In Avowed, the Companions not only enrich the game's narrative but also offer practical benefits that can significantly impact gameplay. From unlocking new paths to excelling in combat, each Companion brings unique abilities to the table. Below, we rank every Companion in Avowed from least to most effective, based on their utility and combat prowess.
4. Marius
During my adventures in Avowed, I found Marius to be the least compatible with my preferred playstyle. While he offers some early-game exploration benefits, his utility diminishes as you recruit other Companions. Marius excels at finding items and plants during exploration but falls short in combat effectiveness. Here's a breakdown of Marius' abilities and their upgrades:
- Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds. Upgrades allow it to stun enemies, affect multiple foes, and inflict Bleed Accumulation.
- Heart Seeker: Fires a piercing shot that always hits the target. Upgrades enable it to hit two enemies, deal more damage to foes below 50% health, and reduce its cooldown.
- Shadow Step: Vanishes and reappears near an enemy to attack with daggers, repeatable up to three times. Upgrades can instantly kill stunned enemies, deal more damage to low-health foes, and affect up to six enemies.
- Wounding Shots: Inflicts Bleed Accumulation with attacks. Upgrades reduce enemy damage reduction, slow hit enemies, and decrease enemy damage.
Marius' abilities focus on controlling and weakening enemies, which can be useful in specific situations, particularly against melee-focused foes with low health. However, his niche abilities make him less versatile for the broader journey across the Living Lands.
3. Giatta
Giatta, an Animancer, specializes in support through magic, focusing on healing, shielding, and buffing the party. Although she isn't the strongest in terms of damage output, her abilities offer crucial support, especially during intense encounters like boss fights. Here are Giatta's abilities and their upgrades:
- Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their maximum health. Upgrades increase healing to 50%, interrupt and knock back enemies, and boost allies' damage reduction.
- Barrier: Grants temporary health to allies for 20 seconds. Upgrades enhance the shield's effectiveness, heal enemies when it ends, and protect Giatta from melee hits.
- Acceleration: Boosts allies' move and attack speed for 15 seconds. Upgrades add damage reduction, extend the duration, and reduce ability cooldowns.
- Reconstruction: Heals allies with attacks. Upgrades provide more healing for allies below 20% health, grant temporary health, and revive incapacitated allies when Giatta kills an enemy.
Giatta's ability to power Essence Generators is invaluable for accessing late-game loot areas. She pairs well with Envoys using Wizard builds, making her a solid choice for magic-focused players.
2. Kai
Kai, the first Companion you meet in Avowed, remains a valuable asset throughout your playthrough. As a tank, he can absorb damage and deal significant blows with minimal player input. Here are Kai's abilities and their upgrades:
- Fire and Ire: Fires from his Blunderbuss, stunning and taunting an enemy for 10 seconds. Upgrades ignite the target, increase stun, and reduce the cooldown.
- Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and increases damage reduction. Upgrades further reduce damage, enhance health regeneration, and unleash a shockwave upon expiration.
- Leap of Daring: Crashes down on an enemy, stunning and taunting nearby foes. Upgrades increase the area of effect, grant temporary health, and boost attack damage.
- Second Wind: Revives himself, restoring 50% of his maximum health. Upgrades increase health restoration, provide a temporary attack speed boost, and reset ability cooldowns.
Kai's versatility shines in combat, whether dealing with single high-health enemies or managing crowds. His self-revival ability makes him a reliable partner, and his fire-based attacks can clear obstacles like spider webs and roots.
1. Yatzli
Yatzli, a Wizard, brings powerful offensive magic and excellent crowd control to your party. In the Living Lands, she acts as your air support with a formidable array of abilities. Here are Yatzli's abilities and their upgrades:
- Essence Explosion: Explodes on impact, releasing essence and dealing explosive damage. Upgrades increase the blast radius, inflict fire accumulation, and reduce the cooldown.
- Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles. Upgrades enhance the fire rate, 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 deal frost accumulation.
- Blast: Causes attacks to burst into an area of effect. Upgrades enable it to break blocks, destroy walls, shatter frozen enemies, increase stun, and have a chance to inflict Frozen, Ignited, or Shocked status.
Yatzli's powerful abilities match her fierce personality, and she can clear obstacles to unlock new areas. Despite being the last Companion you recruit, her impact on your journey through Avowed is undeniable.
Avowed is set to launch on PC and Xbox on February 18, promising an engaging experience with these diverse and impactful Companions.
