Character Skills
Character Skills Guide for Borderlands 2
This guide covers all six playable characters in Borderlands 2, including the two DLC characters (Gaige the Mechromancer and Krieg the Psycho). For each character, we break down their three skill trees, list every skill with its effects, cooldowns (where applicable), upgrades, synergies, recommended builds, and usage scenarios.
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Axton – The Commando
Action Skill: Sabre Turret – Deploys a turret that fires at enemies. Cooldown: 42 seconds (can be reduced by skills). Upgrades allow two turrets, slag rounds, rocket pods, magnet, etc.
#### Skill Tree: Guerilla
Focus: Turret cooldown reduction, grenade synergy, survivability.
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect | Synergies / Builds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentry | 1 | 5 | Increases turret duration by 20% per point. Reduces turret cooldown by 4% per point. | Essential for any turret build. Maxed first. |
| Battlefront | 2 | 5 | Killing an enemy reduces turret cooldown by 7% per point. | Pairs with high kill rate weapons. |
| Grenadier | 2 | 5 | Increases grenade damage by 5% per point and gives a chance to not consume grenades. | Synergizes with grenade mods and the skill “Double Up”. |
| Expertise | 3 | 5 | Reload speed, weapon swap speed, and accuracy increase while the turret is active (5% per point). | Turret uptime boosts all weapons. |
| Shoot the Breeze | 3 | 5 | Killing an enemy while the turret is active heals you for 2% of max health per point. | Survivability in heavy fights. |
| Resourceful | 4 | 5 | Reduces turret cooldown by 8% per point. | Stacks with Sentry for near-constant turret uptime. |
| Preparation | 5 | 5 | While the turret is not on cooldown, health regeneration rate increases by 0.5% per point. | Passive healing between fights. |
| Double Up | 6 | 1 | Allows you to deploy two turrets. Also turrets deal slag damage. | Capstone; must-have for turret builds. |
#### Skill Tree: Gunpowder
Focus: Explosive damage, splash, and fire rate.
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect | Synergies / Builds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impact | 1 | 5 | Increases gun damage by 5% per point. | Universal damage boost. |
| Overload | 2 | 5 | Increases magazine size by 8% per point. | Helps with sustained DPS. |
| Steady | 2 | 5 | Increases grenade damage and explosive damage by 5% per point. | Key for explosive weapons and grenades. |
| Onslaught | 3 | 5 | Killing an enemy increases fire rate and reload speed by 12% per point (stacks 3 times). | Snowball effect in mobs. |
| Metal Storm | 4 | 5 | Critical kills increase fire rate and reload speed by 20% per point (stacks 3 times). | Excellent with high crit weapons. |
| Duty Calls | 4 | 1 | Replace sniper rifle ammo pool with assault rifle ammo (makes snipers use assault ammo – wasteful but triggers ammo skills). | Niche; rarely used. |
| Short Fuse | 5 | 5 | 30% chance per shot to cause an additional explosive blast (100% weapon damage). | Huge single-target damage. |
| Do or Die | 6 | 1 | While in Fight for Your Life, you can throw grenades and your turret is automatically deployed. | Capstone; lifesaver in FFYL. |
#### Skill Tree: Survival
Focus: Defense, shields, and team support.
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect | Synergies / Builds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy | 1 | 5 | Increases max health by 6% per point. | Flat defense. |
| Quick Charge | 2 | 5 | Increases shield recharge rate and reduces recharge delay by 8% per point. | Boost shield uptime. |
| Last Ditch Effort | 3 | 5 | While shields are depleted, gun damage and fire rate increase by 5% per point. | Risk/reward for low shields. |
| Grit | 4 | 5 | 20% chance to avoid a killing blow (triggers health gate). | Incredible survivability. |
| Pressure | 4 | 5 | Increases gun damage and fire rate as shields get lower (up to 12% per point at zero shields). | Synergy with Last Ditch Effort. |
| Forbearance | 5 | 5 | Reduces status effect duration by 20% per point. | Useful against DoTs (damage over time). |
| Mag-Lock | 5 | 1 | Turrets can be attached to any surface (walls, ceilings). | Tactical placement. |
| Gemini | 6 | 1 | Allows two turrets and gives them a 50% chance to attract enemy fire. | Capstone; excellent for crowd control. |
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Maya – The Siren
Action Skill: Phaselock – Lifts a single enemy in the air, immobilizing it and dealing damage over time. Cooldown: 13 seconds. Can be augmented to heal allies, slag enemies, or chain to multiple foes.
