Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion: Abilities, upgrading, optimizing, and more

The Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion is a key factor in the upcoming season of content. Season 3 - also known as Season of the Construct - brings a mechanical pal that will help you in combat and can be granted a wide assortment of incredibly powerful abilities. It even has its own Ubers it can unlock if you’re lucky enough to find them. This handy ally can be whatever you want it to be and should make combat way more interesting for several builds.

Today, we’re going to go over what you can expect out of the Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion. There’s still information that we don’t know - such as the potential locations of two of the abilities. However, here is what you can expect out of this fun new mechanic.

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What abilities does the Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion have to unlock?

To give your Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion the power it needs to help you in combat, it needs Governing Stones and Tuning Stones. Governing Stones determine the main function and abilities of your mechanical companion, and you can equip two of these to it at a time. On the other hand, you can also equip 6 Tuning Stones, each of which gives a different but useful attribute boost.

Governing Stones in Diablo 4 are found by completing Vaults, through Arcane Tremor events, Season Journey rewards, or simply by going to the Jeweler and crafting them via Shattered Stones.

Those are found from enemies in the Vault, as well as by slaying other Constructs. Thankfully, unlocking the Tuning Stones for the Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion is done the exact same way.

Governing Stones

• Autodefense: The Seneschal Construct activates an antimaterial field around itself, shooting down enemy projectiles. Can not shoot down Boss or Player projectiles.
• Bushwhack: Quickly ambush, dealing damage to each target. May strike the same target multiple times.
• Firefly: Deploy a small construct that lands on the target and explodes thrice, dealing damage.
• Focus Fire: The Seneschal Construct channels a ray of fire onto targets, dealing damage to each over time.
• Gyrate: The Seneschal Construct whirls its legs around quickly, dealing damage to all surrounding enemies.
• Impale: Perform a line attack on all enemies in front of the Seneschal Construct, dealing damage.
• Lightning Bolt: Launch a bolt of Lightning at the target dealing damage. Arcs to other targets dealing a portion of the original damage.
• Protect: The Seneschal Construct materializes a protective Barrier on the player for a portion of their Maximum Life.
• Reconstruct: The Seneschal Construct channels a reconstruction beam, healing the player for a portion of their Maximum Life over time.
• Slash: Pummel enemies in front of the Seneschal Construct, dealing damage.
• Tempest: Electrically charge an enemy, causing it to deal damage to themselves and additional damage each second over time. If the enemy is killed, Tempest spreads to another enemy, gaining additional time and bonus damage. These bonuses are also applied if Tempest is reapplied to the same enemy.
• Flash of Adrenaline: Administers a quick flash of adrenaline into the player, granting bonus damage for a duration.

Tuning Stones

• Voluminous Support: The supported skill's effect size is increased.
• Swift Support: The supported Skill gains an Attack Speed bonus.
• Breaking Support: Damage from the supported Skill instantly destroys enemy Barrier effects. In addition, there is a chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
• Tactical Support: Decrease the cooldown of the supported Skill.
• Efficiency Support: When the supporting skill deals damage, you gain Critical Strike Chance to the same targets hit.
• Devastation Support: Supported Skill gains a Critical Strike Damage bonus.
• Safeguard Support: When used, the supported Skill grants Damage Reduction to you.
• Frigid Support: A portion of the supported Skill's damage dealt is applied as Cold damage over time and applies Chill.
• Burning Support: A portion of the supported Skill's damage is applied as Burning damage over time. Burning enemies take bonus Critical Strike Damage from the Seneschal Construct.
• Electrocution Support: A portion of the supported skill's damage dealt is applied as Lightning damage over time and has a chance to Stun enemies.
• Bleeding Support: A portion of the supported skill's damage dealt is applied as Bleeding damage over time. Enemies take bonus Bleeding damage from all sources while moving.
• Poison Support: A portion of the supported skill's damage dealt is applied as Poison damage over time. This poison has a chance each second to spread all Poison damage to an additional enemy.
• Dusk Support: A portion of the supported Skill's damage dealt is applied as Shadow damage over time. Afflicted enemies who attack have a chance for their attacks to be interrupted. Does not interrupt Bosses.
• Duration Support: Supported Skills have their durations increased.
• Fortify Support: When the Seneschal Construct uses the supported Skill, you gain Fortify. Skills with slower attack speeds or skills with cooldowns will increase the amount of Fortify granted.
• Resource Support: Player gains an amount of Primary Resource when the supporting Skill first deals damage.
• Initiative Support: The supported Skill will cause the Seneschal Construct to teleport to the target if out of range. Can only occur once every so often seconds.
• Arcing Support: The supported Skill can hit additional enemies.
• Multishot Support: Supported Projectile skills launch additional projectiles.
• Piercing Support: The supported Projectile Skill will pierce multiple enemies.
• Gripping Support: Damage and effects done by the supporting Skill to Distant enemies pulls them towards the Seneschal Construct. Can only occur once every so often per enemy.
• Registered Damage Support: Any damage caused from the supported Skill is registered. The registered damage explodes at effectiveness when the target dies as Fire damage.
• Seeking Support: The supported Projectile Skill will auto-seek enemies for a limited duration.
• Slowing Support: Damage from the supported Skill slows enemy movement speed for a limited duration. The closer the enemy is to the Seneschal Construct, the greater the Slow amount. Enemies may be slowed up to a maximum amount.
• Mockery Support: Damage done by the supporting Skill Taunts enemies hit for a limited duration of time. This can only occur once every so often per enemy. Does not work on bosses.

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How to upgrade Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion abilities

You can upgrade your Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion by upgrading your Governing Stones. Tuning Stones can be fused together similarly to increase their levels. These important gems can be upgraded to a maximum of rank 10. This is done by collecting or crafting duplicates of the same name and fusing them together.

That said, this could take a pretty significant grind - but since you’ll be out there slaughtering monsters anyway, keep an eye out for the abilities that are the most important to your play style and focus on improving those instead of improving everything you come across. Since Season 3 will reportedly let many overpowered Diablo 4 builds stick around, there’s no telling how strong you could get alongside your companion.

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How to further optimize your Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion

When it comes to optimizing your Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion, it’s all about synergy. At first, you’ll likely have to equip anything you come across, but you’ll want to focus on something that helps your build. For example, if you’re squishy and need something to tank for you, you may want to attach Mockery Support to something like Autodefense, Protect, or even Tempest. It’s all about combining abilities that will naturally go well together and enhance your strengths while covering up weaknesses.

Your Diablo 4 Seneschal Companion can do almost anything. You can make its attacks arc and hit extra foes, make projectiles it fires auto-seek for a limited time, and much more. Look at your build and figure out what your automaton can do to improve it.

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Diablo 4 Season of the Construct begins today, January 23, 2024. There are quite a few great builds players can try out as well as this season kicks off.