Bioware’s latest foray into the Dragon Age universe is an action RPG with a lot more focus on the action side of things. Still, the game boasts relatively complex progression, an impressively diverse skill tree and a deep combat system.
If you want to succeed at being the Rook in Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s toughest difficulties, we have the beginner tips you need.
There is a lot of loot spread throughout DA: The Veilguard, and we mean a lot. Most maps consist of a main route leading you to your objective, with multiple branching paths of differing lengths.
The alternative paths can range from dead-ends with a chest or a few coins, to entirely optional puzzles that can get you extremely good rewards.
Progression in The Veilguard requires you to get a ton of different resources, so we recommend checking all paths you encounter as you do, since you’ll only visit some areas once, and any loot you missed is lost to time.
This is basically the second part of our first tip. The Veilguard’s minimap is excellent at showing you the two most important things you need to know: where there are treasure chests, and where there are alternate paths, even if they might not be immediately obvious.
Everything you pass by is also recorded in your map, which you can check at all times by opening its menu. Any chests you missed or weren’t accessible previously, will be highlighted on your map and you can always get back to them later.
Soon after you start playing with two party members, you’ll bump into a tutorial explaining how spell combos work. Every time you have two spells equipped between your party members that combo with each other, you’ll get a tooltip reminding you of it.
Use them as often as you can, but use them wisely. If the combo ends on a detonate, you should aim to hit as many opponents as possible. Whatever you do, just make sure to always have at least one combo available in your party.
While we’re on the topic of your combat menu, one of its most useful features is analyzing your enemy’s weaknesses and strengths. The damage difference between exploiting and enemy’s elemental weakness, or hitting him with an element that he is strong against, is massive.
If you don’t have the specific damage type that your opponent’s vulnerable to, use the strongest one you have, as long as they’re not resistant to it.
Still staying on topic, spread your damage types between you and your party to maximize your chances of being able to exploit your enemy’s weaknesses. Carry different damage types in your two equipped weapons, and use your party members to plug any other holes.
Equipment can’t be changed in combat, so having this versatility available at all times is crucial. With that being said, you can always adapt if you end up falling during a fight, by changing your loadout before heading back into the fray.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard comes with an impressive skill tree, with branching paths leading to all different directions. The amount of choices from the get go can be a bit overwhelming, but just dive into whatever seems stronger or cooler to you.
All skill points are refundable, you just need to be out of combat to do it. Experiment as much as you can and test out your hypothesis in practice as much as you want, while always having the ability to go back and pick something else entirely.
Specializations are only unlocked at level 20, and for good reason. They’re extremely powerful and considerably change the way you play Dragon Age: The Veilguard. As we’ve mentioned previously, you’re not committed to anything that you can’t back off of, but you should always be aiming towards a specialization.
If you’re exploring the maps and getting free skill points from optional challenges, you’ll reach a specialization considerably earlier than level 20, but that’s fine. Unlock it as soon as you can, and bask in the glory of your newfound power.
Alas, not everything is refundable and “free” in The Veilguard. Resources are precious, and they’re finite. You’ll get a lot more weapons than you can use, both for Rook and for your party members. Don’t go blindly upgrading and buying everything you come across.
Focus on the weapons and gear you use, and the ones your party members will (and don’t spend resources on party members you’re not playing with). It might seem like you have more than enough, but once you start upgrading shops, you’ll see how expensive things can get.
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