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Discover how to create the best Harding 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 Harding builds in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and explain critical choices: factions, specialization, companions, skills, and more.
Everything About Harding Companion Build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Lace Harding is a dwarven scout with a positive outlook. You might remember her from the previous title, Inquisition and now she is one of the companions in the latest installment. However, unlike other companions who belong to a certain faction, she has no associated faction. She is from Ferelden and fiercely protective of her friends and family. Despite having the look of a simple girl, she always keeps her bow ready.
Harding is primarily a Rogue with a specialization in the Veil Ranger. Her abilities include the bow, which deals a lot of damage from a distance. In addition to her potential abilities, she also has the healing ability to heal Rook. Moreover, she can also apply buff to allies to deal enhanced damage for a short period. Lastly, according to her description, she also can cast magic which becomes available later in the main story.
Since Harding is a Ranged Rogue with the potential to deal Physical Damage and provide health and buffs to allies, it makes her a great support character in your party.
| Harding Build Pros | Harding Build Cons |
|---|---|
| Range Support | Lower Base Damage |
| Healing and Buff Support for Rook | Lower Stagger Rate than DPS Companions |
| Can apply Bleeding Effect | Slower Pace |
Features and Mechanics for the Harding Build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Creating a companion build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard can aid you greatly in intense fights and turn the tides of the fight in your favor. Choosing a better skill set for active abilities and equipment is necessary for the companion to synergize the combos with Rook. Fortunately, it is less stressful than creating Rook’s build as you don’t have to be much concerned about which Faction and Race to choose for your companion because they are already set and cannot be changed.
The main things that you need to keep in mind are the best active skills and abilities for priming and detonating, along with Rook’s skills and equipment for best base damage. Before we discuss the class-specific Harding builds and what skills you have to set, let’s go over a basic overview of Harding Companion.
Harding’s Faction
Harding is the only companion in the game who does not belong to any faction. She is from the Inquisition which you cannot select for Rook in the game. However, the only faction that becomes close to her overall specialization is Veil Jumpers. Bellara is from the Veil Jumpers faction and is also a Rogue. If you select the Veil Jumpers faction, you will get bonus traits providing you with more damage output against Fade-touched. Moreover, it allows you to deal more critical and weak point damage to enemies.
However, if you are considering a Range or Melee DPS-focused build for your character, then the Grey Wardens faction would be best for you. You will get bonus traits that will provide you with more damage output against darkspawn and increase overall survivability. Furthermore, you can also have the Lords of Fortune faction, another great one for Melee DPS builds. In short, you can almost work with any faction background while creating a Harding build.
Harding’s Race
Harding is the only Dwarf Race companion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Dwarves have been known for their martial strength and technological advancements and have fought against the darkspawn for generations. Although Dwarves cannot wield magic, Harding is a unique companion who quickly learns magic in the main storyline.
Best Skills and Abilities for Harding
The best skills for Harding are Heavy Draw, Shred, and Soothing Potion. Heavy Draw is a powerful shot that triggers the overwhelmed status effect. Moreover, you can upgrade this skill further to increase the detonate damage, making it a great combo for any build. Shred is another combo ability that applies the Sundered status effect. You can immediately combine this with another companion, Neve, for a powerful companion skill combo at the beginning of the game. Soothing Potion is your companion healing skill with a lower cooldown. Not only does this skill heal immediately, but over time as well, it can be upgraded to heal Rook to full.
Here is a list of all Harding’s skills and abilities and their effects:
- Seismic Shot: Harding lets loose a powerful bow shot that creates a midair shockwave, concussing enemies caught in the blast. It deals a high amount of Stagger and 505 physical damage with a cooldown of 24 seconds.
- Heavy Draw: Harding draws her bowstring back as far as it can go to unleash a devastating shot that deals 360 physical damage and detonates the Overwhelmed status effect with a 38-second cooldown.
- Shred: Dealing 217 physical damage with a high Stagger on hit and applying the Sundered status effect on an enemy with a cooldown of 36 seconds.
- Adrenaline Rush: Harding gives a rousing shout that grants the Enhanced Damage effect to Rook. It has a base cooldown of 24 seconds.
- Soothing Potion: Harding tosses a restorative tincture to Rook that grants the Rejuvenation effect. It heals Rook instantly for 600 health points and has a base cooldown of 38 seconds.
