The Reaper Warrior Build is a build you can create for the Reaper specialization in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Learn the best skills to get, the best weapon and armor to use, the best companions to bring, and more!

Warrior Guides
Best Builds	Skill Tree & Priority	All Equipment
Champion Builds	Reaper Builds	Slayer Builds

The Best Reaper Build for Dragon Age: Veilguard

Early-Game Reaper Build

Skills	1. Driving Kick 2. Titan Stomp 3. Bloody Advance 4. Flashing Fists
Main	Dark Shard +10% Weapon Damage
Off-Hand	Flying Kite +10% Weapon Damage
Alt. Weapon	Anvil Breaker +25% Stagger
Helmet	Carastes Double-Hat +20% Resistance (Any)
Armor	Brawler's Decorated Leathers +20% Resistance (Any)
Belt	Reinforced Binding
Amulet	Grey Emblem +15% Critical Damage
Ring 1	Biting Thumb +25% Rage Generation
Ring 2	Precious Decay +25% Rage Generation
Runes	1. Besiege 2. Ravage 3. Upend
Companions	Bellara: Fade Bolts Replenish (Bellara) Enfeebling Shot
	Lucanis: Debilitate Eviscerate Soothing Potion (Lucanis)

In the early game, the Reaper's main priority is setting themselves up for rage generation and using Abilities and Shield Toss to deal damage.

Most of the enchantment choices do not matter too much in the early game so go with whichever gives damage, stagger, or rage generation buffs.

Endgame Reaper Build

Skills	1. Bloody Advance -15% Cooldown Duration 2. Deadly Ground +25% Ability Stagger 3. Reaper +25% Ability Critical Damage 4. Spirit Storm
Main	Woodsong Cleaver +10% Weapon Damage
Off-Hand	Necropolis Defender +25% Shield Toss Bounce Damage
Alt. Weapon	Elven Rockbreaker +40 Added Necrotic Damage
Helmet	Field-Commander's Helm +15% Affliction Duration
Armor	Jumper's Deft Leathers (Warrior) +20% Advantage Duration
Belt	Watcher's Hold
Amulet	Magister's Bargain +20% Necrosis Damage
Ring 1	Graven Opal +50 Max Rage
Ring 2	Precious Decay +25% Rage Generation
Runes	1. Toss 2. Scourge 3. Vivify
Companions	Emmrich: Entangling Spirits The Bell Tolls Final Rites
	Lucanis: Debilitate Eviscerate Soothing Potion (Lucanis)

By the endgame, we will have more options with gear and would want to look for ones that improve Necrotic damage, Shield Toss damage, and Rage Generation to maximize the build's potential.

This Reaper build focuses on increasing Shield Toss damage instead of Ability damage. With the Field-Commander's Helm, we rely less on our Abilities and just utilize the built-up Rage to gain a damage bonus up to +125% at 250 maximum Rage. Due to this, we want to use equipment that helps rage generation to help us reach max Rage.

