Top Fighter Class Build Strategies in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is set to introduce one of the most intricate combat systems in the RPG realm, drawing heavily from the Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons ruleset. While the game adapts many of its mechanics for a digital environment, the foundational strategies remain similar to those in tabletop games, underscoring the importance of a balanced party composition.

Having one or two melee-focused characters can significantly enhance your team’s performance, making the Fighter Class an excellent choice. To maximize melee effectiveness, the Battle Master subclass stands out as the premier option for creating a devastating close-combat Fighter.

Updated January 1, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: As we welcome 2025, Baldur’s Gate 3 remains a hot topic among gamers, celebrated for its depth and engaging mechanics. For players new to Dungeons and Dragons or unfamiliar with turn-based CRPG strategies, understanding how to optimize a Fighter build can be a challenge. This guide has been revised to clarify mechanics and offer insights into the most effective Fighter build in BG3. We explore critical choices each player must make while leveling and how these decisions contribute to mastering the Fighter class.

Fighter Class Introduction & Overview

Understanding the Fighter Class in Baldur’s Gate 3

Fighter Playstyle and Key Abilities

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

The Fighter class excels in close combat and can adapt their style based on player choice, whether through raw physicality or magical enhancements. Distinct abilities separate Fighters from other melee classes, such as Barbarians. Initially, at Level 1, Fighters gain “Second Wind,”offering a self-heal option that can be used once per encounter. Progressing to Level 2 awards an “Action Surge,”granting an additional action during combat.

As Fighters advance, they receive improved saving throws, extra attack opportunities, and new fighting styles. By Level 3, players select a subclass, which can alter their combat approach significantly. While Fighters might not match a Barbarian’s brute force, their resilience and control over the battlefield make them adaptable, especially in parties lacking in melee-focused characters.

Fighter Class Proficiencies

As you craft your Fighter, you’re presented with essential class proficiencies related to armor, weapons, and saving throws, in addition to two skill proficiencies.

These proficiencies are fixed upon character creation, so plan carefully as they cannot be adjusted later without a complete reset. The primary proficiencies available during your Fighter’s inception include:

Proficiency Type	Granted Professions
Fighter Armor Proficiencies	Light Armor Medium Armor Heavy Armor Shields
Fighter Weapon Proficiencies	Simple Weapons Martial Weapons
Fighter Saving Throws	Strength Constitution
Fighter Skill Proficiency Choices	Choose two from the following: Acrobatics Animal Handling Athletics History Insight Intimidation Perception Survival

Exploring Fighter Subclasses

Baldur’s Gate 3 provides players with three distinct Fighter subclasses, each emphasizing various facets of the class with unique skills and abilities. As players level up within a subclass, they unlock features specific to their choice. Should you wish to change your subclass later, you can consult Withers, although this will reset you to Level 1.

For optimal effectiveness, the Battle Master subclass is recommended for maximizing the Fighter’s fighting potential.

Subclass Name	Base Specific Features	Special Proficiencies	Spells & Abilities
Battle Master	Battle Maneuvers & Superiority Dice Select three Maneuvers from a list of options Gain additional Maneuvers at levels 7 and 10 4x Superiority Dice, enabling you to use Maneuvers	N/A	Choose 3x Maneuvers from various options
Champion	Improved Critical Hit threshold Granted additional features at later levels	N/A	N/A
Eldritch Knight	Weapon Bond ability Choice of spells from the Wizard’s repertoire	N/A	Various spells accessible at different levels

Fighter Class Features: Level Progression

The maximum level achievable in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Level 12, and several enhancements await you at each level gained. Players initiate their journey with foundational Fighter abilities and continue to acquire feats, spells, subclass-specific features, and increases to proficiency bonuses thereafter.

The table below outlines the expectations for each level advancement within the Fighter class:

Class Feature	Proficiency Bonus
Fighter Lvl 1	Choice of Fighting Style Second Wind – Self-heal ability	+2
Fighter Lvl 2	Action Surge – Gain an additional action once per rest	+2
Fighter Lvl 3	Subclass choice	+2
Fighter Lvl 4	Feat choice	+2
Fighter Lvl 5	Extra Attack – Take an additional attack without using an action	+3
Fighter Lvl 6	Feat choice	+3
Fighter Lvl 7	Subclass Feature	+3
Fighter Lvl 8	Feat choice	+3
Fighter Lvl 9	Indomitable – Reroll a failed saving throw	+4
Fighter Lvl 10	Subclass Feature	+4
Fighter Lvl 11	Extra Attack	+4
Fighter Lvl 12	Feat choice	+4

BG3 Fighter Subclass Choice: Battle Master

Battle Master Subclass Overview

Baldur's Gate 3 Best Builds Battle Master Fighter Character Creation

Why Battle Master Stands Out

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

The Battle Master subclass, selected at Level 3, equips Fighters with a distinct modality of tactics and skills, revolving around a new resource called Superiority Dice. Players can choose three Battle Maneuvers from a curated list, each offering both melee and ranged capabilities.

