Borderlands 4 Roach Review — Legendary Pistol
| Rarity | Legendary |
|---|---|
| Type | Pistol |
| Manufacturer | Torgue |
| Element | Kinetic / Fire / Radiation (rolled per copy) |
| Drop source | Skull Orchid (Embossed Fault Abandoned Auger Mine, Grindstone of the Worthy, Carcadia Burn) |
Red Text
He was the raddest roach.
Shoot an egg and a flying roach hatches out to chase enemies down. A classic Torgue novelty pistol. It fires eggs instead of bullets; when one hits an enemy with flesh (a red health bar), a roach hatches, homes in on nearby enemies and explodes on contact. Top marks for silliness, but its real damage is modest — this one is for collectors.
🧩 Where the red text comes from It’s a line from Monster Factory’s Fallout 4 episode (around 27:21). Monster Factory is a Polygon / Maximum Fun comedy series in which the hosts build absurd characters in games for laughs. “Raddest” (the most rad, the coolest) is exactly the kind of goofy praise that fits a Torgue joke weapon that hatches roaches from eggs.
The mechanic
Flesh Eaters: Fires eggs; when they hit enemies with flesh (red) health, flying roaches hatch. The roaches home in on nearby enemies and explode on contact (they hatch from corpses too).
- The big quirk is that it’s flesh (red bar) only — nothing hatches against shields or armor
- The roaches hunt and explode on their own, set-and-forget style, but each one doesn’t hit very hard
- Element rolls are Kinetic, Fire or Radiation (Torgue’s two fire modes are also available)
Farming
| Source | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skull Orchid | ~9% (unverified) | Embossed Fault Abandoned Auger Mine (Carcadia Burn) |
Farming route The Auger Mines open up after you clear the main mission “Shadow of the Mountain.” In Carcadia Burn, go to Embossed Fault, south of Grindstone of the Worthy, and defeat Skull Orchid at the end → reset with the Encore Machine and repeat. It can also come from red chests and other sources as a low-rate world drop.
Build synergy
| Vault Hunter | Fit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rafa | ⭐⭐⭐ | A fun pick; explosive builds give it a small boost |
| Vex | ⭐⭐⭐ | For packs of flesh enemies |
| Amon | ⭐⭐⭐ | Element rolls add some flavor |
| C4SH | ⭐⭐⭐ | For the collection |
Verdict
- Torgue’s novelty Legendary pistol: eggs hatch flying roaches that home in on enemies
- Flesh (red health) only, useless against shields and armor, so it isn’t very versatile
- Each roach hits lightly and real damage is modest: a novelty / collector’s item
- Farm Skull Orchid (reset with the Encore Machine)
- Score: 6/10 (provisional; full marks for silliness)
Measured stats (from copies we own)
Values read from screenshots of copies we own. Ranges are the observed minimum to maximum, with no conversion, rounding or interpolation.
| Level | Damage | DPS | Fire rate | Copies observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lv31 | 338 | 482 | 2.4/s | 1 |
| Lv48 | 1,127 | 1,708 | 2.2/s | 1 |
- Highest DPS observed so far: 1,708 (Lv48).
Related
- Japanese version: ローチ レビュー
- Same manufacturer (Torgue): Handcannon (Pearlescent) / Herald (Pearlescent) / Lead Balloon / Queen’s Rest
- References: Mobalytics - Roach / Deltia’s Gaming - Roach / Lootlemon - Roach
FAQ
What is Roach's unique effect?
Flesh Eaters: fires eggs that hatch flying roaches when they hit enemies with flesh (red) health. The roaches home in on nearby enemies and explode on contact (they hatch from corpses too).
Where does Roach drop?
From Skull Orchid in the Embossed Fault Abandoned Auger Mine (Grindstone of the Worthy, Carcadia Burn). Drop rate is around 9% (unverified).