What to know

  • The Swarm Grenade is a legendary ordnance dropped by Sidney Pointylegs at The Prospects Drill Site, located in Hungering Plain, Fadefields.
  • You must defeat waves of enemies for the boss to spawn, then defeat Sidney Pointylegs for a chance at the Swarm Grenade.
  • Using the Encore Machine after the fight allows you to instantly replay the encounter and boost drop chances.
  • Farming post-story increases drop rates when spending Eridium for the Moxxi’s Big Encore version of the fight.

Right from the start, if you are looking for a strong grenade for crowd control and overall DPS, the Swarm Grenade is one of the best choices. Its homing submunitions make it extremely effective in hectic situations, and knowing where and how to farm it will make all the difference early in Borderlands 4.

Unlocking the Swarm Grenade at The Prospects Drill Site

The Swarm Grenade is a legendary drop only available from Sidney Pointylegs, the boss of The Prospects Drill Site, itself found within the Hungering Plain region, specifically in Fadefields. This location appears as one of the Ripper Drill Sites on your map, and you will need access to this sub-region before beginning your farm.

Sidney Pointylegs controls this drill site and must be defeated for a chance to obtain the grenade. The drop is not guaranteed—this is a random legendary drop, so multiple attempts may be necessary. The drop pool includes the Swarm Grenade and other legendaries, so patience is key.

How to farm Sidney Pointylegs efficiently

Farming this boss can be relatively efficient with some preparation. After your initial clear, use these steps to optimize your run:

Step 1

Travel to Fadefields in the Hungering Plain and locate The Prospects Drill Site on your map.

Step 2

Fast travel to the Shut-Eye Keep safe house (if unlocked) for the quickest access to the drill site.

Step 3

Enter the drill site and fight through waves of standard enemies until Sidney Pointylegs spawns as the main boss.

Step 4

Defeat Sidney Pointylegs for a chance at the Swarm Grenade. The drop is rare, with some players reporting several hours of farming before acquiring it.

Step 5

After clearing, use the Encore Machine at the drill site to immediately replay the boss fight for another attempt. Each run is quick, especially with a refined route and build.

Step 6

Once the main campaign is finished, spend Eridium at the Encore Machine for a harder encounter (Moxxi’s Big Encore), which increases legendary drop chances for faster farming.

Swarm Grenade legendary effect and stats

When thrown, the Swarm Grenade explodes and splits into three homing grenades, each able to track and damage multiple targets. Its legendary trait, "Swoosh," ensures enemies are targeted efficiently, making it especially fearsome against groups. Rolls can vary, with certain versions granting bonus effects like extra cooldown reduction, homing speed, or lifesteal on hits.

Stat Value Notes / Comments
Manufacturer Order It is an Order-type grenade ordnance
Rarity Legendary It is a Legendary ordnance
Unique effect Splits into homing grenades (splits twice) On explosion, it spawns additional homing grenades (i.e. “swarm” behavior)
Level requirement / base level 7 As listed on MentalMars gear guide
Cooldown 8s As per the same gear-spec listing
Base damage 95 From the MentalMars spec table
Splash (radius) 325 cm The “splash radius” value given is 325 cm
Number of charges 2 It has 2 charges per use as per the gear spec listing

To unlock and farm the Swarm legendary grenade, you must reach the Hungering Plane region in Fadefields, then run the Prospects Drill Site to fight Sidney Pointylegs. Use the Encore system to repeat the fight quickly and patiently farm until the drop occurs. Given its homing/splitting mechanics, Swarm is particularly powerful vs groups of enemies, making it a solid ordnance to pursue.