I think I'd follow almost the same route for Blackwall. Shield and Sword and Champion abilities maxed with Vanguard points. Iron Bull would get the Two-Handed and Reaver trees maxed.
When I think of it, I don't think I've seen the Battle master tree at all. Might be able to put some points in there.
Edit: I've seen it, just didn't know much about it, but points may get allocated here.
One other thing... if we can't go backwards, then you can't take the passive on the right side without taking Payback Strike first... I would advise against that and instead go with Harpoon -> Crippling Blows -> Coup De Grace in Battlemaster.... at least that is my plan for any points above 25. Harpoon can unlock 4 passives in Battlemaster with only 1 wasted point (Harpoon), so that's a pretty good deal...
Yessssssssssss.
I think I'd follow almost the same route for Blackwall. Shield and Sword and Champion abilities maxed with Vanguard points. Iron Bull would get the Two-Handed and Reaver trees maxed.
When I think of it, I don't think I've seen the Battle master tree at all. Might be able to put some points in there.
Edit: I've seen it, just didn't know much about it, but points may get allocated here.
Battlemaster is a decent support tree... I think the Horn of Valor buff is pretty good, and the passives are easy to access... whatever the other Horn does (the one on the bottom right), it will probably be decent as well... all in all, it's a nice tree to spend a few points in.
I'm actually going to invest in this tree with Iron Bull... lol... I'm going to have him pull people in with Harpoon and then Shield Bash them backwards when they are in range... xD
Battlemaster is a decent support tree... I think the Horn of Valor buff is pretty good, and the passives are easy to access... whatever the other Horn does (the one on the bottom right), it will probably be decent as well... all in all, it's a nice tree to spend a few points in.
I'm actually going to invest in this tree with Iron Bull... lol... I'm going to have him pull people in with Harpoon and then Shield Bash them backwards when they are in range... xD
Oooooooo, sounds like fun. I'm making Bull a Sword and Shield guy too.
Also, for some reason, I feel like I saw the other Horn within the past few days, but can't remember where.
Oooooooo, sounds like fun. I'm making Bull a Sword and Shield guy too.
Also, for some reason, I feel like I saw the other Horn within the past few days, but can't remember where.
Eh... you mean you saw the actual skill and not the icon? 
Battlemaster is a decent support tree... I think the Horn of Valor buff is pretty good, and the passives are easy to access... whatever the other Horn does (the one on the bottom right), it will probably be decent as well... all in all, it's a nice tree to spend a few points in.
I'm actually going to invest in this tree with Iron Bull... lol... I'm going to have him pull people in with Harpoon and then Shield Bash them backwards when they are in range... xD
The harpoon looks amazing, and painful. The upgrade allows the warrior to kick the pulled in foe, so that should prove beneficial.
From time to time on missions, I need to take Cassandra and Iron Bull with me as a mage, and a rogue (Varric, maybe). This way Cass has some close back up while two ranged characters hit the rest.
Eh... you mean you saw the actual skill and not the icon?
Yes, and I can't remember where the eff that I saw it. I'm trying to find it now.
The harpoon looks amazing, and painful. The upgrade allows the warrior to kick the pulled in foe, so that should prove beneficial.
From time to time on missions, I need to take Cassandra and Iron Bull with me as a mage, and a rogue (Varric, maybe). This way Cass has some close back up while two ranged characters hit the rest.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that upgrade... that would be pretty good alongside the passive that increased damage against knocked down enemies.
I'm also going to switch the party up a lot. As long as I have 1 person from each class to access secret areas, it should be fine... plus, I want to hear a lot of different banter. Traveling with the same people all the time in DA2 got a little boring when they ran out of things to say to one another...
Oh yeah, I forgot about that upgrade... that would be pretty good alongside the passive that increased damage against knocked down enemies.
I'm also going to switch the party up a lot. As long as I have 1 person from each class to access secret areas, it should be fine... plus, I want to hear a lot of different banter. Traveling with the same people all the time in DA2 got a little boring when they ran out of things to say to one another...
Yes, I love some good banter myself.
Also mixing up some of the companions, and seeing how their abilities work together will turn out some compelling results.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that upgrade... that would be pretty good alongside the passive that increased damage against knocked down enemies.
