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Best companion for Wizard?

jbcdjbcd Member Posts: 3 Arc User
edited January 2014 in The Library
I need to get a good companion other than Man at Arms.
Post edited by jbcd on

Comments

  • charononuscharononus Member Posts: 5,715 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Ioun Stone of Alure, Ioun Stone of Might, Cat

    Those are the only good options.
  • twstdechotwstdecho Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 630 Bounty Hunter
    edited January 2014
    charononus wrote: »
    Ioun Stone of Alure, Ioun Stone of Might, Cat

    Those are the only good options.

    One of those augment companions are certainly effective, and almost a must have in epic DD runs (especially so your companion doesn't pull unwanted mobs), but with the new boosts from active companions, there are several options that are great to have in one of those 5 spots depending on your build and what you want to do. There are a few over all build/guides here that detail what companions best suit that particular build, and why.
  • hiddenfatehiddenfate Banned Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I have both the fawn and the mimic for active companions :3 for the other three I'm working towards see charononus's post.
  • twstdechotwstdecho Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 630 Bounty Hunter
    edited January 2014
    You realize you only need one Augment pet, right?
  • charononuscharononus Member Posts: 5,715 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    twstdecho wrote: »
    You realize you only need one Augment pet, right?
    Yes but those are the 3 augment pets out there. When someone asks what the best companion for them is, it's going to be one of those 3. They typically aren't asking about active bonuses.
  • angryspriteangrysprite Member Posts: 4,982 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    charononus wrote: »
    Ioun Stone of Alure, Ioun Stone of Might, Cat

    You should have stopped here and this would be a fine, fair comment.
    charononus wrote: »
    Those are the only good options.
    This part of your comment is condescending and it's the idea you appear to press in almost every single comment you make in Companion threads. You only need to *qualify* it by stating that it only applies in PvP - then it would be less condescending. Just some friendly feedback for you.

    @OP Augment companions are very good, as Charononus states, but they are hardly the "only good options" - except in PvP. As for your entire game-playing experience, you may want to consider the following: The freebie Cleric is a good one for leveling up. The Lillend is a helluvalot better for a healing companion. As for any striker or tanks, I've found the Galeb Duhr is excellent for hold agro allowing you, the Wizard (or Cleric) to focus on adds and it can really up your survivability.

    So my input for you is simply this: if you're going for the power aspect, consider augment companions, for saving pots consider a good healer (freebie: Cleric Disciple, Auction House: Lillend). And if you just want your companion to help you manage agro in PvE then a good tank (Freebie: Man at Arms, Z-Store: Galeb Duhr). Of course, if you're only interest in PvP, then Charanonus' comment above (both parts) will apply. But only in PvP scenarios.
  • pers3phonepers3phone Banned Users, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Augments are indeed the only good options however. Rest of companions... only for active bonus, not to summon them. You don't need healers or tanks or striker, regardless of your class, all you need is decent regen (easy to get these days) and some life steal also comes handy. I've played with quite a few non-augments to level them up for SCA lately and they are all useless and pretty lame. I can't see any reason to keep one summoned.
  • charononuscharononus Member Posts: 5,715 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    You should have stopped here and this would be a fine, fair comment.


    This part of your comment is condescending and it's the idea you appear to press in almost every single comment you make in Companion threads. You only need to *qualify* it by stating that it only applies in PvP - then it would be less condescending. Just some friendly feedback for you.
    Umm no, especially since you don't know what you're talking about. No pet can be summoned in pvp and no pet active bonuses apply in pvp.
    @OP Augment companions are very good, as Charononus states, but they are hardly the "only good options" - except in PvP. As for your entire game-playing experience, you may want to consider the following: The freebie Cleric is a good one for leveling up. The Lillend is a helluvalot better for a healing companion. As for any striker or tanks, I've found the Galeb Duhr is excellent for hold agro allowing you, the Wizard (or Cleric) to focus on adds and it can really up your survivability.

    So my input for you is simply this: if you're going for the power aspect, consider augment companions, for saving pots consider a good healer (freebie: Cleric Disciple, Auction House: Lillend). And if you just want your companion to help you manage agro in PvE then a good tank (Freebie: Man at Arms, Z-Store: Galeb Duhr). Of course, if you're only interest in PvP, then Charanonus' comment above (both parts) will apply. But only in PvP scenarios.
    As mentioned above the pvp part here is absolutely untrue. Now while a healer or tank may save you a potion in solo pve, so will just stacking regen gear. The stone then allows you to kill faster. Dead mobs don't do damage. Now here's why the non augment summons are bad. Most dungeons have mobs you can bypass. This is not an exploit but the fact that you can run past them outside their aggro radius if just barely. The active pets follow you but not exactly, that means that they will often aggro these mobs making the dungeon longer, and harder. The second problem is the ai, like in most mmo's is just plain flat out bad for companions. They will bounce away from mobs and into other groups of mobs if they have ranged ai, if they have melee ai they'll try to face tank huge hits. None of them will dodge reds, which means that in the only semi-difficult content of dungeons they'll be turned into bloody smears by standing in the reds. The worst though is probably the "tank" pets. I can't count how many pugs I've been in where someone pops this out before a boss fight where we need to immediately move the boss to certain area so the kiter can have room and the adds stay off the rest of the party. The man at arms/galeb dhur/etc runs up and uses it's hard taunt and face tanks them in place for the 20-30 secs it takes the boss to kill them, once again just making things more difficult. (not that this causes wipes it's just annoying and pointless)

    So the non-augment companions pull more mobs than needed, die quickly in challenging content, can slow down strategic fights, don't honesty do much damage or healing compared to hp/damage numbers at endgame, and can have their functionality equaled and exceded by an augment pet.

