What companions do you use most often and why?

[p4ran0id]

I use for every run Hirge, she's my best girl. With intervention skill (not easy to use) it's nearly impossible to kill her and she's a good meatshield even for cleric as main

 

[Kakost]

As a warrior I don't equip Hirge with Intervention I just let her flank while giving her Mana Pots to continue healing me, and when she dies mid Boss Killing im pretty much dead. Although with a few running for my life tactic and coming back at the area where she died pretty much resurrects her with her remaining mana from earlier. Scrolls of Restoration probably let's you kill lvl 17 boss's even if your lvl 9-10, of your playing as a Warrior that is…

Yeah, I just went back to the Forbidden Pit but with Griss this time, and it more a lot more smoothly. No way in hell, Griss is a lot better, at least for Mage. And I did kill the big scary shadow dragon for the "cheap" price of 2 scrolls of restoration, 2 earth golems scrolls and a few potions.

So yeah, if you need an immortal companion with "Intervention" ressurection, just use a scroll of restoration on Griss. Far better on every single aspect.

So, Griss is absolutely better.

 

[Atomos]

So yeah, if you need an immortal companion with "Intervention" ressurection, just use a scroll of restoration on Griss. Far better on every single aspect.

So, Griss is absolutely better.

As far as the cost of each tactic, Intervention wins, and you can combine it with scrolls in case the boss you're fighting is using stunning/paralysing attacks, and Hirge can't drink that mana potion

 

[Kakost]

As far as the cost of each tactic, Intervention wins, and you can combine it with scrolls in case the boss you're fighting is using stunning/paralysing attacks, and Hirge can't drink that mana potion

Yes, a single Scroll of Restoration is more expensive than a few mana potions; however, I did the "final experiment" at the Forbidden Pit, and I ended up spending MORE with Hirge than with Griss. I used a total of 83 mana potions and 17 hp potions there just to get to the chamber of the shadow dragon - and didnt dare to face it, since Hirge was finding ways to die to the Dark Presences before it. And that was probably a wise decision from my part, given how hard that fight was. I also used some 5 Elixirs of Galade along the way. With Griss I used just 17 mana and 13 hp potions, 3 Elixirs of Galade (only for the boss) and 2 Scrolls of Restoration, to do the entire dungeon AND the final boss. If I tried to kill the dragon with Hirge, Im sure I would need scrolls too, as she would've die faster than the time to drink more. Sure, you can reduce costs a bit by using Deepfrost Cognac - but that would've been just a drop, all things considered.

Each mana costs me 212 at the Golden Hand, so that's over 16k gold that I spent just for mana on her.

In comparison, the scrolls cost 1200 and something. So Griss is still cheaper.

And it's worth noting that this specific place should've been Hirge's "specialty". I used Paladin's sword with her, in order to max out on Spirit damage, and she also does an additional +6 spirit damage to the shadows, thus this was the kind of enemy that Hirge should excel at, but even there Griss outmatched her in every way.

 

[Mad Dal]

I like using Grissenda the most. She's amazing and in my opinion the strongest one of them. Adaon is too low on HP and dies way too easily. as for Hirge you need to have a plentiful stock of Mana potions when she is following you about and is only useful to have on side when exploring tombs that are littered with undead monsters like zombies, ghosts, wraiths and skeletons as she has the highest death magic protection.

 

[IAmOdie]

From my own experiences:

Adaon

• Pro: Your actual first companion, Adaon deals an insanely large amount of damage, either with Stab + Assassinate + Massive Critical (which will be shortened into MC from this point on) + Precision Strikes or Archery + MC + Precision Shots, especially the former. Hell, Adaon once one-shotted an Ashen Warlord in my playthrough as a Paladin with the former build. His Archer build is also pretty useful.
• Con: He is simply the weakest among the Three when it comes to durability, even if you give him The Undermother's hide. Should the enemy boss agro him instead of you, he would most likely die when he could have dealt much more damage, finishing the fight faster. He is also the last companion you would want if you're playing Rogue with whatever build you're playing, and HP potion dependent when you are not playing Cleric.

