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Alpha Skags are some of the largest and most powerful skags on Pandora encountered in Borderlands and Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3. They are covered in very thick and durable armor, which can even render the damage dealt by sustained sprays of combat rifle or shotgun fire to nearly nothing. Like most skags, Alpha Skags can leap an incredible distance, and though they sometimes employ a strong tongue-whip attack, they are more fond of charging at their enemies for heavy damage and substantial knock back. They will also stalk forward and swipe at enemies with their claws which are also exceptionally deadly. Because of these two factors, special tactics are needed to effectively deal with these beasts.

Appearances

Strategy

Shooting an Alpha Skag around the shoulders and back is an utter waste of ammo; if one is stalking forward instead aim for the head with heavy sustained weapons fire, which might cause the Alpha to flinch and then roar, exposing its mouth as the weak spot. When beginning a charge, the Alpha Skag will retreat away from their target to increase the charge distance. This provides the opportune moment to attack the skag. Following it and shooting at the lightly-armored hind legs while it retreats will cause it to stumble as it tries to regain its footing, rendering the skag largely harmless for a brief period. Repetitive shots to the hind legs using an assault rifle or a submachine gun will take out the skag while keeping it in this staggered state. This “kicking it while it is down” tactic is an effective method of taking down the Alpha Skag with little effort.

Another tactic that can be used is to face the Alpha head-on to counter their charge. Because Alphas move very quickly while charging, running away or jumping to the side will often not be enough to evade the attack. Instead, the character can stand their ground and open fire as it charges, then run forward and jump as it nears. This will cause them to land on top of the Alpha. As the Alpha is moving, the character will end up dropping off its back, providing opportunities to shoot or melee it from the flank. Having missed with its charge, the Alpha will continue running away. Because it takes time and space to turn around, the character can fire at the maneuvering Alpha while getting ready to meet its next charge. This method can also be used against Badass Alpha Skags.

Alpha Skags are also quite vulnerable to the more powerful fire-based Maliwan weapons. Hosing an Alpha Skag with incendiary damage can completely immerse it in fire, sometimes causing it to become disoriented and unable to track targets and allowing the character to find cover. This can be particularly effective when encountering Alpha Skags in large groups such as in the Lost Cave.

Notes

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