All Dragon Age: The Veilguard Factions, Ranked

Returning for the fourth installment in the series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gives the opportunity to be a member of and work alongside several different factions from all over Thedas. While some were introduced in previous games, others are new and offer different points of view on the battle with the Evanuris. With race mattering less in The Veilguard, knowing which factions work best within the narrative is key to getting the most out of every playthrough.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.]

Rook can start as a member of one of the six factions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with each one offering different traits, surnames, and perks. As the game progresses, the team will be sent on quests by faction leaders, get help at certain key points, and upgrade faction merchants for new gear. Looking at each faction from the perspective of starting bonuses and their connection to the main plot, some factions stand out better than others.

6 Lords Of Fortune – Dungeon Delving Treasure Hunters

Faction Contact: Isabela, Companion: Taash, Surname: Laidir

The Lords of Fortune are a relatively new faction to the Dragon Age franchise, first introduced in Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights. Renown throughout Thedas as treasure hunters, the Rivain-based group specializes in delving through dangerous dungeons and ruins in search of gold and glory. More importantly, they distinguish themselves from common looters by preserving any culturally significant finds and returning them to their place of origin, for a small finder’s fee of course.

If Rook chooses to start as a member of the Lords of Fortune, they will gain reputation with the group faster than other factions and can use takedown moves earlier. Lords of Fortune Rooks will also deal increased damage to mercenary enemies, although this isn’t particularly useful as this is the least common enemy group in The Veilguard. These are definitely the weakest faction bonuses out of the six unless building Rook specifically around staggering enemies, which is a shame for what sounds on the surface like a very cool group.

Sadly, the link to the plot for the Lords of Fortune is just as disappointing, although they do have long-time fan favorite Isabela as their faction contact. Out of all the factions, the Lords feel misplaced in the story and don’t fit in anywhere, giving the impression that they only exist to put Rook in touch with Taash. Aside from a fun arena battle side quest, the Lords of Fortune have very little to do in The Veilguard and there was a missed opportunity for some dungeon delving.

5 Mourn Watch – Defenders Of The Dead

Faction Contacts: Myrna & Vorgoth, Companion: Emmrich, Surname: Ingellvar

The Mourn Watch was also introduced to the series in the short story anthology Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights. Mourn Watch is a subgroup of the Mortalitasi and operates as the respected guardians of Nevarra’s Grand Necropolis. If something has gone wrong with corpses or ghosts, then Mourn Watch is called in to deal with the problem, something that Rook can assist with, as they can attend to many hauntings through a series of side quests.

If Rook starts The Veilguard as a member of Mourn Watch, they will gain reputation with the necromancers faster and will deal increased damage to demons and undead enemies. Mourn Watch Rooks will also gain an extra stack of affliction above the maximum for other faction choices, which is not a huge bonus but very useful for certain powerful builds. This bonus offers a little more than the Lords of Fortune, as afflictions are essentially debuffs that almost all classes have access to and can use effectively.

Overall, the Mourn Watch is a fascinating group which is wonderfully explained through Emmrich and his intriguing personal questline. Faction contacts Myrna and Vorgoth are always brilliant to interact with, being suitably spooky and dignified when representing the group. Their relation to the main plot is slightly more substantial than the Lords due to the hauntings and the Evanuris’ effects on the Veil; however, it’s not much.

4 Veil Jumpers – Elven Artifact Experts

Faction Contacts: Strife & Irelin, Companion: Bellara, Surname: Aldwir

First introduced in George Mann’s comic, Dragon Age: The Missing, the Veil Jumpers are a group of magic-based archaeologists who specialize in ancient elven artifacts. Based in and around Arlathan Forest, the Veil Jumpers’ ultimate goal is to restore order and stop the strange anomalies that are caused by the malfunctioning magic in the area. The Veil Jumpers are the first faction Rook will meet after stopping Solas’ ritual with their expertise essential for repairing the Lighthouse eluvian.

A Veil Jumper Rook will gain reputation with the faction quicker and deal increased damage to Fade-touched enemies. While these are not a common enemy type, they do tend to be much tougher battles, such as the Sentinels found in Arlathan. Veil Jumper Rooks will also deal more damage with their critical hits and their weakpoint damage, both of which are situational but very effective when they do occur.

