Bowdaar is the Worst

[Kheldras]

While Bowdaar definitely seems to drop quickly early, that's not my main problem with him.

 

My biggest gripe with the wookie is that I prep for a fight and I tranq shot a silver mob. Bowdaar runs in and uses his wookie roar to get aoe threat and deal some damage. This breaks the CC from my tranq shot and now the fight is too much for me to do effectively.

 

I think that roar is great to get the enemies' attention, but I'd really prefer it if the damage were removed from the move so I can keep my CC up.

 

Anyone else experiencing this?

 

 

Of course, the Roar does Damage. Switch off all his AOEs and the tranqued Mobs are safe.

[Pargon]

Of course, the Roar does Damage. Switch off all his AOEs and the tranqued Mobs are safe.

 

Oh I know it does damage. What I'm saying is that switching the roar off gets rid of one of Bowdaar's best moves for getting control of a group and that doesn't jive with my crowd control.

 

Currently my options are to turn off the roar, use tranq, and he has trouble holding all of the mobs or I can leave roar on, don't tranq, and he seems to die too fast.

 

I'm just saying the roar would be more beneficial to me if it didn't do the small damage it does.

 

Maybe I'm just whiney

[Thapsus]

If you're a Scoundrel, skip to TL;DR.

 

My experience with Bowdaar has been mixed, but I'd say that by 34 I've settled into a rythmn, and he works just fine. Note, though, that I'm about 2-3 levels ahead of most mobs, and was 3-4 levels ahead from Taris through getting my Legacy. I went a bit Gung-ho with the space missions and early Heroics / Flashpoints, and I complete every bonus series. I gave Bowdaar a moddable weapon, and thusfar he only wears quest-reward companion-specific armor.

 

As a Gunslinger my focus is simply to dish out as much damage as rapidly as possible. I really only need Bowdaar to taunt / keep silver+ busy for about 10-15 seconds until I've wiped out the fodder. I support him by opening up with Flourish Shot and Vital Shot to reduce the target's armor and deal a little DoT. I don't incapacitate anyone for Bowdaar to mess up beyond Thermal Grenade spamming (With a few ranks invested in Saboteur, it's my preferred method for wiping out fodder), which he can't screw up unless he bats them away - which won't happen if you select a beefy target for him to taunt.

 

By the time I've wiped out the fodder, Bowdaar is in the 2/3 - 3/4 full HP range. I have no means of healing him, but that's fine. I simply unload everything I have into his beefy target. He usually survives encounters with groups including one or two silvers (I'll tank one of the two if necessary, Defense Screen ftw).

 

Golds are hit and miss. In one-on-one fights against plot-related bosses or those 'bonus stage' bosses, he usually goes down when the boss has 15-25% of its HP, which is tankable for me (again, Defense Screen). Golds in a group usually require me to use a medkit within 5 or so levels, and hope that the boss doesn't have a DoT that lingers after he goes down, because those fights are close and the DoT usually ends with me on the ground right after I've downed him, or when he has 1-2% HP. If I die against a gold, its usually because I screwed up or because some box/rubble is glitching me out of Aimed Shot.

 

 

TL;DR: I've found a way for Bowdaar to work very well for me (Gunslinger, mid-30s). Maybe other Gunslingers can find something handy here? I can't imagine how a Scoundrel makes Bowdaar work. Is Corso better? I dunno, at this point his gear is so outdated I dare not try.

[winterforge]

By the time I've wiped out the fodder, Bowdaar is in the 2/3 - 3/4 full HP range. I have no means of healing him, but that's fine.

 

I know you mean during the fight, but just a hint to those unaware somehow. Dismissing and recalling your companion is the fastest/easiest way to heal them between fights. Faster than using your built in recovery ability that every class gets.

[Thalazar]

Get Languss Tuno and your problems are all solved. Great character in both companion story and healing.

[stayonboard]

Get Languss Tuno and your problems are all solved. Great character in both companion story and healing.

 

That's not until Hoth though correct?

