Best companion for DPS Juggernaut?

[Danbuterx]

I have a Vengeance Juggernaut, who's doing fairly well, but I'm wondering which companion is the most effective.

 

Quinn is nice for heals, but his heals aren't really all that great. Maybe once I get to 50 and spend a ton getting him geared, that would change.

 

Vette is fun and does great damage, but it seems like she hates me every time I choose a DS option.

 

I just got Jaesa, and she's DS. I suspect I'd get along best with her in story, but is she a decent companion? I think she only does melee dps.

[JamieM]

I have a Vengeance Juggernaut, who's doing fairly well, but I'm wondering which companion is the most effective.

 

Quinn is nice for heals, but his heals aren't really all that great. Maybe once I get to 50 and spend a ton getting him geared, that would change.

 

Vette is fun and does great damage, but it seems like she hates me every time I choose a DS option.

 

I just got Jaesa, and she's DS. I suspect I'd get along best with her in story, but is she a decent companion? I think she only does melee dps.

 

Quinn, although by no means the best healing companion in the game, is by far and away the better companion to run with as a Vengeance Juggernaut. Just make sure you keep him geared so that he is wearing equipment within 2-3 levels of your own as a minimum and switch off all his DPS abilities on his action bar while activating his healing stance so that he heals you as much as possible.

Edited August 28, 2012 by JamieM

[Elyx]

Quinn is hands down the best for a vengeance Jugg, from when you get him on Balmorra to end game. At higher gear levels (rakata and higher), Vette and Jaesa are a viable alternative for normal mobs, but elites will still require quinn for zero downtime.

 

I echo the sentiment about keeping him geared. getting orange moddable armor and updating his gear to on level blue mods will make a huge difference. on both my juggs, with quinn geared up well, I had absolutely zero downtime. even my immortal jugg pre 1.3 couldn't accomplish this. Qunn is amazing healer....when geared up. quest greens don't do it. a blue thats 5 level old doesn't do it.

 

If you can't keep him and yourself geared up with commendation rewards, I'd recommend picking up cybertech. you can always switch out of it if you don't like it once you hit 50, but for leveling it's an amazing craft. you want to gear quinn up in mods that are high in cunning instead of endurance (i.e. cunning is the higher stat). cunning = more heals for you. Also, if you have to decide between alacrity or power/crit, take power/crit. alacrity doesn't do squat for quinn, but he gets very real and visual results from power and crit (power is prob his best stat aside from cunning).

 

Of course, you also reap rewards from having cybertech, because you can get the mods with str over endurance. all comm mods are specifically designed to be poorly itemized (Bio even stated this in a Q&A session). The reasoning is they wanted mods available as an alternative for comms, but they didn't want comm rewards to be better then crafted alternatives.

 

so, TLDR is pick up cybertech, gear you and quinn up the arse in blue/purple mods, and you'll steamroll stuff.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Elyx

[AGSThomas]

I leveled 2 Dps warriors, one being a juggernaut. My 0.02 is that any of the companions can be "the best companion" as long as you keep them up to date with their gear. I used Jaesa since the moment I got her til 50. I died to total number of 5 times mostly because I was impatient. There is no enemy in the game that you can't beat (comparable level of elite or lower) that cant be won by sending your companion in first til she hits about 80% then charging in and taunting off when she reaches 20% HP.

 

Conversely, Having a healer makes things considerably slower (i've timed identical encounters), but you have less of a chance to dying to stupid mistakes. So the choice is really yours. Do you want a DPS companion to help you burn down things a heck of a lot faster? (Vette is better at this since she doesnt have to run to another target when the first one dies) or do you want to have a healer and kill things slower but much less of a chance to die?

[bright_ephemera]

Just make sure you keep him geared so that he is wearing equipment within 2-3 levels of your own as a minimum and switch off all his DPS abilities on his action bar while activating his healing stance so that he heals you as much as possible.

 

This. Quinn with his DPS and time-wasting CC abilities turned off is EZ mode. I never had to stop for breath from level 18 to endgame.

Edited August 28, 2012 by bright_ephemera

[Duck_of_Death]

This. Quinn with his DPS and time-wasting CC abilities turned off is EZ mode. I never had to stop for breath from level 18 to endgame.

 

So you prefer him doing his auto-attack when his healing abilties are on cooldown?

Because that is what you get if you turn off his damage abilties.

And no Quinn is not the worst healer. In fact all the healer companions are the same, except Elara, who is the best for the fact that she is the only one who wears heavy armor.

[bright_ephemera]

So you prefer him doing his auto-attack when his healing abilties are on cooldown?

Because that is what you get if you turn off his damage abilties.

 

Auto-attack when healing abilities are on CD >>>>>> prioritizing special attacks over healing abilities that are available. Looking back, I have one of Quinn's two offensive abilities enabled. He wasn't spending enough time healing when both attacks were turned on.

[Invictos]

So you prefer him doing his auto-attack when his healing abilties are on cooldown?

Because that is what you get if you turn off his damage abilties.

 

Frankly, I'd prefer Quinn not to attack at all. His damage is meaningless next to mine, and there are times when his piddly little attacks draw aggro from spread out targets I haven't yet attacked -- which means that I spend extra time chasing them down. The only time I care about Quinn's damage capability is when there's a server hiccough and he's left basically to solo the spawn while I stand frozen in place.

 

Sorry for the mini-rant. I see where you're coming from, and in the abstract it really is silly that anyone should be motivated to consider turning off Quinn's abilities. That disclaimer aside, though, if you're a DPS Juggernaut and you're playing competently, you shouldn't care whether Quinn contributes damage.

