Template:Animal Companion strategy
Animal Companion randomly summons either 
Misha, Leokk or Huffer, each uncollectible 3-cost Beast minions. Although you cannot choose or predict which minion will be summoned, all three are more mana-efficient than collectible 3-mana minions. They maintain their mana efficiency if "returned" to your hand, since each can be summoned back for 3 mana.
This spell can be used to obtain early board presence and apply pressure to your opponent, forcing them to deal with these early threats. Since these minions are all beasts, they also synergize with the various hunter cards that benefit from having beasts in play, such as Scavenging Hyena, Kill Command, 
Stablemaster or even Ram Wrangler.
As a spell, Animal Companion is able to serve to maintain board presence when playing Spell Hunter.
Call of the Wild is a more powerful but more expensive alternative means of summoning the companions.
Huffer
Huffer is versatile and can be useful in almost any situation. Huffer is very efficient at outputting damage and can pose an enormous threat to a slower deck. Paired with Houndmaster the next turn, Huffer can efficiently get rid of its issue with low health. In wild, 
Crackling Razormaw can offer significant bonuses which fit into Huffer's style of play very much, with Rocky Carapace eliminating the possible health weakness which the opponent can take advantage of to make better trades, Lightning Speed not only increases Huffer's damage output, but also adds a bonus to all future buffs, while Crackling Shield can protect Huffer from a trade to gain tempo.
Huffer is more efficient than Wolfrider, as they both cost 3 mana and have Charge, but Huffer has +1/+1 in stats when compared to Wolfrider.
Leokk
Leokk is the most situational out of the three animal companions. Leokk is only useful when multiple other minions are controlled at the same time. Leokk's aura is most beneficial to large amounts of small minions, most notably, Leokk can help kill large minions with Unleash the Hounds, 
Springpaw, and Snakes from Snake Trap. In an beast focused deck, Leokk can help serve the purpose of Timber Wolf, just at a higher cost and with a sturdier body. Leokk is generally not efficient at trading, but it can do the job in the early game, being able to efficiently trade into minions such as Sorcerer's Apprentice, Acidic Swamp Ooze, and Flame Imp, but is very vulnerable if played later than turn 3, as popular minions such as Kirin Tor Mage, Spellbreaker, Houndmaster, and Twilight Drake can all kill Leokk while still leaving a threatening body on the field, thus, protecting Leokk later on in the game can be quite beneficial.
Leokk is more efficient than Raid Leader as they both cost 3 mana and grant other friendly minions +1 attack, but Leokk has +1 health in stats when compared to Raid Leader.
Misha
Misha is one of the most efficient 3-drops in the game: it is very favorable when trading, has a sturdy body, and can protect other important minions. Although Misha, when compared to Huffer, is not able to provide an immediate board impact, Misha still has the capability to gain a huge boost in tempo. Later on in the game, Misha becomes less favorable as 4/4 bodies aren't as impactful as they are in the early game. With 4 health, Misha is able to kill many early minions and survive, such as 
Blink Fox and 
Augmented Elekk, however, Misha is still vulnerable to removal such as Eviscerate and 
Vendetta.
Misha is more efficient than Ironfur Grizzly, Silverback Patriarch, 
Fierce Monkey, 
Hired Gun, and Squirming Tentacle, with Misha being better than them in varying degrees of stat difference.
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