Getting Started

Getting Started Guide for Borderlands 2

Welcome to Borderlands 2, a chaotic looter-shooter where you fight for loot, level up, and survive the unforgiving world of Pandora. This guide is tailored for brand-new players to help you survive your first hour, avoid common traps, and set yourself up for success. We'll cover everything from character creation to your first day.

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First Hour Walkthrough

0–5 Minutes: Introduction & Tutorial

1. Start the game – You'll see an opening cinematic, then you're dropped into the world as one of the four Vault Hunters.
2. Meet Claptrap – A friendly robot who guides you through the basics. Follow his voice and on-screen prompts.
3. Pick up your first weapon – A simple pistol. Shoot the skags in the snowy area. Use your Action Skill (see Controls) when you find it.
4. Learn the HUD – Health (green bar at bottom left), Shield (blue bar), Ammo (white numbers).
5. Opening Door – After a few minutes, you'll enter Liar's Berg, a small outpost. Important: Loot everything – ammo, cash, weapons, health vials.
6. Claptrap's quest – "Blindsided!" – He'll ask you to clear out some bullymongs (skag-like creatures).

5–30 Minutes: First Combat & Side Quests

• Kill the bullymongs – Use cover, aim for heads. Your Action Skill can help.


• Return to Claptrap – He'll reward you and send you to meet Lilith (the Firehawk).


• Grab side quests – Check the Bounty Board in Liar's Berg for "Medical Mystery" and "Bano's Booze" – these give early XP and gear.


• Don't rush – Explore every shack. Bullymong piles often contain money and ammo.




30–60 Minutes: First Major Quest – "The Road to Sanctuary"



• You'll get a vehicle (the Catch-A-Ride). This is your first fast travel point.


• Drive to the Three Horns – Follow the road. Watch out for bandit outposts.


• Enter Liar's Berg Hall – A small dungeon. Fight through bandits and a boss (the Badass Psychokiller). Use fire weapons if you have them.


• Meet Roland – He'll explain the mission to reach Sanctuary.


• Important: Loot the yellow chest behind the boss for guaranteed rare gear.


• End of first hour – You'll have completed the tutorial area and be on the way to the hub city, Sanctuary.

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Character Creation

You choose one of four Vault Hunters at the start. Each has a unique Action Skill and skill trees. No wrong choice, but here's a quick summary:

Recommendation for new players: Pick Axton or Maya first. They are most forgiving.

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Controls (All Platforms)

PC (Keyboard + Mouse)

PlayStation (PS3/PS4/PS5)

Xbox (360/One/Series X|S)

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UI Overview

• Health Bar (green) – Bottom-left. When it depletes, you enter Fight for Your Life (last chance to kill an enemy to revive).


• Shield Bar (blue) – Above health. Recharges after a few seconds out of combat.


• Action Skill Cooldown – Icon above health. Shows when ready.


• Weapon Slot – Shows current weapon, ammo count, and damage type (e.g., fire, corrosive).


• Minimap – Top-right. Displays objectives, enemies (red dots), and friendly NPCs (green).


• Mission Tracker – Right side. Shows current objective with distance/arrow.


• Cash & Eridium – Top-center. Cash for buying items, Eridium for rare upgrades.


• Badass Rank – Top-left. Earned by completing challenges; gives permanent stat boosts.


• Ammo & Health Vendors – Small icons on minimap when near.


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Essential Early Objectives



1. Complete "Blindsided!" – Teaches combat and loot.
2. Reach Liar's Berg – Fast travel hub.
3. Grab "Medical Mystery" side quest – Reward: a good sniper rifle or shield.
4. Do "The Road to Sanctuary" – Main quest to unlock Sanctuary.
5. Unlock the Catch-A-Ride – First vehicle, essential for travel.
6. Visit the Golden Chest (if you have Shift Codes) – Located in Sanctuary, gives purple gear.

