Summary
While Gear and Abilities are the core of combat inDragon Age: The Veilguard, you also get the chance to equip Runes that give you short-term boosts. They give you the extra push you need to beat powerful enemies or bosses, particularly those later in the game.
Usually, Runes give bonuses orincrease the power of Abilitiesand attacks you’re already using. While some are great on their own, you’ll want to try and use Runes that work well with your overall build, boosting the kinds of attacks you’re already focused on. There is no point increasing Takedown damage if you’re neverStaggering enemies enoughto take them down.
All Runes need to be activated manually and are only active for a few seconds. Keep them for when they’re most useful.
8Daze
Daze is the perfect Rune for anyone who is using a build focused on Stagger. Not only does it give you ten percent increased Stagger, but it also Staggers any enemy within six metres of you when it is activated.
If you can combine this Rune with Gear that increases your Stagger, or skills that give bonuses to Stagger damage, you’ll be doing Takedowns on enemies time after time. With that happening, you’ll be able to run through groups of enemies easily.
7Besiege
Barrier and armour can be the most annoying aspects of the tougher fights in The Veilguard. If you’re up against an enemy with a barrier you’re struggling to whittle down, you can trigger the Besiege Rune to take them out quickly.
Not only are standard heavy and light attacks no longer debuffed against barriers, but you also get an additional ten percent damage against them with whatever attack type you use, whether it be from Abilities, ranged attacks, or standard ones.
6Vivify
Vivify is the perfect Rune for anyone who’s found an Ability they love and that really puts them ahead in combat. It refreshes the cooldown on the Ability, meaning the next use is essentially free.
If you’re smart, you will use your Abilities, trigger the Rune, and then quickly use them again for max efficiency. It also gives ten percent additional Rage, so you’re closer to using your Ultimate Ability once you’ve triggered the Rune.
5Escalate
Escalate is a simple Rune, but possibly the best of them all. At the end of the day, all you want during combat encounters is for your attacks and Abilities to do as much damage as possible.
With Escalate active, that’s exactly what happens. It’s perfect if you’ve found an Ability you really enjoy, or that is particularly useful against certain enemy types, as it lets you use it multiple times in succession. Combine it with others and you’re on to a winner.
4Diminish
Diminish is great when faced with lots of enemies at the same time and you start to be overwhelmed. When activated, Diminish adds Weakened to any enemy within six metres of you. You’re then able to do more damage with attacks that follow up, thinning out a large pack of enemies.
The Rune also increases your Primer duration by ten percent, helping not only your own abilities but also your companions', making following attacks more powerful than they otherwise would be.
Some of the best Runes are available for purchase from faction merchants.
3Refresh
Refresh resets the duration of all applied Advantages. It’s the perfect Rune for you if you have settled on a consistent set of high level gear and are familar with all the bonuses it offers.
Many pieces of high level gear will offer Advantages that help you in combat, and you can also get them from skills you unlock.
You’ll know when active skills are triggered when they show in green writing in the bottom left of the screen.
If you complete the Arena combat side quest for the Shadow Dragons, you’ll get a Ring that gives you an Advantage upon a successful Takedown. If you have high Stagger dealing weapons, you’ll be able to Takedown enemies regularly, stacking Advantages. We once had six active at one time, and then Refresh allows you to restart them all before they end.
2Regroup
Regroup refreshes all of your companions' Ability cooldowns and adds an additional ten percent damage to following Abilities used. Essentially, using Regroup at the right time allows you touse your companions' attacksin quick succession. You’ll want to use them, activate the Regroup Rune, and then use them again.
Also, if you have chosen particular companions due to how their Abilities combine with your own - increasing Stagger for example - then using Regroup to refresh cooldown also boosts your own attacks. This is the perfect Rune for boss fights.
1Hemorrage
With Hemorrage active, all of your attacks deal Bleeding damage for ten seconds. This is a great Rune because it applies damage over time and can be inflicted on multiple enemies. It is best kept for when you’re faced with a lot of enemies at the same time, such as undead in the Necropolis Halls.
If you have other weapons that deal Bleeding, you’ll become really powerful and will be able to ignore some enemies who have been caught up in early attacks, instead of focusing your attention on bosses or powerful armoured enemies.
