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Welcome to ESO Full Companions Guide 2023, where we include, everything you need to know about Blackwood, Mythics and Companions
WHAT ARE COMPANIONS?
Companions are non-player characters who can aid you on your adventures throughout Tamriel. Once called to your side, these stalwart allies will assist you in combat.
Fighting alongside your Companion will improve their effectiveness and taking actions they approve of will build rapport. As you earn their trust and strengthen your bonds of fellowship, your Companion may share personal quests with you. You may also give them Companion-specific gear and customize them in a wide variety of ways, including setting their abilities, mounts, costumes, outfits, and more.
RECRUITING COMPANIONS
Finding & Unlocking Companions
So long as you have access to the Blackwood Chapter, you can unlock two Companions through completing associated quests in the Blackwood zone.
- Bastian Hallix can be found south of Deepscorn Hollow along the southwest coast of Blackwood
- Mirri Elendis can be found north of Doomvault Vulpinaz in northern Blackwood
Once their quests are completed, you will receive their respective Companion collectibles.
Mirri Elendis & Bastian Hallix
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Companions Menu
Companions can be found in the Collections menu under a new Collectibles category called “Allies” within the Companion subcategory. You may have either a Companion or an assistant active at any one time, and Companion collectibles may be activated from the Collections menu or Quick Slotted for ease of use.
SUMMONING & INTERACTING WITH COMPANIONS:
Companion Summon Locations
You can summon your Companions almost anywhere in Tamriel, however, there are some notable exceptions. In population-limited instances such as dungeons, group arenas, and trials, each Companion present counts against the population cap as if they were a player. In these areas, players will always take priority, and your Companions will be auto-dismissed as needed as other players zone in.
Areas or Situations that Restrict Companions
Companions cannot be summoned in PvP areas, Solo Arenas, or in housing instances. Additionally, Companions cannot be summoned while you’re in combat or if your current character has not yet completed the associated introductory quest (even if the collectible has been unlocked by another character.)
Additionally, if the relationship between your character and Companion deteriorates into very low rapport states, your Companion may voluntarily unsummon themselves and be unavailable to the associated character for a time.
Note that Companion visibility may also be briefly suppressed in some situations where they are unabl
Interacting with Companionse to navigate to you, such as when you’re swimming. Finally, server performance may also affect Companion availability.
To interact with your Companion, simply initiate dialogue with them and select the Companion menu dialogue option. This menu provides you with detailed information regarding the status of your Companion as well as tools for adjusting their combat behavior and visual customization. Beyond the Companion menu, dialogue with your Companion is also a way to get to know them better, and their responses will vary based on rapport, quest status, and other factors.
The overview option of the Companion character tab provides a summary of Companion information, including level, slotted abilities, rapport status, Companion perk details and outfit application status.
COMPANION COMBAT:
Companions Joining Combat
Companions can respond to a wide array of situations that occur while adventuring with you, both in and out of combat. While they will always respond to some critical triggers, you may adjust the frequency your Companion’s will vocally respond by opening the settings menu, selecting gameplay, and adjusting the “Companion Reactions” setting between Infrequent, Normal, and Frequent.
Directing Companions in Combat
While Companions will always attempt to engage in combat when you are attacked, utilizing pet commands allows you to direct the Companion to engage with specific targets or tell them to pull back, respectively. By default, on keyboard and mouse you can do this by holding the “Y” key and left- or right-clicking, or on controller by pressing the L3+R3 buttons along with the left or right bumper.
In addition, performing a heavy attack will also cause your Companion to switch to your target.
Companion Ultimate
Companions will utilize their ultimate when it’s available and conditions are met by default. Conversely, you may choose to have them wait until directed to utilize it. The Companion Ultimate Auto Cast setting in Gameplay section of the Settings menu allows you to set the Companion to wait until you direct them. You can do so by clicking on the new ultimate icon which is present next to your hotkey bar when a Companion is active on keyboard or pressing L3+R3 with no bumper input on controller.
Companion Combat Actions
In combat, Companions will also attempt to block incoming heavy attacks, interrupt interruptible abilities, and break free from crown control effects, however, their timing is not perfect, and they do have a cooldown between uses.
