Krieg’s action skill allows him to discard his weapons temporarily in favour of his iconic buzz axe, granting significant melee damage bonuses for the duration. The base action skill lasts 15 seconds with a 120-second cooldown, a ratio that seems prohibitively restrictive at first glance. With the right skills and techniques, this cooldown is effectively eliminated.
During Rampage, Krieg gains the ability to perform devastating melee strikes or throw his buzz axe at distant targets. Each melee kill restores 5% of his health, while ranged kills with thrown axes restore 12%. This health restoration becomes a crucial component of sustained Rampage strategies.
Release the beast technique
The cornerstone of infinite Rampage chains is the “Release the Beast” skill at the bottom of the Mania skill tree. This game-changing ability transforms Krieg into a Badass Psycho when Rampage is activated below 33% health. More importantly, when the transformation ends, the action skill cooldown is immediately reset, allowing another activation.
Mastering this skill requires precise health management; you must learn to navigate combat while keeping your health just above the threshold, then deliberately dropping below 33% before activating. This creates a sustainable loop: activate at low health, kill enemies to restore health, allow your health to fall again before the duration ends, and immediately reactivate.
Essential skills for rampage sustainability
Several other skills complement Release the Beast in creating the endless Rampage experience:
- Thrill of the kill – Converts excess damage from killing blows into health restoration, helping maintain survivability between Rampages.
- Feed the meat – Increases maximum health, providing a larger buffer for health management.
- Salt the wound – Accumulates stacks when taking damage with depleted shields, increasing melee damage.
- Fuel the blood – Melee kills grant increased explosive damage for thrown axes, creating versatility in your attack options.
Equipment choices for maximum effectiveness
Equipment selection dramatically impacts Rampage efficiency. The Rough Rider shield is considered essential, as it’s always counted as depleted while providing damage reduction and health bonuses. For class mods, the Sickle class mod enhances melee damage and boosts key skills like Silence the Voices. Keep a slag weapon like the Grog Nozzle or Slagga ready to amplify your melee damage when not in Rampage. For relics, a Blood of the Ancients with health and cooldown rate bonuses provides additional safety if you miss a Release the Beast window.
Advanced techniques for veteran players
The Psycho level 80 OP10 build represents the pinnacle of Krieg’s potential, focusing on maximum Rampage sustainability and damage output. At this level, players should have fully invested in the Mania tree, with strategic points in Bloodlust for explosive damage bonuses. The build capitalizes on the synergy between Release the Beast, Bloodbath, and Bloodsplosion to create devastating chain reactions that can clear entire rooms with a single melee strike.
Veteran players develop a rhythm of combat that becomes almost meditative, a continuous cycle of rampage, damage, health management, and reactivation. They learn to use environmental hazards or even self-damage from Silence the Voices to control their health percentage precisely.
Target prioritization
Sustaining endless Rampage requires more than skill selection; it demands tactical awareness. Learn to identify priority targets:
- Save weaker enemies as “health batteries” to kill when you need health restoration
- Target badass enemies at the peak of your Rampage when your damage output is highest
- Position yourself always to have escape routes if you need to retreat temporarily
- Use thrown axes for flying enemies or targets in otherwise unreachable positions
The reward is undeniable: sustaining Rampage status for nearly an indefinite period and becoming virtually unstoppable on the battlefield.
