Combat Pet

*Main article:* Horizon Wiki

Combat pets are an innovative, practical alternative to regular Companions in Horizon. All can be summoned by using a special caller device and many of them require energy. The strength and duration of each pet depends on perk ranks. The amount of pets depends on perk rank and specialization.

## General

All pets are considered real teammates, and will use the default follower UI. Combat pets mostly behave like companions. I.e. they imitate what the player does, sneaking, gaining experience, etc. Combat pets, like Companions, have "inherent" radiation and poison immunity.

The player is not able to trade or talk with combat pets but can command them. In order to command, combat pets must be summoned first. A caller device is required to summon combat pets. The Field Kit is then required to access the Follower Menu to give orders and commands. The Follower Menu also allows to reveal statistics and access the Follower Training Menu.

### Calling

In order to call or deploy in a Combat Pet special "Caller Devices" are required. These can all be crafted in the Tech Lab (Devices). Pets may require consumables like "Canned Dog Food" or "Power Cells" (-1 per summon/action).

* Call Animal Companion
* Call Attack Dog
* Deploy Engineer Device

📝 **Note:** There is also the option of summoning "**Altered Mirelurk Eggs**". These can be crafted in the Weapons Lab. Once the player throws these eggs, they will shatter on impact, releasing a Mirelurk spawn. These spawns are stronger than classic mirelurk spawns, but they loose health over time and die after approx. 10 minutes. Mirelurk spawns can't be managed through any device menu but follow when not in combat.

### Command

Device can be used in the Pip-Boy "Aid" tab. Caller devices are consumable items that the player can bind to a keyboard `Key`. Once a device is used, this brings up a menu to allow to pick various pets in each category. The pets available on the menu automatically unlock based on perk ranks, with one rank the player only sees a reduced selection of pets.

Using the device once will bring up the pet selection menu. Using the device twice, quickly double tap your keybind, will automatically summon the last pet again. There's no cooldown on calling/dismssing pets. Pets can be dismissed from the menu but not in combat.

Pets follow the player depending on their preference in the Follower Menu (near, medium, far); mobile pets stay at a certain distance to the player, immobile pets, like turrets, follow the player in sectors or certain distances (these kind of teleport and spawn).

The 3 combat pet menus:
* Dismiss Animal Companions
* *Cannot Dismiss in Combat*
* Dismiss Attack Dogs
* *Cannot Dismiss in Combat*
* Retrieve Engineering Devices
 * Call Trained Mole Rat (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Trained Glowing Mole Rat (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Trained Rad-Rat (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Trained Glowing Rad-Rat (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Attack Dog (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Armored Dog (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Trained Wolf (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Brown German Shepherd (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Silver German Shepherd (-1 Dog Food)
* Call Black German Shepherd (-1 Dog Food)
* Deploy Microtron (Blitz) (-1 Power Cell)
* Deploy Mini-Eyebot (-1 Power Cell)
* Deploy Laser Mini-Turret
* Deploy Microtron (Dozer) (-1 Power Cell)
* Deploy Microtron (Blaze) (-1 Power Cell)
* Deploy Microtron (Frosty) (-1 Power Cell)

### Duration

The duration that combat pets can act in the field depends on the respective perk rank, 5 or 10 minutes duration in the first rank. Generally, each rank adds +5 minutes, with either 20 or 25 minutes max. at rank 4. Specializations do not increase duration. Altered Mirelurk Spawn in short "Lurker", are an exception. Their duration is not limited to perks, etc. but to their lifetime.

### Sustenance

Needed in order to keep Combat Pets, Devices, Robots in the field.

#### Canned Dog Food

Every time a dog or an animal is called in, it requires and consumes 1 Canned Dog Food (). These can be crafted in the Cooking Station from a series of recipes.

