Good End-Game DPS Companion?

darkstarcrash · February 2015

I know, everyone is going to tell me the best end-game companion is an augment stone. I get that: all my lvl 60s have stones that they use in group play - and mostly solo, unless I want to pull out a pet for personal enjoyment.

BUT, looking ahead to Mod 6 and paladins: Devotion Paladins do not get the huge "hit points give you power" buff that Protection Paladins get. I have the feeling that soloing dailies at level 70 on my devo pally will be painfully slow, so I'm looking for a DPS pet that does decent damage. Staying at range is a bonus, to minimize AoE deaths.

I am willing to spend the AD to upgrade one companion, so don't limit your suggestions to epic pets. Right now my HOP (tip of the hat to charononus) is using the Moonshae Druid, which is working well - but she's still level 26, so hasn't hit the point where pets die constantly.

asterotg · February 2015

Did you think about blacksmith and VT companion as passives. I got a leg. blacksmith on my 50k GWF. A friend of mine asked for a duel in IWD with his TR, he lost. Then he asked for a list of my companions and, in a hissy fit, attacked while I posted. I lost 50% HP before I tabed back ingame, he lost 75%.^^ It should work with paladin to and you wont have to heal a companion for his mediocre dmg.

Furthermore you can keep them (or at last the blacksmith) for endgame content.

charononus · February 2015

I've never found companion damage to be much of anything on any of them. So if you feel that you need the extra dps, I'd just set up your actives how you want them and simply pick the companion from that list.

rashylewizz · February 2015

Still an augment

and yes I did read your post

beckylunatic · February 2015

The dire wolf from the Guardian pack is an excellent companion, if that is also not outside your budget and you're not looking only at things you can buy with (converted) AD. Good active bonus for you, good survivability in most situations if geared properly, and the interrupt and prone from the summoned companion provide utility as well. It's a melee pet, but honestly, ranged pets are more problematic because their scripts cause them to pull mobs you were avoiding. That's probably worse than the occasional AoE.

Hunting and Assassin Drakes look decent on paper. My husband's been training a Scarecrow and says that it's actually been surviving well at daily questing for 60s, anyway.

Judging by what I see people using that appear to be effective, the Deva seems pretty good. And many people sing the praises of the Owl; though I don't know what kind of damage it deals, only that it's a good protector, which might mesh well with your healer.

Bear in mind that companion damage isn't going to be great at 60+ no matter what, so you probably still want to look at what other utility you can get from them in active bonuses and buff/debuff powers when summoned.

Make sure you grab a Lliira's Bell if you don't have one set aside for this already.

charononus · February 2015

rashylewizz wrote: »

Still an augment

and yes I did read your post

This is very true. The only thing I would say about it, is if you are really having problems, the dire wolf from the guardian pack does some basic cc which could be useful. Otherwise though you really will probably get more dps from an augment.

beckylunatic · February 2015

asterotg wrote: »

Did you think about blacksmith and VT companion as passives. I got a leg. blacksmith on my 50k GWF. A friend of mine asked for a duel in IWD with his TR, he lost. Then he asked for a list of my companions and, in a hissy fit, attacked while I posted. I lost 50% HP before I tabed back ingame, he lost 75%.^^ It should work with paladin to and you wont have to heal a companion for his mediocre dmg.

Furthermore you can keep them (or at last the blacksmith) for endgame content.

These are both pretty good on tanky characters, but I'm less convinced they're appropriate for a healer. The blacksmith is a decent melee summon, and the Renegade Evoker (Dread Legion drop, not VT) was really cheap when I picked one up, so it's not a big investment to try out.

rashylewizz · February 2015

Look, PVE in this game is very easy. You can use any companions you want for fun (although I don't recommend it in dungeon runs as it may rub people the wrong way when your pet draws aggro).

But if you want to start a serious theorycrafting discussion then I don't see any other pet being able to compete with an augment as an active companion for any class.

mh0ram · February 2015

rashylewizz wrote: »

Look, PVE in this game is very easy. You can use any companions you want for fun (although I don't recommend it in dungeon runs as it may rub people the wrong way when your pet draws aggro).

But if you want to start a serious theorycrafting discussion then I don't see any other pet being able to compete with an augment as an active companion for any class.

Pretty much this.

darkstarcrash · February 2015

Again, I get it about the augment companion - and I would never use anything but an augment in group play.

But I enjoy running with a companion when soloing, and I do find they help some, if only to relieve the tedium of dailies.;)

My HR uses an Owl and my CW uses an (upgraded) Frost Mimic: both are quite durable and do a decent job of keeping threat.

