Rakk Hive

The Rakk Hive is a gigantic alien quadruped with four pearl-like eyes and a number of holes spread across its back. The holes are home to flights of Rakk, which themselves will swarm to attack anything that gets near the Rakk Hive.

The hibernation cycle of a Rakk Hive lasts much longer than that of the other species on Pandora. They are visible in their dormant state by their exposed backs protruding above the ground while most of their body remains submerged. Unlike the Trash Coast Rakk Hive they will not awaken, however flights of emerging Rakk will still provide a danger to be mindful of.

Combat
The Rakk Hive moves very slowly, so keeping your distance is fairly easy, as well as highly recommended due to its powerful stomping attack. It can also spit explosive balls of corrosive acid at the player. These balls simmer and steam on the ground where they land for a VERY long time, so avoid being pinned into a corner.

Throughout the battle, the beast will shake itself to release a swarm of Rakk from the holes on its back. These are either white Defender Rakk or yellowish Kamikaze Rakk. These are unique to the battle with the Rakk Hive. Defender Rakk behave just like most other Rakk in the game, flocking together and dive bombing the player until they are killed. Kamikaze Rakk are smaller and will also flock together, but will explode when they die and use this against their targets in a brutal suicide attack.

Due to the number of Rakk that frequently spawn, it is possible to get easy Second Wind kills and thus, stay alive for the whole fight. Killing them when they are close will so help provide a steady supply of ammunition literally raining out of the sky and a nearby tent containing some lockers and several chests full of ammunition can be similarly helpful.

The Rakk Hive's critical hit locations are the four bulging eyes and it's mouth. Sustained attacks on each of the eyes will cause them to burst. Once all four burst, the Rakk Hive is blinded, and will stop attacking you and simply stand still.

The Rakk Hive has proven to be quite vulnerable to fire, so equipping incendiary elemental tech weapons and fire artifacts can be a a valuable strategy. A rocket launcher is also very effective if you use it to fire at the head, and they are also very effective at wiping out the Rakk flights.

While it is clearly intended that the player fight in the large arena it is possible to simply remain on the ledge and shoot at the beast until it dies; without being attacked by anything but the occasional acid ball or Rakk.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSv0aSudmNU

Rumors
Due to the ability to obtain the Rider sniper rifle only during this mission, it has been rumored that using the Rider to "shoot the eyes out" of the Rakk Hive will unlock an easter egg. This rumor has been debunked as false and untrue. However, the Rider's red text is a direct and overt clue to the Hive's weak spots, as shooting each of its eyes until they are put out does yield critical hit damage.

Trivia

 * Little has changed in the Rakk Hive's appearance from the original version of Borderlands prior to change in art direction.
 * The Rakk Hive will continue to breathe after being defeated and its organs can be seen still moving through the gaping hole that appears in its side. The carcass can be climbed for a better view at this heaving mass.
 * The Rakk Hive was the first boss to be publicly revealed for Borderlands, appearing in certain promotional videos before the game's release.
 * The Rakk Hive has a secret, comical attack if attacked from the rear for a period of time..
 * Although the Guardian Angel says that fighting the Rakk Hive will be one of the greatest challenges in the game, it is actually one of the easiest bosses by simply shooting out its eyes.
 * Two hibernating Rakk Hives can be seen in Skag Gully, just outside of the playable area, one can be found near Zephyr Substation, and another near the wind turbine in Howling Defile.
 * In the original development of the Rakk Hive boss fight, there were geysers in the ground that could be used to damage the Boss. However, due to the focus testers usually staying on the cliff area, this was taken out in the final version.
 * In the original development of the Rakk Hive boss fight, The Rakk that were spawned from the Hive's back were a lot stronger than the current build of the game. However, due to the focus testers' feedback, the damage dealt was lowered.
 * The Rakk Hive's name changes on different playthroughs - Rakk Hive on Playthrough 1, Awesome Rakk Hive on Playthrough 2, and Ultimate Rakk Hive on Playthrough 2.5.