Category: XBOX 360

After starting the Companions Faction Quests, you may come to a point where it seems you cannot access the next quest to progress the Companions story. The reason for this is because certain quests, such as Proving Honor, or Blood’s Honor, require that you complete one or more Companions Subquests before being given access to more story quests.

The Companions Subquests become available in phases; the first phase of subquests become available after completing the Take Up Arms quest. The second phase of subquests are only available after completing the main quest The Silver Hand. The third and final phase of subquests opens up once the last Companions Main quest: Glory of the Dead has been completed.

The twelve of the thirteen Companions Subquests all have a randomized factor to them; the one exception being the Purity subquest in the final phase. Below we have listed all thirteen Companions Subquests.

Phase 1 Subquests

Animal Extermination Part 1

Subquest Companion: Aela the Huntress
Speak to Aela and see what type of work she has available. Her first subquest will require that you kill some random animal that has found its way into the home or business of a random resident of Skyrim. Travel to the reported location of the disturbance, kill said animal, return to Aela and inform her that the animal has been dealt with to complete the subquest.

Animal Extermination Part 2

Subquest Companion: Aela the Huntress
The next job that Aela will have for you is to clear out a random animal den that she will mark on your map. Once the den is clear, return to Jorrvaskr and inform Aela of your deed to complete this subquest.

Hired Muscle

Subquest Companion: Farkas
When asking Farkas for some work, he will explain that a random citizen has requested the help if the Companions. It seems said citizen needs a random ruffian ruffed up a bit to end a dispute between the two. Head on over to the location given to you by Farkas and beat up, NOT KILL, the ruffian (just use your fists to be safe). Return to Farkas in Jorrvaskr to inform him of your actions to receive your reward and complete the subquest.

Trouble in Skyrim

Subquest Companion: Farkas
This time around, Farkas informs you of a random group that is causing trouble and it is your job to kill their leader. Once the location is provided, head there and proceed to kill everyone. Once the leader has been dispatched, head back to Farkas and inform him that the leader has been dealt with to complete this subquest. Note: only the leader needs to be killed in order to complete this subquest, so if the opportunity presents itself where you can slay just the leader and leave unnoticed, do so.

Family Heirloom

Subquest Companion: Skjor or Vilkas
Speak with either Skjor or Vilkas to learn of another client who has asked the Companions to locate and retrieve a priceless heirloom. The location is usually a camp, keep, cave, or dungeon, and is usually tucked away in a chest somewhere. You need not kill anyone to complete this task so stealth tactics work just fine (such as sneaking into a giant camp and picking the lock of the chest without being noticed) in order to retrieve the heirloom. Once you have the heirloom, return to whomever assigned you the job to complete this subquest.

Escaped Criminal

Subquest Companion: Skjor or Vilkas
Speak with either Skjor of Vilkas to learn that a criminal has eluded local authorities and they have turned to the Companions for assistance. The last known whereabouts of the criminal are given to you and you must seek out the criminal and slay him. Once you have done so, return who Skjor or Vilkas to receive your cut of the reward.

Rescue Mission

Subquest Companion: Skjor or Vilkas
After speaking with either Vilkas or Skjor, you learn that a very important person has been kidnapped and the victims family, friends, or associates have contracted the Companions to locate said kidnapped person. Head over to the location that is given to you by Skjor or Vilkas and proceed to kill everyone. The kidnapped is usually located near the group leader, or locked in a cage which you can lock-pick or simply get the key from the dead leader.

Note: Depending on the location, the kidnapped person can be the first person you see and they may attempt to attack you. Simply sheath your weapon or speak to them immediately to inform them of your intentions to make them your new follower, then proceed to kill everyone else or simply head back to the surface.

Once back on the surface, fast travel to the nearest safe location and walk back to Whiterun (personally I just fast traveled back to Whiterun but reports indicate that this can cause the kidnapped person to die). Inform Skjor or Vilkas that the person has been rescued in order to complete the subquest and receive your reward.

Phase 2 Subquests

Minor Spoilers Ahead
All of the Phase 2 Subquests are provided by Aela the Huntress and can only be done after the Main Companion quest The Silver Hand, as the phase 2 subquests tell the tale of Aela getting her revenge on The Silver Hand for the death of Skjor.

Striking the Heart

Aela has decided to talk the fight directly to the Silver Hand and will ask you to clear out one of their encampments. Your job is to destroy one of the Silver Hand leaders of a random camp. Once Aela gives you the location, head over there and kill everyone; there are times where the Leader will actually attempt to hide from you as well so make sure you do not leave until he or she is dead. Afterwards, return to Aela in Jorrvaskr and inform her that the job is finished in order to complete this subquest.

Stealing Plans

The next subquest Aela has for you is the retrieval of some Silver Hand plans located in in a random encampment. Much like the Family Heirloom subquest, this does not require any bloodshed and will usually be in a cave, keep, castle, or camp, but these plans are actually sitting out rather than being tucked away inside a chest. Once the plans have been located, return them to Aela to complete this subquest.

Retrieval

Aela now mentions that she has located another fragment of Ysgramor’s blade that is being held by the Silver Hand. Once Aela provides you with the location, head over and remove the Silver Hand; the fragment is usually found on a table or some other surface in the same room as the leader of the Silver Hand that you killed. Once you have the fragment, return to Aela to complete this subquest and begin the next main companion’s quest: Blood’s Honor

Phase 3 / Final Phase

Remember, these subquests can only be performed after the Companions main quest Glory of the Dead has been completed.

