This guide focuses on the best Fighter build in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Battle Master subclass, and includes all components to build a powerful character.
This build page has been updated for thePatch 8 versionof Baldur’s Gate 3.
Everything About the Battle Master Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Battle Master Fighter is the epitome of powerful melee combat. Unlike other builds, the Fighter doesn’t have to multiclass at higher levels to gain combat power. You gain improved extra attacks, resulting in three attacks per one action. This gives the Fighter a unique advantage in combat, and fully optimized can generate four actions in one turn. Each action results in 3 attacks, producing some of the highest damage in BG3.
The Fighter’s downside is lack of spell casting, lower dexterity, and vulnerability to stuns. Moreover, you won’t have other classes’ dialogue or exploration bonuses, but can make up for it in pure raw damage.
This build uses the Battle Master subclass, which gains extra resources for maneuvers to be used in combat. These maneuvers give you on-demand crowd control, knockback, and extra damage. Consider this the strongest Fighter subclass and build, and one of the best in the game due to damage and ease of play.
Battle Master Fighter Build Changes in Patch 8 for BG3
Patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3 introduces 12 new subclasses, each bringing distinct strengths and new synergies to character builds. One standout change is the significant boost to the Eldritch Knight Fighter, thanks to the effectiveness of theBooming Bladecantrip. This spell enhances the Fighter’s attacks with bonus thunder damage, leading to a noticeable increase in overall damage output.
Importantly, multiclassing Fighter with Warlock has now become a very viable combo. While we’re keeping the original pure Battle Master Fighter build for those who prefer that straightforward playstyle, there’s now a compelling case for exploring other options.
If you’re looking to expand your spellcasting and utility, consider shifting to anEldritch Knight build. Taking 11 levels in Fighter and 1 level in Hexblade Warlock adds meaningful versatility without compromising core strength. This setup grants access to valuable spells, bonus action utility, and ranged magical attacks, all at the cost of just one feat. It’s especially effective for solo play, where added control and flexibility can make a significant difference. To showcase this approach, we’ve included an alternative build below.
Battle Master Fighter Class Features & Mechanics
The Fighter Class features Action Surge, giving you an extra action, second heal, which is a self-heal and proficiencies in all armor and weapon types. Consider the Fighter a versatile martial class that is ultra simple to play and very effective. At level 5, you unlock Extra Attack allowing you two attacks in one turn, along with Action Surge for even another action.
The following list presents all the essential Fighter Battle Master Class Mechanics and Features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Character Creation for Battle Master Fighter Build
Best Battle Master Fighter Race Choice
The best race choice for a Battlemaster Fighter build in Baldur’s Gate 3, is theHalf-OrcorDuergarDwarf. The Half-Orc’s innate abilities, including enhanced critical damage, resilience, and intimidation. The Duergar Dwarf Enlarge Spell and Invisibility, aiding in damage and defensive capabilities.
Here is the bestracechoice for a Fighters build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Fighter’s racial choice will not influence ability score, as race will get a +2 and +1 to spend regardless. This frees your race choice up to not completely hinder yourself based on ability score, but race features. Each of these races offers unique advantages that can enhance your combat prowess, survivability, or utility. Additionally, consider the roleplaying opportunities and character concepts that resonate with you.
Battle Master Subclass
The Battle Master will give you three passives you can pick from, along with Superiority Dice by 4. Superiority dice are a mechanic built into Fighter Attacks and can be replenished during a short rest.
The Battle Master Fighter subclass unlocks the following features and spells:
Best Battle Master Fighter Background
Soldieris the Bestbackkgroundfor a Battle Master Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3 because you gain proficiency inAthletics and Intimidation. This choice mostly influences roleplaying and dialogue options aspects and allows you to create unique characters. Additional choices are:
Best Battle Master Fighter Ability Score
Below is the bestability scoreto unlock the full potential of the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Battle Master Fighter Build:
The Best Ability Score for Fighter Build is high Strength of 16 and Constitution of 16 that way your melee abilities will do a lot of damage with a massive health pool for good survivability. The next priority is Dexterity at 14 so you have a higher initiative because going first or sooner means eliminating more enemies and taking less damage.
