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Borderlands 4 Linebacker Review — Legendary Shotgun

Published: 8/15/2026 · Updated: 11/15/2026 · As of 2026-07

Red Text
Put me in!

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.

The explosive shotgun made by Torg, whose fired explosive projectiles increase in power and blast radius the more they bounce off terrain. Damage +25% and radius +35% accelerate with each bounce, so when it pierces clustered enemies together it delivers explosive burst firepower. A classic Torg-style thump.

🧩 Red text source “Put me in!” is the shortened form of the classic sports line “Put me in, coach!” that a bench player uses to plead with the coach to get into the game. Paired with the weapon name Linebacker (American football defensive position = Linebacker), it is tied to an American football motif (multiple sites explain it as an American football reference).

What kind of shotgun? (Beginner’s perspective)

• Torg-made shotgun. Torg is a manufacturer specialized in explosive damage.
• The fired projectile is an explosive projectile that bounces off terrain, becoming stronger the more it bounces.
• Each bounce adds Damage +25% and Damage Radius +35% (unique ability “Full Coverage”).
• Projectiles bounce multiple times (the number is debated; the 5-bounce theory is most common). Its true value shines in dense terrain or swarms — for players who want to burn them all at once.

Unique Effect (Mechanics)

Full Coverage: Bouncing projectiles increase Damage by +25% and Damage Radius by +35% per bounce.

• In-game (Japanese version): Full Coverage〈unique·yellow〉 - Bouncing projectiles increase Damage by +25% and Damage Radius by +35% each time they bounce.
• In-game (English version): Full Coverage: Bouncing Projectiles increase Damage by +25% and Damage Radius by +35% per bounce.
• Web (Lootlemon): Full Coverage - Bouncing Projectiles increase Damage by +25% and Damage Radius by +35% per bounce

Behavior (2026-09-08 Web verification)

Note the differing notation of the unique effect text Fandom and Patch Crazy write “Critical Damage +25% / Damage +35%” but this is likely old or erroneous. Lootlemon / MentalMars / Game8 / Mobalytics / Gearology and the in-game Japanese text all match “Damage +25% / Damage Radius +35%”.

• Weakness: In open areas it’s hard to generate bounces, so damage scaling is limited.
• Recommended usage: Aim along the floor or at a corner of a wall to concentrate Stack onto a single point. A passive that extends the splash range (Splash Radius) is extremely important — as shown by Mobalytics’ endgame Amon build.

Impressions after using

Since the weapon only shines when it bounces, it is blatantly weak against opponents without a bouncing floor.

• Floating/flying enemies or bosses are completely ineffective — ✅ Verified. The projectile only bounces off terrain, and when it hits an enemy it only penetrates and does not explode. Aerial targets cannot cause terrain bounces, so Full Coverage’s Stack cannot be stacked in the first place.
• Tall enemies require a larger splash radius to be hit — ✅ Verified. The increased damage only applies to splash (explosion) hits, not direct hits. Projectiles bounced off the floor explode at foot level, so a passive/part that extends Splash Radius is essentially a prerequisite (as shown by Mobalytics’ endgame Amon build).
• Conversely, clusters of ground-level minions in confined spaces are its forte. A peaky weapon that requires careful situational use.
• ⚠️ Diving into a bounced projectile causes self-damage.

Especially poor match: Vile rank Vile is not a faction name but a strength tier alongside Normal / Badass / Vile / Boss. Enemies of Vile rank are covered in purple crystals, and damage does not affect the core until these crystals are broken. This gun’s floor-bounced projectiles explode at foot level, so for tall individuals the explosion does not reach the crystals. In areas with Vile enemies, it’s faster to boost splash range or switch to another weapon.

Drop Farming

Build Compatibility

What determines compatibility is the “Splash Range” This gun only scales splash (explosion) damage, so whether you can extend Splash Radius directly determines character evaluation. Damage-passive effects only apply to direct hits and do not synergize with this gun’s strengths.

Summary

• A Torg-made shotgun whose bouncing explosive projectiles gain Damage +25% and Radius +35% per bounce (Full Coverage).
• Instant firepower explodes when enemies are clustered and terrain allows bouncing.
• Obtained from Skyspanner Kratch (Cuspid Climb).

Measured Stats (Aggregated from Owned Units)

This is an aggregation of measured values read from screenshots of owned units. Ranges are the observed minimum–maximum, with no conversion, rounding, or interpolation applied.

• The highest observed DPS is 701 (Lv30 / Sloping).
• Observed prefixes (most common): Sloping×1

Related

• Same category (Shotgun): Husky Friend / Kaleidosplode / Mantra / Kickballer
• Enemy rank: BL4 Vile enemy rank — has crystal gimmick and poorly matches this gun
• References: Lootlemon - Linebacker / MentalMars - Linebacker / game8 - Linebacker / Mobalytics - Linebacker / Mobalytics Gearology / NoobFeed