Want to enforce the will of an evil demi-god on a rebellious country in need of discipline? Tyranny throws the typical RPG storyline on its head and doesn’t have you freeing a nation, but rather subjugating it (if you are on the fence and haven’t picked it up yet, check out our review here).
On your quest to bend the world to Kyros’ will, your Fatebinder character will come across many interesting and varied companions. One such companion is the incredibly strong Barik, who was fused directly with his armor by the power of Kyros’s magical Edict of Storms during the destruction of Stalwart.
Barik has obvious nods to Vhailor, the living suit of armor powered by the force of his devotion to law from Planescape: Torment, and serves as the most military-minded and frontline melee-focused character in Tyranny. He can be found and recruited in the Disvaored camp near Iron Marshal Erenyos.
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Barik Combat Strategies
There are two different talent trees you can choose between (or mix and match) whenever Barik gains a level: Punisher, which focuses on dealing large amounts of damage with one or two-handed weapons, and Sentinel, which focuses on battlefield control.
The Sentinel taunting abilities force enemies to focus fire on Barik so your squishier companions (or your Fatebinder if you went with a straight mage build) can stay alive while attacking at range from the back.
Even if you want to get primarily Punisher abilities, be sure to invest in Clash Of Iron at a minimum so Barik can draw enemies away from your ranged spellcaster. The Sentinel skill Pursuit is also useful, as it lets Barik close range with archers in the back quickly at the start of combat.
If you need to beef up your Fatebinder’s combat prowess, when you reach either loyalty or fear level 2 with Barik he can permanently raise your Two Handed Weapons skill when you ask him to show you how northerner’s fight.
Barik is literally a wall of iron to send at your foes!
Barik’s Combo Attacks
You automatically get the Iron Tolling combo when Barik joins the group, which lures enemies to disengage their current activity and fight Barik while simultaneously taking a penalty to Parry and Dodge skills. Keep this one in mind if another party member is being ganged up on or you need archers to focus their fire away from a companion close to death.
If you reach loyalty level 3 with Barik, he gains the Iron Storm combo, which deals piercing damage in an area affect at a range of up to 10m. Although not a devastating combo, it’s unique as an area effect that deals physical damage versus the Dodge defense instead of being a magic spell.
At fear rank 3, Barik learns the Blade Grave’s Grasp combo, which not only deals heavy damage to an opponent but also has a chance to petrify all enemies near Barik. As a means of crowd control, in this case, its a good idea to have your companion hate you!
There are advantages to earning Barik’s hatred…
Gaining Loyalty / Fear With Barik
The mirror opposite of chaotic Scarlet Chorus companion Verse, the soldier Barik is the epitome of order over discord and admires those who know their place, follow the chain of command and employ sound tactics over wild assaults.
Most of your opportunities to inspire loyalty or fear will occur during the game while talking to NPCs or directly conversing with Barik, but you can start off with a big boost on either end depending on your choices in the Conquest section of character creation.
If you punish the Scarlet Chorus when they break the rules and go out of your way to save Disfavored lives, Barik will act more positively towards you when he joins the party.
Barik will also start with a large amount of fear automatically if you chose to go to Stalwart during the third year of the Conquest section and read the Edict of Storms without giving anyone warning.
Barik gets feisty when you fear you, but he’ll still follow orders
In all other conversations and choices, keep in mind that Barik is entirely lawful, utterly loyal to the Disfavored, and completely rigid in his thinking.
Behaving chaotically, showing mercy to captives and traitors, accepting the battle plans of the Scarlet Chorus, or speaking negatively towards Archon Ashe will all drop his loyalty and raise his fear level.
Barik prefers to discuss matters of duty and the task at hand rather than personal interest. If you ask him how he takes pleasure in life while trapped in his armor, he will gain additional fear points.
There are a few instances of dialog options that seem as though they would make Barik mad but will actually increase his loyalty, particularly when you pull rank and force him to discuss issues about war or his past. Keep in mind that Barik obsesses about order more than personal feelings, so reminding him of his place beneath you can actually increase his loyalty rather than fear.
That’s all you need to know to get this walking tank out on the front lines and destroying your enemies! Let us know what tactics you employ with Barik and if you’ve managed to unlock any hidden dialog with other conversation options.
