Borderlands 3: How the Mind Sweeper Mod Supercharges Moze Builds

The Mind Sweeper class mod in Borderlands 3 is a key to unlocking Moze’s full explosive potential. Designed for players who thrive on high damage output and critical hit scaling, this legendary mod creates devastating micro grenade chain reactions that dominate both mobs and bosses. In this guide, we cover how the Mind Sweeper works, how to farm it, best build synergies, weapons and gear recommendations, and essential combat strategies. Whether you're building for endgame content or optimizing DPS in Mayhem Mode, the Mind Sweeper offers powerful and chaotic gameplay for explosive-focused Moze players.


Understanding Mind Sweeper Basics

What is the Mind Sweeper Class Mod?

The Mind Sweeper is a legendary class mod for Moze, one of the four playable Vault Hunters in Borderlands 3. It is designed to significantly enhance Moze’s damage output by introducing a unique mechanic that synergizes with her explosive-focused skill trees. This class mod is particularly favored in high-damage, critical-hit-oriented builds and is a key component in some of the most effective Moze endgame setups.

Core Mechanic: Micro Grenades

The defining feature of the Mind Sweeper is its special effect: critical hits have a chance to spawn a Micro Grenade that explodes shortly after spawning. These grenades deal splash damage and can critically hit as well, allowing for chain reactions when combined with other splash damage and explosive bonuses.

This mechanic is not just a visual flair—it significantly enhances Moze’s burst damage potential. Micro Grenades scale with Mayhem levels and benefit from splash damage bonuses, making them incredibly powerful in the right build.

Class Mod Specifications

• Rarity: Legendary
• Manufacturer: Vladof
• Effect: Critical hits have a chance to drop a Micro Grenade that explodes shortly after spawning
• Available Bonuses: Typically grants bonuses to three random Moze skills, usually from the Demolition Woman and Bottomless Mags trees
• Stat Variations: Can roll with additional modifiers such as increased splash damage, weapon handling, or grenade damage

Skill Compatibility

Mind Sweeper typically boosts skills like:

• Pull the Holy Pin: Increases grenade crit chance, synergizing perfectly with the Micro Grenade mechanic
• Short Fuse: Adds bonus explosive damage on hit, which can trigger additional Micro Grenades when combined with splash effects
• Torgue Cross-Promotion: Increases splash radius, enhancing the area-of-effect potential of the Micro Grenades
• Fire in the Skag Den: Adds incendiary bonus damage to all splash damage, including Micro Grenades

These synergies make the Mind Sweeper a top-tier option for players focusing on explosive and crit-heavy builds.

Gameplay Impact

The Mind Sweeper fundamentally changes how Moze plays by rewarding precision and critical hits with massive area-of-effect damage. When used correctly, it enables Moze to clear rooms of enemies quickly, especially when combined with weapons that have high crit multipliers and splash effects, such as the Flipper, Monarch, or Hellshock.

However, the randomness of the Micro Grenade spawns introduces a chaotic element to gameplay, meaning that while the damage potential is high, it is not always consistent. This makes the Mind Sweeper more suitable for players who enjoy fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward gameplay styles.

Visual and Technical Details

When a Micro Grenade spawns, it is visually distinct from standard grenades, appearing as a small orb that quickly detonates with a splash explosion. Because these grenades are not tied to the player’s equipped grenade mod, they act as an independent damage source and do not consume grenade ammo.

The grenades are capable of dealing critical damage, and if modifiers like “Pull the Holy Pin” are active, their crit potential is greatly increased. They also benefit from any gear or skill effects that enhance splash or grenade damage, making them highly scalable in high-Mayhem settings.

Summary of Key Attributes

• Boosts Critical and Splash Damage Synergies
• Highly Effective in Endgame Mayhem Builds
• Micro Grenades Can Crit and Chain Additional Effects
• Skill-Dependent Performance—Best with Demolition Woman Tree
• Optimal with Weapons that Have Splash and High Crit Potential

Understanding these foundational elements of the Mind Sweeper class mod is essential for building an optimized Moze. Whether you’re aiming for mobbing efficiency or boss-melting damage, the Mind Sweeper opens up powerful build opportunities centered around explosive crit chains.

