Borderlands 4 comes with six different types of elemental damage, each having its own set of strengths and weaknesses against enemies and the players. The effect of each elemental damage also differs based on the difficulty level that you decide upon at the start of the game. Here, we are going to take a deep dive into all the elemental damages in Borderlands 4.
All Elemental Damage Types Explained
We are also going to cover how the elemental damages fare with the different enemy types (Flesh/ Shield/ Armor). Flesh shield is indicated by the color red, yellow for armor, and lastly Blue for shield. Why switching between elemental guns based on the manufacturer will drastically impact the theme of the gunplay.
Kinetic Element
Kinetic damage doesn’t bring any effect to the table compared to all the others in the guide.
Difficulty Changes: Kinetic is the only element that outputs 100% damage on all difficulties (Easy, Normal, Hard) against armor, shield, and flesh.
Incendiary Element
Here, you are dealing with nothing but pure fire damage with the Incendiary elemental type. When you light up enemies on fire, you will see the fire effect on their bodies, and they will also scream; the same goes for the player, too. The fire effect will last for about 4 seconds in Borderlands 4.
Difficulty Changes:
- Easy – 120% damage on flesh, 90% damage to shield and armor.
- Normal – 150% damage on flesh, 75% to shield and armor.
- Hard – 175% damage on flesh, 50% damage to shield and armor.
Incendiary is very effective against flesh but deals normal damage to shield and armor.
Shock Elemental Effect
Shock elemental damages leave an electric effect on targets, as you will see a static effect around enemies when the projectiles impact their shield or armor. But when you are on the other end of the line and get shot by electric projectiles, you will also see a static shock effect around your body. The effect or damage over time for the Shock element lasts for about two seconds.
Difficulty Changes:
- Easy – 90% damage on flesh and armor, 120% damage to shield.
- Normal – 75% damage on flesh and armor, 150% to shield.
- Hard – 50% damage on flesh and armor, 175% damage to shield.
Shock elemental damage is perfect against any shielded enemies, but deals decent damage against flesh and armor.
Corrosive Element
When the weapon deals Corrosive elemental damage, you will make targets melt. The effect lasts for 8 seconds and completely shatters the enemy’s armor. If you have played the previous entry, then you must have picked up that the timer is twice as long as it is in Borderlands 3. Corrosive elemental damages tend to leave a green gas effect on enemies and on the player when they come in contact with the Corrosive elemental type.
Difficulty Changes:
- Easy – 90% damage on flesh and shield, 120% damage to armor.
- Normal – 75% damage on flesh and shield, 150% to armor.
- Hard – 50% damage on flesh and shield, 175% damage to armor.
Corrosive is great against armor but fares decently against flesh and shielded enemies.
Cryo Element
Cryo helps freeze enemies, making it the perfect weapon of choice for a melee build. You can freeze enemies far away and hit them with any of your powerful melee weapons to deal massive damage. Whenever you hit an enemy with Cryo weapons, you will see ice building up and finally freeze them. When the player receives Cryo damage, you will see an ice effect on the top of the screen.
Difficulty Changes:
- Easy – 100% damage on flesh, 90% damage on shield, 110% damage to armor.
- Normal – 100% damage on flesh, 75% damage on shield, 125% to armor.
- Hard – 100% damage on flesh, 50% damage on shield, 150% damage to armor.
Cryo does a good deal of damage against flesh but comes off very strong against armor-type enemies. But it can’t hold well against shielded enemies.
Radiation Element
Radiation elemental damage leaves a radiated aura around enemies. The aura will spread to nearby enemies to act like an AoE damage effect. The timer here lasts for 8 seconds, but the major highlight of the Radiation elemental damage in Borderlands 4, compared to the previous entry, is that when enemies die from the Radiation effect, they end up exploding at the end. This will then further spread the Radiation effect to other enemies.
Difficulty Changes:
- Easy – 100% damage on flesh, 110% damage on shield, 90% damage to armor.
- Normal – 100% damage on flesh, 125% damage on shield, 75% to armor.
- Hard – 100% damage on flesh, 150% damage on shield, 50% damage to armor.
Radiation is highly effective against shielded targets and deals good damage against flesh, but doesn’t do a lot against armor.
How Does the Elemental Effect Work on Weapons and Shields in Borderlands 4?
Elemental damage will help you immensely when you are dealing with enemies in Hard difficulty. You will receive a bonus for all elemental effects on your weapons. Once you acquire a gun, just use the Inspect button to see the gun’s weaknesses and strengths.
Tip: When you are choosing an elemental weapon, try not to focus too much on the raw DPS of the gun. Unless the difference is huge, you can settle for the lower DPS weapon if the damage type is suited to the enemy you are about to go up against.
Shield Against Elemental Damage:
The type of elemental damage will not only be effective against enemies but also against the player. You have access to both the Armor Shield and the Energy Shield. They might not seem much, but they will play a critical role in your survival in the game. If you are facing a boss that deals Shock elemental damage, you need to replace the Energy Shield with the Armor Shield to withstand the status effect. The same goes for other elemental damage as well. When you come face-to-face with a boss that deals Corrosive elemental damage, you need to swap Energy Shield for Armor Shield to survive.
Note: All shields with elemental resistance will provide a 15% resistance by default.
When it comes to the favorite element, players have always stood behind corrosive elemental effect, from the first Borderlands to Borderlands 4. The damage over time is also higher on corrosive, but you always need to switch to different elemental weapons when you come across a boss of a certain type. Always experiment and make changes before you face the boss. With the right enhancements and choosing the weapon from the right manufacturer, the damage can be further amplified. Relying on one element will certainly make the game feel longer and annoying to play. You can use elemental guns or find various elemental-focused barrels throughout the map that you can shoot to inflict elemental damage on enemies in Borderlands 4.
