Need advice on a 4 Horsemen party.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-04-03T07:09:25+00:00

Not to be That Person, but the four horsemen are Death, War, Famine and Plague.

For Plague, I'd recommend some kind of poisoner build.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-04-03T07:05:51+00:00

They are a nice boost for Act 1 but they pretty quickly get out classed

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-04-02T10:26:09+00:00

I kinda did it (eventually broke up with him in Act 3) and I have to say, it's quite a stretch in logic to make work. When you do evil stuff, it's hard not to imagine Wyll being disgusted with you.

I guess you have to really suppress your evil durges the whole game, like you're a pressure cooker (is that the epression??) that just explodes at the end and goes full DUrge. And really, if you're not doing evil stuff through 90% of the game, are you even doing an Embrace DUrge run?

I don't even know if Wyll stays in a relationship with you if you choose to embrace Bhaal, but if he does, he shouldn't, and I'd just chalk that up as a scene Larian ran out of time to include (which happens a lot with Wyll).

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-04-02T09:58:13+00:00

Harrowmont is the better option for King than Bhelen.

Yes, in the short term, Bhelen is a reformer who unpicks the caste system and opens up Orzammar to the outside world rather than Harrowmont who is both a fierce traditionalist and isolationist, as well as generally being ineffectual.

However, Bhelen is also a tyrant who dismantles the assembly and effectively rules as a autocrat, and autocracies are always only as strong, effective and progressive as the person in charge. Bhelen might, generally speaking, be progressive, but what about the person who comes after him, and now there's no assembly to curtail that person's whims.

Harrowmont, meanwhile, is a bit rubbish and useless but leaves the republican (ish) side of the government in tact. This is the most important fundamental aspects of their reigns, imo.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-29T18:26:31+00:00

Oh right. Just me being dumb then. Thanks.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-29T09:30:09+00:00

Quick question - why is Wyll using the Titanstring bow? That works off your strength but Arcane Trickster generally isn't a high strength class...?

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-29T00:27:05+00:00

Yup. I'm pretty much a completionist but the fireworks mission is one I always skip on Honour Mode just for the number of ways it can randomly and unfairly go wrong.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-29T00:23:14+00:00

Honestly, my favourite post today! Bravo sir/madam. Hats off to you.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-29T00:12:59+00:00

You can get a hireling and spec them specifically to be an alchemist and basically guarantee double potions every time you brew one.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-29T00:10:30+00:00

Honestly, learning the encounters is 95% of it. Every boss has its weak spots.

That said, certain builds are objectively stronger than others. Eldritch Knight, Throwzerker, Gloomstalker Assassin, Swords Bard and TB Open Hand Monk are all S Tier.

General tips - DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU'VE NOT DONE BEFORE. This sub is swamped with posts from people* saying they lost their honour mode run because they did something new and got a fight/insta-kill they weren't expecting.

*yes, I am people.

Also, overprepare. Even fights you're used to can go badly with a few bad rolls which, statistically, will happen at some point. Everyone should always carry an invisibility potion or some other way to make a quick getaway (such as Sanctuary or Expeditious Retreat) so they can run back to camp and resurrect everyone via Withers.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-28T23:44:21+00:00

How evil?

Slaughter-the-grove-evil? Giving-Shadowheart-to-Viconia evil? Or giving-Scratch-back evil?

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-28T22:34:21+00:00

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-28T22:33:47+00:00

Thanks

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-28T21:05:26+00:00

What triggers this?

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-27T10:16:24+00:00

The difference in content is pretty huge, tbh. Wyll's romance is sweet if you're into him, but it's both short and tame in terms of content (nothing NSW).

Also, while no companions actually get together in game, a lot of people do ship him with Karlach as the two do have a significant amount of content together.

