Dragon Age Veilguard tips and tricks for beginners

Here’s everything I wish I knew before starting Dragon Age Veilguard

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Looking for a list of Dragon Age Veilguard top tips? Dragon Age Veilguard is the fourth instalment of the franchise and diversifies quite a few gameplay mechanics.

Whether you’re a seasoned player or coming in fresh to the franchise, we have a list of top tips to help save you some time, headache and heartache in the opening sections of the game.

Don’t get bogged down in character creation

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Okay, so I’m a big culprit of this one. I can take hours at a time perfecting my main character, agonising over hairstyles and whether I’ll inevitably get bored 20 hours into the game. Try not to stress - there is a very easy way to re-enter the character creator and change your Rook’s appearance mid-game. You simply need to play through the opening sequence to unlock it.

What you cannot change, however, is your race, Faction and Class . We do have a guide to the best Faction and best Class to pick in Dragon Age Veilguard if you’re stuck. Of course, it’s all really down to opinion though and I suggest going for the options with the best roleplay value for you.

Romance everyone

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We’re all here for this - don’t lie to yourself. The romance system of previous Dragon Age games and the story threads that came for them are some of the most enriching in recent RPG memory. I’m happy to report that Dragon Age Veilguard offers 7 romance options to choose from, each with an interesting backstory and personality.

With choice comes decision, but don’t worry about it too much. Feel free to flirt with everyone to get a feel for the relationship. When it comes to committing to just one special someone that game will make this obvious.

Dragon Age Veilguard keeps to the same format as Inquisition, that being that romantic dialogue is represented by a heart symbol so it’s quite hard to miss. As far as we can tell, romance and ‘Approval’ are two different systems, so you won’t have to gruel away at earning companion ranks just to get a sweet cutscene from your crush (this pertains to unlocking skills for them instead). So flirt with them in dialogue, complete any personal quests for them and make sure you give them gifts where possible to ensure you make an impact.

Know where to sell your junk

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I spent an ashamedly long time trying and failing to flog my junk at the nearest merchant only to give up. It turns out that the only merchants you can sell to are special Faction merchants (located within Faction bases).

Selling your items to Factions earns you points which go towards the ‘Shop Rank’. In turn, the more Shop Ranks you have with each Faction the better the gear upgrades and Mementos they sell. This is a key part of upgrading your relationship with the Factions, gear upgrades and more. In short, sell your junk but be mindful to whom.

You’ll have to backtrack

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Some areas will only be accessible until you recruit a certain companion. Each companion has a different ability which can change terrain and unlock new areas. You might see a prompt that tells you you’re missing a companion’s ability to access an area. This simply means you need to progress through the main questline more and pick up a certain party member.

Thanks to the combat wheel shortcut, once you have the companion recruited, they don’t need to be part of your active party to access their unique skill.

Sometimes it’s okay to run away

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As you’re expected to backtrack a bit in the game, sometimes you’ll encounter enemy bosses that are 10 or even 20 levels above your own. Don’t worry - you haven’t stumbled into Dark Souls , you simply need to walk away and revisit the fight at a later date.

Of course, it is possible to fight the bosses early but you’ll save yourself hours of time in the long run if you pick your battles wisely.

As a caveat to this point, sometimes you’ll encounter ’ Blight Cysts ‘. Once broken a boss will usually emerge from them. Make sure you clear the battlefield of enemies before breaking the Cysts. Otherwise, you’ll have all of those enemies plus the boss to deal with at once.

Learn your symbols

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As with previous Dragon Age games, there is a hub area where you can rest between quests and check in on your companions. This hub is called the Lighthouse and each party member will have their own space here.

It’s good to get into the practice of opening your map whenever you’re here as any new quests or dialogue will be marked. If a character has an exclamation mark it means they have a quest for you, often this is a companion quest which you’ll want to prioritise for a better relationship with them.

If they have a speech bubble near them it means there is a cutscene or dialogue available with them. Make sure to prioritise these as they are often timed and can be missed once you progress through more main quests.

Don’t waste time with vases

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Okay this is a simple one and maybe a bit obvious but make sure you roll into green barrels for health potions. Smashing them with your weapon takes about 2 seconds longer, which can be life or death in a fight.

The minimap can actually be useful

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The minimap not only shows your immediate route but also shows nearby treasure and will mark it automatically if you pass it by. Look out for the flashing blue chest symbol under the map when the treasure is near or a Solas symbol for when an altar is nearby.

Funnily enough, I found the map most useful for pointing out ladders. Too many times I would get lost in alleyways and wonder how to get to an area, only to discover that the way forward is actually above via a ladder.

Prioritize combo skills

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Thankfully combat is much better in Veilguard than previous titles and the skill point system is very forgiving. You can even refund points and relocate them to try out new skills if you wish and it’s completely free.

Each Class has both melee and ranged attacks and the best way to utilise your party is by kitting them out with skills that complement and synergize together. To get a combo skill one must be a Primer and the other a Detonator . Within the skill descriptions they will be marked with red/orange text with the word ‘Detonates’ if they are a Detonator and ‘Applies’ with the relevant status effect if they are a Primer (under the damage and cooldown information).

What this essentially means is that you can do a combo between two character’s skills for a bigger and more impactful effect. You ‘Prime’ a target and then unleash the detonation. To change out your character’s skills, go to the ’ Companions ’ menu, select the character who you wish to change and hover over their currently applied skills at the bottom of the screen. Select the one you wish to change and it will bring up a menu of the skills they have currently have unlocked and available.

It’s also worth noting that red bubbles may appear around enemies. This indicates they are about to perform a move you cannot parry and you need to dodge out of the way. If the bubble is yellow, then it is parryable and if it’s blue then it means a parryable move is about to be set up.

Always seek Approval

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‘Approval’ is the metric in which your relationships with your party increase. At higher levels, you’ll unlock more skill points for them to invest in new abilities. The biggest way to earn Approval is by simply completing quests.

However, you’ll only get Approval upon completion with the companions you had with you at the time. As such, make sure you’re diversifying your party often and taking different people out with you. It’s also fun to switch it up and hear the party banter amongst different combinations of people as you travel.

It is and isn’t open world

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Given how huge Dragon Age Inquisition was it may be jarring at first but Dragon Age Veilguard isn’t completely open world. Rather, there are open-world sections that are connected to a hub map.

You’ll often have to complete a main quest within a new area before it is open to exploration. Afterwards, you’ll be free to pick up sidequests and treasure chests. Just make sure you check back on your main map and zoom out to get a view of all the different maps on one screen. Hover over previously explored regions and they’ll tell you if there are new quests to pick up. It’s worth doing this after every main quest you’ve completed.

It’s worth also noting that you don’t need to go through the Crossroads each time to travel. If you have already visited the place once, then you can fast travel via the main map.

Pet all the animals

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Don’t be a monster. Pet all the animals.

That rounds up our top tips for Dragon Age Veilguard. For more Dragon Age Veilguard tips and tricks, check out our guide to choosing between Neve or Harding in ‘The End of the Beginning’ quest or see our rundown of upgrading gear like weapons and armour in the game.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

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Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

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Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

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Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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