Equipped with Action Surge and Second Wind, Battle Master Fighters can effectively navigate the chaos of melee encounters. They possess the versatility to manipulate enemy positioning, enhance party dynamics, and hinder foes with strategic maneuvers.

Although it’s acceptable to initiate battles at range, Battle Masters should strive to engage enemies directly whenever possible. With a ranged attack to start and a swift move forward during the Initiative roll, they establish themselves as battlefield leaders.

Battle Master Subclass Features: Level Progression

The Fighter subclass unlocks special features as players advance through their chosen path. Upon selecting the Battle Master subclass at Level 3, players can expect the following benefits:

Battle Master Fighter Lvl 3	Choice of 3 Battle Maneuvers 4 Superiority Dice (1d8), recoverable after Short/Long Rests
Battle Master Fighter Lvl 7	Choice of 2 additional Battle Maneuvers 5 Superiority Dice
Battle Master Fighter Lvl 10	Choice of 2 additional Battle Maneuvers Superiority Dice increase to 1d10

Optimal Battle Master Maneuvers

Battle Maneuvers allow Battle Masters to infuse their attacks with additional effects, employing Superiority Dice to activate these powerful options. Players start with eight available Dice to utilize with these abilities.

Among the plethora of options, Maneuvers such as Menacing Attack, Pushing Attack, and Riposte merit top priority, providing both offensive and defensive advantages in combat. If healing is more crucial for your party, consider replacing Riposte with Rally, which offers temporary HP to allies.

Riposte	Respond to missed enemy attacks with normal weapon damage + 1d8 Initiated as a Reaction
Pushing Attack	Deal normal weapon damage + 1d8 Chance to push enemies back, requiring accurate positioning
Menacing Attack	Damage as per normal weapon + 1d8 Imposes the Frightened condition, hindering enemies’ performance
Maneuvering Attack	Normal weapon damage + 1d8 Restores movement to an allied character, avoiding Opportunity Attacks this turn
Rally	A Bonus Action to grant 8 temporary HP to an ally Most effective at lower levels

Optimal Character Creation Choices for BG3 Fighter Build

Race, Background, Proficiency, Feats, and Stat Choices

Fighter throwing a trident in Baldur's Gate 3

Best Race for BG3 Fighter: Half-Orc

The Half-Orc race provides several essential racial traits that empower your Fighter build. With Darkvision and proficiency in Intimidation, Half-Orcs particularly shine due to their Savage Attacks and Relentless Endurance abilities.

Savage Attacks enhance critical hits with additional damage rolls for melee attacks. Conversely, Relentless Endurance revives a Fighter at 1 HP once to avoid going down when reaching 0 HP, refreshing after a long rest.

When adopting a Battle Master build, these traits significantly increase damage output and survivability. Alternatives worth considering are the Githyanki, known for their psionic abilities which enhance battlefield control.

Gold Dwarf and Dragonborn races also present viable options without any substantial drawbacks to melee attributes.

Optimal Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting

Players are prompted to select a Fighting Style for their Fighter character, with six possible options available. Each style offers unique benefits; however, the Great Weapon Fighting style is optimal, significantly increasing damage potential across two-handed weapons.

Recommended Backgrounds: Soldier or Outlander

The Fighter’s Strength and Constitution lend a natural advantage for Ability Checks. The Soldier background enhances this by granting proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation, allowing for robust role-playing opportunities while bolstering physical dominance in dialogue.

Opting for the Outlander background provides proficiency in Athletics and replaces Intimidation with Survival, catering to scenarios when wilderness feats come into play. Both backgrounds allow for plenty of opportunities to trigger Inspiration effectively throughout the game.

Skill Proficiency Recommendations: Perception and Intimidation (or Insight)

Fighters can select two skills from a broader list upon character creation. If you choose the Soldier background, you should aim for Insight and Perception to better engage with the game’s numerous dialogue checks.

If you favor the Outlander background, it’s best to pick Perception and Intimidation, optimizing your character’s investigative and confrontational skills.

Top Feat Recommendations: Great Weapon Master, Sentinel, Alert, Charger, and Savage Attacker

Great Weapon Master Effects:
- Earns a Bonus Attack on a critical melee hit
- All In: Reduces Attack Rolls by 5 while increasing damage by 10
Sentinel Effects:
- Vengeance: Reactively attack foes targeting allies
- Snare: Halts movement of enemies hit with Opportunity Attacks
- Opportunity Advantage: Gain Advantage on Opportunity Attacks
Alert Effects: +5 to Initiative and immunity to Surprise.
Charger Effects:
- Weapon Attack allows for a melee attack without provoking Opportunity Attacks
- Shove enables movement of enemies based on Strength
Savage Attacker Effects: Roll melee weapon damage dice twice and take the higher result.

Optimal Ability Scores & Stat Distribution for Fighters

For the best BG3 Fighter build, prioritize Strength, followed by Constitution and Dexterity. The primary stats relevant to the Battle Master Fighter features are Strength and Constitution, while Dexterity enhances additional combat skills.

Ability scores for the optimal build would look like:

STR	DEX	WITH	INT	ALREADY	NO
Base	16	14	16	8	10	10
Modifier	+3	+2	+3	-1	0	0

Optimal Leveling Choices for BG3 Fighters

Recommended Spells, Feats, and Choices for Each Level

Baldur's Gate 3 Lae'zel Pointing A Sword On The Ship

While leveling up your Fighter, there are fewer decisions compared to other classes, especially during specific levels such as Level 2, Level 5, and Level 9 where no major choices arise. However, Fighters have access to several Feats, along with their Battle Maneuvers, enhancing their combat viability without requiring a spellbook.

Act 1: Up to Level 5, select your Fighter Subclass (Battle Master), Fighting Style (Great Weapon), various Battle Maneuvers, and a Feat.
Act 2: Progress to Level 9, gaining two additional Feats and two Battle Maneuvers to broaden your tactical repertoire.
Act 3: Reaching Level 12, you will acquire a total of four Feats and two more Battle Maneuvers to complete your skill set.

The table below features recommended Fighter build choices at each level, underscoring foundational options that complement the Battle Master build effectively. Consider mixing and matching Battle Maneuver choices while maintaining the suggested Feats for maximal impact.

Class Level	Choices & Recommendations
Level 1	Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting
Level 2	NONE
Level 3	Subclass: Battle Master Battle Maneuvers: Menacing Attack, Pushing Attack, Riposte
Level 4	Feat: Great Weapon Master
Level 5	NONE
Level 6	Feat: Sentinel
Level 7	Battle Maneuvers: Goading Attack, Distracting Strike
Level 8	Feat: Alert or Charger
Level 9	NONE
Level 10	Battle Maneuvers: Sweeping Attack, Trip Attack
Level 11	NONE
Level 12	Feat: Savage Attacker

Ideal Companions and Party Composition for Your Fighter

Top Battle Master Companion Choices

15 minutes of hidden content discovered in Baldur's Gate 3

Companion	Class/Specialization	Role in Party	Unique Attributes
Shadowheart	Cleric	Support	Difficult to control with CC; hybrid Damage & Support spells
Gale	Wizard	Ranged Damage	Access to all spells; highly versatile
Astarion	Rogue	Melee Damage/Utility	Excellent Lockpicking skills; deadly Sneak Attacks

Engaging companions such as Shadowheart for support, Gale as the ranged damage dealer, and Astarion for melee effectiveness will greatly enhance the player’s Fighter experience. Each of these companions provides a strong class combination that can balance various combat scenarios.

Should you need to fine-tune character classes in your party, consult Withers to respec companions for optimal Fighter configurations to maintain balance while preserving questlines.

Essential Equipment for the Best Fighter Build in Baldur’s Gate 3

Acquiring Gear Across All Three Acts

This section focuses on the top equipment options for Battle Master Fighters throughout all three acts of Baldur’s Gate 3. Some items will remain effective as players transition to later acts and may be retained through several levels.

Bolded Items: New pieces introduced in each act that can replace prior equipment.
Unbolded Items: These must be obtained in earlier acts but are powerful enough to warrant continued use without replacement in later acts.

Battle Master Fighter Gear: Act 1

Name	Effect	Location
Head	Immunity to Critical Hits Resistance to Fire Damage Unlocks Hunter’s Mark (once per long rest)	Dropped by a major boss in the Adamantine Forge
Cloak	None Available (except Deathstalker Mantle)	N/A
Chest	Adamantine Splint Armor	Debuffs attackers when receiving a melee hit	Available from the Adamantine Forge
Gloves	Advantage on Attack Rolls when surrounded by 2+ enemies +2 to Strength Saving Throws	Located in a chest at the Shattered Sanctum (near Dror Ragzlin)
Boots	Increases Jump distance by 1.5m (5ft)	Purchased from Grat the Trader in the Goblin Camp
Neck	Automatically stabilizes after being Downed Max HP restored from any healing	Purchased from Lady Esther near the Rosymorn Monastery
Ring 1	Grants Momentum if starting combat with under 50% HP	Looted from a body in Whispering Depths
Ring 2	+1 to AC and Saving Throws	Obtained by stealing the Druid Idol in Emerald Grove for Mol
Main Weapon	Deals 2d6+3 Slashing damage plus 1d4 Fire damage	Defeat or disarm Commander Zhalk at the Nautiloid tutorial zone
Offhand	N/A	N/A

