SAND HAWK GUIDE

BORDERLANDS 2

The SAND HAWK

The Sand Hawk is a Unique Dahl SMG that’s commonly used for endgame builds because it fires multiple projectiles that independently benefit from amp effects.

You can get it for free by simply playing through the Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty DLC, so let’s go over what makes this quest reward so powerful.

What Makes the SAND HAWK Strong

The Sand Hawk fires several slow projectiles that form the shape of a bird, and it retains this pattern all throughout. This is essentially like having a fast-firing shotgun that has a very predictable spread.

What makes this even more powerful is that, unlike most multi-shot weapons, every single bullet fired by the Sand Hawk benefits from amp effects. So, paired with The Bee, this gun can deal a ton of damage unmatched by even some legendary weapons.

TIPS

  • Stick close to enemies as its projectiles are fairly slow
  • Since it’s a Dahl weapon, you can aim down sights to activate burst fire
  • While its bullets are still in flight, you can swap to a Grog Nozzle or Rubi to lifesteal from those projectiles once they hit your target

Advantages

  • Incredibly powerful weapon for bossing, especially against large targets
  • Available in different elements: Fire, Shock, Corrosive and Slag
  • One of the best guns for endgame content when paired with The Bee

Disadvantages

  • Can be inconsistent at long range without bullet speed buffs
  • Burns through ammo quickly

How to Get the SAND HAWK

To get the Sand Hawk, all you have to do is complete the “Whoops” quest, which is a part of Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty’s main storyline. 

This is near the tail-end of the DLC’s story, so you’ll have to progress through most of it to acquire the weapon. This takes roughly 2-3 hours if you ignore the side quests.

Best Farming Method

PC method:

  1. Prepare the quest
    • Complete the “Whoops” quest in Captain Scarlett DLC
    • Go back to Captain Scarlett but do NOT turn the quest in
  2. Set your save to read-only
    • Close the game
    • Go to: Documents → My Games → Borderlands 2 → WillowGame → SaveData
    • Open your ID folder
    • Right-click your .sav file
    • Click Properties
    • Check Read-only
    • Click Apply
  3. Roll the Sand Hawk
    • Launch the game
    • Turn in the quest
    • Check the weapon
  4. If it’s NOT what you want
    • Quit to desktop (ALT+F4 or Exit Game): the game cannot save because of read-only
    • Repeat:
    • Launch the game again
    • Turn in the quest
    • Repeat until you get the version you want
  5. It’s the version you want
    • Go back to your save file (without quitting the game: ALT+TAB)
    • Uncheck Read-only
    • Save, Quit and reload the game
    • Tadaa

Console method:

  1. Prepare the quest
    • Complete the “Whoops” quest in Captain Scarlett DLC
    • Go back to Captain Scarlett but do NOT turn the quest in
  2. Upload your save
    • PlayStation: Upload your save to cloud storage (PS+)
    • Xbox: Make sure cloud sync is active
  3. Roll the Sand Hawk
    • Turn in the quest
    • Check the weapon (prefix + element)
  4. If it’s NOT what you want
    • Close the game
    • PlayStation: Download your previous save from the cloud
    • Xbox: Restart the game and force cloud sync if needed
  5. Repeat
    • Turn in the quest again
    • Repeat until you get the version you want

Best Prefix for the SAND HAWK

The best prefix for this gun is Flying. This will significantly buff its bullet speed, which the Sand Hawk desperately needs. 

If you’re playing a character that can increase their own bullet speed (e.g. Maya and Zer0), you could also opt for Stopping for more damage. Skirmish is also a viable alternative for faster reloads, since the gun consumes a lot of ammo per shot.

Best Builds for the SAND HAWK

MAYA

Maya is one of the top users of the Sand Hawk because of her Accelerate skill, which drastically increases her bullet speed and gun damage. Paired with The Bee, she can shred through pretty much anything, even in UVHM. See the Maya Build to learn more.

Axton

Axton can also make excellent use of the Sand Hawk thanks to his strong gun damage and grenade damage bonuses, which boost the weapon’s overall DPS. It fits naturally into Axton’s mid-range playstyle, allowing him to deal consistent damage while relying on his turret for crowd control. See the Axton Build to learn more.

When the SAND HAWK is NOT Ideal

Despite its strengths, the Sand Hawk is not the best choice in every situation:

  • Non-amp builds: relies heavily on amp damage to reach its full potential. Without gear like The Bee, weapons such as the HellFire or the Bitch tend to perform better thanks to their higher base damage and consistency.

Compared to other Weapons

Sand Hawk vs Lascaux

The Lascaux is often used as an alternative for the Sand Hawk in situations where speed and accuracy are required. It has over twice the fire rate as the Sand Hawk and boasts 100% recoil reduction, but its damage output is far lower. 

The Lascaux has the advantage of being obtainable for free very early in the game, making it a great weapon to level with until you can access DLC content.

Sand Hawk vs Conference Call

Both the Conference Call and Sand Hawk are used for their multi-projectile volleys and ridiculous DPS when used alongside The Bee.

While the Sand Hawk outperforms the Conference Call in raw damage, the latter is an incredible option for mobbing as it can quickly shred through large clumps of enemies, especially in tight spaces.