Zev in Origins was also fairly muscular.
My problem with elven warriors in the DA universe is that, post-Origins, even the male elves have noodle arms and their character models don't look all that realistic, period. And the post-Origins female elves remind me of Bratz dolls.
They look more like these to me.
Monster_High_dolls.jpg (464×370)
Are female warriors believable?
What? Women are, on average, 20% slighter than men. That means we're physically incapable of martial training or developing the muscles to wear metal armor and swing metal weapons, right? Just because elves are, on average, 20% slimmer and slighter than humans of the same gender doesn't mean they're physically incapable of developing the muscles or skills to fight with metal weapons and armor.
Are female warriors believable?
What? Women are, on average, 20% slighter than men. That means we're physically incapable of martial training or developing the muscles to wear metal armor and swing metal weapons, right? Just because elves are, on average, 20% slimmer and slighter than humans of the same gender doesn't mean they're physically incapable of developing the muscles or skills to fight with metal weapons and armor.
TBH I'm just ragging on the in-game models at this point.
Elves don't look 20% slighter. They look 50% slighter.
My opinion: No. Elves do not seem believable as warriors. Mages, yes. Archers, sure. Warriors, no. Elves seem about as capable of growing muscles as they are capable of growing facial hair. Skills? Sure they can be developed, but when it comes to brutal frontline combat, elves just appear too fragile, and combined with their smaller numbers, I just can't see them nearly taking over Val Royeax. Did it happen? Yes apparently so. Is it believable? Again, no IMO.
Elven warriors are believable. They probably focus more on stamina, speed and accuracy over brute strength. Additionally, many of them would probably use medium armors over heavy armors.
As for the design of Elves, Bioware screwed up their bodies big time. They should have given us lean and athletic looking Elves but instead we got malnourished Elves. Thankfully there are mods that fix this issue. Hail the Master Race !
Elven warriors are believable. They probably focus more on stamina, speed and accuracy over brute strength. Additionally, many of them would probably use medium armors over heavy armors.
As for the design of Elves, Bioware screwed up their bodies big time. They should have given us lean and athletic looking Elves but instead we got malnourished Elves. Thankfully there are mods that fix this issue. Hail the Master Race !
Or you know, Acrane Warriors.... Sense it's an elf-created magic that makes Mages look like Warriors.
TBH I'm just ragging on the in-game models at this point.
Elves don't look 20% slighter. They look 50% slighter.
My opinion: No. Elves do not seem believable as warriors. Mages, yes. Archers, sure. Warriors, no. Elves seem about as capable of growing muscles as they are capable of growing facial hair. Skills? Sure they can be developed, but when it comes to brutal frontline combat, elves just appear too fragile, and combined with their smaller numbers, I just can't see them nearly taking over Val Royeax. Did it happen? Yes apparently so. Is it believable? Again, no IMO.
They aren't human so why does it matter if they're slight by our standards? Maybe they have denser musculature or a really efficient adrenal system or something.
Our warriors either have to lift a heavy chunk of metal (2-handed) or go weapon+shield, which would involve enduring the pounding at your shield from people who are far stronger.
I can hear the cracking sound of the bones in her arms in my head whenever my dual-wielding Elven PC lifts her greataxe.
Here's my two cents, with *SPOILER WARNING* in place, just to be safe:
We know that ancient elves (Solas' time) used magic like breathing.
We know that Arcane Warriors/Knight Enchanters are based on ancient elven combat-magic disciplines.
In Dragon Age Origins, Arcane Warrior enabled you to use Magic to substitue Strength for equipment/weapon requirements, explained as using magic to augment their physical body.
In Dragon Age Inquisition, Knight Enchanters are front-line mages, and according to Solas is based on the Arcane Warrior; being on the front line requires a sturdy constitution.
My *theory* is that elves make good warriors because every elf has at least a little bit of "Arcane Warrior" in them, a residue of their "true" elven heritage that simply manifests as being able to wield weapons disproportionate to their smaller frames.
There's also the fact that lean doesn't always equal weak.
As a real-life example, I have a little brother who is very small, but who is very strong for his size. While I could overpower him if I so desired (heaven forbid), he would undoubtedly put up a very good fight.
If you poke your finger with a thumbtack, you'll draw blood, because the point is so small that all the force gets really focused.
If you use the same amount of force and try to poke your finger with a quarter, you won't break the skin.
Same force, different area size of application.
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Long story short:
Combat magic was "invented" by elves.
Magic runs in elves natively, if not naturally.
Said magic is not a "respecter of persons", or species.
Small doesn't equal weak.
A plausible conclusion is that all elves have a slightly augmented physiology as a result from their "native" magic.
Elves may not necessarily be at a disadvantage simply because they are lighter in build and bone structure. Consider the cat: slender, delicate bones, and able to leap far higher (relatively speaking) than many dogs and all humans. The composition of their muscles gives them much more "quick twitch" effectiveness. Translate that into the speed at which an elf can shove a shield into someone else and you might generate a lot more force than you would think. (My physics is rusty on this so...correct me with a right good will if I got it wrong.) As for taking a punch? You may have a point, although that quickness may get an elf out of the way of the shield. Bottom line: you cannot judge Thedan DNA by Mundus standards. Different planet, different evolutionary rules.
