Do Bosses Scale in Borderlands 3? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of whether bosses scale in Borderlands 3 is a frequent one among new and veteran Vault Hunters alike. The short answer is: it’s complicated, but generally, no, not in the way many players expect for their first playthrough. Let’s break down the specifics to give you a clear understanding of how boss scaling works, or rather, doesn’t work in your initial campaign, and how you can alter this behavior.
The Initial Playthrough: Fixed Boss Levels
In your first playthrough of Borderlands 3, boss levels are fixed. This means that when you encounter a boss for the first time, it will be at a predetermined level. For instance, the Mouthpiece boss will always be around level 8 (with slight potential variance). This fixed level ensures a balanced experience the first time around, as the game expects you to be within a certain level range when facing these encounters. Re-fighting bosses in this first playthrough will also present them at their original set level; there will be no scaling to your current level. This is different from general enemies encountered around the world, as Crew challenge enemies and rare spawns will scale to your level.
This can be somewhat of a letdown if you revisit an earlier boss at a significantly higher level. You’ll find that it’s not much of a challenge; they remain static in terms of difficulty. This fixed level is tied to the core game narrative design.
How to Unlock Enemy Level Scaling
To experience dynamic level scaling, where enemies, including bosses, adjust to your current level, you’ll need to venture beyond your first playthrough. There are primarily two avenues for this:
True Vault Hunter Mode (TVHM)
Once you complete the main story, you unlock True Vault Hunter Mode (TVHM). This mode acts as a New Game+ option, replaying the main story, and is primarily designed for players who wish to face increased difficulty and to acquire more loot at level cap. A big draw for TVHM is that all enemies, including bosses, will now scale to your Vault Hunter’s level. This significantly increases the challenge and ensures that all content remains relevant. In TVHM, the fixed boss levels are gone; every enemy is a threat, and your gear progression matters much more.
Mayhem Mode
The other method to unlock level scaling is through the Mayhem Mode system. After completing the main story, you unlock Mayhem levels ranging from 1 to 11 (previously 1 to 10). These levels modify the game with various modifiers and provide a greater challenge. Activating any Mayhem level will immediately cause all enemies to scale to your level, including bosses. This also increases the rarity and quality of the loot, meaning you will get a better class of gear, including many more legendary weapons. This provides another way for those who do not wish to play through the campaign again to still benefit from scaling content.
Co-op Scaling in Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 is designed for co-operative play, and the game offers two distinct ways to experience the scaling with your friends. In the standard co-op mode, the enemies scale to the level of the host player. Meaning that if a level 20 player hosts, any friends of level 40 will face level 20 mobs. This setup, similar to previous Borderlands titles, can create a power imbalance where higher-level players can easily breeze through the content if they’re joining a lower-level host’s game.
However, with the release of an update, the game includes a new system called Loot Sharing. This allows each player to receive their own loot and the enemies will scale to each player’s own level. This ensures that each person will have a game tailored to their skill level and gear score rather than being locked to that of the host. Both forms of scaling can be accessed in the game settings.
Boss Farming
Once you have access to scaling through either TVHM or Mayhem Mode, boss farming becomes a much more effective way to gear up. Bosses like Graveward are popular farm targets due to their relatively quick defeat and high drop rates of unique and legendary items. Having these encounters scale to your level means you can always access challenging content and earn valuable rewards.
FAQs About Boss Scaling in Borderlands 3
1. Why don’t bosses scale in my first playthrough?
The fixed boss levels in the initial playthrough provide a controlled difficulty curve for new players to learn the mechanics and story without being suddenly overwhelmed.
2. Can I make bosses scale before finishing the main story?
No, scaling options are only available after completing the main story and unlocking TVHM or Mayhem Mode.
3. Does playing with friends affect the scaling in the first playthrough?
In the classic co-op mode in the first playthrough, the enemies will always scale to the host player and in the newer Loot Sharing mode, all enemies will scale to each individual player regardless of their level in both the original play through and New Game + modes.
4. Is TVHM the only way to get scaling?
No. Mayhem Mode also provides scaling as well as additional challenge with various modifiers and an increased loot drop rate and quality.
5. What is the benefit of TVHM if Mayhem Mode scales enemies as well?
TVHM provides a complete replay of the story at scaled levels, offering a more consistent narrative experience, while Mayhem Mode can be used on an existing playthrough after completing the campaign and can be changed at any time.
6. How do Mayhem levels affect enemy scaling?
All Mayhem levels scale enemies to your level; higher Mayhem levels primarily increase the difficulty by introducing modifiers and improving loot quality.
7. Does gear score influence enemy scaling?
No, enemy scaling is solely based on the player level, not their gear score.
8. Is there a level cap in Borderlands 3?
Yes, the level cap in Borderlands 3 is 72.
9. Do DLC enemies scale in Borderlands 3?
Yes. All DLC fast travel points will scale to whatever level you are at when you first gain access to them.
10. Are some bosses easier to farm than others?
Yes, bosses like Graveward are known for being relatively easy to farm due to their mechanics and accessibility.
11. Does boss scaling work the same way for all characters?
Yes, the scaling mechanics are identical regardless of your character; whether it is Zane, Moze, Fl4k or Amara.
12. Can I change the scaling mode mid-game?
Yes, you can change Mayhem levels at any time if you have completed the campaign. You can also switch between standard scaling and loot sharing at any time in the game settings.
13. How can I optimize my character for boss farming?
Focus on builds that deal high single-target damage. Moze is popular for her Iron Bear mech, while builds like the Chain Zane are known for their powerful boss-killing potential.
14. Why are some items more powerful despite having a lower gear score?
Gear score isn’t always indicative of a weapon’s effectiveness. Many players find lower-scoring items with better stats to be far more useful than higher-scoring items.
15. Is it better to play solo or co-op for boss farming?
Both solo and co-op can be viable, depending on your build and skill level. Playing with a group will offer a potentially faster farming experience with all players focusing on damage output, but solo may allow more focused item farming if using the loot sharing mode.
By understanding the nuances of boss scaling in Borderlands 3, you can more effectively navigate the game and optimize your character for the end-game content. Remember, for true dynamic scaling, either TVHM or Mayhem Mode is essential. Happy Hunting, Vault Hunters!