Best Dragon Age: The Veilguard Warrior Build

Discover how to create the best Warrior build for Dragon Age the Veilguard, including faction, skills, companions, level progression, and more!

BioWare’s fourth installment of their hit series, Dragon Age the Veilguard, features deep character customization and build options. Players can earn skill points from level 1 to 50, selecting active, passive, traits, and ultimate abilities. Each 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 Warrior builds in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and explain critical choices: factions, specialization, companies, skills, and more.

Note: This guide is a work in progress (updated November 5, 2024) and will be updated frequently as we level it to 50.

Everything About the Warrior Build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In Dragon Age: the Veilguard, the Warrior class fulfills the role of your sturdy and durable tank character. Like other RPGs, this class has a unique taunt mechanic that forces enemies to attack you. Additionally, the Warrior has unique buffs that aid the group in combat and is a great choice for players wanting to fight at the front lines in combat. Furthermore, BioWare gave you a range damage option with a shield throw. Thus, the Warrior isn’t entirely melee and uses a sword and shield, which can be swapped to a Two-Handed weapon.

The strength of the Warrior class is its high survivability, crowd control, and buffs to your party. However, you will have lower damage and a slower combat pace than the Rogue. The resource mechanic for the Warrior is the easiest to master, and it generates Rage when hit or hitting a target. Rage (like mana) fills up, and then you can use your skills. Mages and Rogues have a harder time using skills, so players need to be aware of this strength within the Warrior class.

Players should choose the Warrior if they like the prototypical melee damage dealer at the center of combat and the story in Dragon Age.

Warrior Build Pros	Warrior Build Cons
High Survivability	Lower Damage
Group Buffs	Support Focused
Crowd Control	Slower Pace

Warrior Build Features and Mechanics in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

The following list presents all the essential Warrior Build Features and Mechanics in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

• Blocking: timing the yellow halo can reward players with a perfect defensive.
• Rage: a resource for Warrior gained by doing damage, lost when taking damage.
• Shield Throw: Range throw on a short cooldown.
• Faction: Grey Wardens
• Race: Humans
• Active Skills
  • Ability 1: Spectral Bulwark
  • Ability 2: Bloody Advance
  • Ability 3: Titan Stomp
• Ultimate: Spirit Storm
• Specialization: Reaper
• Best Companions: Harding and Neve
• Runes
  • Regroup
  • Crystallized
  • Overflow

Blocking and Dodging

The Warrior class excels at blocking incoming attacks, rewarding you with a “perfect block.”  Players will see a yellow halo above your character, press the block button the moment the yellow becomes brightest.  This will knock back the enemy and give you passive bonuses.  One skill gives flaming weapons after a perfect defense, thus making timing critical.   Moreover, the timing mechanic is dependent on your selected difficulty.

Dodging is another way to create space and avoid incoming damage.  Unlike other RPGs and action games, Dragon Age the Veilguard doesn’t have a stamina meter.  Thus, you can infinitely spam dodge. However, there is a slight delay in dodging where you are vulnerable.  

Overall, if your timing is good, perfect blocking should be your primary defensive mechanism as a Warrior due to the passive bonuses with the perfect defense.

Rage Resource Explained

The resource used to cast abilities and skills for the Warrior is Rage, which is gained when doing or taking damage.  Rage decreases after a few seconds of not doing or taking damage, so stay aggressive. Moreover, you can increase Rage with companion skills and passives throughout various trees. 

The best way to build Rage quickly with the Warrior is to have a companion like Neve with the “Time Stop” skill.  There’s a passive that gives 50 Rage after usage, giving you an opening combo with at least 50 for one skill.

Additionally, in later levels look to increase your maximum Rage so you can use higher Rage cost skills more frequently. 

Shield Throw

The range attack option for the Warrior is Shield Throw, which is activated by pressing the Q button on the PC.  The Shield Toss can be aimed and charged depending on your specialization and skill, and even hit weak points. 

Your User Interface in the bottom middle shows a Shield Icon, which represents the ability’s cooldown.  After using Shield Throw, you won’t be able to reactivate it immediately.  However, it’s a good filler attack at range to keep Rage from diminishing and doing some damage, especially if you can aim for weak points like the head.

Stagger and Takedown

The Stagger mechanic rewards players for filling up the purple bar under enemies’ health by attacking them with light and heavy attacks. Once filled, players can execute a “take down” which is a small cut scene where you do a “kill shot” or increased damage.  Most weak enemies this will immediately destroy, and do significant damage on boss enemies.

Throughout the game, you can take skills, companion abilities, gear, and runes to increase Stagger.  This is helpful if you intend to exploit stagger and takedowns for your build.

