Look, the final push in Baldur's Gate 3 is a mess. It’s a beautiful, chaotic, stressful mess. You’ve spent over a hundred hours making choices, saving NPCs, and probably accidentally killing a few people you shouldn’t have. Now, you’re standing in High Hall, staring down an Absolute nightmare, and you realize you have a special button on your hotbar. Call Forth Allies BG3 is basically Larian’s way of rewarding you for not being a total jerk for three acts straight. Or, if you were a jerk, it’s where you see the few terrifying people who actually liked your brand of evil.
But here’s the thing. Most players treat this like a "win button." It isn't. If you summon the wrong group at the wrong time, they’ll get wiped in two turns, and you’ll have wasted a valuable action. You need to know who to call, when to call them, and why some of these "allies" are honestly kind of useless compared to others.
The Mechanics of Gathering Your Crew
The quest "Gather Your Allies" is the longest-running thread in the game. It starts the moment you help Zevlor in Act 1 and doesn't stop until you’re literally climbing the Brain. Every time you complete a major side quest, the game checks a box. Saved the Grove? That’s a check. Convinced Dame Aylin she isn’t a battery? Another check. These checks culminate in the Call Forth Allies ability.
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When you use it, you aren't just summoning a single NPC. Usually, you’re bringing in a squad or a massive AOE strike. It uses an action. That’s a huge deal in the final fight where action economy is everything.
Why your choices in Act 1 and 2 finally bite back
If you ignored the Tieflings or let the Shadow Curse claim everyone at Last Light Inn, your "Call Forth Allies" menu is going to look pretty depressing. You might just have a few Harper stragglers. However, if you played your cards right, you’ll have a literal army. The nuance here is that not all allies appear as physical units. Some, like Rolan or the Gur, provide passive buffs or long-range artillery support.
Who Are the Best Allies to Summon?
Honestly, some allies are just built different. You want the ones that can tank hits or provide massive crowd control. The final battle is a war of attrition. You’re being swarmed by Mind Flayers, Intellect Devourers, and high-level Banites. You need distractions.
Dame Aylin (The Nightsong)
She is the MVP. Period. Aylin is an immortal celestial who hits like a freight train. If she "dies," she just gets back up after a turn. In a fight where you need to keep the heat off your main party while you channel the stones, having an unkillable paladin is a literal godsend. Just don't expect her to be subtle. She flies in, screams about justice, and smashes things.
Strange Ox
Did you keep the weird cow alive through all three acts? I hope so. If you helped the Strange Ox reach the city, he becomes one of the most versatile summons in the game. He can shift into a beefy ooze or a minotaur. He’s got a massive health pool. He’s weirdly loyal for a pile of sentient slime.
The Hellriders / Zevlor’s Squad
If you saved Zevlor from the Mind Flayer colony, he brings a group of paladins. They are solid frontline tanks. They aren't going to solo the dragon, but they’ll hold the line against the smaller mobs while you focus on the bigger threats.
The heavy hitters you might have missed
- Viconia’s Sharrans: If you betrayed Shadowheart (you monster) or convinced her to lead the enclave, you get Sharrans. They use Darkness. This can be a double-edged sword because it messes with your line of sight too.
- The Ironhand Gnomes: Wulbren is a jerk, but his bombs are no joke. They provide a massive explosion call-in that clears out the chaff.
- Yurgir: If you convinced the Orthon to kill himself in Act 2 and then helped him (or tricked him) in Act 3, he’ll show up. He stays invisible and deals massive burst damage. He’s great for taking out the annoying casters on the ramparts.
Strategic Timing: Don't Blow Your Load Early
The climb to the Netherbrain is divided into stages. You have the initial courtyard brawl, the climb up the tower, and then the final confrontation on top of the brain itself. A common mistake is summoning everyone in the courtyard.
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Bad idea. The courtyard is a resource sink. You want to use one or two "disposable" groups here. Use the Harpers or the City Watch. They’re basically fodder. Save your heavy hitters like the Silver Shield Knights or Mizora for the tower climb or the final platform.
