Given that Palworld is a survival game (and a great one at that), it comes as no surprise that a lot of your time will be spent fighting everything the world throws at you.
Now, while it is tempting to just jump into the stats and see what the strongest attack is and who has it, that’s a reductionist approach to Palworld combat.
This guide on the best combat pals lists the top brawlers in game in a practical context. Some of them are indeed solo heroes; others are unimpressive at first glance but are such good team players that it would be silly not to have them.
Orserk
Orserk is not quite a top-tier pal in the endgame, but this beast packs a versatile move set and, most importantly, is unmatched at collecting pal fluid.
Orserk’s best attacks are a mix of ranged and AOE, and if you need someone to dish out electric pain, this should be your pick.
Knocklem
At a base level, Knocklem is a solid combat pal that works well with the fighting stalwarts like Demon God, Musclehead, and Serenity, but where it really shines is as a carry pal.
If you set your party up with two Knocklems, you can have Steel Guardian Mode be up round the clock, adding an insane bonus to both attack and defence.
Bellanoir
Once you start processing the generational trauma of that one Bellanoir raid fight, she’s a great addition to your team, but with some nuances.
Bellanoir has one of the most powerful attacks in game, but she is also a bit of a glass cannon. She’s the strongest in expeditions or raids, since she is fairly self-sufficient, but expect to struggle in tower bosses that won’t go down as easily. Breeding one is also a minor nightmare, given that the gender ratio is skewed 90/10.
Gobfin
This one might seem out of pocket, but bear with me for a second. Although Gobfin is not worth writing home about alone, if you build a party that’s all Gobfin plus one Frostallion, you get a ridiculously strong DPS build.
Getting the combat flow right requires some finessing, but Gobfin’s attacking prowess scales up nicely with gear and works with a wide range of passives so you can tailor it to your fighting style.
Splatterina
When talking melee in particular, Splatterina with Rockburst is one of the best pals in business. Since Rockburst doesn’t have a minimum range, it doesn’t need to step back before following through, so you get to keep constant pressure on enemies.
This requires some micromanaging when fighting bosses who like to reposition often, but when paired with other pals with ranged or dash attacks, it works like a charm.
Blazamut
Few pals are as undimensional as Blazamut, but it’s hard to get mad when you have this good of a combat specialist pal.
Set Blazamut up with Musclehead, and have a think if you want to sacrifice room for Eternal Flame or prefer a more balanced build. The 30% boost to fire damage is useful, but mind the elemental affinities.
Shadowbeak
If you need a reliable end-game combat pal, I can’t recommend Shadowbeak enough. Starting at level 30, every new active skill learned has at least 100 power (topping out at 170 with Divine Disaster II at level 55), and you get a good selection of passives to play with.
Broadly speaking, Serenity is the most important one here, together with Legend. Everything else is up to taste, and the good thing is, it’s physically impossible to have a bad Shadowbeak build for combat.
Shaolong
Shaolong made the cut in the 1.0 release, and has made a lot of friends happy and enemies miserable since arriving, especially since its Comet Strike attack (110 power) unlocks fairly early at level 15.
Boasting a mix of speed, armed mounting, and powerful unique attacks, it is also a good team player since its Azure Sovereign partner skill gives a 4% attack boost to dragon pals in your party.
Just be ready for a challenge if you want to use Shaolong, as the journey to the Shaolong tower is a perilous one.
