Dragon Age: The Veilguard Guide | Heart of Corruption Quest

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, one of the most rewarding sidequests is the Heart of Corruption quest, which you’ll likely encounter on your first visit to The Crossroads. This quest revolves around unlocking a series of sealed gates and defeating powerful enemies to gain access to high-tier rewards.

To complete it, you need to locate and defeat three Champions, each guarding an essence that unlocks a specific gate within The Crossroads. Each gate leads to an intense boss encounter and, ultimately, opens up a fourth gate where you’ll face a formidable final boss. Along the way, you'll find some of the game's best items, including a highly coveted weapon for Rogues.

Prerequisites

To begin, you’ll need to unlock the three primary gates in The Crossroads: the Gate of Deep Sorrows, the Gate of Parched Hopes, and the Gate of Pale Reflections. You’ll find each gate in a distinct section of the map, each guarded by an enemy Champion. Defeating these Champions is essential to progressing through the sidequest, so make sure your party is well-prepared.

Gate of Deep Sorrows

Your journey starts with the Gate of Deep Sorrows. Head to the area near the Antiv Hideout and locate the Champion just across the main courtyard. This Champion encounter is relatively straightforward, but be ready to counter its energy-absorbing shield.

When the boss activates this shield, deal as much damage as possible to break it quickly, preventing it from recharging. Once defeated, collect the Essence and the unique amulet it drops.

This amulet boosts your damage when you’re at low health, but it caps your health at 70%, so consider saving it for later in the game. With the Essence in hand, return to the Gate of Deep Sorrows and unlock it. Defeat the next boss to gain another Essence and advance to the next part of the quest.

Gate of Parched Hopes

To reach the Gate of Parched Hopes, progress the story until you’ve unlocked the Hasburgh Wetlands. Make sure to recruit all party members to access this area. The Champion here is in the Wetlands’ central region and is surrounded by a massive pustule that you’ll need to destroy.

After defeating the Champion, you’ll obtain its Essence, as well as the Andraste’s Will. This item, a reference to Dragon Age: Inquisition, is highly valuable because it turns any affliction damage you deal into burning damage over time.

It’s particularly effective for Rogues, allowing you to apply constant burning damage in place of bleed or necrotic damage. After collecting these rewards, return to The Crossroads and open the Gate of Parched Hopes. As with the previous boss, break its shield as soon as it starts absorbing energy to maximize your damage output.

Gate of Pale Reflections

The last Essence you’ll need is found south of the Hossberg Wetlands Waypoint. This area is relatively easy to access, and you’ll encounter a Champion with a chest nearby containing another unique item.

The item you receive depends on your character class; for example, Rogues receive the Optimist Span, a powerful sword with high physical and stagger damage but with a 30% damage penalty when attacking from the ground.

Mages receive the Light of Stark Heaven, an amulet that significantly boosts weapon damage at max mana, while Warriors receive a unique item tailored to their skills.

After collecting the third Essence, return to The Crossroads to unlock the Gate of Pale Reflections. This boss is notably more challenging than the previous encounters, so prepare accordingly.

Third Gate Encounter

After opening the Gate of Pale Reflections, you’ll face an intense boss fight with a final, tough enemy. This battle requires focus, especially when the boss enters its down phase. If you’re playing as a Rogue, you’ll find the reward here especially valuable: a powerful talon imbued with necrotic damage.

This weapon automatically gains necrotic properties at the start of combat, allowing you to apply necrotic debuffs from the outset. Pair it with Cordova’s Toothpick to stack both necrotic and bleed damage, creating a lethal combination for sustained damage over time.

After collecting all three Essences, you’re ready to face the ultimate boss. Slot each Essence into the final gate to unlock the path, leading you to a climactic showdown with a Revenant dragon. This dragon uses a series of leap and jump attacks to maintain awareness of its patterns.

At 75% and 25% health, it releases a veil that blinds and isolates you from party member abilities, making this phase a test of endurance. Stick close to its feet if you’re melee, but if you’re ranged, you’ll have an easier time evading its attacks. Keep an eye on its breath attacks and continue dodging its physical sweeps to bring down this challenging foe.

Your Rewards

Defeating the Revenant dragon unlocks a treasure chest with a unique item that depends on your class. Rogues receive the Last Resort, which boosts damage with each ability to hit enemies but reduces resistance. This item can be powerful for Warriors, who can endure its defensive trade-offs, while Rogues may find the resistance penalty less favorable.

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