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When Should You Dive into True Vault Hunter Mode in Borderlands 3?

The burning question for many Borderlands 3 players after conquering the main storyline on Normal Mode is: when should I jump into True Vault Hunter Mode (TVHM)? The short answer is: after you’ve completed the main campaign on Normal, and ideally, when you’re around level 28-30. However, the decision isn’t quite that straightforward, and depends on your playstyle, goals, and what you hope to achieve in your Borderlands 3 experience. Let’s delve deeper into the intricacies of TVHM and help you determine the perfect timing for your second playthrough.

Understanding True Vault Hunter Mode

True Vault Hunter Mode is essentially Borderlands 3’s version of New Game+. It’s a way to replay the main story and side quests with increased difficulty and better loot, while keeping your character’s level, skill points, and acquired equipment. Once you’ve rolled credits on the main campaign, TVHM becomes available as a difficulty option in the main menu. This allows you to embark on the same journey, but with tougher enemies and the promise of better rewards.

The Recommended Level for TVHM Entry

The game itself recommends a level of around 28-30 for tackling True Vault Hunter Mode. This recommendation isn’t arbitrary. Starting TVHM at this level provides a sweet spot where you’ll be appropriately challenged without being overwhelmed, especially if you’re used to the Normal difficulty. You’ll have a decent arsenal and skill tree progression to handle the initial difficulty spike. However, it’s not a hard rule; you can enter TVHM at any level after beating the main game.

Why the Recommended Level Matters

Enemies Scale Down, Not Up: If you enter TVHM under the recommended level, the enemies will scale down to meet you. However, if you are above the level range at entry, enemies will not scale up to match your level. This is a crucial difference. For example, if you are level 40 before starting TVHM, you’ll still face content designed for around the level 35-50 range. This can make the start of TVHM significantly easier, and thus less rewarding.
Gear and Progression: Entering around level 28-30 ensures that you’re still gaining significant experience, and the gear you find will still be impactful as you progress. If you go into TVHM at a higher level, you may find your loot quickly becomes underleveled.

Alternatives Before Diving into TVHM

If you’re still not sure if you are ready to enter TVHM, there are a few options before you start that can make the transition more seamless:

Side Quests and Normal Mode Farming

Complete Side Quests: Before you start TVHM, consider completing any remaining side quests in Normal Mode to gather extra gear and XP, ensuring you’re well-prepared for the initial challenge.
Boss Farming: Farming bosses in normal mode can net you some decent legendary gear to carry over into TVHM. Keep in mind though, gear won’t be as impactful as you level up, and will become underleveled.
Build Optimization: Experiment with your skills and builds. Test out different playstyles and equipment combinations before committing to TVHM.
Experiment with Your Build: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different builds and playstyles to discover what fits you best. Normal mode is a great area to do that.

The Case for Waiting

If you’re not interested in replaying the story immediately, you can delay your entry into TVHM. You can choose to stay in Normal Mode, get your character and build set up the way you would like, and then start True Vault Hunter Mode. This can help you prepare for more efficient grinding and loot runs in your second play-through.

Benefits of Playing True Vault Hunter Mode

What are the benefits of playing True Vault Hunter Mode? Here are the benefits:

Increased Difficulty: Enjoy a more challenging gameplay experience with tougher enemies.
More Loot: TVHM has increased chances of dropping better loot, including legendary items.
Exclusive Quest Rewards: You can acquire quest-specific legendary items that are only available in TVHM. However, most of these are not meta or “must-have” items, so that is something to consider.
Faster Leveling: Leveling is faster in TVHM, which is very helpful if the level cap is raised.
Preparation for Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM): If you own the DLC for it, TVHM can serve as a stepping stone to the even harder UVHM mode, which scales all enemies to your current level. This mode will be much more difficult, so preparing well in TVHM is essential.

When NOT To Rush Into True Vault Hunter Mode

It’s also worth noting when you might want to hold off on starting TVHM:

Burnout: If you’re feeling burned out after completing the main story, there’s no need to rush into TVHM. You can always take a break or play another game and come back later.
Underleveled Gear: If your gear from Normal mode is extremely under leveled, you may want to stay in normal mode a bit longer to get some better gear.

Conclusion

In summary, the ideal time to start True Vault Hunter Mode is after finishing the main campaign on Normal and ideally when you are around level 28-30. This allows you to enjoy the increased difficulty and better loot while still feeling challenged and making progress. However, the ultimate decision depends on your personal preferences and goals. Consider your comfort level, how you want to experience the game, and how much time you want to spend before entering True Vault Hunter Mode.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is True Vault Hunter Mode harder than normal mode?

Yes, True Vault Hunter Mode is significantly harder than Normal Mode. Enemies have more health, do more damage, and are generally more aggressive.

2. Does True Vault Hunter Mode scale with level?

No, enemies in TVHM have set levels (approximately 35-50). They will scale down if you’re below those levels, but they will not scale up if you’re above the recommended level range when you start TVHM.

3. Can I switch between True Vault Hunter Mode and Normal Mode?

Yes, you can freely switch between TVHM and Normal mode. In the main menu, go to “change character”, select your character, and you will have the option to switch between game modes.

4. Does True Vault Hunter Mode reset side quests?

Yes, all side quests, including DLC quests, are reset when you start TVHM. This means you can play through them again with the increased difficulty and rewards.

5. What is the maximum level in True Vault Hunter Mode?

The maximum level in TVHM is level 72, just like Normal mode, provided you have the proper level-cap-increasing DLCs.

6. Can you use Mayhem Mode in True Vault Hunter Mode?

Yes, but only after you have beaten the story in TVHM. Unlike in normal mode, you cannot activate mayhem mode until you’ve rolled credits.

7. What are the advantages of playing TVHM?

The main advantages of TVHM are increased difficulty, better loot drops, the ability to acquire specific legendary quest rewards, and faster leveling. It also serves as a stepping stone to Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode.

8. Do Badass Challenges reset in TVHM?

No, Badass Challenges do not reset in TVHM. Challenges like Cult of the Vault symbols are only completed once per character, regardless of the game mode.

9. What level should I be at the end of TVHM?

Ideally, you should finish TVHM around level 50 so that you can move to Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode where the world will scale to your level.

10. What should I do after beating Borderlands 3 in TVHM?

After beating Borderlands 3 in TVHM, you can consider: taking on the Circle of Slaughter, activate Mayhem Mode, farming bosses, tackling the Proving Grounds, or making the perfect build. You can also start a new character or play Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (if you own the DLC).

11. Is True Vault Hunter Mode worth it?

Yes, True Vault Hunter Mode is generally considered worth it for the increased challenge, improved loot, exclusive rewards, and ability to continue your progression of your vault hunter.

12. What is the hardest content in Borderlands 3?

The hardest content in Borderlands 3 generally includes Eridian Proving Grounds Trials, Guardian Takedown, Maliwan Takedown, and Slaughter Arenas.

13. Who is the strongest character in Borderlands 3?

Moze is often considered one of the strongest characters due to her ability to excel in both mobbing and boss fights, with many different available builds.

14. What is Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM)?

Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode is a third playthrough option available as a DLC that scales the game to your level and offers the most challenging difficulty.

15. Do all DLCs scale in TVHM?

Yes, all DLCs also scale in TVHM, allowing for a consistent, cohesive experience.

When should I play True Vault Hunter Mode?