiderants just before the hill area. There is a RED CHEST on the top level of the tall structure. �Journal Day 321� is on the south side of the stream, sitting on a crate on the low platform. Numerous lockers and ammo cases make this a good spot to loot for money and ammo. �Journal Day 457� is south of these structures. Drive south in the river. The swooping rakks can be taken out with the rocket launcher and the few spiderants that infest the area are easily killed, just avoid the explosive barrels lying in the river. �Day 457� is in the metal shack near the three giant dandelion-like plants. Journal �Day 481� is atop a tall observation tower to the southeast. Continue southeast from �Day 457� to intersect the road. Go east, continuing east when the road ends. This will put you in the far eastern corridor. Avoid the explosive barrels-they will take you out. As you make the turn due south, an initial wave of rakks and assorted spiderants will erupt. Near the dam a long stairwell leads to a SILVER CHEST, but your advent triggers a second horde of assorted spiderants. Take the trouble to clear them out or they will worry your back as you take on the hostiles ahead. There is also a good chance of acquiring an artifact here as well. Continue south and when you see the huge overhead rock arch, stop and man the gunner�s seat. Take out the hanging rakks and then any others that come at you. Dismount and move forward until the Gatling Turret�s laser betrays its position. Use your incendiary or caustic or blast sniper to take out the gun from the relative safety of the east rock face. If you can find a good spot where you cannot be targeted you can also take out the Gatling with the vehicle�s rocket launcher. Four additional hostiles must also be put down as you approach the tower. Climb the three long stairwells to the top for the Journal �Day 481.� The last Journal �Day 493� is laying on a table under a red awning not too far north of the east corridors entry point, but it is defended by three hostiles, and one is likely a Badass type. You can actually drive in, take the Journal and git� without a fight, if so inclined. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec11> SECTION 11: RUST COMMONS WEST/CRAZY EARL�S SCRAPYARD The last three Rust Commons missions in your log; SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS; SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN and FIREPOWER: ALL SALES ARE FINAL take place in the southern area and will be pursued concurrently. <o062> SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS Level 21; 4,140 XP; $10,803 Mission: Collect seven parts of a runner for Scooter. Select SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS and drive south, entering the west passage northwest of the Catch-A-Ride, as is seen on your map, through the narrow opening. Drive forward and backwards to decimate the low level spiderants. Continue past the Catch-A-Ride and park your vehicle. Advance toward the large open area to the south and use the cover of the metal barrier to snipe the guys ahead. They will include assorted Bandits, Psychos, Bruisers and probably a Badass type. A Gatling Gun, up high and to your left, will open up as you advance. Use your sniper rifle on it from near the entrance, using the cargo container for cover. Clear the compound of visible hostiles and move toward the first waypoint. You will see a glowing green item near a wooden crate at the base of a tall billboard. Interact with it to get the �front fender.� The next waypoint is to the east where you will find the �rear fender� near a metal shack near two item lockers. There is a SILVER CHEST just southwest of your position. The first �fuel cell� is near a pipeline support column north of the store with the vending machines. Switch to FIREPOWER: ALL SALES ARE FINAL to generate a new waypoint. Pick up the invoice from the table under the red canopy near the vending machine. <o063> FIREPOWER: ALL SALES ARE FINAL (Optional) Level 21; 5,520 XP; $10,803 Mission: Marcus wants to know who is supplying the Bandit�s munitions. Find the invoice and return it to him. Switch back to SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS and jump onto the nearby support column and then jump onto the roof of the store to find the second �rear fender.� From the rooftop, looking south, you can see the second �front fender� near a large shipping container. You will likely encounter resistance here, so use the high area to snipe the enemy below. Clear all opposition before moving to the waypoint. Yet another Gatling Gun will now open up, this time from high on top of the canopy to the west of the store. It can be taken out from right there where you picked up the �front fender�. Four or five incendiary or caustic sniper rounds will do the trick and from there the gunner cannot target you. The second �fuel cell� is in a pool of scum below the Gatling perch on the west side of the store. The �rusty engine� is on top a cargo container near the center of area and south of the store. Jump from the south container to the north to get to it. <m064> MEET CRAZY EARL: (Mandatory) Level 22; 2,880 XP; $3025 Mission: Go to the scrap yard and blast your way in to see Crazy Earl. Before continuing the mission: SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN, select Meet CRAZY EARL to generate a waypoint and enter the scrap yard to the southwest. Five assorted skags, with low level, Corrosive and Adults among them, prowl the entryway and will need killing each time you head this way; and they will get progressively tougher and will eventually include elemental types. You will find the way blocked at the narrow passage-just shoot the red pressure cylinder to open up the path. This action satisfies the specs for MEET CRAZY EARL, but go talk to the cantankerous old coot to complete the mission and to initiate GET OFF MY LAWN and TODAY�S LESSON: HIGH EXPLOSIVES. Accept both missions. Switch to SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN to generate a waypoint and head back out. Enter Rust Commons West, kill the few Bandits that get in your way and go out the south gate. <o065> SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN (Optional) Level 23; 3,450 XP; an SMG Mission: Find the four scattered parts of the submachine gun. Sprint south toward the Catch-A-Ride, bearing west toward the waypoint. Stop at the narrow opening between the shipping containers and start sniping the hostiles. You can see three of the four parts from there� one dead ahead, one on a shipping container and two high to the right. After clearing the area jump from the rocky slope to the container to get the �barrel.� Several Bandits and Psychos will come through the gate to the west and must be dealt with. Go through the gate on the west end and make a right and go up the slope and go east across the metal ramp. Additional Psychos may appear here as well. The �body� is on a narrow ledge on the side of the building. Drop down to get it. Jump from that ledge to the top of the gray column and then to the corrugated platform. From there a tricky jump will get you to the roof for the �sight.� Jump parallel to the roof past the beam, or the beam will just knock you to the ground, and move the stick hard left to gain the roof. I find this jump aggravating and usually repeat the procedure several times to get it right. Drop to the ground and take the final piece, the �magazine.� It is lying in a tire in front of the building. Exit this area and make a side trip. Were going to put Treacher�s Landing on the fast travel network. As you loop around and go south into the extreme southeast lobe of the Rust Commons West map, numerous spiderants, some of the Badass variety, will pop up. Use grenades, the Turret and retreating tactics to survive the onslaught. You can also just grab a �ride� from the Catch-A-Ride on the east side of the area and run down the erupting spiderants. Once the spiderants are cleared, set up on the south end of the area for a bit, using the Turret in the narrow opening and sniping the five or six hostiles in the compound. If you have eliminated the spiderants, this is an easy one front battle. The reward is a SILVER CHEST, atop the observation platform, and the ability to reach Treacher�s Landing via the fast travel network and a bunch of XP for the deceased, Humanoid and not. There is also a fast travel New-U Station at Treacher�s Landing; so, once inside, you can travel painlessly back to New Haven to turn in FIREPOWER: ALL SALES FINAL to Marcus Kinkaid and he will offer FIREPOWER: MARKET CORRECTION. Accept it. Turn in SCOOTER�S USED CAR PARTS and UP TO OUR EARS to Scooter and turn in SCAVENGER: SUBMACHINE GUN and HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS WEST at the New Haven Bounty Board. Notes: Any of the above, or any completed mission, can be turned in at any time after it is completed. If you need to level up-to use a weapon, for example, it may be best to take the time to turn in missions when completed. My level after turning these in is now 26. <o066> FIREPOWER: MARKET CORRECTION: (Optional) Level 21; 5,519 XP; $10,803; an SMG Mission: Marcus believes One-Eyed Jack is storing ammo at his warehouse, and is destroying Marcus� business. Take out the six ammo caches to �correct� the situation. Select FIREPOWER: MARKET CORRECTION and fast travel to The Underpass Drive east over the bridge and cut south, crossing the river but turning left before reaching the second river. Begin targeting the hostiles with the rocket launcher. You can thin the opposition and then finish clearing the lower area on foot. Bruisers and a Badass type will be among them. The �first� cache is north of your position and will most likely go down in the firefight from your rocket fire. Be aware that blowing up the piles can damage you as well- so stay back when taking them out. There is a SILVER CHEST near the north cache. From that SILVER CHEST, look through the doorway on your right. Take out the �two� ammo caches (two and three) there and check out the SILVER CHEST across from them. The �fourth� cache is on the gray building to your north in plain view, and is reached via the ramp on the rear side of the building. Head east and go north up the ramp for numbers �five� and �six.� A lone Bandit, sometimes a Badass type, will come out of the shack there to challenge you. Drive back north to The Underpass and fast travel to Crazy Earl�s Scrapyard. Select GET OFF MY LAWN. <m067> GET OFF MY LAWN: (Mandatory) Level 22; 4,320 XP; $3,025 Mission: Earl has trespassers crawlin� all over his property, Humanoid and non� and he wants you to make em� dead afore he�ll talk to you. Kill 3 spiderants and 25 Bandits to make him happy. Kill the skags on your way to Earl�s and go left into the northern part of the scrap yard. The required three spiderants will go down even before you enter the left, or north passage. As you move over the staging and into the metal passage along the way you will see the first Bandits and they you will see you. Begin sniping from the broken hulk of the container. Continue a clockwise sweep. You will encounter small groups of assorted Bandits; but when you cross the second long ramp just beyond the 12 o�clock position, you will face at least two Bruisers and an assortment of Bandits. Deploy the Turret and when you have cleared the area go to the wounded Claptrap you can see thrashing about under the reddish canopy. <o068> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: SCRAPYARD: (Optional) Level 22; 1,440 XP; three inventory slots. Mission: Locate a repair kit and fix the Claptrap. The repair kit is just a short distance to the southeast but is up high, but, for once, there is a shortcut to it. Jump onto the refrigerator (with the green light) and then onto the metal framework. From there vault to the platform above. A half-dozen hostiles will challenge, so deploy the Turret and take refuge behind the round hut. Use grenades and small arms to clear the area. Take the repair kit and help yourself to the RED CHEST. Jump back down to complete the repair and the mission. Continue around the loop to get the required 25 kills, and be aware that the next group usually contains a Badass and two Bruisers. With 25 Bandit kills and 3 spiderant kills, return back toward Earl�s but take the southern route. Activate the mission TODAY�S LESSON: HIGH EXPLOSIVES <m069> TODAYS LESSON: HIGH EXPLOSIVES: (Mandatory) Level 22; 7,200 XP; $9,075; a grenade mod. Mission: The Bandits have stolen the C-charges. Show em� what�s what. Go there, set the charges and blow the place up. You will encounter the first hostiles just before the narrow passage widens, not too far from the SILVER CHEST on the right side of the passage. As you cross the metal ramp way and enter the big area with the many barrels, several Bandits, including a Bruiser, will attack. Use the barrels and hope they don�t. It is advisable to destroy any barrels that you will be near in this area. Raid the SILVER CHEST. There is another SILVER CHEST farther south on this same ramp at the lower end. Make a long jump onto the corrugated iron platform to raid the RED CHEST. Snipe the two snarling skags below and then jump down and begin the long clockwise circuit around the north perimeter of the area. Skags will populate this area. At the east end you will encounter humanoid resistance, possibly including a Badass type as well as three or four others. Move up the long metal ramp after clearing the place and jump down near the New-U_Station. Another group of Bandits will attack as you move south. Use the metal beams in the water as cover to wipe them out. Watch out for flankers, especially Psychos. Look toward the waypoint. The higher area is swarming with about eight or ten hostiles. Draw them out by hitting the red barrel or tossing a grenade into their hideout. Go up the ramp to get the C-charge. Check out the SILVER CHEST. You must now go northwest and make a counterclockwise loop, as indicated by a narrow ramp way on your map. As you go onto the ramp several Bandits will challenge, and some will probably come in behind you even though you have cleared the low area. Use the volatile barrel ahead if possible. Continue around up the ramp, going left at �piss off�. You will likely meet a few hostiles at the top of the ramp before you turn left. They will emerge from the hut ahead to the south. If they don�t, watch your back as you advance toward the objective. After turning left onto the long walkway you will see hostiles on the high ground. Begin sniping from the building. Several Psychos will periodically come down the ramp from the high ground. Finish clearing the upper area. Head to the waypoint and set the charge. Get back. The explosion will open the way to a pair of RED CHESTS just to the north. Retrace your inbound route or reset to emerge at the entrance to the scrap yard. Turn in both TODAY�S LESSON: HIGH EXPLOSIVES and GET OFF MY LAWN to Crazy Earl. Earl will give you the mission: HAIR OF THE DOG. Accept it. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec12> SECTION 12: TETANUS WARREN/SCRAPYARD/WEST COMMONS <o070> COROSIVE CRYSTAL HARVEST (Optional) Level 21; 5,519 XP; $2,700; a corrosive artifact Mission: Go to Tetanus Warrens and gather 50 corrosive crystals. Fast travel back to New Haven and generate a runner. Drive southwest out of town until the road is blocked. Trek north on foot toward the objective-Tetanus Warrens. A few scythids will pester you as you head for the small Bandit camp ahead. Stay along the west wall and begin sniping. Watch out for rushing Psychos. Continue north heading straight for the waypoint. Head into the cave and take your first five crystals without opposition. A small group of normal spiderants will need killing before harvesting the next ten. Take the next five and spiderants including a Badass type will erupt, Deploy the Turret, equipped with the explosive artifact. Talk to the wounded Claptrap and accept the repair mission. <o071> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: TETANUS WARRENS: (Optional) Level 21; 1,379 XP; three inventory slots Mission: find the repair kit and return to Claptrap. Take the next ten crystals and head up the west corridor. There is a RED CHEST in the grotto bulging to the west of where you found the wounded Claptrap. Take out the half dozen mixed Bandits and Bruisers. The RED CHEST is on the platform in the rear of the grotto. Continue north deeper into the west corridor. Take the next five crystals from near the New-U Station and you can see the Bandit camp just ahead. From your position south of the camp you can begin sniping and deploying the Turret against any incoming Badass Psychos or other chargers. The volatile barrel dead ahead can often be helpful. When clear, move toward the waypoint and go up the metal ramp near the boar on a spit. Walk onto the red canopy, face north, and take a sprinting leap to next red canopy. Face southwest and locate the protruding metal platform. Jump to the corrugated platform. Make a short jump toward the kit. Quickly return to the Claptrap to complete the repair. There is another grotto on the northwest side of the Bandit camp. Harvest your last fifteen crystals there and be prepared for the spiderants. When they erupt, deploy the Turret and watch it to eat em� up. Advance a bit when the first wave is history to coax another wave. Help yourself to the RED CHEST. Swap your active mission to KING TOSSING. <o072> KING TOSSING: (Optional) Level 21; 5,243 XP; $5,401; an SMG called The Spy Mission: King Pee Wee is a drunken terror and he and his legions are a real threat to New Haven. Kill him to end his reign. King Pee Wee�s lair is on the far eastern side of the Warrens. A lone Bandit camp lies between you and the King. Six or seven hostiles, including a Badass Raider and Burning Psychos, will have to be killed before the gate opens to allow you in. Equip the Turret with the explosive artifact and have a fast firing conventional weapon in hand. King Pee Wee isn�t very tough. He has some sort of melee device and will broadcast a static ring periodically. If the Turret doesn�t kill him outright, keep your distance and finish him off. On the extreme east side of the cavern there is a lowered gate and inside there is a RED CHEST. On your way out you can find another RED CHEST in the dead- end area east of the Bandit camp just beyond where you jumped for the repair kit. It will be occupied by at five hostiles, possibly including a Bruiser. You can re-start and find yourself at the Tetanus Warrens entrance or retrace your steps out. The Bandit camp will probably not have re- spawned but the spiderants will have. You can usually sprint through them, or you can score some XP on the spiderants during your exit. Fast travel back to New Haven. Turn in FIREPOWER: MARKET CORRECTION at Marcus� place and he will give you FIREPOWER-PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE MAN. Accept it and head for the New Haven Bounty Board. Turn in KING TOSSING and CORROSIVE CRYSTAL HARVEST. Go to Helena Pierces place and she will give you the mission JACK�S OTHER EYE. Accept it. <o073> JACK�S OTHER EYE: (Optional) Level 223; 6,000 XP; $10,164, and The Sentinel, a combat rifle. Mission: One-eyed Jack is livid about your treatment of his ammo caches and has dastardly designs on New Haven. Kill him before he acts. Select JACKS OTHER EYE and fast travel to The Underpass. The waypoint is south of The Underpass and you�ve been there before destroying Jack�s ammo caches. Drive east and cut south, crossing the first river and turning back east toward the waypoint. Drive over the raised lip at the entrance and open up on anyone in sight or run them down with the runner. Sometimes you get lucky and it will be Jack. The compound has about eight defenders and Jack�s sidearm, the Madjack, is an explosive revolver that can deal you great bodily harm. Kill everyone and take his �Eye.� Raid the two SILVER CHESTS if you have re-started since last visiting Jack�s property. Select FIREPOWER-PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE MAN as your active mission. <o074> FIREPOWER-PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE MAN: (Optional) Level 23 6,000 XP; $6,776; a combat rifle Mission: Destroy some more of the now late One-Eyed-Jacks weapon caches and get evidence of his activities. Head back to The Underpass and fast travel to Crazy Earl�s Scrapyard, exit to Rust Commons West and sprint for the exit to the east. You can likely just sprint away from the taunting Bandits without incident if you want to. Take up a position near the metal barrier with the three support beams north of the main structure on the west side of the roadway. Face the waypoint and begin sniping the four or five hostiles. Destroy the two caches; one is outside the main building and one is outside the shack to its north, remembering to stay clear of the explosions. Enter the building and go up the ramps and look east across the long walkway to the next building. Take out the cache with your sniper rifle and anyone coming to investigate the event. If all is quiet advance a bit onto the ramp to draw out its defenders. Deal with the Bandits with small arms and deploy the Turret if a Badass Raider or Bruiser makes his appearance. Take out the two visible caches below to your left before entering the structure. Watch out for one or more Burning Psychos as you enter the building and descend the ramps. Take out the fourth cache on the lower level. Go left to the glowing box and take the �evidence� to complete the mission specs. Make HAIR OF THE DOG your active mission and re-enter the structure. Go to the long walkway that extends between the two buildings and jump down. Head south toward Treacher�s Landing. You can just sprint past the spiderants and enter the Bandit camp guns blazing. Enter Treacher�s Landing. You can also return to the Scrapyard and fast travel to Treacher�s Landing to avoid conflict. <m075> HAIR OF THE DOG: (Mandatory) Level 23; 4,950 XP; $5,082 Mission: Earl likes the moonshine the Bandits brew out at Treacher�s Landing. Kill 24 bandits to get 24 bottles of booze for Crazy Earl. You can bag several hostiles before departing the area by the New-U Station. Each deceased Bandit will drop a bottle of booze that you must collect. You will need 24 bottles in all. There is a SILVER CHEST in the first building to the left. Head toward the general waypoint, which will not change during this mission, and take out the three or more hostiles near the ramp to the high platform. Snipe from the high area. Jump down, collect the booze and go straight up the long ramp way to the top and snipe to the south. Watch out for assorted Psychos coming up to you. Make your way to your victims using the system of ramps to the east and south to collect the bottles. Work your way to the bulging southern area just before the long jetty. Harvest the boys and get their booze. Go up the long ramp on the guard tower in the center of the bulge to find a RED CHEST. If you still need more bottles of booze, harvest a Bandit or two by sniping the Bandits on long southern jetty. You should have your 24 bottles, so you can head back or re-start to find yourself at the entrance of the Landing; but on the extreme southeast side of the Landing, you will see a protruding boat dock on your map. A boat is moored there. On it there is a RED CHEST. This is not required but if you�re interested, use the heavily defended ramps to the east to get to the southern shoreline, or take to the water, following the shoreline to the objective with little or no opposition. After raiding the RED CHEST work your way north. You will encounter eight or more hostiles, with a Badass or two among their ranks. Another RED CHEST sits atop the platform from which you must jump down from to get to the exit. The hostiles may be back in this area, so be ready if they are. Use the New-U Station to fast travel to the scrap yard. Kill the five skags and turn in HAIR OF THE DOG to Crazy Earl and he will give you the missions: THE NEXT PIECE and EARL NEEDS FOOD: BADLY. Accept both missions and use the scrap yard�s New-U Station to fast travel to New Haven. Turn in FIREPOWER: PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE MAN to Marcus Kinkaid. Go to Helena Pierce�s place and turn in JACK�S OTHER EYE. Helena Pierce will give you the mission: MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE� Accept it and head over to the New Haven Bounty Board and accept the mission MISSING PERSONS. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec13> SECTION 13: RUST COMMONS EAST <o076> MISSING PERSONS (Optional) Level 24; 1,560 XP; $3,794 Mission: Shawn Stokely, a New Haven resident, is missing, and it is believed that he disappeared while searching for his wayward son Jed. Try to locate Shawn. The waypoint is at the extreme southwest end of the New Haven map. Take a runner and go south without opposition, stopping at the ramp going up to the overhead structures. Pick up the deceased Shawn�s Journal to complete the mission on the spot and to get the mission: TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT. Accept the mission, and drive back to New Haven. Guns/items in inventory Combat rifles: Genocide Raven 87; 94.3; 13; magazine of 21; 1.4 zoom; 2 projectiles The Sentinel 70; 90.3; 7.7; magazine of 12; caustic 1X Incendiary rifle 27; 87.5; 10; magazine of 12; inc. 1X; 1.4 zoom Support machine gun 86; 75; 4.5, magazine of 50 Repeaters: Cruel Firehawk 82; 92.4; 2.5; magazine of 12; inc. 4x Revolvers: Lightning Justice 230; 96.4; 1.3; magazine of 2; static 3X; 3.7 zoom Caustic Law 242; 90.0; 1.9; magazine of 2; caustic 2X; 3.7 zoom; Swift Masher 43x7; 73.8; 1.9;magazine of 6; 3.7 zoom Shotguns: Incendiary Shotgun 39x9; 35; 1.4; magazine of 6 inc. 1x; 2.7 zoom Caustic Shotgun 63x9; 50.0; 0.9; magazine of 12; caustic 1X Blast Shotgun 43x7; 55.1; 1.0; magazine of 8; explosive 1X Hunters Shotgun 65x7; 71.7; 0.9; magazine of 6 Lightning Shotgun 37x7; 61.1; 1.3; magazine of 5 static 3x; 1.7 zoom SMGs Lightning SMG 25; 92.3; 8.3; magazine of 36; static 3X; 2.4 zoom Burning SMG 43; 87.2; 8.3; magazine of 36; inc. 3X Incendiary SMG 47; 78.7; 6.9; magazine of 46; inc. 2X; 1.7 zoom Caustic SMG 40; 85; 8.1; magazine of 46; caustic 1X Caustic SMG 41; 76.3; 8.3; magazine of 46; caustic 2X; 3.0 zoom Violent SMG 55, 75.3; 10; magazine of 46; 2.4 zoom Sniper rifles: Fearsome Volcano 277; 98.6; 0.8; magazine of 6; inc. 4X Liquid Sniper 282; 92.3; 3.1, magazine of 5; 2.7 zoom Static Wrath 195; 97.3; 1.5; magazine of 6; static 3X; 2.4 zoom Detonating Sniper 188; 96.7; 0.6; magazine 3; explosive 3X; 2.4 zoom Pestilent Sniper 179; 96.7; 0.8; magazine of 3; caustic 4X Shield 449; 87 Exp MIRV 50 Mod: 10X ammo regeneration Mod: 1x shield regeneration and 2x health regeneration Mod: Plus 65% magazine size (all weapon types) <o077> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE (Optional) Level 24; 4,680 XP; $3,794, a class mod. Mission: The Bounty Board in Rust Commons East has been down for a while, and if you find Hudson Johns you may be able to get it up and running. Fast travel to The Underpass. Generate a runner and head toward the waypoint-Rust Commons East. Take the road east and then swing south, going off road to arrive at the overhead complex that is the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. Go up the ramps and interact with the broken Bounty Board. Head to the shack north of the Bounty Board, crossing the long ramp, to talk to the facilities custodian Mr. Hudson Johns. Interacting with Mr. Johns will complete the mission: MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE and activate the mission: MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: FUSES? REALLY? Accept the mission. <o078> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: FUSES? REALLY? (Optional) Level 24; 6,240 XP; $15,178 Mission: The Bounty Board isn�t working because its fuses are missing. Find three fuses in the hopes that one is a good one. You will find the fuses far to the north of the Bounty Board. Drive north and then east on the broken roadway, turning north at the wind turbine near Trashy Knoll. The waypoint does not give you the location of the fuses; it only serves as a trigger point for the onslaught of scythids that will pester you as you search the random scattered skag piles for the fuses. You can actually gain at lot of XP by harvesting the two-dozen or so scythids in this area. When you have the three fuses, return to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board and interact with Mr. Hudson Johns to complete the mission. He will ask a favor and give you MIDDLE OF NOWHERE: NO SMALL FAVOR. Accept it and make it your active mission. <o079> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: SMALL FAVOR: (Optional) Level: 24; 6,240 XP; $15,178 Mission: Hudson has a problem, some nearby spiderants are causing a ruckus and he asks a favor-kill em� while he gets the Bounty Board up and running. The troublesome spiderants are just a short distance away to the northwest. Take a runner, equipped with a rocket launcher or a machine gun, and head for the waypoint. Back off when they erupt and begin the carnage. You can oftentimes bag a Queen or a King spiderant for some extra XP after the required five go down. Turn the mission in by talking to Hudson John�s. He will give you the mission, Middle OF NOWHERE NO MORE: SCOOT ON BACK. Accept it. There will also be a number of missions available at the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. The Bounty Board there will give you: ALTAR EGO: BURNING HERESY; CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: MEAT AND GREET; SCAVENGER: SHOTGUN and HUDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS EAST. Accept all four missions. Select MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: SCOOT ON BACK and head for New Haven via the New-U Station there at the Middle of Nowhere. <o080> MIDDLE OF NOWHERE NO MORE: SCOOT ON BACK: (Optional) Level: 24; 6,240 XP; $7,589; a shield Mission: Report that the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board is back in business to Helena Pierce and tell Scooter to come pay a visit. Report to Helena Pierce to complete MIDDLE OF NOWHERE: SCOOT ON BACK and then fast travel back to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board and select ALTAR EGO: BURNING HERESY as your active mission. <o081> ALTAR EGO: BURNING HERESY: (Optional) Level 24; 6,240 XP; $7,589; a shield Mission: A new Bandit �religion� is entering the region, and before it is forced down the local�s throats, you need to destroy their three scriptures. The waypoint for the fist �Scripture� is in an isolated area far to the northeast. Except for an assortment of spiderants, which erupt from the lagoon near the altar, there is no opposition. The spiderants make for good target practice; or, if you get in and out quickly, you can easily avoid them. Swing south and catch the road, veer north off road to the waypoint and burn the second �Scripture.� Opposition will come in the form of assorted Psychos from the nearby structures but you can be in and out before they react-or you can kill em� all and make �meat puppets� out of em�. Their compound contains almost no worthwhile loot. Drive west and then south, taking to the river to reach and burn the last �Scripture.