Who is Roland in Borderlands? The characters of Borderlands are an integral part of the game’s story and gameplay. Each character comes with their own backstory and represents a certain class with unique abilities. Roland was one of the four original playable characters in the first entry of the series, and makes appearances in subsequent games. Roland quickly became a fan favorite character with his steadfast dedication to his friends and upgradeable Scorpio turret. Let us take a look at the hardy soldier-turned-mercenary and his reasons for being a Vault Hunter. We will also discuss the unique gameplay that Roland’s class provides, as well as how it compliments the other characters abilities.

Roland Around In The Borderlands

Roland was born on the planet Promethea and was a soldier for the Crimson Lance. The Crimson Lance is an elite private military company governed by the Atlas Corporation. While proving himself to be an exceptional soldier as part of the Crimson Lance, Roland became disillusioned with Atlas’ inhumane policies and and crooked business dealings. After being double crossed and left for dead by his superior, Higgins, Roland killed Higgins and deserted the Crimson Lance. By the beginning of the first game, he is found working as an independent mercenary.

During the first game, Roland works with the three other Vault Hunters to find said Vault and the loot within it. In Borderlands 2, Roland has formed the Crimson Raiders, a group of former Crimson Lance soldiers, to fight back against the evil mega-corporation Hyperion. He is also in a relationship with the Siren Lilith, who co-manages the Raiders. He is a support character in this game, whom, along with Lilith, directs you to missions and runs Sanctuary. He was voiced by Oliver Tull in the first game and Markus Lloyd in Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel.

Rock ‘n’ Roland

The FPS–RPG hybrid gameplay means that the game has a class system. Roland serves as the Soldier class in the first game. He is proficient with a variety of weapons but prefers assault rifles and shotguns. Roland’s exclusive Action Skill is the Scorpio Turret. The Scorpio is a highly customizable auto turret that can be upgraded to fire rockets, dispense ammo, and even heal your fellow Vault Hunters. His combat skills and the tremendous utility that the Scorpio offers makes him a solid support character that can still hold his own offensively. The Soldier is a well-balanced class that is ideal for newcomers especially as it is very versatile.

The Soldier class has three skill trees that can be levelled up throughout your playthrough. The Infantry branch of the skill tree can be upgraded to increase the damage output of the Scorpio. You can also reduce its cooldown time and eventually enable it to fire guided missiles.  The Support branch can be used to tune the burst fire count of the turret, as well enabling the Scorpio to dispense ammo and grenades to your teammates. With the Medic Branch, the turret can be upgraded to heal and revive your team. Roland is best used as support to a higher damage dealing character such as Brick the Berserker, or as a frontline distraction for the team’s sniper, Mordecai.

Roland On The Floor Laughing

It is no surprise that an iconic franchise with fun and interesting characters is now getting its own movie. With a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Cate Blanchett, and Jack Black, there are some mixed reactions about Kevin Hart’s casting as the iconic mercenary. With some claiming Hart is just playing himself, and others wondering why someone who could more effectively portray the soldier with a dark past like Idris Elba wasn’t chosen instead, Hart clearly has some big shoes to fill. Being 5-foot-5, we will see how Hart’s performance ‘measures up’ to the Roland of the games who clocks in at 5-foot-11.

All (bad) jokes aside, we are sure Kevin Hart will undoubtedly provide a constant source of comic relief in the movie. The character is truly a fundamental element in the origins of the series, whose legacy can still be felt in later games. His immensely useful Soldier class provides a strong base of support for the team, while also standing out as a capable offensive fighter as well. His haunted past, strong will, and unique playstyle make both an interesting, fleshed-out character, as well as one of the most fun classes to play as. Whether its your first excursion to Pandora or you’re a well-seasoned Vault Hunter, you can’t go wrong with Roland.

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