Harlowe, the Gravitar class in Borderlands 4, is all about unstable energy, elemental bursts, and crowd control. She can trap enemies in stasis, detonate pockets of raw energy, and chain status effects across entire mobs. While she’s a high-skill character best suited to experienced Vault Hunters, the right build turns her into a devastating powerhouse capable of clearing bosses and hordes alike.
This guide covers the best Harlowe builds, with a focus on the CHROMA Accelerator, while also highlighting strong alternatives like Zero-Point and Flux Generator for different playstyles.
Why Choose Harlowe?
Harlowe stands out for her ability to combine raw elemental damage with battlefield control. Her kit lets you:
- Deal massive Radiation and Cryo bursts for both mob clearing and boss fights.
- Use the Entanglement trait to spread skill and gun damage across multiple enemies.
- Apply flexible crowd control, from freezing foes to trapping them in stasis.
She demands good timing and awareness, but when played well, Harlowe becomes one of the most devastating Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4, offering both high damage and unique utility to any team.
Best Overall Build: CHROMA Accelerator (Radiation Nuke)
The CHROMA Accelerator build is widely considered Harlowe’s strongest setup. It transforms her into a burst-damage machine that nukes bosses and melts mobs with Radiation explosions.
Core Setup
- Action Skill: CHROMA Accelerator
- Augment: Neutron Capture (stores Unstable Energy Pocket damage and converts it into bonus Radiation Damage for guns)
- Capstone: Demon Core (fires Radiation Darts and automatically Irradiates Entangled enemies)
Key Skills
- Field-Ready Prototype (5/5): Boosts Action Skill damage, powering your Accelerator.
- Elementary (5/5): Increases elemental and status effect damage.
- Test Subjects (5/5): Faster cooldowns when applying status effects.
- Poisoned Sun (5/5): Big Radiation damage buff and irradiation chance.
- Chain Reactor (3/3): Extra Radiation damage on Entangled enemies.
- Mechanical Brilliance (5/5): Skill damage stacking bonus.
- Dirty Bomb (1/1): Creates Radiation explosions on irradiated enemies.
Playstyle
- Activate CHROMA Accelerator and throw out an Unstable Energy Pocket.
- Use high-fire-rate guns (Vladof Assault Rifles like Lucian’s Flank or Aegon’s Dream).
- Radiation explosions and chain effects wipe everything around you.
This build is about rapid bursts of insane damage—ideal for bosses and wave-heavy encounters.
Alternative Build: Zero-Point (Cryo Control)
If you prefer Cryo damage and stasis utility, Zero-Point offers a strong alternative. It leans into Harlowe’s crowd control potential.
Core Setup
- Action Skill: Zero-Point
- Augment: Cold Storage (enhances Cryo explosions)
- Capstone: Cold Plunge (creates a singularity and Cryo blast when slamming enemies)
Key Skills
- Pulse Drive: Faster cooldowns.
- Periodic Table Flip: Boosts elemental and Cryo effectiveness.
- Keep Ice On That: Lifesteal from Cryo damage.
- Unstable Ice-otope: Kill skill that adds bonus Cryo damage.
- Action at a Distance: Entanglement spreads Cryo status to multiple enemies.
Playstyle
- Lock down dangerous enemies in Cryo bubbles.
- Chain freeze effects across mobs.
- Sustain yourself with Cryo lifesteal while controlling the battlefield.
This build is perfect if you like safety, utility, and control while still dealing strong elemental damage.
Support & Hybrid Build: Flux Generator (Team Utility)
The Flux Generator build shines in co-op play, giving your squad buffs while dealing both Cryo and Radiation damage.
Core Setup
- Action Skill: Flux Generator
- Augment: Nuclear Winter (Cryo inside the field, Radiation after leaving it)
- Capstone: Group Study (spawns HALO Sidekicks for allies, boosting gun damage, fire rate, and reload speed)
Key Skills
- Momentum: More critical hit chance after Entangling enemies.
- Certainty Principle: Better gun handling in Flux Generator.
- Accretion: Lifesteal against Entangled enemies.
- Action at a Distance: Spreads status effects across Entangled foes.
- Make Extraordinary: Increased crit chance with all skills.
Playstyle
- Drop Flux Generator to empower allies and control space.
- Enemies inside take Cryo damage; outside take Radiation.
- Great synergy with Entanglement for teamwide DPS boosts.
If you’re playing multiplayer Vault Hunts, this is Harlowe’s best contribution.
Weapons & Gear Recommendations
Harlowe thrives with Cryo and Radiation weapons. Look for:
- Vladof Assault Rifles (Lucian’s Flank, Aegon’s Dream) – insane fire rate, ammo sustain.
- Maliwan SMGs/Shotguns – strong elemental procs.
- Cryo Grenades – maximize stasis and status spreading.
- Repkits like Shiny War Paint – boosts Fire Rate and Action Skill uptime.
- Shields with lifesteal or Overshield effects (Firewerks Shield is a great pick).
Leveling Tips for Harlowe
- Start with Field-Ready Prototype for early Action Skill damage.
- At level 6, unlock Neutron Capture for Radiation nukes.
- Work toward the Demon Core capstone by midgame for devastating power spikes.
- Use Cryo or Radiation weapons as your primary loadout.
- Invest in cooldown reduction skills to keep Action Skills flowing.
Harlowe is one of the most rewarding characters in Borderlands 4. Whether you want to nuke bosses with Radiation, freeze entire mobs with Cryo, or buff allies with Flux Generator, her kit offers explosive creativity and unmatched crowd control.
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For solo players, the CHROMA Accelerator build is by far the best option, while co-op squads will love her Flux Generator setup. No matter the build, once you master Entanglement and elemental chaining, Harlowe becomes a game-breaking force of nature. Play Now!
