Borderlands 4: Optimal Vex Reaper Setup (Dead Ringer)

The character Vex in Borderlands 4 showcases remarkable versatility through a variety of builds. Focusing on the blue skill tree labeled Dead Ringer, Vex the Siren introduces even more creative possibilities. This particular configuration channels energy into Dead Ringer and Vex’s Reapers, resulting in a formidable build centered on survivability, utilizing overshield, healing, and melee attacks. Vex can engage from a distance while her Minions handle adversaries. Below, players will discover all necessary details regarding a Vex Dead Ringer build concentrating on Reapers and melee attacks.

Top Skills for Dead Ringer Vex (Reaper)

Skill	Overview	Benefits
Fell Inscriptions (5/5)	Both Vex and her Minions receive boosts to Melee Damage and maximum Health.	Enhances both Reapers’ melee capabilities as well as overall maximum health.
Coven (Augment)	Creating a Reaper allows for health regeneration for Vex and her Minions for a set time.	As Vex frequently summons Reapers, health restoration becomes crucial.
Cursed Blade (5/5)	Vex’s melee hits place a Curse on enemies, causing them to sustain Kinetic Status Damage with any gun attack.	Utilizing a Phase Knife allows for Cursing enemies to enhance damage taken.
Extra Cursed (1/1)	Curse Damage triggers from Minion melee hits and deals additional damage if it results from a Critical Hit.	Land a Critical Hit with a Phase Knife to amplify damage dealt by Vex’s Reapers.
Grave Quickening (5/5)	A Kill Skill. Increases the cooldown rate for Vex’s Action Skills.	Frequent kills enable Vex to quickly revive her Reapers.
Blood Sacrifice (1/1)	Activates Kill Skills when any of Vex’s Minions perish.	If a Reaper falls, a Kill Skill is triggered.
Obedient Fiends (5/5)	Enhances damage dealt by Vex’s Minions. Damage from Minion Skills and Command Skills sees further increases.	Boosting Reapers’ damage output is always advantageous.
Ancient Rites (5/5)	With each active Minion, Vex accumulates Ancient Rites every second, boosting Minion Damage.	Having Minions summon bolsters their damage by 40%.
Dark Pact (Capstone)	Allows Vex to equip two Augments and use Dark Pact for enhanced capabilities. Dark Pact: restores health to all Phase Clones and boosts movement and attack speed for Minions for a specific duration. Dramatically prevents Phase Clones from losing health while Dark Pact remains active.	The Dual Augments coupled with the ability to restore Minions’ health significantly improve combat effectiveness.
Hellish Harvest (Augment)	Minion Skill. Reapers can unleash Hellish Harvest, delivering melee attacks thrice in a vast area and regenerating health from each enemy struck. Reapers utilize this skill upon spawning and after every third melee strike.	The second Augment enhances melee damage dealt by Vex’s Reapers and adds health regeneration.
Diener (1/1)	Dead Ringer gets an additional charge.	Vex can now command four active Minions.
Recurrence (5/5)	Every time Vex deals gun or melee damage, she gains stacks of Recurrence, increasing both her and her Minions’ damage.	By inflicting damage, players can build stacks, subsequently amplifying Minions’ damage.
Haruspex (5/5)	Melee Override. Vex throws a Phase Dagger that inflicts melee damage to struck enemies and can achieve critical hits.	This grants Vex the ability to perform ranged melee strikes.
Pincushion (1/1)	Haruspex launches five Phase Daggers in a fan shape from both hands.	More Phase Daggers result in increased melee damage output.
Reverburnations (5/5)	Melee damage from Vex or her Minions may cause Incendiary damage.	This enhancement allows Vex’s Minions to deal incendiary damage, especially effective against health.
Blood Is Magic (5/5)	Vex enjoys enhanced Action Skill Damage based on her health levels.	The continuous health ensures a persistent 35% increase in damage from Reapers.

