I always have Browall & Sera with me, the fourth alternating between Cass, Solas and Cole.
The only time I didn't bring Blackwall along was for Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, cause it didn't seem right. Guess I unknowignly saved his arse there. I took Cass, Sera & Cole along, and I will say that I was fairly disappointed with Cole. I thought he'd be more of an involuntary riot.
Solas and Cassandra are the regular companions in my party. I never leave them to rest 
. And the third companion is Cole or Vivienne, Dorian, Blackwall, Iron Bull. With whom I played the less is Sera. I took her once and that was it.
In almost all the main quests I had Cassandra, Solas and Varric. Cassandra is one of the best tanks, imo, whereas there was always a chance that I'd come across either an elven artifact or a Red Lyrium source and I figured I could use the approval points. Moreover, they were with me from the beginning, so I was more attached to them - even if there were times that I *really* wanted to take Dorian and/or Iron Bull along. XD
I'm afraid to ask, but why does he of all people give you violent urges? He's the wise and sage master of the fade who just happens to be the greatest trickster in all of Thedas. Sure he's made some pretty bad mistakes, but he's also been fully committed to helping the Inquisition every way he could.
It's the whole giving the orb to a Darkspawn Magister deal. It's just like, 'Really, Solas, really?' How many people died because of stupid Corphy? I'm certainly not the biggest Chantry supporter, but honestly, the Divine was trying to make peace, and there were a ton of good people there (like poor Cass's beloved). And you never get to call him on this: Anders blows up a slightly smaller amount of people, but you get to harry him about it, yell at him, scream at him, maybe kill him (and depending on how you followed it, he may have went to remove the bomb and then Justice took him over and stopped him, anyway). Solas? Gets no such call out.
(We could argue that it wasn't Solas who directly blew up the Temple, sure: but he gave the orb to a Darkspawn Magister. So, yeah, I'm going to hold him to blame for that as well.)
Top that off with him actually telling you 'You are a credit to your race' (which causes RL flashbacks and is just a jackass thing to say all around), him telling you don't let Morrigan drink from the well then throwing a tantrum if you actually drink from the well (because, hey, he refuses too, obviously), the whole lying to my character about your identity while they're having a relationship with them (Blackwall is far worse for this and because of that I will never romance him again, but Solas does it as well) is a crime where I live (and creeps me out so much), and then the whole 'I am wise and you should come to me with all questions' but if you actually push him with questions about suspicious things he's doing (such as at the ball) he gets snitty...
So, yeah, in general, he makes me want to punch him, mostly because he won't leave. He's of course extremely helpful at the beginning: without him, the Inquisitor proably would have died and he shows her/him how to seal the breach. But after? He mocks you that you can't get rid of him, as he's the fade expert, but he never really does anything else useful- he just wants the stupid orb.
In Hushed Whispers.
Dorian *not optional*
Cassandra
Varric
In Your Heart Shall Burn.
Solas
Cassandra.
Varric.
Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts
Solas
Cassandra
Blackwall (I think)
Here Lies the Abyss
Blackwall
Cassandra
Solas
What Pride Had Wrought
Cassandra
Solas
Varric
Doom Upon the World
Cassandra
Varric
Dorian
So the evolution of an A team. Really throughout the game it was Cassandra, Solas, Varric/ Blackwall. But Blackwall went weird so I traded him out for Dorian towards the end of the game and because he was a bit too rude over the whole...thing. With his thing. And while I kept him I thought, dude, you are basically on your own. Plus, there was a lot of symbology in him beign there at the end to fight Corypheus, the best of Tevinter fighting the worst of the Imperium. If I were to change something else with this I might change Dorian out with Solas. After all he and Ben really got along, surprisingly, while him and Solas I do not think really got into one another possibly due to glitch, yet I stuck to the Elf like white on rice for...reasons.
Dorian, Sera and Cassandra were my main companions and I don't regret anything.
In Hushed Whispers.
Dorian *not optional*
Blackwall
Varric
In Your Heart Shall Burn.
Solas
Cassandra.
Varric.
Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts
Vivienne /cause Im played a mage
Sera
any romance character or otherwise, I choose Cassandra cause it's funny.
Here Lies the Abyss
Blackwall
Varric/ Hawke reason
Cassandra/ didnt worry about her dissapproval about my own choice though
What Pride Had Wrought
Cassandra or any warriors
Solas or Dorian / Vivienne is no-no.
Varric or Cole
Doom Upon the World
Cassandra
Solas
any romance character, otherwise I pick....Varric.
Reminder///;;; In Your Heart Shall Burn, does anyone encounter in the 'bugged' cutscene after the first trebuche if you don't pick Varric? My inquisitor seems like treating like Varric was there but he's not.
Kara T:
Champions of the Just
Sera
Cassandra
Solas (ugh)
IYHSB
Solas
Cassandra
Iron Bull
Here Lies the Abyss (Finally)
Dorian
Sera
Iron Bull
Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts:
Dorian
Iron Bull
Cassandra
What Pride Had Wrought
Dorian
Iron Bull
Sera
Doom Upon the World
Dorian
Cassandra
Sera
Jaws of Hakkon:
Pretty much everybody but I am sure the A team was
Cassandra
Sera
Dorian
Descent
Cassandra
Dorian
IB/Sera
Tresspasser
Cassandra
IB
Dorian
Pre-Skyhold, I went with the starting lineup of Cassandra, Solas and Varric. Afterwards, Cole replaced Varric except at Halamshiral, because I feared that place would be really hard on him (though his "make people go unnoticed" ability should be vital for sneaking around in that supposedly high-security place). Cass is technically superfluous with my sword & board champion, and having three characters in melee is a PITA, but she and Cole are my Inquisitor's closest friends by far so they are a must RP-wise.
Trespasser made me loathe Solas, but I still think for story reasons he's the best candidate for the "mage slot" in the party, unfortunately.
@Mikka-chan: Boy do I ever hear you regarding "you are a credit to your race". The balcony scene made me want to break his jaw, it's so grating and insulting. That sort of "exceptionalism" is never, ever anything but pure BS, be it applied to race or gender or anything else.
I can't remember who i took first time round, but here's my optimal loadout:
In Hushed Whispers:
Solas and Blackwall (both have additional dialogue after the mission, and of course any insight into Solas is always interesting).
In Your Heart Shall Burn
I've never noticed a significant difference here. Vivienne based on approval changes I suppose.
Here Lies The Abyss
Cassandra so she meets Justinia. Cole because he has a unique conversation afterwards. Solas because of his insight.
Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts
Whoever your LI is so you get that dance. Sera for her unique quest. Dorian or Vivienne because they fit in.
What Pride Has Wrought
Solas, Dorian and Vivienne so you can offer all three the Well of Sorrows. Solas and Dorian have unique conversations with Abelas.
Doom Upon All The World
Cole for his scene where Corypheus tries and fails to bind him. Solas so the orb scene makes more sense.
I took Cassandra, Dorian and Solas (romance) everywhere for the main game, unless it was a personal quest I needed someone else for.
I really regret not taking Cole with me, but I worried about how the party would cope without a warrior. I've just started a new game on nightmare + all trials, so I think I might give a Dorian, Solas, Cole party a try. 3 mages + rogue, hopefully enough barriers to keep everyone safe!
Plus, it'll be nice to be able to open chests...
Well since I never really got banter and the companions rarely say anything during cutscenes it didn't matter to me one way or the other.
Solas, Cole, and Blackwall first run.
Now I like Solas, Cole, and Cassandra better.
Vivienne Solas and Cass. Put dorian in instead when I learned I didn't get his stuff back.
Almost the whole way through I chose Sera, Dorian and Cass. I never left Cassandra out because everyone knows that she kicks ass although I subbed Sera and Dorian out for Vivian, Solas and Varric when needed. Sera, Cass, and Dorian will always be my go to party.
I was fine with my picks,
Blackwall
Vivienne
Cole
Now that i just roam around finishing up side quests i take
Blackwall
Iron Bull
Sera
I don't even remember my first playthrough - it wasn't canon or particularly thorough. But I do know that I got rid of Solas as soon as I could. I disliked him from the get-go. Took Blackwall around a lot in that game though since that Inquisitor romanced him. Typical party is Dorian, Sera/Varric and Cass. Current PT is Dorian Sera/Varric and Iron Bull. Dorian is the only constant party member in every PT though, regardless of Inquisitor gender, specialization or mage/templar leaning.
I took Cassandra and Vivienne to every quest and I just kept changing companions for the 3rd spot
I took Solas with me everywhere. Don't regret that.
I took Cassandra everywhere first then dumped her for Blackwall first chance I got because I needed a tank. I'm glad I took Blackwall along for the Grey Warden-related quests because, at the time, I believed he was a Grey Warden. Apart from that though, I regret having to take them everywhere just because I needed a tank, because there were other companoins I want to bring more.
Took Varric everywhere pre-Wicked Grace game, then Sera everywhere post-Wicked Grace game.
I'm glad I brought Varric along to the "bad future" quest because stumbling upon him humming to himself is so sad, and bringing him along to Hawke-related quests made sense because Hawke was his buddy, but in general now it makes me sad because after the Wicked Grace game I realized I was never going to be his friend because he would always hold me on the "Herald of Andraste" pedestal.
Sera? What a waste of time. Didn't earn a lick of approval in any "help random people" side quests, she was just b*tchy to Solas and insulting of elves (and my romance of Solas) in party banter, and at the Temple of Mythal she was so disrespectful, then after Mythal our "barely able to keep its head above water" friendship was shredded when she tried to force me to admit the elven religion is demon-worship, then got all mad when I refused. It's like, "Sorry Sera, you're not a good enough friend to renounce my entire culture and belief system for. I've tried to be respectful and understanding of you all game, even though I didn't always agree, and you turned around and acted like a closed-minded bigot in return. We have nothing more to say to each other."
I wish I'd brought Dorian and Cole around more often. In my next replay, I'll probably replace Cassandra/Blackwall with Dorian and Varric/Sera with Cole.
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