As you can see, this build shows melee and long range some love, but niether gets enough points to be considered a main strategy.

I have everything set up like this because it works best for me, and I'll explain why, but I'm not gonna send the Gestapo after you if you personalize it. Have some fun with it and feel free to respond with any questions, concerns, or tips you may have.

At the bottom of this tree, we put our first point into Killing Blow. One point doesn't seem like much, but it'll get another 5 from Legendary Hunter Mod (LHM), meaning that enemies near death will take a whopping 600% melee damage increase. We'll put five more into Ir0n Hand. a 15% melee bonus isn't much, especially compared to our Killing Blow bonus, but more importantly, the LHM bonus gives us 30% more life, meaning our Pr0tag0nist may have enough life to pull through a tough fight.

The next level up gives us Grim. We use this because it helps our shield regenerate, while giving a token bonus to the cooledown rate of Decepti0n. We avoid Be Like Water because, while it can can be fun to switch back and fourth, slowing your fire rate to take advantage of it can be detrimental.

Our last point in Bloodshed activates Execute. Typically this ability is reserved for melee only builds, but after using Decepti0n, throwing kunais, and healing up, our Pr0 won't have much time left to aim and get a head shot, so being able to lunge toward the nearest bandit and plant a sword in their chest will get him a solid amount of damage before time runs out.

Several of the Pr0's points go into this tree, mostly because it has lots of utility value, as well as throwing a few new toys into his magical bag of homicidal tricks and tendencies.

Starting at the bottom of the tree, we put one point into C0unter Strike. With LHM this means that anyone stupid enough to hit you gets hit back, really hard. We'll then put five more points into Fast Hands, which gives you a handy boost to reloading and weapon swap speed, especially with LHM, so you can switch more easily between your Moxxi weapons and your killin' weapons.

I put the next level's points into Ambush because, especially in multiplayer games, our enemies' attention will be otherwise enguaged, giving the Pr0 a free damage bonus. Fearless is nice, but this build was made to use the Hide of Terramorphious shield, meaning that we're probably going to be abusing it's roid damage with melee attacks instead of shooting when our shields are down.

The third level gives our Pr0 a point into Death Mark. If you happen to find yourself in an area where enemies are within arms reach, why not help yourself to an extra 20% damage while you're there? Seems to make sense. Also, given that we use weapons with high fire rates, we'll activate Rising Sh0t. It's stacks may burn out fast, but with the high ammo capacity weapons we use, short term 50% damage boosts will help us stay in the fray.

The next level up activates Innervate. While its regen feels token, every little bit helps, and it also comes with a little extra damage and a speed bonus to help this our galliant Pr0tag0nist get from one easy, breezy, beautiful bloodbath to the next.

Our second to last tier amps our fire rate with Tw0 Fanged. It can be annoying if you're using single shot, absolute accuracy weapons, but this build generally uses weapons that rely more on fire rate and reasonable accuracy.

The last point in this tree is given to Death Bl0ss0m. I origionally wrote off this ability, but once I got used to it, i realized not only is it a free, effective slag option, but it also helps take out the trash without wasting ammo, while marking larger targets for you team to focus on.

At the bottom of this tree we put five points into Headsh0t. It gives the Pr0 some bonus damage with whatever gun we use, instead of forcing him to use only sniper rifles. We ignore 0ptics altogether, given that the sniper rifles we use see plenty far, and the other guns have no use for it.

The next level gets five points into Killer. After a kill, it lasts long enough for us to draw a bead on our next target and get a pretty solid critical bonus, along with a handy reload bonus to help keep the pressure on. We ignore Precisi0n for the same reason as 0ptics. It simply isn't needed here.

The third level is where we put our last six points. The first goes into B0re. Against crowds this ability can be devistating, and with a little planning it can be used to take down badasses before they can become an issue. The other five go into Vel0city, since it grants a token damage bonus, as well as doubling our bullet speed. This brings guns like Cobra and Sloth, whose slow bullet speeds limit their effective range, into usable tolerances, letting us take full advantage of their high damage capabilities. Despite it being an awesome ability, we avoid 0ne Sh0t 0ne Kill, because we will either be firing a lot of bullets, with high magazine sizes, so we can't take advantage of it often enough to merit spending five points.

