Dragon Age: The Veilguard Rogue Guide - The Best Rogue Builds for Rook

Rogues are the third pillar of any fantasy class trinity, and they don't disappoint in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Arguably the most technical class to play of the three in the game, Rogues thrive and survive the heaviest fights by ducking, dodging, dipping, diving and parrying out of danger, all the while unleashing huge amounts of damage.

As a Rogue, Rook will slice up foes with dual blades or pepper them from a distance with accurate bow and arrow shots. Rogue skills deal a mix of physical and elemental damage, but they're also highly capable of inflicting debuffs with their abilities and do great burst damage by sniping weakpoints on vulnerable enemies.

How Do Rogues Work in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

Rogues power their abilities with Momentum, a resource that builds up when they parry or evade an enemy attack. That means they need to be in the thick of combat most times, and be dab hands on the dodge or parry button, as timing is extremely critical. A Rogue that can't avoid getting hit is a Rogue that won't be using their abilities very often.

Unlike the other two classes, Rogues don't switch weapons. Instead they'll use their dual blades for melee attacks and whip out their bow whenever they aim for ranged strikes. Bows use an ammo mechanic where each shot consumes an arrow that recharges over time. Bow shots can be charged for more damage.

Rogue Rook also has a default ability and Ultimate unlocked and accessible at all times:

• Static Strikes - A useful short-to-mid-range Electric Elemental attack with the Strike and Duration tags. It also applies Weakened, making it an easy-to-access application for detonation with Warrior companions.
• Concussive Barrage (Ultimate) - While relatively moderate at dealing AOE Physical damage, the Concussive Barrage's utility is in its high Stagger and the fact that an enemy staggered by this Ultimate will stay stunned for twice as long, allowing more time to close in and issue a Takedown.

What's the Best Rogue Specialization in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard skill trees each favor different specializations, which represent different play styles. The Duelist Rogue goes all-in on melee attacks, while the Saboteur uses traps and gadgets to inflict AOE damage and debuffs while raining arrows on foes at close range. The Ranger is a classic high-accuracy sniper, going for weak points and playing keep-away with enemies that approach.

Specializations are accessible at Level 20, and each Specialization has two branches to choose from. You can choose just one branch at level 30, but at level 40, the second branch unlocks, allowing you to obtain all the Specialization skill nodes if you choose.

Due to the placement of skills, each specialization favors certain elemental types and ability types. Even when you hit the level cap of 50, and after getting all of the Fen'harel Statues, you won't have enough points to unlock every node in the skill grid, so you'll always be specialized in one way or another.

Here are the ability types. Some abilities may have more than one type tag, meaning perks and passives will apply both their effects.

• Projectile - Fires a projectile of some kind that moves toward the target at speed.
• Strike - Draws a line between the target and the caster, hitting instantly if there's no obstruction (like "hitscan" in shooters).
• Tool - An ability that uses a gadget or tool to inflict damage or debuffs in a small area, often with secondary benefits.
• Area - Defines an area on the ground that's then affected by the spell (aka an AOE circle or a zone in other games).
• Control - An ability that hinders targets' movement in some way.
• Duration - An ability with effects that linger over time (this is different from applying a DOT Affliction like Burning or Necrosis).

Veil Jumper Veil Ranger

The Veil Ranger is the classical "elven archer," using bows with pinpoint accuracy to defend Arlathan forest from threats both fantastical and mundane. Though companion Bellara is technically a Mage, her approach to combat and general elemental leaning is very much in light with the "vibe" of the Veil Ranger. Veil Ranger arrows land like lightning strikes among enemies, causing incredible burst damage if they hit a weak point. They can also charge bow attacks for even more sniping damage.

Veil Rangers:

• Favor physical and electric damage, and abilities with the Projectile type, with additional utility found in Control and Area abilities.
• Mainline the bow skills and inflict the most damaging charged arrow attacks in the game (actually, the only charged arrow attacks in the game).
• Are experts at Detonating Overwhelmed and Applying Weakened thanks to their long engagement range.
• Love hanging out with Warriors, who can apply Overwhelmed quite easily and also distract enemies with their taunts.
• Will not tolerate a Barrier to stay standing. Any mage or ranged enemies will learn to fear the Veil Ranger's overwhelming faraway shots.