You can increase your ability score via a quest in Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3. Make sure to check out ourPermanent bonus guideon how you can boost your ability score through quests.
Best Skills for Battle Master Fighter
AcrobaticsandPerceptionare the best skills for the Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3 because they complement your class abilities and enhance your effectiveness in various situations. In Baldur’s Gate 3, skills represent the abilities and proficiencies of your character that allow them to perform various actions and interact with the game world.Skillsare associated with specific attributes and are used to determine the success or effectiveness of certain actions or abilities. They can be edited during character creation or with companions, during respec orreroll screen.
Here are the skills for Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Best Companions for Battle Master Fighter Build
Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion make the bestcompanionsfor the Fighter Build. We do not recommend additional front-line fighters and damage dealers. The idea is, that your character charges in melee range with support, range damage, or even stealth attacks. If you have multiple melee characters, 2-3, it can be troublesome in close-quarters combat.
It’s important to note that party composition and synergy play a significant role in determining the effectiveness of your companions. Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each companion and how they align with your main character’s abilities and playstyle. You can go more range withWyllor a double melee setup withLae’zel. Also, feel free to swap out and explore different options.
Best Battle Master Fighter Illithid Powers
Illithid Powersare unlocked later in the game when you learn more about the Mind Flayers and tadpoles. You can gain jars of Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens, and consume them to gain one point. This is essentially another skill tree advancement with some very strong powers when playing the Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Battle Master Fighter Build.
Here are the best Illithid Powers for the Fighter Build:
Best Battle Master Fighter Class Level Progression
Alternative Battle Master Fighter Build – Spellcaster Playstyle
For Fighter builds seeking increased spellcasting versatility and damage output, consider switching to the Eldritch Knight subclass. Also, take a one-level dip into Warlock with the Hexblade subclass at Level 12. This dip provides valuable bonus action utility, access to two strong spells, and a potent ranged cantrip. While Warlock is a Charisma-based class, the benefits it offers significantly enhance a Fighter’s toolkit, at the cost of just one feat. You can still comfortably hit 20 Strength and takeGreat Weapon Masterwith your available feats. Furthermore, if you start with 17 Strength during character creation and plan to earn Auntie Ethel’s bonus in Act 1, you’ll have an optimal setup. This build gives you strong melee and ranged damage options along with added utility, making for a well-rounded and powerful Fighter.
At level one follow our character creator to pick all correct background, race, skills, and ability distribution focusing on Strength and Constitution.
You pick a subclass at level 3, so expect a slow start in terms of performance. The level 1 Fighter unlocks two class features:
Second Wind is a helpful healer at the start of the game. Like potions, this uses a bonus action to heal and replenish on short rest. In the game’s early stages, this helps when playing solo so you can hoard potions. One of the weaknesses of this build is the lack of additional bonus actions and healing. Thus, you need to be careful when using a bonus action per turn and typically save it for a heal via potion or Second Wind.
Next, we have Great Weapon Fighting which helps keep damage consistent when using a Two-Handed melee weapon. The Fighter is best using a Two-Handed Greatsword, though solo we want to use a bit more range. However, it’s worth taking this and still having the Fighter offensive firepower to eliminate targets.
Battle Master Fighter Gameplay & Priorities
At the start of the game, you will feel weak until level 5 where you gain Extra Attack. Your priority for the solo Fighter build is locating heavy armour, a two-handed Greatsword, and a Longbow or Heavy Crossbow. Lae’zel, who you meet in the prologue has powerful medium armour with 15 AC along with a Heavy Crossbow. If you don’t plan on using this companion, take her gear immediately and equip her for a big boost in overall survivability and ranged damage.
From this point, you need to hoard potions, arrows, and consumable potions. The advantage of the Fighter is not needing constant long rest.Elixir of Bloodlustor Colossus lasts until a long rest and drastically increases your damage. The Arrows of Ice and others are particularly helpful when you are unable to stun or knock enemies prone early on. Your overall priority with this build is the following:
Following these steps ensures a strong foundation, especially if you plan on playingsoloor onHonour Modedifficulty.
Level two the Fighter gets a very powerful skill, Action Surge.
Gameplay you now have a way to get two attacks in one turn along with a self-heal. Play aggressively and charge in. Don’t forget to equip a bow because you want some type of range weapon when melee isn’t an option because of distance.
