It is recommended that you read through the Miscellaneous page as well as it contains information about how to earn some achievements which aren't related to the storyline.
Arid Badlands
Fresh Off the Bus
Level: 2
Rewards: 0XP
Unlocks: The Doctor Is In
Objectives: Follow Claptrap into Fyrestone
"A mysterious, disembodied woman spoke to you and told you to follow this little robot into town. That seems like the best course of action, for now."
Once you’ve chosen your class, you’ll be dumped off of the bus. You’ll then be greeted by a Claptrap who will guide you through a short tutorial, consisting of controls and combat; he'll even upgrade your HUD to show a health bar, XP bar, etc. As soon as he's finished with you, there are a few items that can be looted around this area; look for anything with a green light attached. When you've looted an object, the green light will turn red. Pressing E on a loot-able object will pick it up, pressing and holding the E button will grab anything within the target items vicinity.
When you've finished looting the area, head on over to Claptrap who is standing by the New-U station. New-U stations give you the chance to customise your character by way of a name change, outfit colours, respeccing your characters skill tree; it also allows you to fast travel to different areas around Pandora.
Claptrap will now head towards a large metal gate which leads into Fyrestone. As it does so, you'll be ambushed by a mob of Bandits. Use the LT button to aim your weapon and use the RT button to fire. The bandits shouldn't cause many issues as they're level is scaled down to meet your own. Notice the red barrel by the house on the left? Shooting this will unleash an elemental fire explosion which should kill off one or two bandits. Dispatch these guys and loot them if you see fit. Claptrap will then notify you of a chest that can be opened and looted. It should contain some weapons which you can add to your inventory.
The gate leading into Fyrestone will be locked, so you'll need to take the alternate route via the rubble (just follow Claptrap) where you'll meet some more Bandits. Again, killing these shouldn't be too taxing. One or two of these Bandits may be carrying Shotguns, so keep your distance and try to pick them while aiming for their heads.
By the time you reach Fyrestone, you should have gained a level. Get yourself familiar with this town as you'll be spending the next few hours here, interacting with its citizens and accepting missions. When you're ready, speak to Claptrap who will then introduce you, of kinds, to Doctor Zed.
Level: 2
Rewards: 48XP
Unlocks: Skags at the Gate, Claptrap Rescue
Objectives: Open Building 03 in Fyrestone, and meet Dr. Zed
"Damn, I thought I was a goner that time! Damn bandits won't leave us alone. Had to lock the place up tight, and now the damn door won't open. Blasted circuits are on the fritz again. Give it a go from the switch out there, would ya?"
Your HUD will be upgraded again to include a waypoint market (a green diamond). This indicates where you're next objective is; in this case it's right in front of you. Press E on the door to open it and speak with Dr. Zed to complete this mission... That was easy!
Level: 2
Rewards: 144XP, $313
Unlocks: Fix'er Upper
Objectives: Kill skags and return to Dr. Zed
"Outside of Fyrestone, just past the gate and across the road, you'll find several skag dens. A skag is a vicious four-legged creature, and they'll eat anything, including you. I wanna know if you can handle yourself in a fight against some of these beasts, so head on out there and kill some of 'em for me. If you're still in one piece, then c'mon back."
Head out of Dr. Zed "surgery" where you'll be escorted to the outskirts of Fyrestone by Claptrap himself. Before you reach the gate though, you'll be ambushed (again!) by some Bandits. Claptrap will become incapacitated during this battle, so go ahead and tend to his needs. Your current mission will be put on hold for now and you'll need to undertake a new mission to help out our robotic friend in need... (see "Claptrap Rescue" below)
Once you've helped poor Claptrap, head towards the gate where your newly-replenished friend will open it for you. Head directly in front of you to find some Skags (here): they usually spawn from their dens when you get near them. These particular Skags are very weak and should die within a few shots. You can even melee them if you're feeling particularly confident. You'll need to kill 5 Skags to complete the quest; if you've run out of Skags in this area, head north-east for another Skag den.
This is a great place to earn the "My Brother is an Italian Plumber" achievement for killing an enemy by jumping on its head. As the Skags have very little health, it can be done very quickly. Shoot them until they are low on health, then attempt to jump on them. If you successfully kill them from your resulting jump, the achievement should unlock:
When you've killed 5, you can now turn in the mission back at Dr. Zed's establishment.
Level: 2
Rewards: 72XP
Unlocks: None
Objectives: Perform a diagnostic on Claptrap, then find the Repair Kit and repair him
"Claptrap has been shot by the bandits, but the damage looks minor. Perform a quick diagnostic, then see if you can find a Repair Kit somewhere in Fyrestone. You might be able to revive it."
You'll gain this mission during the above mission, "Skags at the Gate". Our poor friend has taken a hit from the Bandits, so you'll need to go in search of a repair kit for him. Follow your waypoint marker to find the repair kit located in the building on the left when going back North towards Dr. Zed's place. Go back to Claptrap to use said kit on him which will spark him back to life. Mission complete!
Level: 2
Rewards: 192XP, $188
Unlocks: Blinding Nine-Toes
Objectives: Obtain a Power Coupling, repair the med vendor, and buy a shield
""If you're gonna head out of town, you need a shield. A shield forms an invisible barrier around you that absorbs damage. Normally, you'd buy one from the med vendor here, but this one took a bullet during the bandit raid. Fortunately, it just needs a new Power Coupling, and it so happens there's an old vendor we can use for parts. It's right outside of town, down the road east. Go grab the part, install it into the med vendor, and buy yourself a shield."
Go back through the main gate to the south (where you killed the Skags in the "Skags at the Gate" mission). Turn left and head along the road until you come to a shack. Beside this shack is a broken med vendor which holds the Power Coupling required to complete this mission. There will be a few Skag dens around this area, so deal with them first. Once you have the Power Coupling, head back into Fyrestone, enter Building 03 and insert the Power Coupling onto the side of the med vendor. Once the newly repaired vendor has booted up, you can start buying items from it; it will sell Shields and health-related items. Buying a shield is required at this point to progress the mission, although all 4 shields available at this vendor will have similar stats.
Once you've bought and equipped your shield, head back to Dr. Zed to turn in the mission.
Level: 2
Rewards: 480XP, $313
Unlocks: Nine-Toes: Meet T.K. Baha
Objectives: Kill bandits and return to Dr. Zed
"Nine-Toes placed a few men at a small outpost outside of town, across the road and west. Those men report every move we make, so our next move should be to make them dead."
To complete this mission, you'll need to kill 8 Bandits, so head south towards the waypoint marker. When you approach your destination, you'll be set upon by 2 Bandits at the front gate. When you've overcome this small attack, venture through the gates and you'll have more Bandits to play with. There should be more than enough Bandits here to complete the mission.
When you've accumulated 8 kills, you are free to return to Fyrestone and turn in the mission to Dr. Zed. Before you do this though, there's a red chest that can be looted which can be found to the South of the Arena entrance.
When you complete this mission, you should be rewarded with your first story-related achievement:
Level: 3
Rewards: 90XP
Unlocks: Nine-Toes: T.K.'s Food
Objectives: Talk to T.K. Baha at T.K.'s Claim
"There's a reward for the death of Nine-Toes, but he's elusive. We don't really know where his hideout is. Talk to T.K. Baha at his farm south of Fyrestone. He's blind as a bat, but no one knows the area better than he does. Maybe he can help."
Time to meet the infamous T.K. Baha, so follow your waypoint marker by going south. You should find T.K on his farm where he'll be awaiting your arrival on his front porch. Simply interact with him to complete the mission.
Level: 2
Rewards: 480xp, $313
Unlocks: Got Grenades?
Objectives: Recover the stolen food items and return to T.K. Baha
"I did hear it! Damned skags gettin' into my food! Damn them all to hell! You! Whoever you are, I want you to go kill those rat-bastards! They just stole half my food stores! Go get my food back, then we'll talk after I ain't so pissed off."
