Top Avowed Companions Ranked by Utility

In Avowed, Companions not only enrich the narrative and dialogue but also play crucial roles in gameplay, from unlocking new paths to enhancing combat effectiveness. Here's a detailed ranking of every Companion in Avowed, from least to most beneficial:

4. Marius

During my playthrough of Avowed, I found Marius to be less compatible with my preferred play style. While his passive abilities are useful for early-game exploration, helping to locate items and plants, he quickly becomes outclassed by other Companions. Marius's combat abilities focus on controlling and weakening enemies, which can be beneficial in specific scenarios, particularly against melee-focused foes with low health. However, his overall combat power is limited, making him less ideal for the majority of your journey through the Living Lands.

Abilities and Upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds. Upgrades include stunning enemies, trapping multiple enemies, and dealing Bleed Accumulation.
• Heart Seeker: Fires a piercing shot that always hits the target. Upgrades allow it to hit two enemies, increase damage to enemies below 50% health, and reduce cooldown by 33%.
• Shadow Step: Vanishes and reappears to slash enemies with daggers, up to three times. Upgrades can instantly kill stunned enemies, increase damage to low-health enemies, and allow up to six strikes.
• Wounding Shots: Attacks deal Bleed Accumulation. Upgrades reduce enemy damage reduction, slow hit enemies, and decrease enemy damage.

3. Giatta

Giatta, an Animancer, focuses on support through healing, shielding, and buffing the party. While she may not excel in direct damage, her utility in maintaining the party's health and providing defensive boosts is invaluable, especially during intense encounters like boss fights. Giatta's ability to power Essence Generators also opens up new areas for exploration and loot.

Abilities and Upgrades:

• Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their maximum health. Upgrades increase healing to 50%, interrupt and knock back enemies, and boost ally damage reduction by 20% for 15 seconds.
• Barrier: Grants temporary health to allies for 20 seconds. Upgrades enhance the amount of temporary health, heal enemies when the barrier ends, and protect Giatta from melee attacks.
• Acceleration: Boosts ally move and attack speed for 15 seconds. Upgrades provide 15% damage reduction, extend acceleration duration, and reduce ability cooldowns by 50%.
• Reconstruction: Attacks heal allies slightly. Upgrades increase healing for allies below 20% health, grant temporary health at maximum health, and revive incapacitated allies upon killing an enemy.

Giatta pairs well with Envoys using Wizard builds, enhancing their magical capabilities.

2. Kai

Kai, the first Companion you encounter, remains a valuable asset throughout your entire playthrough. As a tank, he can absorb damage and deal significant blows without much need for player intervention. His abilities are versatile, effective against both single high-health enemies and groups, and his self-revival capability makes him a reliable combat partner.

Abilities and Upgrades:

• Fire and Ire: Fires from his Blunderbuss, dealing high stun and taunting enemies for 10 seconds. Upgrades ignite targets, increase stun, and reduce cooldown by 50%.
• Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and increases damage reduction by 25%. Upgrades reduce incoming damage by 50%, boost health regeneration, and unleash a shockwave upon expiration.
• Leap of Daring: Crashes down on enemies, stunning and taunting nearby foes. Upgrades double the area of effect, grant temporary health per enemy hit, and increase attack damage per enemy hit.
• Second Wind: Revives himself, restoring 50% of his maximum health. Upgrades increase health restoration to 75%, provide a temporary attack speed boost, and reset all ability cooldowns.

Kai's fire-based abilities also help in clearing obstacles like spider webs and roots, unlocking new areas.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a powerful Wizard, brings high-damage attacks and excellent crowd control to the party. Her abilities make her akin to air support in the fantasy world of the Living Lands. Despite being the last Companion you recruit, her impact on gameplay is significant, making her an essential part of your team.

Abilities and Upgrades:

• Essence Explosion: Explodes on impact, releasing essence and dealing explosive damage. Upgrades increase the blast radius, deal fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown by 33%.
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles. Upgrades increase fire rate and range, and add shock accumulation.
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies for 10 seconds. Upgrades intensify the slowing effect, create an area of effect, and deal frost accumulation.
• Blast: Attacks burst into 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 status.

Yatzli's powerful abilities and her capacity to clear obstacles make her an invaluable asset for the remainder of your journey in Avowed.

Avowed is set to release on PC and Xbox on February 18.