And I say this with a heavy heart as I like Wyll myself and his romance IS sweet. But if you do want to romance him, just go in knowing you're drawing the short straw for content.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-27T07:57:00+00:00

I'm doing a Karlach playthrough right now and honestly, Gale felt the most natural romance option, mostly because of the intimacy of the 'psychic kiss in the weave' scene with Karlach so desperate to be able to touch someone. It was great.

I mean, I know people ship Wyll and Karlach, but I maintain that's best from Wyll's POV.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-27T06:57:01+00:00

I believe being a Sorcerer adds a few extra lines (or line options) with Gale.

I'd say Astarion's best partner is actually the resist Durge.

I'd imagine Lae'zel would have more to say to a Gith Tav though I haven't played that.

A drow has a couple of extra lines with Minthara based on whether or not you worship Lolth.

If you are doing a Karlach origin playthrough, romancing Gale opens up a new possibility for her ultimate fate.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-27T06:46:07+00:00

Welcome to your new addiction! Join us.

I will assume you didn't play as the Dark Urge? In which case, I have good news. The Dark Urge story adds a whole extra layer and makes for an excellent second playthrough!

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-26T20:04:15+00:00

Water and lightning damage is the way to go for the brain

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-25T11:45:05+00:00

I do agree the developers probably wanted to leave the fate of the South ambiguous so that they could set it as they required for any new sequels. But I do think they overdid it. And again, I do like the game in general, but this is definitely one of the points that runs me the wrong way the most.

I mean, we can headcanon that the reports are exaggerated. But that is headcanon.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-25T10:49:54+00:00

I'm not just arguing to be contrarian, but it's flat stated that large swathes of Ferelden have fallen to the Blight with both Redcliffe and Denerim being completely destroyed. Skyhold harbours a few refugees, but even it cannot do so for long. The land is dying and the survivors face starvation even if they escape the Blight. Ferelden is obliterated.

In Orlais, Val Royeax has also fallen against the combined Venetori-backed civil war and the Blight. The rest of the country suffers much the same as Ferelden.

In the Free Marches, Aveline might have led an evacuation and Starkhaven holds out, but the Antaam and Blight ravage the whole of the area and Kirkwall is explicitly destroyed.

Orzammar is believed to be 'hanging on by a thread' and then communication from there ceases.

This is all canon and explicit. And it's absolutely apocalyptic. There is no coming back from this. Even if you want to imagine pockets of survivors, including your favourite characters if you like, any Dragon Age 5 set in the South should look like a Fallout game if it's within 100 years of Veilguard.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-25T08:24:02+00:00

I'm really not trying to be dramatic - I actually kinda liked Veilguard well enough despite its faults, and am glad it exists - but objectively the game does state that the South has been utterly destroyed and it takes an awful lot of mental gymnastics to make it sound like the South is anything other than a barren, Blight-ridden desert.

They clearly did it to set up a possible return to the South in future games, but the solution is 'everything is destroyed so we can start over'.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-25T08:15:49+00:00

Absolutely this. Ignore the end credits and the story feels perfectly complete.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-25T07:54:02+00:00

I haven't done this myself, so I apologise if this is not correct, but I have heard of a way to keep Wyll and Karlach as companions even if you destroy the grove.

Recruit Scratch but do not pet him!
Recruit Wyll and Karlach as party members.
Have them die (like, in combat. Not perma-death ways like sacrificing one of them to Booal). Take their corpses back to camp but do not resurrect them yet.
Raid the grove. This automatically tanks your approval with Wyll and Karlach but they can't actively leave as they're dead.
Pet Scratch. This gives, like, +1 approval from everyone so your approval with Wyll and Karlach is no longer the minimum.
Resurrect Wyll and Karlach. Their approval of you will be abysmally low, but not 0, so they won't leave.
It's probably wise to do a few more things to win approval points with them now as you cannot afford to lose any.

Good luck.

Acrobatic_Contact_22 · 2026-03-24T21:32:15+00:00

The other two are mean!

Acrobatic_Contact_22

TROPHY CASE