Best Faction

The best faction for a Warrior build is the Grey Wardens because of the Vigilant Training passive, increasing base defense and health. Additionally, the Grey Wardens gain increased damage vs. darkspawn and fit the narrative of a heroic warrior battling monsters. A secondary choice is the Lords of Fortune because their Relentless bonus increases takedowns (stuns). The Lords of Fortune factions are adventurous treasure hunters and fit a character’s background who loves exploration and loot.

Below are all the bonuses for the Grey Wardens and Lords of Fortune factions in Dragon Age the Veilguard:

Grey Wardens Bonuses	Lords of Fortune Bonuses
Bonded in Blood: Gain reputation with the Grey Wardens more quickly	Together in Glory: Gain reputation with the Lords of Fortune more quickly
Blight Killer: Deal increased damage vs. darkspawn	Healthy Competition: Deal increased damage vs. mercenaries
Vigilant Training: Base defense and health are slightly increased	Relentless: Perform takedowns on enemies with slightly less effort

In Dragon Age: The Veilgaurd, factions give you three bonuses in character creation and reputation when you ally with them as part of the more significant conflict. There are six factions to choose from, and this choice cannot be changed once made. 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 Warrior build is humans because of their widespread population, political dominance, and history in Thedas. Humans are traditionally Warriors and Mages in the series and fit nicely with the Grey Warden’s faction choice, providing a solid RPG character foundation. The second choice would be the Qunari, who look physically daunting and are skilled in martial arts. Qunari are a race governed by the Qun code, dedicating their lives to discipline.

Your race choice largely influences the story, dialogue choices, and how the world responds to you. There are four playable races in Dragon Age: The Veilguard: Elf, Qunari, Human, and Dwarf. Each of these races has a rich history and lore within Thedas. Your race choice largely influences the story, dialogue choices, and how the world responds to you. Furthermore, you will not receive a combat bonus or passive for a given race. Your race selection is purely cosmetic and narrative, so feel free to deviate from our recommendation.

Best Skills and Abilities

The best skills for a Warrior are Spectral Bulwark, Bloody Advance, and Reaper.

Reaper is a skill that can detonate weakened people, but it also debuffs the enemy with siphon. This heals while doing damage, giving you incredible survivability. However, the skill requires two Rage and is difficult to aim and sometimes miss. The best combo with Reaper is to use Time Stop with the passive from your companions that gives you 50 Rage immediately. Then, you can debuff with another companion to trigger a detonation immediately in combat.

The Bloody Advance skills your ranged one Rage cost that applies Sundered. This skill doesn’t do much damage up front, but with passives can trigger necrosis and bleeding. Therefore, you will see enemies’ health melt and also trigger explosions with your companions.

Titan Stomp is your main combo skill when applying Overwhelm in an AOE on a 60-second cooldown. The companion Harding’s skill, Heavy Draw, will trigger an explosion and is a deadly AOE combo, especially once her skills are upgraded. Another option is Blight Bane, a champion specialization-specific skill that Detonates Weekend. This costs two Rage and does enormous damage in a large area.

Below are the recommended skills, abilities, ultimate, and traits for Warrior build in Dragon Age the Veilguard:

• Abilities
  • Skill 1: Spectral Bulwark
  • Skill 2: Bloody Advance
  • Skill 3: Titan Stomp
    • Flex: Driving Kick
• Ultimate: Spirit Storm
  • Flex: Deadly Ground

Rotation and Combat Combo

The best combination is using Titan Stomp to apply Overwhelmed, then Harding’s skill Heavy Draw to Detonate Overwhelmed, and Neve’s skill time stop to increase damage and increase your Rage.

Titan Stomp will AOE damage and combo with Detonate to stun enemies. Once Neve applies her Time Stop with the passive Time Slow, you will instantly gain 50 Rage. You then use Fury of the Forge for powerful damage over time on an enemy that is stunned now with three stacks of burning. You will continue to build up rage as you hit the target when you can recast Fury of the Forge to maintain fire DOT damage or swap targets.

Remember that all companion skills go on cooldown upon use, so make sure to start off the fight using this combination. You can also pre-buff with Spectral Bulwark for extra defense.

Best Specialization

The Reaper is the best specialization for the Warrior build because it gains defensive passives while obtaining damage ability and ultimate. The Champion passives increase fire damage, give area damage fire effect, and increase burning status effect. Therefore, you gain much more damage, aoe, and damage over time while retaining all the strength of the Warrior’s class.

If you’re not a fan of the Necrotic theme of Reaper, then the Champion is also strong. However, when you face fire based enemies as a Chamption, you will struggle to do damage with your fire based abilities. Additionally, you have the powerful shield throw which is amazing in boss fights when you can’t be close. Finally, the Slayer specialization is good only at level 40 and above, with one passive giving you health when using rage.

