What to know
- The best Throwing Knife drop with the Penetrator augment can be farmed from the boss Driller Hole, located at Queen's Cradle in Tonnage Peel, Carcadia Burn.
- The Penetrator augment guarantees critical hits on targets hit by the knife for 5 seconds, greatly enhancing damage output.
- Driller Hole drops loot, including Throwing Knives in a Red Chest that opens after the boss fight, with a higher chance for the desired knife.
- Other bosses and chests in the game can drop this knife, but Driller Hole is the most efficient farm spot.
The Legendary Throwing Knife belongs to the Ordnance category, which functions similarly to grenades but with specialized effects. Unlike grenades, throwing knives must land directly on a target to trigger their unique benefits.
Penetrator augment
When you land a knife hit, the Penetrator effect applies a debuff: for about five seconds, every bit of damage you deal to that target is converted into a critical hit. Guns, skills, and even status effect ticks benefit from this window, making it one of the strongest burst mechanics in the game.
Legendary Throwing Knife quick reference
| Trait | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Ordnance (Throwing Knife) |
| Key augment | Penetrator |
| Effect | All damage to target becomes critical for ~5 seconds |
| Best use | Boss fights, burst builds, bleed/status synergy |
| Acquisition | Boss farming via Encore Machines, world drops, chests |
| Limitation | Must land hit; short crit window; RNG for augments |
Throwing knife OP..?
by u/Cry__an in Borderlands4
Throwing Knife gameplay (Source: Reddit)
Key variants and their effects
While random rolls abound, certain named throwing knives stand out for their fixed perks. Here's a breakdown of the most discussed ones from recent player reports and guides:
| Variant Name | Manufacturer | Key Augments/Effects | Base Charges | Ideal Pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullseye Vivisecting | Jakobs | Damage Amp Payload (+15% damage, 5s); 24% crit chance | 1-3 | Vex bleed builds for infinite scaling |
| Vampiric Vivisecting | Jakobs | Penetrator (guaranteed crits, 5s); Lifesteal on crits | 2-4 | Rafa melee for sustain in close quarters |
| Killshot Vivisecting | Jakobs | Penetrator + homing weak-point tracking | 1-2 | Harlowe snipers for mid-range precision |
These effects stack multiplicatively with elemental weaknesses—pair a corrosive knife against armored foes for shredding bars in seconds. Players note a 7-charge speed-boost variant for mobility-focused runs, stacking up to +speed on hits.
Best bosses to farm the Throwing Knife
| Boss Name | Location | Level Unlock | Avg. Clear Time | Knife Drop Chance | Bonus Loot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splashzone | Southern Kairos Marshes | 10+ | 15 seconds | ~10% | Early legendaries, easy cheese |
| Driller Hole | Queen's Cradle, Carcadia Burn | 30+ | 45 seconds | ~7% (with red chest) | High Ordnance volume, scalable |
| Bramblesong | Bittermine Auger Mine | 15+ | 45 seconds | ~5% | Quick XP, occasional blues |
| Sludgemaw | Carcadia Swamps | 25+ | 1 minute | ~6% | Shotguns, mixed purples |
Why it’s popular in the current meta
The knife is popular because it enables “burst kill” and “status crit” builds. Key uses include:
Status damage synergy
Bleed and elemental effects tick as criticals, stacking huge DPS.
Critical hit multipliers
Any skill or passive boosting crit damage scales the knife even further.
Boss fights
A single landed knife can melt bosses if followed up with rapid or persistent damage sources.
How to farm the Legendary Throwing Knife
Here’s a clear step-by-step way to farm for one:
Step 1: Unlock Encore Machines
These allow you to replay bosses efficiently, which is the main way to repeatedly hunt for Legendary loot.
Step 2: Focus on high-yield bosses
Big Encore or weekly bosses are most effective since they have expanded loot tables and better drop chances.
Step 3: Repeat until the Penetrator roll appears
Penetrator is an augment that doesn’t always roll, so you may need multiple tries.
Step 4: Supplement with world drops
Chests and general loot sources can also drop the knife, though with far lower odds.
Builds that make the most of it
| Build type | Key synergy | Why it works with Penetrator |
|---|---|---|
| Bleed builds | Bleed status ticks repeatedly | Every tick becomes a crit, snowballing DPS |
| Status overload | High elemental proc rate | Elemental damage becomes consistent crits |
| Boss burst builds | Skills boosting crit multipliers | Converts normal rotations into massive burst during the 5-second window |
Why the Legendary Throwing Knife is worth chasing
The Legendary Throwing Knife with Penetrator is one of the most impactful pieces of gear in Borderlands 4. It enables damage spikes that can delete bosses in seconds, while opening creative build paths that revolve around critical damage scaling. For many players, getting one isn’t just a gear upgrade—it’s a turning point in their playthrough.
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