Acquiring and Farming Mind Sweeper

Obtaining the Mind Sweeper class mod in Borderlands 3 requires a targeted approach, as it is a Legendary item with specific drop sources and conditions. Below are the detailed methods and best practices for acquiring this powerful mod for Moze.

Drop Locations

The Mind Sweeper class mod is a world drop in Borderlands 3, but it has a dedicated drop source that significantly improves the chances of acquiring it. This mod is most commonly dropped by the boss Agonizer 9000, located in the Guts of Carnivora on the planet Pandora. This boss is part of the main story campaign and can be farmed repeatedly after the mission is completed.

Additionally, the Mind Sweeper can drop from other loot sources, including:

• Mayhem Mode world drops
• Loot chests
• Badass enemies
• Legendary loot sources like the Slot Machines and Eridian Chests

However, these methods are less efficient compared to farming dedicated bosses.

Farming Methods

Farming for the Mind Sweeper is most effective when done at higher Mayhem levels. Increasing the Mayhem level not only boosts enemy difficulty but also significantly improves the loot quality and drop rates for Legendary items.

Steps to farm efficiently:

1. Enable Mayhem Mode: Set your game to Mayhem Level 10 or higher to maximize Legendary drop chances.
2. Fast Travel to Guts of Carnivora: This is where Agonizer 9000 resides. Make sure you’ve cleared the mission that unlocks this location.
3. Defeat Agonizer 9000: Complete the boss fight and check for the Mind Sweeper drop.
4. Save and Quit, Reload: After each attempt, save and quit to reset the boss, allowing you to farm repeatedly.

Optional: Use the Lootsplosion modifier (if available during a seasonal event or via Mayhem modifiers) to further increase chances of seeing the Mind Sweeper drop.

Best Farming Spots

While Agonizer 9000 is the most reliable source, other potential farming spots include:

• Loot Tinks: Found in areas like the Jakobs Estate or the Anvil, Loot Tinks have a chance to drop high-tier loot, including class mods.
• Slaughter Shaft: Running the Slaughter Shaft on Mayhem 10 can yield a large number of Legendary drops, including class mods like the Mind Sweeper.
• Trial of Cunning (Ghostlight Beacon): This Proving Grounds area has a high density of enemies and ends with a guaranteed loot drop from the final boss, making it another viable location for farming.

Drop Rates and Variations

While exact drop rates for the Mind Sweeper are not officially published by Gearbox, community data suggest that:

• The drop rate from Agonizer 9000 is approximately 10–15% for Legendary items, with a smaller chance specifically for the Mind Sweeper.
• Variants of the Mind Sweeper differ in terms of stat rolls, including:
  • Skill Boosts: The mod boosts three random Moze skills, which can vary between drops.
  • Secondary Stats: These can include bonuses to weapon damage, splash damage, magazine size, and more.

To optimize farming, players are encouraged to target rolls that complement specific builds (e.g. boosting "Fire in the Skag Den" for explosive builds).

Farming efficiently and being patient with RNG are key strategies when hunting for a high-rolled Mind Sweeper.

Building Around Mind Sweeper

Creating a powerful Moze build in Borderlands 3 using the Mind Sweeper class mod requires an understanding of its unique mechanics and how they synergize with Moze’s skill trees, weapons, and gear. This section explores how to construct an optimized build around Mind Sweeper, focusing on loadouts, complementary equipment, and gameplay strategies.

Core Build Philosophy

The Mind Sweeper class mod is known for its explosive potential. It grants a chance to drop micro-grenades when Moze scores a critical hit—these grenades deal splash damage and scale with grenade damage modifiers. This makes the mod particularly effective in builds that focus on:

• High critical hit frequency
• Splash damage bonuses
• Grenade and explosive damage scaling
• Ammo regeneration and sustain for high fire-rate weapons

Mind Sweeper is best used with builds that lean into Moze’s Demolition Woman and Bottomless Mags skill trees, with select support from the Shield of Retribution tree for defense and utility.