Reaper Skill Priority

Skill Tree Progression

Order	Skill	Description
1	Shield Volley (Core)	Striking a Shield Toss with a Shield attack volleys the shield back at enemies up to 3 times, dealing damage each time.
2	Rancor (Core)	Rage takes 50% longer to begin to decay.
3	Spectral Bulwark (Abilities)	Hone your guard and protect yourself from enemies foolish enough to attack. Enemies who hit you with a melee attack take damage and very high Stagger. Increases Defense by 50% while active.
4	Enraged (Abilities)	Rage generation: +10%
5	Explosive Toss (Abilities)	Charging your Shield Toss at least one level and then pressing Light attack will toss an explosive version of the shield, causing it to deal damage in an area around the target. This attack has a high chance to disrupt enemies.
6	Providence (Abilities)	Advantage duration: +20%
7	Enduring Rage (Abilities)	Your Rage no longer decays below 50, allowing you to sustain it between fights.
8	Insidious Rot (Abilities)	Maximum Necrosis stacks: +1
9	Deadly Ground (Abilities)	Create a Necrotic field at your current location. Enemies caught inside the field take constant damage until they escape. Grants Enhanced Damage while you are inside the field.
10	Death's Blessing (Abilities)	Necrotic damage: +10%
11	Seething Pitch (Mourn Watch)	Shield Toss now generates 2 additional Rage on impact. Striking Weakpoints doubles the effect.
12	Mortal Wounds (Mourn Watch)	Weakpoint damage: +10%
13	Bloody Advance (Mourn Watch)	Throw a fan of blades that seek out and impale nearby enemies. Applies Bleeding . While enemies are still impaled, a charged Shield Toss will cause a burst of damage to nearby enemies. Applies Sundered.
14	Master Throw (Mourn Watch)	Shield Toss can now be charged up an additional level.
15	Ricochet Shot (Mourn Watch)	Shield Toss bounces: +1
16	Carom (Mourn Watch)	Enemies take 100% more damage and Stagger from environmental impacts.
17	Enervation (Mourn Watch)	Damage vs. Barrier: +20%
18	Eclectic Armorer (Mourn Watch)	While wearing different classifications of Helm and Armor: Shield Toss bounces +2 Ranged attack damage +15% Weakpoint damage +15%
19	Lingering Decay (Mourn Watch)	Duration Abilities apply Necrosis on impact.
20	Spirit Storm (Reaper)	Call upon the Mourn Watch’s occult knowledge to unleash a Necrotic storm. A whirlwind moves toward your target, inflicting multiple hits and applying Siphon to enemies.
21	Reaper (Reaper)	Call forth an ethereal scythe that slashes and slices your enemies. Applies Siphon. Detonates Weakened.
22	Time Management (Abilities)	Effects of Duration Abilities are increased by 50%.
23	Devastation (Reaper)	Affliction damage: +10% Affliction duration: +20%
24	Death's Touch (Reaper)	While any Duration Ability is active, your Charged attacks also apply Necrosis to enemies.
25	Death's Blessing (Reaper)	Necrotic damage: +10%
26	Desolate Malady (Mourn Watch)	Affliction damage: +10%
27	Staggering Toss (Mourn Watch)	Shield Toss converts 25% of your current Rage into Stagger.
28	Improved Throw (Survival)	Shield Toss damage: +10%
29	Critical Power (Abilities)	Gain Enhanced Damage on Critical hit kill.
30	Salt in the Wound (Abilities)	Hitting enemies with a Duration Ability adds 1 stack to all active Afflictions on the target.
31	Death's Throw (Reaper)	Converts Shield Toss to deal Necrotic damage.
32	Invigoration (Reaper)	Leech effectiveness: +20%
33	Living Decay (Reaper)	Your Necrotic damage now has 50% Penetration and restores 2% of your health.
34	Desperation (Reaper)	Gain bonus damage relative to the amount of health your target and you have lost.
35	Reckless Shot (Reaper)	Projectile Abilities deal 25% more damage but consume 10% health.
36	Return to Sender (Survival)	Send incoming projectiles back at your attacker with Perfect Defense.
37	Providence (Survival)	Advantage duration: +20%
38	Masochism (Survival)	You generate 4 Rage when taking damage.
39	Depth of Fury (Survival)	Maximum Rage: +50
40	Perfect Throw (Reaper)	Release Shield Toss the moment a new Charge level is attained to gain bonus damage and bounces.
41	Shattering Throw (Reaper)	Shield Toss damage: +10% Shield Toss bonuses: +1
42	Let it Linger (Reaper)	Shield Toss bounces now apply an Affliction based on your Shield’s damage type.
43	Spirit of Hunger (Reaper)	Killing an enemy spawns a Necrotic projectile that follows enemies.
44	Necessary Steps (Mourn Watch)	Primer duration: +20%
45	Staying Power (Mourn Watch)	For each active Duration Ability's effect, you take 5% less damage from all sources.
46	Improved Health (Survival)	Health: +100
47	Bulwark (Survival)	Physical Resistance: +10%
48	Reinforcement (Grey Warden)	Each of your active Advantages increases damage dealt by 10%.
49	Enraged (Grey Warden)	Rage generation: +10%
50	Depth of Fury (Abilities)	Maximum Rage: +50
51	Enervation (Abilities)	Damage vs. Barrier: +20%
52	Unyielding Focus (Abilities)	Using a Duration Ability grants Immovable.
53	Shellbreaker (Abilities)	Damage vs. Armor: +20%
54	Defy the Elements (Mourn Watch)	Fire Resistance: 10%, Cold Resistance: 10%
55	Slam (Mourn Watch)	Performing a Takedown generates an additional 20% Ultimate and 50 Rage.

