The best Fighter subclass, feats, and build in Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 has 12 classes to choose from when creating your character. The Fighter is the archetypal melee class.
Fighters are the simplest class in Baldur's Gate 3, but they're more than just good at punching. Sure, that's how they start, but as they level up, they gain control over every battlefield they encounter. Their primary statistic is power.
There is no one best class Baldur's Gate 3, and the game gives you as much opportunity for creative problem solving as it does for punching. Finding the best class really comes down to how you want to play. Even when you play solo, you still control the rest of your group, so you can experiment with multiple classes at once.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Fighter class Baldur's Gate 3and learn all about the best Fighter subclass, achievements and build.
Is Fighter the best class for you in BG3?
Image: Larian Studios via Polygon
Fighters are the simplest class in Baldur's Gate 3 – at least for the first few levels. Fighters are good at hitting things. As you level up, you'll become more exposed to the tactical side of combat and controlling the battlefield, but at their core, fighters are for dealing damage in melee combat.
Fighters are the best class for your first character. They are the easiest to understand and the least complicated to play.
Features of the combat class
Hit points
- Hit dice — 1d10 per Fighter level
- Hit points at 1st level — 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit points at higher levels — 6 + your Constitution modifier per Fighter level after 1st
Actions
At level 1 fighters get Second winda bonus action that restores 1d10 hit points once per long or short rest.
At level 2, fighters get the Action wave Action that allows you to perform one additional action during your turn. Action Surge also refreshes with a short or long rest.
Fighting style
Fighters choose a fighting style in which they specialize:
- Archery – Gain a +2 to ranged weapon attacks
- Defense — Gain a +1 to armor class while wearing armor
- Dueling — Deal +2 damage while fighting with one weapon with one hand
- Great weapon combat — When you roll a 1 or 2 for damage with a two-handed melee weapon, that die is rerolled
- Protection — If you have a shield, impose disadvantage on an attack on your allies when you are within 5 feet.
- Two-weapon fighting — When you make an attack with your own weapon, you can add your Ability Modifier to the attack's damage.
Skills
- Weapons – Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Shield – Light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields
- Skills — Athletics, insight, intimidation, religion
- Save throw – Wisdom, constitution
Subclasses of fighters
At level 3, fighters can choose from one of three subclasses.
Combat Master
Battle Master Fighters focus on maneuvers and tactics.
Battle Masters can be used four times per short or long remainder of the period Superiority dice have that power Maneuvers. You can also choose three maneuvers from a list of fourteen.
Baldur's Gate 3 Fighter Battle Master Maneuvers
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Description |
| The Commander's Attack | Spend an action and a reaction to order an ally to attack an enemy. |
| Disarming attack | Use a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly forces the target to drop its weapon |
| Distracting strike | Distract your target, giving your allies advantage on their next attack roll against the target |
| Evasive footwork | You can dodge attacks by imposing Disadvantage on melee attacks for a round |
| Apparent attack | You can use both your action and bonus action on a turn to attack a target with Advantage, dealing an additional 1d8 damage |
| Stimulating attack | Deal an additional 1d8 and try to get the target to attack you. Target gains disadvantage when attacking another creature. |
| Maneuvering attack | Spend a superiority die and make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage. On a hit, select which friendly creature gets half its movement speed. It will not provoke attacks of opportunity. |
| Impending attack | Use a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and possibly frightens the target |
| Precision attack | You can spend a superiority die to add it to the result of an attack roll |
| Pushing attack | Use a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and potentially pushes the target back 15 feet. |
| Collection | Use a superiority die to give an ally 8 temporary hit points |
| Riposte | When an enemy creature misses you with a melee attack, use a superiority die to retaliate with a powerful attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage |
| Sweeping attack | Swing your weapon in a quick, sweeping arc to attack multiple enemies at once |
| Trip attack | Use a superiority die to make an attack that deals an additional 1d8 damage and potentially pushes the target back 15 feet. |
Eldritch Knight
Eldritch Knight Fighters combine some magic with their punches.
When you become an Eldritch Knight, you gain two level 1 spell slots per long rest. You start by knowing two Cantrips and two Spells (from the lists below) and one Wizard Spell.