The Veil Jumpers are more significantly involved with the main plot than either the Lords of Fortune or Mourn Watch, with several key quests involving them directly. Although the Veil Jumpers are made up of all of Thedas’ races, they are primarily a Dalish group, giving them a personal stake in the fight against the Evanuris. Bellara’s quest ties in wonderfully with the Veil Jumpers and the main quests as well, making them feel more connected to the events of the game rather than an add-on.

3 Shadow Dragons – Tevinter Freedom Fighters

Faction Contacts: The Viper & Tarquin, Companion: Neve, Surname: Mercar

Also introduced in Dragon Age: The Missing is the Tevinter underground resistance movement created by Maevaris Tilani and Dragon Age: Inquisition companion Dorian Pavus. After Dorian and Mae’s Lucerni movement was dissolved, the group went underground to create a faction dedicated to bringing meaningful change to Tevinter. Most of the faction’s efforts go towards freeing slaves, helping the downtrodden, and stopping the Venatori at every turn.

As with the other faction choices, a Shadow Dragon Rook will gain reputation with their starting group quicker. Shadow Dragons also offer a boost to damage dealt to Venatori enemies, which are a very common enemy type, and the extra damage really comes in handy at earlier levels when playing as a mage. The Shadow Dragons perk is also very useful, since it allows Rook to gain their class-specific resource much faster, making them much more effective in fights.

Both the Shadow Dragons and Minrathous play huge parts in the main plot, with one of the first key decisions being between saving Minrathous or Treviso. With the Venatori being one of the key antagonist groups working alongside the Evanuris, the Shadow Dragons and their fight feel firmly a part of the narrative, although most of the heavy lifting is done by Neve’s questline. That said, there is an important decision involving the next Tevinter Archon, which feels much more impactful when playing as a Shadow Dragon Rook.

2 Antivan Crows – Famed Assassins

Faction Contacts: Teia & Viago, Companion: Lucanis, Surname: De Riva

The Antivan Crows have been a part of the Dragon Age series since the very beginning, with Zevran Arainai, who could join the Warden during their adventures in Dragon Age: Origins. The faction is famous throughout Thedas as the best guild of assassins, trained from childhood in the arts of deception and murder. Antivan has no standing army, as the reputation of the Crows is so fierce that other nations avoid conflicts with them. The Crows originated from the area surrounding Treviso and in The Veilguard operate out of the city.

If Rook starts The Veilguard as an Antivan Crow, they will gain reputation with the faction faster and deal increased damage to Antaam enemies. Antaam enemies occur frequently enough that this bonus is extremely useful. However, perhaps the most useful aspect of choosing the Antivan Crows is that Rook will gain an extra potion slot, which is very handy for squishier builds or front-line fighters.

Just as with the Shadow Dragons, the Antivan Crows play a large part in the overall plot, mainly due to the choice between Minrathous and Treviso. They are also at odds with one of the primary antagonist groups, the Antaam, putting them in the thick of the action throughout the story. Finally, an Antivan Crow Rook will also be a member of House De Riva, headed by Viago, who acts as one of the two Crow faction contacts, making the connection feel much more personal than any other.

1 Grey Wardens – Respected Historic Warriors

Faction Contacts: Evka & Antoine, Companion: Davrin, Surname: Thorne

Finally, the last faction in The Veilguard is another returning classic Dragon Age faction, the Grey Wardens, who were first seen in Dragon Age: Origins as the primary heroes. The Grey Wardens are an order of warriors dedicated to combating and eradicating Darkspawn and the Blight. The Grey Wardens are undoubtedly the most recognized group in The Veilguard and throughout Thedas, although their reputation has fluctuated over the centuries.

A Grey Warden Rook gains reputation with the faction faster than other backgrounds and also deals increased damage to Darkspawn enemies. These are easily the most common enemies in The Veilguard, given that the Evanuris use the Blight as their main weapon. Grey Warden Rooks also gain extra health and have a higher base defense which is useful from the very beginning right through to the final battle.

The Grey Wardens without a doubt work the best within the plot of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, from their connection to the Blight to extra specific dialogue options throughout the story. Playing as a Grey Warden makes much more sense when fighting against the Blight, and given the faction’s historical tendencies to secure alliances with other groups, makes Rook’s quest to gain the favor of the other factions feel realistic. A Grey Warden Rook also makes the franchise feel like it has come full circle with protagonists in a very fitting way.