In Avowed, Companions not only enrich the game's narrative and dialogue but also play crucial roles in gameplay mechanics. They can unlock new paths and significantly enhance combat strategies. Here's a comprehensive ranking of the Companions from least to most effective, based on their utility and combat prowess:
4. Marius
During my adventures in Avowed, I found Marius (depicted above, right) to be less compatible with my preferred playstyle. Although his passive abilities aid early-game exploration by helping locate items and plants, he quickly becomes outclassed by other Companions. Marius's combat abilities are more niche, focusing on controlling and weakening enemies rather than dealing significant damage. Here's a detailed look at Marius's abilities and their potential upgrades:
- Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds. Upgrades can stun enemies, trap multiple targets, and apply Bleed Accumulation.
- Heart Seeker: A piercing shot that always hits its target, even through obstacles. Upgrades allow it to hit multiple enemies, increase damage to low-health foes, and reduce cooldown.
- Shadow Step: Marius disappears in a smoke cloud before reappearing to attack an enemy with daggers up to three times. Upgrades can instantly kill stunned enemies, increase damage to low-health targets, and extend the attack to six enemies.
- Wounding Shots: Marius's attacks cause Bleed Accumulation. Upgrades can reduce enemy damage reduction, slow affected enemies, and further decrease enemy damage.
Marius's abilities are best suited for specific enemy types, particularly in melee-focused builds. However, his overall impact on combat is limited, making him less desirable for the majority of your journey through the Living Lands.
3. Giatta
Giatta, a support-focused Animancer, excels in healing, shielding, and buffing the party. While she doesn't shine in dealing damage, her utility in protecting the Envoy and party's health is invaluable, especially during intense battles like Avowed's boss fights. Here are Giatta's abilities and their potential upgrades:
- Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their maximum Health. Upgrades can increase healing to 50%, interrupt and knock back enemies, and boost damage reduction for allies.
- Barrier: Grants a temporary health shield to all allies for 20 seconds. Upgrades increase shield strength, heal enemies when the barrier dissipates, and protect Giatta from melee attacks.
- Acceleration: Boosts move and attack speed of allies for 15 seconds. Upgrades provide damage reduction, extend the duration, and reduce ability cooldowns.
- Reconstruction: Giatta's attacks heal allies slightly. Upgrades enhance healing for critically low-health allies, grant temporary health, and revive incapacitated allies upon killing an enemy.
Giatta's ability to power Essence Generators is crucial for accessing late-game loot areas. She complements Envoys with Wizard builds focused on magic, making her a valuable addition to specific playstyles.
Related: Avowed PC Specs: Minimum and Recommended System Requirements
2. Kai
As the first Companion you encounter in Avowed, Kai proves to be a reliable ally throughout your entire playthrough. He's a tank who can handle significant damage while dealing effective blows, requiring minimal player input. Here are Kai's abilities and their upgrades:
- Fire and Ire: Fires from his Blunderbuss, dealing high stun and taunting an enemy for 10 seconds. Upgrades can ignite the target, increase stun, and reduce cooldown.
- Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and increases damage reduction by 25%. Upgrades further reduce incoming damage, boost health regeneration, and release a damaging shockwave upon expiration.
- Leap of Daring: Crashes down on an enemy, stunning and taunting nearby foes. Upgrades expand the area of effect, grant temporary health per enemy hit, and increase attack damage per hit.
- Second Wind: Revives himself by restoring 50% of his maximum health. Upgrades can increase this to 75%, provide a temporary attack speed boost, and reset all ability cooldowns.
Kai's versatility in handling both single powerful enemies and crowd control makes him an essential combat partner. His self-revival ability adds to his reliability, and his fire-based skills can clear obstacles like spider webs and roots, unlocking new areas.
1. Yatzli
Yatzli, a Wizard with potent fiery attacks, offers both high-damage capabilities and excellent crowd control. She's akin to air support in the fantasy setting of the Living Lands. Here are Yatzli's abilities and their upgrades:
- Essence Explosion: Explodes on impact, releasing essence and dealing explosive damage. Upgrades increase blast size, apply fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown.
- Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles. Upgrades enhance firing rate, extend range, and add shock accumulation.
- Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows an enemy for 10 seconds. Upgrades intensify the slow effect, create an area of effect, and apply frost accumulation.
- Blast: Yatzli's attacks create a small area of effect. Upgrades deal explosive damage to break blocks and walls, increase stun, and have a chance to inflict Frozen, Ignited, or Shocked statuses.
Yatzli's formidable abilities and her capacity to clear obstacles make her an invaluable asset, despite being the last Companion you recruit in Avowed. Her fierce personality and powerful skill set ensure she's a top choice for any challenging journey through the Living Lands.
Avowed releases on PC and Xbox on February 18.
