In Wasteland 3, your squad of elite soldiers can grow to an impressive size - with a few conditions. You must always have 1 of the 2 main characters you chose or created at the start, and including them up to 4 party members can be Rangers. You can also recruit an extra 2 Companions who are preset characters with their own story and agendas, who will only follow you if you don't piss them off too much.
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There are also special types of followers that can join you in a sense, and will follow the character that summoned or interacted with them - like animals, cyborg chickens, and special characters. These followers don't count towards your squad total, but also do not follow direct orders, and will move and attack on a friendly turn - and may be hard to keep alive at times.
Below is a list of known Rangers, Companions, and Followers that you can choose from.
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After choosing from the initial 2 main characters (or customizing your own), you will arrive at the Ranger HQ in Colorado, and once you've situated yourself in command, you can speak to your new friends to manage a list of potential Ranger recruits. These characters come in presets, and if any die, you can choose from the others in the list, or swap them out any time you are back at Ranger HQ. The good news is that even while you're off adventuring, they'll be increasing in level as well, so you won't have to worry about re-training them.
If you don't like the selection, you can also create a custom character much like you could do for the two main characters. This is a good way to make 4 characters that have great synergy and fill in most of the gaps of critical skills and weapon types you need.
| Ranger Name | Type | Primary Skills | Primary Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axle | Mechanic | Mechanics, Small Arms, Weapon Modding | Shotgun |
| Banshee | Sniper | Sniper Rifles, Small Arms, Sneaky sh*t | Sniper Rifle |
| Bison Bill | Survivalist | Survival, Sniper Rifles, First Aid | Sniper Rifle |
| Blackeye Betty | Brawler | Brawling, Survival, Hard Ass | Fist Weapon |
| Butterfly | Infiltrator | Melee Combat, Lockpicking, Sneaky sh*t | Combat Knife |
| Crash | Hacker | Nerd Stuff, Sneaky sh*t, Automatic Weapons | Submachine Gun |
| Danny Smiles | Trader | Barter, Small Arms, Hard Ass | Pistol |
| Devlin | Modder | Automatic Weapons, Armor Modding, Weapon Modding | Assault Rifle |
| Doc Nails | Combat Medic | Big Guns, First Aid, Explosives | Heavy Machine Gun |
| Ice | Sniper | Sniper Rifles, Sneaky sh*t, Weapon Modding | Sniper Rifle |
| Preacher | Trooper | Automatic Weapons, Explosives, Leadership | Assault Rifle |
| Prof. Higgs | Inventor | Small Arms, Toaster Repair, Weird Science | Laser Pistol |
| Sasquatch | Enforcer | Survival, Melee Combat, Mechanics | Melee Weapon |
| Shellshock | Trooper | Automatic Weapons, Armor Modding, Leadership | Assault Rifle |
| Thunder | Explosives Expert | Explosives, Big Guns, Armor Modding | Heavy Machine Gun |
| Wolf | Commander | Kiss Ass, Automatic Weapons, Barter | Submachine Gun |
| Zeus | Modder | Big Guns, Mechanics, Nerd Stuff | Flamethrower |
Alternate to the rangers you can staff up your squad with, you can also have up to 2 Companions in your squad at any given time. Companions are named characters with their own story and part to play. Some have specific factions they ally themselves with, and going against their principles may cause them to leave if you behave poorly.
You can also ask companions to stand down, at which point they will leave your party and remain until they are needed again, allowing you to swap out companions at will. Below is a list of companions and how you can recruit them to your cause.
Jodie Bell
- Companion Type: Driver
- Primary Skills: Sniper Rifles, Mechanics, Animal Whisperer, First Aid
- Affiliation: None
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Pvt. Jodie Bell is a recruitable companion in Wasteland 3. She is actually one of the first characters you'll meet, but it will be a short while before she is able to join your team.
When you first meet her in the prologue, she'll be held hostage by the Dorseys, and only be using Kiss Ass or Hard Ass skill checks can you convince them to leave her alone. She'll follow you to the Ranger HQ, and rest up until after you have undertaken several missions - usually after you have completed Big Trouble in Little Vegas.
Return to Ranger HQ after this and she should finally be back on her feet. As a member of the Rangers she doesn't hold much allegiance to any faction, but she generally wants to do the right thing - even if she complains a lot. She usually has high Awareness, but low Strength and Speed.
Marshal Kwon
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- Companion Type: Lawkeeper
- Primary Skills: Automatic Weapons, Kiss Ass, Sneaky sh*t
- Affiliation: Patriarch's Marshals
Marshal Kwon is a recruitable companion in Wasteland 3. He is the first companion that can join your group, and will automatically ask to join you once you have made your home base setup in Ranger HQ.
As a member of the Patriarch's Marshals, Kwon is technically on loan to help you out on the Patriarch's orders. As such, he's fiercely loyal to both the Patriarch and the Marshals group, and does not look kindly upon any transgressions against them.
Kwon is a fairly well-rounded character, with no exceptionally high or low attributes, and can quickly be altered to fit any role (though he does prefer his custom automatic weapon).