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What to Do First vs Avoid





✅ Do First



• Loot every container – Ammo boxes, lockers, white chests. Resource scarcity is real early on.


• Talk to all NPCs – Many give side quests.


• Save good weapons – If you find a weapon with elemental damage (especially fire or corrosive), keep it.


• Use your Action Skill often – Cooldown resets after a few seconds (except Axton's turret has a duration).


• Check the Bounty Board for repeatable quests.


• Open the Golden Chest (if you have Shift Keys) – It guarantees purple rarity loot.




❌ Avoid



• Selling your only weapon – Always keep at least one of each type (pistol, shotgun, etc.).


• Ignoring side quests – They give XP and gear that keep you at level.


• Rushing into high-level areas – Skag dens and bandit camps may be above your level (check enemy level indicator).


• Selling Eridium – Eridium is used for upgrades at Crazy Earl's (in Sanctuary). Don't sell it.


• Hoarding too many weapons – You have limited backpack space. Learn to sell or stash duplicates.


• Using corrosive weapons on non-robotic enemies – Corrosive is weak against flesh; fire is better for humans/skags.


• Shooting Bandit Technicals too early – They have heavy shields and turrets early on.


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Early Resource Priorities




• Ammo SDUs (storage upgrades) – Buy them from Marcus Munitions as soon as possible. Ammo is scarce.


• Backpack SDUs – Increase inventory space from 12 to 20+ quickly.


• Eridium – Spend on backpack upgrades first, then bank space (for items you want to save).


• Cash – Use for ammo and grenades. Don't waste on white weapons from vending machines.


• Shift Codes – If you have promo codes, use them in the main menu for Golden Keys.


• Badass Tokens – Apply to “Gun Damage,” “Fire Rate,” and “Max Health” for early survivability.


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Common Beginner Mistakes



1. Not buying SDUs – You'll run out of ammo mid-mission. Always buy the first ammo SDU for your primary weapon type.
2. Ignoring elemental weaknesses – Flesh = fire, shields = shock, armor = corrosive, explosive = general.
3. Not using grenades – They are powerful for crowd control. Use MIRV or homing mods.
4. Staying in Fight for Your Life – When down, aim at a nearby enemy (preferably a weak one) to revive. Don't panic.
5. Not checking weapon levels – A level 2 pistol is far worse than a level 5 even if same rarity. Replace old weapons.
6. Selling every weapon – Keep one of each type and a backup of your favorite.
7. Not using fast travel – Unlock new fast travel stations as you find them; it saves time.
8. Playing on too high a difficulty – Start on Normal (the default). True Vault Hunter Mode (TVHM) is for later.

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Day-One Checklist




• ☐ Choose your Vault Hunter (recommend Axton or Maya).


• ☐ Complete the tutorial “Blindsided!”


• ☐ Reach Liar's Berg and loot everything.


• ☐ Accept “Medical Mystery” and “Bano's Booze” side quests.


• ☐ Complete “Medical Mystery” – get reward.


• ☐ Open the Golden Chest if you have Shift Keys.


• ☐ Use rewards to upgrade backpack space (first SDU from Marcus).


• ☐ Complete “The Road to Sanctuary” main quest.


• ☐ Unlock the Catch-A-Ride (get your first vehicle).


• ☐ Drive to Sanctuary and meet Lilith.


• ☐ Buy the first ammo SDU for your primary weapon.


• ☐ Apply Badass Tokens to Gun Damage and Fire Rate.


• ☐ Explore Sanctuary – visit Crazy Earl's (but don't spend Eridium yet).


• ☐ Do one more side quest before bed – e.g., “Shielded, Shockingly” from Liar's Berg.


• ☐ Save and exit. (Tip: Quit to menu to avoid losing progress.)

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Congratulations, you've survived your first day on Pandora! Remember: loot often, shoot smart, and never trust a Claptrap with stairs. Good luck, Vault Hunter.