So, you’re looking at the Dragon Age Veilguard trophies and wondering if BioWare is going to make you suffer like they did back in the Inquisition days. Remember those Nightmare difficulty runs? Or trying to track down every single shard in the Hinterlands just to realize you missed one tiny corner of the map? Honestly, the good news is that The Veilguard takes a much more relaxed approach to its trophy list. It’s less about punishing your reflexes and more about rewarding you for actually living in the world they built.
You aren't going to find any "Finish the game on the hardest difficulty" trophies here. That’s a massive shift. Usually, RPGs of this scale gate the Platinum behind a grueling permadeath mode or a difficulty spike that forces you to cheese the AI. Instead, BioWare wants you to focus on the companions, the lore, and the specific combat mechanics that make Rook feel like a powerhouse.
The Big Ones: Factions and Companions
The heart of the Dragon Age Veilguard trophies lies in your relationships. It’s a Dragon Age game, after all. If you aren't talking to your crew, are you even playing? The trophy "A Memory of False Gods" and others tied to the main plot are unmissable, but the real meat is in the loyalty missions. Each companion—Neve, Lucanis, Bellara, Taash, Emmrich, Davrin, and Harding—has a specific trophy tied to their personal arc.
You need to complete their entire questline to unlock these. It’s not just busy work. These missions actually change the outcome of the finale. If you skip them, not only do you miss the trophies, but you’re probably going to have a bad time when the credits roll. It’s a narrative-driven list. You’ll also need to reach the maximum bond level with your teammates. This isn't just about picking the "nice" dialogue options. It’s about bringing them on missions where their specific skills matter.
Then there are the factions. You've got the Grey Wardens, the Shadow Dragons, the Lords of Fortune, the Mourn Watch, the Antivan Crows, and the Veil Jumpers. Each one has a "reputation" meter. To snag the trophies related to these groups, you have to do their side content and turn in valuables to their specific merchants. It's a bit of a grind, but it's the "good" kind of grind where you're seeing new environments rather than just killing 500 wolves in a field.
Combat Trophies That Actually Require Effort
While there's no difficulty trophy, some of the combat-related Dragon Age Veilguard trophies require a bit of finesse. You can't just button-mash your way to a Platinum. Take the "Precise Shot" or timing-based trophies. They want you to engage with the parry system and the primer/detonator combo mechanics.
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If you played Mass Effect, you know the drill. One character primes an enemy with a status effect (like Sundered or Weakened), and another detonates it with a specific ability. There is a trophy specifically for performing these combos. It’s basically the game's way of checking if you're actually using your companions' abilities or just letting them stand there like statues.
- The Dragon Hunter: You’ll need to take down the high dragons scattered across Northern Thedas. These are the "boss" trophies. They aren't easy, but they are spectacular.
- Master of the Veil: This is the big one. The Platinum. It requires you to collect every other trophy in the game.
- Rook’s Signature: You need to fully upgrade your gear. This involves a lot of crafting materials, so don't ignore those shiny nodes on the ground while you're running through Arlathan Forest.
The Collectible Grind (It’s Not That Bad)
We need to talk about the "Careful Artistry" trophy and the various collection tasks. In many open-world games, this is where players give up. Nobody wants to find 100 hidden feathers. In The Veilguard, the collectibles are largely tied to the Fen'Harel altars and the Evanuris statues.
The statues provide permanent stat boosts or health increases. This makes the hunt feel rewarding rather than like a chore. You're getting stronger while working toward the trophy. There are also the "Memories" you find throughout the world. These flesh out the backstory of Solas and the elven gods. If you’re a lore nerd, you’d be doing this anyway. The trophy is just a nice bonus.
One thing people often miss is the "Enhancements" trophy. You need to slot runes into your weapons. Runes are found in hidden chests or bought from faction vendors. Make sure you’re checking every nook and cranny of the Lighthouse. The Lighthouse evolves as the game goes on, and new rooms open up with secrets that count toward your total completion.
Where Most Players Get Stuck
The trickiest part of the Dragon Age Veilguard trophies involves the "King of the Hill" or similar area-specific challenges. Some trophies are tied to hidden bosses that only appear after you've completed certain world events. For example, some of the Blighted heart encounters won't trigger until you've progressed the main story to a specific point.
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Don't panic if you can't find a boss listed in a guide. Just keep playing. Most things in this game aren't "missable" in the traditional sense, but the world state does change. It's always a good idea to keep a few manual saves at the start of each major "Act" just in case.
Another sticking point is the "Crowd Pleaser" trophy related to the Lords of Fortune. It requires a high level of fame in the Hall of Valor. This is the game's arena mode. You’ll be fighting waves of enemies with specific modifiers. If you haven't been upgrading your gear, this is where the game will kick your teeth in.
Nuance in Difficulty and Accessibility
It is worth noting that BioWare included a "Combat Research" or "Unbound" difficulty setting. You can literally toggle your invincibility if you just want the story. And guess what? It doesn't block the trophies. This is a controversial move for some "hardcore" trophy hunters who feel it devalues the Platinum. However, from an accessibility standpoint, it’s a win.
Whether you beat a High Dragon on the hardest setting or with "God Mode" on, the trophy pops the same. This makes The Veilguard one of the most accessible Platinums in the entire RPG genre. The challenge isn't in the execution, but in the exploration and the commitment to the characters.
Actionable Steps for the Platinum Run
If you want that Platinum without playing the game twice, follow this logic. First, always talk to your companions after every major mission. Look for the exclamation points in the Lighthouse. If you ignore them, you risk locking yourself out of their final loyalty missions.
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Second, don't sell your valuables immediately. Some items are needed for specific faction hand-ins that boost your reputation faster than just doing quests. Check the merchant requirements before you dump your inventory for gold.
Finally, focus on the "detonation" combos early. It’s easier to farm these on low-level mooks in the early game than trying to figure out the timing against endgame bosses who move like they've had ten espressos.
- Prioritize the "Harding's Romance" or other companion arcs early to ensure you hit the max bond.
- Clear the Fen'Harel altars as you see them. Backtracking to old maps is the biggest time-sink in the game.
- Upgrade the Blacksmith at the Lighthouse as soon as possible. You can't get the gear trophies without a high-level shop.
- Keep an eye on the "Mourn Watch" quests. They have some of the most obscure trigger points in the game, often requiring you to read specific notes in the Necropolis.
The Dragon Age Veilguard trophies are a celebration of the series' return to form. They encourage you to see the sights, pet the griffon (yes, there's a trophy-related interaction for that indirectly via companion quests), and understand the complicated history of Tevinter. It’s a manageable, rewarding list that respects your time while demanding you actually pay attention to the world of Thedas.
Next Steps for Completionists
Start by focusing on the Shadow Dragons and Grey Wardens faction missions in the first ten hours. These unlock the travel nodes you'll need for the later, more complex collectible hunts. Also, make sure you are actively swapping your party members. If you stick with the same two people for the whole game, you will reach the end with zero progress on the other five companions' bond trophies, forcing a massive grind right before the final boss. Reach Level 50, finish the loyalty quests, and the Platinum is essentially yours.