Level Up Like a Vault Hunter Pro in Borderlands 3: Your Ultimate Guide
Are you ready to dive into the wild world of Borderlands 3? Good choice, Vault Hunter. Grinding levels should not feel like a chore. Don’t worry, we will unveil ways to power level and master Borderlands 3. Let’s make this enjoyable.
Power Leveling: From Zero to Hero (and Beyond Level 72)
Borderlands 3 promotes a chill co-op experience. It features a cooperative gameplay style where loot is shared. The game does not scale to individual player levels in a team. This is beneficial for power leveling if you play smart.
Supercharge Your XP Gains: The Fast Tracks
Want to level up quicker than a Psycho on a rocket? Here are some top XP boosting methods:
- Science Machine Shenanigans: Go to Tannis’s lab on Sanctuary III and find the Science Machine. It provides a big XP boost, which is easy to use.
- XP Farms: Location, Location, Location: Targeted farming yields more benefits.
- Scrap Traps Farm (Moxxi’s Heist DLC): If you own Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot DLC, the Scrap Traps area offers tons of enemies and XP opportunities.
- Ruiner Farm (DLC 3): If you have DLC 3, the Ruiner area provides efficient XP gains. Trust this method.
- Slaughter Shaft Mayhem: The Slaughter Shaft remains king for grinding levels and loot. Grab some friends and face waves of enemies without reloading for rare spawns.
- Daily and Weekly Challenges: Your XP Buffet: Take advantage of Daily and Weekly Challenges. They are a steady source of XP for your Vault Card and character levels, offering additional rewards for tasks you’ll likely do anyway.
- True Vault Hunter Mode (TVHM): Level Up the Hard Way (But Faster): Try out TVHM. It’s harder, yes, but boosts your XP gain significantly. For challenges and faster leveling, TVHM is your place to be.
- XP Boosts: Gear Up for Gains: Gear makes a difference. Equip artifacts with bonus XP stats. Moxxi’s Endowment is a strong choice. Don’t forget to use the Science Machine’s XP booster too for extra rewards.
XP Factors: What Makes the Numbers Go Up (or Not)
Understanding XP mechanics is crucial for maximizing your gains. Let’s discuss some key factors:
- Mayhem Level: More Mayhem, More Mayhem (and maybe more XP indirectly): Mayhem levels do not directly increase Vault Card XP. However, they increase enemy density and loot drops. More enemies lead to more kills, resulting in increased XP. Plus, it adds excitement to the game.
- Level Scaling: Playing Nice with Friends (of Different Levels): Borderlands 3 has a smart level scaling system. It adjusts damage dealt and taken based on level differences. A level 10 playing with a level 50 friend won’t become useless due to this balance, making gameplay fun for all.
Vault Card XP Farming: Double Dipping on the XP Train
If you want to level up both Vault Cards and your character, combine the Scrap Traps or Ruiner farms with Daily and Weekly Challenges, Moxxi’s Endowment, and the Science Machine XP booster.
Borderlands 3 Game Mechanics: Under the Hood
Beyond leveling up, mastering core mechanics is important in Borderlands 3. Let’s cover some features:
- Level Cap: 72 and Holding Strong: The current level cap is 72, allowing many levels and builds.
- Mayhem Mode: Crank it to 11 (or Mayhem 11): Beat the main story? You unlock Mayhem Mode. Increase difficulty, making enemies tougher and loot better. Enemies scale to your level for endgame progression.
- True Vault Hunter Mode (TVHM): Optional Encore: TVHM returns as an optional side content. It helps farm specific quest rewards at high levels, but it’s not mandatory unless you need something at max.
- Guardian Rank: Passive Power-Ups: Earning XP in Borderlands 3 also contributes to Guardian Rank leveling. Fill that XP bar for Guardian Tokens to boost passive stats such as gun damage and health.
- Vault Cards: Account-Wide Goodies: Vault Cards are account-based. Keys earned can be used across characters, and all characters can progress to level them up. Shared rewards are beneficial.
- Endings: Singular and Satisfying (Enough): The game features just one ending. No need to stress about multiple paths.
- Character Skills: Maxing Out? Not Quite: You cannot max out all skills in Borderlands 3 due to limited skill points. This prevents players from being overly powerful and encourages specialization.
Borderlands 3 Bonus Intel: Nuggets of Knowledge
If you want to impress others in Borderlands 3, here are some extra bits of information:
- 100% Completion Time: 80 Hours-ish Commitment: Completionists should expect around 80 hours to finish everything. Be prepared for a long journey.
- Chapter Count: 23 Chapters of Chaos: The main story consists of 23 chapters, providing much content before reaching the endgame.
- Time Jump: 7 Years Later: The story picks up seven years after the events of Borderlands 2 and Tales from the Borderlands, indicating an in-universe time pass.
- Fastest Boss Farm: Graveward the XP Pinata: Need legendary items quickly? Graveward is the perfect boss. Fast travel near his arena for quick farming opportunities.
- Most Versatile Vault Hunter: Zane the Jack-of-All-Trades: For versatility, pick Zane. His Kill Skills improve nearly every stat like fire rate and damage. He can switch two Action Skills instead of grenades for flexibility.
- Moxxi’s Endowment Artifact: Tips for Tips: To obtain Moxxi’s Endowment for an XP boost, tip her at Sanctuary III until she sends you the artifact through mail. Generosity pays off.
Your crash course in Borderlands 3 power leveling techniques and game mechanics is complete, Vault Hunter. Now go level up, loot items, and create chaos. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. Happy hunting!
