At PAX Online, Gearbox confirmed some exciting news for Borderlands 3 players: by the end of 2020, every character will be getting a brand new skill tree. It's not exactly the brand new Vault Hunter DLC character that fans were asking for, but it is indeed the next best thing. This means players will likely be re-speccing and grinding to figure out the best builds for their characters.
This new skill tree will likely add a brand new dimension to the character. For example, FL4K's revealed skill tree (dubbed the Trapper) gives them a new loaderbot pet that can be improved to control the battlefield, the Gravity Snare action skill that allows them to trap enemies, and buffs to shields to improve his defense play. As such, the big question is what these skill trees will add to other characters.
For example, Zane's new BL3 skill tree is more open-ended but is all but confirmed to add a new level of tech. It should be something that adds flare to the character, something he lacks in compared to others. For Moze, on the other hand, it's not so simpl, as she is a powerful character on regular playthroughs, really only being challenged on higher Mayhem Mode levels.
BL3 Moze Abilities and Skill Trees
First, it's worth looking at the basic offerings of the Borderlands 3 character to see what roles she fills. Moze has a summonable Iron Bear, a powerful tank-like summon that can deal and take a ton of damage. There's a ton of ways to spec Iron Bear, as it can equip two different guns via action skills, and each skill tree gives it access to new weapons. As such, players are almost certain that the new skill tree won't diverge from this; instead, players should expect to see a couple of new weapons to kit out Iron Bear in an all new way.
Moze's skill tree works best when dipping into multiple, but on a basic level, her Shield of Retribution tree gives her and Iron Bear a ton of survivability skills, a few tank-like abilities, and an electrified railgun as its action skill. There's the Bear Fist too, but that's not really much in comparison to other Borderlands 3 skills.
Perhaps her most popular skill tree is Bottomless Mags, and its name basically says it all. It makes Moze self-sustaining in terms of ammo, buffing her general DPS with her best weapons, and makes sure that she can get the most out of incendiary damage. Her action skills include a classic mini-gun and a flamethrower, making this the class gunner's dream in terms of ammo supply and Iron Bear set-up in Borderlands 3.
Demolition Woman goes a long way in improving explosives for both Moze and Iron Bear. There are a ton of grenade skills for Moze, really setting her up with good survivability but also with a focus on strong AOE buffs. This skill tree is basically Torgue's dream come true, as it also equips Iron Bear with a V-35 Grenade Launcher and Rocket Pod. And all of this goes a long way in helping establish what sort of niche the new skill tree could bestow.
Borderlands 3: Moze's New Skill Tree
DPS, tank abilities, some elemental touches, survivability, and explosives seem to be core tenants currently found in Moze's skill tree. The most likely scenario given how effective Moze is in these areas is something entirely new, so it would be interesting to see if she got a tree focused on something with Sniper Rifles. It would likely feature an element as well, so buffs to cryo damage would likely go well. It could see Moze be set up to a strong close-range and long-range fighter, with her freezing and destroy enemies with a well-placed shot, in and out of Iron Bear.
The action skills in this theoretical scenario would like represent some powerful, slow shot 50-cal sniper for Iron Bear that could wreck enemies from far away, as well as some type of cryo grenade launcher to freeze enemies across the field. Not only would this introduce a new weapon type for Moze to excel at, it would also mean Moze could control the Borderlands 3 battlefield from time to time.
Another interesting option would be to dive into something a little less influential on her Borderlands 3 skill trees. Building off of Bear Fist, it's not impossible that Moze and Iron Bear go for a close-range, melee build that buffs her damage with close range weapons like pistols and shotguns, but it also encourages her to get physical. In theory, Moze could melee an enemy and receive some type of buff to pistols and shotguns, while also encouraging cross-builds with Auto Bear to see Iron Bear using new melee action skills to create massive damage as well. This could be as simple as something like stomping the ground to great earthquakes to grabbing and crushing enemies.
Instead of introducing a new area for Moze to excel in, her new skill tree could be entirely elemental. This would encourage cross-builds with her explosive tree or her Shield of Retribution tree, but a Maliwan Moze build could soon be even more viable. Not only would other trees give Moze buffs to the guns because their guns, but she could get buffs to a variety of elements in her new skill tree, allowing for some effective cross-builds. Simple but effective buffs and abilities would perform best, while Iron Bear could get a "flamethrower" that sprayed cryo or nuclear damage and/or corrosive rockets.
Of course, this is all speculation and what Borderlands 3's new skill trees do remains to be seen, but with 2020 only having a few more months left, fans should learn more sooner rather than later.
Borderlands 3 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are in development.