Poor T.K. has had his food stolen by Skags. For this mission, you'll need to collect 4 foodstuffs for T.K., so head west and follow your first waypoint marker, where the food is lying in front of a Skag den. The second item is lying in front of some Cacti (located here), the third is next to a Skag pile[/url], located just beyond the second one, and the last is just in front of another Skag den, again, just past the previous one. Be wary though as the food is surrounded by an abundance of Skags. Try to stay within the area of a single Skag den as drifting into another area will cause more Skags to attack you.
As soon as you've collected all four, head back to T.K. and turn in the mission.
Level: 2
Rewards: 48XP
Unlocks: Nine-Toes: Take Him Down
Objectives: Buy at least one grenade, then return to T.K. Baha
"Good news! I just heard Marcus reopened his weapon vendor in Fyrestone! Before you go after Nine-Toes, you gotta get yourself some grenades. I'm so happy you killed them skags that I'd just hand you some, but I don't have any left after my last fishin' trip. So, head over to Fyrestone and buy some grenades. Then come on back."
After turning in your last mission to T.K., a chap named Marcus Kincaid will announce the opening of his shop. This shop is located back in Fyrestone, opposite Dr. Zed's, so head back there and enter the shop. There will be a few things to loot along with a Weapons and Ammo vendor, so buy anything that you think will benefit your onward journey. Obviously, make sure you check out the "Deal of the Day" which every vendor offers as they are deemed the pick of the bunch.
When browsing the Ammo vendor, make sure to purchase a grenade pack as you'll need one to progress through the story. Once you've done so, head back towards T.K.'s farm, but be aware of the Bandits that have formed outside the gate. This would be a good chance to test your new grenades.
When back at T.K.'s, interact with him to end the mission.
Level: 4
Rewards: 2,880XP
Unlocks: Nine-Toes: Time to Collect
Objectives: Destroy the barricade, enter Skag Gully, and kill Nine-Toes. Gun stash found.
"Nine-Toes is in Skag Gully, but I barricaded the nearest entrance when the skags started actin' up. I rigged it with explosives, just in case I ever wanted to get back in. 'Always plan ahead,' I say! Once you're in, look for my wife's grave. It so happens that I stashed one of her favorite guns behind the grave marker. Use it to kill Nine-Toes. She would've wanted it that way."
This will be the first real test of your skills and abilities. Make sure you have plenty of ammo and health packs as you'll probably need them. If you're not at Fyrestone, don’ worry as there’s a chance to stock up as you enter Skag Gully.
From Fyrestone, head out of the gate to the south and head south again. You'll notice that the path snakes around to the left and leads back north-east. Follow this path taking out any Skags in your way, until you come to a barricade. Interact with the detonator to demolish said barricade and gain entry into Skag Gully. Upon entering, you’ll earn an achievement for discovering this area:
At the entrance, you'll notice two vendors on the left. Just past these, again to the left, you'll see a Bandit Data Recorder sitting atop a bloodied bed. Picking this up will start the mission "Why Are They Here". You can complete this mission while doing the "T.K.'s Life and Limb" mission (further details of how to complete this mission can be found further down in this walkthrough).
From here, head south making sure to follow your waypoint marker. Be wary of foes in this area as they'll be tougher to defeat due to their higher level. If need be, just avoid any enemies.
You'll pass a few Skag dens, underneath a bridge and arrive at a grave that T.K. mentioned earlier (located here). Interacting with this grave will unearth some weapons, so make sure you do this to complete one of the objectives. You'll obtain the Lady Finger and a class-specific weapon. The Lady Finger has a special weapon effect named "Omnia vincit amor", or "All conquers love" to the rest of us. This will deal a critical shot 100% of the time, so this may be useful when taking on Nine-Toes.
Proceed up the hill and you'll reach a gate where some Bandits will spawn, specifically, Psycho Midgets. Don't let their cute appearance deter you from the fact that they're "psycho"; they won't show you the same affection. Once you've dealt with these, go through the gate and into Nine-Toes' lair.
Here you'll first face a Mutant Shotgunner. As the name suggest, he uses a Shotgun, so keep your distance as often as possible. Using the Lady Finger to his head should deplete both his shield and health relatively quickly. Once he's down, you'll face some more Bandits. Proceed through the buildings, over the bridge and down through the hole which will bring you to the arena where the boss, Nine-Toes resides.
Nine-toes (level 5) will have his two pet Skags with him, Pinky and Digit (both level 4). None of them have any resistance to elemental damage, so feel free to unleash your elemental-powered weapons to help the cause. It's recommended to focus on taking out Nine-Toes first as he uses ranged weapons which can be annoying when you're trying to tackle two Skags simultaneously. Obviously, aim for his head; the Lady Finger is extremely useful here, and don't forget to use your Action Skill. A few rounds from a decent Sniper Rifle to his skull should suffice.
The two Skags aren't that difficult to kill as their mechanics are identical to the normal Skags you've been killing up to this point. Using the Shotgun should shorten the amount of time to kill both of them off.
Once they're all defeated, and you've finished your celebratory dance, continue to loot Nine-Toes as he drops The Clipper, a nice little pistol with Incendiary elemental damage and 100% melee damage. Also in this area are a couple of chests, so be sure to loot these as well. When you're ready, exit this area the same way you came in via the elevator.
Before you go back to Fyrestone, it might be worth investing some time to unlock the "Rootinest, Tootinest, Shootinest" achievement for killing 5 Rakk in under 10 seconds. Rakk's are annoying bat-like creatures that will fly into you and cause minimal damage. They can be deemed as "annoying" as they'll often come from behind, strike you, then fly off all within a couple of seconds. Twin this with the fact that they hunt in packs and you should get some idea of how they can make one feel quite vexed.
From Nine-Toes' lair, head back the way you came, only this time stay on the higher levels heading north-west. You'll go past some Skags and the path will move around to the right. You should now see the Rakk in the air in front of you (located here). If you get close enough to them, they'll begin diving towards you. Try to get 5 of them lined up, or relatively close together, by moving backwards; bring out your recently received Clipper, and aim to shoot 5 of them. The extra incendiary effect should alight the majority of them. Failing that, bring out an SMG or a Rifle and just burn them down that way.
From here, if you cross over the bridge you went under earlier you'll happen upon an area filled with Skags, but there is also a red chest to loot.
When you're ready, head back to the Arid Badlands and turn the mission into T.K Baha.
Level: 7
Rewards: 108XP, $2,210, Grenade Mod
Unlocks: Job Hunting
Objectives: Go to Dr. Zed in Fyrestone and collect your reward
"Good job killin’ Nine-toes, but I sure as hell ain’t gonna pay you for it. You'll want to go back to Zed in Fyrestone. He oughta have a big ol’ payday for you, seein’ as you did his dirty work and saved his ass."
What? No financial reward for killing your first boss? This is an outrage! Go vent your frustrations to Dr. Zed in Fyrestone. He'll shut you up with a nice cash reward along with a Grenade Mod.
Level: 7
Rewards: 108XP
Unlocks: Catch-A-Ride
Objectives: Check the bounty board in Fyrestone for your next job
"I think you're gonna make a real stir here on Pandora. If you're lookin’ for more work, go check the bounty board and see what’s available."
Your next task is a simple one: walk over to the Bounty Board and press E. Tough wasn't it? The Bounty Board is the place to go if you want to undertake extra side missions. It's not essential that you complete all of these side missions, but for the purposes of earning all of the achievement in Borderlands, you'll need to complete them all at some point to earn the "Made in Fyrestone" achievement, but we'll get to doing them all eventually. Side missions also serve as a great way to help level up, yield decent weapon and earn extra cash to spend in the vending machines.
