Avowed's Companions: A Ranked Guide from Worst to Best

Beyond their narrative roles and dialogue, Avowed's Companions offer significant gameplay advantages, from pathfinding to combat prowess. This guide ranks each companion, from least to most helpful.

4. Marius

Early game utility is Marius's strength; his abilities aid exploration by locating items and plants. However, his combat effectiveness quickly diminishes as other companions join your party. His skills primarily focus on crowd control and weakening enemies, making him a niche choice. While helpful against certain foes, particularly if your Envoy is melee-focused, Marius lacks the overall power to justify his inclusion for most of the Avowed journey.

Marius' Abilities:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies (upgradeable to stun, affect multiple targets, and inflict Bleed).
• Heart Seeker: Piercing shot that always hits (upgradeable for multi-target, increased damage vs. low-health enemies, and reduced cooldown).
• Shadow Step: Vanishes and attacks (upgradeable for instant kills on stunned enemies, increased damage vs. low-health enemies, and increased target count).
• Wounding Shots: Inflicts Bleed Accumulation (upgradeable to reduce enemy damage reduction, slow enemies, and reduce enemy damage).

3. Giatta

Giatta, a support Animancer, excels at healing, shielding, and buffing the party. While not a damage dealer, her abilities are invaluable in challenging situations like boss fights. Her late-game utility in activating Essence Generators to unlock hidden areas is also a significant plus. Giatta synergizes exceptionally well with magic-focused Envoy builds.

Giatta's Abilities:

• Purification: Heals allies (upgradeable for increased healing, enemy interruption, and increased ally damage reduction).
• Barrier: Provides temporary health to allies (upgradeable for increased temporary health, healing on barrier expiration, and self-protection).
• Acceleration: Increases ally movement and attack speed (upgradeable for damage reduction, extended duration, and ability cooldown reduction).
• Reconstruction: Heals allies with attacks (upgradeable for increased healing for low-health allies, temporary health at max health, and ally revival on enemy kill).

2. Kai

Despite being an early recruit, Kai remains consistently useful throughout Avowed. A formidable tank, he delivers substantial damage with minimal player intervention. His self-revival ability further enhances his value. His fire attacks also serve a practical purpose in clearing environmental obstacles.

Kai's Abilities:

• Fire and Ire: Blunderbuss shot with high stun and taunt (upgradeable for ignition, increased stun, and reduced cooldown).
• Unbending Defense: Health regeneration and damage reduction (upgradeable for increased damage reduction, increased regeneration, and area-of-effect damage on expiration).
• Leap of Daring: Area-of-effect stun and taunt (upgradeable for increased area of effect, temporary health per hit, and bonus attack damage per hit).
• Second Wind: Self-revival (upgradeable for increased health restoration, attack speed boost, and ability cooldown reset).

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a powerful Wizard, delivers high damage and excellent crowd control. Her abilities function as a form of "air support" in combat. She also possesses the ability to clear environmental obstacles, granting access to new areas. While recruited last, she is a crucial asset for the remainder of your Avowed adventure.

Yatzli's Abilities:

• Essence Explosion: Explosive arcane damage (upgradeable for increased blast radius, fire accumulation, and reduced cooldown).
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Volley of homing missiles (upgradeable for increased fire rate, range, and shock accumulation).
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies (upgradeable for increased slow, area-of-effect slow, and frost accumulation).
• Blast: Area-of-effect damage on hit (upgradeable for explosive damage to break objects, stun, and inflict status effects).

Avowed launches on PC and Xbox on February 18.