Borderlands 3: Best Legendary Weapons For Mayhem 10

Deep into its release, Borderlands 3 received an update for Mayhem Mode that increased the difficulty level by several notches, while adding various modifiers to keep Vault Hunters on their toes. This allows players at the top of their game to receive even more powerful versions of their favorite weapons. This added difficulty and chaos includes increased enemy health and shields, and other wild elements such as larger enemy heads and healing drones for foes.

While some welcome these challenges, others find that grinding up to Mayhem 10 can be rather intense and tough — and not all weapons perform as well with such a high degree of difficulty and unpredictability. Thus, this list will aid in highlighting which weapons are best to gun for when finally hitting that treacherous peak of Mayhem 10 or 11.

Updated January 25, 2025, by Stephen LaGioia: Since the release of the Mayhem 10 level, which drastically elevates difficulty and loot drops, Gearbox released the Mayhem 11 update, which further amps up the toughness of this grind while dropping the game-changing modifiers. With this added challenge — plus the release of the epic DLC and heavy discounts bringing a renaissance to this looter-shooter — we felt it was a good time to revisit this powerhouse of a list. After all, there are so many awesome legendary guns to be had in BL3. With all of this grueling content and a wealth of potent weapons, fans will surely have much to occupy themselves with while waiting for Borderlands 4.

24

Projectile Recursion

Maliwan

• Obtained from any loot source, but has a 20% chance of dropping from General Traunt in Desolation’s Edge.
• High elemental damage output.
• Can come in any elemental variant.

This Maliwan-manufactured blaster is a great option for those who like to deal ample DPS to their foes at close range. While verging on a more “mid-tier” weapon compared to most Mayhem-worthy legendaries — thanks partly to its frequent charging and high ammo consumption — the Recursion is a great finisher in a heated skirmish.

What’s unique and generally neat about this shotgun is that the particle beam fired will automatically hone in on secondary targets after hitting its initial mark. This distinct chaining perk makes it a good option for crowd control, and there’s plenty of that to go around in the 10 and 11 Mayhem modes.

23

Redistributor

Hyperion

• Obtained via any loot source, but has an increased chance to drop from Watan the Invincible (18%) or Valkyrie Squad.
• Fires amped shots (every seventh fired) that will chain to nearby targets.
• Can come in any elemental variant.

This crowd-punishing gun can wipe out hordes of enemies fairly easily and effectively, especially when taking advantage of the elemental boosts. True to its name, the Redistributor spreads out chains of potent blasts that latch onto several nearby foes.

While these specialized amped shots only kick in every seventh blast, this still occurs pretty rapidly, given the swift fire rate of SMG. It’s a great way to soften the defenses of large mobs of baddies with its damage over time and high DPS abilities.

22

Anarchy

Tediore

• Obtained randomly from any loot source, but has a 12.5% chance of dropping from Kukuwajack in Negul Neshai.
• Each kill or reload grants a 30% damage bonus, stacking up to ten times.
• Accuracy is reduced upon giving this damage boost.
• Projectiles ricochet when shot at targets, as well as critical hits.

Tediore weapons can be a mixed bag, to say the least — with their often-jarring reload function that usually doubles as a second weapon attack. But this is one players will want to gun for when delving into the chaos of Mayhem Mode.

While a bit erratic, this weapon boasts a pretty high damage ceiling for those who have a steady hand, as its damage stacking buff allows for loads of DPS. In fact, a whopping 1,370% damage increase is possible when the stacking is uninterrupted. This is useful in Mayhem Mode, which is rife with targets gunning for players.

It should be noted though, that players will want to keep this gun out as long as possible, as any stacks or damage bonus is reset when swapped out.

21

Yellowcake

COV

• Can only be found in Revenge of the Cartels, obtainable from Fish Slap (6.6% drop rate), Smallums (6.6%), and Joey Ultraviolet (11%).
• Always has Radiation.
• Projectiles travel a short distance, but burst into two mortars that explode and split a second time.
• Loads of raw damage output.

Rocket Launchers can be iffy, especially when compared to the boss blasters and ‘Fight For Your Life’ savers they were in Borderlands 2. But while most may not have the explosive effectiveness they had in BL2, this weapon — A COV of all manufacturers — is one of the strongest in the game, bar none.

Players merely need to get used to the distinct and peculiar mechanics of this mortar-firing launcher. It’s certainly better for bosses, badasses, and generally larger targets, as the odd trajectory of the splitting mortars makes it tough to land direct hits from even middle distance. Aside from the range limitation, there’s also high heat generation to factor in, so this weapon shouldn’t be spammed too often. It only takes four shots for this beast to overheat.

20

Hellshock

Maliwan

• Obtained randomly from any loot source, but has a 15% chance of dropping from Vermilingua in The Splinterlands on Pandora.
• Always incendiary and shock.
• Projectiles bounce.
• Yields a magazine size boost of +20.

This unique, potent Maliwan pistol is great for spamming and crowd control in general, but users will need to work around its inaccurate, unpredictable nature. Projectiles will always bounce, and even more useful, they’ll begin as one element before shifting to the second after their first impact.

