Pleasantly surprised by Elk animal companion

[Myrtillo]

I have read a lot of discussions about animal companion and their relative power, but none really mentionned the Elk.
I played a bit a Druid with a smilodon, and it is indeed a mauling machine, but I was forced to restart due to bugs ruining my saves.

I like non-meta choices, so I went for a feyspeaker specialized in enchantement (which I am really happy about, but this is a different topic), and, as you will have guessed now, the Elk as an animal companion.

Until lvl 7, it was just a slightly sturdier pet with less damage, but after that when it grew big and started getting his powerful charge, he became incredibly useful.

Powerful charge does 6d6+24 piercing damage, and adds str bonus on top of it. It is extremely common at lvl 7 unbuffed to pop around 50 damage on the charge, 100 on crit, easily overcoming any form of DR.
With Enlarge Creature and Bull's Strength, now at lvl 10 my elk pops and average 65 per charge, 120+ on crit.

When facing a tough foe, I can maneuver it to disengage, and charge again at will.

I imagine that a fully buffed smilodon will still do more damage (except maybe on ennemies with very high DR that will absorb a lot of his attacks), but if you are looking for a somewhet sturdier alternative and that forest feel without gimping yourself, then take a look at the elk ;)

[Owl]

Considering restarting (on hard) and ignoring the cusom characters, just making 5 the way i want them. do you think the Mammoth would do as well?

[palathas]

I found the Mammoth to be a bit of a meat shield, good for squishy characters.

I don't mind the Smilodon but I still prefer the Leopard I took for my Sylvan Sorcerer. It's kind of a hybrid of the Wolf and the Smilodon. It gets more attacks than the Wolf but less than the Smilodon and it also gets a trip attack like the Wolf and rend like the Smilodon. It also becomes advanced at level 4 instead of the usual level 7.

I took the Mammoth with my Inquisitor.

[nshawmc]

i like elk personally.

i run with smilodon on my mad dog barb, elk with my syvan sorc and a leopard on my druid. dont usually use them all at once but anyways the elk is cool.

[nshawmc]

elk gets dodge and tough skin pretty early making them higher ac than anyone in your part at like 6th level if i remember.

[nshawmc]

elk and leopard are also both fastest pets so thats what i like about them.

[MintBerryCrunch]

I have all custom mercs cause the given NPCs are kinda annoying. Running a Sylvan sorcerer. Cleric and Inquisitor both with animal domain. And a druid.

Pets are smilodon, elk, leopard, and bear.

Out of all of them elks a beast. But I do like leopards speed to help and run in a fight.

I found mastadons stomping way to annoying almost on par with harrim.

They are all my tanks and with mage armor and barkskin cast on them. They never get touched.

[Dakkon]

I just got the mastadon and it stomps around extremely loudly. Like 10 times louder than humanoid footsteps. Otherwise I think its really neat.

[Sotanaht]

Originally posted by MintBerryCrunch:

I have all custom mercs cause the given NPCs are kinda annoying. Running a Sylvan sorcerer. Cleric and Inquisitor both with animal domain. And a druid.

Pets are smilodon, elk, leopard, and bear.

Out of all of them elks a beast. But I do like leopards speed to help and run in a fight.

I found mastadons stomping way to annoying almost on par with harrim.

They are all my tanks and with mage armor and barkskin cast on them. They never get touched.

Don't forget shield of faith too!

[=[NK]= Col. Jack O'Neil]

There's a respec mod for yourself and companions and also a mod that let's you make the mammoth walk quietly

https://www.nexusmods.com/pathfinderkingmaker/mods/7