How to defeat Calivan in Dragon Age The Veilguard

You face Caliban in Dragon Age The Veilguard in the Sea of Blood quest. This mage has multiple phases and can be quite devastating if you don’t know what you're doing. The most difficult is his second form, where he unleashes his true self. During this phase, he will summon AoE attacks that can wipe your party.

This guide shares all his attack patterns as well as tips for each phase to help you defeat Calivan in Dragon Age The Veilguard.

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How to defeat Calivan in Dragon Age The Veilguard in all his forms/phases

The most difficult form of Calivan (Image via BioWare)

Phase 1

In the first phase, Calivan appears in his smaller, standard form and initiates the fight by summoning Mages.

Dealing with the mages:

• The Mages arrive with shields, so to keep some distance initially.
• Use ranged attacks to break their shields and deal damage from afar, reducing their threat before returning your focus to Calivan.

Dodging blight projectiles:

• Calivan will cast a Blight spell that creates a slow-moving orb aiming toward you. He’ll telegraph this attack by raising his staff before casting it. Wait until the Blight orb gets close and then dodge to avoid it.
• Sometimes, Calivan casts three Blight projectiles in a row. In these cases, make sure you time each dodge carefully to evade all three.

Avoiding blight spikes:

• Getting too close to Calivan triggers an area of effect (AoE), you will see indicators marked in red on the ground, followed by Blight spikes erupting from the marked locations.

Watch for the red zone indicator and retreat to avoid spike damage. When Calivan in Dragon Age The Veilguard is in a more stationary position, use ranged attacks, but get closer when he moves to use all of your melee combos. Use a combination of ranged attacks and well-timed dodges in Phase 1, focusing on clearing the Mages before turning your attention fully to Calivan.

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Phase 2

The second phase begins when Calivan transforms into Calivan’s Pride, a larger, electric-infused version of himself.

New weapon and attack patterns:

• Calivan now wields a large purple sword and gains back full health, armor, and shield. His sword slashes send a projectile toward you.
• Dodge the sword slash projectiles, ideally to the left, as this will help you avoid taking damage while setting up for your counterattack.

Also Check: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Interactive Map

Armor damage and staggering:

• Get close enough to land shield-based attacks, which are particularly effective in breaking down his armor.
• Aim to stagger him frequently, as Takedowns in this phase deal significant damage.

Purple spell:

• One of Calivan’s deadliest attacks involves a purple spell that places a floating orb in the arena’s center. When active, it triggers AoE circles (indicated by red areas) that appear in waves.
• Keep moving and dodge-roll repeatedly as the AoE circles expand and contract. Then, attack as soon as this sequence ends to put a big dent in its HP bar.

Key strategy:

Focus on close-range armor-breaking moves and stagger attacks, while staying alert for his telegraphed AoE spell. The purple spell can quickly overwhelm you, so dodge precisely and avoid taking too much damage because there is still another phase left for this boss.

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Phase

The last phase reverts to a style similar to the first but with increased difficulty.

Calivan’s shield and health:

• Calivan regains his shield, but this time, his health is only at 50%.
• Approach this phase as you did the first, with the same strategies for dealing with Mages and dodging his projectiles.

Blight projectiles return:

• Calivan’s Blight projectiles come back and may appear in a series of three, so be ready to time your dodges accurately.
• The spike AoE zones will also make a return. When you see the red indicator, immediately move out of the area.

Stay on him with consistent ranged and melee combos, while avoiding getting too close to prevent taking unnecessary AoiE damage. Deal with the Mages quickly, as they can disrupt your focus on Calivan in Dragon Age The Veilguard. Replicate your actions from Phase 1 with sharper reflexes as he’ll try to overwhelm you in his final moments. Keep an eye on his shield status and keep a steady stream of attacks until he’s down for good.

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