Combat Companions - what's the point?

[Super Cosmic Space Magnet]

Hello reader!

As I approach my 500th hour or so in this game I've been wondering: what the heck is the point of having a companion who isn't specialised in Medicine, Scouting, Caravaneering, or (most importantly) Quartermastering? Even if you're willing to sink hundreds of thousands of gold into them on the best possible gear (or steal stuff of off your husband) they still will only be as good as a random T5 troop - and you would need to lose a LOT of troops for that trade to ever be worth it. More than you would ever likely command in a single campaign.

I thought it might be fun to do a kind of Fire Emblem-esque playthrough, or like The Companions from Skyrim. A cast of returning combat characters rather than utility pieces that you only put on the battlefield because you absolutely have to if you want that sweet surgeon bonus, but.. I just can't see it working. Am I missing something?

[HunZolka]

When I played the game, clan members couldn't die in battle, so they were a great vanguard in battle fighting and dying in the front line, or just sent them as horse archers for the enemy to chase them, and then sent in the main force to mop up the disorganised enemy force.

They were also very useful in bandit hideouts, so I never had to risk losing troops, and when I specifically needed to take captives, I could equip them with maces.

I also liked the fact that I can customise their equipment, making a sort of elite guard. By the end of my last playthrough, I had like 20 such companions and family members in the party, just felt great.

[fastforward]

you can make the best fighters in the game if you train your companions right.
there is no troop in the game that has crossbow skill 200, your companions can have 300 if you really want to do it.
also you get to select perks for them, so lets say you want to have a squad of 15 guys throwing javelins like ballista bolts, then just train the companions up into such a force.
or lets say you want to have a certain troop type that isn't in the game, like mounted crossbowman, only companions can do that.
and ofc they make great captains with the appropriate perk choices.

[Clovis Sangrail]

You can put them in charge of caravans and you can make them governors. They are handy for counteracting that -1 reduction to loyalty if yur ssigned governor is a different culture.

You can also have them wait in a town or village to increase relations with notables in said town or village.

I set any companions or stray relations as formation V Skirmisher and tell them to follow me in battle as my personal body guard.

[Aven]

The primary use of combat companions are as formation leaders in your own party. While the main character can generally only convey party skills onto troops, combat companions allow you to take advantage of formation perks. Granted, this does expose those companions to a higher risk of death, but generic combat companions can be replaced far easier than those with clan roles.

[SapphireSage]

If I understand the perk system right, the Captain perks only pertain to those designated as formation leader, which are the topmost companions assigned to a specific formation (eg. I, II, etc.)

So a strong combat companion, and their many Captain perks that buff the troops in their same group number, means that your companion not only fights well, but makes all the troops in their group fight better in their role(s) as well by giving them a lot of perks that the troops otherwise don't get since the Player can't be a formation leader in their own party.

For instance, many of the 1-hand perks include bonuses for formation leaders that can make heavy infantry even tougher via shield bonuses and damage reduction. A strong 2-Handed companion will grant a lot of damage bonuses to infantry. Lastly, Polearm perks are aimed at either making cavalry charges more deadly, or allowing your infantry to better counter cavalry charges.

The perks in the range trees will typically make ranged units more deadly by making (cross)bows and thrown weapons more accurate, deal more damage, and ignore X% of armor with thrown weapons also getting damage bonuses against shields added in for skirmishers.

Strong Athletics and riding also makes same formation troops more mobile, tougher, and more damaging for foot troops and cavalry respectively.

TLDR, strong combat companions can make the main core of your party much better at the role you want them to perform, especially as the number of troops in that group scales upward.

[OMGfriedbacon]

Originally posted by SapphireSage:

If I understand the perk system right, the Captain perks only pertain to those designated as formation leader, which are the topmost companions assigned to a specific formation (eg. I, II, etc.)

So a strong combat companion, and their many Captain perks that buff the troops in their same group number, means that your companion not only fights well, but makes all the troops in their group fight better in their role(s) as well by giving them a lot of perks that the troops otherwise don't get since the Player can't be a formation leader in their own party.