Companion Death & Recovery
If a Companion dies in battle, they can be revived by using a soul gem. However, any Companion who is still defeated at the end of combat will recover within a few seconds of the battle concluding.
Customizing Companion Combat Abilities
Just like with your own character, when it comes to combat, you can customize how your Companion fights. The skills tab of the Companion menu provides a list of available skill lines and associated abilities which may be slotted into the Companion’s active ability bar. These abilities may have usage restrictions, such as requiring a specific weapon type be equipped or a target being below a certain health threshold. Companions attempt to use their abilities in priority order from left to right if they have a valid target and meet any associated requirements of the ability.
Companion abilities utilize a cooldown system to determine frequency of usage, with various abilities having an array of cooldown times.
Companions have a large pool of unlockable abilities available to them, which are similar to some abilities you may recognize from various player skill lines. These abilities provide the opportunity for you to customize your Companion’s combat role, including tanking, healing, damage, and any hybridization desired to perfectly complement your own ability configuration.
COMPANION COSMETICS & APPEARANCE
Customizing Companion Appearance
You can customize your Companion using many of your own cosmetic collectibles. This includes mounts, costumes, and outfits. Companions have a default mount which they will utilize when you mount up, but this can be overridden through the Companion menu in your Collectibles UI. Costumes you have unlocked may be applied through the Collectibles tab as well, with any associated applied dyes being shared across your and your Companion’s appearance per costume.
Companion Outfits
Visiting an outfit station allows you to configure a dedicated outfit slot, with each Companion having a dedicated slot per account. You can apply this outfit through the overview screen of the Companion UI.
Please note that Companion’s head armor is always hidden and will not be displayed regardless of equipment or cosmetic override settings. Additionally, a small subset of mount, costume, and outfit collectibles may not be usable by the Companion based on gender, race, or other restrictions.
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COMPANION PROGRESSION:
Levelling Up Companions
As you fight with your Companions, they will gain experience and level up. With the exception of their personal quests and rapport, which collectively represents the relationship between each character and the Companion, all Companion progress is account-wide.
Companions are level one when unlocked, with a limited set of ability bar slots and a maximum potential level of 20. Companions level up via experience gained directly from combat.
As Companions gain combat levels, their hitpoints and overall power (which affects weapon and spell damage) increases automatically, additional ability bar slots unlock, and more class abilities become available. This includes the ultimate slot and ability, which unlock at combat level 20.
Experience increasing effects such as holiday bonuses and consumable boosters applied you will provide an indirect benefit to the Companion as well.
Companion Skill Lines
Companions have access to several skill lines, each with associated abilities. Most Companion skill lines have three active abilities which can be acquired through leveling up of that skill line. Companion abilities do not require skill points to unlock and do not rank up or morph over time.
- Class Skill lines increase with the combat level of the Companion.
- Weapon skill lines increase through combat experience based on the equipped weapon(s).
- Armor skill lines increase through combat experience based on the equipped weight of the armor on the Companion.
- Guild skill lines increase through completing specific solo daily quests associated with the guild, for the active Companion.
- Racial skill lines do not include active abilities and are immediately applied based on the race of the Companion.
Each Companion unlocks with some progress in a few skill lines based on their background, as well as with two combat abilities pre-slotted, so they are immediately combat ready. You can change these as desired.
COMPANION RAPPORT
Gaining & Managing Rapport
Rapport with Companions begins at cordial, starting with the introductory quest, and may go up and down over time, depending on your actions with the active Companion. All Companions have strong personal preferences which you can learn about through dialogue and experimentation in the world.
As rapport increases or falls, various thresholds will be met, with corresponding changes in the Companion’s dialogue with you. At higher tiers of rapport, the Companion will be inclined to share personal information with you and ask for assistance with associated quests. At lower tiers of rapport, the Companion may choose to part ways with you for a time.
Rapport adjustments are displayed in real time in the loot stream and have limitations on how often they can be triggered for both positive and negative rapport events. You can always see the current rapport status on the overview window of the Companion UI.
COMPANION EQUIPMENT
Equipping Companions
Companion equipment is distinct from player gear with no overlap between them. Companions unlock with a set of un-traited white equipment based on their background. Selecting the equipment option of the Companion character tab displays any Companion equipment in the player’s inventory, which may be equipped on the Companion via the UI on the left.
