Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters Guide - Which Class Is Right for You?

Borderlands 4 is getting closer and closer! New characters, a new planet, new mechanics, and most importantly – brand new Vault Hunters.

The latest installment of this iconic series puts a huge emphasis on character progression, building your own unique setups, and mixing skills, giving players the biggest skill trees so far – allowing them to truly shape how they want their game to play out.

In this text, I’ll try to go over who our new protagonists are, what their backstory is (based on the materials released before the game’s launch), and what their role or gameplay gimmick will be. Additionally, I’ll try to answer the question we all ask ourselves when starting a new game – which class fits me best?

Vex – Necromancer Ranger Fantasy

We’ll start with our new Siren – Vex. I have to admit, her short story instantly made me think, “Oh boy, Borderlands is back!!” I can confidently say that this short is exactly what we loved about the Borderlands series – a completely bonkers story, cringy jokes, over-the-top characters, guns, powers, and “accidental” civilian casualties… all because of the stress of working a cashier job and customers arguing over who was first in line. As you can see, in the world of Vault Hunters, a retail shift might just awaken your Siren powers.

Before we jump into Vex’s gameplay, it’s worth reminding ourselves what the earlier Siren protagonists brought to the table when we got to play as them:

Let’s go back to Vex for now, shall we?

The first thing that stands out is the ability to have a summon, the “Phase Phamiliar” – here it’s something like a tiger-panther hybrid named “Trouble”. Just like in previous games, we’ll get a companion that helps us in combat, similar to Mordecai’s Bloodwing (RIP) from Borderlands 1. You’ll be able to send it after marked enemies, or use the skill tree to tweak its stats and offensive moves.

“Incarnate” not only gives you 10 to style by sprouting spectral wings, but also lets you hurl different types of projectiles at enemies:

• Purple – explodes on impact.
• Green – piercing shots, perfect when enemies line up “domino-style” or in tight spaces.
• Blue – ideal for crowd control; when the projectile lands it creates an AoE stun.

Another of Vex’s skills is “Dead Ringer” – this works by spawning decoys of yourself that attack enemies and serve as distractions, drawing aggro away from you. What’s great is that it’s not just ranged versions – you can also summon a scythe-wielding specter focused on melee combat. Neat!

The vibe and gameplay of Vex will really click with players who love Action RPGs, especially necromancer-style classes. Summoning minions, calling on your tiger-panther, launching projectiles at enemies, draining life from foes – it’s dark fantasy all the way. If mid-range combat is your sweet spot, then the new Siren is going to be perfect for you!

Amon – Hit Hard and Fast

Before we get into Amon’s origin story – is it just me, or does anyone else see the massive resemblance between him and Reinhardt from Overwatch? Like, guys – huge dude, shield, swinging his weapon left and right – all that’s missing is the charge, and we’ve got the long-lost twin of Blizzard’s tank hero.

Anyway, the character short shows us Amon as a man fighting against a cult, strong, determined, someone who doesn’t take crap from anyone. But there’s also a great contrast here when the hero turns to ask civilians if they’re okay – a giant guy with a giant heart. Oh, and pistachio ice cream just happens to be his favorite flavor! Amon is a gigachad both in theory and in practice.

So, what did Randy Pitchford’s crew cook up for Amon’s skills?

Let’s start with Crucible – just like Kratos in God of War, Amon hurls an icy projectile at his enemies. If it hits, it freezes (or slows) the target, and just like in the trailer, he can then crush them into a pile of snow.

Scourge – do we have any League of Legends fans here? If so, playing Amon will feel like home… or rather like being on top lane as Garen. Summoning a massive sword onto your enemy? Throwing spears? An active shield? Offensive tank enthusiasts might have just found their new favorite.

Onslaughter works perfectly when you just want to take matters into your own hands and literally burn with the urge to fight! You know – you hit with your hand, it’s on fire, so you burn into battle! Ehhh… And if that’s not enough, Amon blasts energy from his hand, tearing through enemies in his path!

So who is Amon ideal for? Definitely for those who aren’t afraid to stand on the front lines. Amon is a fantastic tank who won’t just act as a bullet sponge, but also brings an impressive arsenal of varied abilities – from melee combat, to wielding swords/spears/hammers, to projectiles that let him take down distant foes.

