Slag

Revenant, a slag-element SMG

Slag is an element introduced in Borderlands 2, created as a by-product of refining Eridium. Slag elemental weapons have a chance to coat enemies in slag. Slagged targets take increased damage from all non-slag sources.

Effectiveness

Slag damage has no bonuses or penalties against any non-slag elemental target. In Normal Mode and True Vault Hunter Mode, once a target is slagged, any non-slag damage that target suffers is doubled, including effects from elemental affinities, critical hits, melee, and damage over time.

The slag-coating effect lasts 8 seconds on normal enemies. However, bosses tend to have Slag resistance that reduces the duration of the Slag effect. Raid bosses have such high resistance that the Slag effect typically lasts only a fraction of a second in Normal or True Vault Hunter Mode.

In Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, Slag effects are boosted to last longer and cause triple damage (+200%) from non-slag sources. Even damage from slag sources will enjoy a +50% bonus.

Notes

• Purple barrels slag nearby targets when destroyed. They also damage nearby enemies like other barrels, but about half the normal amount, and without a damage-over-time effect.
• Slag weapons have a higher chance (1.5x) to proc compared to similar weapons of a different element.
• List of Unique/Legendary/Seraph Slag weapons and items:
  • Chulainn
  • Slagga
  • Florentine
  • Grog Nozzle
  • Antagonist
• List of Slag elemental skills:
  • Double Up
  • Scorn
  • Ruin
  • Interspersed Outburst
• Almost all in game enemies can be slagged, although some of them, particularly larger bosses, will not change in appearance.
  • The only enemies that can never be slagged are crystalisks, constructors, The Leviathan, Jackenstein, Piston's Blimp, Badassasaurus, as well as all slag elemental enemies.
  • If a non-slag elemental enemy can take elemental damage overtime, this means it can be slagged.
  • Slagged Bloodwing can be slagged, due to its change of elements.
• Slag coating stays on top of any other status effect, allow players to easily identify and focus fire on these enemies.
• Spiderants, Threshers, and Sand Worms can remove slag effect, along with other damage over time, by burrowing themselves.

Story Involvement

Waste "Slag"

In the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve, Handsome Jack has ordered for tests to be done to determine the effects of slag on animals. Records in Doctor's Orders implying he used to do this to humans as well.

InControl Core Angel, despite the injectors Vault Hunter destroyed are pumping Eridium, standing below one of the pipes when it is destroyed resulting being slagged, implying liquid Eridium can transform into slag when exposed.

In the Arid Nexus - Boneyard and Arid Nexus - Badlands, lots of pools of slag can be found throughout the area, usually below or near the Eridium pipeline.