Welcome, fellow tech explorers and Vault Hunters! Here at Digital Tech Explorer, we’re always diving deep into the latest titles, and Borderlands 4 has certainly captivated us with its renewed focus on the thrill of the hunt. As TechTalesLeo, I’m thrilled to guide you through one of its most compelling new challenges: finding the nine elusive vault key fragments scattered across Kairos to unlock three unique vaults. While some fragments are straightforward, others demand a keen eye and a bit of ingenuity. This comprehensive guide will cut through the clutter, revealing the exact locations of each fragment and their respective vaults. Forget about mandatory silo unlocks; we’re taking the most direct path to gear you up for success, ensuring you make informed decisions on your journey to enhance your in-game skills (aside from the few cases where it’s easier to reach the fragment using the silos’ lift).
Fadefields Vault and Fragment Locations: Unlocking the Arch of Inceptus
The Fadefields marks your initial foray into Kairos, and I highly recommend prioritizing the discovery of its hidden vault. Let’s pinpoint where you need to go for each piece:
Coastal Bonescape fragment:
This first fragment rests on a crate at the base of a tower. You’ll find it nestled on the island near the water in Stillshore, located in the southwest corner of Coastal Bonescape. This is often the first fragment players encounter after the prologue, especially with a bounty contract directing you to the vicinity.
The Howl fragment:
Search for this piece on a pedestal within a small cave. It’s situated on the northeast side of The Launch Pad, just southwest of Ardor’s Bounty. Keep an eye out for distinct, odd-shaped pillars nearby – they serve as an excellent landmark if you’re traveling north up the main road from the settlement.
Idolator’s Noose fragment:
Venture into Rosemary’s Reserve, northeast of Idolator’s Noose, until the Propaganda Tower comes into view. From there, turn southeast. Use your trusty grapple hook to dislodge a loose vent blocking a hole in the wall. This reveals a secluded nook where you’ll discover the fragment on a Ripper’s corpse. Don’t miss the Marcus bobblehead nearby while you’re at it!
Borderlands 4 Fadefields Vault Location: Confronting the Primordial Guardian Inceptus
With all three Fadefields vault key fragments secured, you’re ready to seek out the Arch of Inceptus vault. This vault is perched on a cliff to the east of the Fadefields. Prepare to grapple up the cliff face and clear a mangler nest, as this opens the path further up the hill. Successfully completing this vault will significantly enhance your mobility with faster glide pack regeneration – a real game-changer!
The Fadefields vault guardian, Primordial Guardian Inceptus, presents a unique challenge. Here’s what to expect:
- Utilize your grapple to create vulnerable pustules on the boss, providing prime targets for critical damage.
- Be agile! Inceptus will leap, spit corrosive blobs, and whip with its tail. Dodge these attacks by moving to the side.
- When Inceptus spins its tails, time your jumps to avoid the sweep.
- For its most devastating assault, Inceptus will ascend to the ceiling, cocooning itself. This attack covers the floor in toxins and rains down explosives. You’ll need to continuously grapple around the arena to stay airborne while targeting the weak spots at the top of the cocoon.
Defeating Inceptus can yield these powerful legendary items:
- 🔫 Lucky Clover (pistol)
- 🔫 Husky Friend (shotgun)
- 🔫 Ravenfire (heavy ordnance)
- 🛡️ Extra Medium (shield)
- 🔧 Electric Avatar (Vex class mod)
- 🔧 Rewarding Filantropo (Rafa class mod)
- 🔧 Elementalist (Amon class mod)
- 🔧 Reactor (Harlowe class mod)
Carcadia Burn Vault and Fragment Locations: Discovering the Arch of Radix
Carcadia Burn is one of two dynamic regions you can explore after the initial hours of the main campaign. Many adventurers (myself included) often head here directly after the Fadefields. Here’s your guide to unlocking its vault:
Lopside fragment:
Your first piece is strategically lodged between two tables atop the One Pumper gas station, located on the western edge of the Lopside region, just south of the Makeshift Chalet safehouse. Simply grapple up to the roof, and it will be waiting for you.
Ruined Sumplands fragment:
This fragment rests on a pedestal surrounded by distinctive pillars near the water outside of Hull’s Handbasket. You’ll find it in the north of Carcadia Burn, just past the Judgement’s Lapse silo. Head down the hill towards the water, and it will be on your right.
Tonnage Peel fragment:
The final fragment in this region awaits inside the Wreck of the Last Great Hope, far to the west of The Lowrise safehouse. Journey down to the western coast, and you’ll spot a ‘tunnel’ formed by the ship’s wreckage. Enter, and soon on your left, near a red light, you’ll see a hatch in the ground. Use your grappling hook to yank it open, then jump into the cavern below to claim the fragment from its pedestal.
Borderlands 4 Carcadia Burn Vault Location: Battling Primordial Guardian Radix
With all three Carcadia Burn vault key fragments now in your possession, make your way to the sandy plain in the northwest corner of the Grindstone of the Worthy region, in northern Carcadia Burn, to find the Arch of Radix. It’s conveniently located not far east of The Lowrise safehouse, or north of the Rustical Hurl silo. Completing this vault offers another crucial movement upgrade: reduced glide pack regeneration delay.
