In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, your character can choose one of three classes, each utilizing two different weapon types. There are also nine class specializations that can be aligned with the main factions of the RPG. MeinMMO summarizes everything important about classes, specializations, and weapon types for you.
When Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases on October 31, 2024, you will take on the role of Rook, whom you can customize and assign to one of three classes. Each class, in turn, has access to two different weapon types.
As you progress through your adventure, you can further specialize through the skill tree. There are supposed to be three subclasses for each of the three main classes. Below, MeinMMO summarizes everything important about classes, specializations, and weapon types.
Here is the trailer that revealed the release date of Dragon Age – The Veilguard:
The Warrior
- Weapon Type 1: Sword and Shield
- Weapon Type 2: Two-handed Weapon
Warriors steer the course of a battle, either as tanks or offensive forces.
Warrior Specializations
- Defender / Champion: A tactician who relies on sword and shield, focusing on defense. Champions often feel a bond with the Grey Wardens.
- Reaper: Drains the enemy’s life in combat. Risks their own health to gain unnatural powers. Reapers fit well with Nevarra’s Mourning Watch.
- Slayer: An offensively oriented frontline soldier who prefers to charge into battle with a powerful two-handed weapon. Often found among the Masters of Fate.
The Mage
- Weapon Type/Alignment: Staff at Range
- Weapon Type/Alignment: Staff at Short Range
Mages rain chaos and destruction upon their enemies – with spells that burn, freeze, crush, or kill with electric shocks. Whether the mages can also use different weapons in combat remains unclear at this time.
Mage Specializations
- Death Caller: A necromancer who wields advanced spirit magic. Those who have dealt with the factions already sense a connection to the Mourning Watch.
- Spellblade: A frontline mage who relies on magical melee attacks and is connected to the Crows of Antiva.
- Evoker: The typical elemental mage who uses the powers of ice, fire, and lightning. Assigned to the Shadow Dragons.
The Rogue
- Weapon Type 1: Bow
- Weapon Type 2: Two swords
Quick movements and reflexes are the hallmark of rogues.
Rogue Specializations
- Duelist: The clichéd image of the rogue, with two short blades for quick and precise strikes. Naturally belongs to the Assassins’ Guild of the Crows of Antiva.
- Saboteur: An expert in traps and explosives, who enjoys joining the Masters of Fate.
- Veil Ranger: The pure ranged fighter relying on lightning magic and the bow. The name already spoils the connection to the Veiljumpers.
Preparing for Battle
Before each battle, you can choose from a variety of abilities, which you may switch between at any time outside of combat. Additionally, you can equip up to three runes. These provide you with various advantages, such as controlling enemies or increasing your damage. During a battle, you can activate your runes alternately.
Basics of Combat
The four main actions available to all three classes are:
- Jump
- Dodge
- A light attack
- A heavy attack
Dodge is always available to Rook – even during an attack. Light attacks deal quick damage, but they only stagger enemies slowly. Heavy attacks are slower but stagger opponents faster. An opponent who is staggered becomes more vulnerable to all types of damage and can be the victim of a devastating elimination attack.
Each of these (light and heavy) attacks can be charged to deal more damage by holding down the corresponding attack button. For example, you can charge a heavy attack with a staff to unleash a wave of magical destruction. Attacks can also be executed while Rook is sprinting or jumping.
Each class has ranged attacks, blocks (and parries when timed correctly with the right weapon), and the ability to control the combat style of companions. You have access to two weapon sets each, which you can switch between in combat to access different abilities and attacks.
While heavy attacks quickly remove armor (yellow bar), ranged attacks primarily serve to remove barriers (blue bar). There is also a stagger bar (lavender bar) which fills with each hit.
If necessary, you can pause the combat using the ability wheel to strategically use the abilities of Rook and the companions. When you target enemies and open the ability wheel, you will also learn more about their immunities and weaknesses. The darkspawn, for example, are susceptible to fire damage.
Buffs, Debuffs, and Crowd Control
Through abilities, you can activate useful buffs or harmful debuffs in battle. When Davrin uses his ability “Heroic Strike”, his target receives the debuff effect “Overwhelmed”, making them easier to stagger. Some of these abilities can be cast in an area, allowing you to hit multiple targets.
Abilities consume the resources of the respective class, namely mana, momentum, and rage. You build your resource up through standard attacks as well as a second, class-specific source. Warriors gain rage by taking or dealing damage, rogues build momentum through successfully dodging and parrying, and mages passively gain mana over time.
Combos and Ultimate Abilities
In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, there are ability combinations whose synergies you can use in battle. Some spells serve as setup, while others trigger the respective combo afterward. You can plan these ability combos through the ability wheel.
Rook is the only fighter with a class-dependent “Ultimate Ability”. When you deal damage to enemies, you fill the gauge for this ability to wipe out a large part of the enemy forces in one blow.
Character Progression
Through level-ups, you unlock skill points for Rook, which you can invest in your class’s talent tree. You start in the center and can skill your character in different directions from there.
From the outer skill ring, three nodes lead to each specialization of your class. Additionally, there are three more areas where you can optimize your focus on factors such as burst damage, control, survival, weapons, or abilities.
Note that you can also choose a specialization with Rook even if you do not belong to the corresponding faction. The connection between specialization and faction is more thematic in nature. You will find out everything else about Bioware’s new RPG in our comprehensive overview Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Everything about the release, release date, collector’s edition, factions, and companions.
