The Isle of the Gods marks a pivotal moment in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, setting the stage for an intense showdown against the forces of tyranny, the Blight, and the Veil. Here, you’ll face a range of foes including Darkspawn, Antaam, Venatori, and mercenaries, leading up to an encounter with Ghilan’nain herself.
With so many enemies around, it doesn’t heavily matter who you bring along, as you can always find someone to target their weaknesses. We recommend selecting a companion with healing skills, as well as pairings that can effectively work together (like one character who can cause explosions). Everything kicks off with a crucial decision.
Davrin or Harding for the Second Team
As you progress, you will frequently face crucial choices, and we have a detailed analysis of every option along with the best companions to select. But first, you must choose between Davrin and Harding. Just a warning: this choice will affect the rest of the game, with the character you select being unavailable moving forward, so pick someone you’re okay with missing out on.
Davrin deals fire damage, which is advantageous but can be overshadowed by Taash. On the other hand, Harding is a versatile option, making her a reliable choice, yet not necessarily the best for your lineup. In this instance, neither is essential, complicating your decision even more.
Spoiler Alert: Major Impacts Ahead
Proceed only if you’re ready for significant spoilers.
At the conclusion of this mission, depending on your choice, one companion will make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the group, meaning there’s no way to complete the mission without one of either Harding or Davrin (plus Assan, who goes down with them).
After this choosing moment, you’ll find yourself in combat along the beach. This section is generally straightforward, so ensure you have your companion to provide healing, and it shouldn’t pose much of a challenge.
Bellara or Neve to Take Down the Magic Wards
Similar to the previous decision, you will encounter choices that can lead to potential spoilers. We’ll keep it straightforward: whoever you pick here will also be off-limits until the end of the game. If Neve has been Hardened, she’s the better choice since she won’t possess her healing abilities. If not, the decision is up to you. Both options come equipped with healing and control skills, so it boils down to personal preference.
However, be aware that if you opt for Neve, you’ll end up losing one of either Emmrich or Lucanis, while choosing Bellara will result in losing Emmrich or Taash instead.
Spoiler Alert: Significant Consequences Ahead
Only read if you’re okay with encountering major spoilers.
Either way, the stakes are less critical here. The companion you select will be captured and will need rescuing later, and you won’t be able to add them back to your party, so choose carefully.
Following this, combat gets progressively tougher. You’ll want to focus on the Boils first when battling Darkspawn and prioritize taking out the Emissaries to avoid hazardous traps across the battlefield.
How to Defeat Ghilan’nain
When you confront Ghilan’nain, you’ll start off alone, facing waves of Darkspawn that just keep coming. It’s vital to defend yourself against being overwhelmed, but your main priority should be tackling the Blight. The only exceptions are Javelineers and Hurlock Blighters, as they cause significant area damage, complicating your movements. While it’s important to combat any threats, your key goal here is survival and eliminating the Blight.
Importantly, you do not have to battle Ghilan’nain directly. Once you deplete her Blight Shield, a cutscene will trigger, concluding the quest, so be liberal with your health potions—don’t save them for later.
When the battle commences, start by attacking the first Boil immediately to your left. Then, proceed up the steps next to it for your next Boil. The third is found at the bottom of those same steps. Afterward, focus on the Blight surrounding Ghilan’nain to free your first companion.
Assign your ally to tackle the toughest Darkspawn as you clear the area. Move to the opposite end of the arena, targeting the Blight there. Another Boil is positioned at the foot of the steps, so be sure to eliminate it as well.
After you’ve dealt with the Blight near Ghilan’nain, your second companion will be freed.
Next, head to the center back of the arena for another Blight Boil. Ascend the central stairs, where you’ll find the second Boil on an arch and the third at the bottom. Attack the Blight on the island near Ghilan’nain and then target the opposite side of the steps below.
With that completed, move to eliminate the Blight around Ghilan’nain again, freeing Harding or Davrin, depending on who you selected earlier. They won’t fight alongside you but will be essential for the next phase.
Head back to the area of the first Boil, where a new one will have become visible. Step back slightly and aim at the right of the arch on the stairs. This will destroy the Blight, causing another Boil to activate next to the first. Clear that one out too, followed by tackling the Boil located on the opposite side of the stairs.
Now, you can attack the Blight surrounding Ghilan’nain to wrap up the quest. Enjoy the cutscene, and perhaps reflect on whether or not you checked those spoiler warnings earlier.