Warriors are one of the three classes in the Dragon Age series. The class has not changed too much from Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II, and has kept most of its specializations the same, the exception being Champion, an addition to the series because of heavy use of Orlesian lore in the setting.
Warriors are leaders on the battlefield, and control the flow and pacing of the battle through various talents and passives. Armed with either a one-handed weapon and shield, or a hulking two-handed weapon, Warriors are powerhouses that cut through enemy lines, draw enemy fire, and support their team with guard or resistances. Cassandra, Blackwall, and The Iron Bull are the Warriors amongst the Inquisitor's companions.
10 Weapon and Shield
Weapon and shield is the perfect basis for the tank Warrior. This skill tree synergizes well with the Vanguard skill tree, and works by taunting and giving the Warrior adequate defense against hordes of enemies.
As expected of the skill tree, this Warrior specializes in using their shield defensively, blocking both melee and ranged attacks. Shield Wall adds guard, while Bear Mauls the Wolves and Turn the Blade removes enemy flanking bonuses and increases resistance to damage. Shield Bash makes a return, allowing the Warrior to use their shield offensively.
9 Two-Handed Weapon
This skill tree opens talents for using two-handed weapons and, as opposed to the weapon and shield tree, is focused on dealing AoE damage.
Block and Slash upgraded with Flawless Defense adds to the Warrior's guard. Two-handed Warriors control the battlefield with powerful blows that shake enemies off their feet and shatter the earth. As two-handed Warriors are slow, getting enemies into range is important. Talents with far reaching effects, such as Earthshaking Strike, or talents that draw enemies into range, such as Whirlwind upgraded with Vortex of Steel, help to circumvent this disadvantage.
8 Battlemaster
The Battlemaster skill tree is all about leadership and controlling the battlefield. Many of the talents and passives in this tree take advantage of the Warrior's control of the battlefield, which makes it the perfect supplement to the Two-Handed skill tree.
Coup de Grace in particular partners well with Two-Handed's Earthshaking Strike. Horn of Valor upgraded with Fortifying Blast grants guard to the Warrior's allies, which is incredibly useful especially when unlucky when finding Fade-Touched crafting materials. Crippling Blows is also useful, as its effect stacks.
7 Vanguard
The Vanguard skill tree is essential for any effective tank, and synergizes well with the Weapon and Shield tree. Many of the talents are centered around bonuses to guard while taunting enemies.
Vanguard's skills allow for the Warrior to take damage in their allies' stead, while also building resistance to said damage. It'll Cost You causes bleeding damage to any enemy that attacks the Warrior, and creates a battle of attrition that the Warrior will win every time. Trust the Steel adds a bonus to armor while guard is activated, which creates a Warrior who is nigh on impossible to defeat.
6 Champion
Champion is one of the three specializations for the Warrior. The specialization is based on the Orlesian chevalier tradition, and so has a long history. Champions are best suited as tanks, as many of their talents are centered on gaining guard and taunting enemies. The Champion is also a leader, and controls the battlefield.
Line in the Sand helps create bottlenecks, and limits the movement of enemies. To the Death sends enemies into a careless frenzy where they take more damage. The Focus ability of the Champion is Counterstrike, where the Warrior gains full guard and automatically counterstrikes each melee attack.
5 Reaver
Reavers make a comeback from Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II. Reavers gain their abilities by drinking dragon's blood in a ceremony, which allows them to be sent into a rage. While in this frenzy, Reavers are more susceptible to damage, but deal greater damage the lower their health.
Devour and Ring of Pain are the two core talents of the Reaver. Devour deals damage to enemies while healing the Reaver. Ring of Pain deals AoE spirit damage to enemies, and increases the Reaver's damage output. Ring of Pain also works with Dragon-Rage, and lessens the damage cost Dragon-Rage induces. The Focus ability for the Reaver is Rampage, which increases the Reaver's health steal, attack speed, and damage.
4 Templar
The Templar class is another specialization from previous games. Templar Inquisitors technically join the Templar Order, though this is of little narrative consequence. Templars specialize in dispelling hostile magic and bolstering allies, and are one of the best classes for taking down demons and rifts.
Spell Purge is incredibly useful as it not only cleanses the battlefield of hostile magic, but also prevents demons from spawning from Fade Rifts, much like the Mage's Dispel spell. Wrath of Heaven upgraded with Breath of Light deals damage and heals the Templar, which is useful for both tanks and damage dealers. The Warrior's Focus ability, Rally, is one of the most useful in Inquisition, and grants all allies guard, stamina/mana regeneration, and damage resistance.
3 Weapon
The Warrior class has by far the greatest variety of weapons available to them: axes, swords, mauls, shields, swords, greatswords, and greataxes. These weapons come in two categories: a one-handed weapon and shield, and two-handed. Each comes with their own set of advantages.
Two-handed weapons deal devastating AoE damage to multiple enemies, but are slow moving. Weapon and shield warriors make use of both their one-handed weapon for offense, while their shield can be used both defensive and offensively. Some of the best weapons in the game are found at higher levels, but the most powerful ones are crafted.
2 Squad
While tanks are great for endurance battles, waiting around while enemies hopelessly attack becomes tedious. A high damage dealer, like a Rogue or offensive Mage is essential for the tank Inquisitor. Iron Bull is also a good party option, as he tends to die more easily than Cassandra and Blackwall, which is mitigated by a tank Inquisitor, and his damage output is much higher.
An offensive Warrior, on the other hand, would benefit from Cassandra or Blackwall as tanks. Any of the mages with a support build would also be helpful to ensure the Warrior's longevity.
1 Tactics
Warriors are the traditional leaders of the battlefield, and a lot of their abilities are geared towards bolstering allies while hindering enemies. The Warrior should have enough skills that contribute to guard to allow them to endure punishment, which can be achieved either through attacking or taunting.
Having another Warrior on the field covers for any of the Inquisitor's vulnerabilities. Invest in the right key talents and passives in the Battlemaster and Vanguard trees to support the Warrior's specialization and weapon preference.