You can choose two Cantrips from this list:
Baldur's Gate 3 Fighter Eldritch Knight Cantrips
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Description |
| Sour splash | Cast an acid bubble that deals 1d6 acid damage to each creature it hits |
| Bone cold | Prevent the target from healing until your next turn with 1d8 Necrotic damage. Undead gain disadvantage on attack rolls. |
| Firebolt | Hurl a fire splinter for 1d10 Fire damage |
| Poison spray | Project a puff of noxious gas (CON Save) |
| Ray of Frost | Decrease the target's movement speed by 10 feet with 1d8 Cold damage |
| Shocking grip | Deal 1d8 lightning damage and the target cannot use reactions |
| Blade department | Take half the damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks |
| Friends | Gain Charisma checks against a non-hostile creature |
| Dancing lights | Illuminates a radius of 9 meters |
| light | Give an object an aura of light |
| Magic Hand | Create a spectral hand that can manipulate and interact with objects |
| Small illusion | Create an illusion that forces nearby creatures to investigate |
| Real strike | Gain advantage on your next attack roll |
Eldritch Knights starts knowing two spells from this list:
Baldur's Gate 3 Fighter Eldritch Knight Spells
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Description |
| Burning hands | Each flammable target is hit with 3d6 fire damage |
| Chromatic sphere | Hurl an orb that deals 3d8 Thunder damage and possibly creates a surface on impact |
| Magic rocket | Shoot 3 magical arrows, each dealing 1d4 Force damage |
| Mage armor | Protect a target from attacks by making its AC 13 + DEX |
| Protection against evil and good | Protect an ally from the attacks and forces of aberrations, celelectials, elementals, fey, devils, and the undead |
| Shield | Use your reaction to increase your AC by 5 |
| Thunder wave | Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes all creatures and objects away for 2d8 Thunder damage (CON Save) |
| Witch bolt | Attach yourself to a target with a lightning bolt for 1d12 Lightning damage, dealing an additional 1d12 each turn |
Champion
Champion Fighters forgo all the luxuries of the other subclasses and focus on making things really good.
Champions receive Improved critical hit that reduces the number you need to roll a critical hit by 1.
Best Fighter subclass and built in BG3
Image: Larian Studios via Polygon
Baldur's Gate 3 Races don't really have a direct impact on your class, but certain races and subraces have characteristics that suit certain classes well, such as extra movement or proficiency with certain weapons. For Fighters, it's best to focus on just that: movement and weapons:
- Wooden ElvesAnd Wooden half-elves get an extra 5 feet of movement
- People receive the Civil Militia feature that adds spears, pikes, halberds and glaives to your repertoire
- Golden dwarfs Dwarven Toughness gives you an extra hit point each level
- Half-Orcs get Relentless Endurance which gives you one free hit point if you get knocked down (once per long rest), and their Savage Attacks mean you roll an extra damage die if you take a critical hit.
When creating and leveling up your fighter, Strength is your most important stat (for punches), followed by Constitution (for landing punches).Make Strength your highest stat and Constitution your second.
Fighters choose a subclass at level 3. If you want to keep it simple, Champion is the best fighter subclass – it just makes you better at punching.
Best combat performance in BG3
Every four levels you get the option to increase your stats or choose an achievement. Feats are special talents that add traits to your character. Once you're happy with your stats and start using Feats, Clerics can benefit from:
- Athlete. Your strength or dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. When lying on your stomach, getting up requires significantly less movement. Your jump distance also increases by 50%.
- Charger. You get Charger: Weapon Attack and Charger: Push.
- Durable. Your constitution increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. Each time you take a short rest, you regain full hit points.
- Wild attacker. For weapon attacks, roll your damage dice twice and use the highest result.
- Sentinel. When an enemy within melee range attacks an ally, you can use a reaction to make a weapon attack against that enemy. Target ally may not have the Sentinel Feat. You gain advantage on Opportunity Attacks, and if you hit a creature with an Oppotunity Attack, it cannot move for the rest of its turn.
- Difficult. Your maximum hit point increases by 2 for each level you gain.
For more information about the lessons in Baldur's Gate 3See our overviews of the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard classes. If you're unsure about the choice, check out our guide on which class to start with.