8 Borderlands 4 tips and tricks to help you survive Kairos

Fighting a Domination Engine in Borderlands 4 — (Image credit: 2K)

My Borderlands 4 tips draw on over 30 hours of playtime, so whether you're starting fresh on Kairos or already facing some of the shooter's dicier difficulty spikes, these tips should help overthrow the Timekeeper in record… well, time.

Though if you're not quite ready to get stuck in, it's worth having a look at our to make sure you're picking the right Vault Hunter for you.

1. Don't ignore Silos

A screenshot for our Borderlands 4 tips, showing the character helping Claptrap set up a safehouse — (Image credit: 2K)

Bonus tip: Make a good build!

Borderlands 4 Amon Forgeknight build Amon in character selection screen with description — (Image credit: 2K)

Making builds can get very confusing, so here are our suggestions:
Best Borderlands 4 Vex build
Best Borderlands 4 Harlowe build
Best Borderlands 4 Rafa build
Best Borderlands 4 Amon build

With Borderlands 4 being more of a true open-world game than past entries, you'll find yourself doing lots of exploring and backtracking – particularly during side quests. Though you get fast travel points in Kairos' main faction settlements, they're few and far between, which means activating Silos for safehouses is crucial for easy travel later in the game.

Yes, they can be a pain to climb up and deal with – especially when you're only passing by while working another job – but they're worth taking the time out for. Trust us, you'll thank yourself later.

2. Resist the urge to grapple, but never stop dashing

Borderlands 4 tips image showing the player gliding during a big explosion — (Image credit: 2K)

On paper, Borderlands 4's new movement systems – namely the double-jump, glide, and grappling hook – all sound like they've been plucked from a Vault Hunter's sweetest dream. But in truth, using good old fashioned cover can often be smarter than grappling through the air in firefights. Besides making you an easy target, swinging on the grappling hook can make aiming far harder than it needs to be. Instead, utilize the game's dash to stay mobile – it's the strongest tool in the game for staying alive, and doesn't paint a massive bullseye on your back.

3. Take time to level up between main story missions

Borderlands 4 review screenshot showing cliffs towering beneath blue skies — (Image credit: 2K)

If you focus solely on main story missions without dabbling in side activities, you'll find yourself falling significantly behind in the level race. This gets more drastic later in the game, as enemies barring the way to raids can often end up being stronger than those within due to dramatic level scaling. Stay on top of your level before it becomes an issue, and you'll find yourself evenly matched while progressing through the story – it's practical advice, but it also makes Borderlands 4's firefights so much less bullet sponge-y.

4. Try new guns, but don't be afraid to stick with your favorite

Borderlands 4 screenshot showing the player with a sleek red energy rifle — (Image credit: 2K)

Borderlands 4 boasts more weapons than any of its predecessors, but that can make finding your favorites a little tricky. Start by playing it by ear – dabble with as many manufacturers and gun types as you can, paying attention to the ones you like and those you don't, and you'll quickly develop an eye for junk and worthy upgrades. Damage numbers can inform your decision once you know what you're looking for, and while you'll always want to keep nudging those lovely stats higher where possible, remember that it's not the only factor. Sure, you've found a grenade that does 100 more damage than the throwing knife you're using, but if it can't hit flying targets…

5. Fill your gun slots carefully with a mix of weapon types and elements

Borderlands 4 tips picture showing enemies drawn into a singularity vortex while the player watches — (Image credit: 2K)

Depending on your luck in Borderlands 4, you can end up looting a string of, say, five brilliant assault rifles and nothing else. But don't choose your four guns on damage or rarity alone. If there's too much overlap in terms of weapon type and their damage type, you'll burn through their shared ammo pool incredibly quickly – particularly during longer fights later in the game – and might not be able to deal with certain enemies.

Try to cover all of your bases: a shotgun, pistol, assault rifle, and sniper will ensure you're ready to fight at all ranges, but you can always swap out the pistol for an SMG if you'd prefer to spray and pray. And make sure you've got several Borderlands 4 elemental damage types available like fire for flesh, shock for shields, and corrosive for armor, although your skill tree can help here too!

6. Mark junk as you find it, and hit every vending machine in sight

Borderlands 4 gameplay showing the player looking at a giant cabled structure while dust blows — (Image credit: 2K)

Thanks to some pretty harsh storage limitations on your backpack, the opening hours of Borderlands 4 can demand some pretty constant inventory management. While this can be remedied by spending SDUs earned throughout the world, the sheer amount of loot thrown at you still adds up and can lead to fumbling around for space mid-raid. Make use of Borderlands 4's one-button junk marker to automatically set items for sale as they're picked up, take the opportunity to sell at every vending machine, and you'll avoid a very frustrating problem before it happens.

7. Use your abilities more

Borderlands 4 screenshot showing the player in a shootout while Vex summons a reaper — (Image credit: 2K)

Whichever of the Borderlands 4 characters you decide to play as or where you spend skill points, none of that matters if you don't actually use the abilities on offer. Yes, they can have hefty cooldowns depending on your build, but many fights later in the game are near-impossible to beat without making full use of whatever your class can do.

Vex, for example, can wheel out her specters not just to dish out damage, but to take aggro – buying precious seconds for shields and health to regenerate. Every class is a little bit different, but the main takeaway is to not save your ability for the 'perfect' moment – that's rarely going to happen, and you'll make fights far harder for yourself if abilities are sitting unused. And using a Borderlands 4 respec machine is always an option if you don't like your current build!

8. Check out your alt-fire mode

A Borderlands 4 tips image showing the player shooting at a monster running at them — (Image credit: 2K)

On a similar note, almost every gun in Borderlands 4 comes with a random alt-fire mode that can make or break its value. With a bit of luck, you can pull some extremely powerful modifications that complement the base gun – a standout is the underbarrel missile launcher for incredible burst damage, but have a play around and see what you like. It can be all-too easy to tunnel vision in on health bars during fights, so try and get into the habit of remembering your alt-fire modes are available to make things easier.

The Borderlands 4 Recruitment Drive mission, which tasks you with getting clearance for an elevator, is a pretty annoying intro to the game, so check out our walkthrough and tips for that mission if you're stuck. If you want to know the game's length in a broad sense, we can also tell you how long it takes to beat Borderlands 4 here.