Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Fighter Class Build

Baldur’s Gate 3 will have one of the most complex combat systems in the RPG genre on release thanks, in part, to it being based on the Fifth Edition of Dungeons and Dragons‘ ruleset. Though there are some major changes to adapt the formula to a video game, most strategies work in Baldur’s Gate 3 as they do in the TTRPG – including the benefits of a well-rounded party.

It’s a good idea to have one or two melee-focused party members, a perfect slot for the Fighter Class to fill in. The best Fighter build in BG3 is one that takes the class’ melee prowess and turns it into a close-quarters devastator via the Battle Master subclass.

Updated November 25, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Baldur’s Gate 3 can feel overwhelming for players who have never experienced an RPG with the same level of complexity and choice. Making the right choices throughout the game for the best BG3 Fighter build can be confusing due to the sheer number of decisions that have to be made – from feats, spells, and other abilities to gear and equipment choices, making the best Fighter BG3 build means parsing a lot of information. To help players understand what gear and abilities should be prioritized in this best Fighter build guide, both the Leveling Choices and Fighter Equipment sections have been updated to more clearly convey recommendations in table format. Check these sections, and others, for newly updated and formatted tips to make the most of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter build.

As a guide-in-progress, this BG3 best Fighter build walkthrough will be continually updated with new information on what makes the Battle Master the best Fighter build BG3 offers to players.

Fighter Class Introduction & Overview

Fighter Playstyle & Signature Abilities

“Fighters have mastered the art of combat, wielding weapons with unmatched skill and wearing armour like a second skin.”

The Fighter is a class that’s meant to be played up-close-and-personal. Whether that’s through sheer brutality or magical assistance is up to the player – no matter their choice of Subclass, Fighters gain a few abilities that set them apart from other melee-oriented classes like the Barbarian. At Level 1, Second Wind grants a Bonus Action Self-Heal ability once per combat, then at Level 2, players get an Action Surge to grant an extra Action once each combat. Later on, Fighters gain better Saving Throws, Extra Attacks, and Fighting Styles, too.

Players choose their Fighter Subclass at Level 3, which can completely change how combat is approached. Though Fighters may lack the raw power of a Barbarian, the class’ ability to stay alive in combat and control the battlefield from the front lines makes them a great addition to a party lacking melee specialists.

Fighter Subclasses

• Battle Master: Focuses on pure brutish damage output. Grants Superiority Die, which fuels unique Maneuvers.
• Champion: Simple, but effective, damage-oriented direction for the Fighter. Grants improved Critical Hit, Proficiencies, and Jump.
• Eldritch Knight: Evasive close-ranged spellcaster. Grants unique Magic abilities and selection of spells from subclass-specific spell list.

Fighter Class Proficiencies

• Fighter Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, & Shields
• Fighter Saving Throws: Strength & Constitution
• Fighter Skill Proficiencies: Choose from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, & Survival
• Fighter Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Weapons & Martial Weapons

Fighter Class Features – Level By Level

Best BG3 Fighter Build: Battle Master Overview & Creation Tips

What Makes Battle Master the Best Fighter Subclass?

“Battle Masters are paragons of tactical superiority, combining combat maneuvers and experience in the field to dominate every fight.”

The Battle Master Fighter build is named after the Subclass that players select at Level 3, which grants a powerful new set of skills to the Fighter that rely on a new resource: Superiority Die, used to fuel Battle Maneuvers. At Level 3, Fighters can unlock three Battle Maneuvers from a list of six, most of which have both a ranged and melee version that unlock together.

These Battle Maneuvers, paired with the Fighter’s base Action Surge and Second Wind actions, make them a serious force in melee combat – as long as they actually hit the enemy, that is. They are great at controlling enemy locations with certain Battle Maneuvers, rooting them in place or pushing them away, and can also be a source of minor buffs for the party and debuffs for enemies.

Battle Master Fighters rarely spent too much time away from direct melee combat, and in a party with ranged damage and support sources, they should spend as much time as they can up-close and personal with enemies. It’s perfectly fine to start a fight with a shot from a Crossbow, but when Initiative rolls, be prepared to close that distance quickly.

Battle Master Subclass Features – Level By Level

Best Battle Master Battle Maneuvers (Superiority Dice)

The Battle Master’s unique mechanic is Battle Maneuvers. Upon reaching Level 3 and selecting the Battle Master subclass, players gain access to melee and ranged attacks that offer powerful additional effects. When using these abilities, though, they use one of the Fighter’s limited Superiority Dice. Each day, players get eight Dice to spend on these abilities, each of which uses just one. Of the choices presented to players, Menacing Attack, Pushing Attack, and Riposte are the ones players should prioritize first, though Riposte can be replaced with Rally if your party lacks healing. Rally benefits parties more at low levels as the total amount of HP that the Fighter gives to an ally doesn’t improve. Maneuvering Attack, too, can be useful for parties without a way to reliably get squishy allies out of range of opportunity attacks, but it’s a bit more situational.

