Companions have always been a staple of the Elder Scrolls franchise, and it's easy to see why. After all, why adventure through Tamriel all alone? Even in ZeniMax's MMORPG of Bethesda's hit series, there are NPCs to be recruited who will gladly travel with the hero players have created. A brand new feature introduced in the recent Blackwood expansion of The Elder Scrolls Online, players can now enlist the help of a companion who will aid them on whatever quest they might be on.

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One such companion is Bastian Hallix, an Imperial who players may find tied up in Deepscorn Hollow. Speaking with him will initiate his quest, "Competition and Contracts", the first step to recruiting him as a companion. Among other things, companions come with a variety of skills that can help the player during combat.

10 Searing Weapons

Searing Weapons is a great skill for players who feel that they need an extra magical boost in the damage they inflict. Part of the Radiating Heart skill type, Searing Weapons will charge both Bastian's and the player's weapons with volcanic power for 8 seconds.

Doing this will increase damage by 15% on all enemies. It doesn't take much time to cast and only has a 16-second cooldown. It's a simple skill, but paired with the right weapons, it can be a powerful one.

9 Crushing Claws

Crushing Claws doesn't give the player a boost like with Searing Weapons but does make Bastian a force to be reckoned with. With this skill, Bastian calls forth talons from the ground to fight with.

These talons end up dealing 2805 flame damage on enemies. On top of that, the talons will also immobilize enemies for up to 4 seconds. From the Draconic Armor skill type, Crushing Claws also has a 16-second cooldown.

8 Viper's Bite

For those looking for more of a ranged approach to combat, Viper's Bite is a great skill to have. Here, Bastian will shoot an arrow covered in Baandari poison at one of his enemies. The initial arrow deals 4341 physical damage, which is devastating.

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But the poison is what really sets this skill apart. After being hit, the enemy will take 13020 poison damage for 8 seconds. It takes hardly any time to perform and has a 12-second cooldown. Just be sure that Bastian has a bow ready.

7 Trick Shot

Trick Shot and Viper's Bite are somewhat similar, so it's debatable as to which one is better than the other. Performing Trick Shot will make Bastian shoot a burst of arrows at his enemies. These arrows will deal 4341 physical damage, just like in Viper's Bite.

The arrows also immobilize enemies for 4 seconds. It has a similarly short casting time to Viper's Bite and a slightly longer cooldown of 16 seconds. The key difference is that Viper's Bite can only target a single enemy at a time, whereas Trick Shot can target several.

6 Kindle

Players who find themselves needing a boost of health should naturally gravitate towards this skill. A Radiating Heart skill type, casting Kindle will cause Bastian to launch a fireball at either himself or the player. This may sound counterintuitive, but everything is really under control.

The fireball will cauterize any wounds the characters face, healing 5100 points of damage. Bastian will do this whenever either character reaches below 75% of their maximum health. There's only a quick 8-second cooldown for this skill, so it should prove useful whenever players are facing a particularly difficult combat scenario.

5 Crag Smash

It's always helpful to deal extra damage towards enemies, and that's exactly what Crag Smash does. With this Ardent Warrior skill type, Bastian will hurl a chunk of molten rock at an enemy.

The molten rock will deal 5610 points of physical damage. With a short 8-second cooldown time and a minor 0.4-second casting time, Crag Smash is an example of how sometimes the simplest skills are often the best.

4 Piercing Arrow

Another bow-and-arrow skill, Piercing Arrow is remarkable for the amount of damage it inflicts on its target. Selecting this skill will make Bastian aim and shoot an arrow at an enemy with amazing precision.

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Upon being hit, the enemy will take 8683 points of physical damage. There's an 8-second cooldown for this skill, and with a 1-second casting time, this is one that players may find helping inflict serious damage during combat.

3 Basalt Barrier

Getting overwhelmed by enemies? Basalt Barrier is the perfect solution for this. From the Radiating Heart skills, Bastian will call upon the earth for defense and will be granted a shield. This shield will absorb 2250 points of damage for 6 seconds.

This shield isn't just good for defense; it's good for healing as well. Throughout the duration of the damage shield, all healing is increased by 15%. Cooldown is a bit longer at 12%, but it's still an impactful skill if players are ever in a jam.

2 Scorching Strike

Scorching Strike is similar to Viper's Strike in that it inflicts initial damage, while also dealing damage over a period of time. Only instead of a bow-and-arrow, it's with melee. Part of the Ardent Warrior skill type, Bastian will strike his enemy with a flame when asked to perform this skill.

The initial strike will deal 5610 flame damage, but as the fire persists it will also deal 8412 flame damage for 8 seconds. There's a 16-second cooldown for this skill, but considering the number of damage enemies take, it seems only fair.

1 Unleashed Rage

Unleashed Rage is definitely a fitting name for this skill, as it might be Bastian's strongest of all of them. From the Ardent Warrior skill types, Bastian will unleash his built-up rage in a devastating explosion towards his enemies. He'll deal 8415 flame damage initially, as well as stun enemies for 4 seconds.

Bastian will also release four lines of fire in a cross formation, which itself deals 2102 flame damage. While this is the only skill with no cooldown, it's also the only skill that costs Ultimate to perform. In total, it costs 170 Ultimate for Bastian to perform this skill. But it's clear that if there were no cost, he would quickly become overpowering. Despite the cost, Unleashed Rage is Bastian's strongest skill, and by a lot.

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