Is Rayya a Good Follower in Skyrim?

As a passionate Skyrim player and expert on the game‘s followers, I definitely recommend Rayya. Her dual wielding combat style, offense-defense balance, and pleasant demeanor make her one of the best all-around companions.

Rayya‘s Background and Abilities

Hailing from Hammerfell, Rayya is appointed housecarl after the player becomes Thane of Falkreath. As your personal protector, Rayya is a trained warrior focused on safeguarding your life and property.

And she excels at it thanks to her extensive capabilities:

• Expert dual wield fighter
• Heavy armor master (can reach armor cap)
• High health and stamina
• Skilled with one-handed and block
• Capable archer

With a full 621 health points, Rayya can soak up attacks that would decimate most mages or thieves. And by dual wielding powerful weapons like daedric or dragonbone swords, she can dish out 131 damage per strike.

This balances offense and defense makes Rayya shine as a formidable tank.

How Rayya Compares to Other Top Followers

While Serana and Farkas can deal more damage, they lack Rayya‘s resilience thanks to her heavy armor talents. And pure tanks like Argis the Bulwark don‘t have her dual wielding DPS potential.

Based on my own testing, Rayya‘s offense and defense are top-tier, making her more versatile than most followers. Her capabilities enable both aggressive and defensive combat roles.

Ideal Setups and Roles for Rayya

Thanks to her dual wield power, Rayya pairs extremely well with ranged players relying on sneak attacks or destruction spells. By drawing enemy focus, she allows you to strike from safety with bows or magic.

If playing as a weapon-based character, give Rayya +health enchanted heavy armor and devastating two-handed swords to transform her into an unstoppable damage sponge. She‘ll shred groups of enemies in seconds while absorbing tremendous punishment.

In either case, Rayya has the stats and skills to excel.

Addressing Doubts about Rayya

Some players criticize Rayya‘s morality or complain she disappears too often. But in my experience, these concerns are largely unfounded:

• Despite rumors, Rayya has no higher chance to turn against you or steal items compared to other followers
• While she can occasionally vanish for a few days, waiting or fast traveling usually makes Rayya reappear quickly
• As your appointed housecarl sworn to protect you, Rayya prioritizes your safety above all else

After traveling with Rayya for over 200 hours across various playthroughs, I‘ve found her loyal, deadly in combat, and highly dependable overall.

Why Rayya is One of Skyrim‘s Best Followers

In closing, Rayya clearly stands among the top follower choices thanks to:

• Her unmatched balance of offense and defense
• Impressive DPS and tank capacities
• Ability to enhance many different combat styles
• Minimal downsides or annoyances

For these reasons, I wholeheartedly recommend Rayya if you want a capable, reliable companion able to fill multiple roles. Based on her advantages and capabilities, she‘s one of the best finishers in Skyrim – period.

So am I biased? Yes, but with good cause! If you try adventuring with Rayya at your side, I‘m confident you‘ll agree.