If you’ve spent any amount of time exploring the neon-drenched, bandit-infested planets of Borderlands 4, you’ve almost certainly run into Vex units at least once. These cybernetic, reality-warping enemies are a far cry from the typical raiders or skags you’ll pick off early on, and learning all vex bodies borderlands 4 has to offer will make your runs far smoother, whether you’re playing solo or with a crew. I’ve spent over 70 hours farming these units across every playable zone, testing their weaknesses, and tracking their loot drops to put together this no-fluff guide. You won’t find any unconfirmed rumors here, just tested info that you can use to get better gear and beat tough encounters faster.
Key Details for All Vex Bodies in Borderlands 4
First, let’s cover the core traits that every Vex unit shares, no matter their size or role. All Vex have a central core weak point located on their chest or head, depending on the variant. Hitting this spot deals 3x more damage than body shots, and can even stun low and mid-tier units for two to three seconds. Unlike organic enemies, Vex are immune to poison damage, but they take 2x damage from shock elemental weapons, so you’ll want to swap to a shock AR or shotgun before you head into a Vex-heavy zone.
They also have a weird quirk where they don’t take fall damage, so don’t waste time trying to knock them off cliffs to save ammo. You also won’t be able to pick up their leftover parts to sell, unlike bandit or COV gear, so don’t bother looting their corpses for scrap. Vex units are grouped into three rarity tiers that determine their spawn rate, health, and loot quality:
- Common Vex: Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Harpies, spawn in every Vex-controlled zone and have a 10% chance to drop uncommon to rare gear
- Uncommon Vex: Minotaurs, Hydras, and Cyclops, spawn in mid to late-game zones and have a 25% chance to drop epic gear
- Rare Named Vex: Unique variants with custom names and abilities, spawn only in specific hidden locations and have a 70% chance to drop legendary gear
Best Locations to Farm Every Vex Body Type
If you’re looking to farm specific Vex units for loot or challenge completions, you don’t have to wander the whole map hoping to run into them. The most consistent low-tier Vex farm is the Echo Mesa Vex Incursion zone on the planet Pandora. This zone respawns Vex goblins and hobgoblins every three minutes, so you can cycle through runs quickly to grind for experience or basic shock resistance mods. The zone is also low-level, so you can start farming it as early as level 12, right after you complete the first story arc on Pandora.
For mid-tier units like Minotaurs and Hydras, head to the Glass Citadel on the planet Nessus. This zone has constant Vex patrols, and you’ll find at least two Hydras and three Minotaurs per run, which is perfect if you’re working on the Vex Slayer challenge. For rare named Vex, you’ll need to unlock the hidden Conflux Rift event by activating three hidden runes in the Glass Citadel’s lower levels. This event spawns one random named Vex every time you trigger it, and it has no cooldown as long as you have a Conflux Key to spend. I’ve run this event 22 times so far, and I’ve gotten four legendary Vex-exclusive weapons from it, so it’s well worth the effort to unlock. Just make sure you have a shock weapon with at least 500 damage per shot before you try it, because the named Vex have way more health than regular variants.
Exclusive Loot Drops for Each Vex Body Variant
One of the biggest reasons to farm Vex units is their exclusive loot, which you can’t get from any other enemy type in the game. Common Vex units drop the Vex Power Cell mod, which gives you a 15% boost to shock damage for 10 seconds every time you kill a Vex. This mod stacks up to 5 times, so it’s a must-have for any Vex farming build, even if you’re only running low-tier zones. I’ve paired this mod with a high-damage shock shotgun on my siren build, and I can clear entire Vex patrols in under 30 seconds with it.
Mid-tier Vex like Minotaurs drop the Glass Shield artifact, which lets you absorb 50% of incoming damage and convert it to shock damage for your next shot. It’s one of the most versatile artifacts in the game, and I use it on all my endgame builds, even when I’m not fighting Vex. Rare named Vex have their own unique legendary drops, tied directly to their abilities. For example, the named Vex Chronos the Rewinder drops the Rewinder Shotgun, which lets you fire a shot that reverses direction after three seconds, hitting enemies from behind if you miss your first shot. It’s a little tricky to use at first, but it’s incredibly fun for crowd control in tight spaces. Just note that legendary drop rates are not 100% even for named Vex, so you may have to run the Conflux Rift a few times to get the exact drop you want. That’s normal, don’t get discouraged if you get a duplicate mod on your first few runs.
Pro Tips to Beat Vex Units Without Wasting Resources
Even if you know all Vex bodies in Borderlands 4 and where to find them, you can still waste a ton of ammo and healing items if you don’t fight them the right way. First, never focus on the small harpy units first. They only deal 10 damage per hit, and they’ll despawn automatically if you kill the higher-tier Vex leading the patrol. That saves you a ton of ammo you’d otherwise waste on tiny, low-reward targets. Second, always save your heavy weapon ammo for Minotaurs and Hydras. These units have layered shields that take 10x more damage from rocket launchers and grenade launchers, so a single well-placed rocket can take out a full-health Minotaur in one hit, instead of emptying two full AR mags into it.
Third, don’t stand in the glowing Vex conflux pools that spawn when Vex units die. These pools deal 50 damage per second, and they apply a slow effect that makes you an easy target for other Vex units. I learned that the hard way during my first Conflux Rift run, when I stood in a pool to pick up a drop and got one-shot by a Cyclops that spawned behind me. If you’re playing co-op, have one player focus on stunning high-tier Vex with shock weapons, while the other players target their weak points. That cuts down clear time by almost 60% in my experience, and it reduces the amount of healing items you’ll use per run by a huge margin. You also don’t have to fight every Vex patrol you see, especially if you’re low on ammo. Most Vex won’t chase you more than 50 feet from their spawn zone, so you can easily outrun them if you’re not looking for a fight.
At the end of the day, taking the time to learn all vex bodies borderlands 4 has to offer will make every part of your playthrough easier, from early-game story missions to endgame raid content. You’ll farm better gear faster, waste less resources on bad fights, and even unlock hidden challenges that give you exclusive cosmetics and skill points. Don’t be afraid to test out different weapon combinations when you’re farming Vex, either—you might find a weird off-meta build that works way better for your playstyle than the popular builds you see online. Next time you log on, swing by Echo Mesa for a few quick runs to get used to fighting basic Vex units, then work your way up to the Conflux Rift for legendary drops. You won’t regret it.