Once you've interacted with the Bounty Board, you'll have the option to turn the mission in. Do so and accept the mission "Catch-A-Ride". You can accept the side mission "T.K. Has More Work" if you wish.
Level: 7
Rewards: 108xp
Unlocks: Bone Head's Theft
Objectives: Find and use the Catch-A-Ride Station outside of Fyrestone
"Hey, this here's Scooter. If there's anyone out around Fyrestone, I'd sure appreciate you givin' the Catch-A-Ride a try. It's just south of town and it ain't seen activity for months. I doubt it even works anymore, what with Nine-Tones and Sledge and all the other bandits on the rise."
Leave Fyrestone again, heading south and following your waypoint marker. You should be led to a "Catch-A-Ride" garage. These garages offer you the chance to spawn a vehicle. Simply interact with the garage's pole to complete the mission.
Note that you may need to complete the side mission "T.K. Has More Work" before being able to interact with the Catch-A-Ride.
Level: 10
Rewards: 360xp, $776
Prerequisites: Job Hunting
Objectives: Go see T.K. Baha
"Hey, stranger! If you're still alive, I’ve got some more work for you! Come see me and I’ll fill you in."
*SPOILER WARNING* If this mission isn't completed before T.K.'s death, it will be impossible to complete in the single-player campaign. It can be completed by joining somebody else's game though.
Very simply, walk to where T.K. resides to complete this mission. That'll probably be the easiest money and XP you'll earn in this game.
When you've turned in this mission, you'll have two side missions available: "T.K.'s Life and Limb" and "By the Seeds of Your Pants". Accept them both; we'll be doing them both concurrently as they're in the same area.
Level: 7
Rewards: 4,320XP, $2,210, T.K.'s Wave
Prerequisites: T.K. Has More Work
Objectives: Kill Scar in Skag Gully and return T.K. Baha's Prosthetic Leg
""I used to be a go-getter like you... till a skag named Scar bit my leg off. I stabbed him through the eye, but it didn't kill him! I had another go after Dr. Zed whipped up a replacement leg, but Scar got that one, too! Pulled the thing clean off, and I was barely able to drag myself home. Say, you mind getting my leg back from Scar? If you kill him while you're at it, I got a special gift for you!"
Level: 7
Rewards: 1,944XP, $1,658, Shield
Prerequisites: T.K. Has More Work
Objectives: Find two more data recorders in Skag Gully
"You've discovered a beat-up data recorder dropped by the bandits. The data is too garbled to be of any use, but there may be other recorders like this in Skag Gully. Search for additional evidence, and take any you find back to the bounty board in Fyrestone."
You should have picked up this mission when you first entered Skag Gully (if you've followed this walkthrough.) You can pick these data recorders up en-route to killing Scar.
Those Skags have been up to their old tricks again, this time stealing poor T.K.'s prosthetic leg. He's asked for your help in retrieving it from a Skag named "Scar".
Head back to Skag Gully and travel southeast towards this location to pick up the first of the data recorders required for "Why Are They Here". When you've got this one, head north using the paths that wind around until you come to this waypoint to pick up the second data recorder. You can now proceed to this area where you'll meet Scar and a few smaller Skags. The easiest method to defeating him is keeping your distance, picking off the smaller Skags first and then concentrating your fire on Scar himself. As soon as you take your first shot at any of the Skags, Scar will come storming towards you. Keep your distance as running from him will prove fruitless as he's a lot quicker than you. If you find yourself face-to-face with him, pull out a Shotgun.
When he's downed, he'll drop a boat-load of loot, so collect anything of value and pick up T.K.'s prosthetic leg.
To the west of this location, there will be a red chest to loot, along with a set of stairs leading down to the lower level. Take these stairs to begin the "By the Seeds of Your Pants" side mission.
Level: 9
Rewards: 1,980XP, $1,386, Sniper Rifle
Prerequisites: T.K. Has More Work
Objectives: Gather Bladeflower Seeds and return to T.K. Baha
"I'll only survive the winter if I can plant my crops soon enough, but I'm out of Bladeflower Seeds. I haven't been able to restock since I closed up Skag Gully. I used to get my seeds from the caves in there while I was hunting skag. Their vomit must make for amazing fertilizer. Blasted smelly piss mongers apparently are good for something. If you're willing to risk your life and personal hygiene to give a blind man a hand, I'll reward you."
After you've reached the bottom of the stairs, you'll be greeted by some Skags; nothing too demanding here, so kill them and head north. You'll be searching for Badflowers along this path, so be on the lookout. You'll have to battle with some tough Skags along this path, so keep looting Skag piles and defeated foes for ammo and grenades.
The location of all 8 Seeds can be found in the locations listed below:
- First, located here.
- Second, located here.
- Third, located here.
- Fourth, located here.
- Fifth, located here.
- Sixth, located here.
- Seventh, located here. (Where the yellow marker is)
- Eighth, located here.
If you continue forward, or southwest from the eighth flower, you'll find a red chest to loot. After you've collected all of the Seeds, head back to T.K. to turn in the missions (T.K.'s Life and Limb and By the Seeds of Your Pants).
You can also turn in the mission for "Why Are They Here" at the Fyrestone Bounty Board.
Level: 10
Rewards: 4,320XP, $1,552
Unlocks: The Piss Wash Hurdle
Objectives: Get the Digistruct Module from Bone Head
"Damned if the Catch-A-Ride station ain't totally busted. Diagnostics report the primary Digistruct Module is missing. Without it, that station won't do diddly. I'd hit up Bone Head and his gang. They got a camp just down the road a bit, tucked away next to Fyrestone. I bet those sons of bitches took it. Get the Digistruct Module back from them and reinstall it into this station."
"A level 10 mission? But I'm only level 7/8/9!" If you feel a little under-levelled, you can go and do some side mission to gain some XP and level yourself up. In fact, I'd recommend doing so. If you’re feeling over-confident, or are already at a level you feel comfortable with, read on.
Head north so that you’re just north-west of Fyrestone; you'll come across Bone Head's camp. Bonehead himself is pretty tough, so it's recommended that you keep your distance, make use of the abundance of cover points and use a Sniper Rifle to take shots at his head. If you entered his camp via the south, taking the left route will lead to a balcony with a small wall to hide behind; this spot is ideal as you have a slight height advantage which makes sniping him a little easier.
Bone Head will have a few level 10 lackeys to aid him, so be wary of these as they can be annoying, especially if you're trying to snipe him. Just be patient and keep aiming for his head. His shield and health will eventually deplete. If you're having trouble with his helper buddies, lead them down the southern passage (where you entered) to bottleneck them which makes it all the more easier to kill them all off.
When you finally kill Bone Head, make sure to loot his SMG: the Bone Shredder. It's a fairly useful weapon as it has a 2.4x zoom and a +4 magazine size. There are also a few chests to loot in this area as well, just make sure you loot the silver chest to the north-east as this contains the Digistruct Module that you need to progress the mission. As soon as you're ready, go back to the Catch-A-Ride garage and turn in the mission.
Level: 10
Rewards: 720xp
Unlocks: Return to Zed
Objectives: Jump over Piss Wash gully and open the bandits' gate
"Y'all got one last hurdle to escape Fyrestone. Sledge's bandits put up a gate across the main road. The controls are on the far side. To reach them controls, ya need get yourself a Runner from that there Catch-A-Ride, then drive up the ramp and jump the gully we call 'Piss Wash.' Once you're over, attack 'em from behind and open that gate!"
After turning in the previous mission, interact with the computer screen at the garage and spawn a Rocket Launcher Runner (you can also choose a Machine Gun Runner, but the Rocket Launcher Runner has a more powerful arsenal.) This will complete the "Get a Runner" objective.