#### Engineer Power Cells

Engineer devices and robots use a univeral ammo/power source called Engineer Power Cells (). Every time a certain engeering device is called in, it requires and consumes 1 Power Cell. These cells are batteries for robot pets, and can be crafted in the Tech Lab (Devices) in large quantities (batches of 100 or 1000).

Power Cells are taken directly from the players inventory per shot fired, instead of being transfered to the pet beforehand. Standard projectiles consume 2 Power Cells per shot, and flamethrower type weapons use 1 per tick.

* **Robots** (mobile) require 1 power cell per deployment (this value may change in the future, its low for testing purposes).
* **Turrets** (immobile) do not require power cells per deployment (since they are supposed to be able to deploy/redeploy more often).

📝 **Note:** Running out of power cells will dismiss a robot/turret once it tries to fire. Power cells scale differently than most materials.

### Revival

All pets use a customized version of reviving them when they fall in combat. The new system uses animations for both 1st and 3rd person like the vanilla revival does.

* Dog/Animal pets require an Adrenaline Injector (Chemistry Station > Healing)
* Engineering/Robot devices require an Engineer Repair Kit (Tech Lab > Devices)

Companions/pets will still automatically get up on their own after combat ends. When a companion/pet is Recovering, it will take roughly 5 seconds for them to recover and get up (in combat). This will not work properly if a mod or something else changed the game setting for follower death time. It's recommended to not change this game setting.

📝 **Note:** Crafting Adrenaline Injectors requires 3 rare resources; Mutfruit 2, Brahmin Meat 1, Hubflower 2. Many enemies drop adrenalin injector too.

### Dismissing

Dismissing pets, of the same category, will dismiss all of them closer to the same time.

## Attack Dogs

Animal pets are tied to Attack Dog perk and Canine Handler specialization, which unlocks more dogs in the field (3 canine companions max). Each Attack Dog has different gear, slightly different sizes, resistances and movement speed. A caller device "Call Attack Dog", located in the Tech Lab (Devices), is required to summon dogs. Every dog summoned requires Canned Dog Food (Cooking Station > Ingredients & Tools).

## Animal Pets

Animal pets are tied to Animal Friend perk and Beast Master specialization, which unlocks more animals in the field (3 animal companions max). A caller device "Call Animal Friend", located in the Tech Lab (Devices), is required to summon animal pets. Every animal summoned requires Canned Dog Food (Cooking Station > Ingredients & Tools).

Animal Pets can't be used at the same time as Attack Dogs.[*citation needed*]

## Engineering Devices

Engineering devices are tied to Robotics Expert perk and Combat Engineer specialization, which unlocks more devices in the field (3 devices max). A caller device "Deploy Engineer Device", located in the Tech Lab (Devices), is required to summon engineering devices.

* Certain engineering devices require "Engineer Power Cells" (Tech Lab > Devices) or "Power Cells" the term used in the devices menu.
* Repairing engineering devices require "Engineer Repair Kit" (Tech Lab > Devices)
* Double-tapping the device key while the maximum devices are already out, will dismiss turrets (only). This allows to pick up turrets easier, without dismissing mobile robot(s).
* Flamethrower type weapons are usually less cost-effective, but can usually deal higher dps

## Developer Notes

* Engineering pets will no longer be overly tanky anymore, however I'd like to hear feedback on how fairly balanced you feel they are now.
* Micro-Protectrons don't inherently take -90% damage on their body. use different body part reduction as standard ones.

## Technical Issues

🌀 *The content below transcludes to Technical Issues.*
* Attack Dog: The low-res textures will look really bad up close, but I'm not sure if this is for LOD or for low quality video settings?
* Mirelurk Spawns: Sometimes the corpses of the spawns look like they are still alive. Its probably based on vanilla engine.
* Combat pets are defined as "Followers", whereas "Companions" are not defined as "Followers" in terms of their navigation in the Field Kit.

## See Also

* Follower Menu
* Companions
* Wilson
* Tech Lab
* Cooking Station
* Chemistry Station
* Weapons Lab
* Robot Workbench