Borderlands Game of the Year: Complete Guide

Character picks, skill-tree strategy, loot and weapon basics, playthrough and DLC order, and farming tips for the original 2009 Borderlands (Game of the Year edition, Steam app 8980) and its four DLC.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build of Borderlands GOTY (no patches in years; the separate 2019 "GOTY Enhanced" is the actively listed version). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Which version is this? App 8980 is the original Borderlands Game of the Year. The Steam page notes it is unlisted from store search at the publisher's request, though existing owners (and anyone with the direct link) can still get it. The Game of the Year Enhanced edition (2019) replaced it in the store and backports Borderlands 2 conveniences like a minimap. Everything here applies to both unless noted.

Quick Start

• Pick the character whose action skill you like. All four can solo the game. Roland is the easiest start, Mordecai rewards precise aim, Brick is the simplest, and Lilith has the highest ceiling.
• Pick guns by element, not only by damage. Incendiary is great against flesh, shock strips shields, and corrosive eats armored enemies. A lower-DPS gun with the right element often wins.
• Weapon proficiency matters. Using a weapon type levels its proficiency (accuracy, reload, fire rate), so sticking to two or three weapon types pays off.
• Do Claptrap rescue missions. They reward backpack SDU upgrades, which is more inventory space.
• Buy ammo SDUs from the vending machines whenever you can afford them. Running dry is a real problem in the base game.
• Second Wind is your friend. When you go down, killing an enemy before the timer runs out brings you back up. Leave a weak enemy alive near you in tough fights.
• Respec at any New-U station for a small fee. Experiment freely.
• Level cap is 50 in the base game, 61 with General Knoxx, 69 with Claptrap's New Robot Revolution. GOTY includes all four DLC.
• Beating the story unlocks Playthrough 2, where you replay the game with tougher, higher-level enemies and better loot.

The Four Vault Hunters

Character | Class | Action skill | Skill trees | Plays like

Roland | Soldier | Scorpio Turret | Infantry, Support, Medic | Deploy a turret that shoots, shields you, and (with skills) heals and resupplies the team. Best all-rounder and co-op support

Lilith | Siren | Phasewalk | Controller, Elemental, Assassin | Go invisible, move fast, burst damage on entry and exit. Elemental weapon specialist

Mordecai | Hunter | Bloodwing | Sniper, Gunslinger, Rogue | Pet bird attacks targets. Top sniper and revolver damage

Brick | Berserker | Berserk | Brawler, Tank, Blaster | Rage mode punches everything to death while regenerating. Very tanky, also good with explosives

Build directions that work

• Roland, turret support: go through Support and Medic so the turret regenerates ammo (Stockpile, Supply Drop) and heals allies (Aid Station, Revive), and take Metal Storm in Infantry for fire rate after kills. Combat rifles and shotguns fit well. Excellent in co-op.
• Lilith, elemental SMG: the Elemental tree boosts elemental effects and gives Phoenix, a fire aura after kills. Pair it with Maliwan SMGs (a Hellfire if you find one) and use Phasewalk to reposition and restart fights. Radiance (shock damage around you while phasewalking) is a strong pick, and in the Controller tree Inner Glow (health regen while phasewalking) and Girl Power (shield regen after kills) add a lot of survivability.
• Mordecai, sniper: the Sniper tree stacks Caliber (sniper damage) and Killer (gun damage and reload speed after kills), and the capstone Trespass adds bullet damage and lets your shots pierce shields. Deadly in Gunslinger (critical damage) is worth the detour. Aim for heads. Jakobs and Hyperion snipers shine here. Bloodwing is your oh-no button.
• Mordecai, gunslinger: revolvers and repeaters with Gun Crazy (chance to fire twice), Hair Trigger (fire rate and magazine size) and the capstone Relentless (kill-stacking fire rate and damage). Very fun with a good Jakobs revolver or the legendary Unforgiven (Jakobs revolver with a big crit bonus).
• Brick, berserker: Brawler turns Berserk into your main weapon, with Iron Fist for more melee damage, Endless Rage for longer Berserk and Short Fuse for shorter cooldowns. Blaster builds around rocket launchers and explosive guns (Endowed, Wide Load, Master Blaster). Tank adds health, shields and Diehard for a longer Second Wind window. Easy mode for newcomers.

