Borderlands 4 Bounty Pack 1 Guide: How to Start, Beat Minister Screw & Unlock All Rewards

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Mercenary Day has arrived in Borderlands 4, and Gearbox didn’t just wrap it with a bow—they packed it full of explosions, new story missions, a multi-phase boss fight, exclusive legendary loot, and a brand-new Vault Card loaded with 28 rewards.

But most players hit the same problems:

  • “Where does the quest even start?”

  • “Why is Donk shielding the boss forever?”

  • “How do I escape the Black Hole?”

  • “What’s the fastest way to farm Tickets and XP?”

  • “Which rewards are actually worth grinding for?”

This all-in-one mega-guide solves everything — including community builds, farming loops, speedrun routes, troubleshooting, and a tier list of all seven new legendaries.

Let’s get festive, vault hunter. 🎁πŸ’₯

🟩 QUICK START CHECKLIST (Bookmark This Section)

✔ Complete main story (required for many users to see DLC trigger)
✔ Travel to The Launchpad (Fadefields)
✔ Look for the gift icon on map
✔ Interact → Start The War on Mercenary Day
✔ Equip Shock + Corrosive + Heavy Weapon
✔ Kill Donk first, then Screw
✔ Use ceiling grapples to dodge Black Hole
✔ Unlock Vault Card → Farm Tickets
✔ Use Big Encore Machine to respawn Screw quickly

🎁 How to Start Bounty Pack 1: Finding the Gift-Wrapped Present

Borderlands 4 Bounty Pack 1 Guide

Many players miss the starting point. Here’s the exact method.

✔ Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Travel to Any Major Hub

    • Recommended: The Launchpad (Fadefields)

  2. Check Your Minimap

    • Look for a brightly wrapped present icon.

  3. Interact With the Gift

    • Press the action button → Mission begins instantly.

  4. If It Doesn’t Appear:

    • Complete the main campaign

    • Fast travel to another hub

    • Restart your game session

πŸ”§ Community Note

Players report The Refuge also reliably spawns the present.

πŸ“œ Full Mission Walkthrough: How Rush Saved Mercenary Day

⭐ Phase 1 — Deliver Holiday Cheer (and Bullets)

  • Pick up decorations at Slime’s Five and Dime

  • Deliver three gifts scattered across Fadefields

  • Expect heavy Order troop resistance

⭐ Phase 2 — Storming the Ministry of Culture

Location: North of Zadra’s Backup Plan in the Synthetic Nave

  • Fight through multiple security waves

  • Activate override terminals

  • Use generators to unlock doors

  • Light puzzles appear here — nothing too complex

⭐ Phase 3 — Destroying the Propaganda Towers

Three towers must be destroyed:

  • Fight waves of enemies

  • Hack the shield emitters

  • Platform your way to exposed weak points

  • Blow the towers sky-high

Once all towers fall → Boss arena opens.

πŸ‘Ώ Boss Fight Guide: How to Beat Minister Screw & Donk (Two-Phase Fight)

This fight is the community’s biggest complaint—but only if you don’t know the trick.

πŸ”₯ ⭐ Phase 1 — KILL DONK FIRST

Minister Screw is practically immortal until Donk dies.

🎯 Donk’s Health Bars:

  • 🟦 Shield (Shock weapons destroy instantly)

  • 🟩 Armor x2 (Use Corrosive weapons)

❗ Why Donk Must Die First:

He casts Dome Shield, making Minister Screw immune.

✔ COMMUNITY-BACKED TACTIC

  • Use a Shock SMG to break the shield

  • Switch to Corrosive shotgun or launcher

  • Keep moving to avoid Screw’s AoE blasts

πŸ”₯ ⭐ Phase 2 — Minister Screw: Black Hole Mechanic

Once Donk falls, Screw enters “rage mode.”

⚫ Black Hole Attack:

  • Creates a massive gravitational pull

  • Can kill you in seconds

  • Hard mode players die instantly

✔ How to Escape the Black Hole

Use the Grapple Hooks on the Ceiling.
Shoot the hook → Pull yourself straight up → Zero damage taken.

🎯 Screw’s Health Bars:

  • 🟦 Shield

  • 🟩 Armor

  • ❤️ Flesh

Swap weapon damage types as bars change.