You'll now need to jump the Piss Wash Gulley, so head west towards the waypoint marker where you'll come to a large ramp; this is what you'll need to drive up to complete the mission. Go as far away from it as possible, line yourself up and drive towards it making sure you hit the LB button for an extra boost. This will complete the "Jump Piss Wash" objective.
When you've completed the jump, you'll need to open the gate (located here) which is guarded by Bandits. Take these guys out and flip the gate switch which will complete the "Find the gate switch" objective. Interacting with the gate will complete the mission and open the gate itself.
Level: 10
Rewards: 720XP, $1,552, Weapon Equip Slot SDU
Unlocks: Sledge: Meet Shep
Objectives: Let Zed know the Catch-A-Ride is fixed
"Head on back to Zed. Let him know you fixed the Catch-A-Ride and opened up the main road. He'll be happy to hear it. Squeeze him a little and I'm sure he'll cough up a little somethin' for your trouble. If he don't, tell him Scooter's gonna come out there and kick his quack ass."
Simply hop back into your runner and return back to Dr. Zed in Fyrestone to complete this mission. He'll reward you with a Weapon Equip Slot SDU which allows you to now equip 3 guns simultaneously.
Level: 10
Rewards: 144xp
Unlocks: Sledge: The Mine Key
Objectives: Talk to Shep Sanders near the crossroads
"I think you're ready to go after Sledge now. You'll probably find him in the old Headstone Mine, but you can't just waltz in there. The place is locked down tight. If there's any way to get inside, Shep Sanders knows it. He was a foreman for Dahl until they pulled out and left him here. You'll find him near the crossroads, keeping an eye on the bandits."
Grab a vehicle and head west, as always, following your waypoint marker. Now that you have a vehicle you can run-over your enemies which will count towards the "Get A Little Blood on the Tires" achievement which is earned by running over 25 enemies. You can do this now, or just wait to get this through natural progression. If you want it out of the way, just roam around the Arid Badlands in your Runner looking for enemies to squish. As soon as you run over your 25th enemy, the achievement will unlock:
Going back to the storyline, after following the road west you'll find Shep leaning up against the wall in the small hangar; speak with him to complete the mission and receive your next mission.
Level: 10
Rewards: 2,880XP, $2,329
Prerequisites: Sledge: Meet Shep
Objectives: Kill rakk, then return to Shep Sanders
"There's a flock of rakk that keep flying around the wind turbines at Zephyr Substation. The bandits may have control of the turbines for now, but I plan to take them back, and in the meantime, I don't need rakk flying into the blades and damaging the equipment. So, I'm willing to pay you to eliminate the entire flock of rakk."
After meeting Shep, you'll have the option to undertake two side missions ("Get The Flock Outta Here" and "Braking Wind"), so go ahead and accept them.
We'll do "Get The Flock Outta Here" first, as it's a quick and easy mission to complete. Head south to this location where you'll happen upon a Rakk nest with a few Rakk's flying above. You'll need to kill 10 in total; there are a lot more than 10 so meeting this total shouldn't be a problem.
Your vehicle won't be able to hit them as you cannot aim high enough, so jump out and kill them with your weapons. Once you've killed the desired amount, head back to Shep and turn in the mission.
Level: 10
Rewards: 3,023XP, $2,329, Shield
Prerequisites: Sledge: Meet Shep
Objectives: Release the emergency Turbine Brakes at Zephyr Substation
"During one of their first raids, the bandits took over Zephyr Substation and set the emergency brakes on all the wind turbines. they tried to ransom the region's power supply, but Helena Pierce refused to negotiate. We've been running off generator power ever since. Since you're on some sort of anti-bandit crusade anyway, why not release those brakes and turn the power back on? There'll be a reward for your trouble."
There are three switches to release in total, named A, B and C. Head south (just west of where you were for "Get The Flock Outta Here”). There is a large Bandit camp where these switches are located, so take your Rocket Launcher Runner in among them and wipe out everything in sight; using the vehicle is a lot easier and quicker than using any of your guns. If your vehicle is taking a lot of damage, retreat and let it recharge its health bar; you don't want to have it blow up during combat.
Once you've cleared the area of Bandits, you can concentrate on flipping these switches. Switch A is located here, switch B, here and switch C can be found here.
When all three switches have been flipped, head back to Shep and turn in the mission.
Level: 10
Rewards: 1,440xp
Unlocks: Sledge: To the Safe House
Objectives: Go to Zephyr Substation and get the Mine Key
"You want to kick Sledge out of Headstone Mine, huh? Good for you. I think you're crazy, but I'll give you a hand. You need the key. Last I checked, there was one down in the Zephyr Substation Office. Of course, the bandits aren't going to make it easy for you."
Continuing on with the story, follow your waypoint marker south until you reach the Zephyr Substation, which of course is heavily populated by Bandits, unless you killed them all during the last side mission ("Braking Wind"). After ridding these foes, head to the west of the office building and jump up to the roof via this route. Jump down through the hole and into the office to find the Mine Key absent with a note signed by Sledge in its place. Interacting with the note will complete this mission and begin the next.
Level: 14
Rewards: 5,760xp
Unlocks: Sledge: The Mine Key
Objectives: Obtain the Mine Gate Key and take it to Headstone Mine
"The note you found suggests that the Mine Gate Key can be found at Sledge's Safe House to the north."
You'll more than likely need to complete some side mission before starting this mission as its level 14.
Once you've feel confident enough, head towards Arid Hills which is to the north of Shep Sanders. After you've made the transition to the Arid Hills, you'll need to ambulate north to get to Sledge's Safe House. Your first obstacle is a group of tough Skags. Use the barrels nearby to help out with killing these; you can also take shelter in the two small concrete tunnels as the Skags sometimes have trouble getting through them.
Further up the hill will be a small Bandit camp, along with two balconies that overlook this camp. There will be two Bandits on these balconies, so take these out first. Once you've overcome this camp, there will be another to the north-west, but this can easily be avoided by staying to the right.
Heading north still and steering up the north-east path you'll venture into another Bandit camp with some easier-to-kill enemies. Once you've disposed of these, head into the transition to enter Sledge's Safe House.
Inside, you'll be granted the "Discovered Sledge's Safe House" achievement. You'll then be greeted with a Med and Ammo vendor, so heal and stock up. The enemies’ difficulty gets ramped up somewhat in here, so make use of cover and your special ability. There are also barrels dotted about, so make sure you're shooting them for bonus damage.
Venture north in this area and then head east until you reach a room with some corpses hanging from the ceiling. Your route will be blocked off, so you'll need to head up the ramp to the left which will take you to the second floor. Notice the New-U pole up here, behind some metal fencing. Take out the enemies in this area and then proceed down into the basement.
When in the basement, clear the area of enemies and then turn right when you get to the "T junction". You'll see a red chest that you can loot, along with a broken Claptrap. Speaking with said Claptrap will present you with a side mission, so let's tackle this mission before proceeding with the main storyline
Level: 14
Rewards: 960XP, Backpack SDU
Prerequisites: Sledge: The Mine Key
Objectives: Find the Repair Kit and repair this Claptrap
"You've discovered a defunct Claptrap here. It looks like the bandits were pretty rough on him. Perhaps there is a Repair Kit nearby?"
From the broken Claptrap, turn around and backtrack upstairs and to where the New-U pole is. If facing the New-U pole, turn around 180 degrees and look up; you should see the Repair Kit hiding on top of an air vent. You may need to jump to be able to retrieve it.
When you've collected the Repair Kit, head back down to Claptrap to complete this mission. You'll be rewarded with a Backpack SDU upgrade, which increases the number of items you can carry at any one time.
*Editor’s note* I could have attached a map of where to find the Repair Kit, but as this area has many levels, it would just confuse people, hence why it's been left out.
