Companions

Companions are invaluable allies in The Elder Scrolls Online, offering assistance in combat, questing, and exploration. They can fill various roles, from damage dealers to healers or tanks, and their effectiveness is directly tied to their gear, skills, and your rapport with them. This guide will walk you through acquiring, optimizing, and utilizing your Companions to their fullest potential.

Acquiring Your First Companion

To unlock a Companion, you must complete their introductory quest. Each Companion is tied to a specific zone and a unique questline. Upon completion, they will join your side and become available for summoning.

Mirri Elendis: Found in the Blackwood zone. Start the quest "Shattered and Scattered" by speaking to Mirri near the Doomvault Vulpinaz Wayshrine.
Bastian Hallix: Also found in the Blackwood zone. Begin the quest "Competition and Contract" by finding Bastian near the Deepscorn Hollow Wayshrine.
Ember: Located in the High Isle zone. Initiate the quest "Tower Full of Trouble" by speaking to Ember at the Tor Draioch Wayshrine.
Isobel Veloise: Also in the High Isle zone. Start the quest "Tournament of the Heart" by finding Isobel near the Castle Navire Wayshrine.

Once a Companion is unlocked, you can summon them via the Collections menu (U by default on PC) under the "Allies" tab, then "Companions." You can only have one Companion active at a time.

Companion Gear and Customization

Companions utilize their own unique gear system, separate from player gear. Their equipment consists of 7 pieces: Head, Chest, Shoulders, Hands, Waist, Legs, and Feet, along with a Weapon and a Shield (if applicable). Companion gear does not have set bonuses or enchantments, but it does come with specific traits that significantly impact their performance.

Obtaining Companion Gear

Companion gear can be acquired in several ways:

World Drops: Most common enemies in overland zones, delves, and public dungeons have a chance to drop Companion gear.
Merchants: Specific merchants, often found near crafting stations in major cities, sell basic Companion gear. Look for "Companion Gear Vendor."
Crafting: While you cannot craft Companion gear directly, some traits can be obtained through specific activities or purchased from Guild Traders.

Companion Gear Traits

Understanding Companion gear traits is crucial for optimizing their role. Here are some key traits and their uses:

Aggressive: Increases Companion's damage done. Ideal for DPS Companions.
Bolstered: Increases Companion's healing done. Essential for Healer Companions.
Focused: Increases Companion's Critical Chance. Good for both DPS and Healer Companions.
Prolific: Increases Companion's Ultimate generation. Useful for all roles, especially those with powerful Ultimates.
Quickened: Reduces Companion's ability cooldowns. Excellent for all roles to increase ability uptime.
Sleek: Reduces Companion's resource costs. Beneficial for Companions with high resource consumption.
Vigorous: Increases Companion's Max Health. Crucial for Tank Companions.
Augmented: Increases the duration of Companion buffs and debuffs. Situational, but can be powerful for specific builds.

Strategy: For a DPS Companion, prioritize Aggressive, Focused, and Quickened traits. For a Healer, focus on Bolstered, Quickened, and Prolific. For a Tank, Vigorous is paramount, followed by Quickened and Prolific.

Companion Skills and Roles

Each Companion has a unique set of skills, including a class skill line, weapon skill lines, and armor skill lines. They also gain access to Guild skill lines (Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, Undaunted) and racial passives as they level up.

Assigning Skills

You can customize your Companion's active skills by opening their character sheet (C by default on PC) and navigating to the "Skills" tab. You have a limited number of active skill slots, so choose wisely based on their intended role.

Class Skills: These are unique to each Companion and define their core identity. For example, Mirri has skills focused on damage and debuffs, while Bastian leans towards defensive and healing abilities.
Weapon Skills: Companions can use any weapon type (e.g., Two-Handed, One Hand and Shield, Bow, Destruction Staff, Restoration Staff). The skills available depend on the weapon they are currently equipped with.
Armor Skills: Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor skill lines provide passive bonuses. Equip the appropriate armor type to level these up.
Guild Skills: To unlock these, you must earn reputation with the respective guilds while your Companion is active. For example, completing Fighters Guild daily quests with your Companion will progress their Fighters Guild skill line.

Defining Roles

You can effectively build your Companion for three primary roles:

Damage Dealer (DPS): Focus on skills that deal direct damage, apply damage over time, or debuff enemies. Equip them with Aggressive and Focused gear.
Healer: Prioritize healing spells and buffs. Equip them with Bolstered and Quickened gear.
Tank: Select skills that taunt enemies, provide shields, or reduce incoming damage. Equip them with Vigorous and Quickened gear.

Actionable Tip: Experiment with different skill combinations and gear traits to find what works best for your playstyle and the content you're tackling. For example, a Bow-wielding Mirri with Aggressive gear can be a potent ranged DPS, while a One Hand and Shield Bastian with Vigorous gear makes for a reliable tank.

Rapport and Companion Perks

Your actions in Tamriel directly influence your Companion's "Rapport" with you. Positive actions increase Rapport, while negative actions decrease it. High Rapport unlocks unique Companion quests and passive perks.

Increasing Rapport

Each Companion has specific likes and dislikes. Pay attention to their dialogue and reactions to your activities. General positive actions include:

Completing quests.
Killing specific enemy types (e.g., Daedra, Undead).
Crafting specific items.
Using specific abilities or ultimate skills.

Conversely, actions like stealing, killing innocent NPCs, or failing quests can decrease Rapport. You can view your current Rapport level with each Companion in their character sheet.

Companion Perks

Once you reach certain Rapport thresholds, your Companion will unlock a unique passive perk. These perks are extremely useful and can provide significant benefits to your gameplay.

Mirri Elendis: Mirri's Expertise - When Mirri is active, chests and other interactable containers have a chance to provide additional loot, including potions, poisons, or crafting materials.
Bastian Hallix: Bastian's Insight - When Bastian is active, potions and poisons found in the world have a chance to be of higher quality.
Ember: Ember's Cunning - When Ember is active, she occasionally finds hidden stashes of gold or valuable items while you are exploring.
Isobel Veloise: Isobel's Grace - When Isobel is active, she occasionally provides a small amount of healing when you take damage, even if she is not actively healing you.

Recommendation: Actively work on increasing Rapport with your preferred Companion to unlock their perk as soon as possible. These perks offer passive benefits that can save you time and resources.

Advanced Companion Strategies

Beyond the basics, there are several advanced strategies to maximize your Companion's effectiveness:

Ultimate Management: Companions generate Ultimate over time and through combat. Learn when to activate their Ultimate for maximum impact. Some Ultimates are powerful damage abilities, while others provide strong healing or defensive buffs.
Synergy with Player Build: Consider how your Companion's build complements your own. If you're a tank, a DPS or Healer Companion can fill gaps in your group. If you're a DPS, a Tank or Healer Companion can provide crucial survivability.
Food and Drink: While Companions don't consume food or drink like players, their stats are influenced by the food and drink you consume. Ensure you're using appropriate buffs for your Companion's role.
Transmutation: While not directly for Companion gear, remember that you can transmute your own gear to optimize your build, which in turn can make your Companion more effective by allowing you to focus on their support or damage.

By following these detailed steps and strategies, you'll transform your Companion from a simple follower into a formidable and indispensable ally in your adventures across Tamriel.