� A few scythids will arrive late but if you�re quick about your business, you won�t even see them. <o082> HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS EAST: (Optional) Level26; 6,720 XP; $28,560 Mission: Find the five Journals of Patricia Tannis that are scattered about the East Commons. Switch your active mission to HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS EAST to generate the first waypoint and head south. As you drive south in the water take notice of the guy standing near a shack near the big dandelion-looking trees. This is Stacy Von Kofsky, and he will have a mission for you later on. Exit the water and make a sweeping turn and stop at the closed drawbridge. Journal �Day 578� is in under a cardboard box on the ground behind the southern structure. Back north for the next. The waypoint is at a giant mushroom and journal, �Day 616�, is under it. Scythids will quickly come at you, and some will be of a higher level. Again you can just grab the Journal and scoot if you wish. Drive north in the river and then circle east to the waypoint. A host of substantial spiderants will erupt as you reach the destination. Run em� down or use the turret on your vehicle. It is hard to get this one without at least partially clearing the area. Journal �Day 653� is behind a cot near the pile of boulders. Raid the nearby RED CHEST. The fourth waypoint is to the north. Intersect the road and it will lead you to the drawbridge. The Journal is atop the observation platform on the west side of the drawbridge and a lone hostile will need killing before you can go up and find Journal �Day 684� behind a small piece of metal sheeting. The last Journal �Day 718� is in the shack where Hudson Johns hangs out at the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. It is in a crack between a crate and the shack�s wall. Turn in both HIDDEN JOURNAL: RUST COMMONS EAST and ALTER EGO: BURNING HERESY at the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. Select SCAVENGER: SHOTGUN as your active mission. <o083> SCAVENGER: SHOTGUN: (Optional) Level: 24; 3,588 XP; a shotgun Mission: Find the four disassembled parts of the shotgun. Hit the broken roadway north of the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board and when you reach the drawbridge, go to its left down the steep hill and then northeast to the waypoint. The waypoint on this mission doesn�t point to the individual parts. The �magazine� is on top of the gray support structure near the Catch- A-Ride Station. Use the stair-like arrangement of crates and containers just inside the fence to get to the top. It lies on top of the gray column. Cross the bridge to find the �stock� lying, in plain sight, on a crate alongside the building. Jump up the crates where you found the �stock� and to the next to gain the top of the building. The �barrel� is on the roof. To get to the shotgun �body� will require two sprinting jumps. From the rooftop you�re on, sprint and leap to the circular building and from there to the next where the �body� is visible. This will complete the mission but stay atop the roof where you found the �body.� Switch your active mission to: THE NEXT PIECE. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec14> SECTION 14: KROM�S CANYON <m084> THE NEXT PIECE: (Mandatory) Level 25; 6,479 XP; $8,500 Mission: Earl is finally happy-probably boozed up-and reveals that a major Bandit boss, Krom, stole the Alien gizmo from him and has it tucked away up in his Canyon. Now do yourself a big favor. Face northeast and locate the two Gun Turrets atop the tall structures-a Rocket and a Gatling Turret. They will be betrayed by their laser sighting. Use your best long-range elemental sniper to take them out. They will not be able to target you on the rooftop, but they will have you in a crossfire if you move in their direction. Leap down and move northeast toward the new waypoint-the entrance to Krom�s Canyon. Begin taking out the defenders while staying along the eastern rock wall. A third Turret gun can be hit if you look toward the waypoint while staying against the rock wall and using the tall metal structure in the water to screen yourself from the bulk of its fire while you take it out. You will meet about six or eight defenders but some will be of a higher level, like Bruisers. Once the final turret is down you can actually just sprint for the entrance to Krom�s canyon, taking a hit or two but surviving without much difficulty. There is a SILVER CHEST to the northeast of the entrance to Krom�s Canyon in a small compound with an arching metal ruin. There is another SILVER CHEST at the base of the ramps leading to Krom�s Canyon if you�re interested. Enter KROM�S CANYON and take the west corridor. It won�t take long before you see the first hostiles. Snipe the volatile barrel and be prepared for charging Psychos. Deploy the Scorpio Turret and deal with the Psychos with you�re shotgun. Continue forward and a few more hostiles will need killing, including a clueless charger or two who need an introduction to your shotgun. Stay along the west wall and you will see a side path to the left of the big blue skull. Hostiles, four or five, from the encampment near the side paths entrance will fire at you as you go north. Use the bend in the passage for cover to clear them out or they will harass you from the rear. On your way north you will find a RED CHEST. When you come to the rock arch overlooking the route below, take out anyone below but look up to the encampment to the east. Hostiles will shoot down at you if you linger here and flankers from it may come in from behind you as you press forward. Watch your back. Jump down and use the boulders as cover, since more lurking Bandits are just ahead. A cutscene will roll as you turn left at the big blue skull. Use the rock walls as cover as you snipe Krom at his Gatling Gun in the little window of the tall tower just above the distant blue skull. A stout incendiary or caustic sniper, with a good zoom, will do the trick in four or five shots. But just because Krom is dead doesn�t mean his buddies are. Don�t fall off these ramps into the canyon. A pair of hostiles will attack as you step onto the first ramp, and as you go up the long second ramp, several others will need killing. Two or three more near the top of the next ramp. Raid the SILVER CHEST. The final three ramps have eight or ten defenders-so move cautiously. Make your way to the top, and take the �Vault Piece� from the SILVER CHEST. The Guardian Angel will address you. Take Krom�s sidearm if you want. Raid the RED CHEST before heading back. You will probably encounter a small group of Bandits-the first you fought on your way in. <o085> EARL NEEDS FOOD: BADLY: (Optional now that Earl�s revealed his secret) Level 25; 9,720 XP; $21,250 Mission: Krom has stolen Earl�s entire supply of canned skag meat and he wants it back. As a favor, pick some up when you�re in the area sayin� how-de-do to the Reaver and his boys. Select EARL NEEDS FOOD: BADLY and head up the east corridor. Go up the long ramp directly ahead of the New-U pole and snipe the two Bandits on the high walkway ahead. There are no major items on the system of ramps where you killed the bandits; but now they won�t worry your back as you continue on. Just before the first rock column you will encounter the first of the spiderants. When they erupt, it�s the luck of the draw, with rather low level being the norm-Workers, Soldiers and Gyros. As usual, targeting the abdomen is devastating to their kind. It doesn�t matter which wall you stay near during this passage. In fact, it�s best to check both sides of the cavern. A bit tougher breed-like Queens or even an Elemental or Badass variety-will erupt near the second rock column. If necessary you can retreat back toward your starting point, using the ramp ways to safely snipe any pursuing Badass types below. Take this part slow and make sure there are no lurking foes to your rear. At the third column Humanoid foes will enter the fray, coming from ahead near the fourth column. Charging Psychos are likely. As you come to the fourth column, on its west side near the flaming torch, several assorted Bandits will man the area near the large boulder ahead. The first of Earl�s canned �skag meat� cans is just ahead below the blue skull. As you pick up the skag meat look left down the long canyon. Take out the Psychos that will charge when they spot you to keep your back clear as you advance. Begin a cautious advance up the nearby metal ramp. The upper area, to the left of the ramp, will have several Bandits, possibly including a Bruiser that must be taken out. Take the enemy one by one using the ramp to allow your shields to recharge. Continue to watch your back as a stray hostiles will occasionally appear. �Skag meat� number 2 is on a makeshift table near the roasting boar in the upper area. It�s to your left. The Bandits have the high ground as you look toward the next ramps. Two or three hostiles will greet you as you move toward them. Snipe from the low area, using the ample cover to eliminate them. Move up the right ramp and another tough group of three or four will require your attention. �Skag meat number 3 is at the top of the right ramp. �Skag meat� can number 4 is dead ahead on the ground. Several more Bandits will jump down into the area ahead. Snipe them from near where you got the skag meat. When the area is clear, you will find a wounded Claptrap near the west wall. Take the repair mission and make it your active mission. <o086> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: KROM�S CANYON (Optional) Level 25; 1,619 XP; three inventory slots Mission: Locate the repair kit and repair the Claptrap. Make sure your Scorpio Turret is available and go east up the ramp. A horde of charging Psychos backed by a pair Bandits will emerge ahead and the Psychos will forge forward. Plant the Turret and gun down the survivors. At least two other Bandits will have to be taken out farther ahead. Characters other that Roland can accomplish this by tossing several grenades into the path of the hostiles. �Skag meat� number 5 is on your right near the west end of the walkway and �skag meat� number 6 on your right as you exit the ramp on the far end. Go north and look over the edge of the cliff. A skag meat can be seen on a crate on the tall platform. Jump from the rocks to the platform to get �skag meat� number 7. The waypoint for the repair kit is just ahead. It is dangling high up near an elevated platform below. From this perch, carefully jump onto the storage barrels and then onto the tilted platform below. Jump to the front platform to get the repair kit. Get back to Claptrap before anyone starts to re-spawn. Claptrap will lead you to a RED CHEST. <o087> TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT (Optional) Level: 25; 5,569 XP; $8,500 Mission: Eliminate Reaver and report back to New Haven. Make TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT your active mission. Take the long ramp, where the horde of Psychos met their maker, and continue east stopping to snipe the four or five entrenched enemy in the next compound. Turn right or south, deploy the Scorpio Turret toward the closed gate and quickly use the lever on the low platform to the left of the gate to lift it. Immediately retreat to cover near the north rock wall, allowing the Turret to cover your retreat. Take out the any survivors to prevent flankers. This first wave will be three or four, with a Bruiser likely. Move forward cautiously toward the lip of the low area and you can see skag meat under the red tarp ahead. Advance far enough to snipe the enemy in the low area, and repeat, advancing to lure out the latecomers who will usually straggle out one by one. As you advance farther, a wave of several Burning Psychos will charge and may be followed by a final pair of Bandits. You should now be nearing the glowing green of the Skag Meat cans. These final defenders are the luck of the draw and will vary a bit. Keep an eye on the crossed boards dead ahead. Reaver will come out there. As he crawls out, toss down the Scorpio Turret equipped with your strongest artifact and burn him down with any fast firing weapon. Elementals work very well against him as do grenades. If you keep the pressure on him he will go down rather easily. �Skag meat� can number 8 is on the left, and �skag meat� number 9 is on your right. �Skag meat� number 10 is to the left, at the path�s end near where Reaver came out. Go southwest to find a RED CHEST and a shortcut out. You can also just re-start to end up at the Canyon�s entrance; or you can drop down and take on the spiderants-you can easily get 4-6000 XP as you retreat and kill them off-if you live through it. FAST travel to the see Crazy Earl at the scrap yard and turn in EARL NEEDS FOOD: BADLY. Fast travel to The Underpass, generate a runner and, with THE NEXT PIECE as your active mission, take the �Vault Piece� to Patricia Tannis at the waypoint. Take out the spiderants and then the rakks and turn in THE NEXT PIECE. Patricia Tannis will give you the mission: JAYNISTOWN: SECRET RENDEVOUS. Accept it and Claptrap will inform you of new jobs in New Haven from Helena Pierce and also at the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. Raid the two RED CHESTS on the west side of the area and exit to the west and return to the The Underpass. Fast travel to New Haven and turn in TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT and then go visit Helena Pierce. She will offer the missions: SMOKE SIGNALS: INVESTIGATE OLD HAVEN and RELIGHT THE BEACONS. Accept both. Fast travel to THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BOUNTY BOARD and turn in SCAVENGER: SHOTGUN and you will be given the missions: ALTAR EGO: THE NEW RELIGION and A BUG PROBLEM. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec15> SECTION 15: RUST COMMONS EAST/NEW HAVEN <m088> JAYNISTOWN: A SECRET RENDEVOUS (Mandatory) Level 27; 3,840 XP; $5,331 Mission: Find and talk to Taylor Cobb, he might have a proposition for you. Select JAYNISTOWN: A SECRET RENDEVOUS as your active mission. Generate a runner and drive south in the river. Stop near the shack with the dandelion-like trees and talk to Stance Van Kofsky and accept the mission: GREEN THUMB. Re-select JAYNISTOWN: A SECRET RENDEVOUS and continue south to the bridge. Claptrap will make travel a bit easier by lowering the drawbridge. Take the road north and as you run over a few hapless spiderants, The Cauldron will be added to the fast travel network. Dispose of the dozen or so Spiderantlings and talk to Taylor Cobb at the waypoint. This will complete JAYNISTOWN: A SECRET RENDEVOUS and will give you JAYNISTOWN: A BROTHER�S LOVE. Accept it. Go up the hill behind his shack, just for fun, to get insulted by an �evil Claptrap.� HILARIOUS!!! <o089> GREEN THUMB (Optional) Level 25; 7,440 XP; $20,062; a shotgun Mission: The dandelion-like plants that love water are overrunning Stance Von Kofsky. Shut off the water so the leaking pipes don�t feed them, �ugh� even though they live in a lake. Make GREEN THUMB your active mission and take the road toward the waypoint. Stop short and use the vehicle�s turret to take out the three defenders. Take the valve from under the red canopy near the crate on the opposite side of the roadway from the hut. <m090> JAYNISTOWN: A BROTHER�S LOVE (Mandatory) Level 27; 6,264 XP; $10,682 Mission: Taylor Cobb has exiled his brother Taylor and turned Jaynistown into a hotbed of villainy. Go there and kill him to free the town. We now have serious business in Jaynistown. Make JAYNISTOWN: A BROTHER�S LOVE your active mission and proceed toward the waypoint. Stop in the town�s entrance and begin sniping the four or so hostiles near the entrance. Move forward when calm reigns to trigger the entry of Jaynis Cobb, who will be near the center of the compound. You can usually kill him with a sniper from the east side. A few well-thrown grenades can also do the trick. His fellow Bandits will also begin attacking from various directions, including the rooftops. With Jaynis down and the opposition on the wane, switch to GREEN THUMB and locate the glowing green orb where you must place the valve. You will have to take a staircase up to get to it. In the meantime, a gate will open on your left and a Badass type or a Bruiser will enter the picture. With your mission fulfilled it isn�t necessary to clear the compound of its seemingly endless attackers some of which will come from opening overhead doors, but there are several SILVER and RED CHESTS inside this area if you clean it out. The RED CHEST on the platform on the compounds west side will remain behind the locked gate until your return to Jaynistown. Drive the short jaunt back to see Taylor Cobb, kill the spiderants, again, and talk to him to complete the mission: JAYNISTOWN: A BROTHER�S LOVE. He will give you JAYNISTOWN: SPREAD THE WORD and tell you to speak to Erik Franks in New Haven. Select RELIGHT THE BEACONS and fast transport from The Cauldron to The Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. <o091> RELIGHT THE BEACONS (Optional) Level 27; 10,440 XP; $15,993; a sniper rifle Mission: Clean the Bandit infestations out of the two compounds and relight the beacons. Generate a runner and drive north toward the waypoint. If you get too close to the lower guard post four hostiles will attack. You will see a large antenna on the hilltop. Park and enter the seemingly quiet compound and snipe the first comers that will likely include a Badass type. There are eight assorted Bandits scattered about the compound and one will normally be hiding near the �North Ridge Beacon� which is at the back of the compound. There is a RED CHEST on the east side of the compounds main building, and there are ammo chests galore. Drive south past the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board, Activate GREEN THUMB, and drive along the river and stop by to see Stance Van Kofsky. Interact with him to complete GREEN THUMB. Continue south after reactivating RELIGHT THE BEACONS and cross the drawbridge and go north to the waypoint. Get some �gunk� on Scooter�s runner by squashing the pesky spiderants on the hill south of the target. The compound must be entered on foot and will seem quiet but it contains about seven or eight hostiles, including a Badass type, and some will be Burning Psychos. The �Overlook Beacon� is at the back of the compound as is a SILVER CHEST. There is also a RED CHEST on the west side of the main central building. <o092> ALTAR EGO: THE NEW RELIGION (Optional) Level 27; 6,969 XP; $5,331 Mission: The local Bandits are pushing a new religion and you must take their pamphlets before they can be distributed. Activate ALTAR EGO: THE NEW RELIGION and drive to the waypoint-Old Lynne Abbey. Stop near the entrance and begin sniping. This will bring the place to life with eleven hostiles, including chargers and a Bruiser. Each time you kill a Bandit, he will drop his pamphlets. Gather six after the fight-they won�t disappear. There is a RED CHEST in the church building and a vending machine. The weapon pick-ups here are usually high quality. <o093> A BUG PROBLEM (Optional) Level 25; 6,960 XP; $21,234 Mission; Get the two samples and kill the monstrous spiderants, �Widowmaker� and �Hebob� Switch your mission to A BUG PROBLEM. Make the loop to the north to the waypoint. Stop short of the objective and kill the Bandit, or two, in the tower. Take the, �Retching Seeps� sample. �Widowmaker� will erupt and he will keep coming at you. The runner�s rocket launcher seems very ineffective against him so, put some distance between you and him, deploy the Scorpio Turret and hit him in his weak spot as he staggers. He will go down quite easily. For a painless kill just return to your runner, and, with its shields at full, just run him down. You can also wait for the giant spiderant to erupt and get onto the lookout tower and snipe it from there. It cannot come up to you so you can target it at leisure. On to the �Fetid Cauldron.� It is far to the south, so drive the road south and then go off road past the wind turbine to the waypoint, taking out any spiderants on the way in so they don�t pester you during the coming skirmish. Raid the RED CHEST and then take the �Fetid Cauldron� sample to begin the festivities. Hebob seems immune to elementary fire so equip the Turret with either an explosive or with no artifact. Stand near your vehicle, just in case, and when the red Hebob surfaces, deploy the Scorpio Turret. This will stagger him. Hit the weak abdomen to kill him. Dodge his rolling attacks and keep the heat on him. You can also use the runner to easily kill him. If you can get to the rocks just north of the tent you can oftentimes snipe him from there. He will just stand facing you, allowing you to use a sniper rifle to target his weak abdomen. Drive north to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board and turn in ALTAR EGO: A NEW RELIGION and A BUG PROBLEM. Accept the new mission: ALTAR EGO: GODLESS MONSTERS. Fast travel to New Haven and turn in RELIGHT THE BEACONS to Helena Pierce. Select JAYNISTOWN: SPREAD THE WORD and go to the waypoint to speak to Erik Franks. This will complete it and he will give you: JAYNISTOWN: GETTING WHAT�S COMING TO YOU and DUMPSTER DIVING FOR GREAT JUSTICE. Select JAYNISTOWN: GETTING WHAT�S COMING TO YOU and head, on foot, for the waypoint to the north. <m094> JAYNISTOWN: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES (Mandatory) Level 27; 3,480 XP Mission: Your �liberation� of Jaynistown may have backfired. See Helena Pierce for more info. <m095> JAYNISTOWN: SPREAD THE WORD Level 27; 1,740 XP Mission: Find and speak to Taylor�s associate in New Haven, Erik Franks. <m096> JAYNISTOWN: GETTING WHAT�S COMING TO YOU (Mandatory) Level 27; 4,872 XP; $15,994 Mission: Taylor is happy with your actions and has a �reward� for you. It is in a container north of town. Go into town and then go out the north gates. The shipping container is in a depression and is clearly marked. Just in case, have a good shotgun equipped-you never know. JAYNISTOWN: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES will become available as you interact with the container. Shoot the Midget Psycho and deploy the Turret when the hapless Bandits hop the fence north of the container. With JAYNISTOWN: UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES active, go see Helena Pierce to complete the mission and she will give you the mission: JAYNISTOWN: CLEANING UP YOUR MESS. Accept it. Head down to the New Haven Bounty Board and accept the new mission: WANTED FRESH FISH. Now go see Scooter he will give you the mission: I�VE GOT A SINKING FELLING�. Accept it. <o097> DUMPSTER DIVING FOR GREAT JUSTICE (Optional) Level 27; 3,828 XP; $31,987 Mission: Erik�s wife is angry and has thrown away his �valuables�. They are scattered about the area in six dumpsters. Retrieve them for Erik. Make Dumpster Diving your active mission. It is easiest to walk on this mission. The first �valuable� is northwest of town. If your route takes you between the three trash mounds you will meet five or six Midget Psychos. A few scythids will also erupt here. If you go north of the trash mounds you avoid any confrontation. Swing south and eliminate any sycthids along the way. The next �valuable� is in the dumpster on the hillside. Opening the dumpster will trigger a small wave of taunting Bandits. You don�t need to stay, sprint north and then circle clockwise to the south to get to the next waypoint. If you encountered the six Midget Psychos on the way in, this route will be clear-if not, have your shotgun ready. Continue the long trek south to the next dumpster without further opposition. Head east to the next waypoint near the Rust Commons West entrance. The small guard post near the exit can contain a Badass and/or Bruiser among its four or five hostiles. You have probably tangled with these guys many times before. The dumpster is just south of their abode. The next is at the extreme west end of the New Haven sector, so head that way. About midway between New Haven, and southeast of the objective, and you will encounter Bandits and scythids near the southern tip of the large trash mound. Once you advance and trigger the confrontation, retreat to the entryway and use the metal barrier to thin the hostiles as the scythids and Humanoids battle it out. The dumpster is north of the encampment near the entrance to Tetanus Warrens. There is a SILVER CHEST due east of the dumpster in a depression, if you�re interested. You can also just fast travel to Tetanus Warrens from New Haven, exit the Warrens, eliminate the six suicidal Midget Psychos and get the �valuable.� A few scythids will show if you linger here. The last dumpster is to the southwest of New Haven outside the compound. Assorted scythids will appear as you head toward the waypoint. Return to Erik and give him his �dirty mags� which are worth a whopping $31,987. Interacting with Erik completes the mission, DUMPSTER DIVING FOR GREAT JUSTICE. <o098> ALTAR EGO: GODLESS MONSTERS: (Optional) Level: 29; 8,370 XP; $20,062; a repeater Mission: The pamphlets indicate that the Bandits �god� may well be a scythed named Sliver. Kill him to make them abandon the scheme. Fast travel to �The Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board� Take a runner north to his lair, which is located where you recovered the three fuses earlier. Enter his compound on foot, as required, and trigger the battle as you approach the waypoint. Surprisingly Slither is of normal size, but he is quick and the hardest part of this quest is keeping the little fella� in your sights. Caustic weapons seem to work well against him but it doesn�t take much to him out-just about any weapon is up to the task. Turn in ALTAR EGO: GODLESS MONSTERS at The Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec16> SECTION 16: TREACHER�S LANDING/ JAYNISTOWN Fast travel to �Treacher�s Landing� and select WANTED FRESH FISH as your active mission. <o099> WANTED FRESH FISH: (Optional) Level: 27; 6,960 XP; $21,324; a rocket launcher Mission: Brave the Bandits at the cove to get 20 fish. You�ll have to use grenades to get them. Have a full stock of grenades prior to entering the area, although a rocket launcher round will also do the job. Oftentimes it will take more than one grenade or launcher salvo to get the four dead fish to surface. You will encounter half a dozen hostiles as soon as you leave the vending machine area. This will likely include a Bruiser. Go up the ramp south of your entry point. Snipe into the low area to the south and when clear, jump down, toss a grenade into the water and collect the four fish or use the launcher prior to jumping down to conserve grenades. This area is swarming with enemies so be on the lookout constantly. The next waypoint will be to the south. Work your way to it along the ramp ways and toss another grenade. You will likely be attacked here as well. Regain the ramp and head southwest for the next four fish. You will likely encounter a few hostiles along the way. The next waypoint is far the southeast. Regain the ramp and go east. The large central area will have to be cleared. Go up the platform on the south end and raid the RED CHEST. Switch your active mission to I�VE GOT A SINKING FEELING. A boat in the harbor will open up on you with a Turret Gun. It isn�t necessary to take out the gunner if you can get a bead on the engine. Use a sniper rifle to take out the gunner and/or the green glowing engine to sink the �Righteous Man.� A single sniper round will take out the engine and sink the vessel. <o100> I�VE GOT A SINKING FEELING; (Optional) Level 27; 17,400 XP; $26,656; a rocket launcher Mission: The Bandits have three gunboats and they are raiding up and down the coastline. Take out their three gunboats. From the observation platform you can see the next gunboat moored on the east side of the long dock, but you can�t target its engine or gunner from there. (See note below) Begin clearing the long dock to the south, using the containers and crates for cover as you go. The enemy will include Bruisers and Badass types as well as a host of Bandits and Psychos. Move down the dock and more will keep coming and some will be atop the buildings. You can target the Turret gunner just after entering the dock, from the east side. This will prevent him from targeting you as you go south but taking the gunner out isn�t necessary. When you are opposite the ship, use your sniper to hit the engine to sink the �Great Vengeance,� but watch for additional hostiles entering from the south side. Note: You can avoid a confrontation with the numerous hostiles on the long dock area by taking to the water on the east side of it and using the cover of the trash mound to hit the boat�s engine. The final ship, �Furious Anger,� is far to the northeast near where the next fish must be taken. Head that way. As you enter the ramped area west of the target area the fish mission pools are just ahead. Swap the active mission to WANTED FRESH FISH to generate a waypoint. This area is well defended with Badass types likely and charging Psychos. Toss a grenade into the water and take the four fish. The final waypoint is in the same pool of water, so head to it for the last four fish. Swap back to I�VE GOT A SINKING FEELING and take the ramps to the high area just west of the �Furious Anger.� Take out its Turret or just hit the engine to complete the mission specs. Fast travel back to New Haven. Turn in I�VE GOT A SINKING FEELING to Scooter and WANTED FRESH FISH at the New Haven Bounty Board. Select JAYNISTOWN: CLEANING UP YOR MESS and fast travel to The Cauldron. <m101> JAYNISTOWN: CLEANING UP YOUR MESS (Mandatory) Level 29; 13,392 XP; $20,062 Mission: With his brother Jaynis dead, Taylor has taken over and is an even worse threat to the area. Go there and take out the other brother. Jaynistown is only a short jaunt from The Cauldron. Remain in the town�s entryway-or even back farther and shoot over the top of the tall city fence to take out the Turret guns, just watch out for the erupting spiderants in the area. Eliminate the Gatling Guns that can be found by their laser sighting. Clear the visible hostiles there as well, and there will be burning Psychos coming at you. The broken nature of the town makes it easy for hostiles to flank you, so watch the sides. As you approach the waypoint things get nasty. A pair of Rocket Turrets will open up and a new group of hostiles, led by a pair of Bruisers and Taylor, will enter the fray. Get back. A good place to set-up is the large boulder east of the break in the fence and east of the two Turrets. From there a good incendiary or caustic sniper will allow you to take out both Turrets between their barrages. One of the Bruisers will stand behind the metal fence on your left; target his feet with incendiary fire for an easy kill. When Taylor�s henchmen are down, he will continue targeting you with a rocket launcher. Use grenades to soften him up and then take him down while avoiding his deadly rocket salvos. Oftentimes you can also target his feet under the metal barricade, burning him down with an incendiary weapon. A single well-placed grenade will also take him down, if you can manage it while avoiding his rockets. There is a RED CHEST at the extreme west center of the town on a platform. There is a SILVER CHEST just north of the one on the east platform. Another RED CHEST is located on the west side of the large building on the north side of town. There is a SILVER CHEST on a platform on the northeast side, against the rock wall. Note: this compound contains re-spawning foes and re-spawning gunners on the Gatling Turrets, so access the chests with caution. Lingering in Jaynistown can get you dead. Go east to the waypoint to talk to the evil Claptrap. He will be just up the hill from where you fist met Taylor. Talking to him will complete JAYNISTOWN: CLEANING UP YOUR MESS and will trigger ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. Grady Earl and The Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board will also have new missions that can be accomplished while on the Trash Coast. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec17> SECTION 17: THE TRASH COAST <m102> ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE: (Mandatory) Level 27; 10,440 XP; $15,993 Mission: The Guardian Angel warns you of a �challenge� you will now face. Patricia Tannis believes that a �vault piece� is also hidden somewhere in the same area. Accept the �challenge� and the task of obtaining the �vault piece.� Enter the Trash Coast. Use the New-U pole there to get to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board. Accept both BAIT AND SWITCH and HOUSE HUNTING. Fast travel to Earl�s scrap yard, kill the spiderants on your way in and accept the mission EARL�S BEST FRIEND. Fast travel back to the Trash Coast and make ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE your active mission. Stop at the vendors and stock up on ammo-if you are not full-you�ll need it. Go north over the metal walkway toward the waypoint. When the path divides, take the low way, to your right, and climb and walk along the rock ledge to the right of the path. Use a sniper rifle on the spiderants below and on the more distant ones, using the proper elemental, if needed, or a robust conventional or a rocket launcher. They don�t seem to be aware of your presence if you stay on the rocks. Through your scope you will see a RED CHEST, on the left, just past the first bridge. Advance, quickly raid the RED CHEST and then sprint to the rocks to the northeast of the low area. Snipe the milling spiderants from long distance; but there is no need to kill all of them-you can continue on, sprinting toward the waypoint. The New-U pole seems to be their stopping point, but if you wipe them out this area will remain clear on your way out. Have a good shotgun equipped as you move past the New-U Station and two fast firing large clipped weapons, elementals are fine but there seems to be no elemental multiplier on your �challenge.� During this playthrough I took out both the Hive creature and the swarming rakks with a 4X blast shotgun at 52x7 with 83 shots, without using any other weapon. This weapon, however, had a magazine of 16 making the task much easier. A potent fast firing machine gun with a good scope will allow you to accurately target the Hive�s eye for maximum damage, before swapping to a shotgun for rakk control. This is probably your best choice of weapons. As you pass the hanging skulls, go left between the rock face and the large boulder when you see the tent canopy ahead to make your approach to the tented area from the high ground. The Raak Hive creature will emerge. Stay on this high ground overlooking the tented area. The Hive creature will take damage over its entire body but its eyes are it�s weak spot. Hammer it with shotgun or machine gun fire, trying for the eyes, but watch out for the many rakks of different types that will emerge and begin to swarm. Pause to shoot into the flocks as they wheel toward you. Be patient and clear most of the rakks before getting back to hammering the Hive creature. When the Hive makes its rearing attack, back off behind the rock wall and emerge to alternate rakk control and eyeball shooting. His life will dwindle and he will fall but you must continue clearing the remaining rakks before the �all clear.� As a soldier, you will have ammo regeneration capability but the post battle area is strewn with ammo re-supply cases for those that do not. Continue on to the next waypoint and a fire breathing rakk will open the way for you and will then just fly off. Save your ammo-you can�t hurt it. Have your shotgun equipped and take down the swarm of six to eight rakks if they try to exit the newly opened grotto in your direction. Walk the narrow rock bridge to collect the �Vault Piece.� Don�t fall off the narrow rock walkway. <o103> HOUSE HUNTING: (Optional) Level 27; 6,960 XP; $15,993; a sniper rifle Mission: A New Haven resident has property on the Trash Coast but can�t move there because of the troublesome scythids. One called Bleeder is especially ornery and needs killing. Return south, braving any re-spawned spiderants along the route. You can just sprint past them if you want, or you can snipe from the rocks to gain extra XP. Head south from the west end of the curving metal walkway, staying to the east side of the trash mountain, going toward the objective, staying in the eastern passage. Kill the four purple Larval Crab Worms on your route. Try a static sniper or other static weapon-they seem to work well against them, but so do both incendiary and conventional weapons. The Scorpio Turret, equipped with a shock artifact, will probably kill them all if deployed. As you near the waypoint, near the end of the overhead pipeline, various sycthids will attack and then Bleeder, not all that large or tough, but he can hover for long periods of time. This will make him an easy target. A good rapid firing shotgun will kill any comers and killing Bleeder may get you an artifact for your troubles. Eight shots from a decent shotgun, well placed, will take him down. The repair kit for an upcoming Claptrap mission will be on top of the overhead pipe, so you will be returning to this place soon, just not by a ground route. <o104> BAIT AND SWITCH: (Optional) Level: 27; 6,960 XP; $13,328; a pistol called �The Patton� Mission: The areas tough spiderants have made living on the Trash Coast a real challenge for the locals. The local Bandits have placed the abdomen of a �Queen� in their camp, allowing them to co-exist with the local fauna. Root them out by placing a rival �Queens� abdomen there. Swap to BAIT AND SWITCH and turn southwest killing the six or eight Crab Worms as you go. A small encampment with six or more hostiles will block the way. Eliminate them and you will find a wounded Claptrap. Accept his repair mission. Raid the nearby RED CHEST. <o105> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: TRASH COAST (Optional) Level 27; 1740 XP; three inventory slots. Mission: Another defunct Claptrap. Repair him. Don�t head straight for the repair kit or you will be frustrated. In order to get to the kit that is on top of the pipe near its end point, you must find a way onto the pipe and walk its length to get the kit. Head west and go through the two large drainage tiles. It isn�t necessary to make the long trek around the mountain to access the pipe. The pipeline will be above you. Start killing the Larval Crab Worms as you exit the tiles, then move past the first support beam to the beam near the rock face. Jump up the glowing rocks to the adjacent rocks and then onto the pipe. Walk carefully to the end of the pipe for the kit. Head back to Claptrap; walk the pipe if you want, to complete the mission: CLAPTRAP RESCUE: TRASH COAST. Swap back to BAIT AND SWITCH. Continue south, clearing the half-dozen Crab Worms in your path. Another small Bandit camp will have to be cleared before you can loop clockwise to the west. As you loop north spiderants of various types attack, led by a Boss type with a host of goo-spewing Soldiers and other types in a mix of more than a dozen. A potent conventional weapon, scoped for targeting the abdomens, and the explosive artifact on the Turret works well against all comers. If you hug the rock face on the right side of this area before the tangle of overhead tree trunks, you can oftentimes get thru this area without firing a shot but that is not guaranteed. As you near the waypoint, a dozen spiderants that may include Kings, Queens and assorted others will erupt. This, depending on the spiderant types, can be an intense fight. Give ground when required and try for their weak spots. On playthrough 2 this is one of the toughest prolonged non-stop skirmishes in the game, and if you don�t have some sort of ammo regeneration-good luck in playthrough 2. Allow your shields to recharge and heal, if needed. The Tarantula Queen is tough and aggressive. A good hard-hitting conventional weapon seems to work best against her and once again the explosive artifact works well on the Scorpio Turret. Advance and she will erupt. Deploy the Turret and hammer her, running laterally to escape her advance. Hitting the abdomen does massive damage to her, so take every opportunity to do so. Hitting her hard head will usually make her turn sideways briefly, but targeting her head alone will not get the job done and will run you out of ammo unless you have ammo regeneration capability. After she is down a group of four weak spiderantlings emerge from her. A good shotgun is all you need for them. Take the abdomen of the Queen Tarantula and head for the next waypoint. Just because the Queen Tarantula is down doesn�t mean the spiderant onslaught is over, so go carefully. Head east and then bear north, staying near the east rock face, crossing the narrow metal walkway, going toward the next waypoint. A horde of tough spiderants will attack as you begin the long clockwise loop south. Use your sniper or rocket launcher prior to exiting the metal walkway and look for opportunities to do so as you progress. Fight and retreat from the pack, deploying the Turret when available. You can even return to the metal walkway- they seem reluctant to come onto it, but will mostly keep their distance, allowing you to sniper them. As the loop turns back north several Humanoids will join the fight. Eliminate the four hostiles and swap to EARL�S BEST FRIEND. <o106> EARL�S BEST FRIEND: (Optional) Level 27; 6,612 XP; $15,993; a sniper rifle Mission: Earl�s er� best friend has been taken by Bandits, and Earl, that ole softie, needs him rescued. After the four Bandits are down, follow along to the waypoint and open the cage to free �Scrappy.� Exit and go left to get to the rear of the cage. Raid the RED CHEST there. There is another RED CHEST on the northwest side of the same compound near a red canopy. Switch your active mission to BAIT AND SWITCH and continue north. More spiderants, including Kings or Queens or a Badass type, will block the path. Sniper this small group and, just past the New-U Station, you can see the waypoint in the valley below. Take the path leading up to the high ground on the east side of the valley. Some really tough spiderants will normally erupt below, with King Aracob among them. This high area will allow you to drastically thin or eliminate the spiderants below before you drop down to place the abdomen. With the abdomen in place run up the hill to the northeast. A horde of spiderants, with King Aracob, leading the way will pursue, and for some reason the Bandits in the hillside encampment don�t usually seem to take full notice of you but will instead battle your spiderant pursuers, while giving you a taunting. You can simply sprint for the exit or you can fight, retreat and repeat to gain a lot of XP from the tough pursuers. A good potent conventional machine gun with a large magazine works well, allowing you to hit them head on and then target their weak spot as you retreat. King Aracob seems particularly hard- headed and running from him is probably the best policy. Fast travel to Crazy Earl�s Scrapyard from the Trash Coast. Turn in EARL�S BEST FRIEND to complete the mission. If you were wondering �Scrappy� is impervious to conventional and elementary fire-Pandora is in for a heap of trouble if he has a bunch of little �Scrappies.� Fast travel to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board and turn in BAIT AND SWITCH and HOUSE HUNTING. Fast travel to The Underpass and then head north to see Patricia Tannis, taking out the spiderants and then the rakks on your way. Turn in ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. Accept the new mission NOT WITHOUT MY CLAPTRAP. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec18> SECTION 18: OLD HAVEN/DAHL HEADLAND <o107> SMOKE SIGNALS: INVESTIGATE OLD HAVEN: (Optional) Level 28; 6,120 XP; $11,941 Mission: Scout out Bandit and Crimson Lance territory-Old Haven. The one-time allies are now at odds over a brash Lance double-cross. Make SMOKE SIGNALS: INVESTIGATE OLD HAVEN your active mission and fast travel to The Cauldron. Drive north to the waypoint and enter Old Haven. Interact with one of the corpses to complete SMOKE SIGNALS: INVESTIGATE OLD HAVEN and to acquire the mission SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN. Make it your Active mission. <o108> SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN (Optional) Level 28; 6,480 XP; $29,854; class mod Mission: You have now made the Crimson Lance your enemy, but shutting down their crude smoke signals may defuse their quest for the vault. Push the green button and exit. Move along the extreme northern part of the map and interact with the green indicator near the last of the many Bandit corpses. This gives you the mission: BANDIT TREASURE: THREE CORPSES. Accept the new mission and pick up the first �Bandit key.