Going back to the main storyline and continuing the "Sledge: To the Safe House" mission, facing the newly-repaired Claptrap, turn around 180 degrees and head east. You'll enter a hangar-like room where you'll be greeted with a few enemies. You won't be able to proceed further until all of these enemies are downed. Once they are, the hangar door will open, allowing you to proceed.
Keep heading east, taking out any enemies you encounter along the way until you reach a large circular arena. Make sure you've stocked up on ammo and health before dropping down into it, as there's no way of getting back out until you've either killed the boss that's it in, or died.
When you feel ready, drop down and enter the arena. Here you'll meet a Roid Rage Psycho. He's a huge lump, but don't let that fool you; he is very agile and can move around very quickly. His main attacks consist of punches and a slam attack which will send you flying backwards. His ranged attack is the one you really need to watch out for though. He boasts the use of MIRV grenades, which when exploded, spawn multiple smaller grenades. If you get hit with one of these, you'll certainly know about it. He'll also be joined be a host of smaller Psycho Midgets which are not unlike any other Psycho Midgets you've encountered previously.
The key to defeating him is to avoid his grenade attacks at all costs. You can kite him around the arena, keeping him close enough so as to not allow him to throw any grenades at you. Although he's wearing what looks like a fairly impenetrable helmet, aiming for his head will allow for critical hits, so make sure you're doing this.
If you're feeling a little overwhelmed at any point, like when your shield is depleted, you can run back to the entrance and hide behind the wire fence for a breather; he won't be able to hit you down here.
Once you've killed him and his small army (note that there probably won't be any loot of interest from him), hit the switch in the middle of the room that's hanging from the ceiling to reveal the Mine Gate Key (finally!)
It's now a question of backtracking through the Safe House until you get back to the entrance. The enemies will have respawned at this point, so don't go rushing through as you'll more than likely be killed. Once you reach the entrance, transition back to the Arid Hills and again, backtrack to the entrance until you reach the Arid Badlands.
Once back in the Arid Badlands, you'll need to travel to the entrance to Headstone Mine, which is located to the west of the Zephyr Substation (where we were earlier when completing the "Braking Wind" mission.) When you're at the entrance to Headstone Mine, the mission will be complete.
Before proceeding through to Headstone Mine, there should be more side missions to complete. It's recommended that you complete these first as the enemies in Headstone Mine are level around level 17. So, head back to Shep to do the first of these side missions: "What Hit The Fan".
Level: 13
Rewards: 2,699XP, $4,363
Prerequisites: Sledge: To the Safe House
Objectives: Shoot the rakk droppings off of the wind turbine in Howling Defile
"All of the wind turbines are functioning except for the one in Howling Defile. For some reason, the rakk always flock over that one, so the whole thing is covered in rakk droppings. The turbine blades won't even turn! I'm offering a cash reward to anyone who goes out and shoots all that crap off."
Howling Defile is situated to the west of the Arid Badlands, next to Titan's End. If you're currently at Shep, follow your waypoint marker west and you'll see a large, broken wind turbine to the right of the road you're on. In front of the turbine houses a Rakk nest, so make sure you kill off all of the Rakks beforehand, otherwise they'll just annoy you. The goal to completing the mission is simple: shoot the Rakk droppings from off the turbine; there are a total of 6 to shoot off. Once all the poop is cleared, head back to Shep to complete the mission.
Having completed all of Shep's side mission, you still won't be of a high enough level to efficiently tackle the next story-related mission, so go back to the Bounty Board in Fyrestone to collect some more side missions. There should be 7 side missions to accept here; we'll tackle the mission in the Arid Badlands first.
Level: 10
Rewards: 1,152XP, $2,329
Prerequisites: Bone Head's Theft
Objectives: Roadkill enemies with the Runner vehicle
"Scooter's lettin' you drive his Runners, huh? you know what's fun? Roadkillin'. Runnin' over every living thing that's stupid enough to wander in front of your grille. I bet you're squeamish, though. I bet good money you haven't got the guts to go roadkillin' yourself."
This one is ridiculously easy to complete and can be used in conjunction with any of the other side missions that you've just accepted. To complete it, you'll just need to run over 10 enemies in a vehicle.
When you've flattened 10 enemies, turn in the mission at the Fyrestone Bounty Board.
Level: 13
Rewards: 2,699XP, $5,454
Prerequisites: Bone Head's Theft
Objectives: Download 5 Log Entries from Data Recorders in the Arid Badlands
"This is Patricia Tannis, calling for anyone with two brain cells to rub together. I hid five of my Data Recorders in the Arid Badlands, but now I've decided I want them back. Listen to each one, and your ECHO device will record them. Once you have all five recordings, upload them to the bounty board."
This is a simple mission: collect 5 data recorders that Patricia Tannis has hidden around the Arid Badlands. There really isn't much too it, just follow your waypoint market until you see them and pick them up.
The first one is located back in Bone Head's yard. Bone Head and his lackeys will probably be waiting for you again, but because you'll be a much higher level than the last time you met him, he should go down fairly easily. The data recorder will be attached to some scaffolding.
After collecting the first data recorder, take a short drive south-west to this location to find the second data recorder next to a red chest (the weapons in the red chest will probably be low-level ones).
To find the third data recorder, travel south-west until you're back at the Zephyr Substation. As you did earlier, take out all of the Bandits and Skags in this area to make life easier for yourself. Once it's clear, go back to the small building where we collected Sledge's note from (located here). The data recorder can be found inside the door of the red dumpster on the roof of this building.
Drive back north to where Shep is hanging out and follow the road round to the east (here). The fourth data recorder is located in the lookout tower to the right of the gate that we opened earlier.
Onto the last one now; drive southwest towards the entrance to Headstone Mine. To the north of this entrance will be a small Bandit camp. The fifth and final data recorder can be found hidden in between some barrels.
When you've collected all 5 data recordings, go back to the Fyrestone Bounty board to turn in the mission.
Level: 15
Rewards: 2,346XP, Combat Rifle
Prerequisites: Sledge: To The Safe House
Objectives: Find all of the combat rifle parts
"I was working on a custom rifle. I didn't want the bandits to get a hold of my design so I dismantled it and scattered the components around. If you you find all of these components, I can reassemble the weapon for you. Bring me the Body, Stock, Sight, and Barrel."
All of the Combat Rifle pieces can be found in one area: in among a small Bandit camp situated on some cliffs, to the north of the entrance to Headstone Mine. The waypoint marker will only guide you to the area of the mission, not for the actual mission items themselves, so you’ll need to do a little searching. If you enter the camp to the north so that you’re crossing the bridge you’ll find the first part, the Combat Rifle Stock, on the bridge directly in front of you. Take a right at the end of bridge, head down the ramp and pick up the Combat Rifle Barrel which is resting upon a barrel. After this, run back up the ramp and run up the other ramp, through the building, up another ramp and into another building. You’ll find a red chest to loot here. Now exit the building and run around to find the Combat Rifle Sight hiding behind the building. Now head to the southeast of the camp until you reach the top-most part to find the Combat Rifle Body next to an ammo crate.
Once all pieces are collected, you can turn in the mission at the Fyrestone Bounty Board.
We’re now going to head into the Arid Hills to tackle two missions, starting with “The Legend Of Moe and Marley”.
Level: 15
Rewards: 6,120XP, $4,105, Incendiary Artifact
Prerequisites: Sledge: The Mind Key
Objectives: Kill Moe and Marley
"Rumors speak of Moe and Marley, two of the toughest skags to ever walk Pandora. I want their skulls mounted on my wall, but I'm too busy to go track them down myself. Instead, I'm offering to pay anyone to find them and take them down."
Once in the Arid Hills, head north to this location which will be littered with Rakks and Skags of varying types and levels. Moe and Marley won’t be at the exact location that the waypoint marker is showing, so you may need to scout around a bit first. Once you’ve found them, you’ll now have to take them down which is a pretty tough challenge.
