Mastering Elements: Choosing Amara’s Best Action Skill Element in Borderlands 3

The Siren Amara in Borderlands 3 offers a dazzling array of elemental powers, making her a formidable force on Pandora and beyond. While “best” is subjective and build-dependent, the most versatile and consistently powerful action skill element for Amara is Shock. Its ability to shred shields and synergize with numerous skills and gear makes it a top-tier choice for both early and endgame content. However, the specific situation and your playstyle will heavily influence what works best for you. Now, let’s dive into the details.

Understanding Amara’s Elemental Arsenal

Amara boasts access to Shock, Fire, Corrosive, and Cryo elements (the latter introduced with a skill tree DLC). Each element excels in different scenarios, so understanding their strengths and weaknesses is crucial.

• Shock: Deals bonus damage to shields and is effective against robotic enemies. Its chaining capabilities make it excellent for crowd control.
• Fire: Deals bonus damage to flesh and is highly effective against organic enemies with red health bars.
• Corrosive: Deals bonus damage to armor and is the bane of armored enemies.
• Cryo: Freezes enemies solid, immobilizing them and offering opportunities for critical hits. Also effective against armored enemies like Corrosive.

Choosing the correct element is paramount to maximizing your damage output and survival. But let’s circle back to why Shock is so dominant.

Why Shock Takes the Crown

While situational advantages exist for other elements, Shock offers unparalleled flexibility and synergy. Here’s why it stands out:

• Shield Shredding: In Borderlands 3, many enemies possess shields. Shock’s ability to quickly deplete shields gives you immediate access to their health bar, making it invaluable in almost every encounter.
• Enemy Variety: While not as specialized as Fire against flesh or Corrosive against armor, Shock is effective against a broader range of enemies. This minimizes the need to constantly switch skills or weapons based on enemy types.
• Skill Synergies: Amara’s skill trees are loaded with abilities that amplify Shock damage and effectiveness. Skills like “Tempest” and Class Mods like the “Phasezerker” substantially boost Shock damage.
• Weapon Synergy: Many of the best weapons in Borderlands 3, such as the Brainstormer mentioned earlier, deal Shock damage. Building around a Shock-focused action skill allows you to seamlessly integrate these powerful weapons into your arsenal.
• Crowd Control: Shock can chain between enemies, spreading damage and applying status effects to multiple targets simultaneously. This is especially useful in crowded areas or when dealing with large groups of weaker enemies.

The Case for Other Elements

While Shock is generally the best, don’t dismiss the other elements:

• Fire (against flesh): If you’re facing primarily flesh-based enemies, a Fire build will deliver unmatched damage. It’s the go-to element for tackling creatures and human enemies.
• Corrosive (against armor): Corrosive absolutely melts armored enemies. If you know you’ll be fighting heavily armored foes, swapping to a Corrosive action skill can significantly shorten the fight.
• Cryo (for control and damage): Cryo is excellent for crowd control, freezing enemies in place for easy targeting and critical hits. A Cryo build can offer superior survivability and control, especially when combined with skills that increase cryo efficiency.

Building Around Your Element

Ultimately, the “best” element depends on your specific build and playstyle. To maximize your effectiveness, consider:

• Skill Tree Investment: Focus on skill trees that enhance your chosen element. For example, if you’re running a Shock build, invest heavily in the Mystical Assault tree for its Shock damage bonuses.
• Class Mod Selection: Choose Class Mods that complement your element and playstyle. The Phasezerker, Nimbus, and Spiritual Driver are all excellent options, each offering unique bonuses.
• Weapon Choice: Equip weapons that match your chosen element to amplify your damage output. The Brainstormer is a must-have for Shock builds, while the Hellfire and Scoville are excellent choices for Fire builds.
• Guardian Rank Perks: Invest in Guardian Rank perks that boost elemental damage and status effect chance.

Games Learning Society

The deeper you dive into Borderlands 3, the more clear it becomes that there is not one single perfect build. The experimentation with different character builds and element combinations is what helps make the game so popular. If you are looking to improve your own game development skills, then you should check out the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can Amara change her action skill element?

Yes, Amara can change her action skill element by re-speccing her skill points. You can respec at any Quick Change Station for a small fee.

2. Does Amara have a favorite element?

There’s no official “favorite” element, but her skill trees and the available gear heavily support a Shock-based playstyle.

3. What are the best skills for a Shock Amara build?

Key skills include “Tempest,” “Wildfire,” “Ties That Bind,” “Avatar,” and “Indiscriminate.” Prioritize skills that boost Shock damage, elemental effect chance, and crowd control.

4. What are the best weapons for a Shock Amara build?

The Brainstormer is a top choice. Other good options include the Cutsman (Shock variant), the EM-P5, and the Hyperfocus XZ41. Look for weapons with high elemental damage and status effect chance.

5. Is Fire Amara viable in endgame content?

Absolutely! While Shock is more versatile, a well-optimized Fire Amara build can deal immense damage to flesh-based enemies, making it viable in specific endgame scenarios.

6. What are the best skills for a Fire Amara build?

Focus on skills like “Sustainment,” “Anima,” “Do Harm,” and “Stillness of Mind.” Prioritize skills that increase Fire damage, elemental effect duration, and survivability.

7. What are the best weapons for a Fire Amara build?

The Hellfire is a classic choice. Other good options include the Scoville, the Faisor (Fire variant), and the Flamerocker.

8. Is Corrosive Amara only good against armor?

While Corrosive excels against armor, it can still be effective against other enemy types, especially if you invest in skills that increase elemental effect chance and damage.

9. What are the best skills for a Corrosive Amara build?

Focus on skills like “Sustainment,” “Tandava,” “Do Harm,” and “Ascendant.” Prioritize skills that increase Corrosive damage, elemental effect chance, and area-of-effect damage.

10. What are the best weapons for a Corrosive Amara build?

The Cutsman (Corrosive variant) is a top choice. Other good options include the Plaguebearer, the Garcia, and the Lob (Corrosive variant).

11. How does Cryo Amara compare to other elemental builds?

Cryo Amara offers excellent crowd control and survivability, but it may lack the raw damage output of Shock or Fire builds in some situations. It is still a powerful and fun option, especially with the right gear and skills.

12. What are the best skills for a Cryo Amara build?

Focus on skills like “Avalanche,” “Cryo Bullets,” “The Taker,” and “Root to Rise.” Prioritize skills that increase Cryo damage, freeze chance, and survivability.

13. What are the best weapons for a Cryo Amara build?

The Ice Breaker artifact is essential. Good weapon choices include the Cryo variant of the Redistributor, the Messy Breakup, and the Convergence.

14. How important is elemental status effect chance for Amara?

Elemental status effect chance is crucial for Amara, as it allows you to consistently apply elemental effects like Shock’s chaining, Fire’s burning, Corrosive’s melting, and Cryo’s freezing. These effects deal additional damage and can trigger other skill bonuses.

15. Can Amara’s melee attacks be infused with an element?

Yes, some of Amara’s skills and augments can infuse her melee attacks with elemental damage, allowing you to deal elemental damage up close. This is especially useful in a melee-focused build.

In conclusion, while Shock offers the most consistent and versatile option, experimenting with other elements and tailoring your build to your playstyle will ultimately determine the “best” action skill element for your Amara in Borderlands 3. Happy Vault Hunting!