Borderlands GOTY: Best Side Missions Guide

These are the side quests that I think provide the best loot while not putting you too far ahead in levels. Now I think that on at least one playthrough you should do all the side quests just to fully experience the world. But, if you’re new to the game and not super into it yet, these should provide you with some cool guns and lore.

Main quests in bold.

1. Fresh off the Bus
2. The Doctor is in
3. Claptrap Rescue
4. Skags at the Gate
5. Fix’er Upper
6. Blinding Nine-Toes
7. Nine-Toes: Meet T.K. Baha
8. Nine-Toes: T.K.’s Food
9. Got Grenades?
10. Nine-Toes: Take Him Down
11. Nine-Toes: Time to Collect
12. Job Hunting

• T.K. Has More Work
  • T.K.’s Life and Limb

13. Catch-a-Ride
14. Bone Head’s Theft

• Get a Little Blood on the Tires

15. The P Wash Hurdle

• Hidden Journal: The Arid Badlands
• Claptrap Rescue: The Lost Cave
• Shock Crystal Harvest

16. Return to Zed
17. Sledge: Meet Shep

• Braking Wind
• Get the Flock Outta Here

18. Sledge: The Mine Key

• Scavenger: Sniper Rifle
• The Legend of Moe and Marley
• Circle of Death: Meat and Greet
  • Circle of Death: Round 1
    • Circle of Death: Round 2
      • Circle of Death: Final Round

19. Sledge: To the Safe House

• Claptrap Rescue: Safe House
• Scavenger: Combat Rifle
• What Hit the Fan

20. Sledge: Battle for the Badlands

• Find Bruce McClane
  • Product Recall
• Insult to Injury

21. Leaving Fyrestone

• Big Game Hunter

22. Getting Lucky
23. Powering the Fast Travel Network

• Scavenger: Revolver
• Ghosts of the Vault

24. Road Warriors: Hot Shots
25. Road Warriors: Bandit Apocalypse
26. Power to the People

• Claptrap Rescue: New Haven
• King Tossing
• Corrosive Crystal Harvest
• Claptrap Rescue: Tetanus Warren
• Like a Moth to Flame

27. Seek Out Tannis

• Firepower: All Sales Are Final
  • Firepower: Market Correction
    • Jack’s Other Eye
• Scavenger: Submachine Gun

28. Meet ‘Crazy’ Earl
29. Get Off My Lawn!

• Claptrap Rescue: Scrapyard

30. Hair of the Dog

• Missing Persons
  • Two Wrongs Make a Right
• Middle Of Nowhere No More: Investigate
  • Middle Of Nowhere No More: Fuses? Really?
    • Middle of Nowhere No More: Small Favor
      • Middle of Nowhere: Scoot on Back
      • Altar Ego: Burning Heresy
      • Scavenger: Shotgun
      • Circle of Slaughter: Meat and Greet
        • Circle of Slaughter: Round 1
          • Circle of Slaughter: Round 2
            • Circle of Slaughter: Final Round

31. The Next Piece

• Claptrap Rescue: Krom’s Canyon

32. Jaynistown: Secret Rendezvous

• Altar Ego: The New Religion
  • Altar Ego: Godless Monsters

33. Jaynistown: A Brother’s Love

• Dumpster Diving for Great Justice

34. Jaynistown: Spread the Word
35. Jaynistown: Getting What’s Coming to You

• Wanted: Fresh Fish

36. Jaynistown: Unintended Consequences
37. Jaynistown: Cleaning Up Your Mess

• Claptrap Rescue: Trash Coast
• Bait and Switch
• House Hunting

38. Another Piece of the Puzzle
39. Not Without My Claptrap

• Claptrap Rescue: Old Haven

40. The Final Piece

• Claptrap Rescue: The Salt Flats
• Scavenger: Machine Gun
• Claptrap Rescue: Crimson Fastness

DLC? (see next section)
41. Get Some Answers
42. Find the ECHO Command Console
43. Reactivate the ECHO Comm System
44. Find Steele
45. Destroy the Destroyer
46. Bring the Vault Key to Tannis

Congratulations, you beat Borderlands!

Because of how the DLC was added later, doing too much of it early can make the final boss very easy. Also, beating the game on playthrough 2 before doing the two Claptrap Rescue missions below can prevent you from getting max inventory space. You should do this mission flow on both playthroughs before the final few main story missions. After you beat the game on playthrough 2 you should do the rest of the DLC.

