I have google this, and have come up with no good answer for me. So i am just gonna ask here. I also googled this question but i got no concrete answer and a lot of those were dps specced who asked.

 

I am gonna level up a Sage, and searched for what companions they have, i probably gonna do the heal spec. and wonder wich companion is best for me to use under leveling and to use on Ilum and Black Hole for later on.

 

I was thinking Iresso, the range tank guy. Or if i should stick to Qyzen? Or perhaps Zenith, the ranged DPS?

 

I've read a lot of that people really favor Nadia, but is she really a good companion for a healing sage?

 

So to sum up the questions:

1. Wich companions should i use mostly? (when i get he or she)

2. Iresso better than Zenith or should i stick with Qyzen?

3. Is Nadia really a good companion for a healing Sage when you fight a lot of enemies? (Depending also if i heal good)

Edited January 20, 2013 by iamnotacrook

Since you're going as healer, I'd recommend a dps companion to avoid situations where you and your tank comp have to wear the enemies down. Nadia is awesome melee dps and makes things explode. To make matters even better, she's the comp you can most easily equip as she can use your dps set.

 

I find melee comps to be more manageable. They will either run or leap into the fray and you can keep a close eye on them. Ranged comps tend to aggro patrols because they're too lazy to walk up to you.

But before her, wich is the best companion then?

Qyzen Fess will always be the best companion for a healer spec sage. Tank and healer are perfect compliments to each other. Yes there is a lack of dps but the ability to have everlasting life trumps it

I think any of the tank or DPS companions works with a Healing Sage (or any other AC capable of healing). I personally think it is more a question of which you like/fits your playstyle more and how easy is it to keep them alive once you are using them.

 

I personally use Qyzen on my DPS sage (he keeps them busy while I mow them down). I know, I know... you asked about Healing Sages, but hear me out. I want to share with you something I learned....

 

(I'm going to go slightly off-topic here. My apologies.)

 

I was having some issues keeping Qyzen alive until I learned to use the "focus" ability the game gives you.

 

Do the following:

• Select Qyzen (or whatever companion you decide on).
  
• Press Alt+F.
  

 

You should now see a new unit frame appear on your screen showing your companion (they will also appear to be permanently selected as they will have the selection circle "around" their feet). See if the focus frame is where you want it. If not, open the interface editor and move the frame to where you want it (I personally have it slightly smaller than the default size and appearing just above my cast bar).

 

Once you have the focus frame where you want it, it will be easy to assist your companion because the game has a "focus" modifier key. The default is the "End" key (I think... I've since added an alternative modifier ("n" in my case, as it is easy to reach with my left thumb and I suggest you do so aswell because "End" is really not that useful). When you press the "focus" modifier key and press/click an ability it applies to your "focus" target and not your "normal" target.

 

So now, I bubble Qyzen and send him to hold aggro (he does a great job of it too ) and start DPSing my target. Since I can see his unit frame right there in the middle of the screen, it is easy to see when his bubble runs out or his life is getting low. Then it is a simple question of pressing the focus modifier key and activate the appropriate ability to reapply the bubble or heal him.

 

Once I learnt to use the "Focus" ability of the game, keeping him alive and killing everything that we encounter became so much easier .

 

Getting used to using the "Focus" ability of the game on a Healing Sage is (I believe) an ever bigger advantage. When playing with others, you can "focus" the tank and target the boss (or vice versa) and that way you can heal the one and assist with DPS on the other as time and Force allow in a very simple manner. (Sidenote: I find myself often "focusing" the healer in Flashpoints. They sometimes get so carried away keeping the rest of us alive that they neglect their own health and this way I can easily assist them . A healthy healer keeps everyone else healthy too. )

 

I wish you the best in deciding on which companion to use and I hope you will try using the "focus" ability the game gives you (it will make your life easier and make you a better healer ).

 

NOTES:

• Press Alt+F with nothing selected to clear your "focus".
  
• Since companions are unsummoned by common game mechanics (when you use your mount, quicktravel, etc.) you will have to "re-focus" them again on a regular basis. (This only happens with companions. You won't have this problem with other player characters.)
  
• The "Focus" modifier key is listed in the "Targetting" section of the keybinds.
  

I levelled 1-50 with Qyzen as Seer, only used Tharan on the final boss (2 healers =D). Qyzen/Nadia are now my comps of choice in daily areas. Edited January 22, 2013 by Darth_Dreselus

Qyzen Fess will always be the best companion for a healer spec sage. Tank and healer are perfect compliments to each other. Yes there is a lack of dps but the ability to have everlasting life trumps it

 

This is my view as well. I tried both dps and tank companions as I leveled up and to me the tank companion is the way to go. Yes, stuff dies a little bit slower than if you had a dps companion out but it really is a very little bit. There's a huge boost to survivability using a tank companion and less downtime (or so it seemed to me).

My suggestion is that you eventually try them all. Each of them is a little different in how they work, and depending on how you like to play, each of them could be a better fit.

 

1) Qyzen & Iresso use the exact same gear except for their weapon ~ so by gearing one you're gearing the other.

2) Theran & Zenith " "

3) Nadia uses your hand me downs

4) C2-N2 & HK can use the exact same gear pieces as well.

 

C2-N2 can't replace Theran ~ but he's fun to use from time to time.

 

One think I would recommend for the dps & healing companions is that you gear them for power/alacrity & ignore crit/surge. The companions do not have talents that increase their crit chance. As a result ~ they never really stack enough crit to perform the way you would expect them to.

I've never tried the other consular companions, except the one time I was forced to use Zenith on Balmorra so bear with me, I'm using my Tank Juggernaut as an example.

 

I leveled as a tank. I used Vette, my DPS companion, almost exclusively. I only pulled out Quinn, my healer, for hard fights. I leveled a sage as DPS, often switching to heals. I use Qyzen. He actually does pretty decent damage, but since you are a dedicated healer you can probably keep a DPS companion up easily, so it's just a matter of picking which one you like best I think. There are probably some min/max pros who can suggest the best DPS companion, but Qyzen's actually pretty good.

 

Healer companions seem to me to be for those leveling DPS, and even then, they often are not necessary. I only pull them out for hard fights. Tank companion vs DPS companion, though, that kind of depends on if you're leveling DPS or heals. A healer should be able to keep a DPS companion up, and DPS would probably benefit from a tank or DPS companion to burn through things more quickly.

 

"Tank and healer" might seem like they go together, but from my experience leveling an immortal juggernaut, Quinn only slowed me down. Sure I could last forever, but so did every silver due to the pitiful lack of dps. Vette and Jaesa are the universal companions for the Juggernaut class, and Quinn is only for hard fights that burn Vette or Jaesa down too quickly or for juggs who can't be bothered to watch their companion's health.

 

My point is go with Qyzen or one of your DPS companions. Whichever you're more comfortable with.

Edited February 2, 2013 by eldefail

I am also a sage healer and leveled the entire way as one. I used Qyzen leveling up almost exclusively until I got Nadia. I have used her since. I gear her in shadow tank gear now. High endurance gear with wis and def second. She currently has 22.5k hps and a high amount of def but keeps enough wis and crit to be a DPS powerhouse. This gives her a ton of survivability so she isn't squishy but keeps the DPS pouring out. I love the combo.

Just wish we got a shadow tank companion like the sith sorc xalak