Both are level 15, Moe has resistance to fire damage, while Marley has resistance to shock damage. Moe’s attacks consist of a flaming, charged attack; Marley’s attacks consist of spitting electrified balls of spit at you. They both have a shockwave attack that they’ll use when in close proximity. Unfortunately, they are always together, so you’ll need to tackle them both at the same time, along with any extra Skags that are close by. It’s recommended to concentrate your fire on the bosses first as if you get taken down you’ll at least have some lesser beings to kill to earn your second wind.
Try to kill Marley first as he’s the easier of the two due to his ranged attacks being easier to dodge and it’s also easier to earn critical hits on when he opens his mouth. Moe is a lot tougher as he loves to get in your face. Try side-stepping his charges or failing that, find some terrain that’s higher up where he’s unable to reach you.
After overcoming both of these bosses, head north so that you’re going back towards Sledge’s Safe House. Once you reach the Bandit camp to the very north, you’ll need to search for Sniper Rifle components for the “Scavenger: Sniper Rifle” mission.
Level: 12
Rewards: 1,932XP, Sniper Rifle
Prerequisites: Sledge: The Mine Key
Objectives: Find all of the sniper rifle parts
"I used to hunt skags from the east ridge near the mine. I was working on a new sniper rifle so I could really take 'em down. I never quite finished and had to stash the parts around so the bandits wouldn't find 'em. If you retrieve the pieces its all yours. I need the Stock, Body, Sight, and Barrel."
As with the previous Scavenger mission, the waypoint marker will only direct you to the area, so ignore it for now. As always, take out any enemies in the area before searching for the parts.
The first Sniper Rifle part can be found halfway up the ramp on the western side of the camp, here (the yellow triangle), next to a mattress. Continue up the ramp and turn right so that you’re on the catwalks. By the entrance will be a small house with a gas canister outside, located here. The Sniper Rifle Stock is located on top of this building, so use the nearby objects to get up there. From here, facing north, take a right, then halfway down the catwalk take a left (so that you’re (facing north) to find the Barrel lying on a table. Now, head back to the catwalk and head east, then head south once you reach the end of the catwalk. This will lead you towards a building next to some cliffs (located here). Next to this building you’ll find the last of the Sniper Rifle components, the Sniper Rifle Body.
Once you’ve gathered all of the Sniper Rifle Components, and you’ve killed both Moe and Marley, head back to the Fyrestone Bounty Board and turn in both the “The Legend Of Moe and Marley” and “Scavenger: Sniper Rifle” missions where you’ll receive an Incendiary Artifact and a Sniper Rifle respectively. Artifacts can be equipped to help improve your characters Action Skills; in this instance, as a Soldier, it adds incendiary damage to Roland’s Scorpio Turret skill.
Let’s move on to the next side mission: Shock Crystal Harvest.
Level: 15
Rewards: 3,672xp, Shock Artifact
Prerequisites: The Piss Wash Hurdle
Objectives: Harvest Shock Crystals in the Lost Cave
"Shock Elemental Artifacts allow you to customize your skills with the power of lightning. The key component for such an artifact is the Shock Crystal. I can fashion an artifact for you, but you'll need to provide the crystals. Go to the Lost Cave and shoot the Crystal Clusters to break them apart. Watch out for the bandits that have taken over the cave."
Head towards this fairly discretely hidden transition station to enter the Lost Cave. Once in, you’ll need to be on the lookout for Shock Crystal formations as you’ll need to break them and collect its remnants. There are two vendors to your right as you enter the cave, so stock up on ammo and health.
Ignore the waypoint marker for this mission in here as it’s largely redundant. Instead, walk forwards and defeat the first set of Larva Crab Worms; these shouldn’t be too taxing to defeat. Aim for the eye to earn critical hits, but be mindful as they will burrow underground and crop up somewhere else.
To the right of these, going northwards, you should spot your first Shock Crystal formation. Smash it open and pick up any loose crystals.
Continue up the path to the northwest and you’ll need to tackle a large pack of Alpha Skags. You may find yourself overwhelmed and take a good ol’ fashioned battering due to the ferocity, and number of these Skags. It’s a good thing that the respawn point is only a few metres away. Once they’re all down, you should see the next Shock Crystal formation.
Head south and drop down the ridge so that you’re back on the main path and head deeper into the cave, taking the next available southern path which leads into a dead-end full of Larva Crab Worms. Defeat these before picking up some more Shock Crystals. Venturing west, going deeper into the cave you’ll see another crystal formation in front of you.
After the last crystal formation, there will be a large area to the south which will be heavily populated with more Skags. Again, don’t underestimate their power in numbers. Once the area is clear, look towards the southern wall for another Shock Crystal formation.
Continue west until the path bottlenecks and you should see yet another crystal formation, so go ahead and blast it open. Just past the bottleneck is a Bandit camp with an abundance of elemental barrels knocking around, so make sure you shoot them for bonus damage. You should also come across another broken Claptrap. Interacting with it will start the mission “Claptrap Rescue: The Lost Cave” which we’ll run through now as it coincides with the Shock Crystal Harvest.
Level: 15
Rewards: 1,020xp, Backpack SDU
Prerequisites: The Piss Was Hurdle
Objectives: Find the Repair Kit and repair this Claptrap
"You've discovered yet another defunct Claptrap. Doubtless, he wandered in here and was destroyed by the inhabitants of the cave. Perhaps there is a Repair Kit nearby?"
The Bandit camp splits off into two paths: a southern path and a northern path. If you head south slightly, you should see another Shock Crystal formation, so go ahead and collect them. Going south still will lead you to a red chest.
Go back north, through the Bandit camp again and you’ll discover another crystal formation (located here), but be wary as there will be more Bandits lurking around this one.
The next crystal formation is hard to miss as it’s on your path northwards, where it bottlenecks. Going north still, the next crystal formation is located in the northeastern-most part of this area.
Head westwards and you’ll approach another small Bandit camp. Before you reach it though, you’ll see yet another crystal formation to the left of the mine cart tracks. You should have collected 50 Shock Crystals by now. If you haven’t, continue along the path you’re on as there should be more formations along this route.
It’s now time to switch your mission focus and look for that poor Claptrap’s Repair Kit. From where you found the last crystal formation, continue forward, past the Bandit camp and around to the left until you reach a bridge. To the left of the bridge you’ll find the Repair kit, hidden among some large pipes. You can now head back south to where Claptrap is and turn in the mission. Don’t forget to use the Backpack SDU which you’ll receive as your reward for completing this mission; it will increase the number of items you can carry in your virtual backpack.
Now that you’ve helped Claptrap, and collected 50 Shock Crystals, you can exit the Lost Cave and head back to the Bounty Board to turn in the mission. You should now have only one side mission left to complete: The Circle Of Death.
Level: 12
Rewards: 504xp
Prerequisites: Sledge: The Mine Key
Objectives: Talk to Rade Zayben
"Think you've got what it takes to be a gladiator? Enter the arena and put your life on the line for the amusement of our spectators and gamblers! Direct all enquiries to Rade Zayben, director of events."
This quest is the first of four quests which chain together. Rade Zyben is located outside the Circle of Death Arena, which is located directly west (as the crow flies) from Shep. To access this area, take the road to the south from Shep and follow it round to the west. You’ll see a sign on the side of the road, along with a skeleton. Jump out of your vehicle and continue through the two sheets of metal which is making a make-shift entryway. Go over the bridge and Rade can be found in the small shack to the left. Speaking with him will complete the mission.
Directly after finishing the mission, you’ll be asked to do another: Circle Of Death: Round 1
Level: 12
Rewards: 1,680xp, $1,947, Shield
Prerequisites: Circle Of Death: Meat and Greet
Objectives: It’s kill or be killed!