My GWF and GF use the Blacksmith or Rust Monster (although I admit owning both is kind of contradictory, since one reflects damage taken and the other reduces damage taken); the rust monster's Hypercorrosion power even increases dps.

The Astral Deva might be what I'm looking for, especially fitting for a holy healer.

kangkeok · February 2015

The highest damage i seen in my collection of pet is a 6k crit fire breath by my dragonborn companion..my other companion is all less than 1k

flyingleon · February 2015

darkstarcrash wrote: »

Again, I get it about the augment companion - and I would never use anything but an augment in group play.

But I enjoy running with a companion when soloing, and I do find they help some, if only to relieve the tedium of dailies.;)

My HR uses an Owl and my CW uses an (upgraded) Frost Mimic: both are quite durable and do a decent job of keeping threat.

My GWF and GF use the Blacksmith or Rust Monster (although I admit owning both is kind of contradictory, since one reflects damage taken and the other reduces damage taken); the rust monster's Hypercorrosion power even increases dps.

The Astral Deva might be what I'm looking for, especially fitting for a holy healer.

I think Mod 6 will be interesting for non-argument companions. Companions will have more life due to raised level. I assume the expert and master bonus works for players. Bond runestones are cheap now. I could not give you suggestions for a DPS companion. I just wan to say the non-argument ones have potentials in the new mod.

lirithiel · February 2015

I have been hearing very bad things about companions in Mod 6. Stuff like they die to one-shots pretty much all the time at lvl 70 no matter what companion you use. Dps companions in this game is lousy period, especially at lvl 60. Some healer and tank ones are pretty decent though.

kvet · February 2015

The best DPS companion is an augment that stacks empowered runs (or bonding stones if you can get them), radiant enchants on your gear, and, if possible, (like the black dragon stone) all rings where you've put personalized +6 rings in.

If you mean a combat companion -- forget it. Mod6 makes it works, but they've never been of any value. They die in the first few seconds of any battle that matters. Battles that don't matter.. well, you don't NEED that companion with you anyway. The only value to non-augment companions are the active bonuses (there's lot of good ones, but that's not what this thread's about). But the companion you should have summoned? Always and augment pet, in all instances without exception, even while leveling. I get it's may not be practical or affordable to have an augment while leveling, but that's a "can" rather than a "should" - you SHOULD have an augment pet summoned all the time, but it maybe not be that you CAN have one for one reason or another. The bottom line is, combat companions are only as useful as their active bonus.

And yes- that goes for healer companions of all types (apprentice, cleric, fawn, angel, etc) too.

ironzerg79 · February 2015

Companions are going to be the new hotness in Module 6. You heard it here first, folks.

As for a DPS companion, the Zhentarim Warlock is very good and only 160k on the AH right now. She has nice range, a fast attack and tends to stay back and out of trouble, especially if you're the one tanking.

azahron · February 2015

I like the Zhentarim Cultist. She has good DPS IMO, and her dialogues crack me up. And she looks good too!

lucifron44 · February 2015

asterotg wrote: »

I got a leg. blacksmith on my 50k GWF.

How is the Blacksmith's damage related with your HP?

Active Bonus: On Damage Taken

15% chance to reflect 10% of damage taken. If the same target is hit 4 times it will reflect 3 times the damage taken.

rashylewizz · February 2015

ironzerg79 wrote: »

Companions are going to be the new hotness in Module 6. You heard it here first, folks.

So they are reworking how active companions work to make everything more competitive with augment stones?

djarkaan · February 2015

Here is what I use in solo play on my DoT MoF CW:

All level 30

Summoned: Tomb Spider
Active: Astral Deva, Fire Archon, Erinyes of Belial, Sylph.

The Spider almost never dies in solo content, and when it does, mostly in IWD, I use my Lllira's Bell , if I group I take out my augment.

ghoulz66 · February 2015

ironzerg79 wrote: »

Companions are going to be the new hotness in Module 6. You heard it here first, folks.

As for a DPS companion, the Zhentarim Warlock is very good and only 160k on the AH right now. She has nice range, a fast attack and tends to stay back and out of trouble, especially if you're the one tanking.

Her damage was no better than my worthless cold iron aside from the hellfire eruption. She's only good for bonding procs.

beckylunatic · February 2015

ghoulz66 wrote: »

She's only good for bonding procs.

So are Alchemists, incidentally. They use powers even quicker than that warrior.

Good End-Game DPS Companion?

Comments

Join the Greycloaks