Where Winds Meet Companion Guide: Do These NPC Summons Actually Help or Just Die Immediately?
Where Winds Meet lets you summon NPC companions before boss fights, and I honestly can't tell if they're genuinely helpful or just expensive distractions with suicidal AI.
Companion assists are NPC allies you can hire using signposts outside boss arenas. You pay coins, they join your fight, and theoretically make things easier. The reality? Some companions are legitimately clutch and can turn brutal encounters into manageable ones. Others have AI so questionable that you'll genuinely wonder if they're on the boss's payroll. I've watched Elder Gongsun face-tank a boss ultimate for no reason. I've seen companions walk directly into environmental hazards. It's a mess.
I tested every companion against multiple bosses to figure out which ones justify their cost and which ones are basically just burning coins for entertainment. The short answer: there are four companions worth considering, and the rest range from situational to actively working against you. Let me break down how this system works and which summons actually earn their keep instead of dying in the first phase.
How Companion Assists Actually Work
Look for assistance signposts positioned just outside boss lairs. These are always placed before you trigger the encounter, giving you time to decide if you want help. Interact with the signpost to see available companions and their costs.
Each companion has a flat coin fee. Some are cheap, others are expensive as hell. The cost doesn't correlate with effectiveness, which is frustrating. You're sometimes paying premium prices for allies that immediately get bodied while cheaper options perform way better.
Once summoned, companions operate independently with their own AI. You cannot control them. They'll attack the boss, use abilities, and try to survive based on whatever logic the developers programmed. This is where things get messy because companion AI quality varies from "actually pretty solid" to "did this thing just walk into the boss's grab attack on purpose?"
Companions provide specific benefits depending on their design. Some focus on dealing Qi damage to help you Execute faster. Others tank aggro. Some buff damage or provide support. Understanding what each companion does is crucial because picking the wrong one for a fight is just wasting coins.
Here's something important: you don't need companions to progress. You can clear every boss without them on any difficulty. They're designed as substitutes for co-op partners when you're solo. The one advantage over real co-op? Companions don't disable Assist Deflection, meaning you keep parry timing assistance even with an ally present. That's actually massive for players still learning windows.
The Best Companions (The Four That Don't Suck)
Yuan Jin'Gang is the top-tier companion for most encounters, and it's not even close. His ability to interrupt bosses with ranged attacks while dealing solid Qi damage makes him invaluable. He stays back and shoots, meaning he's less likely to die stupidly or block your camera during critical moments.
The key to using Yuan effectively is positioning. Lure the boss away from where he spawns to give him space. If the boss is constantly in his face, his effectiveness tanks. Keep the boss focused on you in melee while Yuan peppers it from range. This works exceptionally well against relentless bosses like Zheng E and Wolf Maiden who never give you breathing room.
Unlock Yuan Jin'Gang by beating him at General's Shrine. He's one of the earliest companions available, which is perfect because you'll want him for mid-game encounters where boss aggression really ramps up.
Elder Gongsun has the best interrupting capabilities and deals the most Qi damage of any companion. He knocks bosses down constantly, creating free damage windows you can absolutely abuse. When Elder Gongsun staggers a boss, you can unload your heaviest combos without worrying about getting punched mid-animation.
The massive downside? Survivability. Elder Gongsun has paper-thin health and will randomly tank boss aggro if you're too far away. He's best for quick encounters where you both attack aggressively. Heartseeker is perfect for Elder Gongsun because the fight is short and his face-tanking tendencies don't matter.
Unlocking Elder Gongsun requires beating him at General's Shrine in Verdant Wilds. Fair warning: he's one of the hardest companions to unlock. His moveset combines fast strikes with delayed attacks designed to screw with your parry timing. I fought this bastard seven times before winning.
Dao Lord's value comes from his Giant Rat summon. This gives the boss an additional target, reducing pressure significantly. His personal damage and Qi break are moderate at best, but that rat distraction is clutch in fights where you desperately need space to heal or reposition.
The rat doesn't deal impressive damage and dies fairly quickly, but it diverts boss attention long enough for you to execute strategies requiring setup. If you're fighting a boss that constantly pressures you and never gives breathing room, Dao Lord creates the space you need.
Unlock Dao Lord by defeating him during Unbound Cavern campaign in Kaifeng. This is story-required, so you'll get access naturally through progression.
Du Qiaoxian provides a damage buff through Light as a Swallow. If you're already comfortable with a boss's patterns and just want faster kills, Du Qiaoxian is your pick. She's not solving mechanical problems. She's amplifying damage output.
This companion is best for farming encounters you've mastered. First attempts where you're learning patterns? Pick Yuan Jin'Gang or Elder Gongsun. Repeat clears where you know exactly what you're doing? Du Qiaoxian speeds things up.
Unlock Du Qiaoxian by beating her at General's Shrine in Verdant Wilds. Straightforward unlock, no special requirements.
