Saboteur Rogue Build and Best Skills

The Saboteur Rogue Build is a build you can create for the 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!

Saboteur Rogue Best Skills Build

Early Game Skills (Level 1 to 20)

Skill enchantments are unlocked with Caretaker Workshop Rank 5. We do not consider Shop Rank 5 to be an early-game facility as the upgrade cost is too much.

Pilfer is great in the early game allowing you to detonate Overwhelmed and apply Bleeding on enemies while also healing yourself with a potion.

Once you learn Explosive Trap, you'll have a great way at dealing with groups of enemies. Explosive Trap also detonates Overwhelmed and does not cost any Momentum to use.

Becoming a Saboteur allows you to use both the Fortune's Turret ability and the Fortune's Fury ultimate. Fortune's Turret deploys a turret that automatically shoots at enemies and should be used at the start of every encounter. Fortune's Fury is just a great ultimate for dealing a lot of damage to enemies.

Saboteur Rogue Skill Tree Progression

Skill Tree Progression

For the early game skill progression, pathing towards the Saboteur section of the skill tree requires us to take skills that improve our arrow count and regeneration instead of any specific damage bonuses so it'll feel weak early on.

This changes by taking the Greater Passive, Some Motivation, which gives us a damage bonus that scales with our maximum arrow count. This passive is, by far, the best passive skill in the Rogue skill tree to buff damage.

As a Saboteur, we mainly use our skills which do not require momentum to do damage. We'll also make use of shooting as much arrows as we can without charging the shots for sustained damage since we have skills that support arrow regen.

Saboteur Rogue Best Weapon Builds

Early Game Weapons (Level 1 to 20)

In the early game, Saboteurs can practically use anything since they don't have a lot of focus onto one specific thing. Shortbows are preferred though for their higher rate of fire.

Particularly, for swords we can use weapons with bonuses that increase our light attack damage like Weisshaupt's Wail and stagger like the Barbed Longsword. If their bonuses haven't been unlocked, use any other sword that has higher base damage/stagger in the meantime.

For the bow, we can use the Veil's Edge shortbow which gives a bonus to arrow regeneration to help us get our arrows back much quicker.

Saboteur Rogue Best Equipment Builds

Early Game Equipment (Level 1 to 20)

The early game is pretty straightforward for equipment as you will mostly just get them from random chests in the overworld. Make use of equipment with the highest defense stat without thinking about stats too much since they will most likely have their bonuses locked this early.

All-Mother's Copse and Graven Opal

If you can get your hands on the All-Mother's Copse amulet, it would greatly help with your damage since it gives +20% Tool Ability damage, buffing all your abilities. The Graven Opal ring is good too for the +20% ranged attack damage.

Saboteur Rogue Best Rune Builds

Early Game Runes (Level 1 to 20)

Shatter, Upend, and Ravage are your best early game Runes for increasing damage throughput.

• Use Shatter if the enemy has a guard up to break through their defense with your arrows.
• Ravage can be used to deal with high health enemies with no barrier/armor.
• Upend can be used to turn your Resistances into offensive damage bonuses which you might have from equipment and skills.

Saboteur Rogue Best Companion Builds

We suggest bringing Bellara and Taash because of their ability to set up enemies and apply the right Primers and Detonations. Bellara brings healing and area crowd control while Taash can taunt enemies and apply Overwhelm.

Bellara Build

Early Game Equipment Builds

Skills
1	Galvanized Tear
2	Time Slow (Bellara)
3	Replenish (Bellara)
Equipment
Main	Storm
Armor	Utility Dress

Galvanized Tear is Bellara's best ability when dealing with multiple enemies to group them all up in one spot allowing for Rook to quickly dispatch them with an ability.

Time Slow can be used to debuff enemies allowing you to easily aim for weakpoints with your bow while Replenish can be used for emergency healing.

Taash Build

Early Game Equipment Builds

Skills
1	Dragonfire Strike
2	Spitfire
3	Dragon's Roar
Equipment
Main	Neckbreaker
Off-Hand	Treasure
Armor	Plumed Platemail

Taash can make use of Dragon's Roar to taunt enemies into attacking her so you can attack enemies safely. Spitfire applies Overwhelm which can be detonated by your abilities. Dragonfire Strike is useful for applying Burning and detonating Weakened which you may be able to apply using other companion abilities.

How to Play the Saboteur

Saboteurs make use of explosions and Physical damage to overwhelm enemies in an instant. They also deploy turrets to attack targets for them while using their own bows to fire a seemingly endless stream of arrows.

• Use Abilities On Cooldown
• Deploy Turret at the Start of Combat
• Detonate Overwhelm for Burst
• Spam Your Arrows
• Freely Switch Between Swords and Bow

Use Abilities On Cooldown

Your Abilities do not require Momentum so use them as much as you can during combat, they will be your main source of damage.

Deploy Turret at the Start of Combat

The Saboteur's Fortune's Turret should be used at the start of combat to maximize its use. It fires at the closest enemy dealing good damage while also exploding when it expires to deal significant damage to enemies.

Detonate Overwhelm for Burst

Two of your abilities detonate Overwhelm which you should aim for to deal huge amounts of damage. Overwhelm can be applied best by Taash and getting the Spitfire ability upgrade, Spreading Weakness. Detonate as much as you can with Explosive Trap and use Pilfer when trap is on cooldown.

Spam Your Arrows

Saboteurs have a lot of arrows in their pocket and are able to regenerate them quickly passively and when using abilities. Shoot arrows as much as you can and make full use of the Fan of Arrows trait to fire multiple at once.

Freely Switch Between Swords and Bow

You should also learn how to use Swords in melee since you'll mostly be in close-quarters combat as a Saboteur. Learn how to dodge and parry attacks to avoid damage and use light attacks with the swords to whittle enemies down.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Related Guides

List of Class and Specialization Builds

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