ESO: Craft the Best Companion Gear Yourself
The Elder Scrolls Online's companions are invaluable allies, bolstering your effectiveness in combat and exploration. However, their potential is only fully realized with the right gear. While you can find decent companion gear through drops and vendors, crafting the best gear offers unparalleled customization and maximizes your companion's effectiveness. This guide will walk you through crafting superior companion gear in ESO, covering everything from material acquisition to efficient enchantment choices.
What Makes Companion Gear Exceptional?
Before diving into crafting, understanding what constitutes "best" companion gear is crucial. It's not simply about high item levels; it's about the synergy between traits, attributes, and enchantments. Ideal companion gear prioritizes:
- High Item Level: This is foundational. Higher item levels translate to more potent stats.
- Beneficial Traits: Traits like "Infused" (for increased health and stamina recovery) or "Nirnhoned" (for increased damage) significantly impact performance. Experiment to find what works best for your companion's role (e.g., damage dealer, tank, healer).
- Powerful Enchantments: Enchantments provide specific bonuses. For example, an enchantment boosting critical strike chance will drastically increase a damage-dealing companion's output. We’ll delve deeper into enchantment selection later.
- Attribute Choices: Understanding the impact of attributes on your companion is key. For damage dealers, prioritizing offensive attributes is crucial, while tank companions benefit from high health and stamina.
Gathering the Necessary Materials
Crafting high-quality companion gear necessitates acquiring superior materials. These can be obtained through various avenues:
- Disassembling Gear: Disassembling higher-level gear yields valuable crafting materials.
- Gathering Nodes: Harvesting resources from nodes throughout Tamriel provides a steady supply of base materials.
- Guild Traders: Purchase materials from other players on guild traders. This can be faster but more expensive.
- World Bosses and Delves: These locations often drop valuable materials.
Choosing the Right Crafting Station
Efficient crafting relies on having access to the appropriate crafting stations. Ensure you have a fully upgraded Jewelry Crafting station, Clothing Crafting station, and Weapons Crafting station in a convenient location. These stations will be your primary tools for creating top-tier gear for your companion.
What Traits Should I Use?
The best traits for your companion gear depend heavily on their role and your playstyle. However, some traits consistently prove effective:
- Infused: Increases Health and Stamina Recovery, ideal for both tank and damage dealing companions.
- Nirnhoned: Increases Weapon and Spell Damage, a fantastic choice for damage-dealing companions.
- Precise: Increases critical chance and damage, highly synergistic with critical strike chance enchantments.
- Robust: Increases armor, perfect for tank companions.
Which Enchantments Are Best?
Companion enchantment choices are critical for maximizing their potential. Here are some top contenders:
- Damage Enchantments (for DPS companions): Enchantments boosting weapon damage, spell damage, or critical strike chance/damage.
- Health and Stamina Recovery Enchantments (for tank companions): These ensure your companion remains resilient in combat.
- Health Enchantments (for all companions): While not as impactful as damage or recovery, added health always increases survivability.
How Do I Optimize My Companion's Gear for Different Roles?
H2: How do I optimize my companion for dealing damage?
Focus on high item level weapons and armor with Nirnhoned or Precise traits and enchantments that increase weapon damage, spell damage, or critical hit chance/damage.
H2: How do I optimize my companion for tanking?
Prioritize high item level armor with Robust and Infused traits. Enchantments focusing on health and stamina recovery are essential.
H2: What are the best attributes for my companion?
The optimal attributes depend on your companion's role. Damage dealers benefit from high Magicka or Stamina, while tanks should prioritize Health and Stamina. Experimentation is key to finding the perfect balance.
Conclusion
Crafting the best companion gear in ESO is a rewarding process that significantly enhances your gameplay experience. By carefully selecting traits, enchantments, and attributes, you can tailor your companion's equipment to perfectly complement your playstyle, turning them from helpful allies into indispensable assets. Remember that experimentation is key; what works best for one player might not work for another. The process of crafting and refining your companion's gear is a journey of continuous optimization and discovery within the vast world of ESO.