Weapon Synergies

Mind Sweeper thrives when paired with weapons that have:

• High critical hit potential (e.g., crit-friendly SMGs, assault rifles)
• Splash damage capabilities (e.g., Ogre, Flipper, Monarch)
• High fire rate and large magazines (to trigger more critical hits and micro-grenades)

Recommended weapon choices include:

• Ogre (AR) – High splash and fire rate
• Flipper (SMG) – Multi-pellet projectiles with splash damage
• Redistributor (SMG) – Great for chaining criticals and maintaining ammo
• Boom Sickle (AR) – High crit and splash synergy

Grenades and Shields

Grenade and shield choice further enhance the effectiveness of a Mind Sweeper build. Since the mod relies on grenade damage scaling, using grenade mods that either boost damage or proc additional effects is key.

Recommended grenades:

• Cloning Maddening Tracker – Homing and spammable, great for mobbing
• Recurring Hex – High DPS and pairs well with splash builds

Recommended shields:

• Re-Charger – Keeps Moze alive while in the thick of battle
• Old God – Provides elemental damage buffs and damage reduction
• Transformer – Converts shock damage into shields, effective for survivability

Key Skill Tree Investments

To maximize Mind Sweeper’s potential, focus on the following skills across Moze’s trees:

Demolition Woman:

• Torgue Cross-Promotion – Increases splash damage radius
• Auto Bear – Adds support and damage from Iron Bear
• Pull the Holy Pin – Allows grenades to crit, synergizing with Mind Sweeper’s grenades
• Short Fuse – Adds another layer of explosive damage from gunfire

Bottomless Mags:

• Cloud of Lead – Adds incendiary damage and ammo conservation
• Some for the Road – Grants infinite ammo after exiting Iron Bear
• Click, Click... – Boosts damage as magazine empties

Shield of Retribution (optional):

• Drowning in Brass – Boosts team and personal damage
• Armored Infantry – Increases damage and resistance while shields are active

Class Mod Roll Optimization

When farming for a Mind Sweeper mod, look for skill boosts that enhance your build. Ideal skill bonuses include:

• Pull the Holy Pin
• Short Fuse
• Torgue Cross-Promotion
• Auto Bear (for Iron Bear support)
• Fire in the Skag Den (adds incendiary splash)

Rolls that boost splash damage, grenade damage, and critical hit damage are optimal for synergizing with the mod’s core mechanic.

Playstyle and Strategy

A successful Mind Sweeper build encourages an aggressive, fast-paced style. Key strategies include:

• Aiming for critical hits to trigger micro-grenades
• Maintaining constant fire to maximize splash damage output
• Positioning to avoid self-damage from explosions
• Using Iron Bear or Auto Bear for additional firepower and aggro control

When played correctly, the build is capable of melting bosses and clearing mobs quickly, turning the battlefield into a chain-reaction of explosions.

Common Pitfalls

Despite its power, the Mind Sweeper mod can lead to self-damage if not managed properly. Avoid these common issues:

• Standing too close to enemies during heavy fire
• Using weapons with high recoil or spread that reduce crit consistency
• Relying too much on Iron Bear without investing in synergy skills

By understanding and avoiding these pitfalls, players can ensure a smoother and more explosive gameplay experience.

Gear and Equipment Synergies

The Mind Sweeper class mod for Moze in Borderlands 3 is renowned for its explosive potential, especially when paired with the right gear and equipment. Understanding the synergies between this mod and other items is vital for maximizing DPS and sustaining survivability in both solo and co-op gameplay.

Weapon Synergies

Mind Sweeper excels when Moze is equipped with weapons that trigger splash damage or critical hits frequently, both of which interact with the mod’s micro grenade mechanic. Micro grenades have a chance to spawn on critical hits, dealing massive area-of-effect damage. Therefore, weapons with high fire rates and large magazines are ideal.

