Borderlands 4 has a huge collection of great guns, grenades, and gear that can change the way you play. Whether you like to plan your character carefully or just love to rush into the fight, this guide will show you how to find these items, what they do, and why they can make your character much stronger.
Below, we look at each weapon, where to find it, what makes it special, and how it works for different ways of playing. Let’s check out the most powerful legendary items you need to get in Borderlands 4.
1. Oscar Mike: The Assault Rifle With a Space Laser
If you want a powerful weapon that can do it all, Oscar Mike is a great choice. It’s an assault rifle with a amazing alternate fire mode: a space laser.
You can get this gun by beating the boss called Gen One. You can fight this boss using Moxy’s Big Encore system after you finish the “Vault Hunting” quest from the bounty board in Cadia Burn.
Key Stats:
- Damage: 572 per shot
- Accuracy: 82%
- Magazine: 36 rounds
- Reload Time: 2 seconds
- Fire Rate: 6.8 rounds/sec
- Critical Damage: +17%
Unique Perks:
- Space Laser (Alt Fire): Every 60 seconds, you can call down a laser from orbit that does tens of thousands of damage every 2 seconds.
- Tactical Rounds: First 13 rounds of the magazine deal +50% damage.
Farming Tips: There are different versions of Oscar Mike, and not all of them have the space laser. You will probably have to fight Gen One many times to get the version you want. The Jacobs brand version is the most common and is a good one because it has great bonuses for critical hits.
Why Oscar Mike?
Oscar Mike is a reliable, high-damage weapon with great critical hit bonuses. The space laser can wipe out bosses and large groups of enemies, and the tactical rounds perk gives you a strong burst of damage right when you start shooting.
2. G.M.R.: The Giant Killer
The GMR is made for players who like to do a lot of damage from a long distance. This legendary assault rifle drops from the boss Driller Hole in Arcadia Burn. After you beat him in the main story, you can fight him again using a Moxy console.
Key Stats:
- Damage: ~2,300 per shot
- Accuracy: 65%
- Magazine: 21 rounds
- Reload Time: 1.5 seconds
- Fire Rate: 4.3 rounds/sec
- Critical Damage: +38%
Unique Perk:
- Bigname Hunter: When zoomed in, deals +100% damage, halves fire rate, and doubles ammo per shot.
Farming Tips: Driller Hole has both yellow and red health bars. Build accordingly for both armored and standard phases.
Why GMR?
The GMR is perfect for players who like to aim carefully. The double damage is huge for taking down bosses or tough enemies. The slower fire rate makes you think more about your shots, which is great for long-range fights.
3. Fuse Grenade: Rapid Artillery and More
Grenades in Borderlands 4 are just as important as guns. The Fuse Grenade is a powerful one that also drops from the Driller Hole boss.
Key Stats (Rapid Artillery Variant):
- Cool Down: 7 seconds
- Damage: ~6,200
- AoE Radius: 455 cm
- Charges: 2
- Elemental Damage: Incendiary (can roll others)
Unique Perk:
- Fortified Position: The grenade continues to deal damage for 6 seconds after exploding, bouncing and spraying projectiles.
- Mortar Augment: Fires additional mortars, creating damaging waves.
- Express: Cooldown reduction perk.
Why Fuse?
The Fuse Grenade is excellent for controlling an area. Its lasting damage is perfect for blocking off hallways, damaging groups of enemies before you fight them, or trapping a tough enemy. This makes it one of the most useful grenades in the game.
4. Phantom Flame: Target-Locking Jacob’s Pistol
If you like pistols, you’ll love the Phantom Flame. It’s a Jakobs pistol you can get from the loud Pango Bango duo, who are the bosses at the end of the Tender Cage Ripper Drill Site event.
Key Stats:
- Damage: ~1,700 per shot
- Accuracy: 58%
- Magazine: 6
- Reload Time: 2.7 seconds
- Fire Rate: 9 rounds/sec
- Critical Damage: +58%, incendiary element only
Unique Perk:
- Midday (Target Locking): Zooming in locks on visible enemies; firing dumps entire magazine into all locked targets in rapid succession.
Why Phantom Flame?
Borrowed from Overwatch’s “Fan the Hammer”, Phantom Flame rewards tactical target selection. In tandem with crit knives (whose crits ricochet), it melts packs of foes through smart targeting. Although center mass hits limit crits, the right build overcomes this, making Phantom Flame a versatile sidearm for agile Vault Hunters.
5. Stray: The Multi-Target Sniper
If sniper rifles are your bread and butter, look for the Stray, a ripper weapon farmable from Pango Bango but also available as a world drop.
Key Stats:
- Damage: ~1,800 per shot
- Burst: 3-round burst
- Accuracy: 91%
- Magazine: 13
- Reload: 2.6 seconds
- Fire Rate: 2.5 rounds/sec
- Critical Damage: +50%
Unique Perks:
- Seeker Missile (Alt Fire): Launches clusters of heat-seeking explosives every 15 seconds.
