Mages are powerful spellcasters tapping into the Fade for their abilities in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. With the deep customization options available, players can build their Mage Rook for various playstyles. Mages in Dragon Age: The Veilguard do not necessarily start as strong as their Rogue or Warrior counterparts. However, their combat prowess grows as the story progresses, making them a rewarding choice over time. They are also incredibly effective both at range and in melee combat, with tons of versatility in their kits.

There are three available Mage Specializations in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, unlocked at Level 20. These are Death Caller, Evoker, and Spellblade. Only one Specialization can be selected at a time. There are near-endless combinations players can create for their unique Rook builds, but the best choice for party synergy and to avoid doubling up on a damage type with other companions centers on Mage Rook becoming a Spellblade.

Best Spellblade Build For a Mage Rook

Fire Meets Lightning

The best Mage build in Dragon Age: The Veilguard focuses on the Spellblade specialization and the fire and storm abilities surrounding it. In general, this build prioritizes close combat with the Mage Knife and Orb but includes ranged Area of Effect attacks to take out multiple enemies at once or detonate combos with party members. The Active Abilities in this build are:

• Meteor
• Void Blade
• Chain Lightning
• Ultimate: Thunderous End

As it can take a while to access Void Blade and Thunderous End, players can begin the game with Wall of Fire and the standard Destructive Light until they unlock their chosen Specialization.

Players should prioritize picking up Chain Lightning and Wall of Fire as quickly as possible for early-game combat. They can then move down through the Sustain section of the Skill Tree until they can pick up Meteor and through the Antivan Crow section of the Skill Tree to pick up Storm Surge and get closer to the specialization point for Spellblades.

It may also be a good idea to move up through the Control section of the Skill Tree during the early game to pick up the Frost Nova, which works similarly to Cone of Cold in previous Dragon Age games to freeze enemies who get too close, giving Rook a chance to move away. Several passives in the Control section give access to greater Mana, Staff Energy, and Health reserves, which may be worth prioritizing if Rook feels underpowered in the early game.

Finally, though the Mourn Watch section of the Skill Tree goes largely ignored in this build, it is a good idea to head that way for a few nodes to pick up the Channeled Thoughts Trait. This skill allows Rook to regenerate Mana while Defending by pressing the Light Attack button, which is mandatory for longer fights that deplete Mana for longer periods and can allow Rook to essentially spam Void Blade later in the game. The Degrade Greater Passive nearby is also a decent get, as it increases damage against enemies suffering a status effect or primed for a detonation combo.

In general, with any class in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, picking up all the available Core skills, those found around the center of the Skill Tree, is a good idea no matter what build you run. For a Mage, these appear in the table below:

Most Traits, skills denoted by hexagons in the Skill Tree, are also incredibly useful, as they tend to bolster innate Mage abilities like ranged attacks or Fade Step. These are good to prioritize as well.

Players should plan to respec Rook once they reach Level 20 and beyond. At that point, they can unlock Spellblade as their Specialization and pick up the remaining active skills needed to round out this build.

Best Party For a Mage Build

Create Powerful Combos with Multiple Companions

This particular Mage build synergizes well with the Rogues in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Harding, and Lucanis. Chain Lightning can prime Lucanis’ Eviscerate ability, and both Meteor and Void Knife can combine with Harding’s Shred. Davrin is also a great choice, as his Battle Cry can be used to lure enemies toward him and keep pressure off Rook and Harding or Lucanis, leaving them open to attack from range.

The Spellblade Specialization helps give Rook the most versatility among the team. Three Mage companions are Neve Gallus, Bellara Lutare, and Emmerich Volkarin. While Bellara’s abilities are fairly unique, Neve’s feel like Evoker, and Emmerich’s feel like Death Caller. Because of this, Mage players who choose one of those two Specializations may be harder-pressed to take Neve or Emmerich on quests, as combat may feel redundant, and the repeated damage types may place the party at a disadvantage against enemies with resistances.

Other Good Mage Builds

Endless Combinations to Try

There are plenty of other great ways to build a Mage Rook in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Some other options for each specialization include:

• Evoker: Entropic Sphere, Chain Lightning, Dark Squall, Ultimate: Vortex of Shadow
• Spellblade: Void Blade, Wall of Fire, Tempest, Ultimate: Thunderous End
• Death Caller: Frost Nova, Corrupted Ground, Spirit Bomb, Ultimate: The Crypt’s Herald

In my first playthrough of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I chose Evoker to match my chosen faction of Shadow Dragons. This was rather fun for a while, especially when combining abilities like Entropic Sphere with Taash’s Dragonfire Strike and Bellara’s Galvanized Tear. Ultimately, Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s combat system encourages players to experiment and find what fits their playstyle best, so it is worth trying a few builds and finding what makes combat most fun and engaging for you.

Developer(s)

BioWare

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence