So I fought my first dragon last night - the one in the Emerald Graves. And I got trampled.
I'm around level 16, a 2-h warrior, and I had Iron Bull (2-h), Cole (DW) and Solas. Normally, this party rips through a mobs like nobody's business, but on this dragon I couldn't get more than ~ 30% of it's health off. Maybe I just gave up too soon (I didn't micro-manage the fights very much)?
What's a good party to take to a dragon fight? I'm guessing the old 1-tank-3-ranged is the most effective...?
Even easier with 2 tanks and 2 ranged for me (longer fight, but less micromanagement).
I like taking Blackwall to dragon fights because of the "to the death" taunt... I think that's what it's called at least, lol. The one where the enemy will start to deal more damage but will also take more and more damage in return. I freaking anniliated a dragon with it and thousand cuts with my rogue. I saw it in the MP and went "yeah, I'm never using that" but after seeing Blackwall do it, I think it's time to rethink my stance. I'd imagine if you took Blackwall and Cole with his death mark or a pc assassin spec'd rogue, dragon fights would be a joke but I haven't tried that yet.
You could also warm up to the dragon fights by starting on an easier one first like the one in the Hinterlands, just to get a feel for it. See what works best for you.
yea too many melee is not good especially AI controlled melee. They kinda get stuck trying to attack the dragon while next to it but do not attack it at all. So for you basically only you and solas were doing any damage while bull and cole were trying to hit a particular leg but could not get to it.
Cole is a no no if you leave it to AI (DW rogues are really good only if micromanaged), also Iron Bull is really weak if you don't use it as an off tank (i.e. having already a tank in the group).
You desperately need a tank in that group of yours (I suppose you aren't since you are 2handed); either Blackwall or Cassandra. Then get rid of Cole (if you don't want to control him for all the fight but in that case remove Sera) and stick in another mage instead. You don't have any damage control as it is now (neither a support mage for barrier).
In short:
You (two handed, specced as an off tank)
Cassandra or Blackwall specced as a tank (so have them use Shield Wall and Taunts as preferred abilities)
Sera (just spec her to do damage)
Solas or Vivienne (the two better choices, where Solas as an only mage the better one, probably; simply give him all support abilities).
Even easier with 2 tanks and 2 ranged for me (longer fight, but less micromanagement).
Cole is a no no if you leave it to AI (DW rogues are really good only if micromanaged), also Iron Bull is really weak if you don't use it as an off tank (i.e. having already a tank in the group).
You desperately need a tank in that group of yours (I suppose you aren't since you are 2handed); either Blackwall or Cassandra. Then get rid of Cole (if you don't want to control him for all the fight but in that case remove Sera) and stick in another mage instead. You don't have any damage control as it is now (neither a support mage for barrier).
In short:
You (two handed, specced as an off tank)
Cassandra or Blackwall specced as a tank (so have them use Shield Wall and Taunts as preferred abilities)
Sera (just spec her to do damage)
Solas or Vivienne (the two better choices, where Solas as an only mage the better one, probably; simply give him all support abilities).
Or scout the enemy and bring the mage that deals damage the dragon is vulnerable to.
Isn't 2H warrior DPS by definition and not a tank?
Cass: Rally
Me: Mark of Death
Me: Mark of the Rift
Sera: Thousand Cuts
Solas: Firestorm
Dragon: Ouch
Or scout the enemy and bring the mage that deals damage the dragon is vulnerable to.
Isn't 2H warrior DPS by definition and not a tank?
That EVERY mage can do. Simply change the staff (and change some spells if you prefer). Anyway the best route for a mage - if you want to go damage - is to pick the first spells on every elemental line and then dive deep only in one. However in this case Solas is used mostly as support mage with Rift spells primarily + Spirit.
As for 2handed, yes, it should be an off tank role, and in fact that's why he needs a tank. If he was a S&B warrior he could take that role himself (naturally if he didn't play the S&B for dps; you can do a pretty powerful dps build from a S&B warrior too).
I tried the one in the Hinterlands on normal. I only got like half of his health pool down. I thought I didn't have enough offense. Does assassin have some good talents?
Offense is not as much important as defense against a dragon. One of the most important things if you want to make the fight easy, for example, is to have all the party members carry potions of resistance to the element of that dragon. Just this alone turns a difficult fight on lower levels to an easy one.
Doing a lot of damage means little when your party members are dead. Being dead means 0 dps in all cases, no matter the build.