Skill points start at level 5, one per level. Every tree has a capstone at the bottom, and class mods can push skills past their normal cap. Pick up class mods for your character. Even a mediocre one can be a big upgrade.

Guns and Loot

Rarity colors

White (common), then green, blue, purple, yellow, and orange (legendary). Occasional pearlescent or unique items also exist, but orange is the colour to celebrate.

Weapon types

Repeater pistols, revolvers, SMGs, combat rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and alien Eridian weapons (these recharge instead of using ammo). Each type has its own proficiency.

Manufacturers (rules of thumb)

Manufacturer | Tendency

Jakobs | High damage per shot, slower fire; great revolvers and snipers

Maliwan | Elemental specialists

Hyperion | Accuracy-focused

Vladof | High fire rate

S&S Munitions | Large magazines

Other brands (Tediore, Torgue, Dahl, Atlas, plus Eridian alien weapons) show up too. In Borderlands 1 the individual parts and the numbers on the card matter more than the brand, so always compare cards rather than trusting a logo.

Elements

Element | Best against | Notes

Incendiary | Flesh (skags, bandits) | Damage over time. The most common good pick

Shock | Shields (Crimson Lance, many humans late game) | Pop shields, then swap guns

Corrosive | Armor (Lance troopers, armored enemies) | Very strong in the second half

Explosive | Groups, everything | Splash damage. Brick Blaster builds love it

Higher element multipliers (x2 to x4 on the card) mean more procs. Read the card stats. A blue gun with a high elemental multiplier can beat a purple without one.

Shields, grenade mods and artifacts

• Shields set your survivability. Capacity vs. recharge rate/delay is the main tradeoff.
• Grenade mods change your grenades (MIRV, sticky, proximity, transfusion, and so on). Transfusion grenades that heal you are great for solo play.
• Class mods boost skills and team stats. Always wear one.
• Lilith's elemental builds and Brick's explosive builds get extra value from the matching mods.

Progression and Story Route

The main story takes you across Pandora from Fyrestone (Arid Badlands) through Headstone Mine, Rust Commons, and New Haven, then to Crimson Lance territory and the Vault. You'll meet Claptrap, Dr. Zed, Marcus Kincaid, Scooter, Patricia Tannis and the Guardian Angel who guides you.

Memorable bosses include Nine-Toes (with his skags Pinky and Digit), Sledge, Krom, Commandant Steele, and the final encounter at the Vault.

When to play the DLC

DLC | What it is | When

The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned | Jakobs Cove, undead, Halloween vibe, Dr. Ned | Mid-game, roughly level 30 or so in Playthrough 1. It scales to your playthrough

Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot | Wave-based arena combat | For XP and challenge, not loot (drops are limited)

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx | Big story expansion, raises cap to 61, adds Crawmerax | After finishing the base story; it's tuned for high levels

Claptrap's New Robot Revolution | Claptrap uprising, raises cap to 69 | After Knoxx

Playthroughs

• Playthrough 1: normal story.
• Playthrough 2: unlocked after beating the story. Enemies are much higher level and drops are better.
• After completing Playthrough 2's story, enemy levels are pushed up further toward your level (often called "Playthrough 2.5") so you can keep leveling toward the DLC caps.

Many players finish Playthrough 1, jump into Knoxx at level 40 to 50 for a challenge, then move on to Playthrough 2. Either way works.

Combat Tips

• Crits are huge. Most humans and skags have obvious weak spots (heads, mouths). Precision weapons with crit skills are the fastest way to kill.
• Swap guns per enemy type. Carry an incendiary gun for flesh, a shock gun for shields, and a corrosive gun for armor.
• Vehicles: Catch-A-Ride stations spawn vehicles for the large open zones. The turret handles most early threats, and running enemies over counts as kills.
• Save Second Wind targets. In tough fights, don't finish the last enemy near you if you're about to go down.
• Barrels: explosive barrels are free damage. Shoot them near groups.
• Co-op: loot drops are shared (first come, first served), so agree on loot rules with random players.

