Best Minion Ever

Best Minion Ever is the fourth of the Main Story Missions.

Objectives

 * Catch up to Claptrap
 * Find Captain Flynt
 * Board Claptrap's ship

Strategy
This mission primarily involves following Claptrap through bandit territory to reach a boat. Initially this means moving through territory occupied by bandits, and is broken by two significant boss encounters.

The first major fight is with Boom and Bewm. Boom starts the battle atop a giant cannon called Big Bertha. This cannon will rotate only very slowly, so it can be outrun or avoided by keeping to cover as much as possible. Damage inflicted on this cannon will eventually reduce its structure to zero, whereupon Boom will leap down and personally enter the fray. Boom's brother Bewm is equipped with a jet pack and will present an awkward target as he jets through the air and attacks from a high vantage. These flights are short lived however, and he spends much of his time attacking on foot. Both of them will attack with shotguns and grenades, providing even more incentive to stay on the run, or remain behind cover.

After Boom and Bewm are defeated and using Big Bertha to blow up the gate, a large number of bandits will enter. They can be fought on foot, but using Big Bertha to kill them is far easier. After they are dead, Claptrap will be kidnapped. Players must follow the way point to find Claptrap being beaten by three bandits. A short while later, Claptrap's progress is halted by stairs and he must be hoisted aloft from a mechanism above. This entails fighting through more bandits to reach the switch. Once up, Claptrap will then open the way to the final boss encounter against Captain Flynt.

The fight against Flynt and his cronies takes place on top of the freighter deck. Flynt will remain on his perch and watch his lackeys throw themselves into the fray before descending to the deck himself after players either get close enough or deplete a significant amount of health. He attacks with a flamethrower that will quickly deplete shields. His critical hit location is his exposed head, behind his mask, requiring the player to flank him to abuse his weakness.

While there are many walls and obstacles to provide cover from the Captain's grenades and flames, players should be careful not to stand on the exposed grilles that will erupt with fire partway through the battle. It is possible to retreat to the lower area (or simply die) and return to the last checkpoint, where there is more cover, while Flynt and his minions must stand, exposed, on the metal beams jutting from the ship. Additionaly, it is possible to shoot him from the walkway leading up to his ship while he stands on his perch. It is unknown how killing him in this manner affects quest completion, however, so it is wise to simply weaken him.

It should be noted that when Flynt is engulfed in flames from the grilles on deck, he gains a massive damage resistance, making it preferable to seek cover until the flames die out.

After Flynt's defeat, Claptrap will lead the way through the large ship to find his actual "ship" (a boat), behind it and must board to complete the mission.

Completion

 * "By killing Captain Flynt, you have increased the average literacy of the entire area by a factor of ten.
 * Now nothing stands between you and a frigid, fifteen-hour boat right with Claptrap. 'Grats!"