Nothing can match a Veil Ranger for the sit back and snipe lifestyle. They'll be able to engage long before enemies get close, as well as slow down time to aim more precisely, picking off baddies with precise hits to the weak spot. Veil Rangers also have a large amount of arrows to unleash bow shots with, and can easily shock enemies with their abilities.

The weakness of the Veil Ranger is the fact that enemies in Dragon Age: The Veilguard love to target Rook almost exclusively, forcing players to reposition frequently and often spoiling shots. Control abilities, Taunt-carrying Warrior companions, and killing foes before they can get close is the order of the day.

Lords of Fortune Saboteur

From the wild seas of Rivain comes the Saboteur, a Rogue Specialization with an eye towards causing battlefield chaos. An expert at crowd control and close-to-mid-range group fights, the Saboteur thrives when multiple enemies are present (which is all the time), blasting whole areas with explosive skills and using an automated turret and quick bow shots to shower foes with arrows.

Saboteurs:

• Are masters of the Tool ability, with Duration being a close second.
• Mostly deal Physical Damage with their signature skills, but have some Electric and Necrotic skillls in relative proximity to their trees.
• Can summon an automated Turret that fires on enemies without having to target them.
• Absolutely love Detonating Overwhelmed foes, though skills to Apply Weakened are in easy reach to help mix up team compositions.
• Are very Skill-dependent for the majority of their outgoing damage, and will want to be firing off abilities as frequently as possible.
• Do not care much about Momentum, as all of a Saboteur's most natural ability picks are cooldown-governed. This is good for players who have trouble hitting parry and dodge timing and lose their undamaged streak often.
• That being said, some melee combat will be inevitable, allowing for a hybrid melee/ranged playstyle with the right skill mix.
• Are somewhat depended on companions and gear for high amounts of elemental damage, as many of their skills just do physical.

Though they're theoretically the "trap" class based on the lore writing, Saboteurs are found in the mix most of the time alongside their warrior pals, thanks ot the fact that many of their best skills require medium or close distance and work best against grouped enemies. Given the way enemies glom onto Rook in most cases, that suits the specialization just fine.

Antivan Crow Duelist

The pure ideal of the Rogue as a swift blade in the night (or a pair of blades, in this case) the Duelist is a melee-focused Rogue specialization that swings and chops with the best Warriors and Spellblades. Such a Rogue fights right on the front line, dancing in and out of enemy attacks and unleashing furious flurries on their targets. Antivan Crow companion Lucanis, with his dual blades and focus on Necrotic damage and melee fighting, would be a Duelist if he were The Veilguard's player character.

Duelists are perhaps the most potent foes of Undead enemies thanks to their natural predilection for Necrotic Damage.

Duelists:

• Are mostly melee, only relying on their bows to take down enemies out of reach or to open a fight.
• Specialize in inflicting Necrotic damage and building up the unique Adrenaline damage buff.
• Love Strike abilities, with some side specialization in Control abilities.
• Have a fairly high skill floor, as nearly all relevant Duelist abilities require Momentum, which is only built up through perfect parries and evasions, and maintained by not getting hit.
• Can Apply Sundered, and Detonate Overwhelmed with relative ease. However, accessing a Weakened applicator may require the use of an "off-specialty" ability in the loadout.

Duelists are one of the most fun classes to play for players that like Dragon Age: The Veilguard's melee combat, but the class does demand mastery of its timing-based mechanics (or at least setting more generous timing windows in the advanced combat options). They also have some of the best-looking melee animations in the game, thanks to that sense of Antivan style that permeates the specialization's identity.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Rogue Builds and Tips

Due in part to the slightly open nature of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and its exploration zones, it's not so efficient to give players a step-by-step build, because more often than not, one will want to respec and reassign skill points based on different threats as well as different or new gear setups. Instead, we'll recommend key sets of skills to target along with battle strategies to take advantage of their strengths.