I'm also going to switch the party up a lot. As long as I have 1 person from each class to access secret areas, it should be fine... plus, I want to hear a lot of different banter. Traveling with the same people all the time in DA2 got a little boring when they ran out of things to say to one another...
I can't wait to hear all the banter! Once I unlock a new area I plan on switching it up each time I head back to camp to refill on potions. Every time I enter a dungeon or go to finish a specific mission I'll craft my team carefully to make sure we can open all the secret areas, but I'm really looking forward to 3 mages and a rogue exploration team. My DA2 "A" team was always Aveline/Varric/Merrill and the banter wasn't that great but we kicked ass. My "B" team of Fenris/Anders/Isabella was much more fun to listen to.
Icy be a good lad and make me a 2H warrior build!
Icy be a good lad and make me a 2H warrior build!
A two-handed Templar, eh? Glad that you've finally seen the light. 
Maybe Starkhaven will have you now that you've denounced Tevinter? I hear it's a fine place for the pious...
A two-handed Templar, eh? Glad that you've finally seen the light.
Templar? Excuse me but I don't think so. Read my signature! *ahem* Besides I told you already a true warrior rolls Reaver eating chunks of your enemies and drinking their blood from their still beating hearts!
Templar? Excuse me but I don't think so. Read my signature! *ahem* Besides I told you already a true warrior rolls Reaver eating chunks of your enemies and drinking their blood from their still beating hearts!
Yuck! Um, yeah... I'll get to that build right after I find a place to barf. 
I realize the conversation has mostly moved on, but I just got a chance to come back. Considering all the other changes, especially where we don't actually 'buy' are specializations, and they aren't there when you lvl up. I don't think Companion specializations just 'ding on' at 7 Eluvianus. Like I said, semi-recent thing I'm pretty sure Mike mentioned it being a story beat, not just leveling up.
I do NOT think we have to do 9 quests, one for each companion, that's a little silly. I'm sure each one has a quest or 2 for us to do that's oriented around them. But like I was saying - the story beat that triggers us having access to picking a specialization (they've said we get to see the trees somehow prior to picking) is the same thing that triggers the companions getting theres.
Way I'm thinking it might work involves a single story bit that points out we could have access to additional training, everyone does there own thing and we get to pick if we even want to. That's how it sounds like it works to me. Another thing, just from a development standpoint, but having a specialization just crop up - completely out of the blue just cause you happened to hit a level point for all your companions, but not the player is... easily overlooked. It would confuse a lot of people. If it was a story point and pointed out your companions went and got them selves additional training? Little less confusing for the masses.
As far as DAO, they already had it, and DA2, as you've pointed out they again already had the tree there. It was just a matter of looking at it and going 'ah right, lvl 7 I get access to this'.
I realize the conversation has mostly moved on, but I just got a chance to come back. Considering all the other changes, especially where we don't actually 'buy' are specializations, and they aren't there when you lvl up. I don't think Companion specializations just 'ding on' at 7 Eluvianus. Like I said, semi-recent thing I'm pretty sure Mike mentioned it being a story beat, not just leveling up.
I do NOT think we have to do 9 quests, one for each companion, that's a little silly. I'm sure each one has a quest or 2 for us to do that's oriented around them. But like I was saying - the story beat that triggers us having access to picking a specialization (they've said we get to see the trees somehow prior to picking) is the same thing that triggers the companions getting theres.
Way I'm thinking it might work involves a single story bit that points out we could have access to additional training, everyone does there own thing and we get to pick if we even want to. That's how it sounds like it works to me. Another thing, just from a development standpoint, but having a specialization just crop up - completely out of the blue just cause you happened to hit a level point for all your companions, but not the player is... easily overlooked. It would confuse a lot of people. If it was a story point and pointed out your companions went and got them selves additional training? Little less confusing for the masses.
As far as DAO, they already had it, and DA2, as you've pointed out they again already had the tree there. It was just a matter of looking at it and going 'ah right, lvl 7 I get access to this'.
They could just have companion specializations trigger after their personal quest.
