The Ultimate Borderlands 3 Starter Class Guide: Choosing Your First Vault Hunter
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So, you’re jumping into the chaotic world of Borderlands 3 for the first time? Excellent choice, Vault Hunter! But with four unique characters staring you down at the selection screen, the decision can be daunting. The simple answer to What is the best starter class in Borderlands 3? is Moze the Gunner. Her ability to summon the Iron Bear mech provides unparalleled survivability and firepower, making her incredibly forgiving for new players.
Why Moze the Gunner is the Top Choice for Beginners
Moze’s strengths stem from her direct, uncomplicated playstyle. Here’s a breakdown of why she shines as a beginner-friendly class:
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Iron Bear Dominance: The Iron Bear is a walking tank, capable of dishing out massive damage and absorbing tons of punishment. As a new player learning enemy patterns and game mechanics, the Iron Bear offers a safety net and a damage multiplier that allows you to learn without constant frustration. Upgrades allow for diverse weapon loadouts, from railguns and miniguns to grenade launchers and flamethrowers, letting you experiment and find what suits your playstyle.
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Tanky Build Potential: Even outside of the Iron Bear, Moze can be built to be incredibly resilient. Skills that provide health regeneration, shield bonuses, and damage reduction make her a tough nut to crack, allowing you to make mistakes without being instantly punished. This tankiness is invaluable when you’re still learning enemy attack patterns and the best ways to utilize cover.
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Offensive Focus: Despite her survivability, Moze is designed to be aggressive. Her skill trees heavily reward dealing damage, encouraging you to constantly engage in combat and learn the intricacies of the gunplay. This proactive playstyle is engaging and helps you quickly master the core mechanics of Borderlands 3.
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Ease of Understanding: Moze’s skill trees are relatively straightforward compared to some other Vault Hunters. The benefits of her skills are usually clear and impactful, making it easier to create a viable build without needing to delve into complex synergies or min-maxing. This simplicity allows you to focus on enjoying the game rather than getting bogged down in build theory.
A Closer Look at Moze’s Skill Trees
Moze’s skill trees each offer a distinct playstyle, but all are viable for beginners:
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Demolition Woman (Green Tree): This tree focuses on grenades and explosive damage. It enhances the effectiveness of Moze’s grenades and provides bonuses for using them frequently. It pairs well with gear that regenerates grenades or increases their damage.
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Shield of Retribution (Blue Tree): The Shield of Retribution tree focuses on survivability and shield-based abilities. It offers skills that increase shield capacity, shield recharge rate, and damage reduction. This tree is ideal for creating a tanky Moze that can withstand a lot of punishment.
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Bottomless Mags (Red Tree): The Bottomless Mags tree is all about sustained fire. Skills in this tree reduce ammo consumption, increase magazine size, and provide bonuses for continuous shooting. This tree allows Moze to unleash a torrent of bullets without having to reload constantly.
Why Not the Other Vault Hunters?
While all the Vault Hunters in Borderlands 3 are fun and powerful, they have steeper learning curves than Moze, particularly for new players:
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Amara the Siren: Amara excels at crowd control and elemental damage, but her effectiveness relies on understanding enemy weaknesses and coordinating her action skill with her gear. This can be overwhelming for beginners.
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FL4K the Beastmaster: FL4K is a strong damage dealer, but their survivability can be an issue early on. Managing their pet and utilizing specific skill combinations are crucial for success, requiring a deeper understanding of game mechanics. It’s important to remember that FL4K is a unique character with its own set of strengths and weaknesses.
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Zane the Operative: Zane’s strength lies in his ability to use two action skills simultaneously, creating complex and powerful builds. However, this complexity can be difficult to manage for beginners. He also relies on movement and positioning, which require a good understanding of the game’s environments.
Borderlands 3: Beyond the Best Starter Class
After mastering Moze, consider exploring resources such as the Games Learning Society (GamesLearningSociety.org) to delve deeper into the game’s mechanics and strategies. The Games Learning Society provides research and insights into how games can be used for educational purposes, which is an excellent way to explore the broader impact of gaming. Understanding these elements is key to truly excelling in Borderlands 3.
