Best Warrior build: Two-Handed Highest damage - Dragon Age: Origins (DAO)

This time I prepared a two-handed warrior build that has 93 strength at level 20. Trust me, the damage output of this is insane. Coupled with certain items, you can spam skills and kill normal enemies with 2-3 hits. The build is pure damage dealer with Heavy armor, ripping everything that comes close to it. Everything works on Nightmare difficulty

Let us go through the build

Attributes

• Dexterity - minimal investment. This attribute will increase your Attack value. However, this build mainly uses active abilities. They do not need dexterity as they always hit.

• Strength – put all the points into this attribute, no reason to spend on anything else. Due to how the game works you should be getting hp and defense from your armors sufficiently

• Willpower - occasional point. The build mostly uses talents and they cost stamina. Having more will allow using special two-handed attacks for longer.

You should not be putting any of your points elsewhere. Doing “The Fade: Lost in Dreams” will provide you with additional Cunning needed for Master Coercion – if you plan to use it. So I suggest doing the Circle quest first

Skills

Depends on what you plan to use or play. You should definitely get level 1 pickpocketing for additional questline in Denerim.

Get maximum Combat training, you will need it for Two-handed weapon skills.

Pick Coercion if you will like to persuade some NPCs to get additional rewards. Use “Tome of Skill and Sundry” to get points faster

Specializations

Your main priority is damage output. So the first specialization will be Berserker. You get +2 strength and access to talents which will increase your DPS even more.

The second specialization should be Champion. Your priority is getting the Warcy and Superiority talents, which I will explain their use case later on

Talents and Spells

• Take all the talents which increase your damage. That is the main priority. You should be trying to get 3-4 talents from the Two-Handed weapon tree which deal damage, as you will constantly use skills.

• Take the whole Two-Handed tree

• Take the first row of the Warrior tree. Deathblow will restore stamina after you kill an enemy. And you will be killing a lot of enemies. This is needed to sustain active skill usage

• Berserker tree will provide you with a sustained ability that increases your damage.

• Save the champion tree for last in the game, your aim is to use Warcry to knock down enemies when you will jump into the fight. Because usually, you will be running before the tank

Here is how I recommend allocating ability points during the progression:

Order	Skill	Description
1	Pommel Strike	Although this ability is not strong, it is great early in the game as you can knock out an enemy.
2	Mighty Blow	A strong early-game ability that ensures that you deal a critical hit
3	Powerful	We want to get this ability early in the game as it increases Warden's health and reduces the fatigue penalty from wearing heavy armors.
4	Indomitable	We take this for progression
5	Powerful Swings	One of your main sustained abilities. It will increase your damage but reduce the attack value.
6	Two-Handed Strength	Decreases the penalty to attack when Powerful Swings are active
7	Stunning Blows	This passive ability gives a chance that your attacks may stun an enemy.
8	Berserk	This sustained ability will increase Warden's damage, but reduce stamina regeneration
9	Resilience	With this upgrade, Berserk will provide bonus health regeneration
10	Constraint	Reduces Berserk ability's penalty to stamina regeneration
11	Critical Strike	This ability ensures that if your hit lands it is a critical hit. It enables it to deal large amounts of damage.
12	Two-Handed Sweep	A strong AOE ability that can be used to knock out enemies in front of the Warden
13	Final Blow	Berserker ability that drains all stamina, but as a result, gives bonus damage to a single hit
14	Sunder Arms	We mainly take this for progression
15	Shattering Blows	We mainly take this for progression
16	Sunder Armor	Reduces enemy armor value. Good against opponents with high HP
17	Destroyer	A passive that makes a normal attack decreases the enemy armor value
18	War Cry	This ability will reduce enemy attack and defense values. It will allow Warden to land hits easier on enemies
19	Rally	We mainly take this for progression
20	Motivate	We mainly take this for progression
21	Superiority	Allows War Cry ability to knock out enemies if a physical resistance check is passed
22	Threaten	We mainly take this for progression
23	Bravery	Increases Warden's physical and mental resistances and gives bonus damage
24	Death Blow	After each enemy kill you will restore a portion of your stamina.

Gear

In this section, I will go through the recommended gear for this Warden build. Your aim is to get all items that increase strength, stamina and decreases your Fatigue. Because you will be constantly spamming skills. 

