Towards the end ofDragon Age: The Veilguard, Rook will have to make several pivotal choices revolving around their companions and their roles in the final quests. After theirchoices in “The Last Gambit"and other late-game quests determine the fates of their allied factions, traveling companions, and romance options, they’ll have to make one last delegation.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for “The Dread Wolf Rises” and theending of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.]
After watching Rook’s other friends kidnapped or brutally killed in the preceding missions, though,it’s easy to see why a player might be apprehensive about this decision. They may want to approach it with tact and careful consideration, knowing that the results of the wrong choice could be disastrous. Here’s how the ultimate choice in “The Dread Wolf Rises” will play out.
Which Companions Will Volunteer To Stay Behind?
As Rook forges onward to the Archon’s Palace, where theirfinal confrontation with Elgar’nanwill take place, they’re informed of an attack on their allied factions, the Inquisitor, and Morrigan elsewhere.They must send one of their companions back to help, but be warned; they’ll have to withstand a heavy assault.
Keep in mind thatprior decisions may affect which companions are available. Of Harding and Davrin, whichever one of them waschosen to lead the distraction effortin “Isle of Gods” will be unavailable, having perished in the attack on Ghilan’nain. In a similar vein, if Neve or Bellara waschosen to dismantle the magic wards, they’ll refuse, as they want to exact revenge against the gods who kidnapped them in that previous mission.
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Depending on the outcome of “The Last Gambit,“any number of the companions selected for that mission will be unavailable. Companions who aren’t Heroes of the Veilguard, are paired with a faction at less than full strength, or are assigned to roles they aren’t familiar with, may have died in the effort here; if everyone remains alive, they’ll all volunteer.
In short,any character remaining available for all story intents and purposes can be chosen to stay behind in “The Dread Wolf Rises.“The possible pool includes Harding, Neve, Bellara, Lucanis, Davrin, Emmrich, and Taash - just subtract whoever died or was kidnapped in the previous quests.
How To Choose A Companion To Stay Behind
The first thing that should influence the choice of companion in “The Dread Wolf Rises” is class. Remember, they’ll have to face a massive onslaught with some support, but will also need to stand alone. In short,don’t choose a Mage to stay behind during “The Dread Wolf Rises.“This is a job for a warrior, someone with heavy armor and staunch defense, not a glass cannon.
Next, consider both Rook’s and the player’s relationship with the chosen companion.The ideal candidate has already maxed out their Bond with Rook, and has become a Hero of the Veilguard, claiming their capstone perk. Also consider that once selected, the relevant companion will be unavailable for party selection during the game’s last mission and final boss fight. In other words, players shouldn’t choose anyone they rely on in battle, and want to have in their party during the game’s hardest fight.
In the dialogue wheel where Rook may select a companion, Heroes of the Veilguard will appear with small, V-shaped emblems next to their names.
The game doesn’t state this explicitly, butfaction strength may also play a role in determining the outcome here. If all factions are leveled up fully, then players likely have little to worry about, and can choose almost any companion they like. But even so, it may be better to find someone who ticks all the other boxes, just to be safe.
Finally, the character’s role and background should be taken into account. A small popup window warns that Rook should select someone with “experience fighting in front-line combat or sieges” - a hardened Warrior or Rogue. All of those things considered,Davrin or Taash are the most obvious choices, but Lucanis works, too. Davrin and Taash are visibly stronger, but all three of them have proven front-line experience and, if all other conditions are met, are likely to be perfectly fine.
What Happens To The Companion Who Stays Behind
As long as all of the above conditions are met,the companion sent to help Morrigan and the allied factions should be perfectly fine. They’ll aid the siege on the Divine’s Manor, which will eventually succeed, and the player can move onto the game’s final decisions and ending cutscenes, where their chosen companion will be present, triumphant, and mostly unharmed.
If the player made all the right choices throughout this and the other endgame decisions, they’ll receive an achievement: The Ones That Last. This is a hidden achievement on all platforms, and its description simply reads, “Beat the odds and walked into the sunset.” In other words, this achievement is only rewarded to those players who complete the game with the minimal number of casualties, having lost only a single party member in “Isle of Gods.” This death is inevitable, but with the proper preparation, all others can be prevented.
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However, if any of these conditions are unfulfilled,there’s a chance the chosen companion will die during the siege. This naturally means that they will be absent from the ending scenes, and the player will miss out on The Ones That Last achievement. However, after this mission, the combat portion of the game is basically over, so losing a companion thus really only impacts the story.
So, with all that in mind, choosing a companion to stay behind should follow a simple, two-item checklist:
As long as the player can comfortably answer yes to all of the above, their companions in this mission should be perfectly fine. That’s an important step toward getting the best possible outcome inDragon Age: The Veilguard.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is the fourth entry in the Dragon Age franchise and a sequel to 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition. A classic character, Solas, will return as the new game’s antagonist. The game will retain many of the series' staples, such as multiple dialogue options, party choices, romantic options, and more. Dreadwolf will act as the first direct sequel in the Dragon Age franchise.
