Companions: How will you build them?

phaneub17_ESO · May 2021

Information subject to change
https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Companion+Skills
https://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Companion+Equipment

Bastian: Resto Staff, 5 Light, and 2 Heavy. Mystic Fortress, Drake's Blood, Basalt Barrier, Searing Weapons, and Haste. Focusing on Quickened and Augmented to keep the buffs rolling and extend the duration.

Mirri: Bow, 7 Medium. Twilight Mantle, Piercing Arrow, Viper's Bite, Sniping Silver, and Vanish. Single target glass cannon, Aggressive and Shattering focused, do as much upfront damage as possible before she bites the dust.

Slyclone · May 2021

I will keep them stored. Until a Companion that looks like my toons comes out. Or they give us full customization.

Crazyprophet · May 2021

To be honest I'm gonna play around with it a bit! I have a vague idea to make Bastian a melee dps or tank though. Not sure what I'll do with Mirri yet.

six2fall · May 2021

Well I was looking forward to them for easier solo mindless grinding but given what pts people have shown/said about how good or not good in most cases I think I'll just let them collect dust till they get buffed

MudcrabAttack · May 2021

No idea, really, a tanked out companion can't survive a normal dungeon, kind of doubt a non tanky one would survive well

Saucy_Jack · May 2021

As someone who's spent some time on the PTS, I can tell you that non-white companion gear drops RARELY. So I'll be building them with whatever scraps of companion gear I manage to pick up.

VaranisArano · May 2021

I'll probably buy the white quality companion gear from an NPC merchant and mess around with Mirri until I find something that seems to work.

Varanis Arano plays like a tank - slow but steady DPS wins the race. It'll be interesting to see how Mirri fits in with her playstyle.

Wolf_Eye · May 2021

Saucy_Jack wrote: »

As someone who's spent some time on the PTS, I can tell you that non-white companion gear drops RARELY. So I'll be building them with whatever scraps of companion gear I manage to pick up.

Hey I was just curious where you got companion gear to drop? Because I went all over the place but could find nothing. Was it delve bosses? World bosses? regular mobs? etc?

danno8 · May 2021

I'm not sure it really matters, so I'm not sure I'm going to really notice how they are built.

Slap on whatever?

Roztlin45 · May 2021

With the current level of uselessness companions are, not sure it matters. I wonder how much companions will tax game performance, adds.to your inventory , and is a general flop?

Sable751 · May 2021

Saucy_Jack wrote: »

As someone who's spent some time on the PTS, I can tell you that non-white companion gear drops RARELY. So I'll be building them with whatever scraps of companion gear I manage to pick up.

That wasn't my experience and I only played a couple of hours here and there, managed to equip a full set of blue armour (admittedly a hodgepodge of types and traits), a green necklace and a green weapon (in fact found quite a few green weapons of various type).

Mainly found them on World Bosses, Public Dungeon and Group Dungeon Bosses, and doing the Dark Anchor daily's (might also have got some from a Delve Boss, but I'm not certain about that).

Alinhbo_Tyaka · May 2021

For me they will probably collect dust. I already play a pet class and have enough problems with pets staying too close and getting in the way. In the past it has been compounded when quests provide companions who also follow too close and get in the way. I suspect that these new companions will use much of the same AI and control routines as quest companions so will also follow too close and be in the way when they aren't dying.

tomofhyrule · May 2021

I'll want to keep Basti at least kitted out as he is. I like the idea of having a ranged magDPS companion so I can have a bet more damage on my side. Trying to tank a damage sponge while attacking with a wet noodle can be unfun at times.

I never tested Mirri out at all, but Basti at least has a nice story and his alignment matches my main's. I'll probably pick him up soon after the chapter drops and then try to just go around the world with him, see what I can do.

Tharonil · May 2021

I will try to give them heavy armor and self heals, but no taunt skill. I'm happy if they only survive as long as possible.

FrancisCrawford · May 2021

Healer/buffer.

That's the best role for NPCs in other games I've played, and it sure seems that ESO will continue the streak.

Orion_89 · May 2021

Playing manasorc with pets, anyway I have to support randoms with healing even if I am dd, so the companions will be as randoms for me but only if we are speaking about their strength. What is great about them is their personality and background. Really can't wait till release))

Narvuntien · May 2021

I feel like the main use for them is to allow healers and tanks to clear overland faster so not everyone is a dps.

I run around questing without food buffs or even self heals and I never die, I don't think I need a pocket healer.

DukeCybran · May 2021

Healer or tank; anything but dds.

cyberjanet · May 2021

Seeing as companion equipment is a very rare drop, I will build them with difficulty. When I eventually get the chapter.

crazepdx · May 2021

Tbh I'll keep one out to grind for gear to sell on the trader. They make ok healbots. Past that they are more of a liability then an asset.

Starlight_Whisper · May 2021

Bastion is a tank as goal but he does enough dps at max level to keep my support player self do other content.

I don't like other companion... she's got a problem with my bug killing.

orion_1981usub17_ESO · May 2021

Best to keep them ranged, but we all know you'll be using what ever you get. Unless you got the cash to buy the purples.

Sigh I really wish we could craft specialized companion gear.

Pauwer · May 2021

Ehh, i just wanted something hawt to look at. I just googled how they look like. Ehhhh. Can i use them as human shield in cyro?

Lady_Galadhiel · May 2021

Pauwer wrote: »

Ehh, i just wanted something hawt to look at. I just googled how they look like. Ehhhh. Can i use them as human shield in cyro?

No you can not summon them in PvP or solo arenas.

GreenHere · May 2021

Given their performance and durability (or lack thereof), the best use for them is as buff/heal bots. Using them to bolster YOU while you do your thing is about as effective as I could see them being in their current state. If you can keep them from getting aggro or otherwise disrupting the flow of combat, having them empower you to mow things down quicker/easier is about the best use for them from what basic testing I did on the PTS shows.

I imagine we'll have to see buffs before they can be relied on to tank for people who struggle with clearing content already; if you can't keep yourself alive, you're gonna have your hands full babysitting your Companion if they're the focus of bosses' attention. If they rely on you to keep them vertical, they're not very good tanks; at least not if it's just you and your helper. Maybe in groups of 3 or more it can work, but I didn't test that. All I know is if you want your Companion to be a tank, you better be prepared to be a pretty dedicated healer.

As DDs they seem to have pretty much the same issue. You gotta babysit more than I'd like for what little damage they do. Not sure if they need to get more damage or not, because I really didn't bother much exploring their use in this capacity. I'm sure ZOS doesn't want them doing too much, though. But the least they do need is more innate damage resistance in some form. Otherwise, again, they're just kind of too much trouble to keep a constant eye on.

Septimus_Magna · May 2021

Ranged healer with buffs and debuffs. Not expecting a massive difference but any extra healing is welcome when playing solo.