Constructor — borderlands

Constructor bots are large, tripedal Hyperion mobile robot factories. They can digistruct Hyperion loaders and surveyors until destroyed. Constructors can also appear as Badass Constructors, a tougher variant that has more health and a number of autocannons on their bodies. The autocannons can be destroyed to obtain Second Winds.

Background

In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the Constructor's origins is revealed to have been a personal project of Gladstone Katoa. While clearing out a robot factory, Jack's Vault Hunters stumble onto Gladstone and he mentions his prototype constructor. Deeming it to be a better idea than using the factory, Jack has the Vault Hunters assist in the completion of the Constructor by using scavenged parts and installing Felicity's AI. Due to Handsome Jack's refusal to create a copy of Felicity's AI, it goes rogue, forcing Jack's Vault Hunters to cripple it for Gladstone to take control. Although it was never seen for the rest of the story, the Constructor is presumably used to tackle Lost Legion's forces with the bots it can pump out. Later on, what remains of this constructor's framework was used for those seen in Borderlands 2.

Appearances

Strategy

Constructors have many forms of attack, including:

Construction of new loaders. Badass constructors can create three loaders simultaneously. In Normal Mode most will be weaker loader models (EXP, GUN and PWR) with occasional WAR Loaders. In True Vault Hunter Mode they will frequently construct Badass, Super Badass and RPG Loaders. The center of the constructor's eye can be shot repeatedly to interrupt the digistruct process.
- In addition, Constructors are renamed to Constructor 2.0 in True Vault Hunter Mode. They are more durable and produce stronger loaders at a much faster pace than in Normal mode. Their attacks also deal significantly more damage.
Constructing surveyors.
Creating constructor turrets. Unlike loaders, turrets are spawned instantly.
Laser beams firing from its "eye".
Homing missiles.
Large nuclear missile with homing capabilities. Badass Constructors launch three missiles successively. They raise a shield in front of their eye when preparing for the nuclear strike. The shield reflects bullets.
A body slam attack which releases a fire nova when Vault Hunters enter close range. The damage radius is much larger than the radius around the loader which is glowing.
Autocannon fire. Only Badass Constructors have autocannons, and they can be shot off as separate targets.

The main threat of a constructor is its ability to create an endless supply of loaders. The primary weakness of the constructor is its red eye in the front. Gaining critical hits, to deal enough damage when it is digistructing a robot, can interrupt this process. If surveyors are present, they should be destroyed promptly due to their tendency to recharge shields around the constructor and repair them. As with all robots, it is weak against corrosive weapons, except for its crit spot which is neutral to all element types. The autocannons on a Badass Constructor count as separate targets for purposes of getting Second Winds or triggering Zer0's B0re skill.

Even when not actively constructing loaders, constructors can cripple attackers in short order with rocket barrages, lasers, and the extremely damaging nuclear strike. Cover is therefore essential when battling them. Nukes can be shot in mid air before they can damage anyone.

A constructor can only perform one action at a time, therefore it is actually safe to move in its field of view while it is in the process of digistructing, as it cannot attack. Players can use this moment to close in. It may actually be helpful to ignore the digistruct process and use the opportunity to reposition, if the type of loader being digistructed is not particularly powerful, or if the digistruct process can be safely interrupted.

One particularly effective strategy is to approach the constructor at moderately short range and fire repeatedly into the eye. A constructor's rockets cannot strike attackers at too close a range, and the constructor cannot pound targets more than a few feet away. Laser beams and nukes can still hit attackers standing in front of the constructor, but the laser is easily outmaneuvered and the nukes can be shot out of the air.

A lone constructor can be whittled down slowly by attacking it from behind at close range to avoid its laser eye beams but not close enough to get hit by its ground slam shockwave. The constructor will be less likely to fire missiles if attackers are close and has almost no offensive options in such cases.

Another effective strategy takes advantage of the constructor's behavior. Once existing loaders have been destroyed, one can stand just outside of the laser's range and fire shots into the eye. The constructor will always fire its laser if the character is just outside of its range, but the Vault Hunter will take no damage and can freely attack the constructor.

Constructors are weak to corrosive damage but are immune to elemental status effects. They also have an extremely high resistance (75%) to grenade damage. For Badass Constructors this resistance is 95%.

Quotes

Attacking (slam)

"Bandit in proximity."
"Proximity Alert."
"Proximity violated."
"Stay back, bandit."
"Step away, bandit."

Attacking (missiles)

"Deploying missiles."
"Firing missiles."
"Heat seekers firing."
"Heat seekers."
"Launching missiles."
"Arming missiles." (firing a volley)
"Loading missiles." (firing a volley)
"Missiles warming up." (firing a volley)
"Preparing missile barrage." (firing a volley)
"Readying missiles for launch." (firing a volley)

Attacking (laser)

"Activating laser."
"Charging laser."
"Firing laser."
"I'm chargin' mah lazer."
"Laser locked."

