Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty is almost a decade and a half old, yet people still lose their minds over the message in a bottle Borderlands 2 missions. Why? Because gamers are suckers for buried treasure. There is something primal about digging up a chest in the middle of a digital desert, even if that desert is actually a dried-up seabed filled with Sand Worms and those incredibly annoying Anchormen.
Most players stumble into these quests while trying to finish the main DLC storyline. You find a bottle. You hear a ghost story. You go find a X on the ground. It sounds simple, but if you’re playing on Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM), these bottles are actually tactical decisions.
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What These Quests Actually Are
There are five of these bottles scattered across the Oasis region and its surrounding salty outskirts. Each one triggers a side quest that leads you to a buried treasure chest. It’s basically a scavenger hunt. You aren't getting these for the XP—though every bit helps when you’re grinding to level 80—you’re getting them for the loot.
The chest at the end of a message in a bottle Borderlands 2 hunt is unique. It’s a "Stash" chest, which usually contains higher-tier gear than the cardboard boxes or hyperion crates you find lying around. We’re talking a high probability of Blues, Purples, and the occasional legendary if the RNG gods are feeling merciful.
Honestly, the real draw is the flavor text. Captain Scarlett’s DLC has a specific brand of humor that feels very "Borderlands 2 era." It’s cynical, a bit unhinged, and revolves entirely around the fact that everyone is going to betray everyone else. The bottles themselves tell the story of Captain Blade, a pirate so unlucky and cursed that his treasure is basically a liability.
The Oasis Bottle (The One You Always Forget)
The first one is in Oasis. It’s right there. You can practically see it from the town, but if you aren't looking behind the right rock near the cliffs, you’ll drive your hover-skiff past it for hours.
Getting to the treasure involves a lot of jumping. Borderlands 2 platforming is... well, it’s floaty. If you miss the jump near the cliffside, you’re looking at a long walk back. The reward here is usually standard, but it sets the tone. You find the bottle, Captain Blade’s ghost starts whispering about his inevitable demise, and you realize you're doing chores for a dead guy.
Wurmwater and the Coastal Chaos
Wurmwater is a nightmare. I’ve died more times to random Sand Worm Queens in this map than I have to actual bosses. The message in a bottle Borderlands 2 quest here is located in the bottom-right of the map, tucked away in a small alcove near some shacks.
The challenge isn’t finding the bottle; it’s surviving the trek to the treasure. The "X" marks a spot in a localized bandit camp. If you're playing as Salvador, you just Gunzerk and walk through it. if you're Zer0? Good luck. You’ll be Burning through Decepti0n just to stay upright.
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Why You Should Wait Until Level Cap
Here is the thing most people get wrong. They find the bottle at level 30 and open it immediately. Don't do that.
In Borderlands 2, quest rewards scale to the level you were when you accepted the quest (in Normal and TVHM) or the level you are currently (in UVHM). The treasure chests from the message in a bottle Borderlands 2 missions behave similarly to quest rewards.
If you wait until you hit the level cap—whether that’s 72 or 80 depending on your DLC ownership—the loot inside those chests will be top-tier. Opening them at level 38 is a waste of a good chest. These are "one-and-done" deals per playthrough. You can't farm them like you can farm The Warrior or Bunker. Once that chest is open, it stays open.
- The Hayter’s Folly Bottle: This one is deep in the cave systems. It’s beautiful, honestly. The glowing crystals and the water effects were top-tier for 2012. The bottle is hidden behind some wreckage in the hot springs area.
- The Washburne Refinery Bottle: This is the most annoying one. Loaders everywhere. Hyperion tech mixed with pirate aesthetic. The bottle is near the back of the forge.
- The Magnys Lighthouse Bottle: This involves a lot of vertical climbing. The treasure isn't even near the bottle; you have to backtrack significantly.
The Captain Blade Gear: Cursed or Cool?
The message in a bottle Borderlands 2 quests aren't just about the chests. They are intrinsically tied to the "Cursed" gear of Captain Blade.
You’ll encounter items like the Midnight Star (a grenade that likes to hit you back) or the Rapier. Let’s talk about the Rapier for a second because it’s the only reason some people even play this DLC.
The Rapier is a blue-rarity assault rifle with a 200% melee damage bonus. That is the highest melee multiplier in the entire game. If you are running a "Bloodsplosion" Krieg or a "Many Must Fall" Zer0, the Rapier is your holy grail. While the Rapier itself isn't always in the bottle chests, the quests are part of that same loot pool ecosystem.
The "curse" on this gear usually involves taking extra damage or having some weird side effect. It’s a trade-off. High risk, high reward. It fits the pirate theme perfectly. You’re greedy, you take the cursed loot, you pay the price.
The Strategy for True Vault Hunters
If you’re trying to be efficient, you don't just run these one by one. You grab all the bottle locations while you’re doing the main "Sandshroud" and "Leviathan" questlines.
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- Enter the map for a story quest.
- Check the map for the bottle icon (it only appears when you're close).
- Grab the bottle but do not go for the treasure yet if there are enemies nearby.
- Finish the story beat.
- On your way out, swing by the "X" to grab the loot.
This saves you from having to reload the map and fight through respawned mobs. Time is money, even on Pandora.
Common Misconceptions About the Loot
I see people online saying these chests have a high chance for Pearlescent gear.
Let's be real: No.
The drop rate for a Pearl in a message in a bottle Borderlands 2 chest is abysmal. It’s technically possible in UVHM once you’re past level 61, but you’re more likely to find a legendary from a pile of skag pile than you are to get a Pearl here. These chests are primarily for Blue and Purple rarity items.
However, they are excellent for "filling the gaps." If you’re level 75 and your shield is still level 70, one of these bottles will almost certainly give you a relevant, on-level replacement.
The Best Way to Experience the Quests
Don't rush it. The Captain Scarlett DLC is widely considered one of the best expansions in the franchise, second only to Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep. The atmosphere of the dried-up ocean is unique.
When you find the message in a bottle Borderlands 2 in the Refinery, take a second to look at the environment. The scale of the dead coral and the rusted ships is incredible. It’s a reminder of what Pandora used to be before the oceans vanished.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
To get the most out of your hunt, follow this specific order of operations.
First, skip these missions entirely in Normal mode. You’ll outlevel the gear in twenty minutes. It’s not worth the walk.
Second, once you hit Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, ignore the bottles until you are at the maximum level you plan to reach. If you’re going for Overpower Levels (OP levels), wait until you are at OP10. The chests will scale.
Third, bring a high-mobility character if you can. Maya with Fleet or a specialized speed-build Zane (wait, wrong game)—anyway, use a fast character. Crossing the flats of Wurmwater on foot because your skiff blew up is a drag.
Finally, check the "X" marks carefully. Sometimes the chest is buried under a floorboard or behind a destructible wall. If the map says you’re on it but you don't see a prompt to "Dig," look up or down. Verticity is a big factor in the Lighthouse and Refinery maps.
Happy hunting. Don't let the ghost of Captain Blade get in your head, and definitely don't trust Scarlett. She told you she’d betray you, after all.
Next Steps for the Vault Hunter:
Check your quest log for "Message in a Bottle" and see which regions you've missed. If you've already completed them in UVHM, consider resetting your quest progress to farm the chests at a higher OP level for better stat rolls on Purple-tier relics and shields.