You've probably been there. You're wandering through the Crossroads, feeling pretty good about your Rook's build, and then you stumble into the Hall of Valor. Suddenly, those breezy combat encounters in Arlathan Forest feel like a distant memory. This place is designed to test how much you actually know about your primers and detonators. Honestly, it’s where most Dragon Age: The Veilguard players hit a wall, especially if they’ve been ignoring their companions' skill trees.
The Hall of Valor isn't just a combat arena. It’s the home of the Lords of Fortune, and it’s basically their version of a high-stakes proving ground. If you want to climb the ranks and earn that sweet, sweet legendary gear, you can’t just button-mash your way through. You need a plan.
Why Everyone Struggles with the Hall of Valor Initially
Most people walk in thinking it’s a standard horde mode. It isn’t. The Hall of Valor uses a tiered system that ramps up difficulty faster than a Pride Demon on a caffeine kick. Each trial is curated to punish specific playstyles. If you’re a glass-cannon Mage, the close-quarters brawlers will eat you alive. If you’re a tanky Warrior, the elemental resistances of the higher-tier mobs will make your damage output look pathetic.
The real trick is understanding that the Hall of Valor is a gear check and a synergy check wrapped into one. You can't just bring Taash because you like her quips; you bring her because you need her specific fire priming to set up a massive detonation. It’s about the math behind the chaos.
The Lords of Fortune Connection
You’ll spend a lot of time talking to Diego. He’s the gatekeeper here. To even get serious about the Hall, you have to progress the "Invitations from the Lords of Fortune" questline. Don't try to rush this the moment it pops up in your journal. If you're under level 20, you’re basically just volunteering to be a punching bag.
Wait.
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Seriously, wait until you have at least your first specialization unlocked. Whether you’re running a Reaper, a Spellblade, or a Veil Ranger, those specialization passives are the difference between clearing a wave in thirty seconds or getting overwhelmed by the third minute.
Breaking Down the Trials
The trials are broken into different categories, and each one demands a different tactical approach. You'll encounter everything from Venatori fanatics to the more "natural" threats of Thedas.
One of the biggest hurdles is the "Trial of the Crow." It’s fast. It’s messy. The enemies here use a lot of mobility, often teleporting or dashing out of your area-of-effect (AoE) circles.
Here is how you handle the different enemy types you'll see:
- The Heavy Hitters: Don't try to parry everything. Some attacks are unblockable (look for that red glint). Dodge toward the enemy, not away. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it puts you in a position to strike their back for critical damage once their animation finishes.
- The Casters: They are your priority. Always. A single unchecked mage in the backline will CC (crowd control) you into oblivion. Use your companion commands to focus fire on them immediately.
- The Swarms: This is where your primers come in. Use a "Sunder" or "Weakened" status effect to soften them up, then hit a detonator to clear the field.
Mastering the Synergy Loop
If you aren't using the tactical pause menu, you're playing on hard mode for no reason. In the Hall of Valor, the action is too fast to rely on real-time reflexes alone. You need to pause, look at who is primed, and manually trigger the detonation.
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For example, if you're playing as a Rogue, you might use your "Toxic Dash" to apply a primer. Then, immediately swap to Neve to use an ice-based ability that detonates that specific status. This creates a massive explosion that deals significantly more damage than any three standard attacks combined. This is the "Veilguard Loop," and the Hall is where you must master it.
Gear Selection Matters More Than You Think
Don't just equip the item with the highest number. Look at the perks. In the Hall of Valor, "Stagger" is king. If you can fill that stagger bar under an enemy's health, you get a takedown. Takedowns give you frames of invincibility and usually deal a massive chunk of health.
Look for runes that increase your stagger rate or reduce the cooldown of your companion's abilities. Having Taash's "Dragon's Roar" available five seconds earlier can literally save your run when you're cornered by three armored brutes.
The Secret to High Scores
If you’re going for the top-tier rewards, speed is your best friend, but staying alive is your boyfriend. You get multipliers for style and efficiency.
- Keep the Chain Going: Don't let the combat timer drop. Move between packs quickly.
- Environmentals: Look for jars or traps. The Hall of Valor is littered with things that go boom. Use them.
- Ultimate Management: Don't waste your Ultimate on a dying mob. Save it for the mini-bosses that spawn at the end of the waves.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most players fail because they get greedy. They see an enemy with 10% health and try to finish them off while ignoring the three archers aiming at their head.
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Also, stop neglecting your companions' gear. Their damage might seem secondary, but their utility is everything. If Bellara is wearing gear that increases her "Electricity" damage, but you have her equipped with "Support" skills, you're wasting potential. Align their equipment with the specific role they play in your Hall of Valor team.
Another thing? Resistance. Check the enemy codex. If you’re fighting Antivan Crows, they have specific resistances compared to the Darkspawn you've been fighting for the last ten hours. Swapping a single rune before you enter the Hall can increase your DPS by 20%. It’s a huge deal.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
Ready to go back in? Do these three things before you talk to Diego again:
First, respec your companions specifically for synergy. If you're a Mage who applies "Weakened," make sure both of your companions have at least one "Detonates Weakened" skill equipped. No exceptions.
Second, upgrade your potions. The Hall is a war of attrition. You need those extra heal slots and the increased healing over time. Visit the apothecary in the Lighthouse and dump your resources there. It’s a better investment than a slightly shinier belt.
Third, practice your parry timing on lower-level mobs in the open world. The Hall of Valor rewards perfect parries with massive amounts of Ultimate charge. If you can parry consistently, you’ll have your "big move" ready for every single wave, making the entire experience significantly less stressful.
Go get those Lords of Fortune tokens. The legendary weapons waiting at the vendor are worth the headache.