"Get in there. You live, you get paid. You die, I get paid a lot more. Either way, I win. Oh, and if you're gonna die, at least try to put on a good show. Scream and spurt blood a lot, the crowd loves that."
You’ll now have to complete a series of rounds in the Circle of Death, where each round will be tougher than the last. To the right of Zabe are some vendors, so stock up on health, ammo and guns. A solid shotgun is recommended to tackle all of the close quarters combat that you’re about to encounter.
When you feel adequately equipped, enter the arena and watch the entrance/exit door shut tight, leaving you to fight it out with a bunch of Skags. The enemies you’ll face in this round are: Adult Skags, Spitter Skags and an Alpha Skag. It shouldn’t be too difficult to overcome these as they’re only around level 12.
When you’ve killed them all, the exit door will open and you can turn in the mission.
Level: 15
Rewards: 2,652XP, $4,105, Grenade Mod
Prerequisites: Circle Of Death: Round 1
Objectives: It's kill or be killed!
"Back for more, eh? It's gonna be tougher this time. I don't expect a punk like you to last very long, but you understand the sequel has to up the ante."
You'll notice that since the level requirement has gone from 12 to 15, the difficulty will also have been ramped up. Before heading back into the arena, make sure you're stocked up on health and ammo, using the vending machines to the right of Rade. Once you feel adequately equipped, enter the arena once again.
As soon as the door at the entrance of the arena is shut, you'll be greeted with level 15 Adult, Spitter and Alpha Skags. As previously stated, as their level is higher than the last arena they'll be a lot tougher to take down; aim for their exposed flesh rather than their armor for maximum damage, and make use of your health kits.
Once you've completed this round, head back to Rade to collect your reward.
Level: 18
Rewards: 4,800XP, $9,612, Weapon
Prerequisites: Circle Of Death: Round 2
Objectives: It's kill or be killed!
"No one has gone three rounds in the circle that ain't skag food right now. You got the smell of skag food."
This mission may be too high a level to complete right now. If so, head off and continue with other side missions (if you have any) or with the main storyline. You may be able to complete it, but it isn't recommended until you are at least level 17 at the very lowest. Any lower than that and you'll be wasting both your time and money.
If you're at the relevant level, again, stock up on health and ammo. This mission doesn't deviate much from the other Circle Of Death missions; the only real differences are the extra Elder Skags and the level 18 Alpha Skag who can be a pain to take down. Again, use med kits when applicable and using your Shotgun is your best offense. Keep moving at all costs; becoming stationary will only work against you as the Skags love to charge at you.
Once completed, return to Rade to turn in and complete the Circle Of Death missions.
Level: 17
Rewards: 9,408XP, $6,866, Class Mod
Unlocks: Leaving Fyrestone
Objectives: Kill Sledge and take his Eridian Artifact
"It's time to push the attack! Infiltrate Headstone Mine and kill Sledge. If you get the chance, grab that Eridian Artifact of his. As Dr. Zed put it, nobody wants another bandit to find it and start another blood-fuelled crusade for the Vault. If you manage to come out of this fight alive, head back to Zed and let him know what happened."
Back to the story: we'll need to find Sledge and steal his special Eridian Artifact. In the Arid Badlands, head to the southwest where you'll find the entrance to Headstone Mine. Once inside, you'll gain the "Discovered Headstone Mine" achievement and there will be a few enemies to tackle, along with a couple of vendors inside the building to the left; dash in here for some extra cover. Your foes will range in level from 16 to 18, but be extra wary of the Bruisers as they can be tough to take down. However, their slow movement makes for easier headshots.
You'll start off in the northeast of this area and you'll need to work your way downwards in a south-westerly direction, spiralling around until you get to Sledge's Hideout.
Continuing on from the vendors, continue southwest until you reach a locked gate. Head up the ramp to the right and stay on this upper level. Inside the building to the left is a window which overlooks an enemy-infested courtyard. From this window you'll be able to snipe all of the enemies without taking too much damage.
Once you've cleared this courtyard, you should see a level 17 Mulciber Mk2 which is a manned turret. Whip out your sniper rifle and aim for the Bandit's head which is just about visible. If you stay out in the open for too long, the turret has the ability to kill you quickly, so make sure you're behind cover. When it's down, head up the ramp towards it, jump on the turret yourself and take out any stragglers with it.
From the turret, head south up the ramp and you'll be outside Sledge's hideout, but unfortunately there's no way of gaining entry from here, so take a right and into the mine (following the arrows). You'll now have a few large areas filled with your run-of-the-mill enemies, so gradually make your way through until you reach the entrance to Sledge's hideout. Ride the elevator up and stock up on ammo and health via the vendors at the top. When you're ready, pick an entrance to begin your battle with Sledge himself (don't worry, both entrances lead to the same place).
Sledge, the grunt that is currently ruling over the Arid Badlands, isn't too tough but can be annoyingly resilient if not approached correctly. Ignore any messages from NPC's about Sledge having a "tough shield" as it can be diminished with a decently-placed shot to his rather large helmet. There will be some Bandit's dotted about this area which you'll need to take care of first as they're fairly weak and can be disposed of quickly.
Try to keep your distance from Sledge as he carries a Shotgun that can deal significant amounts of damage when in close proximity. The further away from him you are, the less damage his weapon will do.
When you've taken care of his additionals (the weaker Bandits), concentrate on Sledge. You can "kite" him around the area, meaning you can direct him around like a kite, making sure to keep in cover after you've fired a shot or during a reload. Again, aim for his head making sure you’re earning critical hits.
Due to his slow speed, kiting him around the room, and around corners, shouldn't prove too difficult. If you find yourself low on health, make sure to top up on health kits. When he's down, be sure to loot his signature Shotgun: the aptly named "Sledge's Shotgun" as it should be more powerful than any other Shotgun you currently have in your inventory. At the back of the area you'll find a silver chest that you need to open in order to find the Eridian Artifact that you need to complete the mission. You'll also be rewarded for your efforts with an achievement:
Once you've finished everything there is to do in this area, exit via the newly-opened side door and head back to Dr. Zed in Fyrestone. You can just run past all the enemies which will have no doubt respawned by this point. Once back at Dr. Zed, turn in the mission and receive your first Class Mod. Only one of these can be equipped at once and they modify your characters abilities - the one on the screenshot allows for any team members to regenerate ammo, "+2 Team Ammo Regeneration" and "+1 Stockpile Skill", which allows members to regenerate extra ammunition when near Roland's Scorpio turret.
Speaking with Dr. Zed further will grant you the next mission: "Leaving Fyrestone".
Level: 15
Rewards: 4,080XP, $2,736
Prerequisites: Sledge: Battle For the Badlands
Objectives: Remove the human skulls from the pikes at Titan's End
"The bandits took over my dig site in the Arid Badlands. Members of my team attempted to defend themselves, but they were failures and now the bandits have hung up their skulls like trophies. This is unsanitary and inappropriate for an archaeological dig site. I will pay someone to go to Titan's End and remove their skulls from the pikes."
To complete this mission, we’ll need to head on over to Titan’s End, which is situated to the West of the Arid Badlands. Heading to the north of this area you’ll find the entrance with the first skull attached to it.
From the first skull, head west, sticking to the wall on the right hand side and you’ll come to a small tower which will contain the second skull (located here on the map – look for the player icon which is a yellow triangle, rather than the actual waypoint marker).
Descend the tower and head southeast, so that you’re going towards a small red hut which will be guarded by some Bandits. To the right, just before the hut, will be the third skull. Going further southeast, head to this point where the fourth skull will be waiting behind another hut.
The fifth skull can be found atop another small tower, just southeast of the fourth skull. Head north and onto the bridge where you’ll find skulls six and seven located more-or-less next to each other, midway across the bridge.