Early Game Progression

The main focus of a Reaper Warrior in the early game is to stack as much Shield Toss and Necrotic Damage buffs as possible, while picking up any Rage Generation buffs along the way as a general empowerment option.

Best Warrior Builds

Late Game Progression

When the Reaper gains access to Living Decay, the game changes as they can now regenerate health off of any form of Necrotic damage which makes Reapers almost immortal.

At this point in the game, you'll deal the most damage with your Shield Toss but will still also rely on your Duration Abilities for buffs, sustain, and extra damage. We'll want to take any skill that upgrades Duration abilities and increases our Shield Toss damage.

Best Reaper Weapons

	Early Game	Endgame
Main Weapon	Dark Shard Enchantments: +10% Weapon Damage	Woodsong Cleaver Enchantments: +10% Weapon Damage
Off-Hand	Flying Kite Enchantments: +10% Weapon Damage	Necropolis Defender Enchantments: +25% Shield Toss Bounce Damage
Alt. Weapon	Anvil Breaker Enchantments: +25% Stagger	Elven Rockbreaker Enchantments: +40 Added Necrotic Damage

While it normally does not matter what weapons you use early, Dark Shard provides Necrotic Damage, making it a good choice if you can get the weapon bonus unlocked early.

In the endgame, we want to use shields like the Necropolis Defender or Skirmisher's Round to really bump up our Shield Toss damage. For our other weapons, we'll want to equip ones that give Rage Generation and any overall buffs since we won't really use our other weapons that much.

Best Reaper Gear

	Early Game	Endgame
Helmet	Carastes Double-Hat Enchantments: +20% Resistance (Any)	Field-Commander's Helm Enchantments: +15% Affliction Duration
Armor	Brawler's Decorated Leathers Enchantments: +20% Resistance (Any)	Jumper's Deft Leathers (Warrior) Enchantments: +20% Advantage Duration
Belt	Reinforced Binding	Watcher's Hold
Amulet	Grey Emblem Enchantments: +15% Critical Damage	Magister's Bargain Enchantments: +20% Necrosis Damage
Ring 1	Biting Thumb Enchantments: +25% Rage Generation	Graven Opal Enchantments: +50 Max Rage
Ring 2	Precious Decay Enchantments: +25% Rage Generation	Precious Decay Enchantments: +25% Rage Generation

The Reaper's choice of gear in the early game is heavily dictated by whichever has higher raw stats, but coming across anything that gives Necrotic damage or Rage Generation can be really good early on until the late game.

In the late game, the unique Field-Commander's Helm and high-rarity Jumper's Deft Leathers are our armor of choice to improve Shield Toss damage. The helmet in particular prevents us from expending Rage but increases our damage by 1% for every 2 Rage that we currently have which is a huge damage bonus at maximum rage.

Best Reaper Runes

	Rune	Pros & Cons
Early Game
	Besiege	• Probably the best rune to slot in the early game. • Bypasses Barrier attack damage penalty altogether, making sure you are breaking it the fastest way possible. • Use this if enemies have the blue barrier meter up.
	Ravage	• A straight up damage boost against enemies. • Deals +50% damage when the enemies are reduced to their red health. • Great for finishing off enemies.
	Upend	• Gives you additional bonuses to damage that scales with how much defensive stats you originally had. • Good as an early-game glass cannon option once you stagger an opponent.
End Game
	Toss	• When activating the Toss rune, you'll have virtually no cooldown between your Shield Tosses for the next 10 seconds, making it the best active rune for this build. • It also gives +1 additional Shield Toss bounces as a passive, perfect for a Reaper.
	Scourge	• Scourge passively gives you +10% Necrotic damage which basically buffs all your damage.
	Vivify	• Vivify won't really be activated but gives a nice passive +10% Rage Generation helping you build up Rage faster for more damage bonuses.

Reaper does not have any particular tailor-made runes in the early game, so use any rune that helps your damage and survivability.