When to Actually Use Companions (And When to Save Your Coins)
Use companions when learning new bosses if patterns are overwhelming you. Yuan Jin'Gang's interrupts create safe attack windows. Elder Gongsun's knockdowns give consistent damage opportunities. Having an ally split boss attention makes pattern recognition easier because you're not constantly under pressure.
Skip companions once you've mastered an encounter. If you can consistently parry combos and Execute efficiently, companions just get in the way. They trigger boss abilities at awkward times or pull aggro when you're trying to bait specific attacks. Clean solo kills are often faster than companion-assisted ones once you know what you're doing.
Consider companions for endurance fights where resource management matters. Long encounters where you're worried about healing items benefit from having a companion absorb damage. Even if the companion dies halfway through, they've tanked enough hits to conserve potions for the final phase.
Avoid companions in fights with tight arenas or environmental hazards. Some encounters have limited space or mechanics that punish poor positioning. Adding a companion creates chaos. You're dodging the boss, avoiding hazards, and trying not to collide with your NPC ally simultaneously.
The AI Problem Nobody's Talking About
Companion AI in Where Winds Meet is wildly inconsistent. Yuan Jin'Gang has decent behavior patterns. Others make decisions so baffling you'll genuinely wonder if the AI is trolling.
The biggest issue is aggro management. Companions don't understand threat properly. They'll randomly pull boss aggro when you're setting up parries or trying to Execute. This disrupts rhythm and forces constant adaptation to unpredictable targeting.
Companions also don't avoid attacks intelligently. They'll stand in obvious danger zones or completely ignore telegraphed moves any human would dodge. This means they die in fights where a moderately competent co-op partner would survive easily. Once your companion is dead, you've paid coins for nothing.
Some companions use abilities at terrible times. They'll interrupt boss combos you were about to parry for Qi damage or trigger phase transitions before you're ready. This is infuriating in multi-phase encounters where timing matters for resource management.
The AI quality disparity is massive. Yuan Jin'Gang and Elder Gongsun generally behave well. Other companions feel like they're actively sabotaging you. Before committing coins, test companions in fights you can easily win to evaluate if their AI is tolerable.
Companions vs Real Co-op Partners (It's Not Even Close)
Real players are always better than companions when available. Human co-op partners coordinate, adapt in real-time, and don't have stupid AI behavior. If you have friends playing Where Winds Meet, group up with them. It's not even close.
The one genuine advantage companions have: they don't disable Assist Deflection. Co-op with real players turns off parry timing assistance. Companions let you keep it active, which is huge for players still learning windows and struggling with timing.
Companions also don't consume energy or resources. Real co-op partner dies and forces a group wipe? You've burned your energy attempt. Companion dies? Whatever, you're still in the fight solo. Stakes are lower with NPC allies.
If you're playing solo by choice or because your friends aren't online, companions are viable substitutes. They're not as good as real players, but they're significantly better than nothing for challenging encounters.
Is the Cost Actually Worth It?
Companion costs vary significantly. Some are dirt cheap, others require substantial coin investment. Is paying for companions worth it or are you burning currency better spent elsewhere?
For Yuan Jin'Gang and Elder Gongsun, absolutely worth it. These companions provide genuine value through interrupts and Qi damage. The coin cost pays for itself in saved time, healing items, and energy attempts. If they help you clear first try instead of fifth try, you've saved resources far exceeding the fee.
For situational companions like Dao Lord, it depends on the fight. If a boss is destroying you and you need that target distraction, pay up. If you're close to winning without help, save coins.
For companions with minor buffs or terrible AI, skip them entirely. Spend coins on gear enhancements or consumables providing permanent benefits rather than temporary assistance that might not even work.
The Beginner Perspective (Use Help Without Shame)
Companions are valuable for newer players still learning combat. If you're struggling with parry timing, getting overwhelmed by aggression, or running out of healing items, companions provide legitimate training wheels.
Use companions liberally during your first playthrough. They'll help you clear encounters you're not mechanically ready for yet. As you improve, gradually phase them out. By your second or third playthrough, you probably won't need them except for specific challenging fights.
Don't feel bad about using companions. The game includes them specifically to help struggling players. They're a legitimate tool, not a crutch. Anyone shaming you for using companions is being an elitist ass.
what to do
Companion assists are useful tools with significant limitations. Yuan Jin'Gang and Elder Gongsun are worth using regularly for interrupts and Qi damage. Dao Lord and Du Qiaoxian serve specific purposes in certain encounters. Beyond those four, the roster ranges from mediocre to actively detrimental.
Use companions when learning bosses, when undergeared, or when you just want help. Skip them once you've mastered fights and want clean solos. Don't let anyone tell you companions are mandatory or that using them invalidates victories. They're optional tools existing to smooth difficulty spikes.
The AI could be better. Cost scaling could be more logical. Some companions desperately need behavior adjustments. But within the current system, there are strong options that justify existence and genuinely help players succeed.
If you're unsure about using companions, try Yuan Jin'Gang first. He's cheap, effective, and available early. If his assistance makes the difference between winning and losing, keep using companions. If you realize you don't need help, save coins and embrace solo life.