In the Holy Trinity of the Dragon Age classes, there was always a favorite one. Not only because of its importance in the story but also because it has been the most powerful and lethal class among companions and enemies. Bioware developers have put a lot of passion into the mage design, so it's always the best class to choose from Origins to Inquisition. Of course, it has a catch. Nothing is that simple. The rogue has most of the fun moves and the warrior is the most useful one.
There are plenty of possibilities for each class. I'm here to give you all the information you need to understand them and how to get the most out of them. Don’t freak out!
3. Rogue
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The class I found most fun to play. Rogues have so many styles and combinations that are almost free to your imagination. Among them is the fighter with the highest DPS. A Rogue can be an archer or use double daggers. Both are amazing but if you want to get the biggest damage without sacrificing yourself, go for the archer. The skills of the rogue are a mix between stealth and mobility which helps them move on the battlefield faster than the rest. They are mortal creatures that play dirty games to win the fight. The catch is they're very hard to use and you cannot leave the rogue to the AI to control it. Doing this will probably kill it and waste all its potential. You have to control every move the rogue makes and never lose track of it. Double daggers are pure damage and you’ll have to expose your rogue to several enemies that can kill it pretty fast. This is why I always recommend using the archer. Not only it has insane critical damage but it can fight from a safe position and is highly useful for hunting giants, dragons, and other creatures that are a nightmare for the double dagger rogue. The Rogue can unlock the following specializations:
Artificer: They're all about traps and explosives. You can choose this preferably if you're going for an archer rogue.
Assassin: The fastest, the artist of death. The killer by excellence. This one is best at fighting from the shadows and giving deathly strikes. Assassin works fantastically with both archer and double daggers. Although it might sound weird, it makes the archer incredibly strong. The critical damage gives the archer the highest stats thanks to the assassin passive that grows dexterity. This stacks with the stealth attack that produces critical damage. It can go up to ten thousand in critical damage. Pretty OP. It works quite similarly with the double daggers but is safer to play with an archer.
Tempest: The masters of alchemy. This is the most innovative specialization in the game. They create mixtures with the elements of fire and ice with different effects each. You'll have to use space in your bar to carry the chemicals. This one works very well with a double dagger rogue but it can work with an archer too. It's a little bit boring in the long run but is better and more useful than the artificer.
What Rogue Excels In
Killing single enemies. They're fast and efficient. The critical damage makes the killing an easy task for the rogue.
Creating ambush scenarios. The traps and the ability to remain invisible are perfect for an ambush.
Squishy enemies will not survive a single second if the rogue focuses on them. The high amount of damage they do is way too much for any squishy creature that stands in their way.
They're useful when facing High Dragons. Especially the archers. Not only do they have a lot of DPS but it is also hard for the dragon to reach them at all.
Assassin and tempest are the most brutal specializations in the game. Not a common thing to see in Dragon Age considering that mages have always been the strongest. Give it a try. They work perfectly for any kind of enemy.
Choose Rogue if...
You have a lot of experience with the tactical panel and you know a bit about how to stack the critical damage. This is the hardest class to control. You can't leave it to the IA because it becomes useless. Make it an archer if you plan to take a rogue on the party and not focus on it. The IA works better with it.
You feel creative about the creation of your Inquisitor. Rogues have so many combinations that your choices are almost endless.
You like stabbing from the back instead of facing your enemy. Rogues can create interesting scenarios for your team and yourself. They are masterminds of strategy. So if you're feeling like playing smart instead of brutal, the rogue is perfect for you.
Rogue Fun Factor: The most famous rogue in the game, Varric, has only one weapon available to him, he calls it Bianca. You can't change his crossbow in any of the three games.
2. Warrior
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The warrior is a face-to-face fighter. No hiding, no tricks, the warrior will face the enemies like a colossal beast. The warriors' mission is to protect their allies and receive all the damage while the rest of the party fights from a safe spot.
Warriors can use a shield and a weapon to play as the rock-solid one standing in the middle of the fight without getting killed or, use a single weapon as a two-handed warrior. Deathlier, with massive amounts of damage but a little less tanky. The warrior is divided into the following specializations:
Champion: It controls the battlefield with special defensive skills. It also grants a lot of resistance to your Inquisitor. Good as a two-handed and one-handed warrior. You’re pretty much immortal if you combine Champion with a shield warrior.
Reaver: Its damage is proportional to its health. The less health the more damage it does. The Reaver has the major DPS of all specializations but is the weakest. Better as a two-handed warrior.
Templar: Focuses on resisting magical damage and buffing the team. The templar uses divine energies to buff the party. Also immortal as a shielded warrior. This specialization is the most useful one but Champion is still better.
What Warrior Excels In:
As a Champion/Templar the warrior is the greatest tank. He will lead the battle and take the damage directly barely losing health. The Champion has a better solo skill combo and is pretty much immortal against any kind of enemy.