Lady Grissenda Mae'ran

• Pro: Gris is the most durable with a slightly superior armor equipment, and excellent resistances, among the Three. To top it off, she can also deal an outstanding damage thanks to MC + Precision Strikes ( + Heavyhand) whether you want her wield One-Handed or Two-Handed weapons. If she has Infantry Training, she is a force to be reckoned with against enemies that likes to spam Paralysis, or Stun.
• Con: A bit like Adaon, she is HP potion dependent when you are not playing Cleric. If you have her wield Two-Handed weapon, it would take a while for her to be totally OP, but it may cost her her defense. On the other hand, Infantry Training requires her to wield Hand weapon, but most Hand weapons are simply inferior compared to Light weapon, thus costing her offensive capabilities in exchange of her defensive ones.

Princess Hirgalande

• Pro: Hirge who is also the waifu of some Exiled Kingdoms players is a rival of Gris in both offensive and defensive standpoint, and it is simply debatable which is better between them. But what makes Hirge stands out is her capability to Heal, which extends the necessity to rest, and her Intervention, which makes her keep coming back every time she is incapacitated as long as she has Mana. Not only does she have defensive capability with Heal + Intervention, she also has Arbenos' Might + Duel which can give her an edge offensively. Potion of Mana and Potion of Lesser Restoration are also easy enough to get specifically for her.
• Con: Pretty much like Gris, you would either have her on full offensive or full defensive, and can't really have both. Her wielding One-Handed Weapons, either Light or Hand, means she can withstand the boss longer since she can also wield a shield while providing support via healing, but you won't expect any magnificent damage coming from her. Her wielding Two-Handed Weapons means she has a tremendous damage bonus from Arbenos' Might, but if the enemy boss agroes her instead of you, she might get killed before she could even heal.

This is out of topic, but I would love it if in the next update, we get to see the Three with Three of them:

• You will meet Thelume the Wise with Adaon.
• You will meet Arbenos the Brave with Grissenda.
• You will meet Nivaria the Kind with Hirge.

Thelume and Adaon might be out of place, but the two seems truly fit.

 

[Cryf]

Yes, a single Scroll of Restoration is more expensive than a few mana potions; however, I did the "final experiment" at the Forbidden Pit, and I ended up spending MORE with Hirge than with Griss. I used a total of 83 mana potions and 17 hp potions there just to get to the chamber of the shadow dragon - and didnt dare to face it, since Hirge was finding ways to die to the Dark Presences before it. And that was probably a wise decision from my part, given how hard that fight was. I also used some 5 Elixirs of Galade along the way. With Griss I used just 17 mana and 13 hp potions, 3 Elixirs of Galade (only for the boss) and 2 Scrolls of Restoration, to do the entire dungeon AND the final boss. If I tried to kill the dragon with Hirge, Im sure I would need scrolls too, as she would've die faster than the time to drink more. Sure, you can reduce costs a bit by using Deepfrost Cognac - but that would've been just a drop, all things considered.

Each mana costs me 212 at the Golden Hand, so that's over 16k gold that I spent just for mana on her.

In comparison, the scrolls cost 1200 and something. So Griss is still cheaper.

And it's worth noting that this specific place should've been Hirge's "specialty". I used Paladin's sword with her, in order to max out on Spirit damage, and she also does an additional +6 spirit damage to the shadows, thus this was the kind of enemy that Hirge should excel at, but even there Griss outmatched her in every way.

For me it seemed too much spent mana potions for Hirge in your experiment.
You mentioned Elixirs of Galade, so I assumed you had a high level.
I decided to do the experiment at the Forbidden Pit by myself on my 24 level mage. I ended up spending 8 Deepfrost Cognac and some Potion of Mana (but got even more than I spent). I assume that Grissenda will have about the same costs, maybe a little more. But definitely not less.
I didn't kill the boss because it was already killed. Also I didn't have Hirge die, and she shouldn't die from Dark Presence becouse Dark Presence has 91.3 dps, and Potion of Mana heals (35*8)/3=93.3 hp per second. Grissande needs to use Scrolls of Restoration or Potion of Lesser Restoration (they are much more valuable than mana potions) in order to heal more heal than Dark Presence damage.
Did you go through Forbidden Pit with the same character? And please specify what level you are?