Every Borderlands 4 Co-Op Group Will Want This Vault Hunter

by

Now that the skill trees for each of the four Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters have been officially unveiled, players get an insight into the choices awaiting them when launch day arrives. As every playable character in Borderlands 4 offers unique gameplay styles and build possibilities, players should carefully consider their choice based on their preferred gameplay style and whether they plan to play alone or with others. Interestingly, one of the Vault Hunters appears to be better suited for cooperative play.

The Borderlands series allows players to engage either alone or together with companions through cooperative play, accommodating up to four players, each assuming one of the four Vault Hunter roles. Notably, certain characters have shown to be self-sufficient armies, such as Salvador from Borderlands 2 and Moze from Borderlands 3, while others like Maya and FL4K from the same series exhibit strengths in team support. However, the introduction of Vex in Borderlands 4, with her minion-summoning abilities, has made it clear that she’s an ideal choice for solo players. Yet, the Vault Hunter that appears to be most beneficial for co-op play is now Harlowe, following its recent gameplay unveiling.

Borderlands 4’s Harlowe is a Must-Use Vault Hunter for Any Co-Op Group

Harlowe’s Skills Emphasize Crowd Control

A significant aspect of Harlowe’s formula for co-op victory lies in her knack for immobilizing groups of adversaries, making them susceptible for her teammates to handle. Her Action Skills incorporate a novel mechanic from Borderlands 4, dubbed Entanglement, which leaves enemies subjected to her skills trapped and causing damage inflicted on one another to be shared among them. This feature enables multiple players to concentrate their attacks on various entangled enemies, resulting in a swift dismantling of the group as a whole due to the shared damage.

Beyond the captivating Entanglement power, Harlowe’s skill trees burst with diverse choices for managing crowds and boosting teammates. My favorite part? The trio of Action Skills aren’t just about Entanglement; they also serve as potent tools to halt foes in their tracks!

  • CHROMA Accelerator – Fire an Unstable Energy Pocket from Harlowe’s CHROMA Accelerator. The Unstable Energy Pocket passes through enemies and deals Cryo Damage to all enemies it passes near. Pressing Action Skill causes the Unstable Energy Pocket to explode and deal heavy Radiation Damage in a large area.
  • Zero-Point – Press Action Skill to use Harlowe’s HALO Accelerator to place an enemy in Stasis for a duration. Enemies immune to Stasis take Damage instead. Pressing Action Skill again causes the enemy in Stasis to be slammed into the ground in the direction Harlowe is facing, and creates a small explosion. Retriggering Stasis has a Cooldown.
  • Flux Generator – Harlowe throws her Flux Generator in front of her, which projects an Energy Field, dealing Cryo Damage over time and Entangling enemies. Allies inside the Energy Field gain Overshield. Press Action Skill to pick up your Flux Generator and toss it again.

Harlowe excels at causing Radiation damage to foes using her Creative Burst skill line and CHROMA Accelerator Action Skill. This setup benefits her teammates since irradiated adversaries harm other close-by enemies and detonate when defeated, spreading additional Radiation damage. Moreover, her Zero-Point Action Skill and associated Seize the Day skill tree are superb for positioning allies to finish off enemies with Stasis, much like Maya’s Siren abilities in Borderlands 2. Lastly, the skill tree focuses on Cryo damage, freezing enemies solid.

The Flux Generator not only inflicts Cryo damage on enemies to slow them down, but it additionally safeguards allies with an Overshield. Its accompanying skill tree is designed to bolster teammates. For instance, Group Study provides each ally with a HALO sidekick that enhances Gun Damage, Fire Rate, and Reload Speed. Alternatively, there’s Confirmative Reality, a passive ability that reduces the cooldowns of Harlowe and her allies’ Action Skills for every entangled enemy she fires at.

Regardless of Group Size, Harlowe Can Be a Game-Changer

Playing Vault Hunter in a group of four means one player has to take on the role of Harlowe. However, it’s worth considering using Harlowe even in a two or three-player team. With only one other player, Harlowe can significantly help by imposing limiting elemental effects on enemies, which is beneficial for your co-op partner. While Harlowe works well as a solo character too, her true potential comes to light when she can share her Maliwan technology with teammates.

Read More

2025-08-24 00:08