Level three you get access to your subclass and for this build, we want to select Battle Master.
Battle Master Subclass Unlocked: this will give you access to a new mechanic called Superiority Dice, which are d8s. Think of this as an additional resource that can be replenished during long rest. You will also get to select three maneuvers which are attacks that consume superiority dice.
Manoeuvre Explained
Gameplay with Manoeuvres
At this level, the fighter gains more control and stuns. you’re able to also use Pommel Strike on a Greatsword to proc Daze as well. Continue to use crowd control and weapon damage and use Action Surge when you need another attack. Short rest after every battle if possible to replenish your resources.
At level four you can take aFeator increased ability score for your main stat Strength. I recommend taking the Great Weapons Master feat at level 4 because it will help you make use of your bonus action offensively.
GreatWeapon Master: When a melee attack scores a critical hit or kills a creature, you may make another melee attack as a bonus action. When attacking with Heavy Weapons you are proficient with, attack rolls take a -5 penalty, but their damage increases by 10.
Great Weapon Master does two things for you. One, it has a high risk high reward ability to add 10 damage BUT -5 attack roll penalty. You can turn this off in the Passive section on your toolbar, which will give you the normal percentage. At level four, this will lower your percentage significantly, but as your Strength increases and if you add in buffs like Bless, the percentage will come up into a respectable range of 60% or greater. Just go to passives and toggle GWM off, if you are in the 30% and want more consistent damage until a higher level.
Secondly, this feat allows you to use your bonus action after you successfully critical strike or kill an enemy. At level four, this is very helpful because our one weakness early is bonus action utility. Constantly getting kills and critical strikes turns the Fighter into an offensive juggernaut. Combat should therefore be initiated using your action first, saving your bonus action for a Great Weapons Master attack.
You are just one level away from an awe-inspiring Extra Attack. At this level, you want to optimize Great Weapons Master, focusing on kills to get bonus action extra attack.
Level five is where the Fighter starts to feel very powerful. You get Extra Attack, along with Action Surge AND Great Weapon Master. Extra Attack does the following:
In one turn, you can attack twice with Extra Attack, kill an enemy or critical strike, and attack again with Great Weapon Master. That’s three so far.
You use Action Surge and attack another two times for a total of 5 in one turn. you may make it 7 by either using a Potion of Speed or having someone cast Haste on you. This gives you another action once per turn.
And this is why the Fighter is so strong, in an action meta game, nothing beats it. You need to use superiority dice and those attacks sparingly when the situation calls for it. Otherwise, just keep it simple and blast people with multiple attacks!
At level 6, the Fighter gets another feat or ability improvement. We want to increase strength by +2 for a total of 18. This will help us hit harder, and more likely to land which is especially handy with Great Weapons Master. If you have this toggled off due to lower percentages of chances to strike, turn it back on. Also, use the spell Bless or have someone cast it on you for much higher percentages and big damage!
The nice thing about Fighter is you get feats at levels 4, 6, 8, and 12. Most classes give you just 3 so this is a big advantage for staying in the class only and not multi-classing.
Ending Act 1 as a Battle Master Fighter
Around Level 6, you should be close to transitioning out of Act 1. Be sure to check merchants and stock up on camp and alchemy supplies. Additionally, ensure to find thebest Act 1 items. Furthermore, there are alsopermanent bonusesyou don’t want to miss in Act 1. Finally, theGrymforgehas powerful armor and weapons (Adamantine) that can be used well into Act 3. Consider taking the time to collect the crafting items before moving on to Act 2, where you won’t be able to return.
At level 7, the Fighter gets to pick two more maneuvers. Here are our suggestions:
At level 8 the Fighter gets another feat choice. Alert makes the most sense for the build.
Alert: You gain a +5 bonus to Initiative and can’t be Surprised.
At first, this feat may seem to be lackluster, but it’s incredible. The weakness of the Fighter is going way later in the round. If you can open up with the Fighter, crowd control, or kill multiple targets, your incoming damage is significantly reduced. Not to mention, just having a Fighter with high health and AC near targets will create a distraction. The lack of highInitiativeis a big weakness of the Fighter because we don’t stack that much Dexterity, because of wearing heavy armor and strength-based damage. In summary, with 8 initiatives you are going pretty early in the round if not first and that gives you a huge advantage.
