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The Kickballer is a Legendary Maliwan shotgun that has a dedicated drop source: Sludgemaw, at the bottom of Watershed Gate in Idolator’s Noose, in the Fadefields. To farm Sludgemaw repeatedly, complete Null and Void and then All Charged Up; finishing the latter unlocks repeat attempts through Moxxi’s Big Encore machine. PC Gamer’s location guide lays out the route, while Mobalytics’ item entry identifies the weapon and its listed effect.
Where to get the Kickballer
Target Sludgemaw at the bottom of Watershed Gate, in Idolator’s Noose in the Fadefields. The boss is the reported dedicated source for the Kickballer, making this the most direct route if you are farming specifically for the shotgun. PC Gamer’s guide reports that Sludgemaw is reached at the end of All Charged Up.
How to unlock repeat Sludgemaw attempts
- Speak with Rush south of The Launchpad, near Idolator Sol’s crashed ship, to start Null and Void.
- Complete Null and Void. The follow-up mission, All Charged Up, then becomes available from Rhodes.
- Play All Charged Up through the Sludgemaw encounter at Watershed Gate.
- After completing the encounter, use Moxxi’s Big Encore machine for repeat boss attempts.
This mission sequence and Encore unlock are described in PC Gamer’s September 17, 2025 guide.
What the Kickballer does
The Kickballer is a Legendary Maliwan shotgun. Mobalytics lists its unique effect as “Alt fire launches bouncing energy disc.” PC Gamer also describes bouncing projectiles, reporting that a successful hit fires a second projectile and that the weapon deals splash damage. The available descriptions do not establish whether the disc and ricochet details refer to separate fire modes, variants, or shorthand, so check the weapon’s current in-game behavior rather than assuming a more exact interaction. Mobalytics item entry · PC Gamer guide
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Stats and drop odds
The consulted item and location pages do not provide a complete current item-card stat line or a measured drop chance. Damage, pellet count, fire rate, and odds should not be treated as fixed figures here; inspect the specific drop you receive for its rolled stats.
Practical farming and weapon tips
Handle Sludgemaw’s burrowing
PC Gamer recommends using a fire weapon for the Sludgemaw fight, noting that the boss’s defenses are entirely health. Sludgemaw burrows frequently, so the encounter can interrupt your damage windows; be ready to resume pressure when it surfaces. These are the guide’s recommendations, not a measured damage comparison.
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Treat the Jakobs-part ricochet as version-dependent
PC Gamer advises looking for a Kickballer with a Jakobs-licensed part, which it reports can create an effectively continuous ricochet stream. The guide cautions that this interaction may be a bug and could be patched. Test it in your current game version before building around it or assuming every Kickballer will behave that way.
Balance splash damage against self-damage
The guide notes that other gear can increase the shotgun’s splash damage, but the added splash can injure you. That makes splash amplification a trade-off: it may strengthen the weapon’s area damage while making close-range use riskier.
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Can you get the Kickballer as a world drop?
Mobalytics also lists the Kickballer as a general world drop, meaning it may appear from enemies or bosses outside the Sludgemaw farm. The page gives no probability, so treat world loot as a possible bonus rather than a dependable or more efficient farming route. Mobalytics item entry
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