Meet Vex: Borderlands 4's Siren Vault Hunter
In Borderlands 4, Vex introduces a fresh approach to Siren gameplay. She blends traditional Siren powers with heavy-hitting summoned abilities and fast-paced, flexible action skills. If you like builds that reward creativity, Vex's kit opens up tons of playstyles through her three distinct skill trees, each tied to a unique active ability.
The best part? Each action skill comes with its own tree, letting you build completely different versions of Vex depending on your goals — damage, support, or hybrid control. Whether you want to summon beasts, clones, or tear up enemies with AoE magic, there's a path for you.
New Skill Tree System Explained
Borderlands 4 expands the skill tree design in a big way. Each tree is tied directly to one action skill and is two to three times bigger than what we’ve seen in past games. You’ll find branching upgrades, split paths, and enhanced augments.
This redesign gives you much more freedom to focus your build exactly how you want. Min-maxing for damage, cooldowns, survivability, or just having fun with wild mechanics is easier and more rewarding.
Here Comes Trouble: Summon Your Panther Minion
The "Here Comes Trouble" tree focuses on the Phase Familiar action skill. It lets you summon Trouble, a fierce panther-like spirit ally. Trouble follows you into battle, deals damage, and can be petted (yes, seriously). If Trouble falls in combat, it respawns after a cooldown — keeping your damage rolling.
Activating the skill makes Trouble teleport to a target, causing a large AoE blast and transforming into a stronger version. This version deals more damage and regains full health, making it useful in tough fights.
Passives in the Trouble Tree
The passives here are all about minion synergy. Expect buffs that increase damage while your familiar is active, reduce cooldowns, and boost both you and your summon in combat.
If you’re into managing a battlefield with AI support that stays alive and contributes real power, this is a strong tree to focus on. The way it keeps scaling with your level makes it effective long-term too.
Trouble’s Augments Add Combat Flexibility
Each augment in the Trouble tree changes the way your active skill or minion behaves. You can make Trouble perform dash attacks, explode on death like a kamikaze, or enter a beast mode where it becomes immune to damage and gains high DPS.
More advanced augments add things like projectile daggers, aggro-drawing torches, and enhanced AoE effects. If you like to experiment, this tree provides a lot of combo potential with minimal complexity.
Fourth Seal: Summon Spectres and Reapers
The Fourth Seal tree unlocks the Dead Ringer action skill. It creates up to three clones — called Spectres and Reapers. Spectres act like stationary turrets that shoot enemies from a distance. Reapers float, chase enemies, and melee them with scythes.
In playtesting, this tree stood out as extremely powerful. The sheer damage output and survivability from the clones made it feel like a top-tier pick, especially for solo players or anyone who wants to run through fights while their copies do work.
Balanced Buffs and Cool Clone Perks
Dead Ringer’s passives balance self-buffing and clone-enhancement. You’ll find plenty of ways to improve your gun damage, clone duration, and overall survivability. There's a lot of room to lean into offense or create a defensive buffer using your Spectres.
The buffs don’t just help the summons — they also feed back into your own stats, letting you control pacing in longer fights.
Dead Ringer Augments: Custom Clone Loadouts
Augments in the Fourth Seal tree build out different types of Spectres and Reapers. Some give blast AoEs, others add buff auras, and one even lets your clone copy your current gun and fire it.
Late-game augments go wild — from summoning a literal Grim Reaper to adding self-healing, shield boosts, and new summon behavior like clone warping or marking enemies for bonus crits.
Vex Collation: AoE and Eldritch Power
The final tree, Vex Collation, centers on the Incarnate action skill. Activating it creates an AoE phase explosion that heals you to full and unlocks Eldritch Blast, a secondary ranged attack you cast from your off-hand.
Gunplay is king here. Firing your weapon reduces Eldritch Blast’s cooldown, encouraging you to stay aggressive. This build supports fast shooting, crit stacking, and regen, which makes it perfect for players who like constant action without babysitting AI companions.
Passives in the Collation Tree: Guns First, Magic Second
If you prefer using your guns over relying on minions, this tree’s passives are ideal. You get bonuses to gun handling, critical hit damage, lifesteal, and cooldown reductions tied directly to your shooting.
That means the more active you are in combat, the faster you’ll cycle through Eldritch Blasts. These passives encourage a fast, fluid playstyle where you stay in motion and rarely let enemies breathe.
Augments in Incarnate: Customize Your AoE Damage
The augments for Incarnate let you completely modify how the ability behaves. You can:
-
Turn the explosion into a shockwave that travels forward and hits multiple targets.
-
Replace the standard AoE with Soul Orbs that detonate near enemies or heal you.
-
Add auto-reloading, shield recovery, or cooldown resets with each activation.
Later augments go further, turning Eldritch Blast into a homing missile, a DoT hazard zone, or removing the cooldown entirely at the cost of your HP.
Three Skill Trees, Three Playstyles
What makes Vex stand out in Borderlands 4 is how distinct each skill tree feels. They’re not minor variations — they’re whole new ways to play the game.
-
Want a pet build with creative synergy and visual flair? Here Comes Trouble is your go-to.
-
Prefer turret-style gameplay with clones taking fire while you stay alive? Fourth Seal delivers.
-
Looking for fast-paced gunplay and big AoE bursts? Vex Collation is built for that.
Each tree works solo or in co-op, and they reward you for leaning into one focus or creatively mixing between them.
Choosing the Right Augments for Your Playstyle
Picking the right augment isn’t just about power — it’s about what kind of moment-to-moment gameplay you enjoy. Do you like to plan fights, surprise enemies, or just go loud?