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If it successfully hits its mark, this can unleash a barrage of hefty damage and DoT at a level few weapons are capable of. Players may want to continually pump the trigger and aim for the feet of targets to get the most out of this one, and work around its distinct mechanics.

19

Kaoson

Dahl

• Dropped from Captain Traunt (16.5%) at Mayhem 6 or higher. He can be found on the east side of Athenas.
• Fires sticky projectiles at a very high speed, and with high accuracy.
• When reloading or after 1.3 seconds upon impact, these stickies explode for 100% splash damage (no self-damage).

This nifty SMG has all the speed, accuracy, and portability of a pistol, with the DPS and explosive nature of heavy machine guns and even small launchers. Its speed, sharp accuracy, and splash-damaging stickies allow players to deal loads of damage to multiple targets with ease.

This already powerful gun can be amped up even further, as certain prefixes yield double bullets fired/used.

18

Face-Puncher

Hyperion

• Obtained randomly from any loot source, but has a 15% chance of dropping from Muldock the Anointed in Floodmoor Basin on Eden-6.
• Spawns with a melee accessory and absorbing frontal shield.
• Firing sound resembles that of a boxing glove punch.
• Yields a high chance of causing enemies to stumble when hit.

The aptly named Face-Puncher adheres quite strictly to a boxing/melee theme, not only with its amusing punching sound effect, but also its perks. This disruptive weapon draws from a Vault Hunter’s melee strength, and looses a melee accessory in every instance of being spawned.

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This offensive boost based on melee can be especially useful in Mayhem — as players will likely have a build with potent melee abilities at this stage in the game. With its high damage ceiling, players taking advantage of a solid melee-focused build can unleash a walloping on enemies at close range.

17

Maggie

Jakobs

• Obtainable from any loot source, but with an increased chance to drop from Turnkey Tim (15%) in Floodmoor Basin.
• Fires bursts of six projectiles per shot.
• Increased magazine size and critical hit damage.

The Maggie boasts nearly all the markings of a swift and sharp Jakobs pistol, while packing a punch from close or medium range that can essentially take the role of a strong shotgun. While it’s not the most accurate pick, it more than makes up for this shotty-like spread with its massive damage output.

It’s particularly great for whittling down some of the larger, tougher bosses and minibosses that populate the game. While the accuracy and damage per projectile go down a bit with each shot-per-clip, it’s still well worth blasting foes with this deceptively deadly tribute to Monty Jakobs’ wife.

16

Nukem

Torgue

• Has an increased chance to drop from Loco Chantelle (10%), found in the VIP Tower (The Handsome Jackpot).
• Massive damage and splash radius.
• Rockets fired in an arc and trigger a large explosion on impact.

While the rocket launcher group received a fairly big downgrade in terms of effectiveness and availability compared to past BL entries, the Nukem is a rare gem in this category. This beast can wipe out crowds and leave a major dent in bosses in just a few quick shots, despite its highly limited magazine size and bizarre trajectory.

Its huge blast radius can thin out even some of the largest, most potent crowds — though players will want to keep their distance, as it can drop its user rather easily too.

15

Sand Hawk

Dahl

• Obtained from the boss Katagawa Jr. at Mayhem 6 or higher.
• Fires bursts of seven projectiles in a bird shape, with opening wings as it glides.
• Can come in any elemental variant.

This legendary Dahl sniper can be an ammo glutton, consuming three per shot, and a bit slow when it comes to bullet speed. Otherwise, though, it is very worthwhile, even for those who don’t favor the clunky sluggishness of snipers.

With loads of damage-dealing and a widespread that continues expanding, this is a rare sniper that’s solid for both boss fights and crowd control. This can also be tightened up with its semi-auto firing mode, which keeps the spread closer and more reliable. Factor this in with the exponentially strong elementals, and the Hawk is a true killer as close and medium range.

14

Cutsman

Maliwan

• Obtained randomly, with an increased chance from respawnable mini-boss Borman Nates in Promethea’s Meridian Outskirts.
• Shoots a duo of explosive orbs that expand on the horizontal axis when gliding.
• Can come in incendiary, shock, or corrosive.

This distinct weapon doubles as a short-range slicer, with its surprisingly potent blade attachment. But the Cutsman still effectively shoots as well, with its great DPS by way of its bomb-like orbs tethered by a potent laser beam.

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Fittingly, the gliding laser also yields a sort of “cutting” effect, as it can inflict damage on targets multiple times while traveling through them. Provided this is mostly kept at medium range, the Cutsman is a damage-dealing machine. The status effect damage, spread, and multiple hits prove a great fit for the barrage of beefy foes in Mayhem 10—as players can whittle them down over time at fairly safe distances.

13

The Lob

Torgue

• Obtained from the boss The Graveward on Eden-6’s Floating Tomb.
• Fires sizable but slow-moving orbs that travel through foes.
• Always elemental, and can come in any elemental variant.

When it comes to Mayhem 10’s many typically lumbering Badasses, the Lob is truly second to none. It can essentially cut through gaggles of enemies like butter.