 

A long road to go before getting this companion. Risha will have to do for the time being

[IncredibleBulk]

i'm quite annoyed at the sudden jump in the enemies dmg all of sudden both bowdaar and riggs cant do anything. most of my money has gone on my moves for leveling so havn't been able to buy any gear but the gear i give them both defense oriented gear does nothing for them they still fall like a sack of potatoes.

 

at what point have people seen them actually take a beating, decent level gear to get? im 31 atm and skint so slowly buying bits of gear because cant actually quest on balmorra.

[DunsparrowSolo]

That's not until Hoth though correct?

 

A long road to go before getting this companion. Risha will have to do for the time being

 

Use Guss if you sling. Use Risha if you scrap.

 

Its pretty silly to use Guss as a Scoundrel since you can just heal yourself. Likewise, its pretty nice to have him if you're slingin and have no heals.

[Halkyon]

TL;DR: I've found a way for Bowdaar to work very well for me (Gunslinger, mid-30s). Maybe other Gunslingers can find something handy here? I can't imagine how a Scoundrel makes Bowdaar work. Is Corso better? I dunno, at this point his gear is so outdated I dare not try.

 

This is more or less how I use both Corso and Bowdaar with similar degrees of success (and with them in comparable gear, Corso seems to still come out ahead by about 10-20% HP-wise). I've actually dumped everyone but Risha as my regular companion though, unless I'm doing a flashpoint and need a healer/tank. We kill stuff so ridiculously fast that the healing boost and the tanking is completely unnecessary. It's sort of high stakes though; if you screw up prioritizing targets you tend to die a lot faster.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Halkyon

[Agemnon]

Being griefed by your own companion is never fun

[Amatic]

I've got Bowdaar pimped out in 40-50 gear and he's great. I've always kept him geared over my other companions and so far I've never had a problem.

 

His Wookie toss is annoying as hell and the fact that he cleaves and roars CC'd mobs is annoying but overall he's the only one I use.

[Xing]

As a Gunslinger I used the wookie until I got Guss and he died sort of easy but usually had enough time to DPS down the pulls before he died. Guss makes it pretty easy even though I miss my furball pal.

[Walkanis]

I hate Bowdaar now.

 

Totally agree with OP about Bowdaar (and the 3 year old on a box of popsicles image has my wife and I cracking up).

 

I really loved being able to have a Wookie companion, and I was really looking forward to it. I even love his story and bonding with him as a digitized pal. However, he completely mucks up combat. He's got Wookie Roar, an AOE power that wakes my carefully selected tranqued Strong mob. I keep toggling it off, but whenever he comes back from a mission or I get off of a taxi, it gets toggled back on. I know this is a bug, and its not a huge deal, until I forget this detail or forget that I got off a taxi just before a fight, and Bowdaar wakes my carefully selected tranqued mob. Then there's the Wookie toss. Already covered expertly in OP.

 

MY final straw was last night when I died once due to an ill placed Toss into a passing Strong when I was already fighting one, died again when I went to fight the group I just lost to, forgot to toggle off Roar and he woke tranqued Strong, tried to use Disappearing Act only to have it immediately deactivated due to a DOT I didn't know I had, then died again when I couldn't keep him healed fast enough against the boss in the next room, tried to use Dis Act only to have DOT reveal me again. 3 times in 20 minutes.

 

Problem is, I've gone too far with him before realizing he sucks. Don't have armor for Corso, and I don't have Risha as companion quite yet.

[RevansSoul]

I was so pumped to get a Wookie sidekick as a scoundrel. I was Han Soloing all the dames. Then I began to notice something. At first I ignored it because -- you know -- Wookie. But slowly the feeling grew. Bowdaar sucks.

 

First he tanks like a wet paper towel. A gold enemy cuts through him in seconds, even with me chain healing him. Just get better gear, maybe?

 

This presents the second problem. Heavy Armor Strength gear is not easy to come by. Although some quests award Bowdaar-relevant items, its not enough to boost his survivability above the level of a fruit fly. Every battle is a race against time. Who will die first, the mobs or Bowdaar? I've Revived him more times than we've been told the economy is getting better.