� <o109> BANDIT TREASURE: THREE CORPSES (Optional) Level 28; 10,800 XP; $5,970 Mission: The Bandits and Lances are at odds and the Bandits don�t want the keys in the hands of their enemies. Switch back to SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN. The waypoint for this mission does not change; you must check the skyline to locate each of the four smoke columns. Move south toward town and from the vending machine area follow the structures as they curl south. Turn right after passing the barrel and the corpse near �piss off� and go due south past the four lockers into the nearby alleyway. Hop onto the blue refuse container near the blue building and then onto the roof; turn right and raid the SILVER CHEST. Head west and near the edge of the roof you can see the smoke. That is your first quest. Look down from the roof and take out anyone below and anyone dead ahead toward the first smoke column. This will likely trigger a rash of opposition. Some will be below but others, some tough Lancers, will be on the roofs to the west, where the smoke column is. Use the alcove near the lockers on the east end of the roof, if needed, to regenerate your shields or to hit and hide, especially if a Crimson Lancer comes onto your roof. When the coast seems clear, jump down on the west side and go up the stairwell of the adjacent building. Go right and go up the next stairwell and turn right, then left. You will now be near a piece of plywood that doesn�t quite bridge the gap between the buildings. Make a running leap to the building to the north. Follow the balcony around and use the metal railings to snipe the opposition to the west. When clear jump the railing on the front of the building to get to the RED CHEST. It oftentimes contains excellent gear. Re-cross the gap between the building and jump to the building to the west where the two plywood sheets form a partial bridge. Go across the roof and up the stairwell. Throw the growing green lever to deactivate the �Rooftops� smoke signal. Use the high ground to snipe any available targets. This will greatly lessen the opposition as you make your way south and keep your back clear. The junkyard signal is due south of your position, so head that way by descending the stairs and jumping to the building to the south. Move down and raid the SILVER CHEST to the west. Continue south staying along the west wall. Peer around the low metal wall and waste the two hostiles ahead. Sprint down the cleared road, jump the low metal fence and go into the shack on the left to find another SILVER CHEST. Remember this place. You will return here to do a Claptrap repair mission shortly. The junkyard smoke signal is just west of your position but the only entrance is to your northwest. Three Crimson Lancers will be between you and the signal and if you have cleared the nearby area your �six� will be clear. Make your way counterclockwise, wasting the three Lancers, to the glowing green lever. Deactivate the �Junkyard� signal. Move out of the junkyard and to the corner of the building where the SILVER CHEST is. You will see the red laser sight of a Turret Gun. Use a caustic or incendiary sniper to take it out, ducking away to recharge your shield when needed. Use the buildings corner area to continue taking out the stiff opposition to the east. Move cautiously into the alleyway and go east. Use the metal barrier where the ammo chest is to shield yourself from the next Turret Gun that will open up on you. Take it out where it can�t quite get a good bead on you. (This can also be done from a position south of the building where you found the SILVER CHEST.) Continue clearing the area and then jump down into the pit just past the ammo chest and go up the stairs to the south. You will see the green glow of the �Bandit key� next to a corpse against a bloody wall. Go back north, around the corner, raid the RED CHEST and continue east. Activate the mission NOT WITHOUT MY CLAPTRAP. <m110> NOT WITHOUT MY CLAPTRAP (Mandatory) Level 28; 10,800 XP; $5,970 Mission: A captive Claptrap is key to your getting the last �Vault Piece.� Only he can give you admittance to the Salt Flats where it is believed the last �Vault Piece� is stored. You will hear Claptrap as you move east past the long row of lockers, and you will see a green glowing control box to the right just past the stairwell. Interact with it to free the Claptrap and to complete: NOT WITHOUT MY CLAPTRAP. He will express surprise that you are still above ground and will then give you the new mission: THE FINAL PIECE. Switch to SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN, and, just east of the Claptrap�s prison, there is the lever for the �Canal District� smoke signal. Shut it down. Go back west to the building with the SILVER CHEST-the building east of the junkyard. You will now find a whimpering claptrap there. Accept his repair mission: CLAPTRAP RESCUE: OLD HAVEN. Note: If the overhead door slams down and a group of Lancers confront you, it is because you failed to complete the mission: NOT WITHOUT MY CLAPTRAP. The Claptrap repair mission is not available until it is completed. <o111> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: OLD HAVEN (Optional) Level 28; 1,800 XP; three inventory slots. Mission: You have found another defunct Claptrap. Find a repair kit and repair him. Go east toward the objective, restocking ammo along the way. This area should be clear of opposition. When you go north, however, except stiff resistance with Crimson Lancers, Lance Engineers and Lance Infantry deploying red Scorpio Turrets regularly against your incursion. They will now begin to come out of doorways with overhead doors. You will now see the last signal dead ahead. When the area is clear of activity, climb the stairwell on the building south of the repair kit and make a sprinting leap from the metal stairwell to the roof of the opposite building. The kit is in an alcove and a SILVER CHEST is on the roof. Note: There is a RED CHEST northwest of the rooftop with the repair kit. Access it via the blue dumpster and the tarped bundle on the northeast side of the interconnected structures. Follow the roof to the north to find it. Continue north, moving along the extreme eastern side of the town. There a short distance north of where you found the repair kit, you will find the last �Bandit Key� among some corpses near a blood- spattered beige wall. Switch to BANDIT TREASURE: THREE CORPSES if need be to locate it. Make SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN active. The last smoke signal is to the north of your position. The area near the last signal will be hotly contested with several hostiles, possibly including Badass types, and two Gun Turrets making the way difficult. From the last building south of the signal, peer around the edge to make the Turret reveal itself. Take out the first of the two Turret Guns, high up and any nearby hostiles as well. Keep an eye out for additional Lance entering the area ahead. The second gun is higher up but can be handled in the same manner as the first. Move cautiously forward because another gate will open and a hostile will bar the way to the final lever. Additional Lance may also challenge from other directions. Throw the lever for the �Apartment District� and then check out the SILVER CHEST. Switch your active mission to CLAPTRAP RESCUE: OLD HAVEN and head south, turning east at the canal area to get back to Claptrap. Some of the hostiles may have re-spawned but opposition should be rather light. Interact with Claptrap to complete CLAPTRAP RESCUE: OLD HAVEN. <o112> BANDIT TREASURE: X MARKS THE SPOT (Optional) Level 28; 7,200 XP; $29,854 Mission: The Bandit map marks a location on the Dahl Headland. Go seek the treasure. Swap your active mission to BANDIT TREASURE: THREE CORPSES and head north to get the strongbox. The Lance will begin to re-spawn so be aware. Work your way to the north end of town and you will see the green glow of the doorway just past where you found the first key. Enter the building and interact with the map to complete BANDIT TREASURE: THREE CORPSES and to activate BANDIT TREASURE: X MARKS THE SPOT. With your business done in Old Haven, fast travel to Lucky�s Last Chance Watering Hole, grab a runner and head for the far north of the Dahl Headland. The waypoint will seem to be inaccessible but if you look over the edge of the cliff you will see a shack. Drop down to its roof and jump to the ramp way below. Open the door to complete BANDIT TREASURE: X MARKS THE SPOT. Raid the RED CHEST, which usually contains high grade equipment. Take the ramp to get up the cliff-face and head back to Lucky�s. Fast travel back to New Haven and turn in SMOKE SIGNALS: SHUT THEM DOWN. Fast travel to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board and accept the new mission, SCAVENGER: MACHINE GUN and select the last mission in the West Commons, CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: MEAT AND GREET. Fast travel to Treacher�s Landing and exit to Rust Commons West. Eliminate the four or five hostiles in the small encampment and raid the SILVER CHEST on the platform, if so inclined. Head through the narrow gate on the north end and kill the various spiderants that erupt in this area. Stop east of the waypoint and clear the next area. It may contain a Badass type as well as half-a-dozen other hostiles. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec19> SECTION 19: RUST COMMONS WEST <o113> CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: MEAT AND GREET (OPTIONAL) Level 26; 1,008 XP Mission: Talk to Chuck Durden to get the killin� under way. Interacting with Chuck Durden completes CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: MEAT AND GREET and gives the new mission CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER ROUND 1, accept it, top off your munitions and enter the arena. <o114> CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: ROUND 1 (Optional) Level 26; 6,720 XP; $14,280; a shield Mission: Survive round 1. Round one opens with assorted Bandits entering from the cages, with a Badass among their ranks. Take refuge behind the long tire pile on the right; and as you thin their ranks watch your flank. Psychos will enter next, three or four and when the final Bandits go down the round is completed. Turn in to complete round 1 and get CIRCLE OF DEATH: ROUND 2. <o115> CIRCLE OF DEATH: ROUND 2 (Optional) Level 29; 7,440 XP; $26,749; a class mod Mission: Survive round 2. A relentless wave of Bruisers and/or Badass Bruisers will enter the arena. Stay near the tire pile and use grenades, the Turret and fast- firing weapons to stop the deadly, but slow moving bunch. A horde of Midget Psychos will also come in from the flank. Turn in to complete Round 2 and accept, CIRCLE OF DEATH: THE FINAL ROUND. <o116> CIRCLE OF DEATH: FINAL ROUND (Optional) Level 28; 7,200 XP; $35,825, a combat rifle Mission: Survive the final round. Round three features a relentless wave of Bruiser and/or Badass Bruisers. This is made harder by the fact that flanking Bandits make it hard to find a good place to recharge your shields. A few Psychos will also charge now and then. The pick-ups on the field will also oftentimes block your firing lanes, creating blind spots. When all seems calm don�t let your guard down, a couple more opponents may still enter the fray. Turn in to complete the mission, CIRCLE OF SLAUGHTER: FINAL ROUND. NOTE: It seems that if you do this mission after leveling up to 30 or above, you get Badass types more frequently. It remains one of the game�s most challenging missions even then. Head back to Treacher�s Landing, sprinting past the spiderants and killing the half-dozen hostiles in the guard post on your way. Fast travel from there to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board, generate a runner with whatever weapon you prefer for killing runners and make THE FINAL PIECE your active mission. Drive north, hit the road and go east. Enter the Salt Flats. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec20> SECTION 20: THE SALT FLATS <m117> THE FINAL PIECE (Mandatory) Level 30; 15,358 XP; $29,959 Mission: With the Old Haven Claptrap free to authorize your entry, you can now get into the Salt Flats where Patricia Tannis believes that Baron Flynt has the �Final Piece.� Go get it. You must eliminate four of Baron Flynt�s runners to grab his attention. Guns/items in inventory Combat rifles: Genocide Raven 87; 94.3; 13; magazine of 21; 1.4 zoom; 2 projectiles Glorious Havoc 54; 68; 11.4; magazine of 72; static 2X Glorious Havoc 124; 74.4; 10.6; magazine of 68; 2.1 zoom The Sentinel 70; 90.3; 7.7; magazine of 12; caustic 1X Incendiary Cobra 63; 93.6; 15; magazine of 12; inc. 2X Eridean weapons: Eridean Canon 589; 91.7; 0.4 Revolvers: Pestilent Defiler 235; 89.3; 1.0; magazine of 6; caustic 4X Lightening Justice 230; 96.4; 1.3; magazine of 2; static 3X; 3.7 scope Caustic Law 242; 90; 1.9; magazine of 2; caustic 2X; 3.7 zoom Swift Masher 43x7; 73.4; 1.9; magazine of 6; 3.7 zoom Incendiary Viper 140; 96.4; 1.3; magazine of 6; inc. 2X; 3.7 zoom Shotguns: Incendiary Shredder 89x7; 11.7; 1.4; magazine of 3; incendiary 1X Cobalt Shotgun 48x7; 40.3; 1.0; magazine of 5; static 2X; 4.5 zoom Caustic Shotgun 53x9; 50.0; 0.9; magazine of 12; caustic 1X Terrible Matador 74x12; 22.5; 1.6; magazine of 12, 3 projectiles SMGs: Double Anarchy 73x4; 27; 8.1; magazine of 42 Lightening SMG 25; 92.8; 8.3; magazine of 36; static 3X; 2.4 zoom Malevolent SMG 57; 77.5; 8.3; magazine of 55; 3.9 zoom Burning SMG 43; 87.3; 8.3; magazine of 36; inc. 3X Incendiary SMG 47; 78.7; 6.9, magazine of 46; inc. 2X; 1.7 zoom Caustic SMG 54, 72.8; 9.7; magazine of 28; caustic 2X Caustic SMG 41; 78.7; 8.3; magazine of 46; caustic 2X; 3.0 zoom Relentless Bruiser 76; 76.2; 8.3; magazine of 28; 1.7 zoom Sniper rifles: Detonating Cobra 296; 93.3; 0.8; magazine of 5; explosive 3X Liquid Sniper 282; 92.6; 3.1; magazine of 5; 2.7 zoom Static Wrath 195; 97.3; 1.5; magazine of 5; static 3X; 2.4 zoom Fearsome Volcano 277; 98.6;0.8; magazine of 6; incendiary 4X Pestilent Sniper 179; 96.7; 0.8; magazine of 3; caustic 4X Mods and shields Grenade-explosive Bouncing Betty 66 Shield symmetrical unyielding 528, 71 Neutralizing shield 321, 93, corrosive resistant Hardened grounded shield 467,64, shock resistant Mod 1% shield regeneration/ 2% health regeneration Mod 10 % team ammo regeneration Mod shock trooper class plus 48 % shock damage/66% shock resistance Mod gunner class 50% magazine size and plus 24% damage-all weapons Drive west into the Salt Flats and, when the Bandits start shooting, speed past them and if you want access their RED CHEST, stop when just past and use your sniper rifle to thin their ranks and then move in to finish them off. You can sprint to the platform on the north and finish them from there. The hostiles will include Bruisers, Psychos and Bandits, and possibly a Badass type. The RED CHEST is on the tall platform at the rear of the area, along the north rock wall. Head north from the Bandit camp and visit the New-U Station and the vending machines if you want. Go hunting the four enemy runners with whatever turret weapon you prefer. You cannot enter the enormous salt digging facility until the four runners are taken out, since Baron Flynt won�t open the gates until you get his attention. If using it, don�t lock on with the rocket launcher. Lead the runners for easier kills. Taking out the four runners is actually much easier with the machine gun, using the lock-on feature. Baron Flynt will now ask you in for a ruckus. NOTE: Just east of the Salt Flats digging facility there is a small outpost, manned by eight Psychos-wipe them out to get access to two RED CHESTS. One is in the attached shack near the water tower and another south of that shack in the broken arched structure. Go past the two washers (item containers) to access the RED CHEST. You will start to acquire even better shields and mods in addition to weapons in the Salt Flats. The nearby vending machines make this excellent harvesting ground; and after Baron Flynt is down, only two Lance defenders will patrol here. Drive to the east-now open-gate of the salt digging facility. From the cover of the entrance begin working over the locals, ducking behind the wall as needed to regenerate your shields. About half a dozen initials must be put down. Go north around the long storage tank, staying near the wall and you will see a wounded Claptrap. Accept his repair mission. <o118> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: THE SALT FLATS (Optional) Level 29; 1,859 XP; three inventory slots. Mission: Repair the Salt Flats Claptrap. The repair kit is on the south side of compound, but you will have to eliminate several more hostiles to clear the area. No jumping this time-the repair kit sits among a pile of debris and is in plain sight at the waypoint. Return to Claptrap and he will lead you to a RED CHEST not far from there. Swap your active mission to SCAVENGER: MACHINE GUN. <o119> SCAVENGER: MACHINE GUN (Optional) Level 30; 4,415 XP, a combat rifle Mission: Find the four parts of the machine gun. The waypoint is general for this hunt, so disregard it during the mission; and keep in mind that hostiles may occasionally appear while doing this mission as well. The �barrel� is on the platform north of the east gate where you entered the digging facility. Go southwest a short distance from the east gate and look for a boar on a spit. The �stock� can be found on top of the shipping container just beyond the boar. Jump onto the crate with the cardboard box and then to the top of the container to get the �stock.