In the original Borderlands, the various weapons manufacturers that did business on Pandora didn’t have many tangible differences from one another, mostly just subtle tweaks in firing styles and affinities. This was changed in Borderlands 2, when each of the manufacturers began instilling special features in their guns to make things a little more interesting. This nifty feature has become a series mainstay, carrying over into Tiny Tina’s bizarre tabletop campaign, albeit with a few more fantastical twists. Here’s an explanation of the gun manufacturers in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Gun Manufacturers Explained
The gun manufacturers in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are all inspired by the manufacturers from the previous Borderlands games, so these should feel familiar to you if you played those games. The gun manufacturers are as follows:
Dahlia
Guns are simple mechanical devices: you point them at something, you pull the trigger, and the something stops breathing. But why only use one gun to kill things when you could use two guns? Well, because two guns are heavy. Luckily, Dahlia’s guns all pack multiple firing modes to suit your fickle tastes. Sweep the field with full auto fire, then switch to burst fire for concentrated blasts. Some Dahlia guns even pack special gimmicks like zip rockets and tasers, though these take a few moments to recharge after using them.
Stoker
Larger enemies have thicker hides or armor, which means a few measly bullets won’t be enough to get through to their squishy parts. It’s in these times you don’t just want some bullets, you want all of the bullets. Stoker weapons provide the highest rate of fire among all of the manufacturers, pumping an entire clip into whatever’s unfortunate enough to be standing in front of you, reloading, then pumping another in another clip in just a few seconds. Of course, these weapons burn through ammo like nobody’s business, so keep an eye on that ammo counter.
Feriore
Guns aren’t exactly environmentally friendly. What are you supposed to do with all those junk parts when the gun breaks? This is why Feriore’s guns are all 100% recyclable. And by “recyclable,” I mean explosive. When the ammo runs out (or you’re bored), just lob the gun at an enemy, and it’ll blow up in their face while another one magically appears in your hands. Fancier Feriore guns have extra effects when thrown, such as bouncing several times or temporarily turning into a floating turret.
Blackpowder
As much fun as magically-enhanced weaponry is, you can’t beat the old-fashioned pop of a bespoke pump-action rifle. Blackpowder weapons, specializing in revolvers, rifles, and shotguns, all trade in wacky effects for straight-up stopping power, firing exactly as fast as you can pull the trigger. Thanks to their handcrafted rifling, Blackpowder bullets will also ricochet several times between enemies, great for trained crackshots and critical hitters.
Torgue
You were probably expecting some manner of a fantasy pun for the roleplaying equivalent of Torgue guns, but honestly, Tina couldn’t make these crazy things any crazier if she tried, and that’s saying something. Just like on Pandora, Torgue guns launch high-powered explosives instead of bullets, including missiles, grenades, mines, sticky bombs, and more. If you’re really looking to raise some hell, Torgue guns have the Mr. Torgue guarantee. Just make sure to aim away from your feet.
Hyperius
A high-tech weapon for the classier gunslinger, Hyperius guns are for those who don’t mind taking things a little slower for better results later. Aiming down the sights of a Hyperius gun brings up a portable shield that can absorb some damage from your front, and the longer you maintain sustained fire with one, the more accurate and powerful it becomes. Hyperius guns are good for tanky folks who don’t mind wading into enemy territory to deal the most damage possible.
Skuldugger
In a world that runs on magic and dreams, why would you even bother with something as pedestrian as reloading? Thanks to a few slapdash enchantments, Skulldugger guns never need to be reloaded, automatically drawing ammo continuously from your stash. Of course, that kind of sloppy magic isn’t perfect; if you fire for too long, the gun may overheat, leaving you unable to fight for a few moments, though the closer you toe the line of overheating, the more likely the gun is to unleash powerful magic attacks. Skuldugger guns are all about risk versus reward.