HOWEVER: When I play an elf in Skyrim, I always wear light armor or elven armor, especially when I'm a Bosmer.
Yes, I've always likened Elves to felines too; powerful and graceful like ballet dancers for a humanoid comparison. And how did the Emerald Knights fight? we have no idea because Elven culture and history are eradicated, so they may well have fought like Samurai or Ninja's who knows. This is why I believe dual wield warriors should have been an Elf only specialisation because of the elven superior dexterity and nimbleness. Which is mentioned in game lore.
way to keep ignoring the simple truths for the sake of continuing a silly if not stupid argument guys. Though it makes more sense back in origins where any class could use any weapon so long as they had the stats to equip it (a damn better system than anything BioWare has turned out to date.) Elven warriors could be archers, dual wielding swords or knifemen. Also the ancient Elves looked much better than the present day Elves who eat scraps for the most part or have poor diets, despite it being a character model choice Sera serves as a good example, she didn't grow up on scraps or scavenging, she grew up eating very well as she had a human caretaker who as we find out lavished her with sweets and likely good food (meat probably), so she's bigger than a Dalish female elf, male one too in some comparisons, and as I said before now for the second time, they don't use the same weapons as humans, or dwarves, their craftsman make their weapons and armor specifically for THEM! So their armor and weaponry is not a factor in their overall capability, their armors are lighter but as strong as any human or dwarven armor and in some cases better, same goes for their weaponry, give it a rest.
Not exactly what I would call wimpy looking. If the Elves who sacked that one village looked half as imposing as this it would make sense. Even if they were just present day Dalish elves, from the stories we are told, Dalish Hunters/Archers are the best marksman in the land, it wouldn't be all that surprising for them to just sake a village here and there, as Marethari also says the same in the Warden origin, it would be easy for them to just go there and kill all the villagers but it would only invite the wrath of their human king.
This whole argument smacks of ignorance, you might as well say the average Mexican or Asian person who are generally depicted as being smaller than Caucasians can't fight, or aren't physically strong enough to put up a fight. Which is laughable when you consider the history of both and the fighters they've produced. Same goes for the Elves, they don't need to be as big as humans to kill humans as humans aren't that tough, and the average human is even less capable of fighting as their lords usually keep weapons away from them and prohibit them from learning how to fight whereas every Dalish child is likely instructed in how to use a bow, dagger, sword or magic.
Elven warriors are very believable.
Elven warriors having more brute physical strength overall, compared to the other 3 races of Thedas, no.
But they don't need that brute strength.
Some will have it, because size alone does not necessarily dictate personal strength.
It is kinda hard for me to imagine a wall Bash by an elf Warrior Inquisitor, but not hard for me to imagine an elf Warrior itself.
I think the advantage of agility you describe works more as a reason to play a dual wielding rogue.
I agree, but you go with what you have, right? Some people(elves) are so strongly one handed or the other, using a weapon in the off-hand is actually less effective than using a shield. Even with training, some people can't do much with the off-hand. I can see an elven warrior using dex to duck and parry, dancing around the more heavily armored human tanks. And as I said, velocity increases force.
I agree, but you go with what you have, right? Some people(elves) are so strongly one handed or the other, using a weapon in the off-hand is actually less effective than using a shield. Even with training, some people can't do much with the off-hand. I can see an elven warrior using dex to duck and parry, dancing around the more heavily armored human tanks. And as I said, velocity increases force.
I can see a Elf falling over after trying to pick up a sword.
I can't in good conscience ever make a noodle arm warrior. The thought of him trying to lift up a greatsword is too hilarious to me; although, I didn't mind an elven warrior back in origins when they looked kinda-sorta normal. Now eveytime i create an elven Iinquisitor I always make them a powerful Mage or some dashing Rogue in Inquisition.
I can see a Elf falling over after trying to pick up a sword.
I'm going to play Elf Warrior to spite you 
I'm going to play Elf Warrior to spite you
Acrane Warriors anyone?
yeah my Loiusa Amell is one. She's a Spirit healing Arcane warrior Just finished the Return to Ostagar DLC and is currently using the Kings old armour thanks to having enough magic to do it.
Hmph, Shem.
indeed I have 4 Inquisitors that might disagree with that 5 soon with the new one being a warrior as well.
I can see a Elf falling over after trying to pick up a sword.
Depends on the sword and what it's made out of. I mean, do all those metals weigh the same? Iron is heavy, but we don't know about lazurite, nevarrite, or any of those. We could be talking metals that are extremely flexible, able to hold a killer edge but light in weight. Not all swords and shields have to be heavy to work. A shield has to have tensile strength, not necessarily weight. And what about ceramics?
Depends on the sword and what it's made out of. I mean, do all those metals weigh the same? Iron is heavy, but we don't know about lazurite, nevarrite, or any of those. We could be talking metals that are extremely flexible, able to hold a killer edge but light in weight. Not all swords and shields have to be heavy to work. A shield has to have tensile strength, not necessarily weight. And what about ceramics?
In short no because they have broken arms, is part of the lore it isn't a glitch.
Perhaps like the Quarians in Mass Effect, their noodly limbs actually are far stronger than they appear?
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