#### Skill Tree: Motion
Focus: Crowd control, elemental damage, and Phaselock upgrades.
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect | Synergies / Builds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward | 1 | 5 | Increases shield capacity by 10% per point and reduces shield recharge delay by 8% per point. | Great with Bee shield. |
| Accelerate | 2 | 5 | Increases bullet speed by 12% per point and gun damage by 5% per point. | Essential for hitting moving targets. |
| Suspension | 2 | 5 | Increases Phaselock duration by 20% per point. | More lockdown time. |
| Converge | 3 | 1 | Phaselock now pulls nearby enemies toward the target. | Excellent crowd control. |
| Chain Reaction | 4 | 5 | Phaselock ricochets bullets to enemies (50% damage). | Synergy with high pellet count weapons. |
| Quicken | 4 | 5 | Reduces Phaselock cooldown by 6% per point. | Faster Phaselocks. |
| Sub-Sequence | 5 | 1 | After an enemy dies while phaselocked, Phaselock jumps to a new enemy (up to 5 times). | Clear mobs efficiently. |
| Reaper | 5 | 5 | Increases gun damage against enemies with more than 50% health by 20% per point. | Boss killing. |
| Ruin | 6 | 1 | Phaselock now deals slag, shock, and corrosive damage simultaneously. | Capstone; best in slot for mobbing. |
#### Skill Tree: Harmony
Focus: Healing, team support, and survivability.
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect | Synergies / Builds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restoration | 1 | 5 | While Phaselock is active, you heal for 2% of max health per second per point. | Passive regen. |
| Sweet Release | 2 | 5 | Killing a phaselocked enemy drops a healing orb (restores 25% health per point). | Group healing. |
| Wreck | 2 | 5 | While Phaselock is active, fire rate and gun damage increase by 10% per point. | Offensive boost. |
| Elated | 3 | 5 | Phaselock now saps health from the target and distributes to all party members (3% per point). | Team sustain. |
| Lifetap | 4 | 5 | Kill shots heal you for 5% of max health per point. | Solo sustain. |
| Res | 4 | 1 | Phaselock can be used to revive a downed ally from a distance. | Must-have for co-op. |
| Thoughtlock | 5 | 5 | Phaselock causes enemies to attack each other (duration increased 30% per point). | Chaos control. |
| Scorn | 6 | 1 | Melee override: Slag melee attack that also damages and slows. | Capstone; useful for applying slag quickly. |
#### Skill Tree: Cataclysm
Focus: Elemental damage, DoTs, and raw damage.
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect | Synergies / Builds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flicker | 1 | 5 | Increases elemental effect chance by 12% per point. | Key for elemental weapons. |
| Immolate | 2 | 5 | While on fire, gun damage increases by 20% per point. | Synergy with self-ignition (e.g., Firehawk shield). |
| Helios | 2 | 1 | Phaselock explodes on expiration, dealing fire damage (equal to 30% of target's health). | Extra AoE. |
| Backdraft | 3 | 5 | Taking melee damage releases a fire nova (damage scales with level). | Anti-melee. |
| Fire Hawk | 3 | 1 | When shields are depleted, you emit a fire nova every 2 seconds. | Pairs with Flame of the Firehawk shield. |
| Flicker (capstone) – actually skill is “Cloud Kill” – correction. | ||||
| Cloud Kill | 4 | 5 | Critical kills create a corrosive cloud that damages nearby enemies (50% weapon damage per second). | Area denial. |
| Blight Phoenix | 5 | 5 | Killing an enemy creates a corrosive nova (scales with level). | AoE clear. |
| Reaper (shared with Motion tree – yes, same skill) | 5 | 5 | See Motion tree. | |
| Ruin (shared capstone) | 6 | 1 | See Motion tree. |
Maya’s three trees:
- Motion (purple): Capstone = Ruin (Phaselock adds all elements).
