Brainstormer is a legendary shotgun in Borderlands 3 manufactured by Hyperion. it is obtained randomly from any suitable loot source, but has an increased chance to drop from Katagawa Ball located in Skywell-27 on Promethea.

Special Weapon Effects

Let's put our heads together.

• Increased accuracy. +10% recoil height. Always shock.
• Fires 7 pellets in a lightning bolt pattern. Each pellet that hits an enemy has a chance to create 2 links chaining from the target hit to nearby enemies, dealing 10 damage ticks over 2 seconds. Chains can hit a new enemy or chain back to the original target.

Usage & Description

The more enemies that are hit with a chain, the more links are created between them, which exponentially increases the Brainstormer's damage while shooting into a crowd. As a result of this, the Brainstormer is excellent for depleting the shields of grouped enemies, as even a single pellet has the chance of causing a chain reaction of lightning bolts. Its fixed projectile pattern is also useful as it grants consistent accuracy, and the projectile pattern also makes it easier for all bullets to connect against humanoid opponents.

If no enemies are nearby, no shock bolts will occur, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the weapon.

Each link deals 10 damage tics over 2 seconds, and each enemy can be affected by 5 links at a time. With 5 enemies clumped together, the character can potentially be dealing over 25 damage tics per second. This comes into play with artifacts such as The Pearl of Ineffable Knowledge, as the Brainstormer's ability to damage multiple enemies simultaneously allows stacks to be gained incredibly quickly. Each link also trigger's FL4K's Megavore skill. Combined with the Head Count and Leave No Trace skills, the Brainstormer can recharge Fade Away in seconds and regenerate ammo constantly.

Notes

• Although the bolt's way of dealing damage may look similar to a Status effect, only gun damage modifiers are applied, not status effect modifiers. Thus, Amara's Anima skill cannot increase the duration of this effect.
• A Brainstormer with the Redundant prefix will consume 2 ammo per shot and fire 14 pellets, increasing the chances of causing more shock bolts.
  • Other Brainstormers will always spawn with the Cash-Infused prefix due to the weapon's shock element.
• Bonus elemental damage from shields, grenade mods, or skills like Amara's Infusion and Forceful Expression, also increase the chance of causing more bolts.
• The Brainstormer can sometimes link to FL4K's pets. This won't damage the pets, but it will mean that more links will be created and thus more damage will be dealt. This can be especially effective with the Red Fang class mod.

Trivia

• The term "let's put our heads together" is a term to pool ideas and work together. The name of the gun furthers this as to brainstorm is to come up with new ideas.
• The weapon's default skin is a modified version of the Thunderhead, being a lighter color than the original skin.
• The Reflux shares the Brainstormer's special effect.

v • e Hyperion manufacture in Borderlands 3 Common Grenade Mods Longbow Weapons Boardroom • Broodmother • Collaborator • Downsizer • Entrepeneur • Hivemind • Host • Mogul • Outsourcer • Powerplay • Techspert Unique Grenade Mods Acid Burn Shields Double Downer • Ember's Blaze • Guilty Spark • Loop of 4N631 • MSRC Auto-Dispensary • Mendel's Multivitamin Weapons Firecracker • Just Kaus • LOV3M4CH1N3 • Melt Facer • Null Pointer • Pricker • Redistributor • Reunion • Short Stick • THE TWO TIME Legendary Grenade Mods Chupa's Organ • EMP • Firestorm • HOT Spring • Lightspeed • Nagata • Quasar • Storm Front • Tran-fusion • Widowmaker Shields Faulty Star • Firewall • Front Loader • Gas Mask • Old God • Re-Charge Berner • Re-Charger • Re-Volter • Rectifier • Stop-Gap • The Transformer • Ward Weapons Bitch • Brainstormer • Cheap Tips • Conference Call • Convergence • Masterwork Crossbow • Crossroad • Face-puncher • Fearmonger • Gold Rush • Guardian 4N631 • Handsome Jackhammer • Heart Breaker • Iceburger • Narp • Oldridian • Phebert • Predatory Lending • Proprietary License • Redistributor • Reflux • Short Stick • Slow Hand • Smog • Tankman's Shield • The Butcher • Troubleshooter • Woodblocker • XZ41

v • e Shotguns in Borderlands 3 Common Balogna Poney • Bangstick • Collaborator • Downsizer • Cyclotron • Elderblast • Everblast • Fastblast • Host • Interloper • Kielbasa • Longrider • Outsourcer • Powerblast • Protuberance • Scattergun • Shockwave • Stagecoach • Terminator Unique Black Flame • Blind Bandit • Chomper • Dakota • Fingerbiter • Firecracker • Melt Facer • Reunion • Sacrificial Lamb • Shrieking Devil • Splinter • The Cure • The Shoddy • Thumper Legendary Anarchy • Blind Sage • Brainstormer • Brightside • Chandelier • Conference Call • Convergence • Creeping Death • Critical Thug • Face-puncher • Fearmonger • Flakker • Flama Diddle • Frequency • Guardian 4N631 • Heart Breaker • Hellwalker • Iceburger • Insider • Kill-o'-the-Wisp • Manic Pixie Dream Gun • Mind-Killer • Nimble Jack • Nothingness • One Pump Chump • Phebert • Polybius • Projectile Recursion • Redline • Reflux • Robin's Call • Shocker • Sledge's Shotgun • Slow Hand • Spade • Superstreamer • The Boring Gun • The Butcher • The Garcia • The Horizon • The Lob • The Tidal Wave • Tiggs' Boom • T.K's Wave • Trevonator • Vosk's Deathgrip