Choosing Inez’s Graft: Crabble Claw or Raptidon Fin? A Critical Analysis for Your Outer Worlds 2 Playthrough

The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian Entertainment’s latest venture into the satirical, corporate-dominated Halcyon Colony, continues the tradition of meaningful player choices—and few decisions are as immediate and impactful as the one concerning your newest companion, Inez Silang. Recruited from the Enhanced Soldier Division of the omnipresent Auntie’s Choice faction, Inez suffers from a faulty, bio-engineered graft that is slowly killing her. Her personal quest, “Better Than Nature,” forces you to play bio-engineer, choosing a replacement graft: the aggressive Crabble Claw or the supportive Raptidon Fin. This choice fundamentally alters Inez’s combat role, a high-stakes decision for any captain focused on maximizing their damage per second (DPS) or ensuring maximum sustainability on the perilous frontier.

Recent news and in-game data confirm that both options provide a permanent, unchangeable upgrade to Inez’s Companion Ability, “The Magic Bullet,” making this a critical choice for your long-term character build and squad synergy. With the game’s latest patches emphasizing the difficulty of late-game content and the permanent nature of companion changes, choosing wisely is more important than ever.

The Crabble Claw Graft: Unleashing Lethal Damage

For players who prefer an aggressive, high-risk, high-reward combat strategy, the Crabble Claw is the optimal graft. This option leans into Inez’s background as a former combat medic, giving her a potent offensive ability that excels at armor penetration and area denial. The required sample, typically obtained from a powerful Skeleton Crabble, imbues her with a raw, predatory combat edge.

• Lethal Graft Research Upgrade: This is the primary draw for the Crabble path. It transforms Inez’s “The Magic Bullet” into an ability that fires a volley of superheated plasma shards at a single target. Crucially, the initial shot leaves a lingering pool of plasma that continues to deal significant damage over time (DOT) to any enemies caught in its radius.
• Focus on Offense: The Crabble Claw path is tailor-made for Captains who are already handling the main healing duties or who rely on other companions (such as VAL or Niles with specific builds) for support. This choice effectively turns Inez into a dedicated shredder, perfect for quickly dismantling heavily-armored foes like Auntie’s Choice Enforcers or particularly resilient Raptidon Matriarchs.
• Best for: Aggressive players, Melee builds that need distant support, and teams lacking dedicated armor-shredding capability. Choosing this path gives a direct, measurable boost to your party’s overall DPS.

The Raptidon Fin Graft: Enhancing Party Sustainability

Conversely, the Raptidon Fin graft provides a more defensive, support-focused role, significantly enhancing Inez’s existing—though initially disabled—medic capabilities. Sourcing the necessary biomass from a Raptidon Matriarch, this graft taps into the creature’s natural camouflage and defensive secretions, transforming Inez into a potent, battlefield-stabilizing asset.

• Medical Graft Research Upgrade: This option modifies “The Magic Bullet” to trigger a stealth-based healing sequence. Inez will temporarily cloak, becoming undetectable, and move to your position to deploy a canister of healing mist. This mist will rapidly heal you and any nearby companions, effectively creating a mobile, combat-zone medical station.
• Synergy with Tank Builds: The Raptidon path is an excellent choice for players struggling with high incoming damage or for those running a tank-focused build that requires constant healing to maintain aggro. Furthermore, the higher-level upgrades influenced by the Raptidon graft often include bonuses to accuracy and damage for allies standing in the mist, turning the defensive position into a subtle, tactical offensive boon.
• Clinging Mist: High-level Raptidon-influenced perks even allow the healing mist to “cling” to party members, continuing to regenerate health for a short duration even after they leave the initial area. This massively increases the utility and forgiveness of the ability.
• Best for: Defensive players, builds focused on crowd control, and teams where the player character frequently takes focus fire. It provides invaluable health regeneration and utility, making tough encounters far more manageable.

The Verdict: Strategic Synergy is Key to Success

The choice between the Crabble Claw and the Raptidon Fin for Inez’s graft is not a matter of “right” or “wrong,” but a crucial element of team composition and strategic synergy. To make the most financially viable and powerful choice, Captains must analyze their existing squad and personal playstyle:

• If your squad is already heavy on support: For example, if you frequently run with VAL for drone healing or other companions with strong debuffs, the Crabble Claw is the clear choice. The boost to raw DPS and armor shredding capability fills a vital niche, providing immediate return on investment in difficult combat scenarios.
• If you need more survivability and battlefield control: If you find yourself chewing through med-kits or getting overwhelmed by simultaneous enemy attacks, the Raptidon Fin is the superior option. The cloaking and persistent healing mist greatly enhance your team’s combat longevity and provide a much-needed lifeline in critical moments. This path reduces the cost of consumables over time.

In summary, the Crabble Claw offers an aggressive damage boost, while the Raptidon Fin provides invaluable sustainability and utility. In the harsh, unforgiving star system of Outer Worlds 2, this decision shapes Inez’s destiny and, quite possibly, the fate of your entire crew. Choose the path that best supports your captain’s voyage for the ultimate gaming experience and maximum profitability.