Level Progression for Harding Companion Build
The premise of our leveling progression section for the Harding build is to give you a step-by-step leveling guide, which skills to take, and why.
In Dragon Age, the Veilguard, level progressions are gained through experience points (EXP) through different activities such as completing quests and defeating enemies. Harding will advance to the next level upon crossing the threshold of EXP of a level, granting her two Skill Points per Level Up. The max level for Harding and all other companions is Level 10 which will grant 20 Skill Points in total for a companion. Meaning you cannot unlock all skills and abilities for Harding in the skill tree, but you do have the freedom to respec. 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
- Smaller Circular Nodes: These are minor passives like small stat points.
- Larger Circular Nodes: These are the ability upgrades corresponding to a branch of the active ability.
Therefore, each build if Harding can equip three active skills with various passives and upgrades.
Levels 1 – 10 Progression for Harding
Here’s a list of skills, passives, and upgrades to select with the Best Harding Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard:
- Level 1: Seismic Shot and Soothing Potion abilities become available by default.
- Level 2: Shred and Adrenaline Rush abilities become available by default.
- Level 3: Unlock Heavy Draw ability and Razor Point passive (Shred). Razor Point passive deals 50% more damage to the enemy’s armor.
- Level 4: Unlock Blunt Force passive (Heavy Draw) and Keen Eye passive (Shred). Blunt Force deals +50% Stagger, Keen Eye grants Precision when Shred hits an enemy.
- Level 5: Unlock Rapid Fire and Valos Atredum passives (Heavy Draw). Rapid Fire reduces cooldown by 20% for Heavy Draw, and Valos Atredum increases damage by 20% for Heavy Draw.
- Level 6: Unlock Sparkshot ability upgrade (Heavy Draw) and Sharper Edge ability upgrade (Shred). Sparkshot increases detonation damage by 25%, Sharper Edge increases the Sundered effect by 10%.
- Level 7: Unlock Overpower and Fault Line ability upgrades (Heavy Draw). Overpower makes the Overwhelmed effect permanent, Fault Line increases the Overwhelmed effect applied by Overpower by 20%.
- Level 8: Unlock Spontaneous Shred and Critical Damage Passives (Shred). Spontaneous Shred executes the Shred ability automatically during combat, Critical Damage passive increases the critical hit on an enemy by 25%.
- Level 9: Unlock Shrapnel ability upgrade (Shred) and get Greater Comfort passive (Soothing Potion). Shrapnel sends Titan Stone projectiles in every direction on a critical hit, Greater Comfort increases the healing duration by 25%.
- Level 10: Unlock Touch of the Elfroot passive and Potent Balm ability upgrade (Soothing Potion). Touch of the Elfroot increases the healing effect by 25%, Potent Balm increases the healing at first instance by 150%.
Harding Abilities & Gear
With the above-level progression, you can equip yourself with the following abilities and gear for Harding.
- Active Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Shred
- Ability 2: Heavy Draw
- Ability 3: Soothing Potion
- Main Hand Weapon: My Regards
- Armor: Scout Comparison
- Keepsake: Secrets and Memories
- Trinket: Dwarven Key
- Primer Ability: Shred (for applying Sundered)
- Detonator Ability: Heavy Draw (for detonating Overwhelmed)
Best Companion Alongside Harding
Neve is the best companion alongside Harding. It is because Neve synergizes greatly with Harding due to her Icebreaker ability that detonates the Sundered effect applied by Harding’s Shred ability. Moreover, she can slow down time for everyone around with her Time Slow ability. Last but not least, she also has a healing ability, Replenish which heals Rook instantly.
Companion 2: Neve Gallus
- Active Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Icebreaker
- Ability 2: Time Slow
- Ability 3: Glacial Pace
- Main Hand Weapon: Wand
- Primer Ability: Glacial Pace (for applying Weakened)
- Detonator Ability: Icebreaker (for detonating Sundered)
How to Play Harding Companion With All Main Classes
Utilizing Harding’s potential with all main classes will require you to equip the best priming and detonating abilities corresponding to your class. As Harding can detonate the Overwhelmed effect, it is best that your main class or a second companion have a priming ability for the Overwhelmed effect. Moreover, with Harding in your group, you can use her Adrenaline Rush to buff your class’s abilities for enhanced damage. Last but not least, Harding can provide you with instant health with her Soothing Potion ability, which is great for survival.
