User:Wannas/Elements

Overview
Every weapon variant in the world of Borderlands can be manufactured as an Elemental weapon. The four elements -, , and  are effective against different targets. As a general rule, an Elemental weapon will be more effective than a non-Elemental weapon against it's ideal target, but less effective against other targets. For example, an weapon will be better against fleshy Skags but worse against shielded Guardians when compared to an equivalent non-Elemental weapon.

Note that Maliwan only makes Elemental weapons, and Jakobs only makes non-Elemental weapons.

Elemental Effectiveness
An Elemental weapon always has an accessory of the corresponding Element. By default, this accessory reduces the weapon's damage by 40% in exchange for Elemental damage. Some Rare_Items_(Above_Purple!) Elemental weapons have accessories without this penalty.

Elemental immunities aside, each element is effective against different targets:


 * attacks are best against unshielded, fleshy enemies, but ineffective against shields and machinery.


 * damage quickly depletes shields, but does less damage to flesh and armour.


 * damage does damage effectively to all enemies but is not better against any single type.

Every element except may inflict a damage-over-time effect on a target. This damage is similarly effective to its corresponding element. Each works in a unique fashion:
 * damage is extremely effective against mechanical and armoured targets but weak against unarmoured flesh and shields.
 * attacks may set an enemy on fire, burning them over time and causing them to be incinerated into ash upon death.
 * attacks may spray sparks on an enemy, doing high amounts of damage over a short time and shocking their skulls when they die, causing their heads to explode.
 * attacks may melt enemies, damaging them similarly to effects. However  acid lasts longer than burns and may spread to nearby enemies. It also amplifies further damage dealt to the same target.

Elemental Multipliers and Procs
Every Elemental weapon comes with an Elemental Multiplier, which can vary from x1 to x4. This number is an in-game approximation of the weapon's Tech Pool. The Tech Pool is a store of "energy" which is drained by a weapon's shots. The Tech Pool's size is dependent on the weapon's parts and materials, and recharges over time at a rate of 4.00 per second as long as the weapon is equipped in a weapon slot. The skill Spark and other effects which increase Elemental Effect Chance improve both the recharge rate and the capacity of Tech Pools.

The most important ability of an Elemental weapon is its chance to proc. A proc (Programmed Random OCcurence) is, in this situation, an explosion at the point of contact based on the element. procs appear as balls of fire, procs manifest as sprays of sparks,  procs are literal explosions, and  procs are splashes of acid. Each weapon has a chance to proc at the cost of a portion of the Tech Pool whenever a shot hits a surface (whether an enemy or a wall) as long as it has enough Tech to do so.

An elemental proc may be any size from x1 to x4 (some unique weapons may cause procs up to x6). A proc deals further damage in an area of effect based on its size. Struck enemies may be inflicted with a damage-over-time effect explained above. The damage of a proc is based on the weapon's damage, the target's maximum health, the difference between the levels of the shooter and target, and how the target was struck. In general, a proc contacting the largest area of a target (not neccessarily the head) will deal the most damage.

The amount of Tech used depends on the weapon type and the size of the proc.

Weapon Types and Effectiveness
Each type of weapon procs differently, and this affects their capabilities and usage:
 * Pistols may only proc for x1 but do so at a very small cost to the Tech Pool. A x1 Elemental Pistol may proc up to 4 or 5 times before depleting its Tech Pool. Repeaters with a high firerate and Machine Pistols can output a large number of procs in a short time. Sufficiently increased Elemental Effect Chance may allow a Pistol to never deplete its Tech Pool.
 * Revolvers always proc for x1 on every shot at no cost to the Tech Pool. If sufficient Tech is available, they may proc up to x4. As a general rule a Revolver's multiplier denotes its maximum proc size. High fire rates will benefit Revolvers as they will cause x1 procs while charging for larger ones.
 * Submachine Guns may only proc for x1 like Pistols, and use a less-than-average amount of Tech for each. Their generally high rates of fire usually mean they will cause several procs quickly until depleted, then only produce sparse procs until they are given a chance to fully charge. SMGs can generally proc before depletion a number of times roughly about 1.5 times their Multiplier.
 * Shotguns may only proc for x1. However when a proc occurs, every pellet of the shot will proc. Shotguns with wide spread may affect multiple enemies with damage-over time effects; this is especially effective with Shotguns. On the other hand the high base damage of Shotguns can yield a devastating proc against a single enemy at close range. The weapon's multiplier generally represents the number of times it can proc before being depleted. However only Maliwan and rarely S&S Munitions make shotguns with a Multiplier of x3 or higher. Also note that Maliwan, S&S and Vladof do not manufacture  Shotguns.
 * Combat Rifles may proc for x1. They have a very high chance to proc every shot but these procs cost a high amount of Tech. Thus Assault Rifles will usually deplete their Tech Pools in a single 3-shot burst. They are useful for reliably causing a proc and for this reason Elemental Pounder may be useful as they can produce procs with higher damage. However once their Tech Pools are exhausted they will need a significant time to recharge. Machine Guns cause procs in the same way but with their lower accuracy are less useful for causing procs. However and  Machine Guns may be useful for their effectiveness against unshielded and armoured targets respectively. Non-unique Combat Rifles can only have a maximum x2 Multiplier, and Machine Guns a x3 Multiplier.