Rafa's Past May Come Back to Haunt Him in the Best Way

As the launch date for Borderlands 4 draws ever closer, Gearbox has been showcasing the game’s playable Vault Hunters to give players a glimpse at their backstories and gameplay styles. Vex was the first new Vault Hunter to get this treatment, with Rafa most recently taking the spotlight. While both of these Vault Hunters offer their own unique personalities and playstyles for Borderlands 4 players to learn, Rafa’s backstory may end up more closely linked to his gameplay than fans might expect.

Rafa, the Exo-Solider, is an ex-Tediore soldier whose body was severely affected by his birth in microgravity, limiting his ability to survive outside that environment. The Tediore Exo-Suit he was fitted with allowed him to survive and explore the universe, but Tediore’s brutal treatment of its soldiers caused Rafa to desert the military and live life on the run. Although Rafa would like this connection to Tediore to remain in the past, it’s likely that he won’t be able to completely escape his history with the company in Borderlands 4 due to the presence of Tediore weapons, which may end up being the manufacturer of choice for Rafa players.

Borderlands 4’s Rafa Is Basically Three Classic Vault Hunters in One

Borderlands 4’s Rafa may be new, but his leaked skill trees suggest he carries the legacy of three other classic Vault Hunters all in one exo-suit.

Rafa May Not Be Able to Escape His Tediore Past in Borderlands 4

Rafa’s Borderlands 4 Skill Tree Paints a Fast and Aggressive Picture

With Rafa’s Borderlands 4 skill trees now revealed, players can get a good idea of just how this Vault Hunter will play. From what can be learned from his skill trees and gameplay overview, Rafa seems to favor a high-octane playstyle that rewards players for being aggressive with enemies. This playstyle is apparent from Rafa’s Vault Hunter Trait, Overdrive, which activates whenever he uses an Action Skill and gives him increased movement speed and damage from all sources.

Although Rafa has the potential to lean heavily into melee combat with his This Year’s Gimmick skill tree and its emphasis on the Vault Hunter’s Arc-Blade weapons, the character is also primed to dish out gun damage as fast and recklessly as possible. Rafa has several skills under his People Person skill tree that throw caution to the wind and allow players to fire continuously without having to worry about wasting ammo:

Las Jaras – Overdrive Skill. Rafa Regenerates Ammo while Overdrive is active.
Metal Management – Whenever Rafa activates or retriggers an Action Skill, his gun consumes no Ammo.

This tree also features skills aimed at getting the most damage out of Borderlands 4‘s guns as quickly as possible, with skills that increase Rafa’s Fire Rate and Crit Damage:

El Catrin – Whenever Rafa Slides, his Action Skill deals Bonus Shock Damage, and he also deals increased Critical Hit Damage.
Awe – Whenever Rafa Shocks an enemy, all shots fired at that enemy are Critical Hits.
The Thrill – Overdrive Skill. Rafa gains increased Fire Rate, which is increased even further while Overdrive is active.

Tediore Weapons Seem Perfectly Suited for Rafa’s Kit

The combination of skills that increase Fire Rate, Crit Damage, and give Rafa nearly infinite ammo means players will thrive when using weapons with already high rates of fire and fast weapon swapping and reloading rates, regardless of their damage output. Out of all the weapons manufacturers in Borderlands 4, this playstyle makes Tediore weapons the most logical choice for Rafa players to equip. Tediore weapons are known for their high rates of fire, light-weight bodies for easy weapon swapping and fast reloading, and the ability to throw the old weapon for explosive damage like a grenade when the magazine is empty and digi-struct a new one.

While Tediore is often criticized for its cheap build quality and low damage output, Rafa’s skills make these drawbacks negligible, as the increased Fire Rate and Crit Damage he gains make the quantity of bullets coming from Tediore’s guns preferable over their build quality. Although Rafa himself may have qualms about sticking to weapons made by a company he’d like to forget, Borderlands 4 players may want to dredge up this blast from Rafa’s past in order to optimize the Vault Hunter’s build potential.