Adrenaline Shield

 is an ability available to the Heavy Assault. It is unlocked and upgraded using Certification Points.

When activated, the ability applies an absorption overshield to the user, consuming energy to absorb an equal amount of damage. The shield can receive up to 450 damage from any source, based on its energy level, or otherwise lasts up to 25 seconds.

Additionally, whenever the user is awarded a kill the overshield's energy will be recharged by the listed percentage immediately, regardless of the overshield's state (active/inactive). The amount of energy recharged upon a kill varies based on the rank of the ability.

Overshields are subject to the most of the same damage modifiers as the user, receiving additional damage if the user is hit with a headshot, and receiving reduced damage from appropriate sources if effects such as Flak Armor are in use, although will not enjoy the benefits of Nanoweave Armor.

To activate this ability, press the Use Ability hotkey ( by default).

Effects
Adrenaline Shield has a total capacity of 450 energy. Activating the overshield instantly drains 25 energy.

While the overshield is active, 18 energy is drained per second. Additionally, the user's movement speed will be slowed by 25% in all stances.

Adrenaline Shield regenerates 12.5 energy per second while idle, requiring 36 seconds to regenerate to full strength from zero, with an additional 3 second penalty incurred before recharging begins if the overshield's energy is expended while the ability is active. Upgrading Adrenaline Shield does not increase the rate at which the overshield recharges while idle.

Unlike other overshields, being awarded a kill on an enemy player will instantly recharge a portion of the Adrenaline Shield's energy pool. This effect will trigger regardless of whether or not the overshield is active.

Certification
"When activated, a rapidly decaying shield mesh surrounds the soldier and absorbs up to 450 damage; power is recharged when the operating soldier kills an enemy. This shield passively recharges to full over 36 seconds." "Killing an enemy partially recharges the Adrenaline Shield's capacitor."

Related Implants
Adrenaline Shield benefits from a wide variety of implant's effects, including some that interact specifically with overshields.
 * -|Assimilate=

Assimilate
Assimilate is an uncommon implant that immediately restores the listed amount of shielding to the user whenever they are awarded with a headshot kill. At rank 5, the effect additionally restores 10% of the user's ability energy, if applicable. Assimilate's rank 5 effect will restore 10% of 's energy, even if the ability is active. Adrenaline Shield's energy capacity is identical at all ranks, thus this implant's benefit is the same regardless of the level of the ability.


 * -|Failsafe=

Failsafe
Failsafe is a rare implant that causes the user to instantly restore the listed amount of their ability energy whenever their shields are depleted. At rank 5, the implant will deal 150 damage to any hostile who deals damage to the player using a melee weapon while the implant's standard effect is on cooldown, though this effect cannot kill. The implant's standard effect will restore the listed amount of 's energy, even if the ability is active. Adrenaline Shield's energy capacity is identical at all ranks, thus this implant's benefit is the same regardless of the level of the ability.


 * -|Mobility Mesh=

Mobility Mesh
Mobility Mesh is a Heavy Assault-specific implant that reduces the movement speed penalty suffered while an overshield is active by the listed percentage. At rank 5, the implant also increases the user's base sprint speed while an overshield is active by 10%. As imposes the same movement speed penalty on the user while active as any other overshield, it works as expected with this implant, reducing the severity of the movement speed reduction effect by up to 25%, based on the rank of the implant.


 * -|Nanomesh Specialist=

Nanomesh Specialist
Nanomesh Specialist is a Heavy Assault-specific implant that reduces the rate at which the user's overshield depletes over time by the listed amount, with increased potency if the user is stationary. At rank 5, the user's personal shield will continue its recharge cycle even if their overshield is active. With already having a relatively low energy drain per second, Nanomesh Specialist can vastly increase the duration the shield can say active, up to a potential of 125 seconds, if the user remains stationary while the overshield is active. The implant does not reduce the amount of energy lost on receiving damage. The implant's rank 5 effect works as expected with the overshield.

History

 * Game Update Number 6 (2013-04-03)
 * Addressed some UI inconsistencies with Heavy Assault's shield indicator when using Adrenaline Rush
 * May 19, 2015 Update
 * Bug Fixes
 * Typo displays in the Adrenaline Shield description
 * January 14, 2016 Update
 * Hit points reduced from 750 to 450.
 * Drain per second reduced from 50 to 18.
 * Shield points received per kill changes:
 * Rank 1 increased from 31 to 143.
 * Rank 2 increased from 46 to 160.
 * Rank 3 increased from 78 to 173.
 * Rank 4 increased from 113 to 186.
 * Rank 5 increased from 157 to 200.
 * November 18, 2016 Hotfix
 * Adrenaline Shield now uses new visuals.
 * August 23, 2018 Hotfix
 * Adrenaline Shield restores energy on kills once again.
 * April 28, 2021 Update (Containment Sites)
 * Heavy Assault shield visuals have been adjusted in first person to make them more visible.
 * March 30, 2022 Update (The Arsenal Update)
 * Reduced the energy return on kill from 31/35/38/41/44% to 15/18/21/23/25%.
 * Dev Note: Returning a couple hundred effective health after winning a firefight has more value than we were balancing against with previous numbers, the changes here reduce the effectiveness of Adrenaline Shield to make more room for alternatives.