Boone is the Superior Companion in Fallout: New Vegas

When it comes to playable companions in Fallout: New Vegas, two of the most popular choices are Craig Boone, the stoic NCR 1st Recon sniper, and Rose of Sharon Cassidy, the fiery caravaneer with a penchant for whiskey. Both have unique strengths making them viable options for your travels through the Mojave Wasteland. But who ultimately is the better companion?

Based on extensive analysis of their capabilities, questlines, and overall utility, the edge goes to Boone as the superior companion – albeit slightly. What gives Boone the advantage is his unmatched combat abilities that greatly bolster players in battle, whereas Cass leans more support oriented.

Below we will compare them across several key criteria:

Combat Ability & Damage Output

Starting with combat prowess, Boone is constructed to be an absolute beast in battle. As a 1st Recon sniper fighting the Legion at Bitter Springs, he specializes in utilizing high powered sniper rifles to eliminate threats from tremendous distances. He accrued the highest number of confirmed kills in his unit.

Boone has an extremely high Guns skill of 100 which significantly boosts his damage and accuracy. By comparison, Rose of Sharon Cassidy‘s Guns skill is substantially lower at 63. With proper boosts from perks like Better Criticals and Max Charge ammunition coupled with Boone‘s skill, his DPS can reach punishing heights of 875.

Cass meanwhile functions best up close with shotguns. But her mediocre AI routinely struggles navigating open combat areas. She lacks awareness of targets and often wanders out of cover. Her shotgun damage is inferior to Boone‘s rifles past medium ranges. Up close she can deal 568 DPS but such close encounters are rarer.

Simply put – Boone dominates long distance eliminating enemies before they become threats. Cass works better versus already engaged targets but can‘t compete with Boone‘s raw damage and superior tactics. He‘s the easy pick for true combat focused players.

Quest Line and Backstory

Where Cass finds an edge over Boone is having a more compelling quest line and intriguing backstory. For Boone, his companion quest I Forgot to Remember to Forget involves hunting down Jeannie May Crawford for selling his pregnant wife into slavery. It concludes quickly in bloody revenge.

Boone‘s history is confined to his time in 1st Recon – we learn of his guilt over the Bitter Springs raid but little else about who he is. Ultimately Boone remains an emotionally closed off soldier hardened by war.

By contrast, Cass‘s questline spanning multiple quests like Heartache by the Number and You Can Depend on Me reveal her complex backstory with the Van Graff crime family. As you aid Cass getting revenge, you learn much about her father, her caravan work, and see her personality beyond alcohol.

There‘s rich depth to Cass‘s past from losing her caravan to Ruby Nash‘s betrayal. Helping her gain closure is emotionally rewarding. Cass has the more compelling story arc making her quests quite memorable. Boone‘s sole quest, while tense, exposes little about him.

Perks and Bonuses

Aside from their quests, judging companions by their perks proves useful. For Boone, his Spotter perk grants 25% greater range while targeting enemies in VATS. Given Boone already specializes at a distance, this synergizes perfectly with him.

Cass‘s Whiskey Rose perk is less applicable – granting 8% damage bonus and +15 damage threshold when drinking alcohol. Unless playing an alcoholic, its benefits are limited. She might‘ve fared better with a shotgun damage or DR perk.

An advantage Cass has over Boone are her other bonuses – she boosts Outdoorsman and Survival skills by 5 which aids exploration. Boone by contrast only boosts Stealth and Unarmed skills. While not directly improving damage, Cass‘s bonuses combined with her Quest perks give her more utility.

Personality and Companionship

Lastly, perhaps an underrated quality in companions is their persona during travels. Here Cass shines over her stoic colleague. Cass is characterized as brash yet charming – frequently quipping amusing comments on locations and as you take fire. Her stories tend to be entertaining, bringing humor even in tense situations.

By comparison Boone is curt and grating. Conversation attempts typically end in brooding silence. Boone spends more time scowling and glowering than he does speaking. Simply put – Boone lacks personality making traveling with Cass considerably more enjoyable thanks to her outgoing wit. If part of one‘s criteria is an intriguing companion, Boone leaves much to be desired over Cass‘s charm.

The Verdict

So ultimately, is Craig Boone or Rose of Sharon Cassidy the superior Fallout: New Vegas companion? Based on statistical analysis across key criteria:

Boone wins decisively for combat power while Cass succeeds more as an intriguing persona. Much depends what one prioritizes – having an ultra lethal sniper or someone who can tell good stories by the campfire.

In my extensive experience, Craig Boone ends up the superior Fallout: New Vegas companion by a slim margin owing to ruthless combat efficiencies. But Rose of Sharon Cassidy remains a delightful alternative pairing. So choose who best fits your priorities – the strong silent killer that is Boone or the whiskey-armed caravaneer Cass!

Let me know in the comments what other companion matchups you‘d like to see examined! Please subscribe for more updates.