Choosing the right class that fits your playstyle can be a daunting experience in any RPG, especially in ones where each class can further expand into multiple sub-specializations! Dragon Age: The Veilguard features 3 classes: 
Warrior, 
Rogue, and 
Mage. Each class is highly customizable, offering players the choice to further branch down into 3 separate specializations per class. Besides specializations, each class has a plethora of unique Skill Paths they can pursue.
This guide aims to display a brief introduction to what each Class & Specialization can do and guide players toward making a choice fit for their general RPG playstyle.
This guide is currently a work in progress; it will be actively updated after launch!
Classes & Specializations
Each class has access to a Class Core kit, which further expands into multiple sub-divisions of the Skill Tree! The classes can then choose to spend their Skill Points on different paths of the Skill Tree. Eventually, each class reaches one of the 3 specializations upon reaching level 20. A class may only have one specialization active at a time, but may choose to respec whenever they wish to!
Warriors are the bread & butter of any RPG game and have long been an iconic class! Dragon Age: The Veilguard focuses on a much more aggressive variant of the Warrior Class, focusing on fast attacks, heavy blows, and violent charges.
Weapon Sets:
- One-Handed Weapon & Shield
- Two-Handed Weapon
The Warrior class uses 
Rage as its resource and features a mix of 
Physical, 
Fire, and 
Necrotic damage, depending on how you build your character. Warriors gain Rage by hitting their enemies and tanking hits.
The core characteristics of the class revolve around the traditional Sword & Board playstyle for defense and big ol’ trusty Two-Hander to finish foes by bringing a whirlwind death for the offense. Warriors are also unique when compared to other classes in the sense that they can both Deflect and Block attacks with their shields, as opposed to only being able to either block or parry with one weapon set.
Most abilities used by Warrior apply a very high amount of Stagger, making it the easiest class to set up Takedowns with. The class applies 
Overwhelm & 
Sundered and detonates 
Weakened.
Stalwart leaders and first to join the fray, Champions are trained until they achieve the utmost perfect combat prowess by the Grey Wardens; emboldening their allies’ resolve and turning their own into flames that purge the enemy.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Warden’s Fire (Ultimate)
- Blight Bane (Core Ability)
The 
Champion specialization is the very definition of Sword & Board gameplay, focusing on empowering Shield effects and calling down powerful explosive strikes against any foe. Players choosing the Champion specialization will find themselves primarily dealing Fire and Physical damage, applying Burning to monsters and humanoids alike.
Ruthlessly trained by the Lords of Fortune to disregard any safety and engage foes with deadly fervor, Slayers are born to disrupt battles, wielding massive Two-Handed Weapons and charging right through any enemy line. Those Warriors prefer to stagger their foes and disrupt them as much as possible, landing devastating blows one after another.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- For Gold and Glory (Ultimate)
- Heroic Leap (Core Ability)
Slayers can be defined as the definition of “Guns Blazing” playstyle, showcasing the most aggressive gameplay for the Warrior class! Players choosing the 
Slayer specialization will find themselves leaping directly into combat, afflicting all nearby enemies with heavy Stagger and Disruption, dealing very high Physical damage in the process.
Bewitched by a promise of never-ending battle by The Mourn Watch, Reapers venture far into the land of Nevarra to learn how to steal the life of their enemies, fueling their own in the process. Reapers prefer a mix of weapons in combat, focusing on both dealing devastating Area-of-Effect damage and mastering Shield Combat at the same time.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Spirit Storm (Ultimate)
- Reaper (Core Ability)
Reapers can be seen as either Vampire Knights or Death Knights if we think about RPG archetypes, siphoning the very life of their enemies while dealing tremendous damage in the process. Players who choose the 
Reaper specialization will mostly deal Necrotic damage and apply the Siphon effect, healing themselves of a portion of the damage they inflict.
Compared to the slow and repetitive playstyle of Rogue from the previous Dragon Age series, The Veilguard brings a complete treat to any player who enjoys the Assassin/Thief/Ranger archetypes! The Rogue class in Veilguard is all about quickly dashing through the battlefield, using fast & lethal strikes, and making use of tools and the environment in the most fast-paced & action-packed possible way.
Weapon Sets:
The Rogue class uses 
Momentum as its resource and features a mix of Physical, 
Electricity, and Necrotic damage, depending on how you build your character. Rogues gain Momentum by consecutively parrying and dodging attacks, along with hitting their enemies.
Much like the previous installments, the core characteristics of the class revolve around using Dual Weapons. However, unlike the previous installments, Rogues can also use a Bow without having to swap between weapon sets like the other classes. This fact, combined with the Momentum mechanic, transitions into a very fast-paced playstyle; much faster than the other two classes.
Multiple Rogue abilities apply Stagger to their targets, although unique to them, also increase the duration of the Stagger effect on the target. This makes Rogue harder to apply Stagger than Warrior but easier to perform Takedowns since enemies will remain in that state for longer periods. The class applies Weakened & Sundered and detonates Overwhelm.