As a general rule for all Rogue Builds, try to select passives or pick gear pieces that improve Momentum generation and extend buffs whenever available. Skills and gear pieces that also improve combos activate buffs on Perfect Dodge or Perfect Defense, and improvements to weapon damage will also pay dividends.

Lords of Fortune Skirmisher Saboteur

This Rogue is an all-range brawler, with the ability to take on any role (though not quite as specialized as the other two). As far as The Veilguard's active approach to combat goes, it's also an excellent "lazy build" that relies mainly on more automated abilities that require minimal maintenance and fuss.

In keeping with the build's jack-of-all-trades qualities, it also has a lot of "flex" in its possible loadout. Feel free to swap points in and out and stretch in different directions across the grid to suit new threats and styles of play.

Ability Loadout:

• Pilfer (or Explosive Daggers), Explosive Trap, Fortune's Turret, Fortune's Fury Ultimate (or Concussive Barrage)

Key Skills (Non-Specialty)

• Explosive Daggers - A powerful Projectile Duration Sundered Applicator skill that does high Physical Damage. It's also surrounded by passives that are excellent for helping Rook in melee and assisting their momentum generation.
• Pilfer  - This isn't a very high-damage ability, but it Detonates Overwhelmed easily and adds to your healing capacity by stealing potions from enemies. Combined with accessories that enhance potion effects, Pilfer can be used as a powerful self-buffing tool.
• Improvised Ammunition - A powerful passive that heavily increases the Saboteur's ammo generation capacity, so long as you keep spamming Tool abilities
• Fan of Arrows - Adds a spread shot multi-hit effect to your short-range arrow hits.
• Explosive Trap - An Area Tool Overwhelmed Detonator that does moderate Physical damage and has an extremely quick cooldown time, allowing you to spam freely and proc Improvised Ammunition for arrow shots.

Key Skills (Specialty)

• Ultimate: Fortune's Fury - A massive continuous fire Physical ultimate that can be aimed freely.
• Fortune's Turret - A Duration Tool ability and the party piece of the Saboteur skill build, the turret automatically fires at nearby enemies, then explodes in a powerful AOE radius.
• Quick Fix - Buffs Rook with Quickened when defeating enemies with Tool abilities, refreshing their cooldowns even more quickly for increased ability spam.

Notable Passives and Enhancements:

• Unending Quiver, Exploding Arrow, Precise Malady, In the Fray

Veil Ranger Electric Blitz Marksman

The Veil Ranger is the classical archery-focused Rogue specialization, plinking vermin and baddies alike with pinpoint accuracy, charging bow shots for maximum damage on an enemy's weak spots. They'll specialized in Electric damage output and will have an array of skills dedicated to helping keep the Ranger out of harm's way while they land long-distance shots. The dual blades are more for protection and disengagement rather than being a key source of damage.

Outside of managing enemy focus, Veil Rangers will also want well-upgraded gear focused on increasing Weapon Damage, Weakpoint Damage, and Projectile Ability Damage, like the True Flight Amulet or Graven Opal ring.

Ability Loadout: Lightning Quiver, Reeling Bolt (or Pilfer), Storm's Path (or Rain of Decay), Twin Gifts of Arlathan Ultimate

Key Skills (Non-Specialty)

• Lightning Quiver - A strong Projectile Control ability that randomly hits up to 7 enemies in the area of effect, the relatively low foe count in most fights will mean that you can concentrate the damage on small groups of twos and threes to maximize damage.
• Reeling Bolt - This Weakened Applicator Projectile Tool ability is a key tool in the Veil Ranger's arsenal, as it also does incredible Stagger damage and applies Shocked, making it the trigger for a whole host of useful effects and gear pieces.
• Rain of Decay - A useful Necrotic Area Control ability that does its damage over time.
• Hunter's Focus - A time-slow ability that can be triggered when you aim with a bow, critical to landing weakpoint shots consistently.

