In Borderlands 2, what is the stealth aspect of Zero?
I just bought Borderlands 2 and I started with Zero and I noticed he uses a sword as his melee (duh) and I know he is supposed to be an assassin but does he have a special backstab ability or a stealth mode? Or is he just a play-style that requires sniper-rifles and long range?
62 Answers
The stealth aspect of Zero comes from his Action Skill: Decepti0n
Each hero has an ability called an Action Skill, which is a 'mode' or friendly drop (such as a sentry turret) unique to that character that lasts a few seconds. It can be activated at any time once unlocked (at Level 5) and has a cooldown before using it again.
Zero's action skill is a cloaking ability that also grants bonuses to damage. It has a cooldown of 15 seconds
From the Borderlands Wiki:
Action Skill: Decepti0n
"Decepti0n" grants Zer0 the ability to deploy a holographic decoy of himself and enter an invisible "stealth mode." While cloaked, he can maneuver about the battlefield dealing amplified damage on his next attack. The longer Zer0 stays cloaked, the more damage he can inflict to enemies; however, the shorter Zer0 stays cloaked, the sooner he is able to use the skill again. Zer0 does not enter a separate dimension like Lilith when she Phasewalks, and can still take damage from all sources while cloaked.
Damage Benefits whilst in Decepti0n:
- +650% Melee Damage
- +200% Gun Damage / +250% Gun Critical Hit Damage.
The Decepti0n action skill works well for a semi-stealth prime character.
If you max out your Bloodshed tree fully, the last tier gives you the ability to redeploy a second time and a third, a fourth and so on for every consecutive kill you get while in Decepti0n.
There is also the Backstab skill about midway down the tree that increases your melee damage while attacking an enemy from behind, combine that with the Execute skill that allows you to dash a few feet to your enemy whilst in Decpti0n and you've got a pretty kickass invisible stalker.
I was able to exploit this character build to have Decepti0n last a good 50 seconds while in a circle of slaughter, while my allies drilled down the enemies health I came in for finishing blows.
