In
Borderlands 4, Vex the Siren is a master of elemental chaos and critical damage, and one of her most potent abilities is the
Bloodletter skill from her
Incarnate tree. This skill allows her to apply the
Bleed status effect on critical hits, creating a damage-over-time effect that, when properly scaled, can shred through bosses and mobs alike.By focusing on a combination of high critical chance, kinetic damage, and status effect boosts, Vex can create a build that is not only powerful but also incredibly satisfying to play. Here is a detailed guide on the best Vex Bleed build, including a breakdown of the skills, gear, and playstyle that make it so effective.
Vex's Bleed Build: Skill Tree Breakdown
This build is all about stacking damage multipliers to turn a simple Bleed status effect into an apocalyptic force. The core of the build resides in the Incarnate tree, with a few crucial points in other trees to maximize its potential.
Skill | Points | Description | Why It's Useful |
Leeching Attunement | 5/5 | While Vex is Attuned to Kinetic, she gains Lifesteal and increased Reload Speed. | Lifesteal is a crucial cornerstone of this build, boosting various skills and providing sustainability. |
Bloodletter | 5/5 | Gun and Skill Critical Hits have a chance to apply Bleed, a Kinetic Status Effect. | The heart of the build. This skill is the entire foundation of your damage. |
Material Components | 5/5 | Vex gains increased Kinetic Damage and Kinetic Status Effect Damage. | Directly boosts your weapon's damage and, more importantly, the damage of your Bleed effect. |
Grave Sights | 5/5 | Vex gains increased Critical Hit Damage and Gun Handling on kill. | Stacks a critical hit damage buff, which is vital for this build's output. |
Mortal Terror | 5/5 | Chance to activate Kill Skills when critically hitting enemies. | Allows you to activate your kill skills during boss fights, not just when clearing mobs. |
Prismatic Ichor | 1/5 | When Vex or her minions apply a Status Effect, apply another random Elemental Status Effect. | Adds even more damage-over-time effects on top of your Bleed, stacking up damage. |
Enchantment | 5/5 | Vex gains Bonus Kinetic Damage with Guns while her Action Skill is active. | This is a huge, consistent damage buff that directly scales your Bleed damage. |
Grave Quickening | 4/5 | Kill Skill. Vex gains increased Action Skill Cooldown Rate. | This skill is vital for maintaining the uptime of your Action Skill and its associated bonuses. |
Grave Vitality | 5/5 | Kill Skill. Vex gains increased Maximum Health Capacity and Health Regeneration. | Provides survivability and synergizes with other skills that scale damage based on health. |
Blood is Power | 3/3 | Vex gains Bonus Kinetic Damage with Guns based on her current Lifesteal when her Health is full. | A major damage buff that you can constantly maintain due to the build's strong Lifesteal. |
Essence Leech | 5/5 | Vex gains Lifesteal. Doubles the effect when an Action Skill is active. | Enhances your survivability and, through Lifesteal, your damage as well. |
Idle Hands | 3/3 | Vex gains Reload Speed based on the fullness of her Health. | Reduces your downtime between shots, letting you apply more Bleed stacks. |
Playstyle and Strategy
The core strategy of this build is to constantly apply and stack the Bleed status effect on enemies. This is done by maximizing your critical hit chance and using a high fire rate kinetic weapon.
Start with a Critical Hit: The build revolves around landing a critical hit to start the Bleed stacking. The best way to guarantee this is by using a Throwing Knife Ordnance with the Penetrator Augment. This augment makes all damage received by the affected enemy a critical hit for a short duration.Unleash the Storm: Once the target is "penetrated," unload your kinetic weapon into them. Each critical hit will apply a stack of Bleed, which scales with your massive gun damage.Maintain Your Action Skill: Keep your Action Skill, Incarnate, active as much as possible. It doubles the Lifesteal from Essence Leech and provides a massive damage buff from Enchantment. Use the Grave Quickening skill to reduce the cooldown after every kill, ensuring high uptime.Stay Healthy: The Lifesteal provided by Leeching Attunement and Essence Leech is not just for survival; it also fuels the "Blood is Power" skill, which gives you a huge damage buff when your health is full.Best Weapons and Gear for the Build
The right gear can turn this build from powerful to absolutely game-breaking.
- Weapons: The most important thing is to use a Kinetic weapon. Jakobs weapons are perfect for this build as they never have an elemental affinity and are designed to reward critical hits.
- Hot Slugger: A legendary shotgun that gains a stacking damage buff on kills.
