I know this is very subjective and can easily swap the top 4 around anywhere but this is just a nudge to show who are really good and for newer players to get exposure to them

The culture is also important.... the Battanian leader running a party will be faster in forest areas and will have less penalty for scout on that area too.... If you gonna make an Aserai run, into desert, a companion with Aserai culture will have the desert bonus. That wouldn't be the main reason to choose a companion, but you must consider it. Also, when you are running an armie, all speeds are considered... so if they are faster, your army will be faster too... but not a big difference.

great video, and very helpful. Also i wouldnt mind seeing more companion videos where you get more into their specific roles. actually i wouldn't mind a series of videos where you just talk about companions. But i generally prefer longer videos

Always appreciate your videos mate, just wanted to say thank you!

My favorites are the ones that come with unspent skill points. Some may think it's just an unexplainable bug. But I personally know the reason and it's not a bug to me. Because this happens when a new companion spawns and we hire that companion in the same day they spawn. So, by hiring them in the same day they spawn, we simply don't give them enough time to spend their points by themselves. That's why in every campaign I play, I memorize all the wanderer names in Encyclopedia. And I check the tavern everytime I go to a city. Whenever I see a wanderer that I've never seen in Encyclopedia, I know that wanderer spawned very recently. So I hire them and check if their points are unspent. By doing this, in one campaign I've played before, I literally had 4 different companions with unspent skill points. But ofc after all in every game, every unintended feature by developers is a bug. After all it's the developers who decide how the game should be played, what is bug, what is not, what is exploit, what is not. NOT US

Makes a lot of sense. Ty for the time put into this.

Love it! Thanks Flesson!

Thank you so much, this was really helpful

Awesome video as always thank you!

I tend to privilege scouting on caravans, so "of the Wastes" is a premium for me, in the same way that the the Aserai Scholar is kind of awesome for its thing. Fair point on the higher level on wastes, mind. Still, I think scouting is really important for caravans, like the most important. Totally agree with your #2 and #3, but less so on your #1. Really informative video. Didn't know about Grey Falcon, gonna have to keep an eye out for it.

Good job man ! TY

Great video and exactly on point to where I am at in the game right now. * What about golden companions. They have crazy amounts of points in tactics, leadership, etc. I got 2 goldens, 3 "games" ago, and haven't seen any in the last 2 games. * since every game spawns different companions, I am gathering from the video just take anyone with healing? * how to/best way level (early and mid game - before joining a kingdom)? 2 methods I've found: *a) sending them as caravans (levels horse/running and trade - naturally; medicine and tactics if they get attacked - early game basically never happens). *b) Or starting them as a party. if you put party $ low enough they attack looters, *c) Unfortunately, I've found brother, sister, and Nanjun (brother2) to be better then any companion. 4th party late game is a powerful wife (your wife or brothers wife). Not sure if there is a point in using a companion to create a party?

Great video.💪

Very useful 👌

Thanks for the video. You seem to recurit mainly from medical schools, probably a good choice if they are already doctors they are already smart:)

Awesome. Thanks

I see three "the Wanderer" in the XML. Aserai, Empire and Battanian. They all have different Traits. You are showing the Battanian Wanderer for #9. I'm not sure if this will be confusing for anyone.

thanks for the list. I usually use bitterdraught as a crossbowman or if thier are not to much riders a knight. regards,He is a good emissary and I use him in that role. regards Paras

Love this video. Have you done a video showing which companions are best for leading the parties that do Noble/Notable Quests?

1st i'd like to thank you for the info ^^. to be honest i think it might be worth it to make an in-depth vid about companions which ones has potential in which role and which more likely to have a successful clan , i know it might be way too much ur work is much appreciated

Thank you very much!. King of kings. Gracias.

Spicevendor and Horsethief make good caravan leaders. Coalbiter can be your dedicated Smith if you don't care that they probably cannot get to 330. In some runs where I did not want to have my character go into INT I used some of them to be Surgeon (Aserai I think); Engineer (I think it was the Khuzait guy).

I love companions as a feature, I always love picking them up as low levels, build them up as captains then give them their own party then make them governor until I become a king and make them vassals, it adds so much to them game.

