Specializations give players a means to scale infinitely in Borderlands 4, but they give more than just flat stat bonuses. As you invest points into a Specialization, you'll unlock skills that give stronger effects under the right conditions.
Farming for Specialization points is going to take a while, and given that you can equip only four Specialization skills at a time, players will want to use only the best skills that work for their build. This guide covers the strongest Specialization skills in Borderlands 4 to help players plan out their builds.
How to Get Clearance for the Elevator in Borderlands 4 (Recruitment Drive)
Recruitment Drive is an early quest in Borderlands 4, but many players are stuck figuring out how to get clearance for the elevator to continue.
Down But Not Out (Sharpshooter)
A Literal Life Saver
Down But Not Out (henceforth referred to as DBNO) is the first Specialization skill from the Sharpshooter branch, and it is arguably the best one among the FIght For Your Life (FFYL) skills. This does two things: DBNO lets players aim down sights when downed, and it negates Gun Accuracy penalties too.
Hitting enemies beyond spitting distance can be pretty difficulty when you get downed, but DBNO, you'll never have to worry about that. Just make sure that there are low-health enemies around or that you have enough firepower so you can actually get yourself back on your feet.
The Damage Boosters
For a Stronger Neutral Game
This entry contains multiple Specialization skills that all do the same thing: increase your DPS output. The way these skills do so vary a little bit, but at the end of they, all they do is make you hurt more. The skills in question are:
- Riddle You This (Brute): Every time you deal Gun damage, gain a stack of Riddle You This, which increases your Gun Damage by 1% (up to 50%). Lose stacks after not gaining stacks after 6 seconds. Works best with fully-automatic weapons.
- In The Zone (Sharpshooter): You gain a stacking bonus to Gun Damage and Critical Hit Damage for every second you spend aiming (up to 25% after 5 seconds). The bonus goes away after 2 seconds of not aiming. Best used with hard-hitting guns with small magazines.
- The Best Defense (Survivor): Gain up to 30% bonus Damage Dealt based on how full your Shields or Health are. Bonus is based on whichever of the latter is higher. Great with any weapon so long as you can constantly top off your health and/or shields.
- Contamination (Killer): Critical hits grant you increased Status Effect Chance, up to 10 stacks (100% bonus)
All of these Specialization skills are good, but they're all playstyle-dependent. Riddle You This is arguably the most well-rounded for most players, but if you want to increase your one-shot potential, go with In The Zone or The Best Defense.
Contamination is best for builds using elemental weapons. On higher Ultimate Vault Hunter ranks, this skill becomes more valuable since elemental weaknesses become more important by then.
The Niche Damage Boosters
Bring the Boom, or Punch Them in the Face
These skills are also for boosting damage, but they focus on either your Ordnance, Action Skill, or Melee abilities.
- I Am A Gun (Daredevil)
- Full Spectrum Arsenal (Gadgeteer)
- Bear Arms (Runner)
All these do the same thing: they make your Ordnance/Melee/Action Skills benefit from 50% of all increases to your Gun Damage. The latter mostly comes from your Vault Hunter's skills as well as the Enhancements you have equipped. The more Gun Damage you can stack, the higher the bonus you get from these Specialization skills.
The Gadgeteer and Daredevil Branches
They're Just Too Good
Gadgeteer is all about buffing your Ordnance, while Daredevil is all about making your Action Skills stronger. Both branches have excellent skills that can fit with many different builds, but if you want to make setup that hyperfocuses on Ordnance or Action Skills, you'll want to use all three Specialization skills from your preferred branch plus either DBNO or a general damage booster like Riddle You This.
The Daredevil tree deserves a special mention. Borderlands 4's Vault Hunters rely a lot on their Action Skills, and having a way to boost skill damage and reduce cooldowns is going to be great.
While Specialization categories can be scaled up infinitely, Specialization Skills can only be unlocked and not upgraded. What you see on the skill tree is what you get.
Borderlands 4
- Released
- September 12, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2, Borderlands
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- October 3, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Local Co-Op Support
- Yes
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
