This arXiv preprint (v1 posted June 2026) develops a perturbative theory for ridges in compact quasiaxisymmetric (QA) stellarators under ideal magnetohydrostatics, expanding around near-axisymmetric equilibria to analytically capture how finite pressure and currents localize sharp ridges—field-line collimation sites akin to X-points but confined to inboard regions of negative Gaussian curvature and peak field strength. Unlike full-torus X-points requiring integer rotational transform coverage, these localized ridges enable flexible divertor placement without rational surfaces. The approach builds directly on Henneberg and Plunk (Phys. Rev. Research 6, L022052, 2024) hybrid-device concepts while providing numerical validation across multiple equilibria. Mainstream fusion reporting fixates on tokamak scaling yet overlooks how such ridges address stellarator compactness and heat-exhaust challenges that have historically limited reactor relevance. Limitations include the perturbative assumption (small deviations from axisymmetry) and ideal-MHD framework, omitting kinetic effects or turbulence; no experimental sample exists as this remains theoretical. Synthesis with earlier QA optimization work (e.g., Landreman et al., Nucl. Fusion 2022) shows ridges naturally emerge where curvature favors stability, offering a pathway to smaller devices than W7-X-scale stellarators. This advances reactor viability by decoupling divertor design from global transform constraints, a connection missed when coverage defaults to ITER-style tokamaks.