Hybrid companions

Petoften

The game seems designed around builds being tank, healer, dps - but in picking a companion role, I often find a hybrid would be best.

For example, my rogue would like both a tank and healer. My healer would like both a tank and dps.

How should this be addressed? Does the game push picking one role for a companion as better, or is there an approach that make sense to somehow try to have hybrids?

Of course on skills, they could be split, making them less powerful as either role but with some of both. But gear seems aimed at one or the other.

Zodiarkslayer

Well, the game kind of expects you to be a tank, healer and dps at the same time.
A companion taking up one of these roles is already a big help. At least in my opinion.

Cooperharley

I'd just love it if we could put player gear on the companions and create fun, synergistic builds rather than the 1m+ gold for a single piece of purple companion gear lol. It'd be so much more interactive and interesting IMO. The companion system needs a major facelift in functionality, not just a couple added every year with nothing different. It has an incredible amount of potential

Nemesis7884

What would be cool if we get a new companion that can subclass by learning skills from all the other companions

Petoften

Thanks for the replies, but I don't think I have an answer to the question yet.

Erickson9610

Nemesis7884 wrote: »

What would be cool if we get a new companion that can subclass by learning skills from all the other companions

I get the feeling that future Companions will already be Subclassing, since Tanlorin was the first Companion to not use three skill lines belonging to the same Class. I doubt ZOS would want us to Subclass our Companions, though.

Erickson9610

Petoften wrote: »

How should this be addressed? Does the game push picking one role for a companion as better, or is there an approach that make sense to somehow try to have hybrids?

Of course on skills, they could be split, making them less powerful as either role but with some of both. But gear seems aimed at one or the other.

I use 7 Heavy with Quickened for tanks and healers. For damage dealers, I instead use 5 Light 2 Heavy (to unlock Haste) with Quickened.

Cooldown Reduction is just all around a better stat to build towards. A dead Companion does no tanking, healing, or damage, so always slot them with an emergency self heal.

BretonMage

I've always built them as hybrid, fulfilling a little bit of everything role, but mainly healer/tank. That's mainly because while they're not the best at any particular role, they're pretty good at general support. So I level a taunt through the sword and shield line, level the resto staff line (Mystic Fortress is great), and try to make sure their survivability is good.

I think their gear should be overhauled at least. It hasn't changed since the companions were first introduced, and there are too many useless traits. Now that players have been using companions for a while, hopefully ZOS will have a better idea of what works.

DenverRalphy

I just keep 3 companions (one for each role) on my Quickwheel. I'd rather a companion that's good at one thing than a companion mediocre at multiple roles.

On my quickwheel I have Sharp-As-Night as healer, Tanlorin as DPS, and Azandar as tank (would be Isobel but Azandar's taunt is reliable in IA). Each of which is available on a moment's notice whenever I need them. They're each built to maximize the roles I assigned them, and they do it well.

Petoften

One person 'always builds companions as hybrids', another 'always builds them for one role'.

Looking like people see the same issue.