You're standing in Sawtooth Cauldron. It’s loud, it’s orange, and honestly, it’s one of the most annoying maps in the entire game. If you’ve spent any time hunting for the Borderlands 2 The Lost Treasure quest, you know exactly why people get frustrated here. It’s not just the verticality of the map or the endless waves of Buzzards screaming overhead while you’re trying to look at a wall. It's the fact that this quest is a massive scavenger hunt that doesn't give you waypoints.
Most Borderlands 2 quests hold your hand. This one? It leaves you in the dust.
You probably picked up the "ECHO" recording from a random bandit drop in Sawtooth Cauldron. Or maybe you found it in a box. Either way, you're now looking for four switches hidden across the map, and the game is being remarkably vague about where they are. This isn't just about the loot at the end—though the Longbow sniper rifle is a neat novelty—it's about the satisfaction of actually clearing this thing out of your quest log.
Finding Those Four Annoying Switches
The biggest hurdle for Borderlands 2 The Lost Treasure is that the switches look like regular environment assets. They aren't glowing neon signs. They're just small, brown levers tucked away in corners you’d usually sprint right past.
First, head to the Main Reservoir. You’re looking for a switch near the water’s edge. It’s tucked under one of the wooden piers near the crane. If you’re getting shot at by bandits from the stilts above, you’re in the right neighborhood. Don't overthink it. Just look for the prompt "Flip" when you hug the support beams.
Next up is the switch in the Cramfist’s Foundry area. This one is high up. You have to take the elevator or climb the ladders to the upper scaffolding. It’s usually located on a metal pillar near the top. Pro tip: clear the room first. Trying to find a tiny lever while a Badass Psycho is breathing down your neck is a recipe for a respawn screen.
The third one is tucked away in the Smoking Guano Grotto. This is the area where the Buzzards like to hang out and ruin your day. Look for a small building or shack near the edge of the platforms. The switch is usually on the outside wall of one of these structures, often hidden behind some crates or near a doorway. It’s incredibly easy to miss if you’re moving too fast.
Finally, the fourth switch is located in the Avie’s Camp area. This is the high-altitude spot where you jump off to get that one specific challenge. The switch is on the side of a building, near some clutter. Once you flip all four, the quest updates. You aren't done yet, but the hardest part of the "scavenger" phase is over.
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Why People Actually Do This Quest
Is the loot worth it? Kinda.
The reward is a unique Hyperion sniper rifle called the Longbow. It’s weird. Most Hyperion snipers have that "reverse recoil" thing where they get more accurate as you fire. The Longbow is different because it has no scope. When you aim down sights, you get a Minecraft-style iron sight. It fires arrows—well, slow-moving projectiles—that travel in a straight line with no arc.
It’s a literal Minecraft easter egg.
If you’re a collector, you need it. If you’re a Zer0 player looking for a high-damage crit machine, it’s fun but impractical for long-range sniping because of the projectile travel time. You have to lead your targets. In a game as fast as Borderlands 2, leading a target with a sniper rifle is an acquired taste.
Navigating Sawtooth Cauldron Without Dying
Sawtooth Cauldron is a death trap if you aren't prepared. The enemy density is some of the highest in the base game. You have to deal with:
- Buzzards: These are the flying pests that make everyone hate this map. Bring a Corrosive weapon. A Hornet or a Teapot makes quick work of them.
- Threshers: They pop out of the ground in the Reservoir. If you aren't careful, a Wormhole Thresher will pull you right into a group of bandits.
- Suicide Psychos: The narrow corridors of the Grotto make these guys terrifying.
The trick to Borderlands 2 The Lost Treasure is pacing. Don't run for the switches. Clear the zones. If you try to speedrun the levers, you'll get cornered. The map design is a "hub and spoke" model, meaning you keep coming back to the center. Use that to your advantage. Refill ammo often.
The Final Climb to Caustic Caverns
Wait, I thought the quest was in Sawtooth? It starts there, but the "treasure" isn't in the Cauldron. Once the switches are flipped, the quest sends you to Caustic Caverns.
Specifically, you have to go to the Varkid Ramparts. This is the area at the very top of the map, past the crystalisks and the warehouse. There’s an elevator you need to take. If you’ve never been up there, you’ll need to find the power switch for the elevator first, which is a whole separate ordeal if it's your first time in the Caverns.
Once you’re at the top, you’ll find a small office area. There’s a red chest—the "Lost Treasure"—but it’s locked behind a puzzle involving more switches. This time, however, they are all in the same room. It’s a simple "flip them in the right order" or "flip them all" situation that doesn't require a guide.
The chest opens, you get your Longbow, and you can finally leave this place.
Is It Bugged?
Sometimes people think Borderlands 2 The Lost Treasure is bugged because the ECHO recorders don't drop. It’s a random drop from any bandit in Sawtooth Cauldron. If you’ve killed everyone and it hasn't dropped, Save-Quit and reload. The drop rate is high, but RNG can be a jerk sometimes.
Also, check your mission log. You might have picked it up without realizing it during a chaotic firefight. It happens more often than you'd think.
Expert Tips for the Longbow Sniper
If you actually plan on using the reward from the Borderlands 2 The Lost Treasure quest, keep a few things in mind.
Because it’s a Minecraft-themed weapon, it behaves by "block" logic. The projectiles are large. This means you can hit headshots more easily on large-crit enemies like Goliaths or Constructors. However, because it lacks a traditional scope, you lose the zoom bonus most snipers get.
It’s essentially a high-powered slug shotgun that looks like a sniper rifle.
If you’re playing as Maya, Phaselock is your best friend here. It holds the enemy still so you don't have to worry about the slow projectile speed. For Salvador? It’s a gimmick. For Gaige? Close Enough won't help you much because you want those direct hits.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that you can find the treasure without doing the Sawtooth portion. You can't. Even if you know where the chest is in Caustic Caverns, it won't be interactable until the quest stages are complete.
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Another mistake: ignoring the environment. Sawtooth Cauldron is full of vertical shortcuts. You can jump from the upper scaffolding down to the reservoir to save time, but make sure you have a way back up.
Honestly, the "Lost Treasure" isn't the best loot in the game. An Unkempt Harold or a Lyuda will outperform it every day of the week. But for the completionists, or the people who just want to see every Minecraft reference Gearbox shoved into the game, it’s a rite of passage.
Actionable Steps to Finish the Quest Fast
If you want to knock this out in twenty minutes, follow this sequence.
Load into Sawtooth Cauldron and head straight for the Reservoir. Kill the first pack of bandits to get the quest drop. Once you have it, ignore the Buzzards as much as possible and hit the Reservoir switch.
From there, take the path up to the Foundry. The switch is on the high catwalks. Don't linger. Jump down towards the Grotto. Hit the switch on the side of the shack. Then, sprint to the Camp area for the final lever.
Once the quest updates, don't walk out. Fast travel to the Caustic Caverns entrance. Sprint past the Varkids (don't let them evolve!) and head straight for the elevator. Ride it up, flip the final levers in the shack, and grab the Longbow.
You’ve now cleared one of the most tedious "hidden" quests in Borderlands 2 history. You can now go back to farming the Warrior or hunting for Tubbies with a clear conscience.
The Longbow might end up in your bank or sold to Marcus, but at least the quest is gone.