Borderlands 2 characters guide: the unholy possibilities of Axton's turrets

Our fourth Borderlands 2 character guide focuses on "Modern Warfare guy" Axton, a lantern-jawed blond who was once intended to be a bisexual character. Read up on Salvador, Maya and Zer0 if you haven't already, then deploy a couple of turrets and take the plunge.

The bread-and-butter soldier of the Borderlands crew, Axton doesn't initially seem all that exciting. Once you level his Scorpion 2.0 turret up a bit, though, things start to get fruity. As with the soldier class in the first game, Axton is the optimum choice for those who plan to play through the game alone. It's a lot easier, after all, to run from a fight after you've dropped a turret behind you to harry up pursuers.

If the idea of retreat triggers auto-scoff functions, the Guerrilla skill tree is the best way to go. Adding additional - and visible - gun barrels to your Scorpion turret will make it the perfect battle companion. Who needs real friends when you've got a giant metal one that soaks up bullets without ever complaining?

If you'd rather keep your distance during a fight, the Gunpowder tree offers plenty of options. The Longbow Turret upgrade lets you teleport it in rather than manually placing it, ensuring that you never risk taking a bullet.

Sniping skills pop up in this tree, but the main focus is on high explosives. The most useful example we've seen is probably You Will Die, which lets you lob grenades during Fight for your Life. For those of you who need a memory jog, this is when you get knocked down and need to score a kill to restore yourself to action.

The Survival Tree should suit those who want to charge into the thick of it, with mega health-boosts to offset the cut in subtlety. The slickest skill here is the Mag-Lock upgrade, which lets you attach turrets to walls or ceilings. When you're up against foes that know how to use cover, the strategic placement of one of these cheeky fellas could give you the edge you need to swing things in your favour.

If you're a fan of traditional military shooters, but don't want to hand your brain out to dry, you'll feel cosy slipping into Axton's boots. Magical tricks and stealth are both lovely, but you can't beat a bit of good old-fashioned shooting. Especially when the guns in question aim and fire themselves.

Find out more in our latest issue, a veritable mountain of Borderlands 2 intel.