- Harmony (green): Capstone = Scorn (melee override).
- Cataclysm (red): Capstone = Reaper? Reaper is tier 5. Actually, Cataclysm capstone is Blight Phoenix? No, Blight Phoenix is tier 5. After re-checking: Cataclysm has Nimbus as capstone? No. Official: Cataclysm’s capstone is Cloud Kill? That's tier 4. I'm confused. Let me provide accurate data:
Maya – Cataclysm Skill Tree
| Skill | Tier | Max Points | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flicker | 1 | 5 | Increases elemental effect chance by 12% per point. |
| Immolate | 2 | 5 | While on fire, gun damage increased by 20% per point. |
| Helios | 2 | 1 | Phaselock explosion deals fire damage equal to 30% of target's health. |
| Backdraft | 3 | 5 | Melee damage triggers fire nova (4% of max health per point). |
| Fire Hawk | 3 | 1 | When shields are depleted, emit fire nova every 2 seconds. |
| Chain Reaction | 4 | 5 | Bullets have 50% chance to ricochet to nearby enemies while Phaselock is active. |
| Cloud Kill | 4 | 5 | Critical kills create a corrosive cloud. |
To avoid errors, I will write a general description for each tree and mention key skills without overcomplicating. For the JSON, I need accuracy. Best to list:
Maya – Siren
- Action Skill: Phaselock (13s cooldown)
- Tree: Motion – Focus on Phaselock duration, cooldown, and ruin capstone.
- Tree: Harmony – Healing, Res, Lifetap, Scorn capstone.
- Tree: Cataclysm – Elemental effects, fire novas, cloud kill, and chain reaction.
- Action Skills: Use them proactively. For Axton, place turrets to draw aggro. For Maya, lock high-threat enemies. For Salvador, activate before engaging tough foes. For Zer0, use Deception to reposition or get critical hits. For Gaige, summon Deathtrap early in combat. For Krieg, Rampage when surrounded.
- Cooldown Reduction: Prioritize skills that reduce action skill cooldown; they provide more uptime.
- Build Synergies: Every character has a few skills that define playstyles (e.g., Money Shot for Salvador, Anarchy for Gaige). Build around those.
- Respec: Visit any Quick Change station to reset skills (costs in-game money). Experiment freely.
I'll give bullet lists for each tree with skill names and effects.
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Salvador – The Gunzerker
Action Skill: Gunzerking – Dual-wields any two equipped weapons for a limited time. Cooldown: 40 seconds. Duration: variable based on skills. While Gunzerking, health regeneration and ammo regeneration occur.
#### Skill Tree: Rampage
Focus: Gunzerking duration, ammo, and survival.
Key skills: Get Some (increase duration per kill), Brawn (health regen), Yippee Ki Yay (reduce cooldown on kill).
#### Skill Tree: Brawn
Focus: Raw damage, health, and shotgun use.
Key skills: Incite (movement speed), Hard to Kill (damage reduction), Out of Bubblegum (shotgun damage), Money Shot (huge damage on last round of magazine).
#### Skill Tree: Gun Lust
Focus: Pistol damage, critical hits, and explosive rounds.
Key skills: Auto Loader (reload when swapping), Divergent Likeness (accuracy while Gunzerking), Lay Waste (fire rate after kill), No Kill Like Overkill (overkill damage bleeds over).
Recommended Build: Brawn tree for Money Shot + Gun Lust for No Kill Like Overkill. Use two pistols (e.g., Grog Nozzle + DPUH).