As you level, you'll get practice snapping to crit spots when you aim, instead of just giving up and hitting them center mass. It's gonna be rocky at lower levels because your survivability is limited, so practice getting crits, conserve your sniper ammo, don't waste your shield, and be ready to flee like a small child when you feel overwhelmed. Yes, it seems silly, but paying good money to start over is usually a poor choice, especially if you got killed because you were too focused on trying to melee a badass. Don't feel bad, we've all gone through it.

This build leans toward an offensive strategy with high fire rates and high damage even when hitting a crit spot isn't an option. I opted for these guns because they have predictable damage outputs and patterns, so you'll know where your shots going to go, as well as how long it'll take to get there, letting you predict your shots and lead your targets. For predictabilty and damage, my first go to is...

Blockhead- This shotgun is nice because it's spread also has a lovely habit of bouncing around to hit enemies that other shotguns would have missed. I almost always try to keep a fire weapon in my kit, and this one fits the bill perfectly. I used to die a lot, until I started carrying a Moxxi weapon. For this kit, I choose...

Grog Nozzle- This little lady has become a staple in my builds. For this one, it's especially potent, since you can throw up your decoy, pull it out, throw your kunai, then a haphazard grenade, have full life and still have time to deal a sick amount of damage. While its damage is low and its accuracy is questionable, it still gets a wopping 300% critical bonus (Not listed on its card), for what it's worth. For best results, I combine it with Chain Lightining. Keep in mind it's occasional, "drunk" effect though, and if it gets cubersome, just switch to Rubi for nearly the same results. Now, being an Assassin, a sniper rifle is compulsory, but fire rate is still awesome. I gravitate towards Dahl snipers like...

Sloth- Normally this weapon is difficult to use, due to it's slow projectile speed, but once we add Vel0city and Tw0 Fanged to the equation, suddenly we have an extremely accurate, burst fire, long range option capible of hammering in several crits with every pull of a trigger. Wrapping up our weapons, we want an short- mid range option with high accuracy and high fire rate. That statement begs for a...

B!tch- Fire a couple shots with this SMG and suddenly you have a supremely accurate gun capible of sending crit after crit right into the 10 ring. I typically burst fire to stay on target just because unloading all at once lends its self to user malfunction, meaning ammo waste. Actualizer is also a viable option for this spot, in case you'd rather spend seraph crystals instead of farm Bunk3r.

After much item testing, this seemed to be the loadout that balanced damage with survivability. If you know of an item that would work as a direct upgrade to any of these, feel free to leave it in the comments and i'll be sure to check it out and get back to you.

Shield- Hide of Terramorphous-
Roid damage, spike damage, nova damage, and one of the highest (Non- Turtle) capacities in the game. It can be difficult to get, but with this build, it fits in perfectly. I tried other higher end shields, such as Antagonist, but they just didn't seem to perform as well with the strategy that this build lends its self to.

Grenade Mod- Chain Lightning-
This mod has quickly become my go to for just about any situation, not because of its ability to eat enemy shields for breakfast, it's fast throw, or it's regenerating ammo, but it's utility when combined with a Moxxi weapon. Tough enemies got you down? Pull out Rubi, toss one or two of these, and get back in the fight. Ps- throwing grenades doesn't end Decepti0n. This means you have a moment to heal up and catch your breath. Abuse it wisely.

Class Mod- Legendary Hunter-
While other mods allow you to focus in on more specific stratagies, LHM has the utility value of buffing almost all of our low teir abilites, while granting us a significantly faster ability cooldown, and free instant healing, to help us live through getting hit while we toss up decepti0n.

Relic- Blood of the Ancients (Health/ Shotgun/ Sniper)-
While the defense bonuses from Skin of the Ancients would amplify our survivability, Blood gives us more health to heal with our Moxxi wep, as well as giving us precious sniper ammo, that our Dahl rifles tend to burn through rather quickly.

Shotgun slot- Hyperion shotguns work wonders due to their fire rate and reverse recoil. Attack so close to enemies that you can abuse these traits to get as many pellets as possible into crit spots. Some shotguns prefixes even boost your crit output, so request that your team save these for you when they loot them. The highest I've seen is Critical Heart Breaker (Fire), giving a 100% boost to crit damage, but if you've seen a shotgun with higher crit support, be sure to let me know in the comments.

Moxxi slot- If you don't have Tiny Tina's DLC, I recommend you use the dethroned queen of vampires, Rubi. It's healing is only 12% versus Nozzles 60%, but it's easier to get, has high damage, trustworthy accuracy, a static prefix (Melee is my favorite for this build), and can get you out of almost as much trouble as the Nozzle can. Also, if you do go for Rubi, try to find a Slag version, since it'll cover your UVHM Slag requirement, as well as support more damage and healing. Other Moxxi weapons, like Good and Bad Touch, can fill this slot for the early game, but as you progress, you'll probably want a more effective option.

