V Rising: Best Early PvE Build

There are plenty of ways to terrorize Vardoran in V Rising, and players can find success regardless of which path they commit themselves to. With half a dozen schools of magic to choose from, it'll be hard to pick an early build that can bulldoze through enemies, especially for players who are still new to the game.

While every school of magic is viable early on, one stands out in particular for its strength and ease of use, two elements that lend themselves well for beginner V Rising players. Here's a quick guide going over this early game setup that will fledgling vampires get a better grasp of how this game plays in PvE.

Updated May 25, 2025 by Marc Santos: The free Invaders of Oakveil expansion for V Rising introduced a lot of new content to the game. While the original build in this game is still competent as far as PvE goes, many new build paths have opened up since the expansion's release. With that said, we've updated this guide to include an alternate build that makes use of some of the content added by Invaders of Oakveil.

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By Juliet Childers

Best PvE Build in V Rising

This build is optimized for a player who has already made it to the Dunley Farmlands with a Gear Score of 45.

This build makes extensive use of the Unholy school, which is all about raising minions and executing enemies with low health. Having a couple of extra hands in a fight is beneficial for solo and group players alike, and it's no wonder why the Unholy school is one of the most popular choices when it comes to PvE spell loadouts in V Rising.

V Rising Early Game PvE Build
Abilities
Main Skill	Corrupted Skull
Secondary Ability	Death Knight
Dodge	Shadow Dodge
Ultimate	Army of the Dead
Equipment
Main Weapon	Greatsword/Slashers
Secondary Weapon	Longbow/Crossbow/Pistols
Armor Set	Grim Ranger Set (Physical Power, Weapon Cooldown Reduction)

Corrupted Skull summons skeletons every time it hits an enemy. These guys tend to die fairly quickly, but they deal decent damage and can buy you enough time for whatever opportunity you need. Meanwhile, Death Knight summons a stronger but short-lived minion that, again, can steal the attention of enemies while dealing stronger damage with each hit. Top this off with Army of the Dead for even more minions.

Fighting with minions in V Rising — V Rising Minion build

Death Knight is a Tier 2 skill. You need to beat the undead boss Kriig inside the Haunted Iron Mine in the Dunley Farmlands to get your first Tier 2 Unholy spell point.

This skill setup naturally leaves players without a defensive spell — this is where the Greatsword comes in. This weapon provides exceptional mobility, allowing players to evade attacks with its dash and leap skills. It's a little slow, but its swings hit hard and wide. Pair this with a high-damage ranged weapon like V Rising's dual pistols so you can deal damage from safety while your minions tank the enemies for you.

Since the Greatsword relies on its skills to be strong, this build will use the Grim Ranger Set to shorten the weapon's skill cooldowns while simultaneously improving their power. If you find the Greatsword to be a little too cumbersome, then Slashers are a great alternative. They're great for hit-and-run tactics, and while they won't give you as much mobility, Slashers do provide invisibility, which is great for getting out of tough situations.

Having tons of minions fight for you is great early in the game, but later on, they'll have trouble surviving against the stronger enemy types. They'll still be viable, but don't expect them to last long without support.

Alternate Build Path (Invaders of Oakveil)

v rising twinblade weapon invaders of oakveil

The Invaders of Oakveil expansion added a ton of content, including an expanded map, enemies, bosses, powers, and weapons. The V Rising build above remains very effective even in this version of the game, but if you're looking for something that packs a stronger punch using one of the weapons added in the expansion, we've got you covered.

V Rising Build: Twinblade AoE
Abilities
Main Skill	Power Surge
Secondary Ability	Ward of the Damned
Dodge	Veil of Chaos
Ultimate	Heart Strike
Equipment
Main Weapon	Twinblade
Secondary Weapon	Longbow/Crossbow/Pistols/Daggers
Armor Set	Grim Ranger Set (Physical Power, Weapon Cooldown Reduction)

This build uses Power Surge and Veil of Chaos to inflict Ignite, a status effect that deals damage over time and causes slain targets to explode. Twinblades are the preferred weapons for this build because of their mobility, ranged poke, and AoE.

The playstyle is simple: lure enemies and clump them up into a ball, use either Veil of Chaos or Power Surge, then start hitting things. When a target dies while burning, they'll explode, potentially causing a chain of explosions. Use Ward of the Damned to block attacks and create Skeletons that can distract enemies, and use Heart Strike for health regeneration and big burst damage.

Players can get their first Twinblade recipe by defeating Gaius the Cursed Champion in the Dunley Farmlands. Meanwhile, Tristan the Vampire Hunter will drop the Tier 3 Spell Point needed for Heart Strike.

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