Everything you need to know coming from the Battleborn CTT

This is what you need to know about Battleborn if you are coming from the Closed Technical Test (CTT) because Gearbox Software has learned a lot from analyzing all our play sessions.

Yes, Phoebe was overpowered but she also had the advantage that her anti-hero, the Battleborn who was designed to counter her play style, wasn’t available in the CTT.

Recently I got hold of some footage showcasing the Helix’ of the currently announced Battleborn. Instead of diving into making Helix overview videos, I started comparing the skill trees to the ones that I already got up on the Battleborn profile pages.

I noticed several changes and that some skill trees got tweaked more than others. One noticeable thing was the changes Gearbox made to the use of stun in the skill trees. This status effect got moved around or replaced by other status effects like slow or a new one called silence.

In this change log new heroes like Toby, Deande, Ghalt, Attikus & Galilea are not included as they were not available during the CCT.

*This is not an official Change log some stats might have changed that are not or previously not specified in the helix skill trees. Also as Battleborn is still in development nothing is set in stone, things change on a daily basis.

Here you can check the latest official patches and hotfixes.

Ambra

Ambra’s primary and secondary attacks have changed. The primary attack is now the secondary attack and vice versa. Also new is the heat gauge, every primary attack you perform now fills up a heat meter that will add bonus damage to your secondary attack, the scorching strikes.

Sunspots will deal damage to enemies at the cost of their own life bar. Also, you can now only summon 2 instead of 3 sunspots.

Solar Wind no longer pushes enemies back by default, instead, it deals damage. The pushback ability can be acquired within the helix.

• LVL1 – LEFT – SUNSPOTTER
  Sunspot’s damage buff from +10 Damage to +16% Damage Over 4 Seconds
• LVL1 – RIGHT – SEARING WIND
  Skill Replaced by ILLUMINATION, Now Solar Wind does +135 Damage over 3 Seconds
• LVL2 – RIGHT – SOOTHING SUNLIGHT
  Skill Replaced by BLESSING OF THE SUN, Sunspot +10 Health Regeneration Per Second is replaced with +50% Health Regeneration Per Second
• LVL3 – LEFT – BLOOD DRIVE
  +20% Life Steal is lowered to +15% Life Steal
• LVL4 – LEFT – RADIANT GALE
  Knock up effect is replaced with a push back effect
• LVL4 – RIGHT – RITUAL OF REPULSION
  Skill Replaced by SEARING WIND, Solar Wind Push back effect is replaced with damage buff. Up to +100% Damage depending on your range. Closer is Better
• LVL5 – LEFT – CAUTERIZATION
  +25 Health Regenerating per second is now +60% Movement Speed when her Flame Shield is active.
• LVL5 – RIGHT – FLAME BURST
  Flame Shield explodes on expiry buffed from +123 Damage to +200 Damage
• LVL6 – LEFT – AGILE ANOMALY
  Sunspots don´t instantly get cast now but have increased range. +50% Area of Effect Radius
• LVL7 – RIGHT – FLAME STAFF
  The Extra damage that Ambra’s Scorching Strikes does through the expenditure of Heat is gained as health. +100% Life Steal
• LVL8 – LEFT – BASK IN THE LIGHT
  Sunspot now get an +20% Cooldown Time instead of slowing your enemy.
• LVL8 – RIGHT – FAN THE FLAMES
  Increases the Health of Ambra’s Sunspots. +50% Sunspot Health instead of +30% Movement Speed by consuming Sunspot
• LVL10 – LEFT – SHOCKWAVE
  Extinction Event now stuns nearby enemies for 2 Seconds instead of pushing them back
• LVL10 – Right – World’s End
  Extinction Event lost its +180 Damage buff

Check out Ambra’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Benedict

• LVL2- WIND CHILL
  Lift off slow effect lowered from 2 seconds to 1 second
• LVL3 – READY ROCKETS
  Rocket Launcher -43% Reload time is now +30% Reload Speed.

Check out Benedict’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Boldur

• LVL3 – LEFT – DEFT DEFENSE
  Skill now on the Right. Instead of getting his shield up faster Boldur is now able to block more damage and run at full speed while guarding
• LVL3 – RIGHT – STUNNING BLOWS
  Skill now on the Left.
• LVL4 – RIGHT – HEADSPLITTER
  Axe Toss now slows enemies instead of stunning them.
• LVL5 – RIGHT – BERSERKER RAGE
  Rage health regeneration rate increases from +7 to +14 Health Regeneration per second
• LVL6 – RIGHT – DEADLIER DASH
  Renamed skill to BOLDURCRASH
• LVL7 – RIGHT – NATURAL ENHANCEMENT
  Renamed skill to DWARVEN CONSTITUTION
• LVL9 – LEFT – AXE TOSS COOLDOWN
  Skill now on the Right.
• LVL9 – RIGHT – DEATH AND AXES
  Skill now on the Left.
• LVL10 – BOTH MASTERIES
  Both skills no longer force Runes of Power to always power up Boldur’s axe or shield. The Axe will gain +2% Damage for every 100 Health. While the shield will not generate any heat.

