INFINITE STABS
RAFA THE EXO-SOLDIER BUILD
Last updated on January 31st, 2026
INFINITE STABS
Level 1 to 50
Melee • Infinite Action Skill
Check out our updated Borderlands 4 Rafa Build Guide, with a clear progression route, skill recommendations and best gears!
Rafa is a stylish new Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4 with an extensive variety of skills. He can fire cannons, unleash ordinance, or fight up close with his Arc-Knives. This build, Infinite Stabs, focuses on keeping Arc-Knives active indefinitely, creating a pure melee playstyle with constant elemental damage and strong scaling the longer you remain in combat.
HOW TO PLAY THIS BUILD
Arc-Knives is Rafa’s melee-based Action Skill. Activating it switches the camera to third-person and gives you access to three attacks:
- Standard melee swings that also mark enemies.
- A dash attack that deals Shock damage.
- Blade Fury, a finisher that detonates Shock damage on all marked enemies but also ends Arc-Knives. For this build, you should avoid using Blade Fury, since the goal is to stay in Arc-Knives permanently.
The core of the build is the Dead Man Walking augment, which prevents Arc-Knives from ending when its duration runs out. Instead, Rafa slowly loses health over time — but with healing skills like Sustainable Energy and Inferno Protocol, this health drain can be completely offset.
Your combat loop is simple: enter Arc-Knives, dash into enemies, and keep chaining melee hits to apply marks, trigger crit stacks with Dial-In, and spawn corrosive projectiles with Blowout. As the fight continues, your damage ramps up thanks to skills like Midnight Oil, El Borracho, and Cruel Accrual, all of which increase damage the longer Arc-Knives is active. With Collaborative Ignition, you’ll also deal bonus elemental damage based on the gun you had equipped before activating Arc-Knives. For best results, equip a Cryo, Radiation, or Explosive gun to add even more elements to your melee chain.
STRENGTHS
- Infinite Action Skill uptime with Arc-Knives.
- Damage ramps up the longer you remain in Arc-Knives.
- Third-person view makes melee combat easier to manage.
- Mix of Shock, Corrosive, Incendiary, and weapon-element damage.
WEAKNESSES
- Pure melee focus: limited ranged options.
- Requires constant healing to counter health drain from augments and capstone.
EARLY GEAR NOTES
Because you cannot switch weapons during Arc-Knives, always equip your preferred weapon before activating the skill. Choose weapons with strong elemental rolls, since Collaborative Ignition adds their element as bonus damage to your melee attacks. Guns with Cryo, Radiation, or Explosive elements work especially well.
For survivability, prioritize gear that improves health regeneration or reduces incoming damage. Items that boost Corrosive damage are especially strong, since skills like Midnight Oil and El Borracho heavily scale that element over time.
SKILLS
There is superb synergy between skills in this build. The Midnight Oil skill deals bonus Corrosive Damage the longer the Action Skill is active. Cruel Accrual skill gives increased Skill Damage the longer his Action Skill is active. It’s the same with the El Borracho skill, which increases Corrosive Damage while the Action Skill is active.
Dead Man Walking Augment is the key here; when slotted, Arc-Knives don’t end when the duration runs out. The Action Skill can only end if Rafa enters Fight For Your Life or activates Blade Fury. When Arc-Knives’ duration runs out, Rafa begins losing health, but this can be sustained through the Overshield he gains by attacking enemies.
As we intend to keep the Action Skill going indefinitely in combat, the build should yield some impressive numbers. Collaborative Ignition is another essential skill that lets Rafa deal Bonus Elemental Damage depending on the gun he is holding. Sinergia stacks Gun and Melee damage with an 8-second duration.
The Inferno Protocol Capstone Skill stores damage dealt to Rafa and heats his exosuit, dealing Incendiary damage to enemies he melees. A portion of that damage is also dealt to Rafa, which the Sustainable Energy Skill can negate.
Skill Planner: Infinite Stabs build
Level 0 – 5: Handshake Deal
Gives +15% Gun Damage and +35% Melee Damage.
Activate Dead Man Walking which makes Arc-Knives run indefinitely.
Level 5 – 10: Midnight Oil
Action Skills deal bonus Corrosive Damage the longer the skill is active.
Level 10 – 15: Dial In
Melee Attacks gain Critical Hit Chance, which stacks. Stacks are removed when Rafa lands a Critical Hit.
Level 15 – 20: Collaborative Ignition
When Overdrive is active, Rafa deals bonus Elemental Damage in the Element of his current gun.
Level 20 – 25: El Borracho
Rafa deals increased Corrosive Damage while his Action Skill is active.
Level 25 – 30: Blowout
Marks or Critical Hits spawn Corrosive Lobbed Projectiles.
Level 30 – 32: Booming Business
Critical Hits spawns a free Grenade; if a Grenade is equipped, the skill spawns that.
Level 32 – 35: Sinergia
Whenever Rafa deals Ordinance Damage, it increases his Gun and Melee Damage.
Level 35 – 40: Sustainable Energy
Gains Health regeneration depending on how much Overdrive time remains.
Activate Capstone Skill Inferno Protocol, which deals bonus Incendiary Damage.
Level 40 – 45: El Diablito
Portion of all Incendiary Damage also deals Incendiary Ordinance Damage.
Level 45 – 49: Cruel Accrual
Increase Skill damage the longer the Action Skill is active.
TO BE UPDATED
This build is based only on skills available before the game’s release. Once Borderlands 4 is out, this guide will be updated with:
– Best weapons, shields, grenades, and relics.
– Farming methods for essential gear.
– Alternative builds for solo or coop play.