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Discover how to create the best Mage build for Dragon Age the Veilguard, including faction, skills, companions, level progression, and more!
The fourth installment of Bioware’s hit series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, features deep character customization and build options. Players can earn skill points from level 1 to 50, and select active, passive, traits, and ultimate abilities. Your protagonist, “Rook,” can bring two party members (companions) in exploration and combat, each with their own skills and equipment.
This guide will walk you through the best Mage build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and explain critical choices: factions, specialization, companies, skills, and more.
Note: This guide is a work in progress and will be updated frequently as we level it to 50.
Everything About the Mage Build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
In Dragon Age: the Veilguard, the Mage class is a versatile ranged caster who can not only inflict damage but uses support spells for buffs, debuffs, crowd control, and more. With the Mage class, when you start leveling you will likely equip traditional weapons such as staves and scepters. Moreover, in The Veilguard, the Mage class will now have the ability to swap weapons, opening up a whole range of combat opportunities and playstyles.
Additionally, as you advance your character and level up, you can specialize in unique subclasses such as the Spellblade. This class specialization uses an elemental orb for spellcasting and a dagger for melee, close-quarters combat. The strength of this combination is that it allows the Mage to adapt during combat in real-time. Switching weapons or spells as needed, depending on the number of enemies or the weakness of the boss.
However, this complexity of gameplay could be frustrating for some players. A Mage will have to be mobile, constantly on the move. Also, having a normally physically weaker class dart in for dagger strikes can be risky because your suriviability is lower. If you mistime your hit and get caught with a heavy blow, it could be a quick game over.
| Mage Build Pros | Mage Build Cons |
|---|---|
| Range | Movement |
| Area Damage | Combo Dependent |
| Debuffs | Surviability |
Features and Mechanics for the Build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
The following list presents all the essential Mage Build Features and Mechanics in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Faction: Shadow Dragons
- Race: Elf
- Active Skills
- Ability 1: Chain Lightning
- Ability 2: Dark Squall
- Ability 3: Void Blade (Flex Frost Nova)
- Ultimate: Thunderous End (Flex Destructive Light)
- Trait: Mortal Concentration
- Specialization: Spellblade
- Best Companions: Harding and Davrin
- Runes: work in progress
Best Faction
The best faction for a Mage build is Shadow Dragons because the Resourceful bonus grants you faster resource generation. This is a useful bonus for any class but is especially vital for high DPS Mages. The more Mana you can create, the more often you can use your strongest abilities.
A secondary choice is The Mourn Watch, because of the Acute Afflictions bonus that allows you to apply an additional affliction stack on targets. A mage build can especially benefit from this by using various elemental spells that can inflict Burning or Chilled. Additionally, various abilities can also inflict Overwhelmed and Weakened, which can then be detonated by companions.
Below are all the bonuses for the Shadow Dragons and Mourn Watch factions in Dragon Age the Veilguard:
| Shadow Dragon Bonuses | The Mourn Watch Bonuses |
|---|---|
| Light in the Dark: gain reputation with the Shadow Dragons more quickly | Recognized Name: Gain reputation with the Mourn Watchers more quickly |
| Never to Rise: deal increased damage vs. Venatori | Return to the Grave: Deal increased damage vs. Undead and Demons |
| Resourceful: your class-specific resource regenerates slightly faster | Acute Afflictions: You can apply an additional affliction stack on targets |
In Dragon Age: The Veilgaurd, factions are organizations that give you three bonuses in character creation, as well as reputation when you ally with them as part of the larger conflict. There are six factions to choose from, and this choice cannot be changed after you have made your character. Additionally, faction reputation is used in the faction-specific stores to buy weapons and armor. Ultimately, players should select the faction of their choice based on story narrative vs. a small bonus in combat.
Best Race
The best race for the Mage build is Elf (Elves) because of their naturally strong connection to the Fade. The Elven people in the current Dragon Age games are descended from a formally powerful civilization that had once contained magical wonders beyond imaging. Even so many years since it’s destruction, the lineage of the Elves still makes them formidable Mages.
Your best secondary choice for race is Humans. Humans are the most versatile race in Thedas, capable of being powerful warriors, cunning rogues, or adept mages.
In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, your choice of race will be mostly based on your roleplay choices, as well as what you like the look of best. In The Veilguard, there are no stat bonuses connected to the individual races. Therefore, your race choice largely influences the story, dialogue choices, and how the world responds to you.
Finally, the one exception to the rule of ‘any race, any class’ in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the Dwarven race. If you wish to play as a Dwarf, you cannot choose the Mage class. This is due to the lore and history of the Dwarven race, where they cannot dream and lack any magical ability.
Best Skills and Abilities
The best Mage skills in Dragon Age: The Veilguard are Chain Lightning, Dark Squall, and Void Blade.
Chain Lightning is a ranged cast of a single bolt of lightning that will split as it charges forward to hit two enemy targets. Additionally, this ability will apply the Overwhelmed status effect to both targets. This affliction can then be detonated by Harding using her Heavy Draw ability. Or by Lucanis using his Eviscerate ability, which will do even more damage if the target is below half their health.
Dark Squall is another projectile spell that you can use as a crowd control skill. When it hits, it will knock back your enemy, and it is a great way to get an attacking enemy away from you. It does not have a Mana cost but has a long cooldown of 60 seconds. Therefore, you’ll need to make strategic choices about when to use it.
Finally, Void Blade is one of the class specialization skills available to Spellblades. This is a fantastic gap closer that will allow you to dart in with your dagger for a hard strike. However, make sure to wait until Harding has used her Shred ability first, which applies to Sundered. Strike immediately afterward, and Void Blade will detonate the status effect.
Below are the recommended skills, abilities, ultimate, and trait for the Mage build in Dragon Age the Veilguard:
- Abilities
- Skill 1: Chain Lightning
- Skill 2: Dark Squall
- Skill 3: Void Blade
- Ultimate: Thunderous End
- Trait: Mortal Concentration
Best Specialization
The best specialization for the Mage build is Spellblade because of its versatility, with a powerful mix of ranged spellcasting and close-quarters melee. Consequently, you can switch between the two as needed, depending on the type or number of enemies you are facing. A Spellblade build works best when focused on lightning spells to create a powerful storm sorcerer. Moreover, you will dual-wield an orb weapon for ranged spellcasting and an off-hand dagger for critical strikes. A secondary specialization choice is the Evoker, which has less damage but offers great crowd control options that can stop enemies in their tracks.
The Spellblades’s Unique ability and ultimate:
- Void Blade: A strike blast ability that helps you to dash forward and slash enemies dealing electric damage and detonating Sundered.
- Thunderous End: You summon an avatar of the storm to fly out and explode in a large area dealing electric damage and applying two stacks of Shocked to enemies.
Starting at level 20, players can select one of three specializations from their class honeycomb skill tree. Specializations are similar to “subclasses,” adding one ability, one ultimate, and a variety of other passives to your build and character. Your specialization choice will be vital because it determines your character’s overall gameplay in combat. However, you can participate in the character screen at any time to redo your skills and specializations.
Level Progression
The premise of our leveling progression section for the Mage build is to give you a step-by-step leveling guide, which skills to take, and why. However, this section is complex and requires many hours of gameplay. Therefore, this section will be a work in progress and will be updated as we advance more in the game.
In Dragon Age, the Veilguard, level progressions are gained through experience points (EXP) earned through different activities such as completing quests and defeating enemies. At certain levels of EXP, you reach a higher level, rewarding you with a skill point. The max level is 50, with 50 skill points to spend. The skill tree (honeycomb) comes in two main sections: Core class tree and specialization.
Each skill point can be spent on a variety of skills (abilities):
- Diamond Nodes: Active abilities, which you can slot three at a time
- Hexagonal: traits or passives. Traits require a button combination to execute an additional ability, while passives give you a passive bonus.
- Circular Nodes: these are minor passives like small stat points.
Therefore, each build can equip three active skills, one trait skill, and one ultimate.
Below, we have outlined our selections of skills at various levels to ensure you select the proper build. Remember that skills can be respec at anytime, so experiment if our suggestion doesn’t make sense to you and refer back to this guide at any time.
Levels 1 – 10
Work in progress will update soon.
Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 1 to 10 with the Best Mage Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Level 1:
- Level 2:
- Level 3:
- Level 4:
- Level 5:
- Level 6:
- Level 7:
- Level 8:
- Level 9:
- Level 10:
Levels 11 – 20
Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 11 to 20 with the Best Mage Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Level 11:
- Level 12:
- Level 13:
- Level 14:
- Level 15:
- Level 16:
- Level 17:
- Level 18:
- Level 19:
- Level 20:
Levels 21 – 30
Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 21 to 30 with the Best Mage Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Level 21:
- Level 22:
- Level 23:
- Level 24:
- Level 25:
- Level 26:
- Level 27:
- Level 28:
- Level 29:
- Level 30:
Levels 31 – 40
Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 31 to 40 with the Best Mage Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Level 31:
- Level 32:
- Level 33:
- Level 34:
- Level 35:
- Level 36:
- Level 37:
- Level 38:
- Level 39:
- Level 40:
Levels 41 – 50
Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 41 to 50 with the Best Mage Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Level 41:
- Level 42:
- Level 43:
- Level 44:
- Level 45:
- Level 46:
- Level 47:
- Level 48:
- Level 49:
- Level 50:
Best Companions
The best companions for a Mage build are Harding and Davrin because of their ability to combo sundered and overwhelm. Davrin can play defense for your whole party by using the skill Battle Cry to taunt enemies and keep pressure off of you. Additionally, his skill ‘In War, Victory’ can provide Rook a temporary invincibility buff to keep you alive. A more damage-focused tank would be Taash, though it would have lower survivability.
On the other hand, Harding companion can deal a lot of stagger with her abilities and also has a damage buff ability. She’s critical for your combos, and can detonate your overwhelm infliction and apply sundered. A secondary choice is Lucanis, an Antivan Crow Rogue who can also detonate the Overwhelmed status effect.
Companion 1: Harding
- Active Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Adrenaline Rush
- Flex: Seismic Shot
- Ability 2: Heavy Draw
- Ability 3: Shred
- Ability 1: Adrenaline Rush
- Primer Ability: Shred (Sundered)
- Detonator Ability: Heavy Draw (Overwhelmed)
Companion 2: Davrin
- Active Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Battle Cry (Taunt)
- Ability 2: Death From Above
- Ability 3: Heroic Strike
- Flex: In War, Victory
- Primer Ability: Heroic Strike (Overwhelm)
- Detonator Ability: Death From Above (Weakened)
Best Equipment, Items, Weapons
The section is a work in progress during the release week of the game.
Beginner: Starting the Game
| Gear Slot | Best Item | Best Stats | Best Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Hand | |||
| Off-Hand | |||
| Alternate Weapon | |||
| Helmet | |||
| Belt | |||
| Amulet | |||
| Ring 1 | |||
| Ring 2 |
Advanced: Endgame
| Gear Slot | Best Item | Best Stats | Best Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Hand | |||
| Off-Hand | |||
| Alternate Weapon | |||
| Helmet | |||
| Belt | |||
| Amulet | |||
| Ring 1 | |||
| Ring 2 |
Best Runes
The section is a work in progress during the release week of the game.
Build Summary – Mage
Faction: Shadow Dragons
Race: Elf
Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Chain Lightning
- Ability 2: Dark Squall
- Ability 3: Void Blade
Ultimate: Thunderous End
Runes: Work in progress
Companions
- Companion 1: Harding
- Companion 2: Davrin
Beginner Equipment – Work in progress
- Weapon 1
- Weapon 2
- Helmet
- Belt
- Amulet
- Ring 1
- Ring 2
End Game Equipment
- Weapon 1
- Weapon 2
- Helmet
- Belt
- Amulet
- Ring 1
- Ring 2
FAQs About Mage Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard
Question 1: What faction should I pick for a Mage build?
Answer: You should choose the Shadow Dragons faction for a Mage build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard because of the Resourceful bonus trait. Resourceful will boost your Mana generation, which will enable you to cast your most powerful spells more often.
Question 2: Can I play a Dwarven Mage in Dragon Age The Veilguard?
Answer: No, you cannot choose the Mage class for a Dwarven character in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This is based on Dragon Age lore, where in the world of Thedas dwarves have no magical abilities whatsoever.
Question 3: Can I change my class in Dragon Age the Veilguard?
Answer: No, once you have completed the character creation process you cannot change your Rook’s class. However, you can change their class specialization (subclass) at any time by resetting your skill points.
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