Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a great class to choose if you are going for a melee build. They are quite skilled at using a wide range of weapons and armor. When it comes to facing the enemy in one-on-one combat, you cannot go wrong with a fighter. Whether it is a tank or an ace battle mage, this class offers great versatility.
It is, therefore, essential to study the Baldur’s Gate 3 fighter subclasses in detail to glean what you can achieve for the build of your choosing.
Battle Master
Best Race: Half-Orc
Best Background: Soldier
Battle Master is easily the most unique subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3. This is the only one that has the Superiority Dice feature which can prove more than useful in any combat situation. This unique ability is unlocked at level 3 with four 1d8s between every short or long rest. As you reach level 10 with your fighter, the ability is upgraded to ‘Improved Combat Superiority’ which gives you four 1d10s between rests.
A core element of the Battle Master subclass is the extensive list of maneuvers that you get to choose from. These maneuvers are paired with a roll of the Superiority dice. So, there is a greater possibility of dealing more damage and even landing critical hits.
- Menacing Attack: This attack deals regular weapon damage along with the chance of inducing ‘Frightened’ status in the enemy should they fail a saving throw.
- Pushing Attack: Your character can deal weapon damage depending on your strength modifier, the weapon equipped, and the outcome of the superiority dice. If your target fails the strength saving throw, they also get pushed up to 4.5 meters.
- Rally: This maneuver grants 8 temporary hit points to an ally of your choosing.
- Riposte: This a reflex maneuver that allows your character to retaliate with an attack after an opponent has missed.
- Trip Attack: You have the opportunity to knock out an opponent with the status ‘prone’. This attack is almost a guaranteed one since the prone status already offers the attacker an advantage roll.
- Disarming Attack: This attack comes with the possibility of forcing an opponent to disarm themselves.
Battle Master is the best subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 if you are going to tank with your fighter build.
Eldritch Knight
Best Race: Githyanki
Best Background: Outlander
The Eldritch Knight subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 allows you to add some versatility to your fighter build with access to a small but effective selection of spells and cantrips that are associated with wizards. Upon acquiring this subclass, your character is allowed two spell points which allow the use of spells from the Evocation and Abjuration schools. Many of these spells are quite useful in dealing some environmental damage which can be paired with lethal melee or ranged strikes. As you progress through the levels an Eldritch Knight can gain up to four level 1 and three level 2 spell slots which can prove quite useful for a melee class build.
At level 3, an Eldritch Knight gets the ‘Weapon Bond’ class action which binds a weapon to the character’s hand. This negates the possibility of your character being disarmed in combat and also provides the added benefit of summoning a weapon back after it is thrown wilfully.
‘War Magic‘ is a useful feature unlocked at level 10 for an Eldritch Knight which allows the character to use a melee attack as a bonus action after casting a cantrip which is categorized as a regular action. Eldritch Strike is yet another feature that is unlocked at level 10. Using this feature on a target makes its next saving throw against that particular character’s spell a disadvantageous one. Effects of the Eldritch Strike, though, are restricted to the turn in which it is used.
Champion
Best Race: Mephistopheles Tiefling
Best Background: Soldier
This is a strength-based subclass that specializes in dealing more damage and acing strength checks. This also means that a fighter with the champion subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 will also be able to accomplish certain athletic feats which are confined to the rogue class. These are available at level 7 with the Remarkable Athlete: Proficiency and Remarkable Athlete: Jump features.
The Champion subclass also allows you to pick an additional fighting style at level 10 which could complement your original fighting style. With this option, you can also branch out your repertoire by combining a dual-wielding fighting style with archery. Fighters can also unlock two Extra Attacks which can substantially increase your attack opportunities in each turn.
The most impressive aspect of the Champion subclass is the ‘Improved Critical Hit’ feature. This feature reduces the number required to land a critical hit in each turn by 1. So, instead of rolling a 20, your character needs to only roll a 19 to land a critical hit. According to Dungeons and Dragons 5e rules, this feature is supposed to improve to just 18 for a critical hit as your character reaches a much higher level. Whether that is the case in Baldur’s Gate 3 is yet to be seen.
This concludes our Fighters subclasses guide. You can take a look at our Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard subclasses and Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock subclasses guide, and also the tier list of the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.