� Go west toward the vending machines, taking notice of the two cylindrical storage tanks just east of them. You can see the green glow of the �body� on top of the south tank. Find the two storage barrels on the north side of both the tanks and a large shipping container. Jump onto the barrels, then to the container and from there to the first and then the second tank to get the �body.� Go north from the water tanks, clearing any hostiles, and you will see the glow of the �magazine� on the top of a circular hut. Jump onto the top of the thin metal fence and from there vault to the roof to get the �magazine.� Later you will have to make one final trip to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board to turn this mission in. Switch to: THE FINAL PIECE. When going after Baron Flynt have a full complement of grenades and equip a slot with your best, fast-firing shotgun, another with a potent elemental sniper and the others with an elementary or strong conventional machine gun or both. A potent incendiary SMG works wonders on the Baron, and his antics while on fire are amusing. Start the mission by heading counterclockwise around the north approach aiming for the west end of the facility. You will encounter resistance on the west end. Secure the west side by taking out the five or six hostiles, which will include some tough Crimson Lancers, Engineers or Infantry troops. Raid the RED CHEST on the low hillside platform on the west side of compound, just south of the west entrance; and then head down into the low area, due east of the west entrance, to raid the RED CHEST there. Before going up to pay a call on the Baron-equip an explosive MIRV or Bouncing Betty grenade mod; and, with shotgun in hand, take the elevator up. After the cutscene, a horde of Psychos will appear on the far end of the area and they will charge. Toss several grenades into their path to drastically thin the crowd and use the shotgun to mop up. A Badass Psycho may be among them so be aware. Stay near the elevator, using the crates as a screen. A couple of Bandits will also snipe at you and might also toss grenades. When they are down expect another smaller onslaught of Psychos to pour in. This group will usually include at least one Badass Psycho. Next, from dead ahead, Hanz, wielding a sword and Franz, with a gun, make their appearance. Hanz will come at you first, burn him down with sniper fire and then an incendiary SMG or other strong weapon and deploy the Scorpio Turret against the skulking Franz. Finish him off with small arms. Look ahead to the tall structure and Bandits are the next targets, but watch for additional Psychos or Bandits coming out of nowhere. Some of the Bandits will come down and others will run about, pot shooting. Baron Flynt will finally appear on the upper structure ahead. Once the Bandits are down, Baron Flynt will come after you; but why wait, head up to get him. Go up the ramp on the right, or east, side of the tower and when he appears, deploy the Scorpio Turret and supplement it with incendiary or caustic fire. He will go down easier if you choose the battlefield and in the narrow entrance he can only come at you from the front, probably along the long walkway. If he gets too close retreat to the lower area, being careful to not fall from the ramp-which will kill you and restore Flynt to full health. Note: Killing Baron Flynt as any character other than the �soldier� will likely require different tactics. Use a potent incendiary SMG or other fast-firing weapon and play hit and run around the lower area. Don�t let him get a bead on you with his potent Boom Stick. Keep moving ahead of him, taking him down a little at a time. When he returns to the high area, switch to a sniper rifle, and then back to hit and run if he comes back down to the lower area. Go up the inclines to the SILVER CHEST. No �Vault Piece.� This concludes the mission: THE FINAL PIECE and it completion will initiate GET SOME ANSWERS. Commandant Steele has shut down the ECHO system and chaos reigns. The Guardian Angel is disturbed by the �Vault Piece� being gone. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec21> SECTION 21: THE CRIMSON FASTNESS/CRIMSON ENCLAVE <m120> GET SOME ANSWERS (Mandatory) Level 30; 15,359 XP; an artifact Mission: Get some answers by locating Patricia Tannis. Take the elevator down and the hostiles have re-spawned, and they are tough Lance troops; or re-start and skip them and the load of XP they yield. These Lance troops also drop very good weapons from here on out. Your next waypoint is far to the southwest, so regain your runner and drive there. The actual entrance to the Crimson Fastness, south of your waypoint, cannot be breached, but sniping can put down its complement of five or six Lancers. You can then take the stairs up and then go around to find a RED CHEST on the west side of the upper catwalk. Drop down and get a new �ride� and head to the indicated waypoint, which is designated The Backdoor. Enter The Backdoor and use the New-U Station there to fast travel to the Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board to complete: SCAVENGER: MACHINE GUN, and then return via the fast travel network to The Backdoor. The first wave of four spiderants you encounter may contain a King and you will encounter them not far from the entrance. Caustic and incendiary weapons do the trick as does a potent conventional. A second wave of three or four, including a King or Queen, will erupt just past the New-U Station well into the cave. A half dozen more erupt when you see the gray barrier and another as you approach the RED CHEST near the metal bridge. Continue on and, just past the New-U Station, several more including a high-end Zapper or Elemental, will be among them. A scoped weapon targeting the abdomen is a quick way to dispatch these types, which, in this instance, do not advance if you hold your initial ground. Continue on to find two RED CHESTS and a vending machine. Top off your grenades and equip a MIRV or Bouncing Betty grenade mod with incendiary or corrosive capability for dramatic results-if you have them. The Incendiary Bouncing Betty is the better choice. Have the Turret equipped with your most potent artifact, and slot both an incendiary and caustic machine gun, preferably ones with scopes. A shotgun may also be a good idea. Go into the passage leading into the arena and hit the button to enter. What to expect? Master McCloud will have a powerful Eridean canon and his two sidekicks, both Royal Lance Guards, are tough and well armed. The two Guards will come at you first, one on each flank, and McCloud will shoot the woefully slow but powerful energy blasts at you. When the two guards go down, McCloud will close on you and will deploy a Scorpio Turret as he blasts you with his canon. So, at the far end of the large circular arena there is a door through which Master McCloud and his two Lance Guards will enter. Throw as many grenades towards the opening door as you can before they begin shooting and head for the cover of the crates. The grenades may or may not kill them but they will do major damage. Deploy the Scorpio Turret when they begin closing and duck in and out of cover to punish them with elemental fire. Once the two Guards are down, McCloud will come calling and he will deploy his own Scorpio Turret. Deploy yours and play hit and duck and he will soon go down. Take his canon, which is more powerful than any you have found so far. Enter the Crimson Fastness. As you depart the area near the vending machines, you will encounter hostiles including tough Lancers and a Gatling Gun Turret to the south. There will also be a wounded Claptrap to the south. Look through the doorway and get behind the barrier on which you can read: �DANGER OF DEATH KEEP OUT.� Peer around the far end of it and use your incendiary or caustic sniper rifle on anyone visible. Peek around the end and knock out the Gatling Gun when it betrays its position by opening up. A caustic sniper is excellent for this and the Turret cannot quite fully target you if don�t lean out too far. Raid the RED CHEST, which may or may not be there, against the east wall. When the area seems secure, head toward where the Gatling Gun Turret was. An additional hostile may appear here, usually on the walkway to the left. <o121> CLAPTRAP RESCUE: CRIMSON FASTNESS (Optional) Level 30; 1,919 XP; three inventory slots Mission: Find the wounded Claptrap, get the repair kit and fix him. Interact with the blue, flopping claptrap to acquire the mission: CLATRAP RESCUE: CRIMSON FASTNESS. The repair kit is to the east and so are half a dozen adversaries. Use the catwalk east of the wounded Claptrap and take advantage of the cover of the doorway and the entry beyond to clear the hostiles in the upper area and then start killing the ones in the lower area. There will be four or five and some may mount the stairwell on the opposite side and come topside. Jump over the rail to get to the kit. Take the stairs on the southeast to regain the upper area. Return to the Claptrap to complete the mission: CLAPTRAP RESCUE: CRIMSON FASTNESS. Re-select GET SOME ANSWERS and follow Claptrap through the broken Claptraps. He will open a hatch leading to two RED CHESTS. Exit to the back of the chamber and climb the two stairwells. Go through the open hatch at the top. Use the green control box to open the hatch and follow the corridor around. Raid the RED CHEST, if it is there. The large lower area will have four or more hostiles and some may be of the Badass variety. Use the metal railing to hit and then duck under cover. Re-enter the hatch if needed to regenerate your shield. Descend to the ground floor, when clear, and interact with Patricia Tannis in her cell to complete GET SOME ANSWERS. This will initiate FIND THE ECHO COMMAND CONSOLE. It should be your only mission option. <m122> FIND THE ECHO CONSOLE (Mandatory) Level 31, 3,960 XP Mission: Find the ECHO command console and get it up and running. Raid the RED CHEST south of Patricia Tannis� cell and head for the adjacent opening to its east. Just past the tarped-over containers there is a Gatling Gun Turret at the top of the stairwell. It commands both the hall and stairs. Several soldiers will also be in the area of the stairwell. There is an open duct on the right, just past the tarped-over containers. Quickly move forward to get into it. Move up the long duct and when you see the top of the Gatling Turret, equip a corrosive or explosive weapon. If you don�t go too far forward you can target it but it cannot target you. Take it out, but watch for the accompanying Lance who will now target you. Avoid expending your grenades here. You will need several real soon. Eliminate the Lance Infantry from the safety of the duct by peering around the edge. There should be only three of them and they will likely be on or near the stairwell below where the Gatling gun was. Note: Brick, the big ole� fella, cannot fit into this duct. So, he must stand his ground and take out both the turret and the three Lance defenders from near the containers at the bottom of the stairwell. Move north without further opposition and interact with the glowing ECHO console to complete, FIND THE ECHO COMMAND CONSOLE. This will trigger the mission: REACTIVATE THE ECHO COMM SYSTEM. <m123> REACTIVATE THE ECHO COMM SYSTEM (Mandatory) Level 31; 9,900 XP Mission: Reactivate three consoles in three different Crimson Enclave locations and return to the Echo console in the Crimson Fastness to get the system up and running. As you go north toward the entrance to the Crimson Enclave, four Badass varieties will, when you approach it, come through the half circle door as it opens. Toss grenades, preferable Bouncing Bettie incendiaries or corrosives, as many as you safely can, before ducking for cover. These guys will advance and deploy red Scorpio Turrets, so fully utilize your own Turret with an elemental artifact, and then retreat, using hit and duck tactics until they all go down. Retreat as far as needed to get the job done because these guys will keep coming and they are tough. Go back north into the garage and past the scattered vehicles while watching for lurking hostiles. Turn right before going up the wide metal ramp to find one or sometimes two RED CHESTS in the side passage. Watch out for hostiles through the bars ahead. Looting complete, go up the ramp to the entrance of the Crimson Enclave. Enter the Enclave. Note: If you return to the Fastness to re-loot, you will find that some of the RED CHESTS are not in place, or ones that weren�t there before are there. A battle is raging between the Lance Infantry and the Guardians to the west. You can join in, killing both sides, or let them have at it and mop up the winners, although the Guardians usually just vanish when the last Lance is down. Watch out for a decent shock resistant shield in this area-they are frequent drops, and will help in the action to come with the Guardians. Continue west toward the first objective. Two hostiles will greet you as some overhead structures come into view, and another two or three farther along. As the main structure comes into view four or more tough Lance troops will require your attention; and, as you pass the five stacked up pipes, a Gatling Turret will rise. The Scorpio Turret will take it out, if you are playing as Roland. Peek around the boulder to take it out if need be. Finish off any survivors as you make your way to the half-circle entrance. Go up the short stairwell, through the hatch, up the stairwell and through the hatch to the first console. Activate it. Exit and climb the stairs to the roof to find a RED CHEST. The next waypoint is far to the south. Retrace your route, past the entry area to the Crimson Fastness and as, you pass the New-U Station to its south the honking sound of another Turret Gun rising will be heard. Peek around the rock face and take it out. There will be eight Lancers of all kinds and they will deploy Turrets. Three or more will be on the upper walkways of the structure. Be sure to get these guys are they will greet you on the stairwells. Take the stairwells west of the facility to get to the roof, and then go down to access the console. Activate it. Continue down to find a RED CHEST prior to exiting at ground level. The final console will be far to the west. Snipe the five Lance troops in the low area just to the northwest. Use the elevation provided by the stairwells to help accomplish this, as the Lance will take refuge among the boulders. Pause in the low area and eliminate the Lance that may have re-spawned near the entrance to the Fastness far to the east of your position. Three more Lancers will occupy the top of the hill and they can be tough since they occupy the high ground. Align yourself with the long bridge leading to the last objective, staying near the isolated boulder. You will see the Crimson Lance battling the flying Sera Guardians. Use a static sniper on the flying aliens. If you have a mod increasing static damage, equip it whenever battling the Guardians, whose shields are highly susceptible to static fire but once their shields are down, they are feeble creatures. There are five or six and a single hit from a good static weapon will usually put them down; then concentrate on the Lance on the bridge. There are about six of them and the aliens will have taken out some of them. Move to the bridge and target any surviving