For instance, many of the 1-hand perks include bonuses for formation leaders that can make heavy infantry even tougher via shield bonuses and damage reduction. A strong 2-Handed companion will grant a lot of damage bonuses to infantry. Lastly, Polearm perks are aimed at either making cavalry charges more deadly, or allowing your infantry to better counter cavalry charges.

The perks in the range trees will typically make ranged units more deadly by making (cross)bows and thrown weapons more accurate, deal more damage, and ignore X% of armor with thrown weapons also getting damage bonuses against shields added in for skirmishers.

Strong Athletics and riding also makes same formation troops more mobile, tougher, and more damaging for foot troops and cavalry respectively.

TLDR, strong combat companions can make the main core of your party much better at the role you want them to perform, especially as the number of troops in that group scales upward.

Wow! if that's true companions are even more valuabe than I thought. I thought formation leading(captain perks) ONLY applies when fighting in armies. I would like some confirmation on that.

[GhostBlackMor]

Currently combat stats don't seem to be effective as their were in warband for example, eventually they will be balanced. But right now I won't recruit any combat companions, because they are not very useful.

[Bike Knight]

Combat skills along with Leadership/Tactics allow companions to do some quests for you like caravan escorts or other dangerous jobs. Earning money while you earn money is good.
In battle, I just put all the companions into a squad by themselves and have them immediately retreat. No sense risking their essential skills or expensive gear, like OP said.

[Nine_Tigers]

Combat skills can have valuable governor perks as well. Bow 150, Pol earms 150, and Throwing 150 are favorites of mine.

[SapphireSage]

Originally posted by OMGfriedbacon:

Originally posted by SapphireSage:

If I understand the perk system right...

Wow! if that's true companions are even more valuabe than I thought. I thought formation leading(captain perks) ONLY applies when fighting in armies. I would like some confirmation on that.

Far as I can tell from bannerlord perks site, it does work to use your first living companion assigned to the group.

https://www.bannerlordperks.com/table;role=captain

[First Time Player]

Among other things, they can act as a body guard on certain missions, e.g. rescuing a prodigal noble son from a gang. My two handed 200+ guy wielding a custom 2-handed sword slaughtered all the gang members before I could even pull my sword from its sheath. Helpful as my character this time round is using a Social/Intel build.

Also, as someone said above, they can perform certain missions for you with 100% chance of success. Usually, those involving a request for a bodyguard or for intimidating someone.

[Roz Britanicus]

Some of the perks should boost companions to be greater than the average troop. Plus when they die you should be able to buy them a funeral and take you gear back if you like or honor them and leave them with the gear for big Reputation boost with all wanderers .

[Twelvefield]

If you have a combat companion who is female, you'll hear female voices in battle.

[Hasbulat]

Originally posted by SapphireSage:

If I understand the perk system right, the Captain perks only pertain to those designated as formation leader, which are the topmost companions assigned to a specific formation (eg. I, II, etc.)

So a strong combat companion, and their many Captain perks that buff the troops in their same group number, means that your companion not only fights well, but makes all the troops in their group fight better in their role(s) as well by giving them a lot of perks that the troops otherwise don't get since the Player can't be a formation leader in their own party.

For instance, many of the 1-hand perks include bonuses for formation leaders that can make heavy infantry even tougher via shield bonuses and damage reduction. A strong 2-Handed companion will grant a lot of damage bonuses to infantry. Lastly, Polearm perks are aimed at either making cavalry charges more deadly, or allowing your infantry to better counter cavalry charges.

The perks in the range trees will typically make ranged units more deadly by making (cross)bows and thrown weapons more accurate, deal more damage, and ignore X% of armor with thrown weapons also getting damage bonuses against shields added in for skirmishers.

Strong Athletics and riding also makes same formation troops more mobile, tougher, and more damaging for foot troops and cavalry respectively.

TLDR, strong combat companions can make the main core of your party much better at the role you want them to perform, especially as the number of troops in that group scales upward.

Due to raandomness of the assigning of caaptian in a fight this "strategy" is just useless. We are not able to take influence there and a companion you trained in athletics could always command cavalery.