Lucia Wesson
- Companion Type: Gunslinger
- Primary Skills: Small Arms, Weapon Modding, Barter, Survival
- Affiliation: The Hundred Families
Lucia Wesson is a recruitable companion in Wasteland 3. She is the second companion to join your group, and will ask to join you after reaching downtown Colorado Springs and taking on the quest to fight the Dorseys in the Garden of the Gods.
After speaking to Sheriff Daisy, you will find Lucia either in the police station or at the entrance to the garden, and she will insist she accompany you - though you will have the chance to change your mind after the mission is complete.
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As the daughter of one of the most prominent houses of the Hundred Families, Lucia is strongly attached to the reputation of the families - and will not tolerate most transgressions against them, or unlawful deeds. She is well trained with her revolver, and boasts high Awareness and Intelligence, but low Coordination, Strength, and Charisma.
Scotchmo
- Companion Type: Hobo
- Primary Skills: Small Arms, Lockpicking, Sneaky sh*t, Melee Combat
- Affiliation: Refugees
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Scotchmo is the returning token drunk and recruitable companion in Wasteland 3. He is usually the fourth companion that can join your group.
You'll find him back at the Ranger HQ Base - in the mess hall - after you've concluded the quests regarding refugees in The Bizarre. It has also been reported that he may appear at Union Station depending on choices you make.
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Scotchmo comes with his own shotgun in which he's very proficient, and can be a great addition to your party if you're lacking a sneak-thief - but may not be as preferable if you've already built up Lucia or Kwon in a similar fashion. Unlike them, he's pretty chill with most of your decisions and won't threaten to leave if you do something below the board. He has a fairly generous spread of Luck, Awareness, and Speed, but don't plan on him making any social decisions with his lacking Intelligence and Charisma.
Fishlips
- Companion Type: Scrapper
- Primary Skill: Melee Combat, Armor Modding, Toaster Repair
- Affiliation: Hard-Heads Gang
The leader of the Head-Heads gang, Fishlips is a recruitable companion in Wasteland 3. He is one of the later companions you can bring onto your team - if you have the stomach.
In order to get him on your side, you'll need to go to Union Station where his gang is attacking. Though you can try to bypass fighting him with a social check, you can whittle down his health in a fight to make him admit you're the real boss of this organization.
Fishlips is one of the more melee-heavy companions you'll find, around the same time as you run into Ironclade Cordite, and unless you're looking to fill a particular theme you should probably stick with one or the other. He comes with a bladed weapon, and has very high Strength and Speed to make use of charging into the fray to cut down your enemies, but he's not likely to get any lucky strikes.
Ironclad Cordite
- Companion Type: Warlord
- Primary Skill: Brawling, Leadership, Explosives, Mechanics
- Affiliation:
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Ironclad Cordite is a mysterious and fairly important recruitable companion in Wasteland 3. He's a cyborg, and already has access to the perk which lets you give him accessories other characters can't get easily.
To find him, you'll need to keep an ear out for a mysterious request to find the Old Survivalist Bunker hidden in Broadmoor Heights. This location will only become available once you finish the main quests at The Bizarre.
Unlike all other Companions, Ironclad Cordite also has an integral part to play in the story, and simply having him in tow can alter how the last third of the game plays out, making him a very enticing pick.
In addition to cyborg tech, Ironclad also boasts a shotgun arm that is incredible devastating, and, and is very adept at close combat, with high Coordination, Strength, Speed, and Intelligence across the board. The only draw is his leadership is bogged down by his low charisma - and your main characters may already have that covered.
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Victory Buchanan
- Companion Type: Psychopath
- Primary Skill: Small Arms, Big Guns, Hard Ass
- Affiliation: None
One of your main targets in Wasteland 3, Vic Buchanan can actually be recruited to join you - if you're into that sort of thing. Victory is a complete wild card, which makes the idea of joining you actually possible.
Unlike other bosses you might face, Vic actually asks you directly if he can join your team - so depending on what kind of Rangers you plan to be, picking him up can either be a laugh riot or a terrible idea. You need only accept his request when you face him in Aspen.
Vic has a decent specialization in various weapons big and small, and can deal a lot of damage without missing thanks to his high Awareness and Intelligence. He's also got some very unique reactions and dialogues by having him in your party, so feel free to make use of his high Charisma to get into trouble.
Pizepi Joren
- Companion Type: Researcher
- Primary Skill: Automatic Weapons, Nerd Stuff, Weird Science, First Aid
- Affiliation: Rangers
Another returning character that you can recruit in Wasteland 3, Pizepi Joren is a member of the Rangers that were lost in Colorado before you arrived.
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You can find Pizepi soon after you deal with Vic in the Aspen region, and can recruit her for her big science brain to help you out if needed.
Pizepi is the "nerd" of the companions you can find, which means she can be a huge boost if your tech-oriented characters have been lacking. She's also got a fairly decent spread of attributes with high Awareness and Intelligence, and only really lacking in Strength. However, if one of your main characters is already a big science nerd with a lot points invested, she may not be worth it this far into the game.
