The Hot Slugger is one of those guns you don’t forget once you’ve used it. It’s a Jakobs shotgun, but with a twist – every pellet is laced with fire, so it tears through flesh enemies like they’re paper. Normally Jakobs focus on raw, no-nonsense impact, but this thing adds a burning punch that makes it a beast in endgame fights. The special perk, marked by the red text "Knocks it out of the park", means landing a crit will fire off an extra blazing slug that explodes on impact, hitting everything nearby.
Pair that with Jakobs’ usual crit ricochets and you’ve got chaos in your hands. If you’re chasing the perfect roll, you’ll want damage-boosting parts and anointments that push splash or elemental effects – trust me, it’s worth the grind. And if you want more gear like this, check out Borderlands 4 Items for ideas.
Farming this shotgun is straightforward because it’s tied to one boss – Sizzle-Jaw, a unique Varkid found in the Cinderbog zone on planet Xylos. He’s tucked away in the Scorched Cavern, which sits at the very top of the map.
The cavern’s a big lava-filled cave, crawling with smaller Varkids that’ll jump in while you’re fighting. It’s a dedicated drop, so you’re not wasting time hoping it appears in a random loot pool.
Getting there fast is key. Spawn at the Cinderbog – Rift Town fast travel point, hop in a vehicle, and head north while keeping left. You’ll cut through a canyon, roll past an old Dahl mining site, and the cavern entrance will be right ahead, glowing like it’s begging you to come in. The trip’s under a minute, so you can loop it easily without losing focus.
Now for the fight – Sizzle-Jaw’s got an armoured health bar, so fire damage barely scratches him. Go in with a corrosive weapon to strip that armour quick. A corrosive Monarch or Flipper will chew through it fast. He’ll throw fireballs and sometimes burrow for a knock-up attack. Keep moving, jump when he dives, and once the armour’s gone, swap to your hardest-hitting gun to finish him off before the smaller Varkids get annoying.
The drop rate’s better on higher Mayhem levels – around 15% on Mayhem 10 or 11 – so crank it up if you can handle it. After each kill, check the loot. If it’s not the Hot Slugger you want, just save and quit. Loading back in puts you right at Rift Town, ready for another run.
It’s a simple loop, and once you settle into it, the shotgun will drop sooner than you think. When you’ve got it, and maybe some spare loot to trade, you might want to look into u4gm for ways to boost your in-game resources. |
