Diablo 4‘s Season of the Construct has brought new seasonal mechanics into the mix, with the biggest being the new Seneschal Companions, robot allies who aid you in battle with the help of Governing and Tuning Stones.
Governing Stones give your companion their abilities, and naturally, some will be more powerful or desirable than others, so we’ve taken the time to put this tier list together and rank each of the Governing Stones from best to worst. That way, you can get the most out of your new robotic friend.
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Best Governing Stones in Diablo 4 Season of the Construct
Like other lists we’ve done for Diablo 4, you should take this list as a suggestion and not gospel since you could find a way to use any of these effectively, depending on playstyle and your preferred class. That said, this list should serve as a good indicator of some of the better options you might want to consider as you tackle Season of the Construct.
S Tier
Tempest
Tempest is easily one of the top picks for your Seneschal Companions in Season of the Construct, thanks to its scaling potential, which can lead to some huge damage that spreads quickly.
This stone sees your companion fire an electric charge into enemies, dealing damage every second and increasing over time. When the enemy dies, the effect passes to another enemy with more damage and time, and this continues growing ever stronger. Coupled with a damage-type Tuning Stone or some extra Critical Chance, this easily sits at the top of the food chain and should be one of the main stones you consider us.
Gyrate
Gyrate sees your Companion spin and whirl its legs and attack surrounding enemies, and naturally, any stone that can damage multiple enemies is worthwhile.
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With Gyrate, this is the case, as combined with some good choices of Tuning Stones, such as Arcing for more enemies hit, Breaking to remove Barriers, and any Damage Type options can make this a compelling option. It also sports a short cooldown, so you’ll see its effects and damage frequently, which is always a plus. It’s a solid option for most content and easily one of the best stones currently in the game.
Pummel
This move sees your companion quickly attack a single enemy for moderate damage. With the quickest cooldown and potential for some effective DoT and buff uptime, Pummel earns its spot in the top tiers of Governing Stones.
Coupled with an AoE attack for the second stone, this can make for a powerful damage-dealing build with a lot of variety and versatility for Diablo 4‘s content and serves as one of the central damage stones you should be consistently using.
Flash of Adrenaline
Unlike the other top-tier Governing Stones, this one isn’t an attack but rather a very helpful buff. This stone grants your character an increase to their damage for eight seconds and is a clear, high-end choice for squeezing as much damage as you can out of your build.
When used with Duration and Tactical Tuning Stones, this can become a more permanent buff, making you more deadly. If you happen to get the Genesis Unique Tuning Stone, with its increased effectiveness and equipped skills, you’ll see this become a massive boon for any build and playstyle.
A Tier
Focus Fire
This attack sees your Construct channel a fire ray into enemies, bouncing between a few for damage over time, and can be made even more effective with the help of certain Tuning Stones like Arcing to extend its reach.
It is a strong choice and one that can be helpful when running Nightmare Dungeons or Vaults, but it is just shy of reaching the top tier due to the more versatile options from the S-tier offerings
Bushwack
Bushwack is a great option that works similarly to Pummel, with an ambush attack that can hit two enemies or a single enemy multiple times. While it is an excellent cleave and single target option, its slightly weaker damage prevents it from hitting the top spots, but with some well-chosen Tuning Stones, this is still a very practical choice.
Protect
Easily the best defensive offering, this stone provides you with a protective Barrier equal to a portion of our maximum health, making it a top defensive option to help the more squishy classes last a little longer in battle.
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Coupled with Duration and Tactical, this effect can take hold more often and become a powerful tool that helps keep you in the fight longer. It is one players should consider as they get towards the endgame content and higher levels.
Lighting Bolt
Like Tempest, this attack sees your companion launch a lighting bot at an enemy and jump to another for some of the damage. If used with stones like Arcing or Registered, this can be a power, quick magic attack.
However, where this one lacks the spreading and scaling seen in Tempest, it puts it a little lower in the food chain, but it is still a viable option.
B Tier
Firefly
Firefly sees your construct deploy a smaller Construct that lands on an enemy and explodes three times, dealing damage with each explosion. While it can be viable, it doesn’t offer the same level of consistent damage that others like Tempest and Pummel offer on this list and, therefore, finds itself in the lower tiers.
Impale
While this shares a similar cooldown to Pummel, its attack is directed in a straight line and may not have quite the same chance to hit multiple enemies as others on this list.
Additionally, with the Tuning Stones available, other melee-focused stones will see more benefit and usage than this option, hence its lower spot.
C Tier
Reconstruct
The second major healing and support stone, this channels a healing beam into the player and heals the player for a portion of health over time. However, compared to Protect’s defensive capabilities and the abilities classes inherently have, this doesn’t offer much benefit that warrants the Governing Stone slot.
Autodefense
On paper, this may sound like a worthwhile options, as its anti projectile field could be helpful. However, it has some limitations that make it a harder choice when compared to others on this list.
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For one, this ability has a rather lengthy cooldown, even when reduced, and it also doesn’t work when facing boss characters, making it a bit redundant in certain content. Additionally, this ability is triggered on the construct, not the player, meaning it could be placed in awkward positions that make it harder to utilize. Considering that, it is hard to justify picking it over other options.
