In this Code Vein Build Guide we’ll explore just exactly how you make the Adrenaline Rush Build, which is a Halberd DPS Build that focuses on insanely fast combos. How do you get the most from your Weapons, Blood Veils, your Blood Code, and your Gifts? Well that’s exactly what we’re going to cover, and how they all fit together to create the Adrenaline Rush Build.

Code Vein Builds: Adrenaline Rush (Scout)

The Adrenaline Rush Build has very good burst damage by using one of the best, if not the best Skill Gift in Chariot Rush. It does 10% more damage than Circulating Pulse, and executes in a fraction of the time, allowing you to sneak it in without taking damage. This is a Halberd exclusive Gift, so you cannot use it with any other weapon time. Additionally, you can combo Shadow Assault onto the end of it for an extra 10,000 damage (at level 100), or just use it when you need it.

Adrenaline Rush Blood Codes

There are several Halberd type Blood Codes in Code Vein, and you won’t begin the game with them all. In this section I’ll discuss which Blood Codes to use while you are working your way to your final destination: Scout. First up is the most obvious one: Fighter.

Fighter

Fighters have decent Strength and Dexterity Scaling, giving you the means to use any early game Halberd effectively. It has a terrible Stat spread for all the buffs you’ll need, but luckily you won’t have them all so early on. Upgrade to Prometheus as soon as you can.

Prometheus

Prometheus has B or higher in every single Stat, with both Dexterity and Mind being B+. What more can you ask for? Use this one until you gain Queenslayer, as it is likely the best early game Blood Code.

Queenslayer

Once you finish your own personal memory you’ll gain the Queenslayer Blood Code, which is perfect for this Build. It features both good Dexterity and Mind Scaling, and has enough of the other Stats to use all buffs we want. It also contains the best buff in the game in Final Journey, but even without this buff, it still outperforms any other Blood Code for a Dexterity-based Halberd except Scout. This means you’ll be doing near maximum damage, even when you’re not using Final Journey, and it’s just the icing on the cake.

Scout

Scout is what you’ll be using out on the landscape because it has Quick mobility by default, and will allow you to use Noble Silver and still be Quick if you’re using the Impaler. It also has a high max Ichor, and this build is very Ichor hungry because of the Skill Gifts that are spammed. Just be sure to swap to Queenslayer during boss fights for extra damage.

Adrenaline Rush Blood Veils

Blood Veils play a very important role in the effectiveness of Gifts. Your Blood Code and Blood Veil work together to determine how strong your buffs are, with your Weapon having no impact here. When selecting a Blood Veil be sure to look for ones that grant a higher overall Light Gift value, or one that provides decent protection.

At end game I have a few setups. First, I like to just generally explore using the Noble Silver Blood Veil. It’s the second lightest in the game, and when combined with an Alleviating Impaler you will be in the Quick mobility range. This will keep your damage roughly the same as a normal Impaler, because we use Swift Destruction, but will give you those uber dodges.

Second, I like White Vestment when fighting Bosses and weight doesn’t matter because of Final Journey, which makes you quick no matter how heavy you are. Swap these around depending on what you are currently doing, or what Boss you are facing. Some times having the extra burst from Noble Silver is worth it.

Adrenaline Rush Weapons

For this Build I like to use two different Weapons: the Impaler and the Argent Wolf Poleaxe. The Impaler is a Spear, and it has an exceptional moveset. It allows you to attack more quickly than many One-Handed Swords, which prevents you from getting caught in long twirly animations that can get you killed. Additionally, it is the lightest of the Poleaxes, which helps you reach that Quick mobility more easily.

The Argent Wolf Poleaxe hits the hardest of any Dexterity scaling Polearms I have tested, but it has an absolute shit moveset and it’s quite heavy. However, if you are simply using it with Chariot Rush, you can take down things in one combo much more easily. Pull this bad boy out on hard to kill targets and burn them down quickly, then swap back to the Impaler. Note that if you find yourself using this weapon more, then you should use Queenslayer instead of Scout.