Companion equipment does not include level, cannot be enchanted, does not require repairs, and does not include an inherent style appearance, but instead inherits the style of the Companion it’s applied to.
Finding Gear for Companions
You can purchase white Companion equipment from Weaponsmith, Woodworker, Armorer, Leatherworker, and Tailor merchants throughout the world, allowing you to customize your Companion role accordingly.
Fine (green), superior (blue) and epic (purple) quality Companion equipment with traits can be obtained as rare drops from monster throughout the world, particularly from bosses if you have active Companions present. This equipment is tradeable, so players may buy and sell it as desired.
Note that Companion gear cannot be crafted, deconstructed, improved, or researched.
Companion Gear Traits
Companion equipment above white quality can come with unique traits:
- Quickened (Cooldown Reduction)
- Prolific (Ultimate Generation)
- Focused (Critical Strike Chance)
- Shattering (Penetration)
- Aggressive (Damage Done)
- Soothing (Healing Done)
- Augmented (Ability Buff and Debuff Duration)
- Bolstered (Reduce Damage Taken)
- Vigorous (Max Health)
—I reference these gear traits again below in “10 fun fact’s, Tips and Tricks!”
COMPANION QUESTS & REWARDS
Companion Quests
In addition to the Blackwood quest objective which introduces and unlocks the respective Companions, each Companion has two associated personal side quests which will become available to you once you’ve established sufficient rapport with them.
Completing the second Companion quest will unlock a houseguest collectible of the Companion, allowing them to be placed and utilized similarly to other houseguest collectibles.
Additionally, completing any Companion side quest will result in a large rapport boost.
COMPANION PERKS & KEEPSAKES
Companion Perks
Each Companion has a unique associated non-combat perk which benefits you when the Companion is present.
Mirri’s Expertise: Treasure Chests found through Treasure Maps and in the Overland have a 30% chance to provide additional loot from hidden compartments. The treasure from these hidden compartments may contain additional gold, sellables or recipes.
Bastian’s Insight: Potions looted from chests and monsters have a 30% chance to be improved by Bastian’s Insight.
Companion Keepsakes
By completing meta-achievements associated with each Companion, you can unlock a keepsake collectible for each Companion which provides the benefits of the non-combat perk even while the Companion isn’t active. These collectibles are located under the Upgrades section of the collections menu.
-Credit to elderscrollsonline
My BLACKWOOD Chapter Guide: CLICK HERE
ESO Blackwood Chapter Guides
Welcome to a consolidated list of ESO Blackwood Chapter Guides. Below you will find guides on all the new things coming to Blackwood Chapter like new gear sets, companions, skill changes, endeavors, Oblivion Portals and more! If you want the latest ESO Blackwood Guides, watch these videos below.
ESO BLACKWOOD ANTIQUITY LEADS
Here are the latest Mythic and leads for the Antiquity system in the Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood Chapter.
Gaze of Sithis PvP Mythic in Blackwood Guide
This is a video guide on collecting and using the Gaze of Sithis mythic for the Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood Chapter. Deltia will break down how to get this, tips for using and important information to share!
Blackwood Chapter Day One Guide
This video gives details on what to do when ESO Blackwood Chapter launches June 1st on PC and June 8th on consoles.
Blackwood Changes Overview
This video covers an overview of Blackwood chapter like important gear, skill, champion point changes and new features coming to ESO.
We break down some of the huge changes coming to the ESO with the Blackwood Chapter launch in June of 2021.
Companions Guide
This video will break down various details and information about the ESO companions system, so you’ll have a basic understanding when this launches.
Starting with: Finding Companions, Interactions and Interface, Companion Skills, Appearance and Customization, Companion Gear, Progression, Perks and Incentives
Oblivion Portals Guide
This video is for you as we talk through the important aspects of Oblivion Portals preparing you for June Blackwood Chapter launch!
Endeavors System Guide
The Endeavors system will bring a brand new currency called “Seals of Endeavors“. You’ll be able to redeem this currency within the crown store, earning items rather than buying them. This video explains the new system and how to optimize your play time to get the most out your daily and weekly rewards.
Proc Set Changes
This video breaks down the purposed proc set changes coming to the Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood Chapter in June.