Rafa – One Man Army, That Life Only Twice

A Tediore soldier who was meant to be the pride of the entire company, thanks to the Liveframe project – an advanced exoskeleton providing a massive advantage in combat. Everything would have gone well… if not for the budget cuts.

Betrayed by his own general and his eagerness to slash the costs generated by living soldiers, Rafa regained his freedom and became a Vault Hunter whose motto is YOLO – or rather YOLT: You Only Life Twice.

Rafa’s Arc-Knives will be a wonderful throwback for Cyberpunk 2077players, especially those who built their playstyle around the Mantis Blades! Not only does it allow Rafa to fight in melee, but it also grants access to the iconic move – Spin to Win – spinning like a blender and slicing the limbs of everyone around him.

Peacebreaker Cannons – back in Borderlands 2, the Gunzerker’s active skill let him fire two weapons at once. Rafa, however… can deploy his own sentry gun or fire cannons that pop out from his back, all running on autopilot like a Tesla. Elements, explosions, and heavy ammo – one man army at your service!

Apophis Lance – yep, Rafa also has a Gunzerker-style active skill. Surprised? The only difference is that it’s a pistol not pulled from the hero’s inventory, but directly tied to how his skill tree is developed.

Rafa is the ZER0 we wanted to have in Borderlands 2. If you played BL2, you know what I mean – a focus on melee combat, weapons gained through character progression, and breaking free from having your entire build dictated by whatever drops from bosses or loot chests. That’s how I imagined ZER0 – someone who could throw shurikens, with the rest of his gameplay being pure Borderlands mayhem.

Rafa is perfect for players who want variety in combat through gadgets provided by character growth. Want melee? Sure – grab the Arc-Knives! Prefer to lean into weapon-based play tied to class progression? The Peacebreaker Cannons have you covered – sentry gun, back-mounted turrets, or a powerful off-hand pistol.

Harlowe – Battlefield is Your Playground

From the very first seconds of her character short, we know exactly who we’re dealing with. Harlow – a master of technology, gadgets, and anything that helps quickly get rid of unwanted guests.

Tech freaks – you’re going to have your favorite here. Out of all four character shorts, in my opinion, Harlow came across as the weakest, but I’m sure that during the game we’ll discover plenty of things that will make us grow more and more attached to her.

Chroma Accelerator – here we’ve got a built-in Boss Killer. Harlow fires a projectile that slowly moves across the battlefield. The hero can detonate it whenever she wants to deal area-of-effect radiation damage – a portable nuke. Johnny Silverhand approves.

Upgrading this skill allows you to turn the Chroma Accelerator projectile into a bouncing ball of destruction that also freezes enemies it comes into contact with – that’s cool.

Flux Generator – works like deploying a turret that makes enemies within its range share damage dealt to any one of them. To explain better: if you’ve got enemies A, B, C, and D – when you shoot at A, B, C, and D also take damage. Meanwhile, allies get an additional shield that reduces incoming damage. Sharing is caring.

Now things get really interesting! Zero-Point is an ability that gives you full control over the battlefield. Tossing enemies around, lifting them into bubbles, slowing them down, or pulling them all into one spot. Sky is the limit here – upgrading this ability lets you ricochet enemies caught in its effect, store up damage and then detonate it for massive numbers on screen, and oh yeah – it can also heal you and your allies.

Borderlands 4 – This Is Just the Beginning

You have to admit, Randy Pitchford’s hype for the new installment in the Borderlands series doesn’t come out of nowhere. Every new trailer, gameplay overview, Beyond the Borderlands episode, or character short builds up massive expectations.

September is packed with amazing releases – Hollow Knight: Silksong, Cronos: The New Dawn, Dying Light: The Beast, and Silent Hill f. I thought long and hard about which of these titles I should set my sights on, but my answer is clear now: Borderlands 4.

Everything shown so far by Gearbox or content creators covering this new looter-shooter is exactly what the series has needed since Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and especially Borderlands 3. You can tell the devs are listening to the fans, but also that they’ve cracked the Borderlands formula and are preparing a true masterpiece. Am I fanboying? Yes. And I’m perfectly fine with that.

I don’t know about you, but I’m already planning my first run as Rafa, with Amon as my second pick. I’m curious how you’re planning to start your adventure in BL4 – let us know in the comments at x.com/G2A_com