At the endgame, the best rune you can use is the Toss rune which lets you use Shield Toss as much as you can when activated. For the other runes, we want to use those with useful passive bonuses such as Scourge and Vivify for Necrotic damage and Rage Generation, respectively.

Best Reaper Companions

Early Game Companions

Companion	Build
Bellara	Skills: Fade Bolts Replenish (Bellara) Enfeebling Shot Equipment: Main Weapon: Storm Armor: Utility Dress
Lucanis	Skills: Debilitate Eviscerate Soothing Potion (Lucanis) Equipment: Main Weapon: Slender Dagger Keepsake: Rialto Armor: Covert Leathers

We suggest bringing Bellara and Lucanis for the early game as a primer and detonator for Sundered, with Bellara being able to apply Weakened and Lucanis able to detonate Overwhelm.

Endgame Companions

Companion	Build
Emmrich	Skills: Entangling Spirits The Bell Tolls Final Rites Equipment: Main Weapon: Guardian of the Abyss Armor: Researcher's Robes
Lucanis	Skills: Debilitate Eviscerate Soothing Potion (Lucanis) Equipment: Main Weapon: Crowkeeper Keepsake: Butcher's Screw Armor: The Mage-Killer Trinket: Simple Oil and Stone

When reaching Late Game, you can swap out Bellara for Emmrich, as he facilitates similar combos to Bellara, but comes with the potential to shred Necrotic Resistance from enemies through upgrades for The Bell Tolls.

Lucanis remains in the team due to him having perfect synergy with Emmrich and a more accessible Ability Upgrade that also decreases the Necrotic Resistance of opponents.

How to Play the Reaper

Reaper's main advantages are their Necrotic and Ranged poke options against opponents, while having access to the typical all-in Warrior skills.

Poke them out from afar with Shield Tosses and detonations before coming in with a large amount of rage and using your skills to damage, prime, and detonate.

• Open with Companion Skills
• Shield Toss to Build Rage
• Bloody Advance to Poke
• Deadly Ground to Buff and Damage
• Reaper to Heal
• Spirit Storm in a Pinch

Open with Companion Skills

When starting out a fight, open with a Sunder combo against a key target before running in to strike.

This can heavily damage fodder opponents while keeping Rook relatively safe as he only needs to move in once Sunder has taken effect, and keeps them in place long enough for Rook to use Shield Tosses.

Abuse Shield Tosses

With both Improved and Master Throw, Rook has a decent way to deal damage and charge Rage from a safe distance, giving their all-in combos more potency once enemy shields and armor have been chipped off.

If you are lacking rage, need to recharge, or even just reset the tempo of a fight, consider stepping back and spamming down the enemies with Shield Tosses before going in and finishing them off.

Bloody Advance to Poke

Bloody Advance is a great tool for applying Bleed and Necrosis, and is capable of high damage-over-time in Late Game.

Use this as a way to take out ranged stragglers or finish off opponents.

Deadly Ground to Buff and Damage

Rook's damage is increased while he is in the circle of Deadly Ground, and enemies take continuous damage in its area, making this a good dual-purpose skill.

Deadly Ground is best used once all the enemies have converged on Rook's position as they will not move out of the way, thus taking the full damage.

Reaper to Heal

Reaper is Rook's bread-and-butter skill in this specialization, capable of dealing absurd amounts of damage, hitting multiple opponents if aimed right, and healing entirely back to full HP with proper usage.

This is often used as Rook's way to sustain himself while chipping off opponents, and is used best if it will hit multiple opponents or if Rook is on the verge of death.

Spirit Storm in a Pinch

Spirit Storm is Rook's trump card in an otherwise overwhelming situation, as it pulls enemies along with it as a crowd control and deals high Necrosis damage, giving Rook time to breathe.

Use Spirit Storm in the presence of multiple tanky opponents that need to be mowed down and give Rook the opportunity to use Reaper to finish them off.

Dragon Age The Veilguard Related Guides

All Classes, Specializations, and Best Builds

List of Class and Specialization Builds

Warrior Class
Champion	Slayer	Reaper
Mage Class
Death Caller	Spellblade	Evoker
Rogue Class
Duelist	Veil Ranger	Saboteur