Choosing the right class in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a critical decision that will shape your entire gaming experience, so which path is the right one for you? With the Warrior, Mage, and Rogue all offering unique playstyles and specializations, understanding the strengths and nuances of each is key to mastering the game and making the most of your journey through Thedas .
In other words, what class to choose is one of the most important decisions you can make while creating a character in The Veilguard. Our Dragon Age: The Veilguard guide shows covers everything you need to know about choosing the best class for you.
Once you’re done picking a class, see our advice on how to choose the best faction.
All Dragon Age: The Veilguard classes and specializations
Dragon Age: The Veilguard features three main classes-Mage, Rogue, and Warrior-each offering a distinct combat style and strategic approach. Mages wield powerful elemental and necromantic spells, specializing in crowd control and damage from afar or close quarters with subclasses like Evoker, Spellblade, and Death Caller. Rogues excel in speed and precision, using dual swords or bows, with specializations such as Duelist, Saboteur, and Veil Ranger focusing on melee, traps, or ranged combat. Warriors are the most durable, mastering melee combat with sword and shield or two-handed weapons, and their specializations-Champion, Slayer, and Reaper-emphasize tanking, heavy damage, and life-stealing abilities. Each class unlocks specializations at level 20, allowing players to tailor their playstyle and adapt to the game’s combo-driven combat system.
There are three classes in Dragon Age: The Veilguard: mage, rogue, and warrior. They broadly fall into the general archetypes you’d expect from those classes in previous Dragon Age games (and other fantasy RPGs).
Each class uses two weapons, which can be swapped on the fly during combat. Mages use staves to sling spells and wield daggers for close-range combat. Rogues use bows to shoot arrows and switch to dual swords for close-range combat. Warriors swap between a two-handed weapon and a standard sword-and-shield.
Additionally, there are three specializations per class, although “specializations” is essentially just a fancy term to describe the collection of perks and abilities you unlock at the high ranks for each branch of a skill tree. Here’s a broad rundown of the specializations for each class:
- Mage: Evoker (ice magic and staff abilities), Spellblade (lightning magic and dagger attacks), and Death Caller (necrotic spells)
- Rogue: Duelist (dual sword abilities), Veil Ranger (bow abilities), and Veil Ranger (unlock a bunch of traps)
- Warrior: Champion (shield skills and fire attacks), Slayer (two-handed weapon abilities), and Reaper (necrotic attacks)
You have to be level 20 to unlock specializations, but you don’t have to commit to pursuing one over the others. You’re able to respec skills, either piecemeal or in bulk, at any time and without any cost. So while you can’t change classes after starting the game, you can play around with your skills and specializations ad infinitum until you end up with a build that fits your playstyle.
To get more skill points, you can find and solve Fen’Harel Altars.
How to choose the best class for you in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Choosing the best class in Dragon Age: The Veilguard depends on your preferred playstyle, as you cannot change your class once selected. The game offers three main classes: Warrior, Mage, and Rogue, each with unique strengths and combat styles. Warriors excel in survivability and straightforward combat, making them ideal for newcomers. Mages provide powerful elemental magic and crowd control but require strategic play to exploit enemy weaknesses. Rogues focus on high burst damage and agility but can be less durable. Since the game features a combo system and specializations unlocked at level 20, consider how your class choice will synergize with your party and combat preferences. Ultimately, pick the class that sounds the most fun and suits how you want to experience the game, as you can respec within your chosen class but not switch classes mid-game.
The truth of the matter is all classes are equally viable in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. At least on the default difficulty, you can muscle your way through any fight while playing as any class. And you don’t have to worry about creating class synergies among active party members, as you may have in previous Dragon Age games. Your choice here, in other words, comes down to vibes.
All three classes are fairly limber; regardless of what you choose, you can dodge, block, parry, and sprint around the battlefield. You can wear any weight of armor (light, medium, or heavy). You’ll be adept at both close-range and long-range combat, though mages and rogues have a natural edge fighting from a distance. Mages are also better at exploiting elemental weaknesses, while rogues excel at landing critical hits, and warriors are pure damage-dealing machines. You really can’t go wrong with any class.
Based on what AELGAMES staffers who’ve played say, here’s a little bit what it’s like to play as each class.
- Play as a mage if you like tinkering with elemental combos and blowing stuff up. Mages in Dragon Age games (and fantasy RPGs more broadly) tend to be slow-moving. The mage class in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is surprisingly spry, with a snappy dodge and a magic bar that refills rapidly enough to allow you to constantly cast spells. (Note, however, that you cannot be a mage if you’re playing as a dwarf.)
- Play as rogue if you’re really good at parries, and love making numbers go up – but note that you do need to be really good at parrying to maximize the damage potential for this class. While The Veilguard is certainly more action-oriented than previous Dragon Age games, it’s still no Elden Ring. The parry window and other aspects of combat are a bit less precise than notable action RPGs du jour.
- Play as a warrior if you, in the words of one AELGAMES staffer, “just love hitting things.” Rogues and mages have obvious access to ranged attacks, so it’s natural to assume the broadsword-wielding melee class does not. Well, think again: You can throw your shield like you’re Captain America.
Lastly, know that some factions will align better with your choice than others, while certain classes can apply and detonate skills (basically: cause a huge explosion) with different companions.
Could choosing the right class in Veilguard transform your entire gameplay experience
Yes, choosing the right class in Dragon Age: The Veilguard can fundamentally transform your entire gameplay experience. Your class selection-Warrior, Mage, or Rogue-determines your combat style, available abilities, and approach to encounters, making it the most impactful decision you’ll make during character creation. Since you cannot change your class after starting the game, this choice locks in your core playstyle for the entire journey. Each class offers unique strengths, specializations, and tactical options, shaping not only how you fight but also how you interact with the game’s challenges and adapt to different situations.
In summary, your class choice is integral to your overall experience, influencing everything from combat dynamics to strategic possibilities throughout your adventure in Thedas.
How does selecting a specific class in Veilguard change my combat strategy
Selecting a specific class in Dragon Age: The Veilguard fundamentally changes your combat strategy by defining your approach to battles, your available abilities, and your overall playstyle.
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Warrior: As a Warrior, you focus on direct, close-range combat, excelling at tanking damage and controlling the battlefield. Warriors can switch between a one-handed weapon with a shield (for defense) and a two-handed weapon (for offense), and can even throw shields for some ranged options. Their abilities often deal massive area damage and disrupt enemy formations, making them ideal for players who want to draw enemy attention and protect allies.
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Rogue: Rogues are highly mobile and versatile, excelling at both melee and ranged combat. Their strategy relies on agility, positioning, and timing to land critical hits and exploit enemy weaknesses. Specializations like Duelist focus on melee burst damage, Veil Ranger on ranged attacks, and Saboteur on traps and battlefield control. Rogues require careful maneuvering and often depend on companions to help set up combos or distract enemies.
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Mage: Mages offer the most flexibility, wielding elemental magic to exploit enemy vulnerabilities. They can switch between staves and orbs to adapt to different resistances, and their combat style allows for both ranged and close-quarters magical attacks. Mages can prime enemies for devastating combos and support allies with crowd control or damage spells, making them a strategic choice for players who enjoy adapting to each encounter.
Your class not only determines your combat abilities but also shapes how you interact with companions, approach boss fights, and tackle challenges throughout the game. Since you cannot change your class once the game begins, your choice will define your combat strategy for the entire adventure.