Battle Master Fighter Gear: Act 2

Name	Effect	Location
Head	Flawed Helldusk Helmet	+2 to Saving Throws against spell attacks +2 to Constitution saving throws	Purchased from Dammon (Infernal Iron required)
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	+1 to AC and saving throws	Obtained from Quartermaster Talli at Last Light Inn
Chest	Reaper’s Embrace	Reduces all incoming damage by 2 Prevents displacement against will	Dropped by a major boss at the end of Act 2
Gloves	Gauntlets of Surging Accuracy	Following Action Surge, increases attack rolls by +14	Obtained from Lann Tarv in Moonrise Towers
Boots	Evasive Shoes	+1 to Acrobatics and AC	Purchased from Mattis at Last Light Inn
Neck	Periapt of Wound Closure	Automatically stabilizes after being Downed Max HP restored is always optimized	Purchased from Lady Esther (Act 1)
Ring 1	Killer’s Sweetheart	Next attack becomes a Critical Hit after defeating a target (once per Long Rest)	Found after the Self-Same Trial in the Gauntlet of Shar
Ring 2	Ring of Protection	+1 to AC and Saving Throws	Obtained by stealing the Druid Idol in Emerald Grove for Mol (Act 1)
Main Weapon	Everburn Blade	Deals 2d6+3 Slashing damage plus 1d4 Fire damage	Defeat or disarm Commander Zhalk (Act 1)
Offhand	N/A	N/A

Battle Master Fighter Gear: Act 3

Name	Effect	Location
Head	Helm of Balduran	+2 HP at the start of each turn +1 to AC and all Saving Throws Prevents being stunned; immune to Critical Hits	Found after defeating Ansur in the Wyrmway
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	+1 to AC and saving throws	Purchased from Quartermaster Talli in Last Light Inn (Act 2)
Chest	Reaper’s Embrace	Reduces incoming damage by 2 Prevents being moved against will	Dropped by a major boss at the end of Act 2
Gloves	Gauntlets of Surging Accuracy	+14 to Attack Rolls after using Action Surge	Received from Lann Tarv in Moonrise Towers (Act 2)
Boots	Helldusk Boots	Prevents being moved against will; negates all Difficult Terrain effects Grants a reaction to automatically succeed on failed saving throws	Located in a chest at Wyrm’s Rock Fortress
Neck	Periapt of Wound Closure	Automatically stabilizes after becoming Downed Max HP restored during healing is always maximized	Purchased from Lady Esther (Act 1)
Ring 1	Killer’s Sweetheart	Next attack becomes a Critical Hit after defeating a target (once per Long Rest)	Found in the Gauntlet of Shar (Act 2)
Ring 2	Ring of Protection	+1 to AC and Saving Throws	Stolen during a quest in Emerald Grove (Act 1)
Main Weapon	Balduran’s Giantslayer	Doubles Strength modifier damage Advantage on attacks against larger creatures	Looted after defeating Ansur in the Wyrmway
Offhand	N/A	N/A

Optimal Multiclass Choices for BG3 Fighters

Maximizing Your Fighter Build with Multiclass Options

Baldur's Gate 3 Dragonborn As A Monk In Character Creation

Players can begin multiclassing when reaching Level 2 by selecting the “Add Class”option in the leveling menu, allowing them to allocate a level to any desired class within Baldur’s Gate 3.

Multiclassing to Barbarian: Fighter 11/Barbarian 1

Choosing to multiclass into Barbarian is appealing for one primary reason: Rage. This powerful ability lets a character make an additional attack during their turn, bolstered by a bonus action to activate it.

At Level 11 Fighter, you can normally make three attacks, but multiclassing to Barbarian enables a minimum of four attacks each turn, given no other bonus action demand.

Multiclassing to Cleric: Fighter 11/Cleric 1

The Cleric multiclass presents a compelling option, especially when selecting the War Domain subclass. Similar to the Barbarian multiclass rationale, this combination permits a fourth attack and provides basic support spell options.

If opting for this route, consider selecting the Eldritch Knight subclass instead of Battle Master to better align with the spellcasting synergy of the Cleric.

Overall, both multiclass paths allow Fighters to enhance their melee capabilities and combat versatility, helping them effectively dominate the battlefield.

Source & Images