We have listed the abilities you can use for maximum potential damage for each main class. Moreover, we have also mentioned the second-best companion that you can use for priming and detonating combos for each class.
Harding Companion With Rook Warrior Class
Warrior is the best class that can pair with Harding as it completes the overall combat composition of your party. However, it is still necessary that you pick the potential abilities and an ultimate for your Warrior class build that synergize best with Harding and the second companion. Here is a list of skills and abilities that you should activate for Warrior Class with Harding.
- Abilities & Skills
- Ability 1: Titan Stomp
- Ability 2: Fury of the Forge
- Ability 3: Ground Breaker or Blight Bane
- Ultimate: Flashing Fists
- Primer Ability: Titan Stomp (for applying Overwhelmed)
- Detonator Ability: Ground Breaker or Blight Bane (for detonating Weakened)
Titan Stomp is an efficient ability that pairs with Harding’s Heavy Draw ability. Using the Titan Stomp will apply the Overwhelmed status effect on an enemy and then ordering Harding to use Heavy Draw ability on the same enemy will detonate the effect. Fury of the Forge is a standalone ability for applying the Burning effect on enemies and it works greatly both in close and range quarters. Lastly, the Ground Breaker or Blight Bane are two excellent choices from which you can equip any.
Ground Breaker is an early ability that you get and the Blight Bane is from the Champion specialization that you get after Level 20. Both of these detonates the Weakened effect which pairs greatly with Neve’s Glacial Pace (ability).
Second Companion Alongside Harding With Rook Warrior Class
Neve is the perfect companion that suits with Harding while playing the Warrior Class for Rook. She synergizes perfectly with both Harding’s active abilities and Warrior’s abilities which we mentioned above. Moreover, here is a list of active abilities for Neve that you should equip.
- Active Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Icebreaker
- Ability 2: Time Slow
- Ability 3: Glacial Pace
- Primer Ability: Glacial Pace (for applying Weakened)
- Detonator Ability: Icebreaker (for detonating Sundered)
Neve’s Icebreaker ability will detonate the Sundered effect after applying it with Harding’s Shred ability. Time Slow will support you overall in dealing potential damage to enemies while they are slowed. Glacial Pace ability will apply the Weakened effect which you can detonate with Warrior’s Ground Breaking or Blight Bane ability.
Harding Companion With Rook Rogue Class
If you are playing the Rogue Class and want to bring Harding along on your journey, then you should activate the following abilities.
- Abilities and Skills
- Ability 1: Static Strikes
- Ability 2: Explosive Trap
- Ability 3: Lightning Flask
- Ultimate: Concussive Barrage
- Primer Ability: Static Strikes (for applying the Weakened effect)
- Detonator Ability: Explosive Trap (for detonating the Overwhelmed effect)
For this set of abilities, Davrin is the best companion that you can pair up with Harding. Static Strikes will apply the Weakened effect on an enemy which you can detonate with Davrin’s Death from Above ability. The Explosive Trap ability detonates the Overwhelmed effect which you can apply by using Davrin’s Heroic Strike ability. Moreover, you can also use Harding to detonate the Overwhelmed effect by using her Heavy Draw ability which deals more damage. Lastly, the Lightning Flask will be your crowd control ability to deal a great amount of damage to multiple enemies.
Second Companion Alongside Harding With Rook Rogue Class
As mentioned above, Davrin will be the best companion alongside Harding while playing the Rogue class. Here is the list of abilities you should equip for Davrin.
- Active Skills & Abilities
- Ability 1: Death from Above
- Ability 2: Heroic Strike
- Ability 3: Assan Strike or In War, Victory
- Primer Ability: Heroic Strike (for applying the Overwhelmed effect)
- Detonator Ability: Death from Above (for detonating the Weakened effect)
Use the Heroic Strike to apply the Overwhelmed effect on an enemy and use Harding’s Heavy Draw to detonate the effect. If her ability is not ready yet, utilize Rogue’s Explosive Trap ability to detonate the effect. Activate Rogue’s Static Strikes ability to apply the Weakened effect and then use Davrin’s Death from Above to detonate the effect. Lastly, you can use the Assan Strike for additional fire damage on enemies, or you can use the In War, Victory to distract the enemies. Distracting the enemies will give you an edge to approach them from behind and land a surprise attack.
