Animal Companions and Beasts

The harsh world of Kenshi can be a lonely and dangerous place. While recruiting humanoids is a common strategy, don't overlook the immense value of animal companions. These loyal beasts can turn the tide of battle, carry your burdens, and even provide a much-needed morale boost. This section will guide you through acquiring, training, and effectively using Kenshi's diverse animal kingdom.

Acquisition: Where to Find Your Furry Friends

There are several ways to bring animals into your fold, each with its own challenges and rewards:

1. Purchasing from Animal Traders

This is the most straightforward method. Animal Traders can be found in various towns and settlements across the Kenshi map. Their stock varies, but you'll commonly find:

Pack Beasts (Garru, Bullock): Essential for early-game logistics. Look for them in larger towns like Stack, Squin, or Hub. A young Garru typically costs around 3,000-5,000 Cats. Bullocks are rarer and more expensive, often found in United Cities territories.
War Animals (Dogs, Goats, Bonedogs): These are your combat-ready companions.
- Dogs: Common in most settlements, especially Holy Nation towns. They are cheap (500-1,500 Cats) and mature quickly into formidable fighters.
- Goats: Found in agricultural regions and some Shek Kingdom towns. Pricier than dogs (1,000-2,500 Cats) but offer decent combat stats and can carry some weight.
- Bonedogs: These fierce creatures are harder to come by, often sold by Tech Hunters in places like Black Desert City or World's End. Expect to pay 4,000-8,000 Cats for a pup.

Strategy: Always check the animal's age. Pups are cheaper but require more time to grow. Juveniles offer a good balance of cost and growth potential. Adults are combat-ready but the most expensive.

2. Rescuing from Cages

Occasionally, you'll encounter animals caged by bandits or slavers. This presents an opportunity for a free companion, but it comes with risks:

Locations: Bandit camps (e.g., Dust Bandit Camps, Cannibal Villages), Slave Camps, and even some Outlaw Camps.
Process:
1. Defeat or incapacitate the captors.
2. Locate the cage containing the animal.
3. Right-click the cage and select "Unlock" (requires a character with Thievery skill or a Thieves Guild Backpack).
4. Once freed, the animal will often join your squad automatically. If not, try interacting with it.
Common Rescues: You'll most often find Dogs, Bonedogs, and sometimes Garru this way.

Strategy: Be prepared for a fight. Rescuing animals often means engaging hostile factions. Ensure your squad has adequate combat skills and healing supplies (First Aid Kits, Splint Kits).

3. Taming Wild Animals (Advanced)

While not a direct "taming" mechanic in the traditional sense, you can sometimes recruit wild animals that are injured or orphaned. This is less reliable but can yield powerful creatures:

Requirements: A character with high Animal Handling skill (ideally 50+).
Process:
1. Find an injured wild animal (e.g., a Beak Thing hatchling, a Gorillo pup, or a Leviathan calf). These are often found near their defeated parents or after a large battle.
2. Heal the animal using First Aid Kits.
3. Repeatedly try to "Talk" to the animal. With sufficient Animal Handling, there's a chance it will join your squad. This can take many attempts and is not guaranteed.
Rarity: This method is extremely rare for powerful beasts. Most commonly, you might "tame" a stray Dog or Goat this way.

Strategy: This is a late-game endeavor. Focus on purchasing or rescuing animals first. If you stumble upon an injured high-tier beast, it's worth a shot, but don't rely on it.

Training Your Beasts: From Pup to Powerhouse

Animals gain stats and grow stronger through combat and carrying weight. Unlike humanoids, they don't have individual skill trees, but their core stats (Attack, Defense, Toughness, Strength, Dexterity) improve with experience.

1. Combat Training

The primary way animals grow is by fighting. They gain experience in Attack, Defense, and Toughness just like your human characters.

Early Game: Pit pups against weak enemies like Dust Bandits, Hungry Bandits, or Swamp Ninjas. Ensure they are accompanied by stronger characters who can protect them and heal them if they go down.
Mid Game: As they mature, they can handle tougher foes like Cannibals, Fogmen, or Skeletons.
Late Game: Fully grown war animals can stand their ground against Beak Things, Gorillos, and even some Leviathans (with support).