Sniper slot- When choosing a rifle, balance fire rate and damage per bullet. Hyperion and Dahl snipers work great at mid- and long- range, while Jacobs are your best bet at longer ranges. We probably won't be using Maliwan much, since they tend to focus on DoT over the burst damage we want. If you prefer crowd control over solitary targets, check out the Pitchfork. Combining its 5 shot pattern with a 5+ round burst and B0re, it can tear up trash hoards, even unscoped. It's also worth noting that in prolonged firefights where you can't get clear to snipe, pistols like Gwen's Head and Ladyfist did pretty well.

SMG slot- If you don't have time to farm a B!tch, I recommend Dahl and Hyperion SMG's, or Vladof pistols. The goal here is to have something to keep you rolling while you're in that fuzzy grey area between close- and long- range, where your sniper or shotgun aren't at their best. Just unload while you move to a more effective range. I also recommend a corrode option here to balance your elemental spread so armored psychos and such can't just walk up to you.

Shield slot- Our fearless Pr0tag0nist makes great use of Nova shields, and sometime Roid, since he tends to be in the mix. If these don't appeal to you, consider using an Adaptive shield to keep you alive and promote your Moxxi healing. Aside from the Hide of Terra, the other two shields that performed brilliantly were the Sham, because it helped recover sniper ammo quickly, and Black Hole, because of it's awesome Nova effect and the Moxxi healing it provided. I don't recommend the Bee shield since it, despite the hype, is a very niche item that tends to falter in most situations.

Grenade slot- Focus on Singularity and AoE grenades. We use them here more as a means to heal with our Moxxi weps than an offensive tool. Look for high DoT over burst damage, to keep you healing while you get to a more advantagious position. If you decided against a Moxxi weapon, consider a transfusion grenade here. It won't be as effective, but they do help out in a pinch.

Class Mod slot- The Professional (Purple rarity) class mod is the only mod that boosts three of the Pr0's active perks. That said, as you level up, you'll come across all different sorts, so just use the more effective ones you come across, whether they boost your perks or various stats. You'll get a feel for the ones that help you the most, so just gravitate to those. Note-The passive healing from Survivor mods may be nice up through TVHM, it's almost unnoticable in UVHM, so keep that in mind as you decide.

Relic Slot- Without access to the pearlescent relics, try focusing on Stockpile relics, Protection relics and Vitality relics. Protection and Vitality will increase your survivability, while getting a lucky Stockpile relic can boost your middling sniper ammo reserves. Others will catch your eye as you level, but these three will typically be your best bet.

I made several changes, but the core idea is basically the same. Focus on damage and fire rate, over timing and calculation. I think I just heard a cumulative cringe out of many Zer0 players, but it gets quick results with minimal effort, while still being aggressive and fun.

The kits-

Main-
Blockhead (Fire) (Crit damage)
Rubi (Slag) (Melee)
Gwen's Head, (Corrosive) (Damage)
Sloth (Slag) (Crit damage)
Blockade
Legendary Killer
Chain lightning
Shadow of the Seraphs

Secondary-
Butcher (Corrosive) (Accuracy)
Little Evie (Shock) (Melee)
Sandhawk (Fire) (Bullet Speed)
Cobra (Explosive) (Crit damage)
Impaler/ Black Hole/ Hide of Terra
Legendary Killer
Magic Missile (Slag)
Skin of the ancients (Fire)(Shock)(Non- elemental)(Recharge rate)

I have a hard time using just one kit 24/7, not because I'm a bad Zer0, or that it's too weak, but due to ammo constraints and I get bored with only the same items. After a few firefights with Gwen and Sloth, ammo starts drying up quickly, so I switch a lot between various weapons and strategies to keep myself relevant. Butcher is great with ammo since it occasionally refills its self, sandhawk is amazing and doesn't burn pistol ammo, Evie quietly gives you more Decepti0n for every occasion, and Cobra doesn't burn 5+ ammo with every pull of the trigger. The secondary kit has a focus on survivability over damage, but I usually pick and choose gear out of it as necessary, so it balances well for maintaining damage outputs. I also switched Grog Nozzle out for Rubi, because I've come to the conclusion that Nozzle is an overpowered crutch, instead of a strategic aid.