Trained by the Antivan Crows, Duelists are masters of fast & deadly strikes, inflicting grievous wounds upon foes unlucky enough to become the targets of their contracts. Those rogues prefer slashing their foes with precise and ferocious strikes, chaining up attacks one after another.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Murder of Crows (Ultimate)
- A Thousand Cuts (Core Ability)
Duelist is the closest thing we can get to the Assassin specialization from Dragon Age: Inquisition! The specialization focuses entirely on fighting in close-quarter combat, dealing successive swift and deadly strikes. Players choosing the Duelist specialization often find themselves dealing heavy Necrotic damage through consecutive swift strikes.
Swashbucklers at heart, Saboteurs are trained by the Lords of Fortune to control battlefields through the use of ingenious tools and explosives, laying waste to any foe foolish enough to come into their playfield. Those rogues prefer using tools, trickery, and a mix of Melee & Ranged Weapons to slay their enemies.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Fortune’s Fury (Ultimate)
- Fortune’s Turret (Core Ability)
Saboteurs are the embodiment of the Tinkerer playstyle, being similar to the Artificers from Dragon Age: Inquisition; using tools, contraptions, and bombs to deal with their foes. The specialization focuses on controlling the battlefield with turrets and using ingenious guns to blast the heads of any enemy. Players choosing the 
Saboteur specialization will find themselves dealing heavy Physical damage and relying on tactical turret placement.
Marksmen at heart, Veil Rangers bring back tactics learned through the exploration of Arlathan to bring rain down death with deadly precision upon their enemies. Those rogues prefer using mystical artifacts found during their travels, alongside their trusty bows to decimate enemies.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Twin Gifts of Arlathan (Ultimate)
- Storm’s Path (Core Ability)
Veil Rangers are the classic embodiment of the Ranger archetype, focusing entirely on Bow Gameplay. The specialization mostly has Area-of-Effect attacks tied to it. Players choosing to select the 
Veil Ranger specialization will find themselves dealing heavy Electricity damage to their foes, swiftly dispatching them with either a precise shot or a deadly storm of arrows.
Last but not least, the beloved Mage comes back into the fray, in a similar fashion to the previous Dragon Age entries. While incapable of becoming a Blood Mage or Knight-Enchanter this time, The Veilguard keeps the intricate and fun mechanics of the Mage class while adding even more flavor to it.
Weapon Sets:
The Mage class uses 
Mana as its resource and features a mix of Fire, Necrotic, 
Cold, and Electricity damage, depending on how you build your character. Mages gain Mana passively, making them the only class that isn’t required to act to regenerate their resource.
The core characteristics of the class in The Veilguard give Mage a much more varied array of tools compared to its predecessors. Mages can block attacks with the Staff, parry attacks with the Blade & Orb, afflict their enemies with arcane bombs, and even concentrate beams of magic on their enemies to quickly shatter barriers. Their playstyle is even more fast-paced than Dragon Age: Inquisition, with the class keeping their signature lightning-dodge animation besides their new flashy attacks.
Unlike the other two classes, the Mage class focuses on applying multiple types of Afflictions rather than Stagger. Examples of such afflictions are Shocked, Frozen, Burning, Chilled, and Necrosis. The class applies Overwhelm & Weakened and detonates Sundered.
Bestowed with knowledge by the Grand Necropolis, Death Callers use Life & Death Magic, siphoning the very life of their enemies and powering spells with their own life force.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- The Crypt’s Herald (Ultimate)
- Spirit Bomb (Core Ability)
Death Caller is the tankier version of the Mage class, allowing players to specialize in a Lifesteal-type of the build. Players choosing 
Death Caller specialization will often find themselves dealing Necrotic damage alongside a combination of Afflictions.
Trained by the Shadow Dragons of Minrathous, Evokers use powerful Cold Magic that controls their enemies and devastating spells that take on multiple foes at the same time.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Vortex of Shadow (Ultimate)
- Entropic Sphere (Core Ability)
Evokers fit the traditional wizard version of the Mage archetype, casting large and powerful spells that deal devastating damage in large areas of effect and control enemies. Players choosing the 
Evoker specialization will find themselves mainly dealing massive Cold damage and applying Chilled & Frozen to their targets; controlling the entire battlefield in the process.
Taught secrets by the Antivan Crows, Spellblades wield deadly dagger techniques and powerful Electrical Magic that brings a shocking death to their foes. Those mages prefer quick casting and going toe-to-toe with their enemies in close-quarter combat.
Core Abilities & Ultimate:
- Thunderous End (Ultimate)
- Void Blade (Core Ability)
Spellblades truly showcase the Battle-Mage playstyle, wielding deadly magical daggers and enchanted orbs to quickly dash through battlefields. This specialization is somewhat similar to Knight-Enchanter as it features a direct Melee Combat. Players choosing the 
Spellblade specialization will deal both Electricity and Fire damage, finding themselves focusing on an Affliction-based build.
Hopefully, this article will give you insights into which Class suits your character the best! Let us know in the comment section below if you have any suggestions about additional information that might guide players toward the perfect Class & Specialization combination!