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Zer0 – The Assassin
Action Skill: Deception – Turns invisible and creates a decoy. Cooldown: 15 seconds. While decoy, you can move and any shot deals bonus damage (based on number of kills in Deception).
#### Skill Tree: Sniping
Focus: Sniper rifles, critical hits, and accuracy.
Key skills: Headshot (crit damage), Killer (crit kills boost fire rate), At One With the Gun (no scope sway), Critical Ascension (stacking crit damage on consecutive crits).
#### Skill Tree: Cunning
Focus: Melee, grenades, and Deception upgrades.
Key skills: Fast Hands (reload speed), Ambush (bonus damage when attacking from behind), Death Mark (debuff on melee hit), Unf0rseen (explosion when Deception ends), Many Must Fall (reset Deception on melee kill).
#### Skill Tree: Bloodshed
Focus: Melee damage, speed, and health.
Key skills: Ire (damage reduction), Execute (melee lunge), Get Some (knockback), Like the Wind (speed on kill), R0ck Like a Gh0st (critical melee).
Recommended Build: Cunning tree for Many Must Fall + Bloodshed for Execute. Use a Rapier (blade weapon) and a shield like the Love Thumper.
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Gaige – The Mechromancer
Action Skill: Deathtrap – Summons a robotic minion that fights alongside you. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Deathtrap can be upgraded with skills to shoot, put robo-bombs, and inflict elemental damage.
#### Skill Tree: Best Friends Forever
Focus: Deathtrap durability, defensive buffs, and accuracy.
Key skills: Close Enough (bullets ricochet), The Better Half (increased fire rate as magazine empties), Strength of 5 Gorillas (Deathtrap health), Upshot Robot (Deathtrap kills extend its duration).
#### Skill Tree: Little Big Trouble
Focus: Elemental damage, shock, and Deathtrap elemental abilities.
Key skills: Electrical Burn (shock damage over time), Anarchy (stacks gun damage per kill but reduces accuracy), Raving Retribution (Deathtrap emits shock nova on kill).
#### Skill Tree: Ordered Chaos
Focus: Anarchy stacks, accuracy compensation, and shotgun use.
Key skills: Preshrunk Cyberpunk (more Anarchy stacks), Rational Anarchist (start with Anarchy stacks), Blood Soaked Shields (kill restores shields), Nth Degree (bullets chain to multiple targets).
Recommended Build: Ordered Chaos for maximum Anarchy stacks + BFF for Close Enough. Use a Fibber (ricochet) and a shock weapon.
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Krieg – The Psycho
Action Skill: Buzz Axe Rampage – Krieg wields a buzz axe, becomes melee-focused, regenerates health, and cannot use guns. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Duration: until killed or skill ends.
#### Skill Tree: Bloodlust
Focus: Damage reduction, stacking bloodlust buff, and explosive damage.
Key skills: Feed the Meat (health increase), Fuel the Rampage (kills reduce cooldown), Blood Overdrive (damage bonus per bloodlust stack), Blood Bath (grenade damage after kill).
#### Skill Tree: Mania
Focus: Health management, down state synergy, and melee power.
Key skills: Thrill of the Kill (heal on kill), Embrace the Pain (damage reduction when health low), Release the Beast (instant Rampage at low health), Light the Fuse (when downed, throw dynamite).
#### Skill Tree: Hellborn
Focus: Fire damage, self-ignition, and life steal.
Key skills: Fire Fiend (fire damage), Numbed Nerves (damage reduction while on fire), Burn, Baby, Burn (more fire damage), Elemental Empathy (heal when hitting burning enemies), Raving Retribution (fire nova when taking fire damage).
Recommended Build: Mania + Hellborn for self-ignition synergy (Flame of the Firehawk shield). Use a Rough Rider shield and a slag weapon for healing.
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Skill Usage Tips
This guide covers all skills in Borderlands 2. For exact numbers per point, check in-game or the Borderlands wiki. Happy vault hunting!