Borderlands 4 continues the series’ tradition of over-the-top loot, giving Vault Hunters access to a dizzying arsenal of guns, shields, grenades, and class mods. With hundreds of legendary Borderlands 4 items available, figuring out which ones actually define builds or carry you through the toughest fights can be overwhelming. Whether you’re brand new to the series or a long-time Borderlands veteran, knowing which legendaries to chase first will give you a huge edge when tackling the campaign, farming raid bosses, or experimenting with broken builds.

 

This guide breaks down the best legendary items in Borderlands 4, sorted into tier lists by category. From weapons that trivialize bosses to shields that can keep you alive through any mobbing scenario, these are the items worth farming.

 

Borderlands 4 Best Legendary Weapons Ranked

 

Legendary weapons are the heart of any Borderlands game, and BL4 takes things up a notch. Many of the best guns not only dish out high DPS, but also open up unique playstyles—like infinite ammo glitches, ricocheting projectiles, or ammo-sustaining crit loops. Below are the standouts from each weapon type.

 

Assault Rifles Tier List

· S-Tier: Wombo Combo, Aegon’s Dream, Lucian’s Flank – These rifles dominate thanks to splash rockets, alternating elemental damage, and crit-based ammo sustain. They fit almost any build and remain useful throughout the endgame.

· A-Tier: Oscar Mike, Bonnie & Clyde, Rowan’s Charge, Goalkeeper, Star Helix, Bugbear – Excellent for mobbing, crit builds, or splash damage, but slightly less broken than the S-Tiers.

· B-Tier: Divided Focus, Whiskey Foxtrot, Potato Thrower IV, Chuck, GMR – Fun and versatile but often niche or less efficient.

· C-Tier: Bloody Lumberjack – Reliable but lacks the game-breaking utility of higher-tier options.

 

Pistols Tier List

· S-Tier: Songb Bird, Phantom Flame, Bully – All three are absurdly strong, with Songb Bird’s infinite stacking damage glitch standing out as possibly the most broken gun in the game.

· A-Tier: Queen’s Rest, Seventh Sense, Lucky Clover, Noisy Cricket, Rangefinder – Powerful utility pistols with strong AoE, homing projectiles, or elemental synergy.

· B-Tier: King’s Gambit, Budget Deity, Sideshow, Zipper – Fun mechanics like ricochet spheres and trickshot ammo returns, but situational.

· C-Tier: Roach – Hilarious thematically, but slow-moving eggs keep it from being optimal.

 

Shotguns Tier List

· S-Tier: Hot Slugger, BOD, Rainbow Vomit, Linebacker, Hellwalker – Every one of these can shred mobs or bosses. BOD in particular is insane since it counts as all gun types, stacking every possible synergy.

· A-Tier: Kickballer, Anarchy, Convergence, Kaleidosplode, Lead Balloon – Excellent options for elemental, ricochet, or stacking builds.

· B-Tier: Husky Friend, Goremaster, Golden God, Sweet Embrace – Good mid-tier shotguns with utility like turrets or execute-style damage boosts.

· C-Tier: Acey May, T.K.’s Wave – Niche or nostalgic, but not top picks for serious builds.

 

SMGs Tier List

· S-Tier: Chaos, Plasma Coil, Ohm I Got – The best submachine guns in the game, covering stickies, infinite ammo, and high fire rate elemental builds.

· A-Tier: Luty Madlad, Birts Bees – Endless mags, homing projectiles, and flexible alt-fire options make them great farming weapons.

· B-Tier: Darkbeast, Hellfire, Onslaught – Solid elemental or piercing SMGs, but they fall short of S-Tier damage scaling.

 

Sniper Rifles Tier List

· S-Tier: Borstel Ballista, Complex Root, Katagawa’s Revenge – Incredible damage scaling, elemental orbs, and ricochet synergy make these endgame staples.

· A-Tier: Stray, Infinity XXX-L, Stop Gap, Truck – Reliable DPS with infinite ammo tricks and sustained boss damage.

· B-Tier: Symmetry, Asher’s Rise, Fisheye, Vamoose – Fun alternate fire or burst mechanics, but situational.

· C-Tier: Boomslang, Midnight Defiance – Entertaining but inconsistent compared to higher-tier rifles.

 

Borderlands 4 Best Legendary Shields Ranked

 

Shields in BL4 are more dynamic than ever, with armor-based designs and traditional energy shields offering different strengths. Armor shields bring segmented regeneration and tanky utility, while energy shields provide speed, DPS buffs, and flashy novas.

 

Armor Shields

· S-Tier: Firewerks, Onion – Firewerks clears entire rooms with missile swarms, while Onion grants two seconds of full immunity after a segment breaks—both are run-saving powerhouses.

· A-Tier: Hoarder, Timekeeper’s New Shield – Ammo sustain and flat damage reduction make these top-tier for COV and survival builds.

· B-Tier: Principal, Heavyweight – Fun utility options like summoning a robot shield or boosting melee, but not as universally strong.

· C-Tier: Oak-Aged Cask, Completion – Niche, gimmicky, or underdocumented, better for challenge runs than general play.

 

Energy Shields

· S-Tier: Super Soldier, Watts 4 Dinner, Sparky Shield – These redefine aggressive playstyles, with Super Soldier enabling infinite ammo for rocket launchers and heavy weapons.

· A-Tier: Guardian Angel, Pandoran Memento – Defensive picks that keep you alive in elemental-heavy or high-risk scenarios.

· B-Tier: Cindershelly, Extra Medium – Strong nova synergy, but not game-breaking.

· C-Tier: Protean Cell – Extreme risk/reward, trading shield for raw shock damage.

 

Borderlands 4 Best Legendary Grenades Ranked

 

Grenade ordnances in BL4 bring creativity and chaos, from homing chain explosions to carpet-bombing rooms. The best grenades can be build-defining, either stacking elemental effects, boosting melee play, or serving as farming tools. (Full grenade tier list breakdown coming soon as the meta develops.)

 

Final Thoughts

 

Borderlands 4 is overflowing with legendary loot, but not all legendaries are created equal. Some, like Songb Bird and Super Soldier, are outright game-breaking, letting you trivialize bosses and mobbing alike. Others, like Firewerks or Hot Slugger, provide universal value no matter what Vault Hunter you’re playing.

 

If you’re looking to build the ultimate loadout, start by farming the S-Tier legendaries in your Borderlands 4 weapon type of choice, then complement them with a strong shield and grenade. From there, Borderlands 4 gives you the freedom to experiment, break builds, and find your own overpowered combinations—because in true Borderlands fashion, there’s always a gun (or shield, or grenade) that can change everything.