1. Welcoming Committee
2. Is the Doctor in?
3. House of the Ned
4. There May Be Some Side Effects…
5. Secrets and Mysteries
6. Jakobs Fodder
7. Hitching a Ride

• Claptrap Rescue: The Lumber Yard

1. Are You From These Parts?
2. New Contact
3. Operation Trap Claptrap Trap, Phase One

• It’s a Trap… Clap

Altar Ego: Burning Heresy
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Altar Ego: Godless Monsters – Reward: The Dove
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Altar Ego: The New Religion
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Bait and Switch – Reward: Patton
Location: Trash Coast
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Big Game Hunter – Reward: Whitting’s Elephant Gun
Location: Dahl Headlands
Given By: Ernest Whitting
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Braking Wind
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Shep Sanders
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Death: Final Round
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Rade Zayben
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Death: Meat and Greet
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Death: Round 1
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Rade Zayben
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Death: Round 2
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Rade Zayben
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Slaughter: Final Round
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Chuck Durden
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Slaughter: Meat and Greet
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Slaughter: Round 1
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Chuck Durden
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Circle of Slaughter: Round 2
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Chuck Durden
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Crimson Fastness – Reward: SDU on playthrough 1
Location: Crimson Fastness
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Krom’s Canyon – Reward: SDU on playthrough 1
Location: Krom’s Canyon
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: The Lost Cave – Reward: Backpack SDU
Location: Lost Cave
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: New Haven – Reward: Backpack SDU
Location: New Haven
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Old Haven – Reward: SDU on playthrough 1
Location: Old Haven
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Safe House – Reward: Backpack SDU
Location: Sledge’s Safe House
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: The Salt Flats – Reward: SDU on playthrough 1
Location: The Salt Flats
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Scrapyard – Reward: Backpack SDU
Location: Crazy Earl’s Scrapyard
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Tetanus Warren – Reward: Backpack SDU
Location: Tetanus Warren
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Claptrap Rescue: Trash Coast – Reward: SDU on playthrough 1
Location: Trash Coast
Given By: Claptrap
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Corrosive Crystal Harvest – Reward: Corrosive Artifact
Location: Tetanus Warren
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Dumpster Diving for Great Justice
Location: New Haven
Given By: Erik Franks
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Find Bruce McClane
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Firepower: All Sales Are Final
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Marcus Kinkaid
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Firepower: Market Correction
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Marcus Kinkaid
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Get a Little Blood on the Tires
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Get the Flock Outta Here
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Shep Sanders
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Ghosts of the Vault – Reward: Explosive Artifact
Location: Dahl Headlands
Given By: Lucky’s Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Hidden Journal: The Arid Badlands
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Hidden Journal: Rust Commons West – Cracked Sash drops from Rakkinishu
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

House Hunting – Reward: Nailer
Location: Trash Coast
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Insult to Injury
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Jack’s Other Eye – Reward: The Sentinel and Madjack drops from One-Eyed Jack
Location: Rust Commons West
Given By: Helena Pierce
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

King Tossing – Reward: The Spy and Wee Wee’s Super Booster drops from King Wee Wee
Location: Tetanus Warren
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

The Legend of Moe and Marley – Reward: Incendiary Artifact
Location: Arid Hills
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Like a Moth to Flame – Reward: The Blister
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Middle of Nowhere No More: Fuses? Really?
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Hudson Johns
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Middle of Nowhere No More: Investigate
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Helena Pierce
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Middle of Nowhere No More: Scoot On Back
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Hudson Johns
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Middle of Nowhere No More: Small Favor
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Hudson Johns
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Missing Persons
Location: New Haven
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Product Recall
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Scavenger: Combat Rifle
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Scavenger: Machine Gun
Location: The Salt Flats
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Scavenger: Revolver
Location: Dahl Headlands
Given By: Lucky’s Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Scavenger: Shotgun
Location: Rust Commons East
Given By: Middle of Nowhere Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Scavenger: Sniper Rifle
Location: Arid Hills
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Scavenger: Submachine Gun
Location: Rust Commons West
Given by: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Shock Crystal Harvest – Reward: Shock Artifact
Location: Lost Cave
Given By: Fyrestone Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

T.K. Has More Work
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: T.K. Baha
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

T.K.’s Life and Limb – Reward: T.K.’s Wave
Location: Skag Gully
Given By: T.K. Baha
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Two Wrongs Make a Right – Reaver’s Edge drops from Reaver
Location: Krom’s Canyon
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

Wanted: Fresh Fish – Reward: Leviathan
Location: Treacher’s Landing
Given By: New Haven Bounty Board
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]

What Hit the Fan
Location: Arid Badlands
Given By: Shep Sanders
Wiki[borderlands.fandom.com]