Carcadia Burn’s vault boss, Primordial Guardian Radix, demands a tactical approach:
- Radix primarily inflicts shock damage, which is highly effective against shields (blue) but less so against armour shields (green).
- Its entire health bar is armour, so arm yourself with a potent corrosive weapon. Cyro also serves as a reliable fallback.
- Be prepared to dodge backwards or to the side to evade Radix’s rock throws and lunging attacks.
- Throughout most of the encounter, Radix will be enveloped by spinning rocks. Maintaining distance is often the safest strategy.
- Its most vexing attack involves Radix ascending into the air and summoning a storm, which creates damaging areas on the ground. Remain vigilant and avoid these zones.
Overcoming Radix can reward you with these legendary items:
- 🔫 Anarchy (shotgun)
- 🔫 Bottled Lightning (SMG)
- ❤️🩹 Adrenaline Pump (repkit)
- 🔧 Witch (Vex class mod)
- 🔧 Grenazerker (Rafa class mod)
- 🔧 Forge Master (Amon class mod)
- 🔧 Scientist (Harlowe class mod)
Terminus Range Vault and Fragment Locations: Claiming the Arch of Origo
While Terminus Range becomes accessible concurrently with Carcadia Burns, many players opt to tackle it last. However, its vault reward is arguably more beneficial for sustained exploration, making it a smart second choice. Let’s uncover its secrets:
Vestal Garrison fragment:
The most accessible fragment in this area lies within the Vestal Garrison, positioned directly east of the region’s entrance from Carcadia Burn, or just southwest of The Nightcap safehouse.
Ascend the stairs and pass through the large door into the garrison. Immediately turn left and proceed through another door, up a small staircase, to find a command room. The fragment is prominently displayed on a crate beneath the large monitor as you enter.
The Low Leys fragment:
This fragment is located in the heart of the L-shaped Low Leys region, specifically near The Pit point of interest. It’s north of the Eureka Stane crawler activity and just east of the entrance from Carcadia Burn.
On the road leading towards The Pit, look for a cluster of houses on stilts and a distinctive curved tree with pink leaves clinging to a cliff face. Climb the rocks behind this tree, then grapple up to a ledge where you’ll discover the fragment on a pedestal.
Cuspid Climb fragment:
The third fragment is concealed within a cave in the center of Cuspid Climb, most easily reached directly from The Reliquary silo. Jump out of the window and utilize the balloon lift to reach an outcrop to the north. Here, you’ll find a lone tree extending from the end and a group of trees near a cave entrance. Enter the cave and navigate up a few rocks to find the final fragment on a pedestal.
Borderlands 4 Terminus Range Vault Location: Conquering Primordial Guardian Origo
Now that you’ve diligently collected all three of the vault key fragments in Terminus Range, it’s time to locate its vault, the Arch of Origo, situated on the border between The Low Leys and Cuspid Climb.
Travel north on the main road from the Heritage Opus safehouse. Shortly after crossing the bridge into The Low Leys, cast your gaze to the left. You’ll spot a ledge on the far side of a ravine. Leap across and enter the cave behind the shrine. Successfully completing this vault grants a significant 50% glide pack cost reduction, further empowering your exploration across Kairos!
The Terminus Range vault’s formidable boss is Primordial Guardian Origo. Here are its key characteristics and how to counter them:
- Origo adeptly switches between ice and fire damage. Cryo is strong against armour, while fire delivers bonus damage against your health.
- Conversely, Origo’s entire health pool consists of shields. Prioritize using a shock weapon, or radiation as an effective alternative.
- Its critical weak spot is the crystals on its back, which also visually indicate its current elemental attunement.
- Origo employs a powerful slam attack and can unleash elemental breath attacks. Both are best avoided by dodging to the side.
- Periodically, Origo will take flight, bombing the arena and performing strafing breath attacks. Crucially, it can drench the arena in fire or ice. To survive this, you’ll need to grapple open fissures on the ground to stay airborne until the attack subsides.
Defeating Origo offers a chance at these legendary items:
- 🔫 Kaoson (SMG)
- 🔫 Bottled Lightning (SMG)
- 🛡️ Watts 4 Dinner (shield)
- 🔧 Kindred Spirits (Vex class mod)
- 🔧 Buster (Rafa class mod)
- 🔧 Shatterweight (Amon class mod)
- 🔧 Driver (Harlowe class mod)
For more essential Borderlands 4 insights from Digital Tech Explorer and TechTalesLeo, check out:
- Borderlands 4 Shift codes: The new key connection.
- Borderlands 4 Black Market location: New legendaries, no grind.
- Borderlands 4 characters: Meet your new Vault Hunters and find out who’s strongest.
- Borderlands 4 Harlowe builds: The amped-up Gravitar.
- Borderlands 4 Rafa builds: The speed-demon Exo-Soldier.
- Borderlands 4 Vex builds: The spooky Siren.
- Borderlands 4 Amon builds: The fierce Forgeknight.