Author’s disclaimer: All credit for the contents of this Guide goes to Poka (@pokapoka ) I simply ported it over from the old forum. Special thanks go to @Vycksta for getting in contact with Poka and Poka for giving his permission to have his Guide ported over to the new forum.
This is meant to be a guide for new players to break down Gaige’s skills.
As we all know, Gaige is a slightly different kind of “complicated” than the other playable characters. There’s no one way to play her, even at OP8. There are 4 main ways you can play/build her, then like 5 sub-ways you can play/build her based off of the 4 main ways.
The following abbreviations are commonly used for each of Gaige’s skill trees:
- BFF – Best Friends Forever
- LBT – Little Big Trouble
- OC – Ordered Chaos
Terrible: These skills are a waste no matter what and should always be skipped.
Sub-par: These skills either are just bad or do not scale well. You might be able to make them work somewhat when combined with other skills, earlier playthroughs or augmenting with superior gear… or just filler points.
Average: Can help, not bad choices for going down trees.
Great: These skills are highly recommended.
Outstanding: Skills of this rating will be game changers that you base your build and play-style around.
[ DeathTrap ]
Gaige’s action skill. You summon DT, where he proceeds to take action depending on which skills you’ve invested into.
*if no DT-specific skills have been given points, he’ll either melee or shoot lightning at enemies… or possibly stare at a wall
Gaige’s BFF tree focuses on DT supporting skills, a few DT buffs, some personal DPS augmentations and defense. Most are useful, but a few should be avoided. This tree also has DT’s most significant buff; Sharing is Caring (SiC).
Close Enough (CE):
Bullets that hit walls or other objects have a __% chance per level to ricochet toward a nearby enemy dealing 50% of it’s usual damage.
This skill is somewhat of a necessity for almost every playstyle, especially at higher-level playthroughs, or depending on your gun choices and stack count. Weapons with pre-existing ricochet properties will NOT receive the -50% penalty in damage. 1/10.0%, 5/50.0%
BFF/OC: Outstanding
WDT: Outstanding
DT: Average
*DISCLAIMER
However… regardless of its rating, this skill is situational. For example, it’s not a necessity in Normal/TVHM modes. However, 99% necessary if using the Fibber, especially with high stacks. Not necessary for some raids, absolutely necessary for others, etc. It’s a touchy skill. Some like it, other don’t.
Cooking Up Trouble (CuT):
While your gun’s magazine is full you regenerate __% of your maximum health per second per level.
One out of the three healing skills for Gaige. Not exactly necessary, but highly recommended, especially for raiding or early level playthroughs. Gaige’s other healing skills (Discord, With Claws) requires investing quite a few points into the OC tree. 1/0.4%; 5/2.0%; 11/4.4%.
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Great
Fancy Mathematics (FM):
Improves shield recharge delay by __% and shield recharge rate by __% per level based on how low your health is. The lower your health the greater the bonuses.
A generally recommended skill to pick up, although Gaige does have two other shield-recharging skills. However, each has differing conditions under which they proc, and can be used in conjunction with each other. 1/-14.0% & 12.0%, 5/-70.0% & 60.0%
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Average
Buck Up (BU):
Deathtrap Ability. Deathtrap restores 100% shields of one ally.
Oh boy… ok. Not a bad skill for solo play, or even group play, BUT… there is a BUT! If you are A) spec’ed heavily into melee DT, B) spec’ed heavily into attack damage DT, C) would rather have him damaging enemies rather than healing shields, or D) in a group with classes and playstyles that prefer to have depleted shields… DO NOT GET BUCK UP!
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Terrible
The Better Half (BH):
When your magazine is half empty you gain a __% fire rate bonus per level.
A great way to increase DPS. Any Gaige focused on guns, with a mag size greater than 3, should pick this up! 1/12.0%, 5/60%, 11/132%.
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Average
Potent as a Pony (PaaP):
+% Maximum Health for you and +% Maximum Health for Deathtrap per level.
Unless you want to absolutely buff DT as much as you possibly can, do not get this. More health does NOT = better, in this game… unless Krieg. 1/4.0% & 2.0%, 5/20.0% & 10.0%
BFF/OC: Terrible
WDT: Sub-par
DT: Average
Upshot Robot (UR):
Kill Skill. While Deathtrap is active, if you or Deathtrap kill an enemy it increases Deathtrap’s duration by 5s and grants both of you a stackable +4% melee damage bonus. Bonuses are lost when Deathtrap goes away.
An exceptional skill for DT-focused builds, and even for other build types. More DT (whether for melee, just getting kills or as a distraction) is always a good thing!
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Outstanding
Unstoppable Force (UF):
Kill Skill. Killing an enemy grants you __% bonus movement speed per level and causes your shield to regenerate __% per second per level for a short while.
A generally good skill to have, though can collide with DoT and other sources of damage causing your shield to get “confused” at times. However, the speed increase is worth the annoying “shield breaking” syndrome, as it allows you to either close distances, or find cover fast. 1/7.0% & 0.8%, 5/35.0% & 4.0%, 10/70.0% & 8.0%
BFF/OC: Average
WDT: Average
DT: Average
Explosive Clap (EC):
Deathtrap Ability. Deathtrap causes an explosion in front of him, dealing explosive damage to all nearby enemies.
