Top Avowed Companions Ranked by Utility

In Avowed, the Companions not only enhance the narrative and provide engaging dialogue but also offer practical benefits that can significantly impact gameplay. Here's a detailed ranking of every Companion in Avowed based on their utility and combat effectiveness, from least to most beneficial.

4. Marius

In my experience with Avowed, Marius (depicted on the right above) didn't quite align with my preferred playstyle. While his passive abilities are handy for early-game exploration, helping to uncover hidden items and plants, he quickly becomes outclassed by other Companions. Marius's combat abilities, though useful in specific scenarios, lack the punch needed for a reliable party member throughout your journey in the Living Lands. Here's a breakdown of Marius' abilities and their upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds, with upgrades that allow stunning, trapping multiple enemies, and causing Bleed Accumulation.
• Heart Seeker: A piercing shot that always hits the target, with upgrades that allow hitting two enemies, increased damage to those below 50% health, and a reduced cooldown.
• Shadow Step: Vanishes and reappears to slash enemies with daggers up to three times, with upgrades that can instantly kill stunned enemies, increase damage to low-health foes, and extend to six enemies.
• Wounding Shots: Causes Bleed Accumulation with attacks, with upgrades that reduce enemy damage reduction, slow hit enemies, and decrease enemy damage.

Marius excels at controlling and weakening enemies, making him a niche pick for players focusing on melee combat against certain enemy types. However, his overall impact on the broader gameplay experience is limited.

3. Giatta

Giatta, an Animancer with a focus on support, brings healing, shielding, and buffing capabilities to your party. While she may not be the best for dealing direct damage, her utility in high-stress situations, such as boss fights, is invaluable. Here are Giatta's abilities and their upgrades in Avowed:

• Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their maximum Health, with upgrades that increase healing to 50%, interrupt and knock back enemies, and boost ally damage reduction.
• Barrier: Grants temporary health to allies for 20 seconds, with upgrades that increase the health amount, heal enemies upon expiration, and prevent Giatta from being hit while knocking back melee attackers.
• Acceleration: Boosts ally move and attack speed for 15 seconds, with upgrades that add damage reduction, extend the duration, and reduce ability cooldowns.
• Reconstruction: Heals allies slightly with attacks, with upgrades that enhance healing for those below 20% health, grant temporary health at maximum, and revive incapacitated allies upon killing an enemy.

Giatta's ability to power Essence Generators also helps unlock new areas and access additional loot. She pairs exceptionally well with Envoys using Wizard builds, making her a solid choice for those focusing on magic.

2. Kai

As the first Companion you encounter in Avowed, Kai proves to be a valuable asset throughout your entire playthrough. His tank-like abilities allow him to absorb damage while dishing out significant damage to enemies with minimal player input. Here are Kai's abilities and their upgrades:

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

Kai's versatility in dealing with both single high-health enemies and crowd control, along with his self-revival ability, makes him an excellent combat partner. He also helps in opening certain areas by clearing obstacles like spider webs and roots.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a formidable Wizard, combines high-damage attacks with superb crowd control, effectively serving as your air support in the Living Lands. Here are all of Yatzli's abilities and their upgrades:

• Essence Explosion: Explodes upon hitting an enemy, releasing essence and explosive damage, with upgrades that enlarge the blast, cause fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown.
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles, with upgrades that increase fire rate, extend range, and cause shock accumulation.
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies for 10 seconds, with upgrades that intensify slowing effects, create an area of effect, and cause frost accumulation.
• Blast: Causes attacks to burst into a small area of effect, with upgrades that enable breaking blocks, destroying walls, shattering frozen enemies, increasing stun, and a chance to inflict Frozen, Ignited, or Shocked status.

Yatzli's powerful and versatile abilities, combined with her ability to clear obstacles and access new areas, make her an invaluable addition to your party. Though she joins later in Avowed, her impact on your journey through the Living Lands is undeniable.

Avowed is set to release on PC and Xbox on February 18, promising an engaging experience with these diverse and impactful Companions.