Dragon Age: The Veilguardis here, and the titular dragons are as vicious as ever. BioWare's newest fantasy RPG title centers around a new real-time combat system that has plenty of strategic depth. With an effect system, companion abilities, and a plethora of items and weapons to find throughout the world, Veilguard offers intense and satisfying combat. This makes sense for a game that centers around dragon-slaying, and the game offers a level of challenge that can make dragon encounters truly intimidating.
The Witcher 3 fans will be reminded of a similar system present in that game when it came to monster hunting - each victory felt earned because of the uniqueness of each encounter. This is true for Veilguard as well, and players should not expect to breeze through dragon encounters without preparation and thought given to companion and weapon choices. With that being said, it may be helpful to aspiring dragon slayers to know what they are up against and what to expect when.
This applies to not only newcomers to the series but Dragon Age veterans as well; Veilguard's new combat system is vastly different to anything the series has seen before. Players must have quick reflexes and good awareness of each dragon's ability patterns and movements if they want to emerge victorious. This ranking of every Veilguard High Dragon and their respective difficulties might just give players a fighting chance.
7 Kataranda The Stormrider
With the game's complex and multilayered companion and ability systems, there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing an approach for each beast. Kataranda the Stormrider is the first lightning dragon players face in the game. She is the easiest of the dragon encounters largely because of her placement in the game and the player's progression at this point. Having already fought a few dragon battles by now, players will know more or less what to expect and be able to chip away at her health while protecting themselves and falling back when needed.
This does not mean Kataranda the Stormrider is an easy opponent by any means; she is still a High Dragon. She will use the environment to her advantage, shocking the water around her and forcing players to the sand nearby - this attack can get the best of even the most experienced dragon slayer if they are not careful. Players should expect to be cornered quickly if they are not careful.
6 Kaltenzahn
Kaltenzahn is similar to Kataranda The Stormrider in terms of difficulty, being a mid-game dragon that the player will be more prepared to take on. Certain dragons are also much tougher than others in terms of health, requiring companions with strong support abilities to ensure the longevity needed to take them down. Kaltenzahn is an ice dragon that is similar to Corius the Icetalon (next up in the list). This beast is slightly easier to take on than Corius simply because Corius' arrival may catch first-time players off guard and has the element of surprise. Kaltenzahn, by contrast, comes after the player faces several dragons and will therefore be easier to read in terms of the rhythm of her attacks and abillities.
Individual dragons as well as other boss enemies have unique qualities and resistances and weaknesses to effect damage, which means there is a level of preparation and thought needed to take them on. Kaltenzahn is vulnerable to fire damage like Corius, and therefore, fire abilities are players' best friends here. Being that this fight takes place in a lava environment, players must also watch their steps to avoid environmental damage.
5 Corius The Icetalon
Corius the Icetalon is the first dragon players will encounter in the game if they choose to go to Treviso with Lucanis. For that reason alone, it is one of the more difficult encounters in the game. Players will be unprepared and facing a completely new enemy type, and Corius has her own resistances that may catch first-timers off guard.
Corius' weakness is fire damage - fire abilities are a must-have for anyone hoping to make a dent in her scaly armor. At this point in the game, the player is an extremely low level and even getting Corius' health down by 10% will be a challenge. It is impossible to kill her at this stage and players can expect to die more than a few times before being able to wound her enough to make her flee, triggering a cutscene and the end of the encounter. Players will remember Corius' sheer toughness and damage output long after this first encounter and, if they are smart, will take that memory with them to their next dragon fight.
4 Seartooth Vyrantus
Seartooth Vyrantus is the other dragon that awaits players if they choose to go to Miranthous instead of Treviso. Like Corius, first-timers will be caught off guard by the appearance of this beast should they encounter her instead. Seartooth Vyrantus' weakness is fittingly the opposite of Corius' - cold damage. Neve's cold abilities are a huge help in this fight and will assist players in chipping away at the dragon's health bar before triggering a similar cutscene to the end of Corius' battle. It is also impossible to kill her in this first encounter, with both dragons' demise being saved for a later Dragon Age: The Veilguard quest where the player faces both at once.
Seartooth Vyrantus and Corius the Icetalon are essentially identical in terms of difficulty, but Seartooth is slightly more difficult because of the simple fact that she looks a lot more intimidating thanks to her fire-breathing.
3 The Fangscorcher
Companions specialize in certain effect attacks, including fire, cold, and necrotic damage. The player's companion choices are absolutely crucial in taking down each one of these dragons, as each one has specific elemental weaknesses. The Fangscorcher is a fire dragon, as its name suggests. Similar to Seartooth Vyrantus, this beast can breathe fire and is vulnerable to cold damage. It does have a few specific attacks that make it one of the tougher mid-game dragons. Its fireball attack is massive and will broil players to a crisp if they are too slow to get out of its way. At one point, the Fangscorcher will also spew flames from the sky, creating a storm of high-damage attacks that the player must evade before being able to finish the dragon off.
As with Seartooth Vyrantus, cold damage is king here, along with quick reflexes. The Fangscorcher is much quicker than Seartooth Vyrantus and will easily overwhelm even the most experienced players with its rush attacks if they are not quick on their feet. Fortunately, the fight takes place in an open field with plenty of room to evade and retreat.
2 Mythal's Retribution
Mythal's Retribution is a lightning dragon that is actually a completely optional fight in the game. Players can choose whether to deal with Mythal's dragon incarnation peacefully, but if they choose violence, they can expect a vicious battle. Mythal's Retribution has a huge amount of health and a wealth of lightning attacks, including bolts and lightning bombs. When she takes to the skies mid-fight, ranged attacks and quick dodging are a must.
If players want to be victorious, using Lucanis here is a must. His necrotic damage abilities come in handy as well as his supporting abilities. Mythal's Retribution brings a fight not to be undertaken carelessly, but offers one of the most satisfying challenges of the entire game. Players who crave the adrenaline rush of a hard-fought victory will be relieved to see those dragon scales drop at the end of the battle.
1 The Formless One
The Formless One is a unique dragon in that she is actually a demon, unlike the rest of the High Dragons. She is undoubtedly the toughest in the entire game, reserved only for high-level, endgame scenarios. Players can expect to book off an afternoon (and maybe even that night) to take The Formless One on, with a fitting quest title attached as a warning: "Pinnacle of Its Kind."
Players will actually have to slay three demons before gaining access to this beast, which offers a challenge in and of itself. These battles offer their own unique strategic problems and rewards, serving as appetizers for the main course to come. After completing those, they will find the Formless One in the Necropolis. The Formless One is a lightning dragon like Kataranda or Mythal's Retribution.
The difference here, however, is that The Formless One can summon undead enemies that fight for it, in addition to its considerable health and damage output. As if fighting one of the toughest dragons in the game wasn't hard enough, players will have to fend off the Formless One's skeleton army while she retreats. This ability makes her the queen of the High Dragons in Dragon Age: The Veilguard in terms of sheer difficulty.
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.
Released October 31, 2024
Developer(s) BioWare
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Engine Frostbite
ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
:quality(85):upscale()/2023/03/13/840/n/1922794/a144765f640f75218ce2b5.24945169_.webp)
English (US) ·