Borderlands 4 Kaoson Review — Legendary SMG
| Rarity | Legendary |
|---|---|
| Type | SMG |
| Manufacturer | Vladof |
| Element | Fire |
| Drop source | Primordial Guardian Origo (Vault of Origo) |
Red Text
Twice the power!
This review was machine-translated from the Japanese original. Numbers are checked against the original; if the wording reads oddly, the Japanese version is authoritative.
When you fire, rockets stick to enemies and all explode simultaneously the moment you reload, a high-damage SMG. Vladof-made, a revival from BL3 Legendary. Damage inflates with the number of sticks, so the rhythm of “shoot → reload to explode” feels good.
🧩 Origin of the red text Kaoson is a revival from Borderlands 3 Legendary (MentalMars / Fandom). The gun name and Legendary parts are an homage to Gearbox developer Grant Kao (“Kao” + “son”). The red text “Twice the power!” is a wordplay that matches the mechanics of firing 2 bullets and 2 rockets, with damage increasing by the number of sticks (“double-up”). (Grant Kao’s name origin is from MentalMars source – the deep dive into the origin is (unverified))
What kind of SMG? (Beginner’s perspective)
- Sticky (sticking) rocket-firing SMG (Vladof-made). Fires 2 bullets to launch Sticky Rocket 2
- With any of reload, fire mode change, or weapon swap, the attached rockets explode consecutively
- The more you stick them to the same enemy, the higher each other’s damage, so the basic combo is stick → simultaneous explosion. It’s a “set up then explode” type rather than single-hit feel.
- It appears with all elements, so carrying multiple for matching enemy elemental weaknesses is effective
Unique Effects (Mechanics)
2 Ammo fires Sticky Rocket 2 in a straight line (each 7% element splash). With reload, mode change, weapon swap, the attached rockets explode consecutively (each 70% element splash). Each rocket attached to the same target increases the damage of all other rockets by +2 / 3 / 4%.
- In-game: Shots apply sticky rounds that detonate on reload or weapon swap. (Shots stick, detonate on reload or weapon swap)
- Web (Lootlemon): For 2 Ammo, the Kaoson fires 2 sticky rockets in a linear trajectory, dealing 7% [Element] Splash Gun Damage. On Reload, mode or weapon swap, all stuck rockets consecutively explode, each dealing 70% [Element] Splash Gun Damage. Each stuck rocket increases all others’ damage on the same target by +2 / 3 / 4%. The Kaoson always comes with Torgue and Atlas-Licensed Parts.
- Fixed License: Torgue (Sticky Magazine) + Atlas (License Parts) are always attached
- Weakness: There is an extra step of stick → detonate = low responsiveness. To utilize full explosions, you need high fire rate (more shots).
Manufacturer Part Compatibility (License)
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Fixed License | Torgue (Sticky Gyrojet = Magazine) + Atlas (Underbarrel: Tracker, grenades tag enemies → ammo homes) |
- Combining with Atlas’s “Infinium” Firmware makes rockets continue homing until reload, increasing stick efficiency (Mobalytics)
Drop Farming
| Drop Source | Chance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primordial Guardian Origo (Vault of Origo) | ≈9% | Boss drop. One of three SMG pool types. |
- Location: Terminus Range → Arch of Origo (Vault of Origo)
- The boss fight requires 3 Volt Key fragments from Terminus Range (Fextralife)
- Also obtainable as a world drop
Build Compatibility
| Vault Hunter | Compatibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rafa | ⭐⭐⭐ | General-purpose |
| Vex | ⭐⭐⭐ | Can earn more sticks with high fire rate |
| Amon | ⭐⭐⭐ | Simultaneous explosion power in elemental builds |
| C4SH | ⭐⭐⭐ | Synergy with explosive types |
Summary
- Stick rockets to enemies, reload or weapon swap for simultaneous explosion high-damage SMG
- Damage inflates with number of sticks = high fire-rate builds synergize well
- Revival from BL3 Legendary. The name derives from Gearbox developer Grant Kao
- Fixed Torgue + Atlas license. Obtained from Primordial Guardian Origo (≈9%)
Related
- Same category (SMG): Hellfire / Luty Madlad / Plasma Coil
- References: Lootlemon - Kaoson / MentalMars - Kaoson / Fextralife - Kaoson
- Revival from BL3 Legendary
FAQ
What is Kaoson's unique effect?
Fires 2 Sticky Rockets per 2 bullets. Reloading, changing fire mode, or switching weapons triggers the attached rockets to explode in succession. Damage increases the more rockets stick to the same target.
Where can you obtain Kaoson?
It drops from Primordial Guardian Origo (Vault of Origo). Drop rate is about 9%.