We're just 24 hours away from Borderlands 2 hitting shelves in North America - less if you're picking up the game at midnight tonight - and our 9 Days of Borderlands 2 content is starting to dwindle down. We still have some really fun stories coming today and tomorrow, so don't worry yet!
Today, we're taking a look at Maliwan, one of the many weapons manufacturers in Borderlands 2.
The Maliwan Corporation is very heavy on elemental damage. If you're a player who likes to have that extra bit of deadliness coming out of the end of your gun, you're probably going to want to go Maliwan. These guns don't deal the most damage at first, but easily deliver the most damage-over-time of any manufacturer on Pandora.
If you're not familiar with elemental damage, you clearly didn't play Pokemon growing up. Guns that deal elemental damage can cause the enemy to be afflicted with various status effects. These include things like fire, caustic damage, electric shock, slag and explosive damage.
When you use a Maliwan weapon, you have a very good chance of causing your target to catch fire which will continue to cause damage after you've stopped pouring bullets into them. And just like Charizard vs Dewgong, you need to know your opponent's elemental weakness to deal the most damage.
So, let's take a look at some of the weapon types that Maliwan produces.
Pistols
Maliwan sidearms are best used to make sure your enemy is properly slagged or on fire, before moving to a heftier weapon to finish the job.
These guns have a very high rate of fire but don't do very much initial damage and the magazine size is usually pretty low.
There perfect for applying your elemental damage of choice, before swapping to a deadlier gun to finish the job.
After you've finished the target off, swap back to your Maliwan pistol and reload for the next baddie that comes your way.
Rocket Launchers
Maliwan launchers are not the most powerful on Pandora, but you do have the added bonus of elemental damage and the potential to leave a lasting elemental effect. The explosion moves outward in a ring, so you have a high likelihood of causing plenty of damage and more hope of causing a lasting elemental effect.
This is particularly useful if you're facing against an enemy who you know to be weak to the element that your launcher has attributed to it. The lack of damage on contact is a worthy swap for elemental damage if you know what your target is vulnerable to.
Submachine Guns
Submachine Guns from Maliwan are probably the most well-rounded weapon type available from that manufacturer. With larger magazines than their cousins, the pistols, you can lay down much more fire without having to reload.
On top of that, you're still getting the elemental damage that Maliwan is so passionate about.
When you're using a Maliwan SMG, you're getting a gun that does solid damage with a decent magazine size plus the added bonus of elemental damage and potential to leave a lasting status effect on your target.
Remove the elemental damage, and Maliwan SMGs are still a formidable weapon to have on your side, if not as lethal as something like a Jakobs.
Sniper Rifles
Maliwan sniper rifles are best used when applying a different sort of strategy than normal rifles. This isn't Jakobs, you're not going to put just one bullet into your enemy and enjoy the gruesome results.
These rifles are every bit as useful - if not more so - but require a bit of finesse to use properly. Maliwan sniper rifles trade off raw power for elemental damage. Sure, you're not going to get the one-shot kill, but you do have the chance of dealing added elemental damage.
Prime example: using a Maliwan sniper rifle with Slag bullets gives you a chance to weaken for-off enemies before they even know you're around. This can be a very powerful asset, particularly when playing cooperatively with friends. Once you've caused Slag, you can swap over to a non-Slag gun and deal twice as much damage as you would have pre-Slag.
Or better yet, tell that chump Salvador to light 'em up after you've Slagged them.
Maliwan guns are a joy to use. Yes, you're not going to be dealing the same raw power that you would with a different manufacturer, but the exchange is well worth it if you know what your enemies are vulnerable to. Dealing the right elemental damage, at the right time, can be more than worth the raw power you're giving up.
Borderlands 2 might launch tomorrow, but our content is still in full swing. Check back in with us to learn more about Salvador and Vladof weapons!
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