So I want to begin gathering the best gear I can for a couple of my companions that I use. My question is, how do I know which stats I should focus on improving for each one to make them the most effective?

I am playing a BH and I know Aim is important for myself, but I don't even really know what else I should try to focus on.

Also, if I roll a new character, how do I know what their most important stats to improve are?

Thanks!

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=88942

good thread about what you´re asking

Aim and Endurance will be your two main stats. Don't worry about any other main stats. As for secondary stats (Crit, surge, power, accuracy, alacrity) it depends on your AC and your spec. Everyone wants accuracy. If you're a healer you may want alacrity though probably only to a certain point. Crit/surge pretty much go together and power's also awesome. I would ask in your class forum for exactly what secondary stats you should be focusing on and to what extent.

If you roll a new toon, just check the stats on the gear you get from quests, it will always be the right stat for you as long as it's not companion gear. Or, just open up your character sheet and mouse over each stat. The one that accepts a LOT of things and not just one or two is your main stats. Note, this holds true for figuring out companion main stats as well.

While there are many ways to find out what your companions primary stat is, the easiest way is to simply see whatever he comes equipped with when you first get your companion.

Like when a Bounty Hunter gets their first companion Mako for the first time, all her gear is medium armor with cunning as its main stat, so that is a pretty good clue that her primary stat is cunning and primary armor type is medium armor, and so on...

Simple as that.

Excellent advise, thanks.

How does the srmor stat usually fit in with all of this?

Excellent advise, thanks.

How does the srmor stat usually fit in with all of this?

As previously stated, when you get a new companion just open his profile and see what stat is the highest one (other than Endurance): that's his main stat which you should concentrate on. As for armour, it really comes with every armour piece so you shouldn't really worry about it (granted, if let's say you have a companion that wears heavy armour with Strength, don't give him medium armour with Strength unless the other stats are worth the armour reduction).

As previously stated, when you get a new companion just open his profile and see what stat is the highest one (other than Endurance): that's his main stat which you should concentrate on. As for armour, it really comes with every armour piece so you shouldn't really worry about it (granted, if let's say you have a companion that wears heavy armour with Strength, don't give him medium armour with Strength unless the other stats are worth the armour reduction).

So for a companion that can wear heavy (Aric or Corso, for example) you would also be OK going with medium armor if it's for a slot they don't start with, like hands, wrists, waist or head. Some armor is always better than none. As you level up, some quests will give you companion items that are better than their original gear, or for slots that were empty when they started, which may or may not be better than what you've picked up along the way.

Another thing you can do is give your companions "hand-me-downs" if they use the same armor type and main stats your character uses. So for example, for a Trooper, when you get a heavy/aim chestpiece that's an upgrade, you can give your old chestpiece to Aric. Note that you can do this even if it's "bound". Giving smuggler gear (medium/cunning) to Corso as a "hand-me-down" won't work quite as well, unless it's for one of those empty slots he starts with.