Tricks needed for a AC to act as a Combat Trained Mount.

[Drake Brimstone]

So, what tricks are absolutely required for an Animal Companion to be considered a Combat Trained Mount?

I ask this because not all Animal Companions have the ability to learn 6 tricks. Specifically, I want a Giant Wasp Animal Companion which only gets bonus tricks, but at level 4 I can increase its Int to 1 which will allow a total of 5 tricks including the 2 bonus ones.

The Combat Training purpose requires 6 tricks, so do I need all 6, or can I skip one?

On a related note, can I give my Animal Companion a Headband of Vast Intellect +2 and train it 6 more tricks? (Yes, Wasps have a Headband Slot)

If yes can I select Linguistics for the headbands one skill and teach it languages? (To understand, not speak, just like you can do with an AC that already has an Int of 3 or higher that you have learn the linguistics skill.)

[Archaeik]

Vermin Companions

Quote:

Mindless: Vermin companions have no Intelligence score and possess the mindless trait. In spite of this, vermin companions may learn one trick, plus additional bonus tricks. If a vermin animal companion gains an ability score increase (at 4 Hit Dice, 8 Hit Dice, and so on), the druid can apply this increase to the companion's Intelligence, changing it from — to 1, at which point the companion loses the mindless quality and is able to know up to 3 tricks per point of Intelligence, plus the additional bonus tricks. Vermin companions have no skill points or feats as long as they have the mindless quality.

It's 1 + bonus tricks until it has Int 1, then it's Int*3 + bonus.

RAW, you need all 6 to be consider "Combat Trained".

Re: Headband
You should get additional Trick slots since that is a function of Int.

Linguistics:
It depends on how strictly you read this

Animal Skills wrote:

Animal companions can have ranks in any of the following skills: Acrobatics* (Dex), Climb* (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly* (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception* (Wis), Stealth* (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim* (Str). All of the skills marked with an (*) are class skills for animal companions. Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can put ranks into any skill.

I don't think it's the intent to restrict a magical item from granting ranks in a skill it can't otherwise advance, so it should work. (if the headband is bumping Int up to 3 there's no issue regardless)