What did you do today in Thedas?

If he on 100% rival, you can keep him alive and force him against the mages. This option is the worst, it seems he totally lost himself. It better just kill him at Templar side, instead of torture him. I don't think, he can live with it.
It's shame this is an option – and presented as positive! And this hypocrite sentence: "Help me restore the order!" (Yes, with a criminal madwoman... it's clear...)

I mean, it's canon that in this route he outright kills himself before Varric gets to the ending slides of DA2.

I hate it, and super disagree with Jennifer Hepler that it's the better thing to do.

Welp! I finished DA:A, I enjoyed the game more this time with the headcanon I have for Ringan and his animal family (and the Anders romance mod ) but I cant say I love the game because of their bugs... I mean I killed Liza Packton in the farm where the nobles were conspirating against me and then she showed herself again in A Day in Court, thanks Bioware for breaking my immersion, I thought about going back for Anders to tell about the conspiracy but I like Tamra doing it and she would be dead if I had not stopped the conspiracy before A Day in Court, so fuck it. Biwghur. thx.  Also this quest doesnt trigger if you do Law and Order but it seems the Bartender is involved in the smuggling so maybe it's intentional. The only sidequest I didnt do was Out of Control because I have no proofs if those mages are good or bad. Also, Anders dislike it so boyfriend moral compass is activated 

It's a pain in the ass 100% max out all the companions but I did it, even I had gifts to spare which was handy to give some to Sigrun after sparing the Architect's life.

Also, I dont know if this is a bug or not but all the characters were in warm except Anders and Justice being in love fitting 

Not thrilled to play The Golems of Amgarrak, I remember the boss was annoying and difficult and I played on easy... This time I'm beating DAO on normal as good boi but I'm scared.


I can give you my word that roleplaying a pro-mage character (in my case a mage) rivalmancing him really works (I did it twice, once with my lesbian mage Hawke as friend and with my gay warrior Hawke as lover), the details are fuzzy in my mind because I did it one year and a half (I think?) ago though. It's true that it was a headache, not only for that, Fenris/Isabela/Anders were my main team too and you can imagine how difficult it is to rival those two at the same time >_< I try to not take the radical side when it comes to Anders with my characters and I like to think of my characters like they were his rock that calm him (and the corrupted spirit inside of him), having finished Awakening, I can say that the Hawke I have in my head is pretty much Anders from DA:A, there is a certain dialogue line from Anders with Wynne that I didnt see in my first two DA:A playthroughs and it describes what I think about how my Hawke thinks. I would really like to know how Anders reacted to Divine Leliana (best divine ever queen of the gays)

For me the only friendship path that work are Varric's, Aveline's and Sebastian's which it's ironic because I hate him lol but since a roleplay point of view my Hawkes tend to dislike him only in the finale. Oh I forgot Bethany but she's dead in canon so poor little sister.

Don't you need any compromise on the mage issues? To send Ella home/away from Kirkwall, instead of back to the Circle? Or the Starkhaven apostates? (I know, Grece is a vengeful, ungrateful fucking bitch, and she's a real danger, but this is metaknowledge, just as Sebastian's rage at the end.) How can you manage? I never succeeded to manage NOT to max the friendship already at the Act2. He's so grateful for every help and agreement. And I not once play as a blood mage, and my Hawkes mostly support Merrill. The other thing what restrain me from the rivalry with him, the fact, that if Hawke doesn't agree with him, the Inquisition actively denies, that Anders was himself, not that abomination. Hawke speaks about him like he's a dangerous monster. S/He still with him, but rather just because feel sorry for him. 

Anders' rivalry's hard, he's simple right about everything, while totally easy to manage a full friendship with Fenris, without ANY little compromise on the mage issues, and take him (almost) everywhere (in fact, if you take him everywhere, achieve his friendship easier – okay, the quest order matters).

I easily rival Aveline (she has some really interesting view and scolds Carver in the Act1, actively prevents his join to the Guards, while she knows, they need many...), but I also failed to rival Isabela.
And I found Sebastian's rivalry technically very hard (I admit I bring him only rarely).

Divine Leliana? She's the perfection. 

Rouccoco I tried once in my aggressive Hawke run (which was really painful) and I couldnt make it and I really tried, I think he had about 50%-75% rivalry. Varric being DA's pet for two games reminds to Liara, I love both characters but I understand those who dont like them and felt how they are forced into you because it's the truth XD

Catilina oh Cat I cant remember names because my brain sucks but if Ella is the one I think she is (the one that Justice tries to kill) you can have about 30 points of rivalry if you stop him from killing her and choosing the aggressive option to critize him. Also when you are in rivalry path the game automatically gives you rival points when you flirt with him, giving the gift also gives you rival points as long as you are in the rival path, there are ways to gain rival points free of the conflict mage/templar. This is why I like of this system, friend/rival doesnt mean good/bad, just being human and I love it! Merrill is the easier one because doing the forbidden books? quest and destroy them gives you about 50/60 (I think there are 5 or six books) rival points. It's hard to critize companions that you love but love me some drama 

I hate that in DAI (or FO4) you cant see this DA4 needs a friendship bar 

I know I'm gonna have to do a list of rival choices free of the mage/templar drama before playing the game tho 

edit. I hate how DAI Hawke responds to some questions because he is just black or white, and my Hawkes are in the grey area   also he looks angry even if you choose purple Hawke, wtf biohur

I've been looking at Anders approval from wikia and yes, it's just as pain in the ass as I remember rival him and being a pro-mage haha -headache increasing- I wish there were options to say Anders I believe you totally but calm your tits.

