Gearbox Software’s colorful, madcap shooter-meets-MOBA mash-up Battleborn launched on PC, PS4, and Xbox One yesterday. If you’re not familiar with the basic mechanics of a MOBA like League of Legends, your initial encounter with the game could be daunting. But you’re a Fandom reader, which means you can check out our just-published Super Walkthrough guide over on the Battleborn wiki that’ll get you familiar with the core concepts and dominating the competition in no time.
But before you start to focus on strategy, there’s a more pressing question to answer: Which character should you play as first? There are seven Battleborn available when you first boot up the game (out of 25 that eventually unlock), and each of them plays very differently. Who you pick will depend on the type of player you want to be.
If you’d like to stay classy and snipe from afar: Marquis
Marquis is a robot butler with a John Cleese gait and a cane-turned-sniper rifle that can pack a devastating punch over great distances. If, unlike me, you’re generally handy with a sniper rifle in shooters, Marquis should absolutely be one of your first choices.
If you’d like to be the bullet-sponge with the biggest gun: Montana
The massive Montana may not be the speediest of heroes, but he can soak up damage better than anyone, and his Gatling gun is as deadly as it is fun to fire. Montana is perfect for the type of player who wants to lead the charge on a new objective.
If you’d like to heal damage instead of deal damage: Miko
Miko is a classic support character, with a number abilities designed to heal allies. It may not be the most glamorous role, but in a team-based game like Battleborn a solid healer can spell the difference between victory and defeat.
If you’d like to run around the map like a (literal) four-armed demon: Orendi
Orendi fills a similar role to the speedy shotgunner in a military shooter: She’s fast, unpredictable, and deadly if she gets up in your face. If you prefer to be a lone wolf in your shooters, Orendi is a good choice, allowing you to tear around the map with abandon. Just watch out for getting double-teamed.
If you’d like to take advantage of your Call of Duty l33t skillz: Oscar Mike
If you couldn’t tell by the name, Oscar Mike is a soldier — a cloned one at that. His play style will be the most analogous to the “Call of Battlefield” military shooters that dominate the genre. But while he may feel familiar, you’ll need to take full advantage of his abilities — particularly his ability to cloak — if you really want to dominate with Oscar Mike.
If you’d like to fight your battles with blades instead of brawn: Rath
Guns aren’t the only weapons in Battleborn: Rath carries three blades with him into combat, which he puts to deadly use with abilities like his Dreadwind, where he spins around like the Tasmanian Devil, slicing up anything in his path. He’s still got some range with his Crossblade ability, but he’s best for players who love to dive into a scrum.
If you’d like to unleash your inner Hawkeye: Thorn
Like Rath, Thorn forswears firearms, preferring to wield a bow instead. And like Marquis, she’s best at range, where she pick off enemies with frightening accuracy. But her unique trait is that her attacks can be charged to do additional damage, like poisoning enemies. Charging is a risky proposition, but if you can hit your targets with regularity you will be a formidable opponent.
For more Battleborn tips, tricks, and info, be sure to visit Wikia’s Super Walkthrough guide on the Battleborn wiki!