I forewent a lot of love for melee, for the sake of bullet damage for one pretty simple reason. I almost always forgot to melee anyway since I was focusing on getting crits, and I was tired of wasting points. Now melee isn't so cost prohibitve, only being used as a means of increasing bullet damage, or mopping mobs without wasting ammo.

I love sniper builds with this, moving a couple points around made it easy, but even with Blood of the Ancients (Health) (Sniper ammo) (Pistol ammo), I'm out of ammo in a few firefights without a 'zerker in the party, so I either have to make the trip to a vending machine or end up wasting 10+ skill points, Shield slot on Bee/ Sham and my Mod slot for Legendary Sniper. I still completely forego Melee builds because I apparently don't have the eye for detail that it takes to keep up in OP8.

Most of you probably know this, but Gwen's Head is deceptively amazing. It gets looked over a lot, since its crit bonus is only around 38%, but the real magic is in how it applies that damage. On a crit, instead of adding to the lump of other bonuses, it adds it to the base damage before other bonuses are applied, meaning all modifiers have 38% more damage to modify. Think of it like this: let's say Zer0 has a Dahl pistol that fires five shots at 100 damage each, with a crit bonus of 138% total. 100+138%= 238 damage, for a total of 1190 damage, assuming every shot hits a crit spot. Gwen applies it's 38% crit damage to the stock 100 before normal crit damage is applied, so 138+100%= 276. Assuming its 5 shots crit, it gets 1380 damage. Thinking about that in terms of level 72 or OP damage output, crit modifiers, and bonus shots, that little ol' 38% starts lookin' pretty fancy. It's also really easy to get, so you can quickly farm for the version that suits you best.

Note- With Shadow of the Seraphs active, I usually pull a point from Tw0 Fanged, because it doesn't seem to make a difference, and put it into Be like Water for some extra damage output.

I'm pretty sure Sun Tsu didn't know about Decepti0n. Did you just make up that quote?
Of course he knew about Decepti0n, how else would he never ever lose a battle and still survive to this day? I totally didn't make that up. Totally.

These Dahl weapons are chewing through my ammo supply. Is there any way to offset that?
Yes. The easiest option is to use absorb shields, like Sham, since they will recover some of your used sniper ammo. Also, try to anticipate if the enemy is going to die before the burst cycle ends, and hit your ADS or reload button. These will stop the burst cycle, saving your ammo. This takes practice, but it'll waste less ammo, and keep you blazing away longer.

You mention liking Dahl and Hyperion weapons. Have you tried their lovechild, the Invader?
Yep, It's fun to mess around with, but Sloth is still closer to my heart.

This build is similar to some Infinity builds I've found. Why don't you use those?
Because Infinity builds are a pain. Most call for more than one Infinity, with specific elements. It would just be too annoying to farm for weeks or learn Gib. WIth this build, some of the items are difficult to get, but if you just can't find them there are always substitutes.

What head is that in your pictures?
It's called Raz0r and it's the rare drop from the Henry. The skin is Flowers on your Grave, the rare drop from Vermiverous.

I'd really like to try this build, but I don't have time to farm all that gear. Would you mind duping for me?
Not anymore, due to annoyingly high demand. Sorry.

In your 72 update, you refer to the Grog Nozzle as an overpowered crutch. Why is that?
First and foremost is it's 60% healing factor. At OP8, it can practically fill your life on its own, let alone grenade and melee damage. It has an unlisted 300% crit bonus if you're willing to aim, and if you're not, wait for the drunken effect, switch to DP Harold and watch Pandora fall to its knees. Sure, its prefix is different each game, but that's less of a balance, and more of an ignorable annoyance, since you can trust it to be slag regardless. It was a huge help for 61- ish levels, but now I'd rather actually play the game than let Nozzle carry me on its back the whole time. Rubi is still fine, as it's healing is only 12%, meaning it's triage at best, and not a hard carry.

Do you have any other guides?
Yes I do, ta very much for asking. A link to them is in the notes.

Feel free to post any questions, tips, or comments here.

Edits-

8/31/2013
- Guide posted
- Various spelling, grammar, and continuity corrections

4/20/2014
- Added level 72 section
- Added Gwen's Head explanation
- Added Grog Nozzle critique to Q&A

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoy this build as much as I do.
If you'd like, check out my other guides here: https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/id/opheliologist/myworkshopfiles/?section=guides