It's possible, hell just about anything is. Way it sounded (think it was ... 3 streams ago? Need to go re-watch) that there was just some story beat that brings specializations into attention. Personally, I think it would be strange if we had to do a quest for say, getting access to Templar for are selves... then had to go do some story for Cassandra before she learned Templar abilities.
I highly, HIGHLY doubt we would do Cassandra's quest to 'learn' Templar training. They've been rather clear in that companions don't train us in are specializations. Which, granted, her quest (as just the continued hypothetical example) could lead to us 'both' gaining training or access to said training. I still think it's a single story beat that results in all the companions getting access to their specializations and the option is, at the same time, presented to the Inquisitor if he would like to pursue extra training as well.
To me, this would explain why - as again Cass as my example - she gains training in Templar abilities. I mean sure she could of already had them, but she wasn't a Templar to begin with. So, I mean... I dunno. Curious to see how we get access to specializations in the first place since that's still a mystery.
It's possible, hell just about anything is. Way it sounded (think it was ... 3 streams ago? Need to go re-watch) that there was just some story beat that brings specializations into attention. Personally, I think it would be strange if we had to do a quest for say, getting access to Templar for are selves... then had to go do some story for Cassandra before she learned Templar abilities.
I highly, HIGHLY doubt we would do Cassandra's quest to 'learn' Templar training. They've been rather clear in that companions don't train us in are specializations. Which, granted, her quest (as just the continued hypothetical example) could lead to us 'both' gaining training or access to said training. I still think it's a single story beat that results in all the companions getting access to their specializations and the option is, at the same time, presented to the Inquisitor if he would like to pursue extra training as well.
To me, this would explain why - as again Cass as my example - she gains training in Templar abilities. I mean sure she could of already had them, but she wasn't a Templar to begin with. So, I mean... I dunno. Curious to see how we get access to specializations in the first place since that's still a mystery.
Cassandra's spec description mention that the Seekers of Truth taught those skills to the Templars. This mean the spec should be called Seeker really.
As for Companion not having them right away, Mike or Cameron said on twitter not long ago that we could preview the specs on companions. That require that we can see all of them before we get the quests to unlock the one our character will use.
Cassandra's spec description mention that the Seekers of Truth taught those skills to the Templars. This mean the spec should be called Seeker really.
As for Companion not having them right away, Mike or Cameron said on twitter not long ago that we could preview the specs on companions. That require that we can see all of them before we get the quests to unlock the one our character will use.
Well I for one completely missed that. That's actually quite interesting, is that a new addition to the lore on Templars?
The description is actually quite interesting, I wonder if they will attempt to expand on the role of lyrium when it comes to Templar skills, Cass like Alistair, the Warden and Hawke seems to be able use those skills without lyrium.
Well I for one completely missed that. That's actually quite interesting, is that a new addition to the lore on Templars?
The description is actually quite interesting, I wonder if they will attempt to expand on the role of lyrium when it comes to Templar skills, Cass like Alistair, the Warden and Hawke seems to be able use those skills without lyrium.
We could call it "new lore", but it could just that it was never been mentioned before too. BioWare has a wiki full of lore and we only saw a glimpse of it.
Alistair, the Warden and Hawke all need lyrium, the gameplay just do not reflex it because the dev don't think it would have been fun to force players to have them chug lyrium potions all the time. It's called gameplay-lore segregation. There is a lot of that in the DA franchises.
We could call it "new lore", but it could just that it was never been mentioned before too. BioWare has a wiki full of lore and we only saw a glimpse of it.
Alistair, the Warden and Hawke all need lyrium, the gameplay just do not reflex it because the dev don't think it would have been fun to force players to have them chug lyrium potions all the time. It's called gameplay-lore segregation. There is a lot of that in the DA franchises.
What I meant by new lore was something that we had not heard about before.
Also Alistair specifically states that you don't need lyrium to learn or use Templar skills.
at 1:34
The description of DA2's Templar specialisation does mention taking lyrium though, so it's just DA:O that's out of line with the current lore.
Also Alistair specifically states that you don't need lyrium to learn or use Templar skills.
That has been retconned for years has Alistair having no idea what he was talking about because he was never a full long term Templar. You don't lose your ability right away when you stop taking lyrium, but they eventually fade away.
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