This take on Harlowe’s Gamma Ray Burst skill flips the usual “pet powerhouse” approach on its head. Instead of leaning on your companion for the heavy lifting, the whole setup is built to supercharge your own gun damage. The radiation aura from Gamma Burst becomes a massive damage boost zone, stacking perfectly with the right anointments to let you tear through mobs and bosses alike. It’s all about smart positioning, timing your skill use, and unloading on targets while they melt in the aura. If you’ve got the right gear, you’ll feel like you’re holding a portable nuke. You can grab extra resources for it over at Borderlands 4 Cash if you want to speed things up.
The skill trees matter a lot here. You’ll sink most of your points into the Atomic Heart tree, pushing all the way to the Irradiated Core capstone. That’s the one that makes enemies inside your Gamma Burst aura take way more damage from everything, especially crits. Along the way, Lingering Aura will keep your rift active longer, and Atomic Enhancement sharpens your radiation output. A few points go into Hunter’s Instinct—not deep, just enough to grab Predator’s Gaze for extra crit damage and Swift Hands so you can reload and swap guns faster. This mix keeps your skill acting like a huge damage amplifier without cutting into your gunplay focus.
Gear is where this build really clicks. You’ll want a hard-hitting, multi-pellet weapon—think Hellwalker or a chunky Jakobs pistol. The big must-have is the anointment: “While Gamma Burst is active, gain 150% bonus Radiation Damage.” Without it, the build loses its teeth. For class mods, Gamma Channeler is king, giving you longer uptime and shorter cooldowns on Gamma Burst. Try to find one that buffs Lingering Aura and adds passive boosts to weapon, shotgun, or Jakobs crit damage. Shields like Plus Ultra or Stop-Gap keep you alive when you’re right in the fight, and pairing them with a Pearl of Ineffable Knowledge artifact stacks damage nicely over sustained fire. If you prefer speed and more radiation punch, an Atom Balm Victory Rush works great after killing tougher enemies.
In action, it’s simple but brutal. Drop your Gamma Burst rift where it covers as many enemies as possible, let your pet pull attention, then step into the aura and start firing. You’ll see health bars vanish—bosses crumble fast when the aura’s crit bonus and the 150% radiation anointment kick in together.
Keep moving to stay in the sweet spot, and don’t be afraid to swap weapons mid-fight if the situation changes. Once you get the rhythm, you’ll be clearing areas in seconds. If you’re looking to push this setup even further, check out Borderlands 4 Items buy for more ways to max out your loadout.