Totems of Hircine

Subquest Companion: Aela the Huntress
Speak with Aela to learn of the Totem of Hircine and where it random location is. Travel to the aforementioned location with Aela in tow and dispatch of any enemies in the area. The totem will be located inside a chest or furnishing in the room furthest from the areas entrance. Once you have the totem, return to the Underforge in Whiterun and place the totem in the stand located within to complete the subquest. Note: this subquest is repeatable for additional totems.

Purity

Subquest Companion: Farkas or Vilkas
Speak with either Farkas or his brother Vilkas to learn that they share the wishes of Kodlak Whitemane and request the same help that you provided him. If you took the advice we gave during Blood’s Honor, you should have a spare Glenmoril Witch’s head for this quest. If you don’t, head back over to the Glenmoril Coven to obtain another head and return to Vilkas or Farkas (whichever you started the subquest with).

Take your fellow shield-brother and the Glenmoril Witch’s head to Ysgramor’s Tomb and head to the Flame of the Harbinger and repeat the ritual that you used to help Farkas or Vilkas just as you did with Kodlak. Once you have completed the ritual, the subquest is complete; you can also repeat the ritual to help yourself, BUT BE WARNED the results of this ritual are permanent so make sure this is what you want, as there is no going back.

Dragon Seekers

Subquest Companion: Vilkas or Farkas
Speak with either Vilkas or Farkas to learn of a dragon attacking a random location. Head over to the location, slay the dragon, and speak with the companion that followed you to the battle to complete this subquest.

Borderlands 2 has seen a new and flawed Vault Hunter join the adventure for the ultimate score. Krieg the Psycho is a high risk, high reward character that favors melee fighters (or those that like igniting themselves). Besides costing $9.99, there’s a lot wrong with Krieg, and sadly this isn’t a surprise given Gearbox’s recent track record. Continue reading to find out what problems players are facing while roaming Pandora as Krieg.

Early on in the game, you’ll find yourself in the Three Horns-Valley area. Now, if you enjoy completing challenges and earning Badass Points, you’ll be disappointed to learn that Krieg cannot complete the “This Ain’t My First Rodeo” challenge. Why is this? Well, after attempting it countless times, I joked that it must be a weight issue. Little did I know how right I was. Paul Hellquist, Creative Director and Lead Designer for Krieg, had the following to say when the issue began to appear in the community forums:

This is because we made Krieg’s mass heavier than the other characters. The change was so that many of the enemies (notably the loaders) could not create situations where you could not be effective with Krieg’s action skill because they would knock you back so far that you could not get a hit in on them when you closed to melee range.

The unfortunate side effect is that the impulse on the geyser is not enough to get you up as far when you are playing Krieg. It was a trade well worth making since the entire character was frustrating and unfun before this change.

As you can imagine, many readers were not satisfied with this answer, mainly because the mass increase doesn’t only impact this single challenge. There have been reports that given Krieg’s heavier nature, the “Ever Blow Bubbles…?” challenge tucked within Caustic Caverns is impossible. Furthermore, Krieg’s weight has voided the effect of grenade jumping, a trick usable by the rest of the Vault Hunters. While the latter isn’t all that troublesome, the prevention of certain challenges has irked completionists. Do the character design issues stop there? I wish.

It would seem that Krieg’s size is almost as much an issue as his weight. There have been claims that the psyho’s proportions prevent players from finishing the “Slab UHF” challenge as well. More importantly, Krieg’s hit box is, naturally, assumed to be larger which makes him an easier target for enemies. In addition, one could theorize that this could cause issues when trying to dig out the items that fall underneath The Warrior after the battle, as well as dealing with an increased chance in having flying loot deflect off of Krieg and into areas beyond the player’s reach (ex: lava).

Diving further into the new Vault Hunter we find that his skill tree is also suffering some major inconsistencies. His Action Skill, Buzz Axe Rampage, is supposed to apply 500% bonus melee damage. However, recent videos that have surfaced show that the numbers are way off. Tests have been done with the Rapier, which has a melee bonus of 200%, and somehow that boost manages to deal more damage than the claimed 500% Buzz Axe Rampage skill. In addition, roid shields aren’t stacking as expected when active, or so it has been stated. The result is better melee damage when not using Buzz Axe Rampage. So, what gives? Well, it would seem that the real issue lies within the Action Skill’s description itself. One determined forum poster by the name of Tluav Boy revealed this tidbit about the ongoing debate:

BUZZ AXE RAMPAGE doesn’t add +500% to your Base Melee damage as a bonus.

It simply makes your Base Melee Damage 500% whatever it normally is.

You can see how he came to this conclusion by checking his formulas here. I wouldn’t be shocked to find out that Gearbox actually has messed up one of their formulas though. All of the info flowing out of early Krieg adopters seem to be pointing to one important observation: Zer0 is still the better/stronger melee character. Needless to say, Krieg seems to have angered a lot of fans out there for reasons ranging from his Season Pass exclusion to his substantial mass gain. He’s been such a disappointment to some that it has even been said that Krieg is a bigger letdown than Aliens: Colonial Marines, a true video game tragedy. Ouch!

If you’ve spent some time with the psychotic Vault Hunter, let us know what your current stance on the character is in the comment section below!