Borderlands Siren Builds: Melee and Gunslinger

Borderlands is a successful blend of RPG and FPS which makes it a title well worth playing. You can read about the game in our Borderlands review. There are four characters to choose from in the game and each represents a different class. Using the well established RPG mechanic of building up skills by gaining experience you can develop your character’s abilities. The catch is you only have a maximum of 50 skill points (you'll get 45 to spend in the original game and 47 with the add on) so you’ll need to choose the best blend for you from the skill trees available.

Each of the characters can wield any of the weapons in the game but they do have specifics guns they are best suited to. You can read more about the weapons in our Borderlands Weapon Guide. In this article we focus on two builds for the Siren character, Lilith, the only female of the bunch. The Siren makes an excellent swift assassin and can focus on melee or gunplay.

Whichever path you choose the first skill you must unlock is Phasewalk. This ability renders you invisible and allows you to move swiftly. Even better, entering and exiting Phasewalk creates a Phase Blast which can damage nearby enemies. If you engage in a melee attack you’ll exit Phasewalk early. The cool down period is 35 seconds.

The Siren has unique powers and a combination of speedy movement, invisibility and crushing melee attacks can make her a formidable hit and run force. We’ll start with the Controller Tree:

• First Tier – Diva – Increases the capacity of your shield (+5% Shield Capacity for each skill point up to a maximum of +25% Shield Capacity).
• First Tier – Striking – This gives your melee attacks a chance to daze the opposition, slowing them down and making them less accurate (+20% chance to daze an equal enemy for each skill point up to a maximum of +100% chance to daze).
• Second Tier – Inner Glow – This allows you to regenerate health while Phasewalking (+1% health per second while Phasewalking for each skill point up to a maximum of +7% of your health per second while Phasewalking).
• Third Tier – Hard to Get – Decreases the cool down period for Phasewalk (-3 seconds for each skill point up to a maximum decrease of 16 seconds).

From the Assassin Tree you should go for:

• First Tier – Slayer – This skill increases your critical hit damage (+5% Critical Hit damage for each skill point up to a maximum of +25% Critical Hit damage).
• First Tier – Silent Resolve – This increases your resistance to damage for a few seconds after Phasewalking (+14% Damage Reduction for each skill point up to a maximum of +70% Damage Reduction).
• Second Tier – Hit & Run – This increases your melee damage and Phasewalk duration (+7% Melee Damage and +0.8 seconds Phasewalk duration for each skill point up to a maximum of +35% Melee Damage and +4 seconds Phasewalk duration).
• Third Tier – Blackout – Killing an enemy reduces the cool down period for your Phasewalk ability (starts at 1.2 second cool down reduction per kill and maxes out at 6 second cool down reduction per kill).
• Fourth Tier – Phase Strike – Extra damage for melee attacks unleashed during Phasewalk (+160% Melee Damage per skill point up to a maximum of +800% Melee Damage).

If you prefer to use firearms and avoid up close and personal encounters then this is the build for you. We’ll start with the Assassin Tree:

• First Tier – Slayer – This skill increases your critical hit damage (+5% Critical Hit damage for each skill point up to a maximum of +25% Critical Hit damage).
• Second Tier – Enforcer – Killing an enemy increases your accuracy and bullet damage (+7% Accuracy and +2% Bullet Damage for each skill point up to a maximum of +35% Accuracy and +10% Bullet Damage).
• Third Tier – High Velocity – Increases bullet damage and velocity (+20% Bullet Velocity and +4% Bullet Damage for each skill point up to a maximum of +100% Bullet Velocity and +20% Bullet Damage).

From the Elemental Tree you should go for:

• First Tier – Quicksilver – Increases your fire rate with all weapons (+5% Fire Rate for each skill point up to a maximum of +25% Fire Rate).
• Second Tier – Resilience – Increases your resistance to fire, shock, corrosive and explosive damage (+6% Elemental Resistance for each skill point up to a maximum of +30% Elemental Resistance).
• Third Tier – Intuition – Killing an enemy increases your movement speed and the experience you and your team earn for a few seconds (+10% Movement Speed and +4% Team Experience for each skill point up to a maximum of +50% Movement Speed and +20% Team Experience).
• Fourth Tier – Phoenix – Killing an enemy causes you to deal out fire damage to nearby enemies and helps you save ammunition (+5% chance to save ammo and +1% Fire Damage for each skill point up to a maximum of +25% chance to save ammo and +5% Fire Damage).

From the Controller Tree take the following:

• First Tier – Diva – Increases the capacity of your shield (+5% Shield Capacity for each skill point up to a maximum of +25% Shield Capacity).
• Second Tier – Inner Glow – This allows you to regenerate health while Phasewalking (+1% health per second while Phasewalking for each skill point up to a maximum of +7% of your health per second while Phasewalking).