There are plenty of ways to terrorize Vardoran inV 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 wellfor beginnerV Risingplayers. 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 August 02, 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.
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 theUnholyschool, 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 toPvE spell loadouts inV Rising.
Army of the Dead
Armor Set
Grim Ranger Set (Physical Power, Weapon Cooldown Reduction)
Corrupted Skullsummons 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 Knightsummons a stronger but short-lived minion that, again, can steal the attention of enemies while dealing stronger damage with each hit. Top this off withArmy of the Deadfor even more minions.
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 theGreatswordcomes 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 likeV Rising’sdual pistolsso 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 theGrim Ranger Setto shorten the weapon’s skill cooldowns while simultaneously improving their power. If you find the Greatsword to be a little too cumbersome, thenSlashersare 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)
TheInvaders of Oakveilexpansion added a ton of content, including an expanded map, enemies, bosses, powers, and weapons. TheV Risingbuild 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.
Ward of the Damned
This build usesPower SurgeandVeil of Chaosto inflictIgnite, a status effect that deals damage over time and causes slain targets to explode.Twinbladesare 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 bydefeating Gaius the Cursed Championin the Dunley Farmlands. Meanwhile, Tristan the Vampire Hunter will drop the Tier 3 Spell Point needed for Heart Strike.