We cover The State of PvP , Developer Post, Scaling Problem, Testing Setup , Magic Proc Results, Stam Proc Results, Next Level Proc’s and the Solution.
ESO Blackwood Antiquity Leads:
Here are the latest Mythic and leads for the Antiquity system in the Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood Chapter.
https://deltiasgaming.com/2021/06/01/eso-blackwood-antiquity-leads/
For more guides click here
I will be Live Streaming “Blackwood” this week and next on my Twitch Twtich.tv/deltiasgaming
Now on to my 10 tips/Facts Companion Guide!
10 Companion facts written guide.
Companions are LIVE! And I’ve got some interesting bits to share with you to save you time and energy figuring this out.
- Gear
Last fun fact is gear and it’s a bit different than you as a player
you acquire for companions is not the same as player gear, you cannot craft your companion gear or use old sets rather can be found throughout your adventures while you have a companion out they will randomly drop though is pretty sparse.
I’ve found them mainly doing overland content and dungeons, world bosses, dolmens, completing pledges, with.
You can equip via interacting with companions via companion menu, and this gear is stored you’re your person, so yes another inventory system tom manage, here are the types of traits that range from whites to purple is max quality
-
- Aggressive – Increases damage output (per equipped piece).
- Augmented – Increases the duration of all his buffs and debuffs (per equipped piece).
- Bolstered – Reduces the Damage Taken by (per equipped piece).
- Focused – Increases the Critical Strike Rating of (per equipped piece).
- Prolific– Increases the Ultimate regeneration of (per equipped piece).
- Quickened- Reduces the Ability cooldown of (per equipped piece).
- Shattering – Increases the Penetration of (per equipped piece).
- Soothing – Increases the Healing Done of (per equipped piece).
- Vigorous – Increases the Maximum Health of (per equipped piece).
Moreover, you can get a new set of gear from the trader in Leyawiin, This gear is affordable and easy to get. Go with a white basic set of gear as soon as you unlock either Mirri or Bastian!
- Rapport
Each companion has likes and dislikes that can effect their time with you, they can even leave your side for a short period of time so don’t make them mad!
This system is called Rapport is another progression system based on your actions Approval and Disapproval.
I discovered Mirri’s approval buy killing some snakes while she was not a fan of me killing some torch bugs.
Bastion isn’t a big fan of stealing but enjoys crafting, so might want to have him out when you’re banging out your daily writs
There are also some achievements tying to visiting or completing content with your companion but I won’t spoil those for you, just do things with your companions, they’ll react in very surprising ways!
- Roles,
What attracted me to eso was that any class any player could fulfill any role and that is the same for companions
However, they do come equipped as specific class
For instance Bastion is your typical magicka Dragonknight and in my opinion makes one hell of a tank.
Meanwhile Mirri is more of your stealthy rogue Nightblade and I think makes a great archer with high survivability
Will companions replace players no? But I’ve used Bastion to tank Veteran dungeons and he does just fine,
Veteran HM trial? Not so much
Experiment with the companions and use them to augment your playstyle
Do you struggle with self healing or lack pale order? Set them to heal
If you play tanky and need a little more damage, DPS and they will have a bit of a benefit to you and or your party
- Progression: experience modifiers like potions and training armor
Remember I said companions progression mirrors players in most aspect that is true for leveling them
Companions have a max level of 20 and can stack xp modifiers
Training trait from gear armor and weapons
ESO Plus Membership or Ring of Mara
being in a group of two (with a group of two your xp is increased, beyond two it will go lower)
XP scrolls or drinks
I’ve grinding my companion in Blackrose Prison and Skyreach Catacomb’s and it’ll take roughly 4-5 hours of pure grinding to max them out depending on xp modifiers
So if you’re goal is to hit 20 asap, the best method is the same for a player, stack tons of xp modifiers and get to grinding
- Group
Next up, how do companions work in a group?