An ok-ish skill. If you want to invest somewhat in DT, without going the SiC/melee route, it scales somewhat well and can do decent damage to even OP8 enemies.
All playstyles: Average
Made of Sterner Stuff (MoSS):
You and Deathtrap gain % damage reduction per level against all damage types. Deathtrap gains +% bonus melee damage per level.
Unless A) you are planning to max this out at 10/5 or B) you want max out DT as much as possible, a 1~5% boost in damage reduction is not worth it. 1/1.0% & 3.0%, 5/5.0% & 15%, 11/11.0% & 33.0%
BFF/OC: Average
WDT: Average
DT: Average
However, when maxed out via COM and used in conjunction with a Blockade, this can provide significant damage reduction.
20% Cooler:
Increases the cooldown rate of your action skill by __% each level.
As I’ve said with Upshot Robot, more DT and more frequent DT is never a bad thing, regardless of build. 1/6.0%, 5/30.0%
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Great
Sharing is Caring (SiC):
Capstone skill. Grants a copy of your shield to Deathtrap.
A must-have for melee DT builds, and a great investments for other builds as well. Useful with Blackholes, BBBs, FotFs, etc. However, terrible vs larger bosses and raids.
BFF/OC: Average
WDT: Great
DT: Outstanding
Gaige’s LBT tree focuses on elemental damage and a few DT buffs.
More Pep:
Increases your chances of applying elemental Status Effects by __% per level; __% per level for Electrocute.
Contrary to common belief, this skill isn’t terrible. If you need a higher chance at slagging targets, or are focusing on DoTs, then it’s a decent skill. 1/2.0% & 4.0%, 5/10.0% & 20.0%
All playstyles: Average
Myelin:
Grants you __% Resistance to Shock Damage per level. Also increases your Shield Capacity by __% per level.
Again, not a terrible skill. Can be used to boost lower-cap shields, and possibly protect you (somewhat) against shock-heavy attacks. 1/6.0% & 3.0%, 5/30.0% & 15.0%
All playstyles: Average
Shock Storm (SS):
Kill Skill. Killing an enemy with a Critical Hit causes an Electric Storm, dealing Electrocute Damage to nearby enemies. Electrical Storms are also caused by Deathtrap whenever he kills an enemy.
No. Just, no. It’s terribad in any playthrough mode. One of those ranked skills that doesn’t even scale well in Normal.
All playstyles: Terrible
The Stare:
Deathtrap Ability. Deathtrap fires a laser beam and sweeps it across the battlefield, dealing Burn Damage and possibly Igniting enemies.
Another terrible skill, as well as being bugged.
All playstyles: Terrible
Strength of Five Gorillas (So5G):
Increases Melee Damage for you and Deathtrap by 3% per level.
One of the essential DT/melee skills. 1/+3.0%, 5/+15.0%, 11/+33.0%
BFF/OC: Sub-par
WDT: Sub-par
DT: Outstanding
Electrical Burn (EB):
When your Electrocute Status Effects deal damage to enemies, there is a __% chance per level they will burst into flames and take Burn Damage. The amount of Burn Damage is based on the Electrocute damage dealt.
Only good when using a DoT-focused build. However, with Moxxi weapons equipped, the ensuing DoTs can heal you for significant amounts. 1/4.0%, 5/20%
All playstyles: Sub-par
Shock and “AAAGGGGHHH!”:
Reloading your gun causes an Electrical Explosion, damaging nearby enemies.
As of the 10/29/2015 patch, this skill is now a very reliable source of Shock DoT especially for EB Builds. As with EB, the Moxxi-heal scenario can be of use. Additionally, a decent “emergency heal” while reloading.
All playstyles: Great
Evil Enchantress (EE):
Kill Skill. Killing an enemy increases the Damage that your Burn, Electrocute, and Corrode status effects deal by 6% per level for a short period of time.
As with EB, should only be used with heavy DoT/elemental builds. 1/6.0%, 5/30%
All playstyles: Sub-par
One Two Boom (12B):
Deathtrap Ability. Deathtrap shoots out an orb of energy at an enemy. If you shoot the orb it will explode, dealing massive Shock Damage to nearby enemies.
Another bugged skill. Do not waste points here.
All playstyles: Terrible
Wires Don’t Talk (WDT):
Increases all Shock and Electrocute Damage that you inflict by 3% per level.
This is like having a built-in elemental relic. Beautiful and multiplicative with Anarchy! 1/3.0%, 5/15.0%, 11/33.0%
BFF/OC: Outstanding
WDT: Outstanding
DT: Outstanding
Interspersed Outburst (IO):
Not shooting an enemy for a short time grants you a stack of Interspersed Outburst. The next time you shoot an enemy, all stacks of Interspersed Outburst are consumed and you deal Slag Damage. The more stacks are consumed, the greater the chance of slagging the target.
This one is tricky. Basically, gives you free slag, but can be conditional. Can slag Pete, Gee, Dragons and Vorac.
