Borderlands – Do skills or items that increase fire rate also affect melee attack speed? (e.g. Krieg the Psycho’s Buzz Axe Rampage)

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I noticed that Krieg the Psycho has a skill that increases Fire Rate (Embrace the Pain), on the Mania skill tree (which focuses on improving the Buzz Axe Rampage action skill). Embrace the Pain increases Fire Rate when the shields are down. I am wondering if the Buzz Axe Rampage attack speed (both melee and when throwing the axe) is also increased by the Embrace the Pain skill and other skills that increase Fire Rate. What about the regular melee attack (V, by default on the PC) by all the playable characters (including Krieg, when non-Buzz Axe Rampaging)?

And what about items (e.g. class mods or relics) that increase Fire Rate? Will they also affect normal melee attack speed or the Buzz Axe Rampage skill attack speed (both melee and when the axe is thrown)?

Embrace the Pain - increases Fire Rate

Best Answer

The thrown axe counts as a pistol, so pistol fire rate is what you are looking for. I run with the Sheriff's Badge exclusively now and farmed the 56% one just for this reason. With no Blood Trance I get 16-17 throws up from the normal 11-12. Unfortunately, the pistol damage boost on the Badge doesn't effect the thrown axe :/

While writing this it crossed my mind to test Embrace the Pain, and that does NOT boost the thrown axe. This is an exception, all other general or pistol fire rate increases should work. Elemental Elation DOES work.

I second the answers from others, the primary melee doesn't change in speed.

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