As a Templar, you're useful for the entire party. With the right skills, you're also an invincible tank with utility combos when battling magic enemies (which is pretty much during the whole game). Buffing your team is the most important skill of the templar and what makes it different from the Champion. The Templar is a must-have when closing the rifts around the map.
As a Reaver, your Inquisitor will be deathly. A killing machine. But it won't be able to tank, keep this in mind. Choosing Reaver will only be worth it if you're carrying another tank with you. The enemies will melt against your Reaver but it can be boring in the long run.
The warriors are great when facing big hordes of enemies. The skills of the warrior are mostly designed to hit around a considerable area of effect. Which is why they can create great combos with mages.
They can distract enemies that are focusing on your squishy companions. Use your taunting/pulling abilities at the right moment and be the savor of the mage that was standing in the wrong spot. Warriors are the only ones who can do this and make it work (not considering the rogue's similar abilities)
Choose Warrior if:
You're a newbie at Dragon Age. Warriors have always been the easiest class to use and understand. They're very simple and safe to play with. There's no need to be worried about the right positioning.
You prefer to be the brutal beast in melee combat. This will probably lead you to die while fighting High Dragons or it will be a huge headache. Since the requirement to win a fight against a High Dragon is to dodge its abilities, for the melee warrior is not a simple task. The Reaver is probably the worst when facing a dragon. So keep in mind you should level up your warrior as much as you can before taking those fights.
You want to go for a solo battle. Although some rogues can also do this, no one does the warrior's job better than the warrior. He can take solo battles against any kind of enemy and kill them without losing half his life.
Warrior Fun Factor: The warrior has an ability called "grappling chain" which is the same as Scorpion's most famous move the "spear". An advantageous ability to pull the annoying, slippery enemies.
1. Mage
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The Mage is pretty much all the classes in one with the benefit of magic. He can be anything he wants. He can control the elements and the fade energies. He can use a sword and throw spells at the same time. He can move as if he was a rogue. He can deal huge amounts of damage, both to a single target and to a horde of enemies. He can do critical damage and buff the team. The Mage is everything you need in one package. Plus it adds so many more juicy interesting things to the story, such things don't happen with the rest of the classes. The only weakness of the mage is that is weak in facing dragons because the creatures have elemental and spiritual resistance. Which is where most of the mage damage comes from. I never go out without a mage, they are useful like no other class. The Mage is divided into the following specializations:
Knight-Enchanter: The concept is taken from the Arcane Warrior in Origins. They can summon a sword from the fade. The skills of the Knight-Enchanter are mostly focused on protection and defense. This type of mage is the best at facing High Dragons. Although is not as cool as the arcane warrior, is still useful. But the worst specialization of all three.
Necromancer: The classic one. They control the energy of death. They can summon spirits to fight with them, have OP control mass, and some buffs to you and the party.
Rift Mage: The name speaks for itself. This mage is capable to control the energy of the fade. The combination of the Rift Mage skills with elemental magic is extremely good. I recommend choosing this specialization. It also gives a better taste to the story.
What Mage Excels In:
Great at controlling enemies due to its stun skills. This is particularly good in Nightmare difficulty where is necessary to keep enemies far away from your mage/rogue.
Useful for healing and giving shields to the party. Especially the Knight-Enchanter.
They are hard to catch so if there's a rogue in between the enemies the mage will be safe and efficient.
Deathly against most enemies. The best thing for a mage is to go for a variety of skills to counter enemies' resistances. The most common are fire and ice resistance, some enemies will also be immune to paralysis and fear. This is why the Rift Mage is the one I consider best.
The fire element is useful to face numerous enemies. It can help you control the hordes and keep them low health for your companions who are on the first line of the battlefield.
Choose Mage if:
You prefer fighting from the distance instead of being in the middle of the battle. Knight-Enchanter can be an exception to this rule but is not as fun as the Rift Mage and the Necromancer.
You're already familiarized with the classes. The mage can be tricky if you're not good at using the tactics panel. One minute you left him alone without checking his position and he's probably dead.
You're willing to commit to the mage and its abilities. A Mage can be very useful if the skills are the right ones. Pay attention to how you combine the skills and how your enemies are affected (or not). Meaning you have to read carefully, of course.
Mage Fun Factor: Did you know that Cullen was in love with a female mage Amell in Origins? A Templar in love with a mage. A beautiful story that never happened.
Running from the barbarian lands of Latin America, this little bright elf creature brings all of her knowledge collected on her journal. A wise creature ready to face any adversities in this world.
Gamer Since:
2003
Favorite Genre:
MOBA
Currently Playing:
League Of Legends; Hello Guest; Dishonored;
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Dishonored, Dragon Age: Origins, League of Legends
