Top Avowed Companions Ranked by Utility

In *Avowed*, Companions are not just pivotal for their narrative contributions and dialogue; they also bring practical advantages to your journey. From unlocking new paths to enhancing your combat prowess, here's a comprehensive ranking of all the Avowed Companions, from least to most effective.

4. Marius

During my adventures in *Avowed*, I discovered that Marius didn't quite mesh with my preferred play style. His utility shines early on with passive abilities aiding exploration, yet he's quickly overshadowed by other Companions. Marius excels in locating items and plants, but his combat prowess leaves much to be desired. Here's a detailed look at Marius' abilities and their upgrades:

• Blinding Roots: Roots enemies for 8 seconds. Upgrades allow stunning, trapping multiple enemies, and dealing Bleed Accumulation.
• Heart Seeker: Fires a piercing shot that always hits the target. Upgrades can affect two enemies, boost damage against low-health foes, and reduce cooldown by 33%.
• Shadow Step: Marius vanishes and reappears to attack an enemy up to three times. Upgrades can instantly kill stunned enemies, increase damage against low-health foes, and strike up to six enemies.
• Wounding Shots: Marius' attacks cause Bleed Accumulation. Upgrades can reduce enemy damage reduction, slow hit enemies, and diminish enemy damage.

Marius' abilities are primarily geared towards controlling and weakening enemies, which can be useful against melee-focused foes with low health. However, his niche utility limits his overall effectiveness for most of your journey across the Living Lands in *Avowed*.

3. Giatta

Giatta, an Animancer, brings a support-centric approach to your party. Her magical abilities focus on healing, shielding, and buffing, making her an asset in intense scenarios like boss fights. While not a powerhouse in terms of damage, Giatta's utility is undeniable. Here are her abilities in *Avowed*:

• Purification: Heals allies by 25% of their max Health. Upgrades increase healing to 50%, knock back enemies, and boost ally damage reduction by 20% for 15 seconds.
• Barrier: Grants allies temporary health for 20 seconds. Upgrades enhance the shield's strength, heal enemies when the barrier expires, and protect Giatta from melee hits.
• Acceleration: Boosts ally move and attack speed for 15 seconds. Upgrades include a 15% damage reduction, extended acceleration duration, and a 50% cooldown reduction for abilities.
• Reconstruction: Her attacks heal allies slightly. Upgrades enhance healing for allies below 20% health, grant temporary health to allies at max health, and revive incapacitated allies upon enemy kills.

Giatta can also activate Essence Generators, unlocking new areas and accessing late-game loot. Her abilities complement Envoys using Wizard builds, making her a valuable team member despite her less impressive offensive capabilities.

2. Kai

As the first Companion you meet in *Avowed*, Kai remains a reliable ally throughout your entire playthrough. A true tank, Kai can dish out damage effectively with minimal need for player management. Below are Kai's abilities and their enhancements:

• Fire and Ire: Fires from his Blunderbuss, stunning and taunting an enemy for 10 seconds. Upgrades can ignite targets, increase stun, and halve the cooldown.
• Unbending Defense: Regenerates health and reduces incoming damage by 25%. Upgrades can cut incoming damage by 50%, boost health regeneration, and unleash a damaging shockwave.
• Leap of Daring: Crashes down on an enemy, stunning and taunting nearby foes. Upgrades double the area of effect, grant temporary health per hit, and increase attack damage per enemy hit.
• Second Wind: Revives himself, restoring 50% of his max health. Upgrades increase this to 75%, provide a temporary attack speed boost, and reset all ability cooldowns.

Kai's versatility makes him effective against both single high-health enemies and groups. His self-revive ability further cements his role as a dependable combat partner. Additionally, Kai can use fire to clear obstacles, enhancing exploration.

1. Yatzli

Yatzli, a formidable Wizard, offers a blend of high-damage spells and effective crowd control, serving as your team's equivalent to air support in the Living Lands. Here's a rundown of her abilities and their upgrades:

• Essence Explosion: Explodes on impact, releasing essence and dealing damage. Upgrades enlarge the blast radius, apply fire accumulation, and reduce cooldown by 33%.
• Minoletta’s Missile Battery: Fires a barrage of seeking arcane missiles. Upgrades increase fire rate and range, and induce shock accumulation.
• Arduos Delay of Motion: Slows enemies for 10 seconds. Upgrades intensify the slowing effect, create an area of effect, and apply frost accumulation.
• Blast: Her attacks cause a small area of effect upon hitting enemies. Upgrades allow breaking blocks, destroying walls, shattering frozen enemies, increasing stun, and a 5% chance to inflict Frozen, Ignited, or Shocked status.

Yatzli's powerful and versatile abilities match her fierce persona. She also aids in exploration by clearing obstacles. Although the last to join your party in *Avowed*, Yatzli's contribution makes her indispensable for the remainder of your journey.

*Avowed* is set to launch on PC and Xbox on February 18, offering players a chance to experience these Companions and their unique abilities firsthand.