While it spits out sluggish shots in the form of floating orbs, these orbs are tremendously impactful when finding their mark. They deal loads of area-of-effect damage and explode upon impact or reaching their maximum distance.

12

Unkempt Harold

Torgue

• Obtained randomly but with an increased chance to drop from respawnable mini-boss Caber Dowd in Bloodsun Canyon, exclusive to the Bounty of Blood DLC.
• Fires shots that split twice to form four additional projectiles that deal splash damage.
• Comes in any elemental variant.

This iconic Torgue gun from BL2 blasts its way back onto the scene, and in a convincing fashion. The weapon resembles its predecessor, with a few alterations. Being average in terms of accuracy, and launching diverging shots, it’s best to use the Harold at medium or long-range.

But when this is done, the fan-favorite gun is a tiny powerhouse — even without the now-absent “Double Penetrating” prefix.

11

Multi-Tap

Atlas

• Obtained from the boss Katagawa Ball at Mayhem 6 or above.
• Fully automatic and fires two bullets for the cost of one.
• Alternative Fire mode fires a grenade that tracks targets in range, allowing it to fire at each tagged target at no ammo cost.

Like the Katagawa Ball from which it spawns, this Torgue gun is a technological beast with loads of tricks up its sleeve. It has several unique perks that make it effective for crowd control and those grind-it-out Mayhem 10 runs. It’s tough to find a blemish here, aside from the Multi-tap’s sluggish reload.

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Beyond the cool perk of peppering foes with swift cryo rockets via tracking grenade, it’s also just a great DPS pistol in its own right. It’s a powerful, versatile, and fairly accurate gun. This is useful given the erratic nature of Mayhem, which can often yield wild recoiling and frantically moving targets.

10

Tizzy

Children Of The Vault (COV)

Possibly the fastest-firing gun in the game, the Tizzy pistol can easily plow through enemies like they are nothing. This gun can also come in an X2 and X3 variant that will unleash even more mayhem on the battlefield.

The downside to this weapon is that it can eat through ammo faster than any other gun in the game. Players should use this weapon wisely or risk not having ammo when they need it the most. Moze can utilize this weapon the best thanks to her ammo regeneration perks.

9

Flipper

Maliwan

• Obtained from respawnable mini-boss Minosaur in Bloodsun Canyon from DLC 3 Bounty of Blood.
• Fires additional projectiles in a diamond pattern that increases the longer the trigger is held.
• Can come in any elemental variant.

The bullets of this potent weapon fire in a diamond pattern and it fires additional projectiles the longer it’s fired.

Its projectiles count as splash damage which can easily be taken advantage of by the gunner Moze or Siren Amara. It also has a larger magazine size which can be extremely useful for most of the characters who can further increase it with their skills.

8

The Monarch

Vladof

• Obtained from mini-boss Killavolt (16.9%) (Lectra City) on Mayhem level 6 or above.
• Can come in any elemental variant.
• Fires 3 – 10 bullets per shot in a square shape.

The Monarch was released with the Mayhem 2.0 update and can only drop from Killavolt on Mayhem level six or above. It has a high fire rate and shoots multiple projectiles at once. It can drop in multiple elements and can be used for a multitude of situations. It has two fire modes that players can take advantage of.

The regular fire mode still deals decent damage and allows for better mobility, but when switched to bipod mode it doubles the damage output at the cost of restricted movement. The lack of movement is worth it though when tearing through enemies with ease.

7

Convergence

Hyperion

• Obtained from any source in DLC 4: Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck.
• Additional projectiles rain down on the target for each bullet that hits it.

The Convergence shotgun is amazing for each of the Vault Hunters. The additional projectiles that rain down on the targets hit by this weapon cause more damage than players realize. This weapon is capable of taking down enemies very fast.

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This gun can drop in any elemental variant. It can also drop in an X4, X6, or X8 variant for increased firepower. Many players have come to realize that the X4 variant is the best of an already beastly gun.

6

Torrent

Dahl

• Obtained from the Arms Race game mode in the Designer’s Cut DLC.
• Can switch between automatic and burst fire modes.
• Every 10th bullet deals shock damage.

Those who have played the Pre-Sequel will recognize the Torrent, and the returning weapon is now better than it ever was. This gun only comes in three elemental variants; fire, corrosive, and radiation.

The weapon will also always deal shock damage. Every 10th shot fired from this gun is a shock bullet that deals increased damage. The Torrent can also come in an X2 variant, but it also comes at the cost of two bullets per shot. This makes the gun run out of ammo rather quickly; but it’s a fair trade given its sharp, steady firing and penetrating bullets.

5

Light Show

Vladof

• Obtained from the Bounty of Blood DLC’s Lasodactyl (33%).
• Can come in any elemental variant.
• Fires four projectiles at once in a cross pattern.

The Light Show is a spectacle, to say the least. It has a high fire rate that shoots multiple shots at one time, giving it a massive damage potential. It can drop from any loot source but has an increased chance of dropping from the Lasodactyl in the Obsidian Forest.

It can come in any element giving it a place in almost any build and despite the cone shape that it fires in has good accuracy. It has the potential to melt almost any enemy in the game and has become a fan favorite to use for boss farming.