The Reapers’s unique ability and ultimate:

• Spirit Storm (Ultimate)- Creates a whirlwind of Necrotic energy in front of you. It deals Necrotic damage and applies the siphon effect which is a damage over time that restores your health.
• Reaper (Ability)- It calls forth a scythe that slashes in front of you dealing Necrotic damage, detonating the weakened effect, and siphoned effect as well.

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 anytime to redo your skills and specializations.

Level Progression

The premise of our leveling progression section for the Warrior build is to give you a step-by-step guide on 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 and advance more in the game.

In Dragon Age, the Veilguard, level progressions are gained through experience points (EXP) through different activities such as completing quests and defeating enemies. You reach a higher level at certain levels of EXP, 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 any time, so experiment if our suggestion doesn’t make sense to you and refer back to this guide at any time.

Levels 1 – 10

The most important thing to do between levels 1-10 in Dragon Age is get an additional skill immediately. Therefore, spec into Spectral Bulwark so you have a non-rage-specific skill that can be used. Rage skills will be hard to maintain at this level until you advance. Furthermore, getting Masochism at level 10 is a huge boost to resource sustain and highly recommended.

Moreover, you main gain additional skill points depending on your exploration. However, we will assume you won’t max out 67 skill points. Therefore, take extra points if you have them.

Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 1 to 10 with the Best Warrior Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

Level	Skill	Tree	Type
1	Shield Volley	Core	Trait
2	Rancor	Core	Greater Passive
3	Spectral Bulwark	Abilities	Ability
4	Enraged	Abilities	Passive
5	Focused Retaliation	Core	Greater Passive
6	Titan Stomp	Survival	Ability
7	Improved Throw	Survival	Passive
8	Return to Sender	Survival	Trait
9	Necessary Steps	Survival	Passive
10	Masochism	Survival	Greater Passive

Skills: Spectral Bulwark, Driving Kick, Titan Stomp, and ultimate Flashing Fist

Levels 11 – 20

From levels 11 to 20, you should move toward the Reaper Specialization tree. Additionally, if you can try to save at least two skill points when you’re level 20. Then, immediately spec into Reaper, and you can unlock the skill and ultimate, which will dramatically increases your survivability.

Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 11 to 20 with the Best Warrior Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

Level	Skill	Tree	Type
11	Explosive Toss	Abilities	Trait
12	Providence	Abilities	Passive
13	Enduring Rage	Abilities	Greater Passive
14	Insidious Rot	Abilities	Passive
15	Deadly Ground	Abilities	Ability
16	Death’s Blessing	Abilities	Passive
17	Seething Pitch	Mourn Watch	Greater Passive
18	Mortal Wounds	Mourn Watch	Passive
19	Bloody Advance	Mourn Watch	Ability
20	Master Throw Reaper Spec Spirit Storm Reaper	Mourn Watch Reaper	Multiple

Skills: Spectral Bulwark, Titan Stomp, Bloody Advance, and ultimate Spirit Storm.

Levels 21 – 30

In the next ten levels you’re focused on boosting your status effect stacks, shield throw, and detonation damage. Additionally, if you don’t have extra you’ll want to save a couple of skill points so that at 30 you can unlock three very important skill points in the Reaper specialization.

Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 21 to 30 with the Best Warrior Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

Level	Skill	Tree	Type
21	Critical Power	Abilities	Greater Passive
22	Salt in the Wound	Abilities	Ability Upgrade
23	Time Management	Abilities	Ability Upgrade
24	Ricochet Shot	Mourn Watch	Passive
25	Lingering Decay	Mourn Watch	Ability Upgrade
26	Death’s Blessing	Reaper	Passive
27	Devastation	Reaper	Passive
28	Save
29	Save
30	Death’s Throw Invigorates Living Decay	Reaper	Trait Passive Greater Passive

Skills: Spectral Bulwark, Titan Stomp, Bloody Advance, and ultimate Spirit Storm.