Recommended Weapons:

• Flipper (SMG): Fires multiple projectiles with a high fire rate; synergizes well with critical hit mechanics.
• Redistributor (SMG): When paired with the Shock damage and critical hits, this weapon can trigger multiple micro grenades.
• Lucian’s Call (Assault Rifle): Critical hits return bullets to the magazine and ricochet shots to nearby enemies—ideal for sustaining crit chains.
• Scourge (Rocket Launcher): Can benefit from grenade-based bonuses and splash damage stacking.
• Hellshock (Pistol): Offers elemental versatility and high crit potential.

Grenade Mod Synergies

While Mind Sweeper generates its own micro grenades, using a grenade mod that complements splash damage or boosts grenade damage can significantly enhance your output.

Recommended Grenade Mods:

• Recurring Hex: Offers multi-target tracking and elemental splash damage, synergizing with Moze’s splash damage bonuses.
• Cloning Maddening Tracker: Homing behavior and multiple instances of damage increase the chance of triggering Mind Sweeper’s crit effects.
• Storm Front: Provides continuous electrical splash damage, helping maintain consistent crowd control.

Shield Synergies

Shields that increase survivability while enhancing Moze’s offensive capabilities are the most effective companions to Mind Sweeper. Since Moze often plays aggressively at close-to-mid range, shields with strong recharge and utility effects are ideal.

Recommended Shields:

• Bloodletter (Class Mod synergy): Works well if combined with a health-to-shield conversion build, though not directly with Mind Sweeper, it can be incorporated in hybrid builds.
• Re-Charger: Instantly recharges shields once depleted, offering a second chance in chaotic fights.
• Transformer: Converts Shock damage into shields; great for absorbing self-inflicted splash damage from grenades and micro grenades.
• Old God: Boosts elemental damage and reduces damage taken, helping balance offense and defense.

Artifact Synergies

Artifacts that boost critical hit damage, splash damage, or grenade frequency amplify the effects of Mind Sweeper. Look for stats that enhance damage over time, area-of-effect bonuses, or ammo regeneration.

Recommended Artifacts:

• Victory Rush: Increases movement speed and damage after killing a badass; synergizes with Moze’s aggressive playstyle.
• Otto Idol: Restores health on kill, providing crucial sustain in prolonged engagements.
• Snowdrift Victory Rush: Offers mobility and kill-based damage bonuses—useful for repositioning and survivability.
• Elemental Projector: Can significantly boost elemental damage when Moze is affected by the same element, stacking well with splash-based elemental weapons.

Skill Tree Synergies

To fully utilize gear synergies, Moze’s skill tree should emphasize critical hit bonuses, splash damage, and ammo regeneration. Skills like “Short Fuse” (Demolition Woman tree), “Some for the Road” (Bottomless Mags), and “Fire in the Skag Den” (Demolition Woman) all enhance Mind Sweeper’s micro grenade output.

Pairing gear that increases magazine size or reduces ammo consumption with Bottomless Mags tree skills allows for extended firing durations, leading to more crits and, consequently, more micro grenades.

Mayhem Modifiers and Anointment Synergies

When playing on Mayhem levels, modifiers can either enhance or reduce the effectiveness of Mind Sweeper. Favor modifiers that increase splash damage or elemental damage. Additionally, weapon anointments like:

• “On Action Skill End, Splash Damage is increased by 200% for a short time”
• “While Under 50% Shield, gain 150% bonus Radiation Damage”
• “While Iron Bear is active, gain increased Damage Reduction and Weapon Damage”

…can drastically boost the effectiveness of Mind Sweeper builds.

Strategically combining gear, class mods, and skill trees creates a feedback loop of explosive potential, allowing Moze to wipe out enemies in a chain of critical hits and micro grenade detonations. These synergies are key to turning Mind Sweeper from a niche class mod into a top-tier choice for high-end Borderlands 3 gameplay.

Combat Strategy and Optimization

Successfully utilizing the Mind Sweeper class mod in Borderlands 3 requires not only understanding its mechanics but also implementing strategic gameplay adjustments that maximize its potential. Below are key approaches to combat strategy and optimization when using this high-risk, high-reward class mod with Moze.