Harding Companion With Rook Mage Class
If you are playing the Mage Class and wish to bring Harding along your adventures, then you should activate the following abilities.
- Active Skills & Abilities
- Ability 1: Ice Blast
- Ability 2: Storm Surge
- Ability 3: Meteor
- Ultimate: Destructive Light
- Primer Ability: Ice Blast (for applying the Weakened effect), Storm Surge (for applying the Overwhelmed effect)
- Detonator Ability: Meteor (for detonating the Sundered effect)
The Storm Surge ability pairs well with Harding as you can use it to apply the Overwhelmed effect and then use Harding’s Heavy Draw to detonate it. You can use Ice Blast to apply the Weakened effect which you can detonate using Davrin’s Death from Above ability. Lastly, the Meteor ability can detonate the Sundered effect on an enemy which you can apply using Harding’s Shred ability.
Second Companion Alongside Harding With Rook Mage Class
Similar to the Rogue composition of companions, you can bring along Davrin in the Mage class. He can assist you in combat by fighting enemies in close quarters and distracting them. Moreover, he synergizes well with Harding and Mage’s abilities we mentioned above. Here is a list of active abilities, you need to equip for Davrin while playing Mage class.
- Active Skills & Abilities
- Ability 1: Death from Above
- Ability 2: Heroic Strike
- Ability 3: Assan Strike or In War, Victory
- Primer Ability: Heroic Strike (for applying the Overwhelmed effect)
- Detonator Ability: Death from Above (for detonating the Weakened effect)
Use the Heroic Strike to apply the Overwhelmed effect on an enemy and use Harding’s Heavy Draw to detonate the effect. If Davrin’s Heroic Strike is not ready yet, use Mage’s Storm Surge to apply the effect and detonate it using Harding’s ability. Activate Mage’s Ice Blast ability to apply the Weakened effect and then use Davrin’s Death from Above to detonate the effect. Lastly, you can use the Assan Strike for additional fire damage on enemies, or you can use the In War, Victory to distract the enemies. Distracting the enemies will give you an edge to approach them from behind and land a surprise attack.
Best Equipment, Items, Weapons for Harding
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 Weapon | Bow (My Regards) | 139+ Physical Damage, 63+ Stagger | +300% damage against staggered enemies, +25% Staggered duration. |
| Armor | Scout Comparison | +51% Bonus Ability Damage | Detonations have a +50% Penetration, Detonations grants +25% Penetration for 10 seconds to the whole party. |
| Keepsake | Secrets and Memories | – | Has a 10% chance to gain back a potion upon using, +1 maximum number of potions. |
| Trinket | Dwarven Key | 18% health increase | +20% critical damage, Critical Hits on Bleeding enemies add 1 additional bleeding stack on them. |
Advanced: Endgame
| Gear Slot | Best Item | Best Stats | Best Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Hand Weapon | – | – | – |
| Armor | – | – | – |
| Keepsake | – | – | – |
| Trinket | – | – | – |
NOTE: The Advance Gear Set for Harding companion build is a work in progress.
Build Summary – Harding Companion
Faction: Inquisition
Race: Dwarf
Harding Skills and Abilities
- Ability 1: Shred
- Ability 2: Heavy Draw
- Ability 3: Soothing Potion
Beginner Equipment for Harding
- Main Hand Weapon: Bow (My Regards)
- Armor: Scout Comparison
- Keepsake: Secrets and Memories
- Trinket: Dwarven Key
End Game Equipment for Harding
- Main Hand Weapon: (Work in Progress)
- Armor: (Work in Progress)
- Keepsake: (Work in Progress)
- Trinket: (Work in Progress)
FAQs About Harding Companion Build in Dragon Age The Veilguard
Question 1: What faction should I pick for Harding Companion build?
Answer: Grey Wardens and Lords of Fortune are the best factions to choose for Champion build due to the Bounded in Blood bonus from Grey Wardens and the Relentless bonus from Lords of Fortune.
Question 2: Does race matter in Dragon Age the Veilguard?
Answer: Race is a part of Rook’s identity as their Dragon Age class or faction, and their ancestry can affect dialogue choices in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The selection of race to play will also determine the story and how the world at large responds to you.
Question 3: Can builds be changed in Dragon Age the Veilguard?
Answer: There are certain things like appearance that you can change. However, you are unable to change the faction after picking up one and you can change the specialization but not the class.
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