Top Avowed Companions Ranked by Utility

In Avowed, Companions are more than just narrative elements; they play crucial roles in gameplay, from unlocking new areas to enhancing your combat capabilities. Here's a ranking of every Avowed Companion based on their practical utility and effectiveness in combat.

4. Marius

In my experience with Avowed, Marius didn't align well with my play style. His passive abilities are useful early on for exploration, helping to locate items and plants. However, he quickly becomes outclassed by other Companions. Marius' combat abilities focus on controlling enemies rather than dealing significant damage. Here are his abilities and upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies in place for 8 seconds, with upgrades to stun, trap multiple enemies, and deal Bleed Accumulation.
• Heart Seeker: Fires a piercing shot that always hits, with upgrades to hit multiple enemies, increase damage on low-health targets, and reduce cooldown.
• Shadow Step: Vanishes and slashes up to three times, with upgrades to kill stunned enemies, increase damage on low-health targets, and strike up to six enemies.
• Wounding Shots: Deals Bleed Accumulation, with upgrades to reduce enemy damage reduction, slow enemies, and reduce enemy damage.

Marius' abilities are niche, making him suitable for specific combat scenarios, particularly against melee-focused enemies with low health. However, his overall impact on your journey through the Living Lands is limited.

3. Giatta

Giatta, a support-focused Animancer, uses her magic to heal, shield, and buff the party. While she isn't the strongest in terms of damage, her utility shines in high-stress situations like boss fights. Here are Giatta's abilities and their upgrades:

• Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their maximum Health, with upgrades to heal up to 50%, interrupt and knock back enemies, and increase damage reduction.
• Barrier: Grants temporary health for 20 seconds, with upgrades to increase temporary health, heal enemies when the barrier ends, and prevent Giatta from being hit.
• Acceleration: Boosts move and attack speed for 15 seconds, with upgrades to reduce damage, extend the duration, and reduce cooldowns.
• Reconstruction: Heals allies with attacks, with upgrades to heal more when allies are below 20% health, grant temporary health, and revive incapacitated allies upon killing an enemy.

Giatta's ability to power Essence Generators unlocks new areas, making her valuable for late-game exploration. She pairs well with Envoys using Wizard builds, enhancing their magical prowess.

2. Kai

Kai is the first Companion you meet in Avowed, but his utility extends throughout your playthrough. As a tank, he can absorb damage and deal effective damage without much player input. Here are Kai's abilities and their upgrades:

• Fire and Ire: Fires from his Blunderbuss, dealing high stun and taunting enemies for 10 seconds, with upgrades to ignite targets, increase stun, and reduce cooldown.
• Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and increases damage reduction by 25%, with upgrades to reduce incoming damage by 50%, increase health regeneration, and unleash a shockwave.
• Leap of Daring: Crashes down on enemies, stunning and taunting nearby foes, with upgrades to double the area of effect, gain temporary health, and increase attack damage.
• Second Wind: Revives himself by restoring 50% of his maximum health, with upgrades to increase this to 75%, boost attack speed, and reset cooldowns.

Kai's versatility in combat, from handling single high-health enemies to crowd control, makes him a reliable and powerful ally. His ability to revive himself and clear obstacles like spider webs and roots adds to his utility.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a Wizard with powerful fiery attacks, offers both high damage and excellent crowd control. She's the closest thing to air support in the Living Lands. Here are Yatzli's abilities and their upgrades:

• Essence Explosion: Explodes arcane power, releasing essence and explosive damage, with upgrades to increase blast size, deal fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown.
• Minoletta's Missile Battery: Fires a volley of enemy-seeking arcane missiles, with upgrades to increase fire rate and range, and add shock accumulation.
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies for 10 seconds, with upgrades to intensify slowing effects, create an area of effect, and deal frost accumulation.
• Blast: Causes attacks to burst into a small area of effect, with upgrades to deal explosive damage, break blocks, destroy walls, and shatter frozen enemies. Additional upgrades increase stun and add a chance to inflict Frozen, Ignited, or Shocked status.

Yatzli's powerful abilities, combined with her ability to clear obstacles, make her an invaluable asset throughout your journey in Avowed. Despite being the last Companion you recruit, her impact on gameplay is significant.

Avowed releases on PC and Xbox on February 18.