In this Borderlands 4 guide we will explain Amon’s backstory, his class trait as the Forgeknight, his three action skills, all skill trees and Forgeskills, and provide practical advice for leveling, gearing, and late-game builds!
Key Takeaways:
- Amon is Borderlands 4’s Forgeknight, a melee and ordnance specialist.
- Uses Forge Drones to create Forgeskills, secondary action skills tied to each tree.
- Three Playstyles: Melee brawler (Calamity), shield-and-whip hybrid (Vengeance), or explosive axe master (Cybernetics).
- Strong Leveling Path: Early reload and melee scaling, midgame Forgeskill spam, late-game boss one-shots.
- Best Gear: Jakobs shotguns with Spread Launcher underbarrels, Repkits with Amp/Splash rolls, and Hot Slugger for mobbing.
If you want to learn more about some of the Best Borderlands 4 Builds to push your Amon even further, you can find our dedicated guide here at Overgear!
4.9Borderlands 4 Amon Class Trait
Amon’s Forgeknight class trait focuses on high Action Skill uptime and bonus elemental effects like Shock and Cryo. Each equipped Action Skill grants Amon a unique Forgeskill, letting him chain extra attacks or utility effects right after using an ability.
This keeps his damage, crowd control, and support tools active nearly all the time. He can be built as a melee brawler, explosive ordnance user, or defensive support, making him highly adaptable to any playstyle. Players who manage cooldowns well can keep Forgeskills flowing and maintain constant pressure in every fight.
📌 Players who enjoy melee combat and skill cycling will find Amon one of the most engaging Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 4 Amon Forgeskills
Forgeskills act like secondary action skills with their own cooldown. They provide either damage or utility depending on which action skill they are tied to. Here are the three Forgeskills:
Firewall (Vengeance Tree)
Deploys a firewall that absorbs enemy projectiles and powers up Scourge. Friendly projectiles passing through gain damage and speed. Can be upgraded with Ring of Frostfire for a dome shield or replaced with Glacial Rapture or Wrathfall.
Molten Slam (Calamity Tree)
Slam a Molten Forgehammer into the ground, dealing incendiary melee damage in an area. Can be upgraded with Molten Roil to erupt stored damage in a fiery pyre or swapped for Hoarcleave or Stormcutter.
Double Edge (Cybernetics Tree)
Throws a twin forgeaxe that deals cryo melee damage on the way out and incendiary damage returning. Can be enhanced with Conflangarang to restore cooldowns based on hits or swapped for Snowmaul or Storm Surge.
Borderlands 4 Amon Action Skills
Amon’s action skills are designed to support three distinct playstyles, letting you choose how you want to approach each encounter. His melee-focused skill empowers close-range combat, increasing melee damage and granting lifesteal to keep you alive in the thick of battle. His tanking option allows him to soak up damage for the team, generating shields and taunts to control enemy focus. Finally, his explosive skill tree is all about AoE. It is enabling you to deal AoE bursts with grenades and abilities, which is perfect for clearing waves of enemies or controlling the battlefield.
Scourge (Blue Tree)
Deploys a shield that absorbs projectiles and powers up a massive whip strike. Can be augmented with Blastchill, Cryonic Thrum, or Eternal Winter, or swapped for Stormlance or Molten Rebuke.
Onslaughter (Red Tree)
A close-range melee strike that pairs with guns for a hybrid playstyle. Can be enhanced with Pyroclast, Thermal Diffusion, or Force of Nature, or replaced with Fellfrost or Fulminating Fist.
Crucible (Green Tree)
Summons twin axes to throw or swing. Damaged enemies are primed to detonate on kill. Augments include Endless War, Axe and Stone, Searing Cold, or alternatives like Hour of the Hammer.
Want to check out different action skills without wasting any time? Our Specialization Leveling is here to help with just that!
Borderlands 4 Amon Skill Trees
Amon’s skill trees are built to give players freedom to mix-and-match their abilities. Each tree focuses on a different combat role, and you can invest points to set up Amon toward your playstyle.
- The first tree enhances his melee prowess, granting damage boosts, lifesteal, and mobility options to stay aggressive up close.
