Battle Rage

Description
For 5...17 seconds, you move 25% faster and gain double adrenaline from attacks. Battle Rage ends if you use any non-attack skills. When Battle Rage ends, you lose all adrenaline. This is an elite skill.

Usage Notes
With high strength, this is an excellent skill to use with lots of adrenaline-based attack skills. For example, a swordsman could use battle rage with a shield that requires strength, along with Sever Artery, Galrath Slash, Gash, and Final Thrust. These skills all use adrenaline, and recharge very quickly with battle rage. You also have a constant +25% run speed! The main inconvenience is the loss of all adrenaline each time you recast Battle Rage, so high strength is necessary to prolong battle rage's duration. Since Final Thrust uses all remaining adrenaline, it is best to use it two hits' time before battle rage runs out. In two hits you will get the 4 adrenaline required to use battle rage again. Note that if you ever completely leave battle rage, it will take 4 hits to resume the cycle.

This leaves a potential for 3 more skills that can be more energy-based. Since these skills would be the only skills on the bar that use energy, the +2 warrior regen won't be so restricting. The extra skills could be primary or secondary skills. Warrior skills can keep the focus on strength or weapon mastery, such as Endure Pain, Sprint, Shield Stance, Power Attack, Warrior's Cunning, Savage Slash, etc. Use of the secondary profession is probably more fruitful, as some secondary skills enable some powerful combos. For example, with W/Mo you can use Healing Breeze to self-heal, or maintain two Mendings! (Note: the Mending article specifically addresses the usefulness of mending on targets that are usually singled out by computer mobs). W/E can reduce damage with Ward Against Melee and Eruption. W/R can maintain a pet. W/Me can use Distortion and Illusion of Weakness. W/N can summon minions to draw damage. The possibilities are nearly endless. So much of your skill bar draws on adrenaline, you wind up with plenty of energy to spare.

However, this approach can be easily countered. It is vulnerable to spells that slow your attacks to 50% normal speed, like Faintheartedness, because adrenaline gain is effectively back to normal rate. Soothing Images would virtually render you useless, and coupled with Ethereal Burden or Hamstring would make you nearly harmless. In these situations, focus on your energy-bases skills and target the character squelching your adrenaline. Another simple but easily-overlooked counter would be any attack that knocks you out of your stance, like Wild Blow.

Acquisition

 * Snake Dance: Smukk Foombool
 * Talus Chute: Krogg Shmush