This Vex Dead Ringer build is fundamentally about summoning a group of four Reapers that focus on individual enemies, allowing them to take down foes before they can retaliate. Once ready, activating Dark Pact essentially grants immortality to the Minions. Additionally, for every active Reaper, Vex gains health regeneration. Armed with the skills above and suggested gear, Vex will maintain her shields consistently, exploit curse effects with her Phase Knife, and engage enemies while being at a safe distance as her Reapers manage aggro and deal substantial melee damage.

Top Weapons and Gear for Dead Ringer Vex (Reaper)

Weapon choice largely depends on personal comfort. However, players often experience great success with the Wombo Combo (Rippa Roadbirds, «Saw’s Clench» at Ripper Drill Site, Ruined Sumplands, Carcadia Burn). This Assault Rifle demonstrates a solid firing rate and occasionally fires Rip Rockets from the underbarrel, effectively doubling damage via a mix of elemental and kinetic damage. Such functionality is beneficial for preparing to execute a Groundbreaker Phase Knife throw; nevertheless, any weapon can suffice. To enhance this weapon’s performance, consider Vladof Enhancements, utilizing Box Magazine or Bullet Hose to amplify fire rate, magazine size, and potential bonus projectiles. Any upgrades that enhance damage or efficiency with Assault Rifles (or preferred weaponry) also prove advantageous.

For shields, the Super Soldier Shield (found in Vile Lictor, Umbral Foundry, Windspear, Terminus Range) tops our list due to its unique property providing overshield as it charges and granting increased fire rate, movement speed, and ammo regeneration when full. Combined with aforementioned skills, this ensures Vex maintains an active shield consistently.

Complementing the shield is the Class Mod: Teen Witch (obtained from Primordial Guardian Radix, Arch of Radix, Grindstone of the Worthy, Carcadia Burn). While the skill enhancements may not be pivotal, the mod offers lifesteal capabilities, allowing players to regenerate health, shield, and even overshield based on Vex’s Reaper damage.

Choosing a Penetrator Augment Throwing Knife can considerably strengthen the build, though it’s entirely optional. Any explosive ordinance can work, but Slippy (Shadowpelt, «Whistler’s Maw» Auger Mine, Cuspid Climb, Terminus Range) is a fantastic choice due to its capacity for explosive damage tied to melee effectiveness. Lastly, while a Repkit isn’t strictly necessary since Vex’s health recovery is rarely needed, it can be beneficial if it enhances melee damage or action skill effects.

Optimal Specializations for Dead Ringer Vex (Reaper)

Specialization Perk	Overview	Points Required
Bear Arms	Melee damage now benefits from increases to gun damage.	1 in Runner
Groundbreaker	Non-melee attack damage and slam damage are stored, enabling melee attacks and slams to deal bonus kinetic melee damage based on stored damage.	20 in Runner
The Best Defense	The Vault Hunter’s damage output is heightened based on the capacity of their Shield or Health, whichever is greater.	20 in Survivor
I Am A Gun	Action Skill Damage now benefits from increases to Gun Damage.	10 in Daredevil (10 in Sharpshooter + Runner)

The specializations for this build cater predominantly to melee combat. Thus, players should invest points in Runner and Survivor, alongside allocating extra points in Sharpshooter to unlock Daredevil. With selections like Bear Arms, The Best Defense, and I Am A Gun, users can accumulate gun damage boosts exceeding 100% simply through melee and Action Skill utilization. Groundbreaker is especially vital, as it allows gun damage to be amassed and released with the next melee strike, hitting for extraordinary kinetic melee damage. In essence, players merely need to engage their targets and utilize their throwing knives to reap the rewards.

Ideal Firmware for Dead Ringer Vex (Reaper)

Firmware	Bonuses	Slots
Action Fist	Boosts melee damage by 15% and action skill damage by 10%.	2
GOOJFC	Enhances action skill cooldown by 10% and action skill damage by 15%.	2
Reel Big Fist	Increases melee damage by 15%.	1

Given that Vex’s Phase Knives and Reapers hinge on melee damage, we have opted for Action Fist and Reel Big Fist to amplify both melee and action skill potency. Additionally, GOOFJC provides an advantageous boost to action skill cooldown rates, allowing Vex to more rapidly summon her Reapers while benefiting from the amplified action skill damage.