 

Finally, there is his combat style. Bowdaar fights like a 3-year old let loose on a box of chocolate popsicles. He makes a mess of everything. A charge here, a Wookie Toss there. Pretty soon you can't even find all the mobs you're fighting, or they've been thrown directly into an elite patrol which hastens the countdown toward Bowdaar's own inevitable demise.

 

The best part is when Bowdaar Tosses some weak mob directly into a Champion, then Charges into him and dies instantly for a sweet Bowdaar-death + massive-aggro-on-me combo.

 

I know I can turn off Wookie Toss. I can also turn off Bowdaar entirely.

 

The final straw was a vintage Bowdaaar Wookie Toss of the last quest mob I needed over the edge of a cliff. Thanks, pal. How about you start leveling my crafting. Me and Risha got some work to do.

 

I feel your pain, my frustrated friend. Also lmfao. You're funny

[sithkllr]

I was so pumped to get a Wookie sidekick as a scoundrel. I was Han Soloing all the dames. Then I began to notice something. At first I ignored it because -- you know -- Wookie. But slowly the feeling grew. Bowdaar sucks.

 

First he tanks like a wet paper towel. A gold enemy cuts through him in seconds, even with me chain healing him. Just get better gear, maybe?

 

This presents the second problem. Heavy Armor Strength gear is not easy to come by. Although some quests award Bowdaar-relevant items, its not enough to boost his survivability above the level of a fruit fly. Every battle is a race against time. Who will die first, the mobs or Bowdaar? I've Revived him more times than we've been told the economy is getting better.

 

Finally, there is his combat style. Bowdaar fights like a 3-year old let loose on a box of chocolate popsicles. He makes a mess of everything. A charge here, a Wookie Toss there. Pretty soon you can't even find all the mobs you're fighting, or they've been thrown directly into an elite patrol which hastens the countdown toward Bowdaar's own inevitable demise.

 

The best part is when Bowdaar Tosses some weak mob directly into a Champion, then Charges into him and dies instantly for a sweet Bowdaar-death + massive-aggro-on-me combo.

 

I know I can turn off Wookie Toss. I can also turn off Bowdaar entirely.

 

The final straw was a vintage Bowdaaar Wookie Toss of the last quest mob I needed over the edge of a cliff. Thanks, pal. How about you start leveling my crafting. Me and Risha got some work to do.

 

Me an Bowdaar (who I havent upgraded at all) soloed a same-level Gold star elite last night. I can do them easily on my Jedi Shadow tank so I was curious about my GS Sharpshooter and how he would do. I'm level 26, btw. I finished the mob and Bowdaar had about 5% health left. Which isnt so bad considering he hasnt been given any upgrades yet. And he held aggro 100% of the fight.

Edited January 5, 2012 by sithkllr

[perato]

i read this thread before i got bowdar a few days ago and had decided to find out for myself what he was like, figuring people must be exaggerating about how bad he is. but nahhh. twice i have used him just to test him out and twice we wiped on fairly standard battles (3 trash and 1 silver type thing). this after hardly ever dying with corso up to level 26. he does less damage than corso and his health goes down way faster.

 

it's a shame because i was really looking forward to having a wookie companion; it's very appealing aesthetically. i suppose there is a use for him in some capacity, but i won't be wasting money or quest rewards on gearing him. corso does just fine.

[Matthaeum]

That's rough, I am totally wanting Bowdaar, oh well. Hope he gets fixed in the future. Might have to stick with Corso for a while. (who is actually pretty good, just wanted a wookie)

[WasabiWei]

I have to agree that Bowdaar was not very good at first, but after buying him the best Vibroblade I could get (lvl 70) he was usable. After upgrading all his gear with the dedicated mission-rewards and giving him endurance/strength implants he is an absolute Wookie Gladiator.