Adrenaline Rush Gifts

Gifts play a vital part of any Build, but even more so in a build that relies heavily upon them, like this one. There are a number of excellent Light Gifts, many of which are defensive, however for this Build, we’ll focus primarily on the offensive ones. We will also be using two Skills I have not put in any other Build.

Gifts initially can only be used with the Blood Code that they are part of, but as you use them in combat you will “master” them, and then you can use them with any Blood Code. There are both passive and active Gifts, and I’ll cover which are good in both categories for a Adrenaline Rush Build. You can only have 4 Passive Gifts equipped at one time, and 8 Active. Let’s begin with the recommended Passives first:

Adrenaline Rush Passive Gifts

• Swift Destruction – This passive increases your damage for being light weight, which you will be when using an Alleviating Impaler and Ivory Grace. It will also apply to Argent Wolf Poleaxe, just to a lesser extent, unless you use Final Journey.
• Halberd Mastery – This passive will buff your Halberd damage by more than you’d think, and is a must for this build.
• Mind/Willpower Up – This passive is a must because it will allow you to meet the requirements for Bridge to Glory. It’s one of the best buffs in the game, so you definitely want it.
• Increased Gift Speed – This passive will make both your Chariot Rush and your Shadow Assault complete much faster. This will allow you to get in, hit with these and get out before you take damage.

Adrenaline Rush Active Gifts

• Adrenaline – This will boost your damage per swing modestly for a modest amount of time. It’s good early on, but not as great later.
• Overdrive – A great Gift that boosts damage for you and your companion until you are struck. Don’t get hit, and you gain extra damage!
• Blood Sacrifice – You’ll need this to stack buffs because this is a very Ichor hungry Build. Use it when necessary to gain more Ichor.
• Gift Extension – It increases the duration of your buffs by 50%, and since we use a lot, it comes in handy.
• Bridge to Glory – One of the best buffs in the game, it will boost your damage significantly for a very long time. You won’t get it until much later in the game.
• Final Journey – This is your Boss killer Gift. Activate before Boss fights to take them down fast. The damage boost you gain is about 50% of your already buffed value.
• Chariot Rush – Unique only to Halberds, this Skill does incredible damage, and it does it in a hurry. Use it often for devastating damage.
• Shadow Assault – Good alone, but particularly deadly when used at the end of Chariot Rush. It does about 10k damage with this Build at level 100, which is nothing to sneeze at for 3 Ichor and the speed with which it executes.

Adrenaline Rush Final Tips

Out of all the Builds I have made this one may have the highest sustained DPS. Halberds have excellent “Stagger” build-up when they strike, particularly the Impaler, and this allows you many more openings to attacks enemies than you might usually get with One-Handed Weapons. Consider adding Tirelessness if you find you are running out of Stamina on some Bosses to help keep up the onslaught.

Chariot Rush is cheap at 4 Ichor, and is only barely outperformed by Dragon Lunge, which can’t be used with Halberds. It also hits more reliably, because it has better tracking, which makes the Halberd not only faster than a Two-Handed Sword per attack, but means it has roughly the same burst potential if you used properly. You can also dodge out of Chariot Rush if you don’t think you can pull off the last strike without getting hit, making it very flexible.

Lastly, the Obliterator Axe works exceptionally well, but it uses Strength scaling, which isn’t ideal because Queenslayer has more Dexterity Scaling. Still if you’d rather use it than the Argent Wolf Poleaxe because of its shitty moveset, you can do so with only a small loss in damage. If you decide to use it, use Ishtar as you make your way through levels for better damage, and then swap back to Queenslayer when you reach Bosses.

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Stay tuned for more Code Vein Build Guides and be sure to check out our Getting Started Guide if you have basic questions or confusions about the game! We also have a Code Vein Scaling Guide that explains how it works.

Visit the Code Vein Wiki, check out our Code Vein Review, or read the Judgement’s Shadow Build, Bayonetta Overdrive Build, Queen’s Gambit Build, Dark Mage Pure Caster Build, Silver Spellblade Build or  “Immortal Blade” Tank Build for Code Vein.