Borderlands 4 Down and Outbound walkthrough

After completing Recruitment Drive in Borderlands 4, you’ll immediately get Down and Outbound, which sends you to the Outbounders’ HQ. There, you’ll link up with another resistance group and recruit them to your side. It’s a lengthy mission, with some optional objectives, but we’ll guide you through all of it. On your way to this mission, there are several side missions you can pick up too, so pick this mission up whenever you’re ready.

While you’re on your way to the Outbounders HQ, if you take a minor detour, for example, you can find a piece of this region’s Vault Key. Just head up into the huge mountain along the path; we’ve got a guide for that as well. If you find yourself stuck with something in Down and Outbound in Borderlands 4, we’re here to help.

Down and Outbound complete quest guide for Borderlands 4

Quest steps

Travel to Outbounders HQ
Kill Order forces
Meet Rush
Meet Conway
Scan Vehicle
Reach Order surveillance center
Reach Spymaster & Optional Objective: Recover Order contraband
Kill Spymaster
Take Spymaster’s bolt
Collect bolt scanner parts
Return to Outbounders HQ
Install scanner parts
Scan Spymaster’s bolt

Down and Outbound shouldn’t take you too much more than 30-40 minutes in Borderlands 4. My recording took 50 minutes, but I also did a lot of detours, such as grabbing the Vault Key Fragment. I wouldn’t expect it to go much farther than 40 minutes, unless the boss, Horace, becomes a threat.

1) Travel to Outbounders HQ, Kill Order forces

Naturally, you show up in the middle of a firefight (Image via 2K Games)

The first step in Borderlands 4’s Down and Outbound is to actually just get to the Outbounders HQ. The quest marker will lead you there, so there’s no real difficulty other than a few enemy packs. There is a Fast Travel marker about halfway there, so at least there’s that, should you die.

The Fast Travel for the Outbounders HQ won’t activate until you complete this mission, so keep that in mind. For that reason, you really should just start and then commit to this, instead of stopping and coming back to it later. When you arrive at The Launchpad, Order forces are already there fighting the Outbounders.

At best there will probably be one or two Badasses, depending on difficulty, but the enemy is nice and spread out. No matter who you’re playing, this should be easy. Vex really shines in fights like this, because you can spread her Specters out and they’ll fight multiple groups at once for you.

2) Meet Rush, Meet Conway, Scan Vehicle

You can grapple from here and walk right into the base in Borderlands 4 (Image via 2K Games)

You’ll find the entrance to the Outbounders HQ along the water, near the large building. You can just jump down into the water and use the Grapple Point to get onto solid ground again. They’ve also conveniently painted their symbol above the door for easy recognition. Once inside, just head to Rush and listen to what he has to say.

Before we can just rush out to help them in Borderlands 4, we need to speak with Conway, his second in command, and most competent member of the Outbounders. SHe’ll give you an idea of where to go, and a vehicle with which you can move much faster. Just use your ECHO Device and scan it, and then interact with it to claim the digi-bike.

If you’ve been exploring the game deeply, you may have other parts for this vehicle, which you can equip via the Customize menu, but if not, don’t worry about it. Just leave the building, summon your digi-bike and drive to the Order Surveillance Center.

3) Reach Spymaster & Optional Objective: Recover Order contraband

The bulk of Down and Outbound is right in this section of Borderlands 4. It’s a pretty large base, and while you don’t have to pick up the four pieces of Contraband, we do know where it is, so we’ll point it out as we navigate through the base. Most of it’s just slightly off the beaten path, and your ECHO Device can lead you to it. If you see a quest objective with a Blue Plus next to it, that means it’s an optional objective.

As you pull up to the building, Rush will ask you about the contraband, but it’s up to you if you do it or not. When you arrive, take out the enemies at the front gate, and head southeast, to go up a flight of stairs, and then a second small set of stairs. You’ll likely have to fight your way to this, as well. It’s likely that you’ll have to fight a Badass at the top of the stairs, so be ready to brawl.

Just head to that circle, and you'll find the first contraband in Borderlands 4's Down and Outbound (Image via 2K Games)

After you defeat everyone here, look for the open doorway; it’s on the right side of this little arena, and you should be able to see it from the steps you climbed to get here. The first Contraband is on top of a pair of crates in here. Grab it, head outside, and go right, to continue the assault on Order forces. You’ll enter into a large courtyard, with plenty of Synths to do battle with, so take your time and eliminate them. Once you’ve done that, you can pick up the next contraband.

After you defeat the Synths, head up the flight of stairs to go forward, and look to your left for an open door, just in front of a set of stairs. You can see it in the screenshot below. This is where the second Contraband can be found. Go inside the building and pick up the blue glowing item on top of the crates.

Just head into the circled area before going upstairs, for the second contraband (Image via 2K Games)

Before you leave this area, look to your left to find a grate that you can grapple open. Take the path, and you’ll find a Vault Symbol collectible and a container with several guns of various rarities. After that, continue Borderlands 4’s Down and Outbound by leaving the room and going left, to climb more stairs.

At the top of the small stairways, you’ll, of course, find more Synths to shoot at. So take cover and take them out. Scale the nearby wall, and you’ll hear the dulcet tones of Horace, the Spymaster. While he rambles at you, if you look straight ahead, you’ll find an open doorway. Make a note of this for after you defeat the Order forces down in the next courtyard.

Afterwards, go to the other side of the courtyard, and instead of progressing, look to your left to find an open doorway, seen in the screenshot below. If you go through this passageway, you’ll find the third Contraband sitting on a crate. You don’t have to backtrack, either! Just keep going forward and stay in this area to progress the mission.