For more info search the reddit post about companions, its pretty comprehensive what stats at what lvl each named version can be found at. You want to get them as fast as possible when you have room in your party so you can start lvling them asap. I usually get the ones to make independent partyleaders first, lvl them and in mid/late game get the best specialists (look for the overachievers in that list) for yourself, for instance the scouts are very handy to use instead of your own scouting, but you might wanna lvl other stats for yourself though. I also use roulation to build up multiple companions with some base lvl stewardship so you can put them in castle etc with a bit more effectiveness or in parties so they don't costs an arm and a leg and keep food consumption down. for trading I usually get a spicevendor in my own party, best stats from the start and its fairly easy to lvl those up to high ranks. Edit: I have that one for quartermaster, not trading since you don't have that option to assign the trader role, only when they are put in charge of a caravan, but you want a decent scouting lvl for caravan leaders.

Empire Surgeon now seems to start at a higher level, only has two points in INT and has two focus points in every single combat and movement skill, assume this was changed in a patch since this video was made (I'm a relatively new player). Seems terrible now for a party leader role given lack of customisation available? Are the other ones in this video still good?

Parties led by companions spend most of their time in an army. So tactics and scouting doesn't matter that much. I rarely could call them in my army because they were already in another army. However, I fully agree Medicine being the most important.

what you think about the personality traits, they have importance or does not affect gameplay at all? I mean , just for roleplay, i try to pick up just the good ones , i wonder if have some difference in game matters.

Rekruted Vlandian Bitterdrought, today.

When we select a companion with good scouting in our clan screen, does it apply to all parties or just ours ?

When the player uses simulated battles, the player can't die in the battle. When a companion running a party simulates the battle, the companion can die in the battle?

I feel like this vid missed some of the key elements to picking and choosing. So, its based on leading their own party but thats it? "are they going to be a future governor or clan leader" was not considered at all? The next element is, Captain perks. which IS a big deal even for party leaders. you seemed to ignore those entirely for scouting tactics, and medicine. The next element is, which skills level easily, and which do not. steward levels easy. so, while GREAT, yes, its also something that can be largely ignored until later. Medicine is mid-hard to level, so YES, you really want this maxed right from the get go. Engineering. extremely hard to level... so yeah, something you might ALSO want already done. Scouting is pretty slow. so yeah, ideally points in first is better. Attributes. few and far between, while focus points are pretty ample... attributes in the right places, is probably more important then some focus jump starts. I've never seen allied parties get tactics skillups from combat, I was not involved in... are we sure tactics applies to npc battles?

Rogue is pretty good for parties to isn't it! Makes it less expensive running them and they might even make you money and alot of it.

Scouting is so important in this game

The Golden and The Lucky are good too

I dont think partyleaders (except main character) gets any benefit from Tactics skill. The reason for my opinion is, when I make my older brother (in campaign mod) a partyleader and give focus points to his Tactics, even after fighting hundreds of battles for 10 years his Tactics skill never gained any XP AT ALL!!! I'd be so glaf if someone could explain this to me.

* edit: a bit too hasty I see, , I will repost without link , its very easy to google.

"The golden" are also decent

Use the distinguished service mod, allows you to promote soldiers to companions and choose their skill sets. 10 times better than the suck ass companions of the game

kinda ruins the Role play for me that only companions with High Cunning are good party leaders, when we legit have Leadership and Steward skills in the Game, Cunning should have just been for companions that are used for Shady stuff, also Limiting tactic to Cunning is also something im not a fan of , There should be a slightly Different system for companions when it come to lvling them up, Such as Commander which includes all skill that helps with warbands and GOVNA instead of INT, IDK man but i wanted more Power when it comes to lvling my NPC every NPC in the Game SHOUld have started lvl 1 and you and them Grow TOgether, as you play the game would have been more FUN instead of this random as RNG BS we get , training them is so difficult and the progress is soo bad, i Miss Warbands LvLing system for the companions

Interesting that you don't have riding/athletics on the list.

not a great guide if you dont even include the Golden Aserai