hostiles. As you move forward the laser pointer will betray the position of a Gatling Gun Turret. Snipe it from the cover of the boulder and then move forward to the shelter of the isolated cargo container. Move ahead to finish off an additional two or three Lance survivors. Enter on the ground level through the door on the left side of the arched entry and climb the stairwells to the control room to activate the last transmitter. Go up onto the roof for a RED CHEST. You may encounter a hostile or two as you exit the building. Make your way back to the Crimson Fastness. Head across the bridge and then go northeast. Since you probably took these guys out while heading for the third transmitter, this will be unopposed unless you left someone alive. Enter the Crimson Fastness. The half-circle door will open as you get near it and the Lance will appear, in force, in the garage ahead. Use the tire pile on the left side to hit and go to cover, using the Scorpio Turret to halt any advance. Watch for shooters on the upper walkway ahead and watch for incoming grenades. When you have cleared the Lance, which will include many Badass types, get to the waypoint and activate the console. Beware; sometimes a lone Lancer will lurk near the console. This completes REACTIVATE THE ECHO COMM SYSYEM and activates the mission FIND STEELE. //////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\////////// <sec22>SECTION 22: DESCENT/THE ERIDEAN PROMOTORY/THE VAULT/WEST COMMONS <m124> FIND STEELE (Mandatory) Level 32; 20,400 XP Mission: Commandant Steele has stolen the �Vault Key� and is on her way to the vault. Both Patricia Tannis and the Guardian Angel urge you to get there and stop her. Exit to the Crimson Enclave. Kill the four Lancers near the exit, and begin the long trek to the waypoint far to the west. Lance infantry will block the way-two groups-one of two and one of four near the Catch-A-Ride station. Grab a �ride� and re-enter the SALT FLATS. Before driving north raid the red chest and the ammo chest on the upper walkway if so inclined. Drive north to the narrow passage east of the waypoint and head west on foot. You will likely encounter four Lancers right away, and about twice that number as you move south along the rock wall. You can use a boulder in the high area along the east cliffs as cover to systematically eliminate the hostiles from the high ground. Some of the opponents will be tough Lance Engineers. There are two ammo chests under the Lance�s red canopy. Make your way down the narrow path to the Descent. Advance through the blue stones and drop down. If you have a shock resistant shield, equip it. A shudder shakes the place and a flock of flying Trash Feeders will swirl into the sky. They won�t bother you, so concentrate on the one or two flying Sera Guardians that will now begin to target you. You may be able to take one of them out before it takes off from its perch among the rocks above. A well aimed static sniper shot or two will take them down. A Badass Guardian will prevent you from getting to the RED CHEST dead ahead but the Turret equipped with a static artifact, backed by a static shotgun or other static fire will quickly solve the problem. If you have an Eridian Thunder Storm, it is amazingly effective against the Guardians, but have a back-up for it, since it will rapidly discharge. Make your way down the precipitous slope by jumping down on the east side. Take down the two or three flying Sera Guardians with static fire. Make your way down the steep ramps. You will then have to simply take several short falls to get down. It is possible that you may encounter a Badass Guardian here as well. This is probably the one that appeared near the RED CHEST, if you drove him off rather than killing him. There is a SILVER CHEST on the last ledge you encounter prior to jumping down to the long passage going north. Go down the corridor to the overlook. A Guardian-Lance battle rages below. Stay largely out of sight behind the three crates and snipe the half-dozen flying Sera Guardians with your static sniper. Begin targeting the Guardians and the Lance below. Equip yourself for dealing with the Lance and move north along the rock wall. Drop down the series of blocks and ramps when all goes quiet and continue toward the waypoint. Take down the two Lancers that appear to the north. Raid the RED CHEST near the central spire and the one just northeast of it. There will likely be one or two additional Lance soldiers in the high areas to kill before you get to the doorway on the northeast side of the area. As you near the narrows in the northeast corner the door opens and four or five Lancers will appear and they will deploy a Scorpio Turret if you give them a chance. Instead, deploy your Turret with the incendiary or caustic artifact and then back off. Toss several grenades into the melee and its over. Mop up if need be, and then jump down, unopposed, using the crude blue stepping blocks. Cross the narrow stone bridge and prepare for the cold of the Eridian Promotory. Move forward with your static sniper equipped. An Arch and/or a Principal Guardian are dead ahead and they will be hard to see in the snow. Take them down with static sniper fire. They have tough shields but when it�s down, a single shot from a good sniper will easily do the job. Watch the sky for Sera Guardians, and be aware that Crimson Lance will populate the region ahead as well, so you will have to equip for both adversaries. Top off all your munitions before proceeding, unless you have ammo regeneration capability. A battle of Lance vs. Guardian is taking place on the first turn to the left. Stay back to the southeast of the battle and let them have at it for a bit to thin the numbers; and then begin targeting both sides, making sure you have a static weapon available for any approaching Guardians. The Turret with the shock artifact is great against all ground Guardians. Continue on, using the static sniper against the flying Guardians and working your way toward the battleground, using the boulders on the south side as cover. Kill the surviving Guardians and Lancers before heading up the slope past the camp. Interestingly enough the sniper is excellent against an in-close Guardian-its hard to miss at point blank range, just point it like a shotgun; don�t try to use the scope. That said-a good static shotgun is still the best in- close choice and a scopeless static combat rifle or static SMG is a close second. The Eridean Thunder Storm, if you have one, also shines against the Guardians. Its shortfall is its limited charge capacity. Head uphill from the fire, taking out any leftover Lancers and soon three Guardians, with a Badass type possible, will come at you. One may begin to rain deadly shock bolts down on you in looping arcs. It is sometimes best, once his companions are down, to get in close, using the large boulders as cover to quickly eliminate him. Watch the sky for additional Seras as you again move uphill. There is a RED CHEST to the rear of the block wall, with the canopy above it, on the left side of the path. Access it by going south and curling around to the right or northeast to find it. More guardians as you pass through the narrow area, as indicated on your map, near the New-U Station. Deploy the Turret against the three Guardians and hit them with static fire. An Arch Guardian will also begin launching shock bolts at you; avoid them, they are very damaging. Either rush this guy or retreat and use your sniper to take him down. As you curl right opposite the fire, a small Lancer encampment of three is battling flying Seras and, perhaps, a ground Guardian as well. Wipe out any survivors of their tussle and raid the SILVER CHEST and ammo chests. Continue uphill toward the fire and several Seras and a ground Guardian, possible battling a Lance, will provide the opposition. If you look ahead you can now take out some of the perched Seras while they cling to the tall pillars ahead. Turn northeast off the main pathway to find a RED CHEST to the northeast. An Arch Guardian will stay near it while you waste it with sniper fire, but at times this guy will arc shock bolts at you; and a hovering Sera will need to be taken down as well. Gunfire ahead. A few flying Seras, a ground Guardian or two and a couple of Lancers will be in a battle. Let them fight a bit. Then take out the winners. Before continuing west go northeast and a lone Arch Guardian rooted like a statue, will be guarding a RED CHEST, but when you open fire, three Seras will take flight and several Lancers may attack from the west. Kill them all, and raid the RED CHEST. There is another RED CHEST to its southwest on the high ground just past the Lancer�s camp. This is on the high ground above the New-U Station. Jump down and you should now be at the New-U Station. As you advance along the narrow pathway, use static fire on any ground Guardians and the hovering or perched Sera ahead. Stop and stock up on ammo at the ammo chests ahead, and head into the final turn. Snipe any perched Sera on the pillars ahead and watch the ground for lurking Guardians. Take it slow, using the Turret and other static weapons as you advance. An Arch Guardian will again launch his shock bolts, so either keep your distance or rush him and knock him out with a static shotgun. The Guardian angel will address you and just ahead will be the entrance to the vault. Several boss types-Arch and Principal Guardians will rush you as you advance. Deploy the Turret and supplement it with static arms. A good static shotgun is probably your best weapon here or the Thunder Storm. As you draw close to the vault�s entrance, ground Guardians will attack and Lancers will enter the fray as well. Use the Turret and snipe any hovering Sera. Retreat as needed to eliminate attacking Guardians and deal with the Lance as well. A shock bolt Guardian may also have to be taken out before you can enter the vault, but this does not always happen. Make sure all the Lancers are cleared out and then enter the passage leading to the vault. Equip your hardest hitting, fast-firing conventional weapons and equip your best shield. Equip the turret with the explosive artifact. <m125> DESTROY THE DESTROYER (Mandatory) Level 32; the �vault key� Mission: The massive destroyer blocks the vault and will kill anything attempting to approach it. Kim him and get the �key.� Enter the vault to see Steele punctured �Luis� style, and the fight is on. As the battle starts, move to your left in behind the stone spire to stay well away from it. Conduct operations from there. Use a fast firing, high powered combat rifle or SMG, or both if ammo is short, to target the glowing eye area for good damage. The ammo regeneration mod makes the soldier the king of the hill, and if you have a module increasing weapon damage, so much the better. The Turret also deals significant damage. So, avoid the huffing bursts of energy emanating from its eye by getting behind the spire when the Destroyer inhales and then hammer him afterward. Get behind the rocks whenever he lashes a tentacle at you and duck for cover immediately when your shields deteriorate and never confront the destroyer without good shield integrity. The purple orbs on the tentacles will deal tremendous damage and they can also take damage. Hitting one can give you a second wind if you can hit them while you are �bleeding out.� Hitting them will also take away its ability to hurl deadly missiles at you, so knock out these purple orbs when they appear to greatly limit its offense, but be aware that they will regenerate in time. Interestingly if it throws a large �foot� tentacle at you and it stays there, you can simply pummel it, using it for cover, until the Destroyer is dead. FIND STEELE is completed when the Destroyer goes down; and then the credits will roll, but there is still another mission before you are done. <m126> BRING THE VAULT KEY TO TANNIS (Mandatory) Level 32; 17,136 XP; $234,886 Mission: Take the �key� to Patricia Tannis for your payday. After the credits, pick up the �Vault Key� and fast travel to the Underpass from the New-U Station there in the Destroyer�s resting place. Generate a runner and head north, battle the spiderants, then the rakks and give the key to Tannis to complete the final mission: BRING THE VAULT KEY TO TANNIS. You can now continue playing, going back to finish any missions you bypassed. You can even head back to Fyrestone and kill good old Bone Head again or Sledge or Jack; but don�t expect much of a challenge. These exploits will also still net XP, allowing you to move toward the maximum of 50. You can continue �Playthrough 1� for as long as you wish; or you can select �Playthrough 2� which will start you off in Fyrestone, starting a new round with all missions intact and with all your weapons, money and mods in hand. The opponents, however, will be much, much tougher and much more numerous. The game play will be a real challenge. �Playthrough 1� will also still be there if you are so inclined. At intervals during this walkthrough I have listed the weapons and gear acquired during gameplay. While meaning to list the final weapons, I re-started the game before doing so. The following is a list of the weapons in inventory when I achieved level 50 during a second playthrough. They are indicative of those that you will accumulate. When you reach level 50 all weapons you find will be excellent, and many will rival those given below. But you will need them to survive the rigors of playthrough 2. Weapons and shields in inventory at level 50: Combat rifles: Desert Raven 142; 87.5; 10 2 bullet fired; mag of 21; 1.4 zoom Support Bastard 308; 67; 5.7; magazine of 46 Glorious Machine Gun 157; 68; 7.1 incendiary 1X; magazine of 46 Glorious Havoc 142; 88.5; 11.4 static 2X; magazine of 72 Eridian weapons: Canon 1559; 91.7; 0.4 Repeaters: Scoped Firehawk 84; 90.2; 5.9; magazine of 28; 4.1 zoom Revolvers: Vitriolic Revolver 555; 91.5; 1.0; caustic 3X; mag of 2; 3.7 zoom Burning Viper 273; 94.6; 1.5; incendiary 3X; mag of 6; 3.7 zoom Patton 465; 91.7; 1.9; magazine of 6; 3.7 zoom Swift Masher 130x7; 73.3; 1.9; magazine of 6; 3.7 zoom Rocket Launchers: Incendiary Rocket Launcher 886; 91.7; 0.7; inc 4X; mag of 2; 4.3 zoom Iron Rocket Launcher 1107; 88.8; 0.8; magazine of 2; 1.9 zoom Shotguns: Lethal Crux 111; 83.3; 1.3; explosive 3X; magazine of 17 Static Shotgun 64x7; 68.7; 2.2; static 2X; magazine of 5 Terrible Shotgun 192x9; 58.3; 0.6; magazine of 12 Vitriolic Death 73x7; 66.7; 1.3; caustic 4X; magazine of 5 Incendiary Shotgun 75x9; 65; 0.9; incendiary 2X; magazine of 6 SMGs Combustion Hellfire 105; 93.5; 10.8; incendiary 4X; mag of 28 Combustion Hellfire 167; 83.3; 3.6; inc 4X; mag of 28; 1.7 zoom Incendiary SMG 98; 78.7; 8.9; incendiary 3X; mag of 28; 2.4 zoom Vitriolic Thumper 148; 93.5; 4.2; caustic 3X; magazine of 18 Vitriolic Stinger 90; 88.9; 12.5; caustic 4X; mag of 31; 4.3 zoom Double SMG 85x2; 82.8; 8.3; magazine of 43 Relentless SMG 137; 91.7; 8.3; magazine of 46; 2.4 zoom Lightning SMG 81; 87.2; 10.8; static 4X; magazine of 36; 2.4 zoom Sniper Rifles: Fearsome Volcano 635; 98.6; 0.7; incendiary 4X; magazine of 6 Blue Volcano 405; 97; 1.3; incendiary 4X; magazine of 6; 2.4 zoom Fearsome Cyclops 536; 96.7; 0.6; magazine of 6; 3.2 zoom Liquid Wrath 439; 97.4; 2.4;caustic 3X; magazine of 5; 2.4 zoom Lightning Sniper 423; 96.7; 0.5; static 4X; magazine of 3 Shield: Impenetrable Enduring Shield 1495; 106 I hope anyone using this guide found its contents useful. You can contact me with comments, corrections or suggestions at the e-mail address on the title page. GameFAQs: Borderlands walkthrough by SENIORBILL Page 1 of 95