Managing the "Action Economy" cost
Summoning takes an action. If your Sorcerer spends their turn summoning a group of skeletons instead of casting a Level 6 Chain Lightning, you might actually be losing ground. The best time to summon is during the first turn of a new encounter area. Get the bodies on the floor early so the enemies target them instead of your party.
Once you reach the top of the Netherbrain, the rules change. You have a limited number of turns before the platforms start disappearing. Summons here are mostly useful for blocking the "Counterspell" reactions of the Mind Flayers. You don't need them to kill things; you need them to be targets.
Misconceptions About Call Forth Allies BG3
A lot of people think that if an ally dies in the final battle, they’re gone from the ending cutscenes. That's not actually how it works for most of them. They are "summons" in the mechanical sense. If Dame Aylin goes down in the courtyard, she’ll still show up at the party (assuming you won).
Another big myth? That you need every single ally to win. You don't. You can win the game with zero allies. It’s just much, much harder. The game scales, but not enough to make a "no-ally" run impossible. It just feels lonelier.
The "Hidden" Allies
There are a few weird ones. If you made a deal with Raphael... well, you probably don't have him as an ally because you likely killed him for his armor. But if you somehow kept him on your side, his boons are incredible. Similarly, Arabella’s "Weave" buff is a passive that helps you stay alive, rather than a unit you place on the map. Pay attention to your buff bar. Some allies are helping you behind the scenes without ever swinging a sword.
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The Dark Urge and Evil Run Variations
Playing as the Dark Urge changes the flavor of your reinforcements significantly. If you accepted Bhaal’s gift, you get the "Slayer" boons and the support of the Cult of Bhaal. Instead of noble knights, you’re calling in literal assassins who go invisible and gut people.
It’s actually a very efficient way to play. The Bhaalist allies have a high critical hit rate. They don't have the staying power of the Iron Flask spectator or the Owlbear cub (who is a massive armored beast now, by the way), but they end fights fast.
Speaking of the Owlbear Cub, if you didn't get him the armor from Dammon, he’s a bit of a glass cannon. But if you did? He’s a tank. Seeing that little guy you rescued from a cave all grown up and wearing plate mail is probably the most rewarding moment in the game.
How to Maximize the Call Forth Allies Ability
To get the most out of your army, you need to think like a commander, not just a brawler.
- Check your passives. Some allies give you "Aura of Protection" or similar buffs just for being "present" in the final questline.
- Space them out. Don't drop all your summons in one cluster. One well-placed "Fireball" from an enemy caster will delete your entire support squad.
- Target the Casters. Use your high-mobility summons (like the Winged Horrors if you have them) to fly to the backlines. The enemies on the ramparts are the ones who will kill you with Magic Missile and Slow.
- The Dragon Distraction. There is a giant red dragon. Do not send your squishy Harpers at the dragon. Send Dame Aylin or the Strange Ox. They can take the breath weapon and keep ticking.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Final Run
Before you click that crown and start the end sequence, do a quick inventory check.
- Visit Dammon one last time: Make sure you’ve traded all your Infernal Iron. He provides gear for your allies that makes them significantly more durable.
- Complete the "Gather Your Allies" journal: Open your quest log. If there are names missing that you know you could have saved, it might be worth backtracking to a save file from a few hours ago if you’re struggling with the final fight.
- Check your hotbars: Sometimes the "Call Forth Allies" icon gets buried under a pile of scrolls and potions. Drag it to a dedicated spot on your custom bar. You don't want to be hunting for it while a dragon is breathing down your neck.
- Rest Up: Ensure you take that final "Long Rest" at the High Hall. You get a special area to recover everything. Use it. You can't summon allies if you’re out of high-level spell slots because you’ll be too busy trying to stay alive.
The final battle is the culmination of every "Yes" or "No" you uttered in the last 60 hours. Use your allies wisely, keep your squishies behind the tanks, and remember that in Baldur's Gate 3, a well-placed summon is worth more than a dozen Critical Hits.