Agents, not since the siege of Kirkwall has Thedas seen such an aggressive display of power from the mighty Qunari. Though we don’t yet know the true motive behind their assault, make no mistake about it: the Qunari pose a serious threat, and they’re here in Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer.

To help you prepare to fight this brutal enemy force, we sat down with a few scouts from the Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer team: producers Blair Brown and Billy Buskell, and designer Luke Barrett.

[DRAGONAGE.COM]: The Qunari are well-regarded for their skill on the battlefield. What’s it like to fight against their army?

[BLAIR BROWN]: Qunari in multiplayer are deadly. While the darkspawn swarm you, the Qunari use tactics and strong ranged attacks to battle the party. Don’t stand still too long or you’ll find yourself covered in spears.

[BILLY BUSKELL]: They may be the most balanced threat so far, in terms of what they have in their arsenal. The Qunari can hit you from afar or get in your face very quickly. They are built for all-out war, and they bring it every match.

[LUKE BARRETT]: The Qunari are an extremely adaptable adversary: their ranged units are also very strong in melee range and their melee units have explosive mid-ranged attacks. Because of this, it is difficult for the party to hide behind one particular playstyle – you’ll want to mix in ranged and melee attacks and frequently switch between them as needed.

[DRAGONAGE.COM]: Which Qunari classes are represented in their faction?

[LUKE]: The Qunari have footsoldier-like grunts, spear-throwing ranged units, magic-destroying stealthers, devastating mages, and surprisingly agile shield users and brutes.

[DRAGONAGE.COM]: What would you say is the Qunari’s greatest strength?

[LUKE]: Versatility. Each enemy type has the ability to play to its general weakness as an archetype. For example, the slow two-handed enemies are usually easy to kite, but the Qunari version has a leaping strike allowing them to close the gap quickly if you’re too far away.

[DRAGONAGE.COM]: What about you, Billy?

[BILLY]: I’d have to say keeping you on your toes. With some factions, there is a weakness that can be used to your team’s advantage. With the Qunari, they are trying to expose your weakness. You'll want a solid, well-rounded party when they show up to fight.

[DRAGONAGE.COM]: If you had to pick a favorite, which character would you use against the Qunari and why?

[BLAIR]: Elementalist. His control of the battlefield is key when dodging their attacks. Using line of sight, crowd control, and teamwork is the only way you will be able to defeat this deadly war party. Those barriers also help quite a bit.

[LUKE]: The Pirate Queen, Isabela, is probably my favorite, as she has the easiest time switching between melee and ranged combat, as well as dodging incoming single large hits with her Elusive mechanic.

[BILLY]: It's a toss-up between Isabela, our swashbuckling queen of the seas, and the Katari. Isabela because she can mix up ranged and melee attacks quickly. The Katari because, well, who doesn't like the idea of seeing all-out Qunari warfare?

[DRAGONAGE.COM]: All right, last question: Got any insider Qunari-battling tips for players before they dive in?

[BILLY]: Review your loadouts and work with your team to make sure you have a balanced party before heading into battle. The Qunari hit hard and fast, and they aren't picky about where and when to attack your party. A balanced roster of characters and classes as well as offensive and defensive potions will aid in taking on the strongest threat the agents of the Inquisition have faced to date.

[BLAIR]: Make friends with a Keeper or an Elementalist.

[LUKE]: The Commander is extremely devastating at range, but he doesn’t move around much, so use line-of-sight blocking to your advantage to defend against some of his attacks.

Note: Adding the Qunari faction to multiplayer mode requires installing the latest content update on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Be sure to do that before entering multiplayer.