- The second tree turns him into a frontline tank. It grants skills that generate shields, draw enemy aggro, and provide defensive buffs for allies.
- The third tree is all about explosives and AoE damage. It provides grenade cooldown reduction, explosive radius boosts, and chain-reaction synergies for maximum crowd control. Together, these trees allow you to build Amon as a brawler, a protector, or an explosive damage dealer.
Vengeance (Blue Tree)
This tree is all about the balanced gunplay, ordnance, and action skill scaling.
- Tail of the Comet – Bonus status damage from ordnance.
- Bullet Hail – Adds ricochets to guns.
- Burning Rage, Icy Rage, Thunderous Rage – Elemental affinities that buff guns and skills.
- Strike the Anvil – Enhances action skill damage.
📌 Capstones grant Ordnance crits and Forgeskill uptime.
Calamity (Red Tree)
This tree is focused on melee damage and hybrid playstyles.
- Gut Punch & Maiming Strike – Boost damage and weaken enemies.
- Forged in Steel – Grants damage immunity.
- Berserk – Bonus cryo damage and slow immunity.
- My Touch Is Death – Chance to trigger kill skills on melee hit.
- Rearm – Regain ammo with melee hits.
📌 Capstones encourage Forgeskill spam and crit uptime.
Cybernetics (Green Tree)
Drone support, explosions, and detonation setups.
- Tempered Pyre & Twin Tempers – Summon cryo/fire melee drones.
- Bolt Action – Grants bonus elemental damage after reloads.
- Endless Bombardment – More ordnance uptime.
- Reactive Armor – Synergizes with Crucible for AoE builds.
📌 Capstones improve detonation chains and drone synergy.
Borderlands 4 Amon Leveling Tips
Leveling Amon efficiently can be easy if you take advantage of his early power spikes. His melee tree has early sustain through lifesteal and bonus damage. This makes it great for solo play when gear is limited. As you gain more skill points, you can branch into tanking for survivability or explosives for faster mob clearing. Prioritize skills that boost damage and cooldown reduction first. How to level up Amon fast:
- Level 1–10 – Invest in Get The Lead Out for reload speed, then unlock Endless War augment for Crucible.
- Level 11–20 – Put points into Executioner for crit damage and Blast Furnace for stacking crit bonuses.
- Level 21–30 – Unlock Lightning Rod for huge single-target burst, then add The Thrill for survivability.
- Level 31–40 – Start investing in Calamity for Forged In Steel and Bullet Storm.
- Level 41–50 – Max Berserk for bonus cryo damage after Forgeskill use and finish with There Is Only Red to keep Berserk up permanently.
You can avoid capstones that slow Forgeskill uptime, as this build relies on constant cycling. Want to avoid leveling altogether? Our Borderlands 4 Leveling is here to help.
Borderlands 4 Best Amon Weapons
Amon benefits from different types of weapons, and it all depends on what you are focusing your build on.
Melee-oriented players benefit from fast-firing shotguns and high-damage pistols that let you stay close to enemies and trigger melee synergies. Tank builds pair well with weapons that regenerate shields or apply crowd control effects, helping Amon hold aggro. Explosive builds excel with rocket launchers, splash-damage ARs, and grenadier-style weapons to maximize AoE damage.
📌 Mixing in a utility weapon, like a high-status SMG or sniper rifle, can round out your loadout for tougher enemies and bosses.
- Jakobs Shotguns with Spread Launcher Underbarrel – Core of the build for bossing.
- 200% Damage Amp Repkit – Ideal roll is a Purple Order variant with two charges.
- Hot Slugger Legendary Shotgun – Fast reload, excellent for mobbing, but very difficult to obtain. However, we can obtain it for you with Legendary Weapons service.
- Repkits with Amp/Splash – Amplify damage output and AoE potential.
📌 Always try to match your weapon’s element to the enemy’s weakness for best efficiency.
4.9Amon is a flexible melee and ordnance Vault Hunter who can control the battlefield, freeze bosses, and spam action skills for huge burst windows. With the right setup, Amon can clear mobs, freeze elites, and one-shot bosses, making him one of the most versatile and satisfying Vault Hunters to play.
