Both can be extremely strong, astarion as an assassin is a freaking menace.

Their value depends on your other party members. Astarion is great if you lack thievery to your comp. Lockpicking, disarming is vital for this kind of games, otherwise I'd skip him as well. Gale doesn't seem too bad and is also a wizard, quite safe caster choice if you lack one.

I honestly didn't love any of the companions in EA. The only one I remotely liked was Shadowheart. I will say that, the voice acting here, for the companions and just the game in general is a new high bar.

Astarion is disgusting and Gale consumes artifacts -> useless & no party material

Originally posted by Gønzö:

Gale and Astarion are worthless

No, you just don't know how to use them.

Astarion is the highest damage dealer on my team thanks to constant sneak attacks at lvl 5. Gale meanwhile isn't worth the artifacts he chews.

My play through is evil. I’ve turned Astarion into a bard and I’m trying to drive Gale insane. Or more insane.

At this point I'm not crazy about any companions I have so far. Gale sounds like an atheist, trying to seem more intelligent and interesting than he really is, Astarion is the reason straight guys don't like gay guys and Shadowheart is just baggage, goth baggage. I'm not even gonna talk about the green hag because there's really nothing to say except GRRR.

There are two reasons I use companions in RPGs, one is because they amuse me, two is because I want to build a unit out of several classes. No companion I have so far amuses me even slightly. I guess I'll drag them along until the story allows me to get rid of them, then I'll replace them with those summonable cultists or whatever.

Give me a drunken dwarf. Give a dumb orc. GIVE ME ALFIRA.

Originally posted by Alex:

GIVE ME ALFIRA.

RIPYou are not gonna like a Dark Urge playthrough, lol

I didn't get to play EA for very long. The 1.0 release is leaving me wishing I'd have gone the mostly solo route. Astarion is pretty damn good with the damage output in the later levels. Everybody else gives me the Forest Whitaker eye.

Originally posted by Clovis Sangrail:

Originally posted by Gønzö:

Gale and Astarion are worthless

No, you just don't know how to use them.

ahh yes the gay vampire who steals my blood every night is super useful.

and the wizard who consumes my magical artifacts because he "hungies" and if he doesn't eat them he blows up the whole world.

no need for any of this garbage in my party.

They are both great if used properly. Hate to use the term, but... GIT GUD

astarion is cool thanks to sneak attack, cleric girl on the other hand... in 5e there is only one concentration slot so she can only sustain one buff at a time....now that's worthless!

Originally posted by AsianGirlLover:

Originally posted by Alex:

GIVE ME ALFIRA.

RIPYou are not gonna like a Dark Urge playthrough, lol

It's the reason I put the Dark Urge on hold. I honestly think Larian is gonna make her a companion eventually.

Gales upkeep is annoying and he's not worth it. I don't walk down that path and leave him in the wall forever.

Astarion is fine and fairly agreeable. If you don't level him then you made him useless.