Of course you have to do some mage quests without him being in the party (and purple Hawke = Neutral Hawke so win win) this is pretty much what I will do:

Act 1

Enemies Among Us: Tell Keran he must go back to the templars +5. Roleplay point of view: As much as I dont like templars as opressive weapon from the Chantry I really think that they are useful fighting against evil, if only mages and templars leave their differences behind both would be a great weapon against evil. I like to speak on behalf of Keran when speaking to Cullen and helping him to restore his templar status too since he's innocent.

Talk to Anders: +10 if you ends the romance (I dont remember how the romance starts though, but since Fenris will be my canon this is a good oportunity to gain some rivalry points). You can gain +5 if you choose the sarcastic option. I dont like to lead characters to think that I like them romantically (I hate love triangles in canon playthroughs) so maybe I will choose the first option. Edit. Ok just checked this out, those 10 points are from telling him that you are bothered that he was with a man, SERIOUSLY BIOWARE. So the sarcastic option it is

The Deep Roads Expedition: Dealing with the rock demon +15. I fucking LOVE to troll these bitches, specially as Hawke. You can gain 15 rival points from Anders, win the treasure if I remember correctly and then kill the demon lol PERFECTION XD there will be two more possible scenarios like this one in the future.

Act 2

Visit Anders: +10 if you tell him he's an abomination. Since a RP point of view, Hawke (me lol) truly thinks that the merging Justice/Anders is too dangerous (he doesnt like possession) and he likes to remind his friend that this could get out of hands in the future.

Dissent: Stop Anders from killing the mage girl and then choosing the aggressive option +35. RP point of view: Hawke knew something like this could happen and his anger was over 9000. Hawke tells his friend to stay since he worries about him.

Night Terrors: Welcome to the "Do you want to troll some demons?" again    choose to hear the demon offer gives you +15 rivalry points, you fight Justice and then you can kill the bastard.

Repentance: Last trolling demons quest, you can gain +5 points if you say that you like power and that the demon is making good points, then you can kill the bitch. Since a RP point of view, Hawke does like power as the sarcastic bastard he is but he's not that stupid to trust demons.

Mirror Image: Give the arulin'holm to Merrill gives you +10

Questioning Beliefs: Copy&Paste--> "The diplomatic choice allows Hawke to call out what Justice did to Ella, at which Anders will concede that they're right. He resolves to make sure as few innocents are hurt as possible, resulting in Rivalry small (+10).  Not sure if this true, since blue lines often are friendship lines but I hope it is! I dont remember  if true, since a RP point of view, Hawke agrees totally that what happened to Ella was bad, really really bad. I like how Anders agrees with you here.

And the gift gives you +15

I would have about 125 rival points roleplaying a pro-mage Hawke but who doesnt agree with Anders's methods this way. I usually bring Anders along with me helping mages for those 25 extra points and then gaining some rivalry points in Act 3 (for example I always send Emile to the circle because I think he's safer there which gives you +5)


////////////

Catilina I know that you think that Justice and Anders are one but I truly believe that it really depends on how Hawke approaches the issue, if Hawke agrees with Anders in his methods both of them are gonna be more merged, if Hawke disagrees both of them are gonna be more separated. There's no absolutes for me and that's the fun with this game! 

I wonder what would be my thoughts about Anders if I hadnt known DA:A Anders, which in my opinion was the true Anders (and true Justice). As I said many times, I love the tragedy of both being the downhill of the other. Some people say that they prefer DA:A Anders, but I think he's a very more complex character in DA2 with Justice in the mix, it opens a lot of dilemma and very human decisions, and I hate how some people cant see this

edit. I forgot, it's true sometimes being in rivalry with him he truly thinks you support the Chantry, but I take it as he's all black and white way of thinking because of his merging with Justice, of course this is Bioware being lazy because as you can see above it can be done being a pro-mage and rival him.


edit. Also I will have to metagame how to max out Carver rivalry because I never was able to do it... (friendship is even more harder I tried once and nothing)

Hawke is not bad or good for stating the truth, I mean Justice has been corrupted and almost killed that mage girl, he is a demon, that doesnt make it blantaly evil it just a corrupted spirit victim of the circumstances dominated by their spirit-like emotions and Anders's oppression, it really depends on how the player is roleplaying their character, in my Hawke's case is something unacceptable and I would be terribly mad about it, and my Hawke really reaaaally hate spirit possession. I think our difference in opinions are based in the extent on how good or bad we see the possession of Justice. For me it's something that was the downhill for Anders and blowing up the Chantry is something that pre-possessed Anders (and Justice too) wouldnt have done. I think the great thing about this game is the it's an ocean of grey colors and not black and white characters.

You need to max out rivalry before speaking to Anders about tricking the demon in the fade, so taking Torpor's offer and then killing him should be the last thing you have to do to max out his rivalry.

If I remember correctly Emile doesnt die when you send him to the circle and he can be seen in the pre-final battle with other characters, but I could be wrong, I take this as he's under Hawke's protection and Hawke lies to whoever is in charge to protect him.

Edit. Yes I did remember correctly "If Emile is spared and sent back to the Circle, and if Hawke sides with the Circle of Magi in The Last Straw, he will be present in the Gallows just before the final battle commences."

edit. Emile is the only mage I would send back to the circle, just to clarify things.

I must say that if Anders wouldnt have blown out the Chantry I would possibly choose the friendship path to some extent, even if I dont like the idea of the spirit possession. But I could not stand that kind of betrayal from a friend, and I love to see Anders repent from his act in the rivalry path, and ofc as you know I like both Justice and Anders being separated and not merged. Also blowing up buildings with people in it is bad lol

Tsundere elf is best elf 

I would love some tsundere romance options in the future because these kind of characters usually have some good character development. Sailor Mars is my queen of tsundere characters this is offtopic but I dont care XD