I'm late to the Borderlands 2 party, but I picked up the Season Pass for a steal. I'm still only in the teens as far as my level is concerned. However, there are now 3 DLC packs out and I've got them all installed. Sometimes it's tempting to go away from the main quest and just jump into something new and potentially interesting.
In BL1, I played through the DLC between playthroughs of the game, treating the add-ons like continuations of the game post-final-boss. I'm not sure if this is a good idea in BL2 (or even if it was smart in BL1, honestly…)
Is there a recommended level for starting the DLCs? Will I encounter enemies that are too hard if I go early, or too easy if I go late? Are there some weapons or quest rewards that I really can't get the most of until after I'm a certain level?
Best Answer
TL;DR: On Normal, Scarlett's and Torgue's campaigns are supposed to be taken alongside the main quest, at any point since level 15. Hammerlock's and Tina's - after the main quest. On TVHM and UVHM - any campaign at any point.
Campaign DLCs scale to player's level when you first visit them, but with restrictions in Normal and TVHM. These are:
Upper bounds is what I observe when returning my level 50 from TVHM. Lower bounds are what I see when jumping there with a level 8 character.
Big Game Hunt and Dragon Keep are the ones definitely designed to be taken after the main quest - other two are actually a breeze if you are level 33-34 after the main quest, and especially when you complete them at 36-38.
Side note: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage is NOT similar to Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot - it is not a ladder of lots of rounds on a few arenas. It is what Underdome should have been - a full-sized quest line built around a tournament and several arena (and non-arena) battles (and non-battles).