Dragon Age II Warrior Class Profiled

As part of their informational push for Dragon Age II, BioWare has updated the official website with information about the warrior class and its specializations and abilities. Screenshots of the class’ seven skill trees can be found in our image gallery, and here’s a full excerpt of the text:

The most physical of the classes in Dragon Age 2, a warrior is at his or her best when surrounded by foes, keeping their attention with powerful swings while allies wreak havoc in relative safety.

At the heart of a warrior’s fighting style is the choice of weapons. Staunch defenders will gravitate to mixing one handed weapons (be it axe, mace or blade) with a shield, taking advantage of the extra protection offered by interposing a wall of wood or steel between themselves and their foes. More offensive warriors gravitate to the larger two-handed weapons such as the greatsword or maul. What they sacrifice in defense, they make up for in damage potential, as the mighty arcs of their blades can easily hit multiple foes at once.

Warriors are not as constrained around their weapon choice as they were previously, however. A wide variety of their abilities are weapon-agnostic, such as the stunning pommel strike. Various offensive and defensive stances such as Might, Control and Turn the Blade– can assumed regardless of weapon, and depending on the needs of the current encounter. Warriors are also the only class that can actively gain the hate of multiple foes at once, controlling the flow of battle and keeping their more fragile teammates alive.

Warrior Specializations:

Reaver: Life is power. Blood Mages know this, but they are not the only ones. Warriors can also command the energy that flows through blood and bone, but it is not an easy path. The Reaver specialization trades pain for strength in a constant balance of selfish sacrifice. At first it seems that Reavers are doing the work of their enemies, damaging themselves in gruesome fashion. But Reavers can transform their own living essence into raw damage, and then replenish that health by stealing the life from their foes. It’s a dangerous gamble that counts on added strength to destroy enemies before incoming attacks or the Reavers’ own abilities kill them. At its best, the Reaver specialization results in a brutal harmony. The closer they are to their own deaths, the more efficient they are at inflicting the same on others.

Templar: It takes incredible focus to wield magic, but even greater will to withstand it. The Templar specialization originated in the Chantry with the establishment of the order, and their mandate remains the restriction and containment of mages. But the abilities Templars command are not divine; they are the product of intense training and rigorous devotions. These are achievable by any warrior, although the discipline required may seem just as much a calling. Templars don’t just endure magic, they deny it, and deny others the use of it. At the height of ability, a Templar simply shrugs off most harmful effects, and can completely suppress a mage’s ability to cast. They are warriors of singular focus, and none can match their dedication or effectiveness at taming those who would abuse the magical energies of the Fade.

Berserker: All warriors command respect, but the Berserker is an unrelenting physical force. The name of this specialization suggests rage, risk-taking, and that is certainly part of its effectiveness, but it would be a grave mistake to suggest that the Berserker is sloppy or undisciplined. It takes an incredible amount of control to know when to lose control. Battle momentum is the key: finding the balance between total commitment and over extending. The Berserker controls the pace of combat, setting a standard that the enemy can’t match. In turn, they can be sustained by the mayhem they produce, and find new energy in every fallen foe. While they stand, while stamina remains, they have no match, but they can’t stand back and let battle unfold. For the Berserker, battle always ends in glory, win or lose.