Levels 31 – 40

Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 31 to 40 with the Best Warrior Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

Level	Skill	Tree	Type
31	Desperation	Reaper	Greater Passive
32	Improved Health	Survival	Passive
33	Depth of Fury	Survival	Passive
34	Groundbreaker	Survival	Ability
35	Third Degree	Survival	Passive
36	Pump the Primer	Survival	Greater Passive
37	Enervation	Abilities	Passive
38	Unyielding Focus	Abilities	Ability Upgrade
39	Death’s Touch	Reaper	Ability Upgrade
40	Perfect Throw	Reaper	Trait

Levels 41 – 50

Here’s a list of skills to select from levels 41 to 50 with the Best Warrior Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

Level	Skill	Tree	Type
41	Necessary Steps	Abilities	Passive
42	Double Shot	Abilities	Greater Passive
43	Staying Power	Abilities	Greater Passive
44	Arcane Defiance	Grey Warden	Passive
45	Grappling Spear	Grey Warden	Ability
46	Traumatized	Grey Warden	Passive
47	Breathing Room	Grey Warden	Greater Passive
48	Spirit of Hunger	Reaper	Greater Passive
49	Shattering Throw	Reaper	Passive
50	Let it Linger	Reaper	Greater Passive

Best Companions

The best companions for a Warrior build are Harding and Neve because of their skill combos and buffs. Harding has a passive weapon damage buff that can be activated, increasing overall damage. Moreover, she can combine many warrior skills, such as Heavy Draw and Titan Stomp. This gives you an early effective AOE combo, detonation, and retaining her ability to heal. A second choice would be Emmrich, who can snare, stagger, slow time, and apply weakened while detonating sundered.

Neve is another strong companion who can trigger sundered explosions with Harding and Time Slow. This time-slow skill can be upgraded to massively increase your damage and Rage; thus, the two pair well together. A secondary choice would be Bellara, who has similar skills and combos.

Companion 1: Harding

• Active Skills and Abilities
  • Ability 1: Heavy Draw
  • Ability 2: Shred
  • Ability 3: Replenish (heal)
    • (flex Adrenaline Rush)
• Weapon: Bow
• Primer Ability: Shred (applies Sundered)
• Detonator Ability: Heavy Draw (Overwhelmed)

Companion 2: Neve

• Active Skills and Abilities
  • Ability 1: Ice Breaker
  • Ability 2: Time Slow
  • Ability 3: Replenish (heal)
    • (flex Glacial Place)
• Weapon: Staff
• Primer Ability: Glacial Place (applies Weakened)
• Detonator Ability: Icebreaker (detonates Sundered)

Best Warrior Equipment, Items, Weapons

For your Warrior build the best gear choices are tanky for survivability and increase necrotic damage, detonation damage, and rage generation. You also want to increase or equip anything that increases shield toss, max stacks of status effects, and elemental resistance.

Item	Best Item	Best Upgrades	Properties
Main Hand	Dark Shade	Necrotic Damage	+ Necrotic Damage
Off-Hand	Fade-Touched Bulwark	N/A	Aggro on Perfect Defense
Alternate Weapon	Vigilant Defender	Stagger	Defense
Helmet	Helm of Knight and Shadows	Elemental Resistance	+ Detonation Damage
Armor	Researcher’s Coat	Life Leech	+ Ability Damage
Belt	Golden Halla Sash	N/A	Invulnerability on Potion
Amulet	Token of True Flight	+1 Max Necrosis	Rage on Throw
Ring 1	Precious Decay	Max Rage	+ Necrotic Damage
Ring 2	Bleeding Shard	Bleeding Damage	Rage Generation

Best Runes

The best Runes for the Warrior build in Dragon Age the Veilguard is Regroup because it refreshes your companion’s ability to cool down instantly. This allows you to either heal or produce multiple combos and detonations quickly. While there are other great Runes, having back-to-back healing, combos, or detonations with a short cooldown makes it the strongest.

Below are the recommended Runes for the Warrior build in DA:V:

• Overflow: increases potions by +1.
• Regroup: all companion’s cooldowns are refreshed.
• Crystallized: all enemies in 10 meters are frozen.

Build Summary – Warrior

FAQs About Warrior Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard

Question 1: What are the main strengths of the Warrior class?

Answer: The main strengths of the Warrior class are its high survivability and crowd control. The Warrior in Dragon Age, the Veilguard, also has shield throw capabilities, giving you some range damage. Moreover, the Warrior has group buffs that can aid everyone in the party, making them critical to any party combinations.

Question 2: What weapon types can Warriors use?

Answer: The Warrior uses a Sword and Shield and can bar swap to a Two-Handed weapon like a Maul or Greatsword. Two specializations, Champion and Reaper, focus on Sword and Shield gameplay. Meanwhile, the Slayer specialization emphasizes using Two-Handed weapons for all-out damage.

Question 3: Is the Warrior class good for beginners?

Answer: The Warrior is an excellent class for beginners in Dragon Age the Veilguard because of their high health, defensive, and ease of gameplay. Specifically, your resource to cast skills and abilities, Rage, is generated when hitting an enemy or being hit. Therefore, it’s the simplest of all three classes to create resources and use skills frequently.

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• Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Backgrounds (Factions) Explained
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard – All Companions and Everything We Know
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard Classes and Specializations
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard – All Playable Races