Another reason this is so strong is the Surprised status effect. This essentially skips one round for you. In some fights, particularly dialogue-based consequences later in Acts 2 and 3, you will be surprised after a conversation with combat starting immediately. Without this benefit, your entire team will miss one turn, and then return to you. With high difficulty and the enemy being given a free round, you are starting at a massive disadvantage. When you cannot be surprised and you go first, second, or third, you can crowd control or outright kill high-damage dealers. This prevents a catastrophic round one nuke, and I cannot recommend this enough for specifically a Fighter build.
Read More –Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadow Magic Sorcerer Build
Not much happens at level 9 for the Fighter besides getting the class featureIndomitable. Whenever you fail a Saving Throw, you can roll again, using the new result instead. This is a simple passive feature that helps increase our survivability and requires zero action by you the player.
At level 10 the Fighter with Battle Master subclass will get an additional two battle maneuvers. Here are our suggestions:
At level 11, the Fighter receives another amazing bonus, Improved Extra Attack.
Improved Extra Attack: You can make two additional attacks after attacking with your main-hand weapon. This means, every action you spend on attacks, produces 3 attacks!
This makes the Fighter the most action-heavy class and build in Baldur’s Gate 3. You get multiple actions, then two more, along with an action surge for another action, and with Great Weapon Master you may use your bonus action for another attack. Not to mention if someone cast Haste on you or you use a Potion of Speed. This is why that Alert feat is so powerful at this level. If the Fighter goes early in the turn, and they cannot be crowd controlled by a caster, it’s nearly game over for the entire opposition.
We’ve reached the max level in Baldur’s Gate 3, and improving our Strength to 20 is the play with this feat. At this level, you should feel insane powerful and we hope you enjoyed reading our leveling progression.
Read More –Top 10 builds for Baldur’s Gate 3
Best Gear for Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Battle Master Build
Beginner: Act 1
Here’s the best beginner gear for Fighter Battle Master Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Below is a list of the best Act 1 equipment for the Battle Master Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Advanced: Act 3 End-Game
The following table presents the best advanced and end-game gear for Fighter Battle Master Build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Below is a list of the best gear, weapons, and armour for the Battle Master Fighter build in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Best Fighter Consumables, Potions, and Items
The following list represents the best individual useconsumableitems that will aid in our Fighter Build:
Permanent Bonuses for Fighter Build BG3
Throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, you will have the ability to gain permanent bonuses to your character. These can grant additional spells, ability scores, and other bonuses. Permanent Bonuses are not displayed throughout the campaign but are vital to increase overall combat performance. We have all permanent bonuses here in a guide, but the most important ones for you to collect are listed below.
Best Permanent Bonuses for Battle Master Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
Combat, Gameplay Tips, and Tricks in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Battle Master Build uses a combination of aggression, damage, and movement speed to survive and fight. You will need to play aggressively but also use terrain, consumables, and companions to help you in combat.
Here are 10 combat gameplay tips and tricks specifically for playing a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Remember, this build guide serves as a foundation, and you can always adapt it to suit your preferences and the needs of your campaign. Enjoy playing as The Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Battle Master Fighter Build!
Battlemaster Fighter Changes in Patch 7 for BG3
The Battlemaster Fighter didn’t get any updates in Patch 7 of BG3. Everything about the class, like builds, combat, and how it plays, is basically the same.
Larian Studios focused this patch on mods. They’ve added a modding toolkit and an in-game mod manager, so now players can create and install mods right in the game. This lets the community add their own content and even expand the story. The best Battlemaster Fighter build guide is still the same in Patch 7 of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Battle Master Fighter Build Summary Guide
Q1. What fighting style is best for Fighter BG3?
The best fighting style for Fighter in BG3 depends on your own preferences, playstyle, etc.
Q2. What is the best class to add to Fighter BG3?
Fighter is the most versatile martial class to add to Fighter in BG3.
Q3. What race is best for fighter BG3?
The best race for Fighter in BG3 depends on your build focus and goals. Best all around races for fighter are Half-Orc and Githyanki.
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