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Unlike Rangers and Companions, you can also recruit other followers to join a particular character in battle. These followers - like tamed animals - don't count towards your squad total, and thus cannot be directly controlled. They will follow the character that "hired" them, and when battle commences, they will move and attack enemies on during a friendly phase.
Most times, a particular character can only have one follower at a time, but there may be certain circ*mstances that allow you to have multiple followers per character.
Tamed Animals
As you explore the world, there are many instances where you can run across docile animals that can be interacted with by a character with the appropriate Animal Whisperer skill. Each type of animal will give your character a passive buff so long as they are following along. If you wish to tame another animal for that character, you must first "talk" to the animal and command it to depart.
See the list below of animals and the bonuses they provide:
| Animal Type | Passive Bonus | Animal Whisperer Req. Level |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Experience +3% | Level 1 |
| Rabbit | Initiative +10% | Level 1 |
| Fox | Leadership Range +3 | Level 1 |
| Cat | Crit Chance +6% | Level 2 |
| Dog | Combat Speed +0.1 | Level 3 |
| Waste Wolf | Sneak Attack Damage +5% | Level 5 |
| Pig | Con +30 | Level? |
- The Cat "Major Tom" can be found at the end of the tutorial section before you reach the Kodiak, and can be enticed to join you with cigarettes given by Jodie Bell (if you saved her), or with Animal Whisperer skill.
- A foul mouthed parrot named "Polly" can be found at the entrance to the Bizarre, and his "owner" can be convinced to sell him for 200 (150 with the right Barter skill), or free with a high enough Animal Whisperer skill.
Cyborg Chickens
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Much like the follower animals, Cyborg Chickens are special types of animal you can tame that are found in specific locations across the Wasteland. They seem to have variable stats depending on where you find them, and may require different levels of Animal Whisperer skills - and finding them can be tricky.
Clones
During the side quest Don't You Be My Neighbor, you can investigate the apartment of a crazy scientist named Irv who is creating clones of himself. After defeating the clones and locating Irv, you can convince him to join you at Ranger HQ to continue his cloning research.
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By doing this, you can speak to him to create a clone of one of the members of your squad. These clones aren't as smart as the real deal - and prefer to run around punching everything, but are still quite durable. In the event of their death, you can loot them for their remains, and return it to Irv to create a new clone in it's place.
Up Next: Creepy Doll Locations
Top Guide Sections
- Walkthrough
- Secondary Missions
- Tips and Tricks
- List of Followers and Companions
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In This Guide
Wasteland 3
InXile Entertainment
As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of Wasteland 3, I can confidently provide insights into the concepts mentioned in the article.
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Squad Composition and Size:
- The article discusses the conditions for squad size in Wasteland 3. It mentions that you must always have one of the two main characters chosen or created at the start. Additionally, you can have up to 4 party members who are Rangers. Companions, which are preset characters, can also be recruited, with up to 2 of them allowed in the squad.
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Rangers, Companions, and Followers:
- The article lists various Ranger characters, each with a specified type, primary skills, and primary weapon. These Rangers, such as Axle, Banshee, and Bison Bill, contribute to the squad's diversity in skills and abilities.
- Companions, like Jodie Bell, Marshal Kwon, Lucia Wesson, Scotchmo, Fishlips, Ironclad Cordite, Victory Buchanan, and Pizepi Joren, have their own affiliations, stories, and principles. Some may leave if the player's actions go against their principles.
- The mention of special followers, including animals, cyborg chickens, and unique characters, adds an interesting dynamic to the game. These followers don't count towards the squad total but have their own behavior patterns.
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Recruitment and Management:
- The article explains the process of recruiting Rangers at Ranger HQ in Colorado. It highlights that characters come in presets, and if any die, players can choose from others in the list or swap them out.
- Custom character creation is discussed as a way to tailor the squad to specific needs and synergies, filling critical skill and weapon gaps.
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Companion Recruitment:
- Detailed information is provided on recruiting companions like Jodie Bell, Marshal Kwon, Lucia Wesson, Scotchmo, Fishlips, Ironclad Cordite, Victory Buchanan, and Pizepi Joren. Each companion has a unique background, skills, and affiliation that players must consider.
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Follower Types and Recruitment:
- The article mentions followers like tamed animals, cyborg chickens, and clones. Tamed animals provide passive buffs, and the Animal Whisperer skill is needed to interact with them. Cyborg Chickens are special animals found in specific locations, and clones can be created through a side quest involving a scientist named Irv.
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Specific Character Information:
- Each companion's primary skills, weapon preferences, and affiliations are detailed, providing players with the necessary information to make informed choices when forming their squad.
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Gameplay Tips:
- The article concludes with gameplay tips, including the ability to recruit other followers and create clones. It emphasizes the importance of managing the squad effectively to navigate the challenges in the game.
In summary, the article provides a comprehensive guide to squad composition, recruitment, and management in Wasteland 3, showcasing a wealth of information for players seeking a deep and strategic gaming experience.