Check out Boldur’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Caldarius

• LVL 2 – RIGHT – ZEALOUS FRENZY
  The energy blade attack speed by activating Gravitic Burst is increased from +15% Attack Speed to +20% Attack Speed for 5 seconds
• LVL4 – LEFT – FLASH BARRAGE
  The 3 Flashbangs now do less damage from 56 to 53 damage
• LVL7 – LEFT – ADAPTIVE HARMONICS
  Caldarius’ shield recharge delay buff is replaced with +18% Energy Blade attack damage
• LVL10 – RIGHT – AERIAL BARRAGE
  Now drops a frag on lift off instead of firing one before final decent.

Check out Caldarius’ profile page for the latest fully updated helix

ISIC

• LVL1 – RIGHT – CRUSHIN’ THOSE SHIELDS ! 😀
  Plasma Dash bonus damage to shields when Overcharged gets buffed from +50% to +60% Bonus Damage to Shields
• LVL2 – RIGHT – THIS MIGHT STING !
  Rotating Wards now only condense into plasma charges when using overcharge. Damage lowered from 141 to 131 Damage per Charge
• LVL3 – LEFT – OUTTA MY WAY ! 🙂
  Skill got replaced by NOT DYIN’TODAY ! 🙂 +240 Maximum Shield Strength instead of having a push back effect on your Plasma Dash.
• LVL10 – LEFT – SHIELDS UP ! 😀
  Activating Omega Strike deploys Energy Aegis to block inbound damage from in front. Energy Shield went up from +1000 to +2000 Damage Blocking

Check out ISIC’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Marquis

• LVL4 – LEFT – TIME KILLER
  Enemies inside a Temporal Distortion bubble take more damage over time. From +28 to 45 Damage Per Second.
• LVL7 – LEFT – BULLET BANKER
  Skill got replaced by AUTOLOADER, Bindlebane’s Reload & Attack speed are buffed instead of having an bigger magazine size.
• LVL8 – LEFT – WINDFALL
  Predatory Strike areas of effect damage is altered from +30 Damage to +360 Damage Over 6 Seconds.
• LVL10 – LEFT – BINDLEBLAST(S)
  Both Bindleblasts got a slight damage reduction -33% Damage Per Shot

Check out Marquis’ profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Mellka

• LVL2 – LEFT – PARTING GIFT
  Spikes area of effect got a slight debuff instead of dealing +22 Damage Per Second it now does +20 Damage Per Second over 5 Seconds.
• LVL2 – RIGHT – GONE IN A FLASH
  Skill got replaced with LIFT OFF!, Mellka now won’t cloak when using Spike. Spike now has en increased height.
• LVL3 – LEFT – THRILL OF THE HUNT
  Got moved to LVL8. New skill is AIR STALL; Mellka’s off-hand melee attack deals increased damage and propels her backwards.
• LVL4 – LEFT – BLADE EJECTION
  Claw Lunge additional damage is lowered from +58 to +50 Damage
• LVL5 – RIGHT – COMBAT RHYTHM
  Killing an enemy afflicted with Venom grants a stack of increased health. Stacks got boosted from +10% to +30% Maximum Health per Stack.
• LVL6 – RIGHT – DESPERATE LUNGE
  Extra Claw Lunge dash distance is replaced with reduced Cooldown Time
• LVL7 – LEFT – POWER SPIKE
  Mellka’s Venom upgrade got lowered from +128 to +100 Damage
• LVL7 – RIGHT – SECOND WIND
  Spike Cooldown depended on Mellka’s health is gone down from a maximum of -50% to -40% Cooldown time.
• LVL8 – RIGHT – AIR STALL
  Got replaced by THRILL OF THE HUNT.
• LVL9 – Right – FINISHING BLOW
  Claw Lunge deals increased damage is lowered from +29 to +21 Damage
• LVL10 – LEFT – BLADE STORM
  Skill got upgraded with a new ability. Blade Launcher’s blades now also home in an envenomated enemies instead of just bouncing of the environment.