Ultimately, the best starter class is the one you enjoy the most. However, for a smooth and enjoyable introduction to Borderlands 3, Moze the Gunner is the clear winner. Her forgiving playstyle, powerful mech, and straightforward skill trees make her the perfect choice for new Vault Hunters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Moze the only viable solo character in Borderlands 3?
No, Moze is not the only viable solo character. All the Vault Hunters can be played solo. However, Moze’s Iron Bear and tankiness make her significantly easier to play solo, especially for beginners. Amara, FL4K, and Zane can all be extremely powerful solo, but they may require more specific gear and build knowledge.
2. What is the best build for Moze as a beginner?
A strong beginner build for Moze focuses on the Shield of Retribution tree. Invest points into skills that increase shield capacity, shield recharge rate, and damage reduction. This will make you incredibly resilient and allow you to survive longer in combat. Pair this with weapons that have high magazine sizes or fast reload speeds.
3. Can I respec my skill points later in the game?
Yes, you can respec your skill points at any time by visiting a Quick-Change Station. These stations are located in major hubs like Sanctuary III. Respeccing costs money, but it’s relatively inexpensive, allowing you to experiment with different builds without penalty.
4. What are the best weapons for Moze?
The best weapons for Moze depend on your build and playstyle. However, some consistently strong options include weapons with high magazine sizes, fast reload speeds, and explosive damage. Look out for legendary weapons like the Lob, the Firesale Long Musket, and the Monarch.
5. How important is elemental damage in Borderlands 3?
Elemental damage is crucial in Borderlands 3. Different enemies are vulnerable to different elements. Fire is effective against flesh, shock is effective against shields, and corrosive is effective against armor. Understanding elemental matchups is essential for maximizing your damage output.
6. Should I play the Borderlands games in order?
While it’s not strictly necessary, playing the Borderlands games in order will enhance your understanding of the story and characters. The chronological order is: Borderlands, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, Borderlands 2, Tales from the Borderlands, Borderlands 3.
7. What difficulty should I choose for my first playthrough?
For your first playthrough, the default difficulty (Normal) is recommended. This will provide a balanced challenge without being overly difficult. You can always increase the difficulty later if you find the game too easy.
8. What are Mayhem levels?
Mayhem levels are a post-game feature that increases the difficulty of the game and improves loot drops. They can be accessed from the Echo Device after completing the main story. Mayhem levels offer a significant challenge but also provide the best rewards.
9. Are the DLCs worth buying?
Yes, the DLCs for Borderlands 3 are generally considered to be worth buying. They offer new storylines, characters, environments, and gear. Some of the most popular DLCs include Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock and Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck.
10. How does co-op work in Borderlands 3?
Borderlands 3 supports up to four players in co-op. You can play with friends or random players online. The game scales the difficulty based on the number of players. There is also a co-opetition mode that allows players to compete for loot.
11. What are Crew Challenges?
Crew Challenges are optional side missions scattered throughout the game world. Completing them rewards you with experience, money, and sometimes unique gear. They are a great way to explore the environments and earn extra rewards.
12. What is the best way to farm loot?
The best way to farm loot is to target specific bosses that drop the items you want. Many online resources list the loot pools of different bosses. You can also increase your chances of finding good loot by playing on higher Mayhem levels. Graveward is a commonly farmed boss due to its ease and the amount of loot it drops.
13. What is the purpose of Class Mods?
Class Mods are gear items that provide bonuses to specific skills and attributes. They can significantly enhance your build and are essential for endgame progression. Finding the right Class Mod for your build is crucial for maximizing your effectiveness.
14. What are Anointments?
Anointments are special effects that can appear on weapons and gear. They provide powerful bonuses that can significantly enhance your damage output or survivability. Anointments are often build-specific, so finding the right anointment for your build is important.
15. Are there any secrets or Easter eggs in Borderlands 3?
Yes, Borderlands 3 is full of secrets and Easter eggs. Many of these are references to other games, movies, and pop culture. Exploring the environments and interacting with objects can often reveal hidden surprises.