-
Trouble augments are great for flexible crowd control and persistent damage.
-
Dead Ringer augments shine when you need survivability or want to confuse enemies with distractions.
-
Incarnate augments are built for players who want cooldown tricks and heavy burst damage.
The best part is how freely you can shift between builds once you unlock enough points.
Best Vex Builds to Try First
You don’t need to be a theorycrafter to enjoy strong Vex builds. Here are a few quick suggestions:
-
Aggro Familiar Build: Focus on pet survivability and damage boosts in Trouble tree. Add dash or explosion augments for bursts.
-
Spectre Army Build: Go all in on Spectres and turret buffs. Buff aura augments make them more useful in team play.
-
Rapidfire Incarnate Build: Stack gun handling and crit passives. Use Eldritch cooldown augments to keep blasting every few seconds.
Each of these builds works from early levels all the way to endgame with just minor tweaks.
Solo vs Co-op: How Vex Adapts
In solo mode, Vex's summons and clones give her an edge in staying alive. The pets draw fire, clones tank damage, and she gets built-in heals with Incarnate.
In co-op, you can respec slightly to support your team — boosting clone aggro, healing more often, or marking enemies for extra damage. The flexibility in her augments means you’re never locked into one role.
How Vex Fits Into Borderlands 4 Meta
While the full meta will shake out post-launch, Vex is shaping up to be a top-tier pick. She provides solid options for new players and high-skill builds for veterans.
Compared to past Sirens, Vex has more utility and fewer limitations. Her powers don’t rely on tight timing or positioning, and her active abilities complement aggressive or tactical play equally well.
Tips for Leveling Vex Quickly
Want to hit endgame fast? Focus on passives that give you:
-
Cooldown reductions
-
Pet or clone survivability
-
Gun handling and crit boosts
Early investment in the Trouble tree is great for learning the basics. Later on, you can branch into Dead Ringer or Collation based on your preferred style.
Try to pick augments that add either AoE control or damage boosts, so you clear mobs efficiently.
What We Want to See More Of
While Vex has a deep kit, there are a few features we hope Gearbox leans into:
-
More endgame augment unlocks
-
Additional skill variants or hybrid trees
-
Customization for clones or visual effects on Eldritch abilities
If post-launch content keeps expanding her builds, she could become one of the most replayable Vault Hunters in the Borderlands series.
Final Thoughts: Vex Offers Depth, Power, and Flexibility
Vex’s introduction in Borderlands 4 brings a refreshing change to Siren-style gameplay. She blends magic and gunplay in ways no previous Vault Hunter has, with three distinct skill trees that all feel equally viable and exciting.
Whether you like commanding minions, summoning phantoms, or unloading Eldritch energy while unloading bullets, Vex gives you the tools to build your perfect playstyle. The redesigned skill trees and deeper augments show that Gearbox is leaning hard into customization — and it pays off.
If you're just getting started, experiment with different trees to get a feel for how each one plays. Then dive deeper into augments and passive combos to carve out a build that feels uniquely yours.
Conclusion: Vex Is Borderlands 4’s Most Versatile Vault Hunter
With the addition of Vex, Borderlands 4 offers players a highly customizable Siren who can adapt to nearly any playstyle. Her three distinct skill trees support builds ranging from pet-based combat to clone summoning and high-speed gunplay enhanced by magical blasts.
Each action skill brings something new to the table, and the expanded augments and passive paths make it easy to tweak her powers to match your needs. Whether you’re playing solo or with a team, Vex delivers both power and flexibility — and she’s already looking like a fan-favorite pick for creative, high-skill builds.
As you level her up, don’t be afraid to try new combinations. The strength of Vex’s design is in how many valid paths she offers. Whichever one you take, you’ll be dealing damage, surviving longer, and having a blast doing it.
FAQ: Borderlands 4 Vex Vault Hunter Guide
Q: What are the action skills for Vex in Borderlands 4?
A: Vex has three action skills:
-
Phase Familiar: Summons a panther named Trouble.
-
Dead Ringer: Spawns up to three clones (Spectres and Reapers).
-
Incarnate: Triggers an AoE healing blast and unlocks Eldritch Blast.
Q: Which skill tree is best for new players?
A: The Here Comes Trouble tree is beginner-friendly. Trouble tanks and deals steady damage, making fights easier to manage.
Q: Can Vex be built for co-op support?
A: Yes. By selecting augments that mark enemies, draw aggro, or heal allies, Vex can fit supportive roles in team-based modes.
Q: Does Vex scale well into endgame?
A: Absolutely. Her augments, healing, and cooldown mechanics keep her strong and flexible across all stages of the game.
Q: Which tree offers the most DPS?
A: Incarnate offers the highest burst damage potential, especially with cooldown-focused augments and high crit stats.
Stay Connected with Haplo Gaming Chef
Haplo Gaming Chef blends gaming guides with casual cooking streams for a truly unique viewer experience. Whether you’re here for clean, no-nonsense walkthroughs or just want to chill with some cozy cooking content between game sessions, this is the place for you. From full game unlock guides to live recipe prep and casual chats, Haplo Gaming Chef delivers content that’s both informative and enjoyable.
You Can Follow Along On Every Major Platform:
YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Flipboard, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Medium, Blogger, and even on Google Business.
No filler, no fluff—just straight-up help for gamers and fun for foodies. Join the community today!
For More Guides Visit: Haplo Gaming Chef Website!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment