Best Borderlands 4 Rafa build

As a dedicated Borderlands gamer, I’ve got to say, Rafa, the Exo Soldier in Borderlands 4, is quite the sight with those cannons and blades strapped on, looking like a force to be reckoned with. But

In the game, there are four diverse Vault Hunters to choose from, each with unique combat techniques. Rafa’s equipment, however, leans heavily towards powerful weaponry and electric shock damage. Regardless of whether you favor explosive bursts, automated gun turrets, or swift melee attacks, Rafa offers a build tailored to your preferred playstyle.

If you’ve chosen Rafa as your preferred character in a powerful exosuit among Amon, Vex, or Harlowe in Borderlands 4, this guide is for you. Here’s an optimal build for Rafa to maximize his potential!

Best Rafa build

Rafa’s optimal setup primarily emphasizes the use of Peacekeeper Cannons for a balance between survivability and damage output. Additionally, Overdrive is incorporated to boost DPS and shield durability. Other playstyles such as Lance and Arc Knives are viable options, but the cannon build provides a solid base, particularly for beginners, offering the most robust foundation to start with.

Best skills: Bullet Buddy Deluxe, Instincto, Unmissable Missiles, Shielded Systems, Overclocked Reload, Grenadier Sync, Thundercutter
Best Action Skill for solo: Peacebreaker Cannons
Best Action Skill for co-op: Arc Knives
Capstone: Beam Team or Hurricane of Special depending on build
Weapon type: High fire-rate elemental guns to pair with shield regen and Overdrive bonuses

Best skills to choose

Solo

Action Skill: Peacebreaker Cannons

Peacebreaker Cannon equips Rafa with shoulder-mounted turrets that automatically shoot projectiles at opponents in front. Enhancements like Bullet Buddy Deluxe (for ammo recovery) and Instincto (for critical hit bursts) make this Rafa’s most dependable all-round setup for solo play.

To discover if a skill suits your needs and how many points to allocate to it, simply key in the desired skill in the provided filter. This will help you determine if it’s a worthwhile investment.

Skill	Description	Points to allocate

Bullet Buddy Deluxe	Ammo regen during cannons, bonus fire damage scaling with mag size	5
Instincto	Activate cannons for crit chance, re-activate for double crit and hit damage	3
Unmissable Missiles	Re-activate to fire a homing rocket volley	1
Shielded Systems	Increased shield recharge rate while Overdrive is active	5
Reactive Shields	Kills restore a portion of your shield	3
Full Charge	Bonus gun damage while shields are up, doubled at full shield	5
Beam Team (Capstone)	One cannon becomes shock beam, the other corrosive beam, bonus status effect damage	1

Co-op

Action Skill: Arc Knives

With Arc Knives, Rafa transforms into a close-combat warrior, equipped with dashes, electric combo attacks, and marking abilities. In team scenarios, Rafa emerges as an ideal frontline disrupter, designating targets for allies to attack and triggering AoE explosions on cue.

To discover if if the desired skill is worth investing in and know how many points to assign to it, simply enter your chosen skill in the filter section provided.

Skill	Description	Points to allocate

Thundercutter	Arc Knives deal shock splash damage and increased blast damage	5
Instincto	Activate cannons for crit chance, re-activate for double crit and hit damage	3
Unmissable Missiles	Re-activate to fire a homing rocket volley	1
Shielded Systems	Increased shield recharge rate while Overdrive is active	1
Reactive Shields	Kills restore a portion of your shield	1
Full Charge	Bonus gun damage while shields are up, doubled at full shield	1
Beam Team (Capstone)	One cannon becomes shock beam, the other corrosive beam, bonus status effect damage	1

Best Capstone

Rafa has several strong Capstone options:

Beam Team is the best for Peacebreaker builds, turning your cannons into elemental beams with status synergies.
Hurricane of Special makes Arc Knives devastating in groups, pulling enemies into shock singularities.
Inferno Protocol offers a high-risk, high-reward fire reflection setup that heals you as you unleash damage.

Weapon type

Rafa performs optimally with rapid-fire elemental weapons that maintain his damage per second (DPS) during the rotation of his Action Skills. Submachine guns (SMGs) and assault rifles (ARs) work best since they complement his passive abilities for shield sustain.

Instead of relying on sluggish, individual pistols for cannon use, prioritize equipment that ensures continuous operation and ammunition supply. For an Arc Knife setup, gear that boosts melee performance and a combination of shock or corrosive effects tend to perform optimally.

How to play Rafa

Rafa is built for aggression, so you should play him accordingly.

In solo play, Peacebreaker Cannons give you survivability through shield regen and ammo sustain, letting you handle both mobs and bosses. Use Beam Team to apply status effects for extra damage.
In co-op, Arc Knives shine by letting you dive in, mark enemies, and detonate them for huge team burst damage. With Hurricane of Special, you control entire groups while allies clean up.
The Lance remains Rafa’s precision option, which is great for sniping elites or piercing mini-bosses, especially with Engorged Ball or Project Gorgon for AoE.

In summary, this covers everything you need to know about crafting the ideal Vex character in Borderlands 4. While traversing Kairos, don’t forget to look out for opportunities to earn some complimentary rewards through Twitch Drops, and don’t miss out on any of the Borderlands series in sequence.

2025-09-11 22:51