Key Skills (Specialty)

• Storm's Path - A powerful main damage ability that passes through enemies and Detonates Overwhelm.
• Hamstrings - Heavily enhances Charged Shots by knocking down enemies when you hit them in the legs.
• Sniper's Triumph - Adds a multi-arrow follow-up when you land a Charged Headshot.
• Ultimate: Twin Gifts of Arlathan - A multiple-hit bouncing Ultimate attack that does large amounts of Electric damage.

Notable Passives and Enhancements:

• Light Armor Mastery, Lightning Splash, Poisonous Precision, Strong Draw, Archer's Strength

Crow Duelist Dual-Wield Master

As pure a melee class as it gets among Rogues, the Antivan Crow Duelist plays like a high-maneuverability Warrior more often than not. Unlike the Warrior, though, the Rogue will need to master parry and evasion timing to keep up their Momentum generation. Duelists will use their basic weapon attacks a LOT, so Weapon Damage enhancements and gear choices will pay dividends, as well as help fill any falloff in damage output brought by losing Momentum. Duelists are also Necrotic damage experts, and will thrive when paired with companions and gear setups that emphasize the damage type and Necrosis debuff.

One side effect of the Duelist specialization is a relative lack of Arcane Primers and Detonators, with only a Sundered applicator in easy reach on the skill grid. Rely on Companions to detonate Rook's Primers and f

Ability Loadout: Toxic Dash, Hurricane of Blades (or Pilfer), A Thousand Cuts, Murder of Crows Ultimate

Key Skills (Non-Specialty)

• Toxic Dash- An excellent Strike Projectile gap-closing ability that lets you close the distance to enemies quickly as well as inflicting Necrosis and Sundered. Use it as an opener to get into melee range, particularly against grouped or ranged foes.
• Hurricane of Blades - An AOE Area Strike ability that pairs well with Toxic Dash against small groups.
• Rain of Decay - Though Duelists aren't ranged characters by any means, this skill can be used in the absence of others to add some AOE control power to the build
• Pilfer - A safety skill that helps Duelist Rook heal via stolen potions. This is also Rook's only easy-to-reach Overwhelmed Detonator, for when you're running with Rogue buddies.
• Static Strikes - While a little off-model for a Duelist thanks to its Electric damage, it can apply Weakened and is always available to use. Swap it in when you bring a Warrior companion.
• Decisive Finale - Extends the normal hit combo with more damage.
• Riposte - Makes parries more deadly by allowing Rook to deal a hit after defending, a critical enhancement for such a melee-focused specialization. The riposte even works a bit on ranged foes, provided they're close enough for the animation to close the distance and connect, though the hit markers for ranged attacks look a bit different compared to the ones for melee.
• Adrenaline - A very powerful enhancement that directly increases your damage output based on dealing damage without getting hit. This privileges fast light attack combos and lots of evasion or parrying.
• Necrotic Fog - Almost all the relevant Duelist abilities cost Momentum, and Necrotic Fog adds a Necrotic AOE effect that triggers simply when you spend Momentum on abilities.

Key Skills (Specialty)

• A Thousand Cuts - The signature Duelist skill, it puts Rook in a dueling stance and whips out up to 16 Control Strikes with major Necrotic damage at the end of the combo. An excellent killer for single targets (though the move will hit one or two more targets if they happen to be right next to your main one). It costs 2 Momentum pips, though, so it's not always as easy to access if your Rook is slower to generate Momentum.
• Poisoned Blades - Adds a Necrosis effect to Strike Abilities, a tag shared by all of the major Duelist skills.
• Shall We Dance - A nice little enhancement that increases Stagger and procs Adrenaline simply for adding a delay to your light attack timing.
• Ultimate: Spirit Storm - A poweful whirlwind of Necrotic damage that siphons health from enemies it gathers and passes over.

Notable Passives and Enhancements:

• Balanced Flow, Convert Energy, Mounting Thrill, Assassination, Mighty Strike, Poisoned Reply, Piercing Strike, Decisive Finale, Daring Counter.

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