Just finish off the enemies in this courtyard, and look to the left. That circled area has the door you need to go through (Image via 2K Games)

However, you’re definitely going to be in for a fight, with the Badass Warden up here. He won’t be alone, so if you’ve got some Shock, Corrosive, and Fire-themed weapons, now’s the time to break them out. Focus on the Badass, though. If they take you down, you can easily kill one of his minions to get a Second Wind.

Defeat these enemies, and use the ECHO Device. It will guide you to a doorway you can enter. There’s a ladder near the Do-Over Station, so climb it, and lay waste to the enemies that you find in this area.

Before long you’ll find more Synths and Watchmen, so use the nearby grapplable items and fire containers, and blow these dorks up. As you follow the path, you’ll likely run right into a Badass Domination Engine, so I kited it back into the room I was just in to fight it. You’ll also hear Horace be admonished, which doesn’t bode well for him or you.

Left image: Where you enter this area. Right image: The contraband's on the right side on the way out of this little alcove (Image via 2K Games)

Once outside, climb both sets of stairs, and you’ll see a pair of vending machines off in the distance. That’s how you know you’re almost at the fourth Contraband pickup in Borderlands 4’s Down and Outbound. Turn left as soon as you get up the second flight of stairs, and you’ll find a Red Weapons Chest to crack open, alongside some ammo. Take the time to get this, before moving on.

Turn around and head back the way you came, and you’ll see the fourth Contraband sitting on a nearby crate. Activate your ECHO Device and it will glow, making it easy to see.

4) Kill Spymaster, Take Spymaster’s bolt

Phase 1 of Horace in Borderlands 4 is pretty easy. If you get downed, just use one of his minions for a free Second Wind (Image via 2K Games)

The fight against Horace, the Spymaster has two phases. The first one is simply breaking down his shields while avoiding his attacks. It feels like the Wardens you’ve already fought. He floats in the air menacingly, and bombards you with ranged attacks. He’s got a few to watch out for like a Macross-style missile bombardment, which you can avoid behind cover.

He can throw a spear at you, shoot a laser attack, and track you down with mechanical projectiles; thankfully, you can just shoot these. If there’s a triangle over his head, these are on the way so keep an eye out. As with most shields, focus on Shock damage if you have it. He’s humanoid, so his actual health can be dealt with using Ignite.

Horace gets way more aggressive in the second phase (Image via 2K Games)

Phase 2 begins with the Timekeeper taking over Horace’s body. After the brief dialogue, Horace becomes more melee-focused. He swings a scythe at you and chases you down with very aggressive attacks. He can use a jumping scythe attack, an even more aggressive projectile bombardment, and throw his scythe, which creates an AOE splash zone.

Keep away from him the best you can, and flatten him using Ignite damage, if you have it. Once deplete his health bar, you can loot his Spymaster’s bolt, and progress with this Borderlands 4 quest. Leave the base, fighting your way out if necessary and hop on your digi-bike. You need to ride to a nearby area with some spare parts you’ll need.

5) Collect bolt scanner parts, return to Outbounders HQ

The ECHO Device will lead you to the next area, and it’s not really that far away, thanks to the digi-bike. You’re heading to the Wreck of the Nostalgia, a crashed spaceship. Unfortunately, Rippers have moved in and are trying to use the parts from this ship for. . . something. Either way, we can’t have that.

The first required collectible for this part of the Borderlands 4 mission is right in the first main courtyard (Image via 2K Games)

You’ll begin fighting with Rippers almost immediately, so clear the first area of all threats. In the center of this area, you’ll find the first bolt scanner part sitting on a crate. You can see it in the screenshot above, but it’s very easy to find, thanks to its blue glow. If in doubt, use the ECHO Device.

You’ll want to activate it afterwards anyway, to lead you to the next bolt scanner part. The quest will lead you to a large chasm that you have to grapple across. Do so, and defeat the Rippers found on the other side.

The second part is directly forward after you make the first big jump (Image via 2K Games)

You should be able to see the glowing quest item on top of the computer console directly ahead of where you grappled in, also in the above screenshot. This is the second bolt scanner part. Keep heading forward and you’ll find yourself outside, near some grassy areas you can jump to.

Just take down the Badass Psycho, and the last quest item is yours! (Image via 2K Games)

Glide over to the grassy area, and hang a right to find a Badass Psycho. This Psycho is guarding the third bolt scanner part, in the screenshot. Just defeat this very aggressive enemy, and you’re free to leave this area. Once you have all three, Rush will inform you that you can now Fast Travel to the Outbounders HQ. Do so, to reach the last steps of this Borderlands 4 mission.

6) Install scanner parts, Scan Spymaster’s bolt

At the end of this Borderlands 4 mission, you learn a terrifying weapon is being developed (Image via 2K Games)

This part of Down and Outbound in Borderlands 4 is incredibly easy. Just interact with the green glowing portions of the room the quest marker takes you to, and learn more about Horace, the Spymaster. You’ll discover there’s a Bio-Weapon in the works, and we definitely need to put a stop to that as soon as possible.

This concludes Down and Outbound, and begins A Lot to Process in Borderlands 4. Your rewards include XP,A Rare Assault Rifle, Cash, Eridium, and the Digital Frontier Vault Hunter style.

Check out our other Borderlands 4 guides and features

About the author

Jason is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda holding an amazing 11 years of experience under his belt. Having put out 4000-plus articles and amassing over 12 million reads for Sportskeeda, he is among the company’s most experienced writers. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in English from UNC Pembroke and was inspired to become a gaming journalist very early on in life after reading Nintendo Power.

Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to gaming journalism. He’s a key writer in Sportskeeda's MMO department, but he also likes to help out in other categories, like streamers, RPG, card games, and whatever else is needed. A solo gamer at heart, Jason's favorite titles include Earthbound and Dragon Warrior.

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Edited by Jason Parker