Farming and Endgame

• Crawmerax the Invincible (Knoxx DLC) is the classic endgame farm, with huge loot and a big challenge. Bring corrosive and a strong shield, and go with friends if you can.
• Bosses respawn when you quit and reload. Popular farms include Knoxx DLC bosses and several late-game base-game bosses.
• The Secret Armory in Knoxx is a timed run for a big loot haul. Coordinate it with co-op partners so everyone grabs as much as possible.
• Underdome rounds are a good way to test builds and get XP, but aren't a loot farm.
• Weapon chests: red chests have the best odds of good gear. Check every one.

PC Notes

• The original GOTY build is a 2009-era PC port. The default FOV is narrow and the menus are console-style. Community guides show how to raise the FOV by editing the game's config files.
• Multiplayer originally ran through GameSpy. After GameSpy closed in 2013, PC multiplayer was moved to Steam, so co-op works through Steam invites.
• If you own this version, check whether you also have GOTY Enhanced in your library. It has a minimap, quality-of-life upgrades and better stability, and is the better experience for most players.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Hoarding everything. Inventory space is tight. Sell whites and greens you'll never use, and focus on Claptrap rescue missions for SDUs.
• Ignoring elements. Pure-damage guns against shielded Lance troopers and armored enemies feel awful. Carry at least shock and corrosive options.
• Spreading skill points across three trees. Commit to one tree for early power spikes, then branch out.
• Doing Knoxx too early. It's tuned for high-level characters, and fresh Playthrough 1 characters will struggle.
• Forgetting ammo SDUs. Buy them when they show up in vending machines, especially for your main weapon type.
• Not respeccing. New-U respecs are cheap. Try a different tree if your build feels weak.

Advanced Tips

• Weapon proficiency stacks with skills. A high-proficiency sniper rifle on Mordecai with a crit-focused class mod is one of the fastest boss killers in the game.
• Element multipliers matter more than raw damage for Maliwan guns. Compare the "x" value on cards.
• Brick's Berserk resets fights. It regenerates health, so use it early in a bad fight, not as a last resort.
• Lilith's Phasewalk is a panic button and a damage burst. Skills that trigger on entry and exit make it offensive. Use it aggressively.
• Roland's turret gives cover. Stand behind it in open fights.
• Transfusion grenades are the best solo sustain in the game.
• Farm bosses with a character near their level. Loot scales with enemy level, and loot levels above yours won't be usable yet.

FAQ

Is Borderlands GOTY (8980) still sold? The Steam page is unlisted from search at the publisher's request, but the page still exists. The Game of the Year Enhanced edition is the one 2K actively sells.

What's the max level? 50 in the base game, 61 with The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, and 69 with Claptrap's New Robot Revolution. All are included in GOTY.

Which character is best for solo? Roland (turret for cover and healing) and Brick (Berserk regeneration) are the most forgiving. Mordecai is the strongest if you aim well.

Does co-op still work? Yes. Online co-op for up to four players runs through Steam after GameSpy's shutdown.

What order should I play the DLC in? Zombie Island of Dr. Ned mid-game, Underdome whenever, then General Knoxx and Claptrap's Revolution after the main story (Knoxx first).

What's Playthrough 2? A second run of the story with stronger enemies and better loot, unlocked when you beat the main story.

Should I play Borderlands 1 before Borderlands 2? It's worth it for the story context (Roland, Lilith, Mordecai and Brick return in Borderlands 2), but it isn't required.

Sources

• Borderlands (video game) on Wikipedia
• Borderlands Game of the Year Steam store page
• Borderlands news on Steam
• Lootlemon: Borderlands 1 skill trees (Roland, Lilith, Mordecai, Brick)
• Lootlemon: Hellfire (BL1) and Unforgiven (BL1)