Players face one of Outer Worlds 2’s trickiest early-game choices with Inez’s graft: the Crabble Claw or the Raptidon Fin. Each option transforms her combat style and companion synergy in unexpected ways-but which one truly elevates your crew’s performance?
What does Inez’s graft do in The Outer Worlds 2?
Inez’s graft in The Outer Worlds 2 enhances her combat abilities by providing unique bonuses depending on the choice you make. It can boost her offensive power, improve survivability, or offer utility advantages in battles. Selecting the right graft tailored to your playstyle or party needs can significantly impact her effectiveness as a companion.
Getting either graft option during “Better than Nature” requires you to defeat a powerful monster – a giant, bone-white crabble at the Mysterious Cave for the claw or a Raptidon Matriarch for the fin. You can get both parts, and the game marks both monsters on your map, but The Outer Worlds 2 only lets you choose one to fix Inez’s graft. The choice is permanent and cannot be reversed.
Choosing a graft unlocks Inez’s skill tree, where you can pick a new skill every five levels. This is the only way for Inez to gain a skill and do anything other than fire her rifle during combat, so if you plan on having her accompany you, it’s a good idea to complete this mission as soon as possible. Fixing Inez’s graft does not grant you a mod kit for changing how her skills work in battle. That happens much later, after you receive a recorded message from her former companion on the Auntie’s Choice flagship.
The Crabble Claw has two basic functions. It fires plasma balls, the same as the crabble spitters who’ve plagued your time on Paradise Island so far, and it wears down an enemy’s armor more quickly than standard weapons do. Plasma impacts also stack and cause enemies to take extra burn damage over time.
The Raptidon Fin also has two functions. It lets Inez turn invisible for a brief time. That doesn’t matter much in terms of enemies discovering you during stealth segments, since they never pay attention to your companions. However, it does mean she can slip away during combat without enemies following her, which lets her survive a bit longer without you having to revive her. More importantly, the Raptidon Fin lets Inez heal you, something no other companion aside from VALERIE can do.
Should you pick the Crabble Claw or Raptidon Fin for Inez?
Choosing between the Crabble Claw and Raptidon Fin for Inez’s graft in Outer Worlds 2 depends on your playstyle and strategic needs. The Crabble Claw offers enhanced combat capabilities with increased melee damage and durability, ideal for close-quarters fights. On the other hand, the Raptidon Fin boosts agility and speed, making Inez quicker and better at evading attacks. Consider whether you want a tougher frontline ally or a swift, evasive fighter to complement your team dynamics.
We recommend choosing the Raptidon Fin. The Crabble Claw seems like an excellent choice, but in our experience, the base plasma damage and the burn damage-over-time effect are quite low, even when Inez is at higher levels. Unless you’re specializing in Leadership and perks that let companions use their abilities more often, it’s just not much of a game changer. You also have plenty of ways to reduce armor more quickly and effectively on your own, like using a Bio-Mass Pistol. Its corrosion damage practically evaporates armor, and the pistol’s high rate-of-fire means you’re able to reduce armor much more quickly than Inez can with her skill.
That said, fighting the skeletal crabble is the only way to fully interact with the machinery in the Mysterious Cave. Inez will activate the sound system and blare crabble sounds from the speaker when you’re ready, neither of which requires you to pass a skill check.
VAL is the only other companion who can heal you, which automatically makes the Raptidon Fin more valuable. You can pair Inez with VAL and have a ready source of non-toxic healing in combat, handy if you’ve crashed out on the inhaler or need to conserve charges. Or if you aren’t keen on keeping VAL around and want to use another companion, you’re not missing out on a healer.
Later updates for both mutations unlocked through the skill tree improve their capabilities, but don’t drastically change them. The Crabble Claw, for example, will leave a pool of plasma that damages any enemy who comes into contact with it, while the Raptidon Fin generates a cloud of healing mist. They’re helpful upgrades, but they don’t drastically change how either graft works. They just make the effect bigger.
-Which graft makes Inez better as a support vs damage dealer
The Crabble Claw graft makes Inez a stronger damage dealer by giving her plasma-infused attacks that shred armor and deal burn damage over time. If you want Inez focused on dealing more direct combat damage, especially against tougher armored enemies, pick Crabble Claw.
The Raptidon Fin graft makes Inez a better support character by giving her healing abilities and utility options like camouflage. With this graft, she can heal the party and provide ongoing combat support, making her invaluable if your team lacks another strong healer or support companion.
In summary:
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Crabble Claw: Damage dealer (plasma attacks, armor shredding).
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Raptidon Fin: Support role (healing mist, utility skills).
Best playstyle for Inez with the Crabble Graft
The best playstyle for Inez with the Crabble Graft is aggressive, focusing on maximizing her offensive abilities and using her armor-piercing plasma attacks to weaken tougher enemies for your squad.
Key Playstyle Tips
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Keep Inez positioned to target enemies with her plasma volley, which efficiently shreds armor before your main damage dealers finish them off.
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Activate Inez’s companion ability to take advantage of burn-over-time effects; this is especially effective against heavily armored foes.
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Build Inez’s skill tree towards offensive perks, such as boosting plasma damage, armor penetration, and area-of-effect abilities if available.
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Pair Inez with tanky or healing companions so she can stay on the front lines, dealing damage instead of worrying about party survival.
Recommended Team Strategy
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Use Inez as a ranged damage dealer and debuff specialist, opening encounters with her shell shards to strip enemy defenses.
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Rely on other companions for utility and healing, as the Crabble Graft won’t boost Inez’s support skills.
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Focus on fast, coordinated attacks to take advantage of enemies that have been debuffed by her plasma pools or armor-shredding rounds.
This playstyle is ideal for players who prefer direct damage and tactical combat, especially in parties already equipped with a primary healer or support companion.