In any case you always need some way to mitigate damage on a party, especially on those party members that are glass cannons (as rogues). For this a tank that aggro enemies is a must as a support mage to cast barrier. On normal difficulty you can either go on with just one of the two (also if it is not optimal and you receive much more damage than you should), in hard or nightmare it is indispensable to have both.
Thanks for the advice guys'n'gals.
However in this case Solas is used mostly as support mage with Rift spells primarily + Spirit.
Is this a good combination for Solas? Right now I don't have him doing much with Rift spells. What's the most efficient way to get the best use out of this tree?
Pull of the Abyss on Solas is AMAZING. It's gotten me through so many fights that by all rights I should have failed for being underleveled and/or had bad gear. I have it shut off on him though and have to use it myself, he's an idiot about using it so it sucks that you have to deal with the crappy tac cam. 
Is this a good combination for Solas? Right now I don't have him doing much with Rift spells. What's the most efficient way to get the best use out of this tree?
The Rift tree is amazing. First of all Pull of the Abyss is one of the best CC in all the game, and all the Rift spells provoke weakness that, especially on hard or nightmare, is a Godsend as 30% less damage done by enemies is a lot. Plus with the Rift passives weakened enemies replenish mana for Solas, hence he can continue to use the various support spells on the party. A very good combo.
On the Spirit tree you need Barrier, Dispel (a must) and on higher difficulties also Revive is handy to have. Then you take Winter's Grasp, Fade Step (not necessary on normal difficulty but it is a good defensive skill and it is used by the AI only when attacked in melee) and Winter Stillness. Then you take the Rift line of spells (I usually put Barrier, Fade Step, Dispel and Pull of the Abyss as preferred choices). This is the core of the build and the rest is up to you. It is a build focused on support and Solas is the best at it given the Rift spec.
Dorian and Vivienne are better specced as damage mages (but Vivienne you can also make as a support, also if she will never be so good at it as Solas). If you go with 2 mages you can create very good synergies with the CC of the Rift spec and another build focused on nuking (something like Pull of the Abyss + Fire Mine + Walking Bomb, for example, is very powerful).
The Rift tree is amazing. First of all Pull of the Abyss is one of the best CC in all the game, and all the Rift spells provoke weakness that, especially on hard or nightmare, is a Godsend as 30% less damage done by enemies is a lot. Plus with the Rift passives weakened enemies replenish mana for Solas, hence he can continue to use the various support spells on the party. A very good combo.
On the Spirit tree you need Barrier, Dispel (a must) and on higher difficulties also Revive is handy to have. Then you take Winter's Grasp, Fade Step (not necessary on normal difficulty but it is a good defensive skill and it is used by the AI only when attacked in melee) and Winter Stillness. Then you take the Rift line of spells (I usually put Barrier, Fade Step, Dispel and Pull of the Abyss as preferred choices). This is the core of the build and the rest is up to you. It is a build focused on support and Solas is the best at it given the Rift spec.
Dorian and Vivienne are better specced as damage mages (but Vivienne you can also make as a support, also if she will never be so good at it as Solas). If you go with 2 mages you can create very good synergies with the CC of the Rift spec and another build focused on nuking (something like Pull of the Abyss + Fire Mine + Walking Bomb, for example, is very powerful).
Great tips...thanks for the feedback. I've had him specced for mostly cold and Spirit, but I can see where the debuffing of Rift would be useful. I'll rework him tonight.
Where do you set his Mana reserve, so that you have a pool of it ready for Pull of the Abyss?
Eh I beat a dragon fight with Bull respecced to S&S (Though for some baffling reason I can't use freaking rampage. Because that makes sense 
)
Bull - S&S
PC - Assassin Archer
Dorian - Support
Solas - Support and damage
My main issue was the AI getting stupid on me and fighting right next to the dragon when they were ranged the amount of potions I wasted on Solas and Dorian's stupidity.
I haven't fought all of the dragons yet but all of the ones I have fought so far have a wing suck in move that pulls everyone in close, when that happens I suggest going into tac cam and telling your ranged fighters to move away, it doesn't take long and they usually listen, I like to tell them to move and stand near eachother so it's easier for me keep eyes on them. It's seriously one of the only things I like about the new tac camera system, lol. Also, I haven't tried it myself but I saw someone else on here somewhere say that wall of ice can block dragon attacks, so If your rangers are mages and one of them is spec'd into ice, try that.
The dragons will also jump away from me and the tank and land near my ranged fighters and the ranged guys will need to moved again then as well if that happens to you.
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