Like many recent RPGs, Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers players more than just its main storyline; it features numerous hidden bosses, including the formidable Betrayal of Felassen. This high-level boss is part of the “Heart of Corruption” questline, which you’ll encounter early in your journey but will take most of the game to fully complete. The specific sub-quest involving the Betrayal is titled “Gate of Deep Sorrows” and can be found in the Converged City within the Crossroads.
In the “Gate of Deep Sorrows” questline, you’ll face two bosses, with the Betrayal of Felassen being the second. Fortunately, the first boss you encounter is only level 25, so you should be equipped to tackle it by the time you recruit Taash. It’s essential to pick up the “Heart of Corruption” quest in the Crossroads before facing the Betrayal.
How to Locate the Betrayal of Felassen
Find the Gate of Deep Sorrows and Defeat Desmal, Bloodbound to Elgar’nan
Begin your journey in Treviso using the Crow hideout fast-travel point. From there, take the zipline across the rooftops and look for an opening in the building where you land. It should be to your right, and you’ll spot a few Venatori enemies through the gap.
Here is where you’ll encounter Desmal. It’s advisable to eliminate the Venatori enemies first, as they will complicate the battle. After dealing with them, burst the large, cyst-like Blight located at the back of the arena to summon Desmal, Bloodbound to Elgar’nan. Desmal is a Blighted orc and can be a tough opponent if you’re unprepared. If you’re playing as a warrior, consider using a Reaper build in DA: Veilguard for enhanced damage and sustainability.
As mentioned, Desmal is level 25 and vulnerable to Fire damage, so have Taash or Devrin in your party before you start the fight. Be wary of Desmal’s powerful slam attacks; he will attempt to close the distance and deal explosive damage. Stay out of his reach and be ready to dodge, or arm yourself for brutal melee combat. Additionally, he can summon smaller Blights that spawn Darkspawn if you fail to destroy them quickly.
Remember to leverage the detonations from your skills and those of your allies. They can deal extra damage and even trap additional enemies within the area of effect burst.
Once you’ve defeated Desmal, you’ll gain a Champion Essence along with other loot. After collecting the Champion Essence, head to the location marked on your map in the Converged City. Before you can access the Blight gate, you’ll need to use a wisp to unlock a nearby portcullis and take down General Rathera, a straightforward task. Afterward, you can unlock the Blight gate and prepare to face the Betrayal of Felassen.
How to Overcome the Betrayal of Felassen
This Spear and Shield User Wants to Be In Your Face
Upon entering the arena behind the Blight gate, you’ll challenge the Betrayal of Felassen, a foe familiar to anyone who has completed Solas’ memories necessary for the secret ending in Veilguard. This boss is relatively slow and at level 32, can likely be defeated without excessive difficulty. The Betrayal of Felassen is weak against Necrotic damage while being resistant to Cold, making Emmrich and Lucanis excellent choices for companions.
Much like Desmal, the Betrayal focuses on melee attacks. It has a variety of painful moves, detailed in Horizon Gaming‘s YouTube video on encountering the boss. Keep an eye out for these specific attacks:
|
Attack |
Tip |
|---|---|
|
Shield Bash |
The Betrayal’s shield bash may not deal significant damage, but it can knock you down if not dodged. |
|
Slam Attack |
Watch for a large red circle as the Betrayal prepares to slam its spear into the ground, which can knock you over and cause damage. |
|
Frost Pulses |
When low on health, the Betrayal will crouch, raise its shield, and release large Cold damage projectiles. They move slowly but inflict heavy damage, so avoid being cornered. |
|
Spear Swipe |
The Betrayal performs a wide spear swing. This slow attack is manageable to dodge. |
The Betrayal will summon various undead during the battle. If left unchecked, these minions can become an annoyance. You can either multitask by dealing with them while fighting the boss or assign your companions to focus on the Betrayal while you handle the adds. At one point, the Betrayal may try to absorb power from a tear in the Fade to heal itself. Disrupt its barrier to stop this healing.
Like other smaller undead enemies in Veilguard, the Betrayal wields a shield that protects it from incoming damage. To effectively maneuver around it, try to position yourself behind the Betrayal as much as possible. This strategy can help mitigate the worst of its attacks while allowing you to deal damage.
While the Betrayal of Felassen is resistant to Cold damage, consider using Neve’s Control magic for crowd control. If you’re swarmed by the Betrayal’s melee assaults, extra CC can help clear space.
After defeating the Betrayal of Felassen, you will be rewarded with five Etheric Remnants, 100 Mourn Watch Strength, one Revenant Essence, and access to a Unique Chest. This chest will contain “The Burden,” a Unique Amulet that grants +20% extra damage when at low health, with the added benefit that the “low health” status triggers sooner. However, the drawback of this amulet is that your health cannot exceed 70%. This makes it ideal for a glass cannon build.
If you’re following along with the “Heart of Corruption” questline, there are more bosses awaiting your challenge, each with similar “Gate of XYZ” titles. If not, you’ve completed the “Gate of Deep Sorrows” questline and can move on to other side quests, companion missions, or the main story. There is plenty to explore and enjoy in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, so dive in and make the most of your adventure!
Video Credit: Horizon Gaming/YouTube