    What part of that doesn't make them the only good option?
  • vorphiedvorphied Member Posts: 1,870 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    When someone asks for the "best" companion option, the answer is never anything other than an augment companion, and it's not elitist or condescending to say so.

    Battle companions in this game make for fun fashion and some very nice PvE stat bonuses when upgraded, and a few of them even have some neat tricks of their own, but that doesn't make them optimal for actual use, especially when we're talking about dungeon play.
    Sacrilege - Warlock
    Contagion - Cleric
    Testament - Wizard
    Pestilence - Ranger
    Dominion - Paladin

    NIGHTSWATCH

  • aulduronaulduron Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 1,351 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    My Wererat Thief isn't a bad companion for doing dailies.
  • tang56tang56 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    You'll have a fawntastic time with the fawn.


    Seriously though, Augment pet when in a dungeon and whatever you like outside.
    RIP Neverwinter 26/06/2014
  • nathyielnathyiel Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 340 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Augment have the hidden bonus to be able to give 110% of there stat.
    And never dying nor taking bad aggro. And only this in invaluable.

    Maybe, some supplementary tanking or heal could have been better but you can always put some def, regen or life leach to Ioun/Cat.

    If it's for the show, I will go for the Skeletal Dog or the Dragon.
  • jbcdjbcd Member Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I got the Ioun stone of Allure.
    along with Man at Arms, Damian Sheperd, Mimic, Fawn. Is it a decent companion line up?
  • beckylunaticbeckylunatic Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 14,231 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    jbcd wrote: »
    along with Man at Arms, Damian Sheperd, Mimic, Fawn. Is it a decent companion line up?

    When you're playing soloable content, whatever you like or whatever you can afford or whatever you already have is fine. It may not min-max your stats, but it's not necessary to do so.

    And you've got a stone you can pull out for dungeons, so you're fine.
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  • konariraidenkonariraiden Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    How exactly do you go about getting an Ioun Stone? I think I only remember seeing one of the stones in the Companion Emporium in Protector's Enclave.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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  • nathyielnathyiel Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 340 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Anotherone is in the zen market and the last come from Foundry Achievement.
  • anesah1anesah1 Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I think there is an argument to be made for a few combat companions. Here are the ones I use, with some rationale:

    Galeb Dur, for soloing. While the bonus damage at low health is nice, it's just nice to have a companion that doesn't die, and with the right runes/equipment he can transfer quite a lot of useful stats to you, including some built-in defense. This one is the most replaceable of my companions, and will be replaced by an augment at 60, at least for dungeons.

    Sprite, for <60 dungeons. +2%AP is also nice, but the second most replaceable bonus. The Sprite isn't going to taunt off of anyone, as long as I'm targetting intelligently, not that it generally matters in <60 dungeons.

    Fire Archon, synergizes with my (and my CW's) Tiefling racial with the +damage at low enemy health. This is a huge damage buff 30% of the time, which I would call almost necessary.

    Hunting Hawk, this one synergizes with those who take Reaper's Touch. A constant damage bonus at any range, though admittedly the bonus up close is more advantageous. This one is also replaceable; I would recommend the Book Imp for those that can get it, though the Lightfoot Thief isn't a bad looking (but pretty rare) alternative.

    Blink Dog, +2% Combat Advantage is nice if you actually try for Combat Advantage. Another good choice for this spot is the Dancing Sword, with +3% Crit Severity. You might actually be better off dropping the hawk (if you don't care about range) and doing both the dog and the sword. That's personal preference.

    Forgive me if I sound like I'm level 48. I am. If things change so drastically at 60 that my advice is not useful, feel free to tell me so :)
  • nathyielnathyiel Member, NW M9 Playtest Posts: 340 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    I have a Galeb and I began to think to changed it (I have a Ioun of Allure, Fire Archon and Blade too).

    I think the bonus don't worth it as my CW is in 2 situations :
    -- in solo content, I'm around 75%-80% life regularly so the bonus is good.
    -- in group content, I'm most of the time near full life, or nearly dead. So the bonus isn't useful at all.

    Won't a control bonus pet would be better in the case of CW in active slot ?
  • anesah1anesah1 Member Posts: 2 Arc User
    edited January 2014
    Personally, I'm not gearing for +control because I just don't use that many control-oriented abilities. I feel more like a DPS that, occasionally, stuns something, or knocks someone prone.

    Galeb has other benefits than just the damage bonus. He taunts every two minutes-ish, and keeping enemies off of you gives you a chance for both a reprieve from damage and to get into position for combat advantage. It's just nice to have a semi-effective aoe tank while levelling solo. But, like I said, that won't be as viable at 60, I don't think.

    I also feel that I spend a lot more time at lower health than you appear to. Half of us(ish) even have a power that synergizes with being below 50% health (Storm...something. Enemies that attack you have lightning bolts hit them when you're below 50% health). I don't use that power, but some people might.

    However, your point is well-taken. If that's how you play, gear for it!

    On an unrelated note, maybe someone can answer a forum-related question for me. I made my PWE account almost 2 months ago, but I still can't make threads, or access the "My Profile" section of Settings. How do I unlock these functions?
  • verilosverilos Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 77
    edited January 2014
    There is nothing better than an augment for any class under any circumstances in a dungeon.

    So the only question is which of the 3 you should choose.
    If you have the AD get the Stone of Might and upgrade it at least once. The 3 offense slots will serve you best as you can get 900 power just from them which in itself will beat any and all other companions.
    That's for the summoned companion.

    For the active bonuses use the rider, blink dog, fire archon and one other I can't recall but that also adds DPS in some way.

    Don't use the 5% critical severity one, it's very deceptive. Assuming you are using a g or p vorpal the actual dps bonus it will give will be nothing.
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