If you’re an achievement hunter like me then you like to 100% your games if possible. So imagine my horror when playing through the Veilguard and reading from multiple sources that you could only get the “best” ending in the game if you saved Minrathous over Treviso. And if you save Minrathous over Treviso you get locked out of the Lucanis romance cause apparently that pisses him off.

Fear not, as I managed to 100% the game all while still saving Treviso in the process. The key to getting the best ending in the game is raising all factions to 3 stars. An event early on in the game has you choosing to save either Minrathous or Treviso. A lot of articles stated that you must save Minrathous or you won’t be able to raise it’s faction strength enough. You lose access to the faction vendor in the city you choose not to save. I also read that players would be locked out of the achievement “The Soul of a City” for aiding the Shadow Dragons. This is not true.

The achievements “The Soul of a City” is tied to raising the Shadow Faction to 3 star strength. The achievement “The Ones That Last” is tied to completing the game while saving as many of your companions and faction leaders as possible in the final battle. This involves having all factions at 3 star strength and all of you companions labeled as “Hero of the Veilguard”. Both are possible no matter which city you decide to save.

Maxing Out Faction Strength

The key to raising the faction strength of the city you did not save involves visiting a vendor in The Crossroads. A wisp merchant there will be tied to the faction you no longer have access to. You will also be able to buy the wares for your related companion at this vendor, either Neve or Lucanis, depending on which city is destroyed.

To max out a faction at 3 stars you will need to raise the strength to 2900. This can be done through quests tied to that city or the companion tied to that faction. You can also sell valuables to the faction vendors to make up any differences needed. Some valuables are worth more to each faction depending on the item.

That’s really all there is to it. You can still do quests for the city you chose not to save as well as the associated companion.

Hero of the Veilguard

Getting the best ending in the game also requires you to have every companion raised to “Hero of the Veilguard” status. Companions do not need to be level 10. You simply need to complete all of their personal quests. If you do want to raise every character to level 10, make sure you’re taking them with you while you explore. Combat and completing quests also provides XP to companions. You can also visit the Hall of Valor and fight in the arena if you’re really just wanting to grind companions to max level. Again this isn’t necessary but an option for players that want their companions maxed.

If you do choose to save Treviso over Minrathous you can still romance Neve. She doesn’t hold as much of a grudge as Lucanis. It’s also easier to raise the faction strength of Treviso as they don’t take as much of a hit when their city is destroyed.

Make sure as you play the game you are completing side quests before moving onto main missions and you will earn all achievements in the game no problem. Play how you want and have fun. You won’t be locked out of anything. Getting the best ending means actually playing the game, raising your allies to max strength and helping your companions work through their personal struggles to help with the final battle!

If you haven’t yet, check out our in depth Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review.