A Meat Bicycle Build For Two

By John Goodenough

Welcome back to the arena, Vault Hunters!

In this article we’ll explore potential Skill Tree builds for Krieg. This Vault Hunter can be found in the Box of Badasses along with a horde of other unique characters and enemies.

All of Krieg’s Skill Trees offer paths to carnage and mayhem but the build in this article will focus on maximizing his main starting ability A Meat Bicycle Built For Two (we’ll just call it “Meat Bicycle” for short). Whenever Krieg rolls a crit on a defense roll, he may move up to three zones and make a free green attack against the enemy that just missed.

The reference image shows the path for four levels, with a Skill token placed next to each of the chosen abilities.

Krieg’s first level allows you to Rage and gain the Spotlight while also dealing one additional wound when you attack. The tricky part is that your Rage ability automatically turns off the next turn, so you can only Rage every other turn. This requires some coordination with other players so they don’t take the Spotlight away from you during a “non Rage” turn. If a Vault Hunter is going to take the Spotlight away from you, make sure they do so during a turn that you can Rage to get it back, and have them activate before you. It’s important to keep the Spotlight as long as possible so you can trigger Meat Bicycle with defense rolls. This becomes less of a concern after you advance to the next level.

Krieg’s second level gives you +1 Melee and triggers Meat Bicycle when any Vault Hunter rolls a crit on a defense roll. This gives you some flexibility of sharing the Spotlight so other players can defend. The Melee bonus helps ensure success during attacks but also helps you defend in close combat when you don’t roll a crit. Even if Meat Bicycle doesn’t trigger, being a reliable defender is great for the team.

Krieg’s third level gives you Charge during melee attacks. Charge allows you to move at the start of your attack up to a number of zones based on the Action token used. Since Meat Bicycle is a green attack and already allows you to move three zones, you can combo it with Charge for a total of six zones of movement! Note that Charge only works during melee attacks, but with six movement you should be able to get within range of any enemy that attacks you.

Krieg’s fourth level allows all other Vault Hunters within two zones to reroll all defense rolls. This combos well with your second level ability that triggers when any Vault Hunter rolls a crit on a defense roll. Even if they don’t roll a crit to trigger Meat Wagon, being able to reroll a fumble can be a lifesaver! Something to keep in mind is that you’ll likely have the Spotlight most turns due to your Rage ability. While enemies try to attack the Spotlight first, they’ll switch targets if the Spotlight is out of range or line of sight. Some enemies attack Vault Hunters if they roll an attack fumble or some other trigger. Krieg’s fourth level skill is often useful even outside of the usual Attack order from Announcement cards.

As you can see, building Krieg with a focus on the "Meat Bicycle" ability can turn him into a powerhouse of movement and melee damage, while also providing invaluable support to your fellow Vault Hunters. The synergy between his levels ensures that Krieg remains a dynamic and formidable presence on the battlefield, capable of adapting to various situations and ensuring the team's survival. Experiment with these builds, coordinate with your team, and let the carnage commence! Remember, in the world of Borderlands, there's no such thing as too much mayhem.

Happy hunting, Vault Hunters!

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