Best BG3 Fighter Build: Roleplay & Character Creation Choices

Best BG3 Fighter Race: Half-Orc

The Half-Orc race comes with a few notable racial abilities that help the best BG3 Fighter build become even more powerful and resilient. The race comes with Darkvision, and proficiency in Intimidation, but its real draw for Fighters comes from the Savage Attacks and Relentless Endurance passive features.

Savage Attacks lets players add an additional Damage Dice on top of their normal critical hit damage, but only with melee weapon attacks. Relentless Endurance prevents the Fighter from going down, restoring them to 1 HP upon reaching 0, only once per long rest. For the Battle Master build, which is a close-range melee build, these two abilities let the character persist through death and absolutely pile damage onto opponents with critical hits – just be sure to pick up abilities and gear that reduces the Critical Hit threshold.

A good alternative to the Half-Orc is the Githyanki, which gain Githyanki Psyonics to further enhance their ability to control the battlefield (and jump around from enemy to enemy as if on a trampoline). However, the Gold Dwarf or Dragonborn races are decent Racial good choices, too, thanks to inherent defensive that benefit melee characters considerably.

Best BG3 Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting

Upon creating a Fighter character in Baldur’s Gate 3, players are asked which Fighting Style they would like to follow. There are six choices: Archery, Defence, Duelling, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, and Two-Weapon Fighting. These all have their own bonuses and drawbacks, but ultimately the Great Weapon Fighting style is best because it simply increases the baseline amount of damage every Two-Handed weapon can do. However, the Defence style is good for Fighters who will spend a lot of time in close combat.

Best BG3 Fighter Proficiencies and Background: Soldier

The Fighter’s focus on Strength and Constitution gives them a big boost to Ability Checks that rely on those stats. As such, gaining proficiency with Athletics and Intimidation via the Soldier background is the best route to go to further improve two skills that are already pretty powerful for this class. Just be prepared to muscle your way through dialogue and RP encounters, foregoing alternative solutions, to earn Inspiration.

Best Fighter Ability Scores & Stat Distribution

Feats, Spells, & Leveling Choices For Battle Master Builds

Best Fighter Equipment: Armor & Accessories

Best Battle Master Fighter Head Armor: Grymskull Helm

Best Battle Master Fighter Cloak: Cloak of Protection

Best Battle Master Fighter Chest Armor: Reaper’s Embrace

Best Battle Master Fighter Gloves: Gauntlets of Surging Accuracy

Best Battle Master Fighter Boots: Helldusk Boots

Best Battle Master Fighter Amulet: Periapt of Wound Closure

Best Battle Master Fighter Rings: Killer’s Sweetheart, Ring of Protection

Best Battle Master Fighter Weapon: Everburn Blade

Best Fighter Multiclass Choices & Builds

Players can choose to Multiclass beginning at Level 2. Look for the “Add Class” button on the top right of the level up overview menu – this will open up a new menu where players can allocate the level to any other class in Baldur’s Gate 3 when selected.

Barbarian Multiclass – Fighter 11/Barbarian 1

Choosing the Barbarian class to multiclass into as a Fighter is important for one reason: Rage. Rage is an incredibly powerful ability that lets a character use a bonus action to make an additional attack on their turn, but it requires a bonus action to activate.

As a Level 11 Fighter, players can attack three times in a single turn, but by putting one point into barbarian, they can attack four times minimum every turn – as long as a bonus action isn’t used for another ability. It’s also viable to put three points into Barbarian to be able to select a subclass, but the character will lose out on the Fighter’s third attack granted at Level 11.

Cleric Multiclass – Fighter 11/Cleric 1

The Cleric multiclass option for Fighters is good for similar reasons as the Barbarian multiclass. Fighters unlock their third attack at Level 11, leaving just one level to put into another class. The Cleric, specifically the War Domain subclass, is an excellent choice because it unlocks a fourth attack, and grants access to some basic Cleric support spells.

It’s not a bad idea to go with the Eldritch Knight subclass instead of the Battle Master subclass for this multiclass choice, as Cleric spells will complement the Eldritch Knight’s toolkit. Just be sure to select War Domain, as it lets the Cleric take a bonus action to attack an extra time on their turn.