From the bridge, go southeast to locate the eighth skull outside of another hut. Follow your waypoint marker to get the ninth skull (apologies, my information for the ninth skull seems to have been lost among the vast amount of screenshots). The tenth and final skull can be located underneath the bridge, outside a small house. Inside this house is a red chest, so make sure you loot this.
Editor's Note: it's probably easier to just keep following your waypoint marker in this area to gather each Skull than to follow my directions above. I was unaware of this fact until I collected my ninth skull.
Once you’ve collected all 10 Archaeologist Skulls, you can turn in the mission back at the Fyrestone Bounty Board. Before you head back there though, I’d recommend completing the “Find Bruce McClane” side mission as its just south of this area.
Level: 15
Rewards: 3,060XP
Prerequisites: Sledge: Battle For the Badlands
Objectives: Find Bruce McClane
"Can anyone help me? I haven't heard from my fiancee in weeks. His name is Bruce McClane, and he lives in a shack out near Zephyr Substation. Last I saw him, he was bragging about how rich he was about to become, and how he was gonna buy us a flight off this planet. Whatever he was up to, I bet it got him into trouble. Please, someone, find my fiancee."
You’ll need to head towards a metal shack that is located to the south of the Arid Badlands, just east of the entrance to Headstone Mine.
Entering the shack, you’ll find that there’s another entrance which leads downwards into a cave. At the end of the cave you’ll be greeted by two Psycho Midgets and a corpse lying on a cot; poor Bruce. Inspecting the journal lying next to him will end the mission. Before leaving the cave, make sure you loot the red chest and visit the Weapon Vendor. When you’ve turned in this mission, you’ll be presented with another:
Level: 15
Rewards: 3,468XP
Prerequisites: Find Bruce McClane
Objectives: Collect Bruce's Boxes of Cigars near Titan's End
"In the journal, Bruce described a scam where he gathered local plant leaves, rolled them into cigars, then sold them to bandits while claiming they were prized off world tobacco. With the money, he'd hoped to marry his fiance and take her away from Pandora. Apparently his first customer immediately died of massive internal bleeding, and the bandits forced Bruce to use his own product as payback. You'd better round up these cigars before some kid gets hold of one and smokes it in a back alley. The journal mentions that Bruce's customers were primarily the bandits around Titan's End."
Back to Titan’s End we go, or at least just south of it. If you head to this location (the yellow marker) you’ll come to a rock formation which can be leaped upon and give you access to a path along the cliffs which winds around. Having followed the pathway, you’ll come to a small, unoccupied encampment. On one of the tables is the first box of cigars. If you look down from your viewpoint you should see a small battle between some Bandits and Skags which makes for great viewing. Once either side has been defeated, you can pick off the remaining enemies with a sniper rifle.
Jump down into the alcove once it’s clear and pick up the two remaining cigar boxes which are in close proximity of each other (box two and box three). Once all three cigar boxes have been claimed, head back to the Fyrestone Bounty Board to turn in the mission.
You should now have only one side mission left to complete from the Fyrestone Bounty Board which will be “Schemin’ That Sabotage”.
Level: 18
Rewards: 4,800XP
Prerequsites: Sledge: Battle For the Badlands
Objectives: Infiltrate the Headstone Mine, place the fuses, and use the detonator
"This here's a job for anyone who thinks they got a pair that clank. Everyone knows how the bandits overran Headstone Mine. They've been sellin' iridium on the black market. I don't know who's buyin' it, but screw 'em. Anything fundin' bandits needs to stop. I tried blowing the emergency valves on the main line, but they chased me out before the job was done. I need someone to get in there, finish connecting the fuses, then blow them up. Any takers?"
You can do this mission directly after the previous side mission, Product Recall, as the entrance to Headstone Mine is just south of where you collected the Cigar Boxes. Once inside, you’ll need to place 3 fuses, the first of which is located here. Make sure you’ve gotten rid of any enemies in the area first, especially that darned turret gun.
Once the area is clear, place the first fuse which will have a green silhouette in the fuse’s absence. Just north of this is the second one and the third one is just north again.
When all 3 fuses have been placed, head up the ramp behind where the turret gun is/was and take a left. Continue east until you reach this spot. Interact with the detonator to blow up the pipeline and watch the resulting explosion. You can now turn the mission in back at the Fyrestone Bounty Board.
Level: 18
Rewards: 1,200XP
Unlocks: Getting Lucky
Objectives: Travel to the Dahl Headland and speak with Ernest Whitting
"Pierce agreed to bump up your clearance level. She wants you to go to New Haven and meet with her. So, drive west to the Dahl Headland gate, and speak with the Claptrap robot there. He'll let you through. When you get past the gate, talk with Ernest Whitting on the other side. He knows the Headland better than anyone, and can bring you up to speed."
Once you feel you've finished all that there is to do in Fyrestone, it's time to move onto pastures new. Head to the west-most point to find a Claptrap who will grant you access into the Dahl Headlands. Once inside, head up the road and speak with Ernest Whitting at the top of the hill to [url=https://i.imgur.com/57YsgrK.jpg]complete this short mission.
Speaking with Ernest, he'll grant you with two new missions: "Getting Lucky" and "Big Game Hunter". We'll start with the former as it's the easier of the two.
This should conclude all of the possible missions in Fyrestone and the following achievement will unlock:
Below is a checklist of all available missions in the Fyrestone area. Missions in bold are story-related and missions in italic are side missions. The information in the brackets are the quest giver and the recommended level).
Fresh Off The Bus (Guardian Angel – 2)
The Doctor Is In (Dr. Zed – 2)
Claptrap Rescue (Claptrap – 2)
Skags At The Gate (Dr. Zed – 2)
Fix'er Upper (Dr. Zed – 2)
Blinding Nine-Toes (Dr. Zed – 2)
Nine-Toes: Meet T.K. Baha (Dr. Zed – 3)
Nine-Toes: T.K.'s Food (T.K. Baha – 2)
Got Grenades? (T.K. Baha – 2)
Nine-Toes: Take Him Down (T.K. Baha – 4)
Nine-Toes: Time To Collect( T.K. Baha – 7)
Job Hunting (Dr. Zed – 7)
T.K. Has More Work (T.K. Baha – 10)
Why Are They Here? (Recorder – 7)
T.K.'s Life And Limb (T.K. Baha – 7)
By The Seeds Of Your Pants (T.K. Baha – 9)
Catch-A-Ride (Scooter – 7)
Bone Head's Theft (Scooter – 10)
Get A Little Blood On The Tires (Mission) (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 10)
Hidden Journal: The Arid Badlands (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 13)
The Piss Wash Hurdle (Scooter – 10)
Claptrap Rescue: The Lost Cave
Claptrap Rescue: Safe House
Shock Crystal Harvest (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 14)
Return To Zed (Scooter – 10)
Sledge: Meet Shep (Dr. Zed – 10)
Braking Wind (Shep Sanders 10)
Get The Flock Outta Here (Shep Sanders – 10)
Sledge: The Mine Key (Shep Sanders – 10)
Scavenger: Sniper Rifle (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 12)
The Legend Of Moe and Marley (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 15)
Circle Of Death: Meat And Greet (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 12)
Circle Of Death: Round 1 (Rade Zayben – 12)
Circle Of Death: Round 2 (Rade Zayben – 15)
Circle Of Death: Final Round (Rade Zayben – 18)
Sledge: To The Safe House (Shep Sanders – 14)
Scavenger: Combat Rifle (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 12)
What Hit The Fan (Shep Sanders – 13)
Sledge: Battle For The Badlands(Shep Sanders – 17)
Find Bruce McClane (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 15)
Product Recall (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 15)
Insult To Injury (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 15)
Schemin' That Sabotage (Fyrestone Bounty Board – 18)
Leaving Fyrestone (Dr. Zed – 18)
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