- Stray: Each shot splits off two secondary bullets, turning single-target shots into multi-target hits.
Why Stray?
The Stray changes sniping. Instead of just hitting one enemy, your shots can hit three. This makes it amazing for clearing out groups of enemies without much effort. The different elemental versions and the seeking rockets make it perfect for players who want to be precise but also need to handle crowds.
6. Hot Slugger: Meta Defining Kinetic Jacob’s Shotgun
Right now, many of the strongest character builds use the Hot Slugger. It’s a non-elemental Jakobs shotgun you get from the boss named Callless Harbinger of Annihilating Death in Craven’s Nook.
Key Stats:
- Damage: ~9,400 per shot
- Accuracy: 82%
- Magazine: 1
- Reload: 0.9 seconds
- Fire Rate: 1 shot/sec
- Critical Damage: +20%
Unique Perk:
- Blazing Barrel: On kill, receive +30% damage for 10 seconds, stacking up to three times (max +90% damage, applies across your loadout).
Why Hot Slugger?
The damage boost you get from killing enemies makes the Hot Slugger incredibly strong. Not only does the gun itself become more powerful, but the bonus damage also makes all your other weapons and abilities stronger. This makes it a key weapon for aggressive players who like to switch between guns.
7. OhM I Got: Malawan’s Beam SMG
If you like energy weapons that work differently, check out OhM I Got. It’s a Maliwan submachine gun that you can get from the boss Moon Maddened Callus, who you fight near the end of the main story.
Key Stats:
- Damage: 92 per shot
- Accuracy: 100%
- Magazine: 35
- Reload: 2.2 seconds
- Fire Rate: 8.7 rounds/sec
- Ammo: 2 rounds/shot, cannot crit through headshots
Unique Perk:
- Energy Transfer: Consumes shield energy instead of ammo for +50% damage when shield is active. When overshield is active, shield energy won’t deplete.
- Auto Targeting: Beam tracks enemies automatically if aimed near them.
Why OhM I Got?
While niche and heavily build-dependent (favoring shock builds and overshield synergy), OhM I Got’s auto-tracking and strong beam DPS provide consistent damage output. With synergistic builds, it can anchor fully optimized strategies, particularly for classes like Harlo.
8. Wombo Combo: Vladof’s Explosive Assault Rifle
The Wombo Combo is a legendary Vladof assault rifle that combines rapid firepower, elemental damage, and automatic rockets. Farm it from the Riper Road Birds, three bosses at the Saw Clench Ripper Drill Site.
Key Stats:
- Damage: 579 per shot
- Accuracy: 82%
- Magazine: 81
- Reload: 3.4 seconds
- Fire Rate: 12 rounds/sec
Why Wombo Combo?
Wombo Combo’s inherent secondary rocket fire turns every fight into a fireworks show and greatly increases area denial and mob clear speed. With variable elemental rolls, it slots fluidly into most builds, and its utility against boss mobs is peerless.
9. Rainbow Vomit: The Multicolor Jacob’s Shotgun
Rainbow Vomit is fast becoming a staple for endgame builds. Obtain it by defeating Leader Willm, unlocked after a multi-step quest chain in southeast Arcadia Burn.
Key Stats:
- Damage: ~924 per projectile per shot
- Accuracy: 77%
- Magazine: 6
- Reload: 2.2 seconds
- Fire Rate: 1.5 rounds/sec
- Critical Damage: +96%, 50cm splash radius
Unique Perk:
- Color Spray: Adds multiple elemental types (e.g., incendiary, radiation, shock) to every shot, capable of inflicting multiple statuses.
Why Rainbow Vomit?
Rainbow Vomit’s elemental spread makes it a build-maker weapon; it can set up status effect combos and synergizes with class mechanics. It’s particularly effective for entangling, burning, and irradiating enemies in a single shot, making fights chaotic, but short for your foes.
10. Firepot: The Underestimated Tor Ordinance
Last on our list, the Firepot grenade can be farmed alongside Rainbow Vomit from Leader Willm.
Key Stats (Booming Firepot):
- Damage: ~8,200 per throw
- Cool Down: 11 seconds
- AoE: 520 cm
- Charges: 2
Unique Perk:
- Spicy: Spawns homing torque stickies as it bounces, attaching to nearby targets and causing massive area damage.
Why Firepot?
Unlike standard grenades, Firepot’s bouncing and homing stickies can dominate confined spaces, clearing packs with ease and creating havoc among enemy ranks. While less useful against bosses, for general mobbing, it’s invaluable.
Final Thoughts
Borderlands 4 keeps up the series’ habit of having crazy, creative guns you can build around. Each of these 10 legendary weapons is more than just powerful; they let you play the game in a way that fits your style.
No matter if you like causing chaos with elements, picking off enemies from afar, or throwing explosive grenades, these weapons are worth the effort to find.