Leveraging the Micro Grenade Effect

The Mind Sweeper’s signature ability is the chance to spawn a micro grenade upon landing a critical hit. These grenades deal splash damage and can chain multiple explosions when enemies are clustered. To optimize this effect:

• Aim for High Fire Rate Weapons: Weapons like the Vladof Assault Rifles or SMGs with high crit potential are ideal. The more frequent the critical hits, the higher the chance of micro grenades being spawned.
• Target Weak Spots: Focus on enemy weak points—such as heads for humanoids or critical mechanical components for robots—to trigger the mod’s effect consistently.
• Crowd Control Situations: Use in mob-heavy areas where grenade chaining can cause splash AoE damage to wipe out groups quickly.

Synergizing with Moze’s Skill Tree

The Mind Sweeper works best when paired with Moze's Demolition Woman and Bottomless Mags skill trees. Key synergies include:

• Pull the Holy Pin: This skill allows grenades to crit, which means Mind Sweeper’s micro grenades can cause additional micro grenades upon critical hits, creating chain reactions.
• Means of Destruction: Ensures ammo and grenade regen from splash damage, keeping Moze sustained during prolonged firefights.
• Short Fuse: This capstone skill synergizes extremely well by adding bonus splash damage after each hit, increasing overall DPS when combined with micro grenades.

Recommended Weapons and Loadouts

To get the most out of the Mind Sweeper, gear selection is critical:

• Weapons: Look for splash-damage capable weapons with high crit potential. The Monarch, Flipper, and Plasma Coil are all strong choices, depending on your build.
• Grenade Mods: Use MIRV or Recurring variants that increase the number of explosions. This complements the micro grenade mechanic and adds to the chaos.
• Artifacts: Use artifacts that boost splash damage, grenade damage, or offer ammo regeneration to maintain uptime.

Combat Tactics

• Keep Moving: Moze benefits from mobility, especially when under the effects of Mind Sweeper’s chaotic explosions. Staying mobile minimizes self-damage from splash.
• Positioning: Use verticality and cover to manage the blast radius of micro grenades, particularly in tight spaces where self-damage is more likely.
• Boss Fights: While Mind Sweeper excels in mobbing, it can be effective in boss fights that offer crit opportunities. Use weapons like the Crit or King’s Call to maintain crit chains.

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Self-Damage: Because micro grenades deal splash damage, players can easily hurt themselves if unaware of their positioning.
• Ammo Dependency: High-rate-of-fire weapons can quickly drain ammo. Without synergistic skills like Redistribution or Forge, this can limit uptime.
• Randomness in Damage Output: The grenade spawning chance is not guaranteed, making damage output somewhat inconsistent compared to more linear class mods like Blast Master.

Final Optimization Tips

• Use class mods with high rolls on splash damage, grenade damage, and crit damage stats to further amplify Mind Sweeper’s power.
• Consider Mayhem modifiers that enhance splash damage, but avoid those that reflect damage, as they can amplify self-harm.
• Pair with shields like the Transformer to absorb shock damage from your own grenades and mitigate some self-inflicted damage.

By focusing on high crit frequency, splash-enhancing gear, and synergistic skill choices, players can unlock the full destructive potential of the Mind Sweeper class mod in both mobbing and boss scenarios.

The Mind Sweeper class mod turns Moze into an unstoppable force of explosive critical hits when used correctly. By understanding its mechanics, farming for optimal rolls, pairing it with synergistic gear, and adapting your build and playstyle, you can harness its full power in Borderlands 3’s most intense combat scenarios. Whether you’re clearing mobs or melting bosses, the Mind Sweeper offers top-tier performance for damage-focused Vault Hunters. Dive into farming, build theory, and experimentation—and blow your enemies away. Explore your next Moze build with Mind Sweeper—experiment with gear, master crit-focused aiming, and become the explosive powerhouse you were meant to be. Don’t forget to bookmark this guide for future build updates and gear farming tips.