Best Faction to Choose in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Key Takeaways:

1. Choosing a faction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard influences gameplay, dialogue, and character abilities based on your preferred playstyle.
2. The Grey Wardens and Shadow Dragons are strong options for beginners, offering enhanced survival and resource management.
3. Each faction provides unique perks, dialogue options, and faster reputation gains that impact your journey and relationships in Thedas.

Selecting the right faction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn’t just a cosmetic choice it shapes your gameplay experience, character interactions, and combat efficiency. Each of the six available factions grants specific perks and boosts, from extra damage against certain enemy types to unique combat resources and dialogue options that can open (or close) doors with various characters. Whether you’re aiming to dominate in battle or make a strong narrative impact, understanding these factions will help you make the most of your journey in Thedas.

This guide provides an overview of each faction in The Veilguard, highlighting the unique advantages each one offers.

Faction Overview and Benefits

1. Grey Wardens

• Perks: Increases damage against Darkspawn; provides a boost to defense and health.
• Reputation: Builds quickly with Grey Warden allies.
• Special Role: Ideal for those who frequently face Darkspawn and need higher survivability.
• Best For: Players opting for a warrior class will appreciate the defensive and health buffs, making the Grey Wardens a strong choice for close-combat builds.

The Grey Wardens offer solid defensive benefits, making them a top pick for players wanting durability and combat efficiency. This faction is particularly helpful for those aiming to fight close-up as it strengthens your character’s ability to withstand powerful enemies.

2. Lords of Fortune

• Perks: Increases damage against mercenaries and eases takedown maneuvers.
• Reputation: Builds quickly with Lords of Fortune members.
• Special Role: Suited to players who enjoy a more swashbuckling style, focused on bold moves and effective takedowns.
• Best For: If you enjoy challenging mercenary groups or favor quick, decisive attacks, this faction’s benefits will complement your playstyle.

Lords of Fortune bring an adventurous flair to combat, giving players a nimble advantage. Quick, strong takedowns are easier with this faction, so it’s excellent for players who favor agility and explosive action.

3. Shadow Dragons

• Perks: Provides faster regeneration of class-specific resources; increases damage against Venatori.
• Reputation: Builds quickly with Shadow Dragons members.
• Special Role: Strong for players who rely heavily on their unique abilities, thanks to the quicker regeneration rate.
• Best For: Mage and rogue classes will find this faction particularly advantageous, as the regeneration boost can sustain high-resource abilities during intense fights.

The Shadow Dragons are well-suited to players who want an edge with ability-driven combat, thanks to quicker resource regeneration. Players focused on Venatori enemies or who want rapid access to abilities during encounters will excel here.

4. Veil Jumpers

• Perks: Increases critical hit and weak point damage; grants higher damage against Fade-Touched foes.
• Reputation: Builds quickly with Veil Jumper members.
• Special Role: This faction caters to players who specialize in critical hits and targeting enemy weaknesses.
• Best For: Rogues benefit most from Veil Jumpers, as the critical damage boost enhances precision attacks, making it ideal for players who thrive on accuracy.

Veil Jumpers offer one of the most effective boosts for players who prefer high-risk, high-reward strategies. The increased critical damage makes them an ideal faction for rogues aiming for devastating attacks against weak points.

5. The Mourn Watch

• Perks: Increases damage against undead and demons; allows additional affliction stacks.
• Reputation: Builds quickly with Mourn Watch members.
• Special Role: Appeals to players interested in necromancy and dealing with supernatural enemies.
• Best For: Mages will gain significant benefits, especially if they focus on afflictions or debilitating magic against tough enemies like demons.

The Mourn Watch is an ideal faction for mage classes, particularly those inclined toward dark arts and crowd control. Its additional affliction stacks allow for a more strategic approach, making it a strong pick for players looking to weaken and control larger enemy groups.

6. Antivan Crows

• Perks: Increases damage against Antaam; allows for an extra potion.
• Reputation: Builds quickly with Antivan Crows members.
• Special Role: Great for players who favor flexibility in health management with the extra potion.
• Best For: Those who often find themselves in situations requiring versatile health and stamina management will appreciate this faction’s benefits.

The Antivan Crows offer a unique combination of targeted combat advantages and resource flexibility, making them perfect for players who value preparation. The extra potion can provide a critical edge in extended battles or when needing to recover quickly between encounters.

Choosing the Best Faction Based on Playstyle

Selecting the best faction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard ultimately comes down to your character’s class and preferred playstyle. Here’s a quick breakdown based on popular classes:

1. Warrior Class: Grey Wardens provide a balanced defense and health boost, making them a top choice for warriors engaging in front-line battles.
2. Mage Class: The Mourn Watch’s affliction benefits are perfect for mages focusing on status effects, especially against demon and undead adversaries.
3. Rogue Class: Veil Jumpers excel for rogues, thanks to the critical damage boost and ease of exploiting enemy weak points.

While all factions offer distinct advantages, players interested in a balanced and resilient build may gravitate towards the Grey Wardens or Shadow Dragons, especially in the early stages. These factions offer reliable perks that sustain you in longer battles, making them highly recommended for new players.

FAQs

Q: Can I change my faction after choosing it in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?
No, once you select a faction at the start, you cannot change it later. Your choice is permanent, so consider it carefully based on your long-term playstyle.

Q: Does my faction choice affect dialogue options in the game?
Yes, each faction offers unique dialogue options that can influence your interactions with party members and specific NPCs. These options may even impact certain story events and character relationships.

Q: Which faction is best for a solo, ability-based combat style?
The Shadow Dragons are an excellent choice for players who rely heavily on abilities, as the faction boosts your class-specific resource regeneration. This allows you to use powerful abilities more frequently, which is advantageous in solo combat situations.

Q: Are there any aesthetic differences between factions?
Yes, each faction provides unique casual wear and a decorative item for your room. These aesthetics reflect your faction’s culture and background, adding a personalized touch to your character’s appearance and quarters.

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, your faction choice impacts nearly every aspect of gameplay, from combat efficiency to story progression. Whether you prefer a durable Grey Warden, an agile Veil Jumper, or a resourceful Shadow Dragon, each faction has unique strengths that complement different playstyles. Make your choice based on the combat and narrative experience you want, and immerse yourself fully in the rich world of Thedas.