Weapons

Item	Details
Chasind Great Maul	An extremely good maul. It provides increased damage, three rune slots, and an increase in stamina. Perfect for a build that uses many active abilities
Nug Crusher	If you play Return to Ostagar early, you can get this Maul. It gives increases dexterity and stamina.
Starfang (Greatsword)	This greatsword increases your attack, perfect synergy with Powerful Swings
Dragonbone Cleaver	To get this axe you will need to play WItch Hunt DLC and kill Varterral

Helmets

Item	Details
Helm of Honnleath	This is the best helmet in the game. It is THE BEST option. It will increase Warden's damage and stamina
Corruption Helm	Although this is an extremely good helmet, you obtain it close to the end of the game. It will boost dexterity allowing Warden to avoid more enemy attacks, especially if you chose him as a tank.
Cailan's Helm	Use the helmet together with the Cailan's armor set. The helmet gives bonus armor and mental resistance
Executioner’s Helm	This helmet provides bonus stamina so that Warden could use more active abilities
Bergen’s Honor	Great helmet that you can buy in the Party Camp. Not only does it boost your defensive stats but it also provides a bonus attack. This results in fewer attacks being missed while Powerful Swings are active
Helm of the Deep	Boost to the constitution for a bigger HP pool. A great helmet as you earn it for free early in the game

Armors

For armor, early to mid-game, you can equip the Cailan armor set or Warden Commander Armor Set.

However, by the end of the game, you should be running with Wade Superior Heavy Dragonscale armor set or Legion of the Dead armor set. The first one allows to lower fatigue with the set. The second set greatly increases damage.

Item	Details
Armor of the Legion	Part of the Legion of the Dead armor set that boosts damage. The armor by itself provides 3 willpower allowing to have a larger stamina pool
Evon the Great’s Mail	Counts toward Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale armor set. Provides larger bonuses than base armor
Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale Armor	If you cannot afford Evon the Great’s Mail, go for this one as it will come with the crafted set
Cailan's Breastplate	Use the armor together with the Cailan's armor set. The chest piece gives additional armor and physical resistance
Warden Commander Armor	Use it together with the Warden Commander Armor set. The armor provides stamina regeneration and armor
Blood Dragon plate	I recommend using this armor early in the game because you get it with the Ultimate Edition and no investment is needed. Later on, switch it with one of the armor sets mentioned above

Gloves

Item	Details
Gloves of the Legion	Part of the Legion of the Dead armor set
Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale Gauntlets	Use it for Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale armor set.
Cailan's Gauntlets	Use it together with the Cailan's armor set. The gloves will be effective with a Critical Strike ability.
Warden Commander Gloves	Equip together with the Warden Commander armor set. The gloves give a bonus of 10% fire resistance

Boots

Item	Details
Boots of the Legion	Part of the Legion of the Dead armor set. unfortunately, the boots by themselves, do not provide any bonuses
Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale Boots	Use it together with other Wade's Superior Heavy Dragonscale armor set items.
Cailan's Greaves	Use it together with the Cailan's armor set. The boots provide additional armor.
Warden Commander Boots	Equip together with the Warden Commander armor set. The boots give a bonus of 50 stamina

Belts

Item	Details
Andruil’s Blessing	The best belt in the game provides a large boost to all stats and gives stamina regeneration
Cinch of Skillful Maneuvering	You get this belt after you finish Witch Hunt DLC. So it may not be accessible to everyone. It provides +1 to all attributes
Dalish Hunter's Belt	Provides bonus stamina regeneration. Good belt to allow Warden to use more abilities.
Dwarven Warrior's Belt	This belt can only be obtained if your main character has Dwarven commoner origin. It provides a bonus to armor and strength

Amulets

The High Regard of House Dace is the last recommended amulet. The build's main focus is strength and that amulet, unfortunately, does not provide much of it.

Item	Details
Pearl of the Anointed	+1 to all attributes, good all-around amulet
Heart of Witherfang	This amulet gives +1 to strength, although you will have to kill Witherfang
The High Regard of House Dace	You could call this an overpowered amulet. It gives a lot of cunning, stamina, stamina regeneration, etc. However, to get it you need to finish Golems of Amgarrak DLC.

Rings

Item	Details
Key to the City	As this is one of the best rings in the game it may be taken by the main character. However, if there is a possibility, equip it on Warden for +2 to all attributes
Dawn Ring	This ring is extremely good and provides +4 to strength. Unfortunately, it is available quite late in the game
Harvest Festival Ring	Equip this ring if you want Warden to deal more damage and miss fewer attacks.
Ring of the Warrior	Similar to Harvest Festival Ring, however, does not provide a bonus attack
Lloyd's Magic Ring	The ring can be obtained in Redcliffe Village. it provides +2 strength
The Lucky Stone	Another good ring, that provides +1 to all attributes.

Tactics

You should always have Powerful Swings and Berserk active. This will maximize your damage. Moreover, this build does not rely on basic attacks, they will most likely miss. You constantly need to use active abilities.

1. At the start of the fight, I would usually run in front of the party (even before the tank).
2. As I would be surrounded by enemies I would use Warcry.
3. After that Two-Handed sweep.
4. Now, most of the enemies would be knocked down and use your abilities on each of them: Mighty Blow, Critical Strike, etc. Usually, 2 skills are enough to take down a normal enemy.

In case you fight a mage, it is also a good idea to use Pommel Strike which would interrupt their casting.

Conclusion

This build is a pure damage beast and should be really fun for those that like this type of gameplay.

Please leave your opinion below in the discussion section on the build :)