No, he is a strong enough warrior. One of the strongest in the group. Of course, Tsukiko (or another samurai) completely overshadows him, no contest, but these are just minor details. In the sewers, we sent him to guard the lever only because my character could heal. As a combat unit, Halmeldir is much more dangerous than Alaria.
By the way, Revan, a couple of questions about the "Challenge" task:
1) Is this ability considered a "Mind Influence" ability, with all the consequences, such as special artifacts that protect against it? After all, this is not a supernatural manipulation of thoughts, but simply the ability to shout an insult loudly.
2) Does it force the target to attack my character, and if so, how long does this effect last?
3) Can a person under the influence attack in any way, or can they not use abilities? What about stealth?
Where do we end up when we save the world?