Important: Animals don't automatically heal their wounds. Always carry First Aid Kits and assign a dedicated medic to your squad. Animals can bleed out quickly if left unattended.

2. Strength Training (Pack Beasts)

For Garru and Bullocks, carrying heavy loads is crucial for increasing their Strength stat, which in turn increases their carrying capacity.

Method: Load them up with heavy items. Iron Ore, Copper Ore, and Building Materials are excellent for this.
Location: Set up a mining operation or a base with resource storage. Have your pack beasts shuttle materials back and forth.

Tip: Even war animals benefit from carrying some weight, as Strength also contributes to combat effectiveness by reducing penalties from heavy armor (though animals don't wear armor, it still influences their ability to stagger opponents).

3. Growth Stages

Animals progress through several growth stages:

Pup/Hatchling: Very weak, vulnerable, and slow. Focus on protecting them and letting them get a few hits in during easy fights.
Juvenile: Stronger, faster, and more resilient. They can start contributing more significantly in combat.
Adult: Fully grown, with maximum stats for their species. These are your combat powerhouses and reliable pack animals.

The time it takes to reach adulthood varies by species. Dogs and Bonedogs mature relatively quickly, while Garru and Bullocks take longer.

Strategic Deployment: using Your Animal Companions

Animals excel in specific roles, and understanding these will maximize their effectiveness.

1. Combat Roles

Tanking: High Toughness animals like Bonedogs and Gorillos can draw aggro and absorb damage, protecting your squishier characters. Position them at the front of your formation.
Damage Dealers: Bonedogs and Dogs (especially adults) have fast attacks and decent damage. Beak Things (if you manage to acquire one) are devastating damage dealers with high piercing attacks.
Crowd Control: Animals can knock down enemies, interrupting their attacks and creating openings for your human fighters.
Flanking: Use their speed to get around enemies and attack from the sides or rear, especially effective against ranged opponents.

Formation Tip: In the squad panel, set your animals to "Passive" or "Guard" mode when not in direct combat to prevent them from running off and getting into trouble. During combat, switch them to "Aggressive" or "Defensive" as needed.

2. Utility Roles

Carrying Capacity: Garru and Bullocks are indispensable for hauling loot, resources, and trade goods. A single adult Garru can carry more than several human characters combined. Equip them with Garru Backpacks or Bullock Backpacks to maximize their inventory space. These can be purchased from General Stores or Backpack Vendors in most major towns.
Scouting: Fast animals like Dogs can be sent ahead to scout dangerous areas, though be wary of sending them alone into heavily armed patrols.
Base Defense: A few strong Bonedogs or Gorillos can significantly bolster your base's defenses against raids.

Advanced Animal Management

1. Animal Beds

Just like your human characters, animals benefit from proper rest. Build Animal Beds in your base. These are found under the "Furniture" tab in the building menu. They accelerate healing and recovery for injured animals.

2. Food and Hunger

Animals consume food just like your other squad members. Their hunger rate and preferred food types vary:

Carnivores (Bonedogs, Dogs, Beak Things): Prefer Meat. Can also eat Dried Meat or Food Cubes.
Herbivores (Garru, Goats, Bullocks): Prefer Vegetables, Grain, or Cactus. Can also eat Food Cubes.

Strategy: Keep a steady supply of appropriate food in your squad's inventory or in a food storage container at your base. Neglecting their hunger will lead to starvation and eventually death.

3. Animal AI and Behavior

Animals have simpler AI than human characters. They will generally follow your lead, engage enemies, and attempt to protect their squadmates. However, they can sometimes get stuck or wander off if not managed carefully. Use the "Follow" command and assign them to specific characters to keep them close.

By understanding these mechanics and applying these strategies, your animal companions will become invaluable assets in your Kenshi adventures, turning the tide of battles and making your journey through the wasteland a little less lonely.