⭐ Pro Tips From Top Players

  • Aerial play wins this fight

  • Rockets erase armor quickly

  • Abuse vertical cover for crit angles

🟦 Best Vault Hunters & Builds for This Fight (Community Tested)

πŸ”₯ S-Tier Choices

Amon – Best Armor Melter

  • Great for shredding Screw’s armor phase

  • Whip combos → fast stagger

Harlowe – Best Mobility

  • Dodges Black Hole easily

  • CC helps against adds

πŸ”₯ A-Tier Choice

Rafa – Shield Breaker

  • Perfect for Donk’s shield

  • Thrives in co-op

πŸ’Ž Rewards Overview — All 28 Items + Legendary Weapons

🟨 Happy Mercenary Day Vault Card (Free Forever)

Contains:

🎨 24 Cosmetics

  • 6 Vault Hunter skins

  • 8 trinkets

  • 4 emotes

  • 3 ECHO skins

  • 3 weapon shaders

πŸ”₯ 4 Rerollable Legendary Weapons

Weapon            Type            Why It’s Good
Aching RoilSMGHigh elemental chance
RookerSniperMassive crit multiplier
HardpointPistolAll-rounder; fast swap
MissilaserShotgunExplosive projectiles; top-tier

πŸ’₯ Boss-Specific Legendaries (Minister Screw Loot Pool)

Item                                Type        Community Rating
Rowdy RiderARA-Tier handling + RoF
Inscriber PistolPistolS-Tier synergy builds
Healthraiser RepkitUtilityBest healing item release-era

πŸ† Legendary Loot Tier List (All 7 New Items)

Based on community testing + early patch data.

🟩 S-Tier

  • Missilaser

  • Inscriber Pistol

🟧 A-Tier

  • Rowdy Rider

  • Rooker

🟨 B-Tier

  • Aching Roil

  • Hardpoint

  • Healthraiser Repkit (situational)

πŸ”„ Farming Guide: Fastest Methods for All Loot & Tickets

πŸ”₯ 1. Fast Screw Farming Loop

  1. Travel to Ministry of Culture

  2. Enter arena

  3. Use Moxxi’s Big Encore Machine to respawn boss

  4. Kill Donk → Kill Screw

  5. Repeat

Best for farming the 3 unique legendaries.

πŸ”₯ 2. Fastest XP & Ticket Farming (Community Proven)

XP Loops

  • Chaos Surge events in Fadefields

  • Ministry of Culture entrance choke points

  • 3-player co-op = +30–40% XP boost

Ticket Farming

  • Weekly Challenges (highest value)

  • Daily Challenges (~15–25 Tickets/day)

  • High-difficulty co-op runs

⚙️ Troubleshooting: Common Issues & Fixes

❗ Gift Present Not Showing

✔ Finish main story
✔ Change hub location
✔ Restart game

❗ Donk Shield Stuck Bug

✔ Reset fight using Encore Machine
✔ Avoid killing Donk while Screw is mid-animation

❗ Vault Card Not Progressing

✔ Swap to another character → then back
✔ Redeem unclaimed tutorial items
✔ Restart session

❗ Black Hole Visual Glitch

✔ Disable Motion Blur
✔ Reduce Screen Shake

⚡ Speedrun Strategy (Under 12 Minutes)

Used by early community speedrunners.

  1. Ignore most adds

  2. Grapple → skip tower platforming sections

  3. Single-shot towers with launcher

  4. Rocket Donk instantly

  5. Maintain aerial advantage during Screw

  6. Use explosive launcher → crit sniper swap

This is the fastest known method as of November 2025.

πŸ•’ How Long Is Bounty Pack 1? (Playtime)

  • Story-only: 45–60 minutes

  • All rewards: 6–10 hours

  • Perfect rolls: 8–15 hours

❓ FAQ — Quick Answers

Q: Do I need to buy this DLC?
No, completely free.

Q: Does the Vault Card expire?
No — permanent progression.

Q: Can I farm the boss?
Yes, using Big Encore Machine.

Q: Do rewards scale to my level?
Yes, all items scale to Vault Hunter level.

Q: Is co-op easier?
Yes — especially for Black Hole escapes.

🎬 Conclusion: The Definitive Mercenary Day Experience

Bounty Pack 1 nails everything fans want from Borderlands 4:

  • A fun holiday story

  • A genuinely challenging boss fight

  • Seven new legendaries

  • A permanent reward track

  • Great farming loops

  • Massive replay value

Whether you're here to grind weapons, enjoy a festive adventure, or perfect your Vault Card loadout, this update is one of the best free drops in Borderlands history.

Now get out there, vault hunter —
Minister Screw won’t beat himself, and those S-Tier rolls won’t farm themselves.

What’s the FIRST reward you’re claiming?  

πŸ› ️ Community Links & Resources

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