 

I also learned that since he draws mobs, one can use AoE (thermal grenades) to great effect. I have a 'cunning+power focussed Saboteur Gunslinger biocrafter-on-stims' build and I am quite impressed. I am typically over-level by one or two so it is hard to say. Just playing the basic solo lines nets a ton of XP with Bowdarr yodelling his way down the valley while I Thermal-spam every mob he draws! Sweeping Gunfire is pretty useful after he has drawn a crowd as well.

 

Good Luck! I can't express how glad I am that I no longer have to listen to Corso's incessant trash-talk and yammering.

Edited January 5, 2012 by WasabiWei

[GumBoil]

Wish I'd found this thread before I spent a fortune on the wookie's gear. The OP really resonated, all those things happened to me within 20 minutes...so I looked at his gear and it was meh so I used a load of cash and commendations to get him oranges and blues, implants the works. I got him as a 26 scoundrel and am 27 now.

 

I get by with the furball, but I was getting by and then some with Riggs. The thing is he (riggs) is in green and blue cast offs, he hasn't even got implants and is holding his own (more than holding his own actually). I cant help feeling if I had spent the same cash on him he would be the beast.

 

So, any of you guys that spent a fortune on the Wookie did any of you gear up Corso to compare with? I am talking more late 20's early 30's rather than an end game.

 

I cant help thinking that i just splashed a lot of mullah down the pan and if I had spent it on Corso he'd be a real hard arse.

 

AS for skills turning themselves on and off wookie roar seems to need double checking every single combat. Riggs AoE's seem to stay toggled on the whole. As for his harpoon if you don't like it turn it off!

[Cassynova]

I'll take wookie toss over harpoon anyday. Wookie toss always makes me smile. While the harpoon, that I turned off 2 minutes before, going off......

Corso hasn't been out of the ship since I got Bowdarr.

 

 

 

Bowdarr does get better, but lately (late 30s) as a gunslinger, I just take Risha, and blow crap up. Though she does get mad when I flirt with other women.

[Harpua]

Honestly, I'm at level 30 and Bowdarr dies less for me than Corso ever did. And I've spent more on upgrading Corso than Bowsarr.

 

But the worst thing is Corso's constant "I'm dying", "Really dying here", "Don't let me die" vs Bowdarr's much more noble "Go on without me" lines. I'll let Corso die just so he'll shut up.

[Amaranth]

Honestly, I'm at level 30 and Bowdarr dies less for me than Corso ever did. And I've spent more on upgrading Corso than Bowsarr.

 

But the worst thing is Corso's constant "I'm dying", "Really dying here", "Don't let me die" vs Bowdarr's much more noble "Go on without me" lines. I'll let Corso die just so he'll shut up.

 

Seriously. So glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.

[GumBoil]

I can't (genuinely) understand the quite different perspectives on this. My experience (L27 & L27 scoundrel) is the Bowdaar well equipped is outperformed (just a bit) by Corso. Makes me wonder if I am doing something wrong.

 

The other thing I wonder is if Bowdaar gets some skill a bit later that makes him more viable? I seem to recall a post about that earlier in the thread.

 

I do wonder if anyone in the pro Bowdar camp has spent as much money and effort equipping Corso in late 20's early 30s? I'm inclined to try despite it likely bankrupting me. The thing is in my (very limited 2 level) experience it is not really needed Corso as he comes (in greens and the odd blue) seems to hold up to Bowdaar in his blues and oranges?

 

Not trying to knock Bowdaar, just trying to understand how people grow to like him (so that I might recoup the rather large investment I made).

[Vuelhering]

Turn off his aoe taunt. that'll share some damage with you.

 

The companion I'm really liking is akaavi. She dominates on damage. With worse gear, my gs kills faster than with risha.

 

btw, check bowdaar's skills and make sure Guard Stance is turned on! Invest in the best shield you can find...it'll last a while.

[HoudiniVictim]

I'm gonna bookmark this thread! Totally accurate. And hilarious. I'm glad I'm not alone. I thought I had bad tactics, but turns out Bowdaar is the ancient ancestor Chewbacca would rather erase from his family tree.

 

Too bad we can't resurrect good old Zaalbar from KoTOR... WITH Bowcaster and everything!