One of the most wonderful things about Dragon Age: Origins is the characters and their development over the course of the game. Depending on your choice, you can end up having 9 companions, 10 if you count Shale from ‘The Stone Prisoner’ DLC. That’s just in the base game, in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening you will have another  6 companions that join you in your quests. Having the right party is an important aspect of the game but for several different reasons. You need to ask yourself these three main questions. 

• Are you looking for a party that will be strong and able to defeat bosses/hoards quickly and proficiently? 
• Are you looking to have a party that will have roleplaying synergy, as well as subtle hints to characters personalities and storylines?
• Are you worried about the approval or disapproval that your team members may give you going into certain quests?

How you answer those questions will change the variation of your party composition. There really is no right or wrong way when it comes to who you want as your companions on your quests. I will be giving my personal favorites based off of well rounded team comps as well as character repertoire and roleplaying components.

Dragon Age: Origins

10. Shale, Wynne, Leliana

Leliana is a great rogue to have in your party.

This is a versatile team, and has a lot of benefits to using. You have a strong unit with this comp but you do give up a little when it comes to dialogue in my opinion. That being said, I do love Shale as a character and seeing her interact with the world around her and the other companions is still very enjoyable to watch. If you are looking for a versatile team and want to run along some  funny dialogue between companions I would definitely give this comp a try.  

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 Not one of the most versatile team comps, but it does make up for it in other ways. However, if you are looking for a really well rounded team then this may not be for you.
• Dialogue - 3/5 The dialogue here is good, it has humor and also the relationship growth between Leliana and Wynne.
• Power - 3/5 This is a decent team, its strength comes more from the versatility. You have good damage from the warrior and rogue. Depending how you build your mage you can do good damage as well or you can go for my CC or healing.

9. Oghren, Morrigan, Zevran

You never know how things will go with Zevran in your party.

This is a fun group to bring along with you for both utility and banter. Oghren is always funny to have around, but again this is a really balanced team. You have your tank, rogue and mage. I chose Morrigan over Wynn in this case because I like the banter more with Morrigan, but you could easily swap out Morrigan for Wynn if you prefer, it’s really up to you and what dialogue/roleplaying aspect you prefer. This is something you could  use with any class you choose to be since it is so well balanced.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 Another well rounded team, with Zevran and Leliana you can choose whether you want them dual wielding or bow, but I would recommend Zevran being dual wielding and Leliana bow since you end up getting Marjorie’s Bow which is meant for Leliana. (Although I have used that bow when my character is an archer.)
• Dialogue - 2/5 Funny dialogue and pretty easy going characters, each of these characters has a strong personality and you get to see more of that as you travel along with them.
• Power - 3/5 This is a pretty strong team, the strength here lies in the versatility more than anything. You have a wide range of different attacks you can use.

*You definitely should take Zevran with you to the Dalish Camp, depending on your choices and dialogue you can gain some approval or disapproval. 

8. Alistair, Morrigan, Wynne

Wynne is such a sweet character to have in your party, plus an amazing healer.

This team relies on you being able to pick locks without a rogue present, since the composition is two mages and one warrior. That being said, you can still pick locks if your character is rogue. But it definitely is a magical powerhouse of a team, you will have great crowd control and elemental damage, as well as healing with your mages. Alistair is a great tank, if not the best in my opinion, and he will hold the front line while the rest of your party can hit from afar.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 2/5 Not one of the most versatile team comps, but it does make up for it in other ways. However, if you are looking for a really well rounded team then this may not be for you.
• Dialogue - 5/5 This is one of the best dialogue options, Alistair and Wynne have such a sweet relationship and you get to see that grow a bit as you travel together, and of course Morrigan and Alistair are hilarious together.
• Power - 4/5 This is a powerful team, between the physical tank of the warrior to the magic damage of two mages, there isn’t much you can’t obliterate or crowd control. However you do have to be careful to not let your mages get surrounded, this is a powerful team but is also kind of a glass cannon.

7. Morrigan, Sten, Shale

Shale is a great tank, plus her dialogue is hilarious.

This is one of the best teams in Dragon Age: Origins, you have decent versatility, but you have a lot of power with having two warriors. I also think the dialogue is hilarious within this group. Especially Sten, he is such an interesting character to travel with and to hear his conversations as you are exploring the world is a lot of fun. Another huge benefit to this group is the approval aspect. In my opinion, this is an amazing group for a Grey Warden that may be considered a little morally gray. To some people this may be a small aspect of the game but to me it plays a fairly big role. I tend to swap out my team members based on the situation my character is in. 

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 4/5 A pretty versatile team that can handle most situations, not the most versatile since there is no rogue but makes up for this in other ways.
• Dialogue - 5/5 Great dialogue with this group, I feel like you really get to know each of these characters a little better and there is great humor with Sten and Shale. This is honestly a really fun team to have around as you're just traveling through Ferelden. I also am adding in the approval aspect here, because if you aren’t switching out your team a lot and are making choices that are considered “bad” or at least not the basic “heroic/good” choices then this team is one that will generally get along with you still.
• Power - 5/5 This is a strong team that is very melee heavy, you have two warriors and a mage. So depending on what you choose for your GW you could still have a pretty balanced team that does great damage.

6. Alistair, Leliana, Morrigan

Morrigan brings a dark but fun vibe to the group.

You can’t really go wrong with this team, this is your OG team that most people begin with in the game. This is a starting team for a reason, not only is it because these are the first people you really meet but it’s very well rounded when it comes to player classes. There are also some really good dialogues here. All three of these characters are romanceable, (Morrigan/Leliana for a male GW, Alistair/Leliana for a female GW) and depending on who you go with there are some pretty funny things that get discussed as you are traveling around.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 Well rounded classes for any type of quest, you will have a warrior, mage and rogue.
• Dialogue - 5/5 The dialogue between these three is one of the better ones, there is that camaraderie between Alistair and Leliana, and the bickering of Morrigan against the other two makes for some good laughs.
• Power - 5/5 This team has great power, if you choose to have Leliana as an archer you have two party members that can inflict massive damage from a distance. This is a good choice if you can keep the hoards off of your squishy team mates in the back.

*You should definitely take Leliana with you to the Urn of Sacred Ashes, since she is very religious in the game, this is something she values a lot. However, depending on your choices you may either get a lot of approval, disapproval or you might even have a fight on your hands. 

5. Leliana, Wynne, Alistair

Alistair is such a great tank and has a great story, I have him in my party a lot.

Now we come to my personal favorite team composition, this is an amazing all around team. You have high versatility, great conversations, good power and this is also great for certain approval ratings. If you are a “good” GW and tend to choose the heroic choices then this group is the best to take with you.As long as you are choosing the right/good thing when it comes to the storyline and choices these three characters will continue to give approval. They also have great dialogue, from the humor with Leliana and Alistair, to the sweet grandmother-esque relationship that grows between Alistair and Wynne. This is just an all around great team.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 This team has great versatility for pretty much any quest that you run into during the game. You have one of each class; Warrior, rogue, and mage.
• Dialogue - 5/5 Amazing dialogue, all of these characters have great backstories and add fun things that you get to hear as you are traveling across Ferelden. Again I added the approval aspect to this as well, which is very high if you are consistently choosing the good/heroic outcomes. The relationships that develop from these three are heartwarming and enjoyable to see come to life.
• Power - 5/5 This is a very strong team, you have the tank with the warrior, the damage from the rogue and the heal from the mage. You can also of course do damage with the mage but having a healer in your party, while it may not be necessary, is extremely beneficial. Again, a big thing to remember is to try and keep the hoards off your back line so they can continue to do damage/heal without being interrupted.

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Now I will delve into the Awakening companions and their team compositions. You have a total of 6 companions that you will gather, there are 2 mages, 2 rogues and 2 warriors that you can choose from. The only playable character that is also from the original Dragon Age game will be Oghren, there is a chance you will see Alistair but he is not someone you can add to your party. 

4. Anders, Oghren, Nathaniel

Nathaniel is an interesting character.

This is a pretty good team, it’s definitely versatile. You have a mage, rogue and warrior, so it’s well rounded. This is the first team suggested that you use, though you don’t really get much of a choice. Still, overall this is a pretty good team that’s good and finds its strength in versatility of classes.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 This is a well rounded team, and good for most situations that arise. You have one of each class.
• Dialogue - 2/5 The dialogue isn’t awful, it’s just not one of my favorites. To be fair the dialogue in Awakening isn’t as well done as Origins.
• Power - 3/5 This isn’t a weak team by any means, but the strength of this team comes for the versatility that it has.

3. Oghren, Anders, Sigrun

Sigrun is a fun rogue to have around, especially with Oghren.

Another well rounded team, this also contains a warrior, mage and rogue. This team has good synergy when fighting together and the dialogue that happens is  fun to watch.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 Another very versatile team, with one of each class. You can’t really go wrong when it comes to the versatility of a warrior, rogue and mage. If you go the route of having Sigrun a two handed rogue then this team has a great synergy. You have your warrior and rogue up front, and your mage doing damage from the back line.
• Dialogue - 4/5 I think the dialogue with these characters is much more fun to watch than some of the other compositions out there. Since Oghren and Sigrun are both dwarves, there is a sense of camaraderie that is there as well. I think this is a fun group to have for dialogue purposes.
• Power - 3/5 A team that relies on its versatility more than power, but is strong because it can handle most situations that arise and you have two up close combatants.

2. Anders, Nathaniel, Justice

Justice is such a unique character.

This is a fun team, well rounded and it’s interesting to hear what they have to say to each other. The synergy of Justice and Anders is always something I have enjoyed. Don’t forget to take Nathaniel with you to the Black Marsh since you get some scenes and dialogue that you would otherwise miss out on. 

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 Well rounded team, this has one of each class. If you decide to make Nathaniel an archer, which I would recommend, then you have a warrior to take the front line and two characters to do damage from the back line. The only thing to be careful about is keeping the heat off your back line so they don’t get interrupted or injured.
• Dialogue - 4/5 I like the dialogue between all the characters on this team, but I especially like Anders and Justice. They are just fun to watch interact.
• Power - 3/5 This is a pretty strong team, you have your versatility but you have two characters that can rain down damage from a distance without taking much damage. This is a pretty strong team, as long as you are careful to keep your back line safe.

1. Justice, Sigrun, Velanna

Velanna is a useful mage to always have on hand.

This is a great team to have for dialogue and versatility. It is recommended that you take this team for your last quest. If needed you can switch out Sigrun. However, If you take Velanna and Justice you will get to see more dialogue, scenes and also learn more about them.

Team Strengths:

• Versatility - 5/5 Versatile team that can take on most quests, strong front line with this team.
• Dialogue - 5/5 The overall dialogue is decent with this team, but the extra dialogue you get when taking this team on your final quest is why I gave this such a higher rating.
• Power - 4/5 Strong team, with decent power. You have a strong mage that can do good damage from behind your warrior and rogue who are up close in combat.

Just like with most things concerning ‘Dragon Age: Origins’, there really is no right or wrong way to do things. The great thing about the game is the freedom that you get as the player and choices you get to make. The party compositions I mentioned are useful in different situations, and I recommend switching out characters for certain areas and quests. I hope the information I have given can help you with some decisions that may arise in the game.