BFF/OC: Average
WDT: Great
DT: Average
Make it Sparkle (MiS):
Capstone skill. Shooting Deathtrap with an elemental weapon charges him with that element, causing his melee attacks to deal additional damage of that element.
A great skill to use in conjunction with melee-DT builds, as this adds x2 to his melee output. As with SiC, not so great on larger bosses and raids.
BFF/OC: Sub-par
WDT: Average
DT: Outstanding
Gaige’s OC tree primarily focuses on buffing Gaige’s gun damage, with a few DT buffs and support skills sneaked in.
Smaller, Lighter, Faster (SLF):
Increases your reload speed by __% per level but decreases your magazine size by __% per level.
Honestly, no one ever needs this or exactly wants it, but it is a must-get to advance in the OC tree. 1/6.0% & 1.0%, 4/24.0% & 4.0%. Negatively impacts your ability to use the Infinity Pistol.
BFF/OC: N/A
WDT: Sub-par
DT: Sub-par
Anarchy:
Killing an enemy or fully emptying your gun’s magazine while in combat (or not) grants you a stack of Anarchy. For every stack of Anarchy you have, you gain bonus gun damage (+1.75%), but your accuracy is decreased (-1.75%). Prematurely reloading your guns removes all stacks of Anarchy. Anarchy stacks are quickly lost while in “Fight for Your Life.”
Take it. If you are running an OC/BFF build, take it. If you are running a WDT build, take it. If you are running a “I’m just going to let DT literally do EVERYTHING and stare at this wall” build… TAKE IT! It’s ONE point. Take it.
BFF/OC: Outstanding
WDT: Outstanding
DT: Outstanding
Preshrunk Cyberpunk:
Increases the maximum number of Anarchy stacks you can have by 50 per level.
When raiding at higher levels, doing weird challenges, doing gun-heavy DP runs, or farming bosses, you will need this. Yes, “need”. At certain points in the game (higher playthroughs), you will NEED this. Otherwise, Mr. Brickwall will be there to greet you.
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Average
Robot Rampage (RR):
Deathtrap Ability. Deathtrap lashes out with a flurry of attacks.
This is actually a great skill to have for DT-heavy builds. Unfortunately, it’s in the OC tree, away from all the other DT skills… why, GB?
BFF/OC: Sub-par
WDT: Average
DT: Great
Blood Soaked Shields (BSS):
Killing an enemy immediately restores __% of your shields per level, but you lose __% of your health per level.
A great skill, particularly for builds focusing on Gaige-DPS where she’s up in the front lines. 1/20.0% & 1.0%, 5/100.0% & 5.0%
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Average
Annoyed Android (AA):
Increases the movement speed of Deathtrap by __% per level.
Can be very useful for DT-melee builds, since DT can be a bit on the slow side. However, again… why the OC tree…
BFF/OC: Sub-par
WDT: Average
DT: Great
Discord:
Prematurely reloading activates Discord granting you +65% accuracy, +25% fire rate, and 3% per second health regeneration. You constantly lose Anarchy stacks while Discord is active. Discord can be shut off by prematurely reloading again.
The importance of this skill, especially for OC builds cannot be stressed enough. Even DT builds can use this for emergency healing, short bursts of high-DPS, etc. An essential skill for most Mechro-types. Also, Gaige’s second form of healing.
BFF/OC: Outstanding
WDT: Outstanding
DT: Great
Typecast Iconoclast:
Whenever you get a stack of Anarchy there is a __% chance per level you get an additional stack.
No explanation necessary. Only needed when going above 150 stacks; very useful late-game mobbing or building up raiding and coop stacks quickly. 1/6.0%, 5/30.0%, 10/60.0%
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Sub-par
Rational Anarchist (RA):
If you have 0 stacks of Anarchy, then the next time you would gain an Anarchy stack you instead gain 25.
As of the 10/29/2015 patch, this skill now allows for both Discord and DFA Loops by itself. Nifty for other Mechro types as well, though points might be better spent elsewhere.
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Great
Death From Above (DFA):
Shooting an enemy while in mid-air consumes stacks of Anarchy and causes a Digi-splosion, damaging nearby enemies.
Cool in theory, horrible in application. Seriously, do not get this. It just looks cool, that’s all… oh, and it wastes stacks.
All playstyles: Sub-par
The Nth Degree (Nth):
Every __th bullet that hits an enemy will ricochet toward another nearby enemy.
A great way to increase your overall DPS, when fighting multiple targets. Even useful for raids, since most have minions of some sort.
BFF/OC: Great
WDT: Great
DT: Sub-par
With Claws:
Melee Override Skill. While you have a stack of Anarchy, melee to digistruct claws and swipe twice at an enemy, dealing damage based on the number of Anarchy stacks you currently have (+0.6% per stack) and restoring health. The lower your health the more health you gain. This attack consumes an Anarchy stack.
99% necessary if you’re using a melee-oriented Gaige. Looses some effectiveness compared with other melee-oriented classes at higher OP levels, but not impossible to accomplish. Also, Gaige’s third form of healing.
BFF/OC: Average
WDT: Sub-par
DT: Average