- Bod: A legendary shotgun that is a world-class choice for this build due to its high base damage and a unique trait that allows it to benefit from all weapon type bonuses.
- Hellwalker: The legendary DOOM-inspired shotgun is always a solid choice.
- Ordnance: As mentioned, a Throwing Knife with the Penetrator Augment is a must-have for boss fights. It guarantees critical hits for a short duration, allowing you to stack Bleed endlessly.
- Class Mods & Enhancements: Look for gear that boosts your gun damage, critical hit chance, or status effect damage. Class Mods with bonus points in skills like Bloodletter or Grave Vitality are ideal. An enhancement that makes Jakobs ricochet twice on critical hits is also a game-changer, as it can dramatically increase your damage output and mob-clearing potential.
- Repkits: A Repkit with Lifesteal or a damage-boosting component is a great choice to further enhance your build.
This Vex Bleed build is a powerhouse that can dismantle any enemy in the game. It’s a testament to the creative and often wild build-crafting potential that Borderlands 4 has to offer.
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 PS5, Microsoft Windows PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S
Genre(s): First-person shooter, action role-playing
Developer(s): Gearbox Software
Release date: September 12, 2025
Mode: Single-player, multiplayer
▶
Other Articles Related
How to Get Undead Eye Legendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4Unleash otherworldly power! Our guide reveals how to farm the Undead EyeLegendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4, including the exact boss locationand optimal strategies.
How to Get Dancer Legendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4Master the art of the dance! Our guide reveals how to get the Dancer Legendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4, including boss farms, loot sources, and the best strategies.
How to Get Skeptic Legendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4Unlock the Skeptic Legendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4. Our guide reveals the best farming methods, boss strategies, and location tips to get thispowerful gear for your build.
How to Get War Paint Legendary Repkit in Borderlands 4Unlock the ultimate cosmetic prize! Our guide reveals how to get the War Paint Legendary Repkit in Borderlands 4, with step-by-step methods forfarming this rare weapon skin.
How To Unlock Ultimate Vault Hunter Rank 4 in Borderlands 4Unlock Ultimate Vault Hunter Rank 4 in Borderlands 4! Discover tips, strategies, and secrets to enhance your gameplay
How To Unlock Ultimate Vault Hunter Rank 5 in Borderlands 4Level up your Vault Hunter! This guide reveals the steps to unlock UVHM Rank 5 in Borderlands 4, including the required challenges and the powerfulnew rewards that await at the maximum level.
How To Unlock Ultimate Vault Hunter Rank 3 in Borderlands 4Level up your endgame! Our guide shows you how to unlock UVHM Rank 3 inBorderlands 4, with tips to conquer the new difficulty and earn the best legendary loot.
How to Get Luty Madlad Legendary SMG in Borderlands 4Get the Luty Madlad, a legendary SMG in Borderlands 4. Our guidecovers the exact farm location, boss strategies, and tips to increaseyour loot drop chances.
How to Get Teen Witch Legendary Class Mod in Borderlands 4Unlock the powerful Teen Witch class mod in Borderlands 4. Our guide coversall farming locations, boss strategies, and drop rates to get thislegendary gear fast.
Where to Find Electi Safe in Borderlands 4Find the elusive Electi Safe inBorderlands 4. This guide reveals all known locations and the bestfarming spots to get this powerful new weapon.
How to Get All Sonic the Hedgehog Car Cosmetics in FortniteUnlock the complete Sonic the Hedgehog car cosmetics set in Fortnite! Thisguide covers how to earn the Sonic & Shadow styles for the RacerRunt vehicle.
How to Solve the Altar Puzzle in Shrine Path in Silent Hill fUnlock the secrets of the shrine path. Our guide explains step-by-step how tosolve the Silent Hill f altar puzzle, including the correct itemplacement and ritual sequence.
How to Claim Deluxe Edition Content in Silent Hill fClaim your Silent Hill f Deluxe Edition bonuses! This quick guideexplains how to access and redeem your exclusive cosmetic content,including outfits and accessories.
How to Get Strawberry Cake Dice Skin in Monopoly GOUnlock the sweet Strawberry Cake dice skin in Monopoly GO! This guide revealsthe simple steps to get this limited-time cosmetic item for your dicerolls.
How to Investigate City Wall in Borderlands 4Uncover the secrets of the City Wall in Borderlands 4. Our guide reveals how to start the investigation, find all clues, solve the environmentalpuzzle, and claim your legendary reward.