There are a number of companions or Specialists for the player to hire in Far Cry: New Dawn. Each come with their own unique advantages and skillsets that can make surviving the nuclear post-apocalypse much more manageable.
Deciding which one is best is largely down to the player’s preferred playstyle, such as favoring stealth, fighting at close range, or using explosives. Given the nature of the game, the most common types of fighting that take place, and boss fights, here are the companions the player should consider taking.
8 Hurk Drubman Jr.
Hurk Drubman Jr. is a demolitionist through and through. Wielding an RPG he’s capable of firing rockets upon enemies and taking down vehicles in short order. He can be found south of Trailer Town and comes with his RPG and Quad Bike.
At 15 kills he gains the skill Fast Hands to reload the RPG faster. AT 40 kills he gains Heat Seeker which causes his rockets to track air and land vehicles. He is the single best Specialist for taking down vehicles, which is why he doesn’t rank higher. To put it simply there isn’t a lot of call for taking out vehicles and he isn‘t really suited for anything else. Although his dialogue and games can make it worth it anyway.
7 Pastor Jerome
Pastor Jerome is a Berserker. He wields a powerful shotgun into battle which makes him great for close encounters. He can be found south of the Chop Shop and comes with a motorcycle. At early levels he provides a healthy amount of firepower.
At 15 kills he gains Holy Fire which allows him to throw a Molotov Cocktail. At 40 kills he learns Blessed Bullets which allows him to use incendiary ammo. With Pastor Jerome everything will become incinerated in an all-consuming flame, unfortunately this is also true for the player. He’s powerful, but friendly fire incidents happen a lot and it takes quite a bit of management to avoid it.
6 Carmina Rye
Carmina Rye is an Assaulter. She’s available right from the start and comes equipped with an Assault Rifle and a Car. She’s not a bad companion to have throughout the game given how versatile her and her weapon is. The only potential downside comes from her skills.
At 15 kills she learns Dynamite which allows her to throw a stick of dynamite. At 40 kills she gains Make It A Triple which allows her to throw three stick of dynamite very quickly. This can do incredible damage to opponents, but can just as easily backfire and kill the player.
5 Timber
Timber is a fantastic companion to have in the early game and he can be found north of the Broken Forge. His starting ability Retriever allows him to tag enemies, find Crafting Materials, and possibly fetch a weapon after a battle. This friendly dog allows the player to quickly farm resources and maintain awareness during fights.
At 15 kills he learns Pointer which tags Crafting Materials nearby making them easier to find. At 40 kills he learns Guard Dog which prevents animals from attacking the player. When the player is weak and wanting to farm resources or is incredibly overpowered and simply needs to know where the enemies are, he’s great. But if the player needs some additional firepower then the weaponless Timber comes up short.
4 Horatio
Horatio can be found northwest of the Pantry and makes for a solid Tank. He starts with the ability Shield Break that allows him to knock shields away from enemies making them easier to hit. He packs quite a punch and can take several hits.
At 15 kills he learns Pig’s Endurance which allows him to get back up on his feet without help from the player. At 40 kills he gains Porcine Fury which can put him in a fit of rage and bulldoze everything around him. Basically, Horatio is a juggernaut that doesn’t need very much micromanagement. His only downside is that he’s not very subtle which makes stealthy encounters tough.
3 Nana
Nana is an expert sniper and excels at stealth. She can be found southeast of Signal Point and comes with Silencer which means she puts silencers on all weapons. With her Sniper Rifle she’s a pro at taking out enemies from a distant silently and will rarely tip off anyone.
At 15 kills she learns Smoke Monster which allows her to see through smoke. At 40 kills she gets Piercing Gaze which allows her to shoot through cover. Basically, she shines during a stealthy approach and if the player drops a smoke bomb when they’re discovered. The only downside to Nana is that she struggles a bit against hordes of enemies or tough bosses.
2 Gina Guerra
Gina Guerra is a Heavy Gunner which makes her a beast in combat. She can be found by talking with Sharky and she comes with her own Armed Car. This former Highwaymen wields a Machine Gun with terrifying effectiveness.
At 15 kills she learns Who’s Counting which gives her unlimited ammo. At 40 kills she gains Overload which allows her to use explosive ammo. These two skills allow her to pepper the enemy with explosive bullets indefinitely. She is an absolute liability in stealth operations, but if hordes of enemies appear on the horizon or a boss needs to go down quickly she’s a fantastic companion to have.
1 The Judge
Perhaps the best companion in the entire game is The Judge. Getting this intimidating gun for hire requires completing Joseph’s secret mission. He starts off with Stealth which makes him almost impossible to detect by enemies and fights with a bow.
At 15 kills he learns Feral Friendly which prevents animals from attacking unless provoked first. At 40 kills he gains Harsh Judgement which lets him fire three arrows simultaneously. Essentially, he’s a master at stealth, prevents unwanted animal attacks, and can put down most foes instantly with three arrows to the chest. He’s great for stealth, can drop targets quickly when outnumbered, and brings a lot of firepower to boss fights. There’s a reason this powerful character is locked away behind a secret mission.
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