In role-playing games like The Witcher 3 or Cyberpunk 2077, your build defines how you play. Every skill point, weapon choice, and passive ability shapes the experience. Borderlands 4 follows that same philosophy but amplifies it through four distinct Vault Hunters, each with unique powers and combat roles.
This guide breaks down the best builds for each Vault Hunter, explaining how to use them effectively, why they work, and how to balance their strengths in solo or co-op play.
Tired of spending hours experimenting with random skill trees and gear setups that never quite hit the mark? With the Borderlands 4 Builds Service from IMMORTALBOOST, you can skip the trial-and-error and jump straight into perfectly optimized Vault Hunter builds. Whether you want max DPS, crowd control efficiency, or the strongest boss loadout, our team can craft and fine-tune your build so you can focus on enjoying the game—not grinding stats.
Related Guides:
- Borderlands 4 Guide 2025
- Borderlands 4 Classes Tierlist – 2025 Updated Guide
- Hidden Farming Tricks for Legendary Weapons
- Best Borderlands 4 Settings
- Best Weapons in Borderlands 4
Understanding Classes and Builds in Borderlands 4
There are four Vault Hunter classes, each representing a unique combat identity.
- Rafa (Exo-Soldier)
- Vex (Siren)
- Harlowe (Gravitar)
- Amon (Forgeknight)
Rafa focuses on technology and firepower, Vex commands elemental spirits, Harlowe controls the battlefield through freezing, and Amon unleashes elemental brute force. Understanding these styles helps you pick a class that fits your rhythm.
Rafa (Exo-Soldier) Build
Overview
Rafa combines precision shooting with turret-based heavy assault. His Remote Agent build focuses on chaining critical hits, using turrets to maintain uptime, and sustaining Overdrive for maximum DPS.
Build Summary
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Skill Tree | Remote Agent |
| Playstyle | Sustained DPS with turret synergy |
| Strengths | Long uptime, strong gun synergy, fast cooldowns |
| Weaknesses | Requires aim precision for crit chaining |
| Best Used In | Boss fights and mid-range combat |
Skill Allocation
Sitiar 5/5
Deft Hands 5/5
Juerga 5/5
CYA 5/5
Maestro 3/3
El Valiente 3/3
Asymmetric Warfare 5/5
Errant Spark 5/5
Strategy
Activate Peacebreaker Cannons, secure critical hits to extend Overdrive, and use Everdrive to minimize cooldowns. Sitiar and Maestro amplify gun damage, while ricochet shots clean up enemies. The loop is simple: activate cannons, crit to extend uptime, repeat.
Vex (Siren) Build
Overview
Vex channels elemental power and spectral minions. Her Dead Ringer build focuses on summoning and sustaining reaper allies that scale in strength as you stack kills.
Build Summary
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Skill Tree | Dead Ringer |
| Playstyle | Elemental minion summoner |
| Strengths | High DPS scaling, great crowd control |
| Weaknesses | Reliant on active minions and healing uptime |
| Best Used In | Group fights and elemental-heavy encounters |
Skill Allocation
Cold Iron 5/5
Grave Implements 5/5
Sanguine Fiends 4/5
Target Prescience 5/5
Grave Assault 5/5
Grave Power 3/3
Blood Sacrifice 1/1
Grave Fiends 5/5
Prismatic Weaponry 5/5
Diener 1/1
Obedient Fiends 5/5
Capstone: Dark Pact
Strategy
Summon minions early and keep them alive with healing auras. Each kill scales both your damage and theirs. With Cold Iron and Grave Implements, your elemental output grows exponentially. The army distracts enemies, letting you clean up with elemental explosions.
Harlowe (Gravitar) Build
Overview
Harlowe specializes in crowd control and freezing enemies. The Phaselock Freeze build uses cryo damage to lock enemies in place, triggering chain reactions when frozen targets explode.
Build Summary
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Skill Tree | Seize the Day |
| Playstyle | Cryo-based crowd control |
| Strengths | Area lockdown, survivability, freeze chain reactions |
| Weaknesses | Weaker against immune enemies |
| Best Used In | Co-op or large wave encounters |
Skill Allocation
Ripple Effect 1/1
Heat Death 5/5
Pulse Drive 5/5
Periodic Table Flip 5/5
Too Coolant for Schoolant 5/5
Cryodynamics 3/3
Unstable Ice-otope 5/5
Endothermic Reaction
Triple Point 1/1
Flash Freeze 1/1
Keep Ice On That 1/5
Cold Storage
Cold Plunge (Capstone)
Strategy
Phaselock enemies to immobilize groups, then trigger splash attacks to multiply damage. Cryo abilities cause frozen targets to shatter, creating chain reactions that clear rooms. Excellent for crowd control and team defense.
Amon (Forgeknight) Build
Overview
Amon is a heavy-hitting elemental tank. Though considered weaker in early patches, his hybrid build focuses on elemental layering—combining fire, shock, and ice for sustained status damage.
Build Summary
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Skill Tree | Forgeknight |
| Playstyle | Elemental bruiser |
| Strengths | Excellent elemental overlap and boss damage |
| Weaknesses | Slower ability cooldowns, mobility limitations |
| Best Used In | Boss fights and sustained combat zones |
Skill Allocation
Scorched Kairos 5/5
Tail of the Comet 5/5
Ancient Ways 5/5
Cryonic Thrum
The Thrill 1/3
Molten Rebuke
Eternal Winter
Stormlance
Blackout 5/5
Smelter 5/5
Thunderous Rage 5/5
Strike the Anvil 5/5
High Voltage 1/1
Capstone: Wrathfall
Strategy
Use fire to apply burn over time, then chain shock and ice for overlapping elemental bursts. The build thrives on stacking effects, making enemies weaker and amplifying every follow-up hit. While slower, it’s a reliable all-rounder in boss encounters.
Conclusion
Every build in Borderlands 4 has trade-offs. The best ones maximize strengths while minimizing downtime. Rafa’s build excels in sustained firepower, Vex’s in elemental summoning, Harlowe’s in control, and Amon’s in hybrid elemental offense.
Experiment with these builds and adjust skill points to match your preferred playstyle. Each Vault Hunter can dominate the endgame once tuned properly.
FAQs
What makes a build “best” in Borderlands 4?
The best builds offer versatility and high uptime while adapting to different combat scenarios.
Should I specialize in one tree or spread points?
If you play solo, focus deeply on one tree. For co-op, spreading points can give your team better synergy.
Will the meta change over time?
Yes, balance patches will shift the meta as developers fine-tune power scaling and skill interactions.
When does Borderlands 4 take place?
It’s set six years after the events of Borderlands 3.
Which Vault Hunters are in Borderlands 4?
Rafa (Exo-Soldier), Vex (Siren), Harlowe (Gravitar), and Amon (Forgeknight).