Handler is a flexible Remnant II archetype built around a companion dog: choose Guard Dog for mitigation and threat control, Support Dog for healing, or Attack Dog for damage. Its perks also bring movement, damage, and revive support, so the right setup depends on whether you are playing solo or filling a specific need in co-op—not on a single universally best build.
What the Handler brings to a build
Handler’s companion contributes in combat and can support the team, including helping revive allies. That makes the archetype more than a pet-damage option: it can contribute personal damage, sustain, mitigation, movement, and revive utility. The official Epic Games Store class guide describes the companion and its ally-revive role.
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Build around the job you want the dog to do and the support your group already has. For solo play, prioritize the effect that best complements your own survival or damage. In co-op, consider whether the team needs healing, mitigation, or another damage contribution.
Choose a Handler skill by the job you need done
The community-maintained Handler reference describes three active companion skills. Treat these as role choices rather than a ranked list: each emphasizes a different benefit.
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- Intense Remnant Combat Experience - A mix of methodical and frenetic ranged/melee combat returns with cunning enemies and large scale boss battles. Choose specific gear and weapons to optimize for the different biomes and battles ahead. Bosses will bring high-level players to team up to overcome the challenge and try to obtain the biggest rewards
- New Worlds to Explore - Players can travel alone or with friends as a team through strange new worlds and beyond, overrun by mythical creatures and deadly foes while trying to stay alive. There are multiple worlds to explore with different types of creatures, weapons, and items. Utilize and upgrade discovered items to take on tougher challenges
- Endless Replayability - Branching quest lines, augments, crafting, and loot rewards will test the resolve of even the most hardened players in dynamically generated dungeons and areas. Playthroughs will feel challenging, varied, and rewarding as players succeed against unrelenting odds. Various stories are woven throughout the different worlds, encouraging exploration and multiple revisits
- New Archetypical Progression - Expanded Archetype system provides players with unique passive bonuses and stunning powers. Multiple Archetypes can be unlocked during play, leveled up, and equipped together for a variety of play styles
| Skill | Primary role | What it does | When to consider it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guard Dog | Mitigation and control | The dog generates additional threat; its howl reduces damage to allies. | When you want help drawing pressure or reducing incoming damage for the group. |
| Support Dog | Healing and mobility | The dog heals nearby allies; its howl provides healing and movement speed. | When you or your team value nearby sustain and the howl’s movement benefit. |
| Attack Dog | Damage | The skill increases companion damage; its howl increases team damage. | When your setup needs more offensive contribution from the companion and party. |
For a solo Handler, Support Dog is a reasonable choice if sustain is your priority, while Attack Dog suits a damage-focused plan. In a co-op group, choose Guard Dog when mitigation is more useful than additional healing, or Support Dog when the team benefits from sustain. Those are role-based recommendations drawn from the listed effects, not a tested ranking.
Handler perks and what they mean for play
Handler’s perks reward different kinds of cooperation between the player and companion. The values below are from a community-maintained reference and may not match every current game version; check your installed game’s descriptions if a value differs.
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- Bonded (Prime Perk): The companion can attempt to revive the Handler. The reference also says you can command it to revive a downed ally who has a Relic charge. This is conditional support, not an unlimited source of revives.
- Pack Hunter: Provides damage and critical-chance benefits while the companion remains within 40 meters, according to the reference. It makes keeping the dog nearby relevant to this damage-oriented perk.
- Spirit of the Wolf: Adds movement and team utility, reinforcing Handler’s usefulness beyond direct damage.
- Teamwork: Supports revive speed and protection during revives, useful when the party’s plan depends on recovering downed teammates.
- Best Friend: Provides a companion benefit triggered by using a Relic, adding another link between the player’s survival tools and the dog.
Together, these perks support a flexible role: the dog can contribute to offense or support while Handler’s other benefits help with movement and revives. Consider how often your plan depends on the companion staying close, particularly when relying on Pack Hunter.
How to choose a secondary archetype
No current, tested ranking establishes one secondary archetype as the best Handler pairing. Choose the second archetype to fill a defined gap in your build rather than following a universal combination.
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- Intense Remnant Combat Experience - A mix of methodical and frenetic ranged/melee combat returns with cunning enemies and large scale boss battles. Choose specific gear and weapons to optimize for the different biomes and battles ahead. Bosses will bring high-level players to team up to overcome the challenge and try to obtain the biggest rewards
- New Worlds to Explore - Players can travel alone or with friends as a team through strange new worlds and beyond, overrun by mythical creatures and deadly foes while trying to stay alive. There are multiple worlds to explore with different types of creatures, weapons, and items. Utilize and upgrade discovered items to take on tougher challenges
- Endless Replayability - Branching quest lines, augments, crafting, and loot rewards will test the resolve of even the most hardened players in dynamically generated dungeons and areas. Playthroughs will feel challenging, varied, and rewarding as players succeed against unrelenting odds. Various stories are woven throughout the different worlds, encouraging exploration and multiple revisits
- New Archetypical Progression - Expanded Archetype system provides players with unique passive bonuses and stunning powers. Multiple Archetypes can be unlocked during play, leveled up, and equipped together for a variety of play styles
| Your build goal | What to seek from the secondary archetype | How it complements Handler |
|---|---|---|
| More damage | Additional offensive contribution for the player. | Pairs a player-focused damage role with whichever dog skill best suits the team. |
| More defense | Personal or team survivability. | Can complement Guard Dog’s mitigation or provide a defensive layer when using another dog role. |
| Healing and support | More sustain or utility for the group. | Can reinforce Support Dog, or leave the dog free to take a different role. |
| Summon synergy | Benefits that fit a companion- or summon-centered approach. | Keeps the build focused on allied entities without assuming a particular pairing is superior. |
Use your intended role, solo or co-op context, and how much you rely on the dog being nearby to make the choice. The available references support these comparison factors but do not establish a best-in-slot secondary archetype.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Version notes and checking skill behavior
Handler mechanics have received fixes in patches, so older descriptions may not reflect the behavior in a later build. Gunfire Games’ February 28, 2024 patch notes say a Support Dog issue that caused it to heal for the wrong value was fixed. The official Remnant II Steam announcement archive includes an October 17, 2024 entry recording a Handler skill cooldown fix.
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- A mix of methodical and frenetic ranged/melee combat returns with cunning enemies and large scale boss battles. Choose specific gear and weapons to optimize for the different biomes and battles ahead. Bosses will bring high-level players to team up to overcome the challenge and try to obtain the biggest rewards
- Players can travel alone or with friends as a team through strange new worlds and beyond, overrun by mythical creatures and deadly foes while trying to stay alive. There are multiple worlds to explore with different types of creatures, weapons, and items. Utilize and upgrade discovered items to take on tougher challenges
- Branching quest lines, augments, crafting, and loot rewards will test the resolve of even the most hardened players in dynamically generated dungeons and areas. Playthroughs will feel challenging, varied, and rewarding as players succeed against unrelenting odds. Various stories are woven throughout the different worlds, encouraging exploration and multiple revisits
- Expanded Archetype system provides players with unique passive bonuses and stunning powers. Multiple Archetypes can be unlocked during play, leveled up, and equipped together for a variety of play styles
These are examples of changes, not a complete audit of every update. If an exact value or behavior matters to your build, compare the skill and perk descriptions in your installed game with the latest official patch notes rather than treating community-reference numbers as guaranteed current.
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