While companions might not be equal to a players damage per second and tanking skills, in groups, they are equal to a player meaning this
You can bring into a trial a maximum for 12 players a dungeon 4 players
So in a trial don’t expect to have 12 players and 12 companions, 12 tops, so 10 players and 2 companions or however you get to the total of the group context your in
Further more, you won’t be able to use the dungeon finder with companions, mean you and a friend cannot group up and have both companions out and que together for say a normal random dungeon
However, what can be helpful is when someone drops from the group during a dungeon run, you can quickly and easily pull out a companion and fulfill a missing role
I’ll be honest companions have been functioning pretty well as tank and range DPS once you get them to level 7 or higher and guild ranks level 6 or higher so they are perfect when in a pinch if someone Disconnects in a dungeon
- Progression:
I could a hour long video on companion progression but the most important one you’ll need to understand is skills, guild specifically mages, fighters and undaunted
These level only through doing guild specific quest, the dailies
You can do each guild quest once per day per character, thus you can hop from character to character to character to work on maxing out these guild skill lines
And I’ll tell you this is priority #1 in progression because the skills in each of these are incredible
More on experience and level in another fun fact, but consider the rest of the skills and level progression similar to players so if you have 5 medium armor on itll level medium armor skill line and so on
If you have any questions on how to progress a skill line just Hover/highlight over the skill and it’ll explain the conditions
- Appearance: The most important, that’s fashion LOOK GOOD PLAY GOOD!
Think of companions appearances and gear different yet similar than a players
You cannot craft gear for your companions, only by finding it and or buying it from guild traders other players are you able to get companion gear. More on this later
But the companion gear will change their appearance, for instant light to heavy will have a distinct look,
You can access outfits by talking and pulling up the companion menu
While dyes and changing outfit color will be same way you do as a player there’s just a new tab separating you and your companions
After you got them unlocked a good setup of gear and skills, UI changed, keybinds set make them look amazing!!
- Control/UI Turn on Healthbars Attack with them using pet command / auto ultimate or controlled
There are a couple of important settings as soon as you get companions out the gate that has helped me drastically!
First is basic attacking and defense which uses the ESO Pet command in keybinds,
On PC to attack press and hold Y then left mouse
To stop and return press and hold Y and right mouse
Being someone that has never really used pets this is extremely helpful
This is also very helpful if you have one of them Tanking for you, make sure to start off the fight by having them attack first and put a taunt on their first ability because they priorities left to right!
Another helpful tip is to turn on healthbars for friendlys’ that way you don’t have to move your eyes all the way to the top left group menu to see if they need a heal
Last tip (I’m full of them today) at level 20 companions get an ultimate, you can turn on or off auto cast
Being a control freak I prefer to turn this off and have the use it when I want
- Perk: yes there are actual real incentives to get companions and max them out!
Each companion has their own non-combat perk which provides a small benefit while the companion is active
You can see this in the companion menu main screen if you highlight the area by rapport
Mirri’s Expertise: Treasure Chests found through Treasure Maps and in the Overland have a 30% chance to provide additional loot from hidden compartments. The treasure from these hidden compartments may contain additional gold, sellable’s or recipes.
This is an insane perk for those farming overland gear and selling on trader, definitely worth maxing Mirri out! Mother’s Sorrow I’m looking at you!
Bastian’s Insight: Potions looted from chests and monsters have a 30% chance to be improved by Bastian’s Insight.
You can acquire these perks by maxing out each companions rapport not their overall level
Additionally, you can have companions as houseguest upon completing their two personal side quest!
If you love ESO housing, there are a couple of reasons to get these companions and finish up their story
- Companions are account wide, but there’s a catch!
There are currently two companions Bastion and Mirri, both can be unlocked doing a quest that takes anywhere from 15-30 minutes for the average player
- Once completed you’ll have a new menu called allies which will list assistants and companions.
- You can only have one companion or assistant out at a time
Note: The companions increase in skills, level and rapport account wide BUT you’ll need to do the introductory quest on each and every character
I’d highly recommend returning to Leyawiin upon unlocking your companion and visiting the armor and fine garments store to get a basic set of white gear and weapons so that way you can start off your companion the exact role you want
They follow similar styles as player, you want heavy armor sword and shield for tank, light armor staff for mag, bow and medium for ranger, etc.
This gear will be on each and every character thankfully!
VIDEO and top 10 tips for Companions here: 10-fun-facts-about-companions-in-eso
Credit to ESO Online for the Original write up! ESO Companion’s write up original from ZOS
We will be updating this page daily as we learn more!