Attacking (nuke)

"Metal gears warming up, nuclear assaults impending." (arming a nuke)
"Nuclear countdown has begun." (arming a nuke)
"Preparing to launch nuke." (arming a nuke)
"Raising radiation shields, nuke impending." (arming a nuke)
"Warning: nuclear strike imminent." (arming a nuke)
"Deploying nuclear solution."
"Firing nuclear warhead."
"Launching nuke."
"Nuclear bombardment commencing."
"Releasing nuke."

Deploying a turret

"Deploying protector turret."
"Deploying protector."
"Launching auto turret."
"Launching protector turret."
"Summoning protector turret."

When digistructing is interrupted

"Bot creation canceled."
"Bot creation interrupted."
"Digistruct process interrupted."
"Summoning canceled."
"Summoning interrupted."

Notes

Constructors' homing missiles are able to seek Zer0 even when his Decepti0n skill is engaged.
The energy shields they raise in front of their eye is impenetrable and can deflect bullets. Constructors are also immune to Phaselock and the pull from Converge or Singularity grenades.
All Constructor spawn locations never change, and they become immobile once deployed. List of spawning locations:
- W4R-D3N during mission A Dam Fine Rescue, and Constructor #1340 during mission Out of Body Experience in Bloodshot Ramparts .
- In End of the Line, Wilhelm will occasionally launch a flare with Hyperion emblem into the sky, which will summon a Constructor from the nearby wreckage to aid him in the fight. The Constructor will start with half of its maximum health, similar to other present Loaders. In True Vault Hunter Mode, two Constructor 2.0s will spawn.
- Out of the gate of the Hyperion base in The Highlands - Outwash.
- In Highlands - Overlook during the mission Bright Lights, Flying City.
- Inside the Hyperion base at the South East of Highlands.
- When the small shed near Hyperion Bridge in The Highlands is approached a constructor along with several loaders are sent by moonshots (not part of any mission).
- Aside from Hacked Overseer, at least five constructors can spawn in Opportunity: on a platform at the Orbital Delivery Zone, in the Pits, next to second and fourth Jack Statue, as well as in the underground base next to the vending machines.
- In Thousand Cuts, a Constructor will appear at the bottom of the Hyperion base, while a Badass Constructor will appear near the top.
- In Arid Nexus - Badlands, a Badass Constructor will spawn at the entrance of Hyperion Info Stockade, while two Constructors will spawn at the top once mission Data Mining is ready to turn in.
- In Hero's Pass, a Constructor will spawn near the middle of the path, while a drop barge will drop a Badass Constructor near the end, in front of the entrance of Vault of the Warrior.
- In H.S.S. Terminus, two inactive Constructors can be seen in the armory.
- A single constructor will appear in round 3 of Hyperion Circle of Slaughter at Ore Chasm while 3 more will appear in round 5, including a Badass Constructor.
When loaders are still in the process of being digistructed, attackers can shoot through it to hit the constructors' optics.
If the digistruct process of an EXP Loader or HOT Loader is interrupted, the unfinished loader will explode and can deal damage to nearby targets. The explosion will not damage the constructor itself.
When constructors other than the W4R-D3N are destroyed, they will cause a harmless nuke explosion.
Constructors enter the field by moonshot reinforcements, emerging from a gate of a Hyperion facility, or carried by a drop barge; unlike other Hyperion war machines, constructors cannot be digistructed by a digistruct pole, platform, or other constructor.
There is a bug where if a Vault Hunter shoots the nuke off a Badass Constructor too soon, the sound of the nuke can still be heard approaching.

Trivia

There are four different constructors in the Come and Get Me trailer, around the end. One is the regular constructor, the green constructor is the Hacked Overseer, the blue constructor is W4R-D3N, and the other one is a red-orange colour which are Constructor V2.0 (The robot in the video is a crimson colour, however the V2.0 models are a bright orange. The differences may be because of the simulated shade in the video, due to the fact that the video was taken at the base of a tower in Opportunity)

There are propaganda banners in Opportunity with the caption "CONSTRUCTING YOUR FUTURE... TODAY" that depicts a Badass Constructor with its three laser optics deployed, though missing the hexagonal hull pattern.
It is hinted that Hyperion constructors have more applications other than military use, such as supervising construction projects and demolishing unwanted structures. Examples include the Hacked Overseer used to cut down Handsome Jack statues with lasers and the Clapstructor, who can lift obstacles with tractor beams and digistruct infrastructure improvements.
The "I'm chargin' mah lazer" quote is a reference to the internet meme Shoop da Whoop or I’M A’ FIRIN’ MAH LAZER!!

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