Our Dragon Age Veilguard tips and tricks list all the things we wish we'd known before we started playing the game. As one of the more strategically-minded real-time combat RPGs out there, Veilguard has all sorts of little nuances and twists that aren't immediately obvious to new players or even those returning to the series (it has been a decade since the last game, after all).
With that in mind, a bunch of us at GamesRadar+ have been playing ahead in Dragon Age The Veilguard, exploring the world, learning the combat and systems at play, and comparing our experiences to find all special hints that can turn a Rook into a King. Below, we've got the top 10 tips and tricks for Dragon Age Veilguard, and everything you need to know about Thedas in 2024 before going in.
1. You can swap out your companion's three abilities - and choose them wisely!
Each Dragon Age Veilguard companion you recruit to the team has six abilities, but only three of them can be equipped at any one time - and you'll want to choose them carefully. You can't swap them out during combat, but we definitely recommend having at least one ally who can heal you. Beyond that, compare their skills to each other and your own - if you have an ally who can detonate sundered enemies, make sure you equip a sundering power to the other one!
2. Building relationships makes allies stronger - and such choices are more impactful later on
Each companion has a bond that you build through gift giving, doing missions with them, and - most importantly - making choices that they approve of. That bond effectively acts as their level; as it raises, they get ability points to improve their skills.
However, the other thing worth knowing is that later on in the game, your choices start to get even more impactful. As in, early on you can make choices that slightly please or upset them, and later on you make choices that can delight or infuriate them. We won't spoil, but it means that you'll have to start thinking about your decisions more carefully - you've got far more to lose. And if your companion gets the special Dragon Age Veilguard hardened condition... well, then things get even more complicated.
3. Complete side quests as they come up, not later on
Certain side quests can be auto-failed and cancelled by progressing to certain points in the main story - and no, you won't get a warning about when it's going to happen. That means that unless you want to miss your chance to do them, after every major story beat it's wise to go and complete the side quests that crop up, otherwise you might find yourself at a point in the narrative where that chance has been lost. Oops!
4. Swap your elemental companions around to exploit weaknesses
While regular enemies aren't so much of an issue, bosses - especially high level bosses - can be tough, and the best way to handle them is elemental attacks that exploit their weaknesses and avoid their resistances. Each companion generally has one element that infuses their attacks - ice attacks for Neve, fire attacks for Davrin, necrotic for Emmrich, and so forth. Picking your companions and your own abilities accordingly can allow players to bring down bosses way in excess of your own level.
5. Plan your skill tree in advance and refund liberally
Players can see all the skills in the skill tree ahead of them, and no matter which of the three Dragon Age Veilguard classes you chose, it's very important that you look at what's ahead and plan accordingly - particularly in terms of choosing a specialization and working towards it in time for when you hit level 20. If you choose randomly, you'll end up with a haphazard and ineffective build, but by combining skills intelligently, players can emerge with something incredibly powerful.
Likewise, players should get into the habit of frequently refunding skills, which you can do for free and at any time via the Character menu. Test out abilities, give them back, or just use them to double down on a specialization, so you can refund a few basic powers and get the more advanced ones instead. Rook should be a fluid, ever-evolving character - it's what gives you the best chance.
6. Check all the merchants for special items that give unique buffs
All the major Dragon Age Veilguard Factions have their respective merchants, who gain further stock as you level them up, but there are also unaligned merchants with some very interesting stock. Dock Town in particular is rife with such characters, who sell various gear and consumables - and even fruit that can grant permanent buffs to the player's stats. If you see any kind of storekeeper on your journey, no matter how unassuming, check what's on sale - it might save your life.
7. Locked ladders don't require a key - just an arrow
This is tutorialized later, but exploring heroes will encounter these far before. As you go through different regions of Thedas, you'll see high ledges with ladders above, collapsed and held shut by chains with padlocks on them. Despite the padlocks, it's not a key you need to open them - just shoot an arrow into the lock itself and it'll shatter the restraints, causing the ladder to fall and allowing you to climb up to the ledge itself.
8. Learn the attack patterns of Ogres - they'll come up a lot
Ogres - large brutes with horns and oversized jawlines - are an enemy type that don't seem particularly distinct at first, but understanding them is essential. Ogre variants turn out to be a very common boss type - especially if you're doing optional bosses - so knowing their attack patterns well can really make a difference in how you proceed and deal with them.
9. Return to the Lighthouse frequently for chats and upgrades
The Lighthouse that serves as the team hub area and treehouse club might not seem like a big deal early on, but it's essential that you make a habit of dropping back there regularly, even if you're not told to. Certain character dialogue will appear that are time sensitive (meaning you'll miss your chance if you're not fast) as well as new character quests, and upgraded options at the Caretaker's Workshop as a consequence of finding the special Mementos throughout the game - in fact this is one of the ways you can upgrade weapons in Dragon Age Veilguard. Make sure you glance at the map for any important markers so you don’t miss out!
10. When in doubt, let your allies do the hard work
One surprisingly effective method when you're in trouble is to go full defence - don't bother doing anything except dodge, parry and heal, while your allies do the work. Allies like Davrin and Taash work well as tanks, but the basic idea is that with two friends to direct, it's perfectly valid to hang back in combat encounters and only engage at range, or just having friends target an enemy while you hunt for healing potions. It's a hard habit to break - most of us play at least a little proactively in action-RPGs - but in extreme cases, it's good to rely on your friends to do the heavy lifting, or at least buy you time until you're ready to engage again.
Want to know how to change appearance in Dragon Age Veilguard, to give Rook a whole new face and body? There's a way to do that! Or, if you want to prepare for one of the game's first major choices, find out: Should you save or leave the mayor in Dragon Age Veilguard?
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