Check out Mellka’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Miko

• LVL5 – LEFT – TOXIC TRANSFUSION
  Miko’s ability to steal health by using Molecular Mycology got lowered from +20% to +15% Life Steal
• LVL10 – RIGHT – VICIOUS STRAIN
  Fungus Among Us damage over time got debuffed from +78 to +30 Damage Per Second

Check out Miko’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Montana

• LVL3 – LEFT – PUMPED UP
  Montana’s maximum health increases from +250 to +360 health
• LVL3 – RIGHT – GATLING GREASE
  Minigun spinup time got removed skill got increased from -30% to -100% Spinup Time
• LVL4 – RIGHT – FIRESTORM
  Hailstorm’s bullets did +24 Damage Per Second they now do +48 Damage Over 2 Seconds
• LVL6 – LEFT – SWOLE SHIELD
  Montana’s maximum shield strength is increased from +195 to +240 Maximum Shield Strength

Check out Montana’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Orendi

• LVL5 – LEFT – PROGNOSTICATION
  Not really a change just looking at the skill from a different angle. If Gnosis still does 8 seconds cooldown to Shadowfire Pillar than with this -4 Seconds cooldown you still get the -12 cooldown.
• LVL7 – RIGHT – ESSENCE THEFT
  Orendi’s skills did +20% Life Steal, now they do +15% Life Steal. So a slight decrease.

Check out Orendi’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Oscar Mike

• LVL1 – RIGHT – SNEAK ATTACK
  Deactivating the Stealth Generator boosted your damage with +20% now with +16% Bonus Damage
• LVL2 – RIGHT – NADES ON NADES
  Each of the 5 Child grenades did 20% damage now they do 40% damage on detonation with a maximum of +100% Damage
• LVL5 – LEFT – HOLLOW-POINT ROUND
  Tactical Rounds penetrated enemy shields with +25% now do +60% Shield Penetration.
• LVL7 – LEFT – AGILITY TRAINING
  The increases base movement speed got lowered from +9% to +8% Base Movement Speed

Check out Oscar Mike’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Phoebe

• LVL1 – RIGHT – PREPARATION
  Enemies hit by Blade Rush are now marked and will be silenced instead of stunned by the last strike of Phoebe’s primary melee combo.
• LVL2 – LEFT – GATECRASHER
  Skill got replaced by SHIELD RESONATORS. Phasegate’s damaging electric storm got removed for an shield recharge trigger.
• LVL3 – LEFT – SHIELD STABILIZERS
  Phoebe’s maximum shield strength got increased from +195 to +240 Shield Strength with +105 Shield Recharge per Second.
• LVL4 – LEFT – UNINTENDED INNOVATION
  Blade Rush exploding blades travel slower
• LVL4 – RIGHT – RADDOPPIO
  Skill got an make over, no more cooldown for Blade Rush. But True Strike will provide +30% Damage Reduction for 3 Seconds
• LVL5 – RIGHT – REPRISE
  Phoebe’s second True Strike now deals increased +40% Damage
• LVL7 – LEFT – EFFICIENT RESONATOR
  Skill got replaced for CORE OVERLOAD. The previous +105 Shield recharge rate per Second got added in LVL3 Skill SHIELD STABILIZERS. CORE OVERLOAD grants +15% Skill Damage
• LVL9 – RIGHT – REFINED TECHNIQUE
  Blade Rush did up to +30% Damage the further they traveled this now is Up to +100% Damage

Check out Phoebe’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Rath

• LVL1 – LEFT – PHASING BLADES
  Skill got replaced by SLOWING STRIKE. Crossblade no longer goes through enemies instead it slows enemies on impact.
• LVL2 – RIGHT – PARABOLIC BLADE
  Skill got replaced by ANGER’S ECHO. Crossblade will still travel back but deals half the damage.
• LVL4 – RIGHT – CATALYTIC FLASH
  Catalytic Smash no longer blinds enemies but will silence them when hit.
• LVL7 – LEFT – EVASIVE MANEUVERS
  When Rath’s shield breaks his movement speed is increased from 4 to 6 seconds
• LVL9 – LEFT – SOFTENED TARGET
  The Crossblade buff from Catalytic Smash got slightly reduced from +35% to +25% Damage
  

Check out Rath’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Reyna

• LVL1 – RIGHT – PRIORITY PLASMA
  Level 1 Right skill moved down to Level 2 on the left and vise versa
• LVL4 – LEFT – VITAL PROTOCOL
  Shield Booster’s health regeneration is lowered from +290 to +250 Health, but now is added when Shield Booster is applied instead of on breaking or expiring.
• LVL4 – RIGHT – VENGEANCE PROTOCOL
  Shield Booster explosion damage is lowered from +232 to +200 Damage, but now is triggered when Shield Booster is applied instead of on breaking or expiring.
• LVL6 – LEFT – VIGILANCE
  Increased Shield Booster overshield lowered from a shocking +113 to +112 Overshield
• LVL8 – RIGHT – DOGPILER
  Damage on marked enemies by Priority Target is increased from +15% to +16% Extra Damage

Check out Reyna’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix

Thorn

• LVL5 – LEFT – HEXTENSION
  Curse now also deals +10% Damage

Check out Thorn’s profile page for the latest fully updated helix