 

And no Quinn is not the worst healer. In fact all the healer companions are the same, except Elara, who is the best for the fact that she is the only one who wears heavy armor.

 

That is true. The only material difference between the various healing companions is the armor they wear. Everything else is cosmetic. Theran Cedrax has the best looking mez, though

 

(And Quinn's a sniveler, but them's the breaks.)

[Elyx]

I leveled 2 Dps warriors, one being a juggernaut. My 0.02 is that any of the companions can be "the best companion" as long as you keep them up to date with their gear. I used Jaesa since the moment I got her til 50. I died to total number of 5 times mostly because I was impatient. There is no enemy in the game that you can't beat (comparable level of elite or lower) that cant be won by sending your companion in first til she hits about 80% then charging in and taunting off when she reaches 20% HP.

 

Conversely, Having a healer makes things considerably slower (i've timed identical encounters), but you have less of a chance to dying to stupid mistakes. So the choice is really yours. Do you want a DPS companion to help you burn down things a heck of a lot faster? (Vette is better at this since she doesnt have to run to another target when the first one dies) or do you want to have a healer and kill things slower but much less of a chance to die?

 

I probably should be fair to the other companions too. they all have their highlights, and can be used if you set things up well. so if your someone who really wants to enjoy all the companions, they are definitely viable to do so with. However, I have leveled a few myself (2, working on a third, and have one stuck in his 30's on another server). I would hesitate to say its drastically slower though..you need to include downtime after an event as well. I've watched timers on mine...but I count total time from one mob to the next. there actually pretty close to the same...the difference comes in when you run into Oh sh** situations. extra mob pulls, or you forget to interrupt the nasty spell cast....or you didn't realize that it was an elite instead of a silver. with quinn, you still get up and head on out.

 

My test was on quesh with quinn vs. jaesa. i specced full vengeance and full immortal for both (pre1.3). and the downtime inbetween mobs was just too frustrating for me with jaesa, whereas with quinn it was just non-stop. kill one, move to the next.

 

I have rarely died with my other companions...but none of the others allows me to walk off the mobs without any downtime whatsoever. having my companion reduced to 30% or so isn't death...but I still have to regen her health...or mine...or a combination of both. so the "extra kill speed" is quickly eaten up by the downtime recovering from mobs.

 

I think that it really depends on how you like to play your jugg. I prefer continual killing with zero or little downtime. the downtime i experience on my DPS toons makes it not fun. this is pre columi gear though...on my current 50 with columi/rakata/BH (about an even split on all), I kill stuff so fast it doesn't matter who i bring (both jaesa and quinn are columi geared as well). but leveling I preferred quinn for my playstyle.

[Soljin]

If your on a PvP server run with the healer Companion.....don't get caught with low HP. If PvE its all about which you like.... It pretty much evens out on kill vs down time. VETTE seems like a more effective Dps companion in my opinion. Edited September 3, 2012 by Soljin

[Katsuarezm]

Noticed no one has mentioned Pierce in any of these Companion threads... Guess there's a reason for that? I haven't obtained him yet, so curious.

[CarlosTrevisan]

Noticed no one has mentioned Pierce in any of these Companion threads... Guess there's a reason for that? I haven't obtained him yet, so curious.

 

The Ranged Tank right? When i got him ive made some tests but he lacks of Damage and undergeared (never spend many money gearing him) he dies too fast. So i would stay with Dr Qinn.

 

By far my best companion its Treek (CM ewok with Tank/Healer spec). Ive bout her and well geared she worth all efort to get the legacy 40 or the Real Money on CM.

I put Treek most on Healer stance. If the fight gets pretty grim and my Hp gets too low i change her to Tank, let her call the aggro and finish the boss.

Now that ive reached 55, ive bought for her purple Bounty Hunter Gear from elder gear vendors on Fleet. She is awesome.

Treek have some problems for me, she lacks of Cool factor (my Big Juggernaut walking with a teddy bear?!!) And she talks too much and too loud. If they sell a Treek customization that makes her looks like an giant robot will be perfect

Edited September 23, 2013 by CarlosTrevisan

[MSpectre]

Doesn't really matter. Whichever you like.

 

HK seems to be the most lethal.(he'll kill faster in 63s than Jaesa in 72s)

 

Jaesa(which I use) will get the job done fine.

 

Quinn with the CC abilities off is basically EZzz mode.

 

Can't speak for the rest, they're always left on ship.

[Diorablephoto]

47 Immortal spec here.

 

When questing, I use Broonmark for everything. I gear him out with up to date comm mods and advanced might hilts. My furry guy wrecks people. I guard him, and disable all of his taunt abilities.

 

Now, when it comes to [2] Heroic I use Quinn. With all of Q's DPS abilities disabled and him on med watch. We comfortably sail through current level [2]'s and green [4]'s.

 

To sum up.

DPS: "Geared" Broonmark.

For Solo heroics: Quinn.

 

2cents.

[Diorablephoto]

I also forgot to add that I fully endorse the use of presence stims. They really help

[Maudril]

Jug can offtank, so safe to rolll with Jaesa, but be a complete nazi about upgrading both of you.

Safer option would be Pierce or Broonmark, keep them well geared as well though.

[Zaxem]

Doesn't really matter. Whichever you like.

 

HK seems to be the most lethal.(he'll kill faster in 63s than Jaesa in 72s)

 

Jaesa(which I use) will get the job done fine.

 

Quinn with the CC abilities off is basically EZzz mode.

 

Can't speak for the rest, they're always left on ship.

 

Exactly what i would say right here