Baldur's Gate 3 Fighter Guide

Fighters have always been a standard introduction into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. There are fewer options for Fighters in Baldur’s Gate 3 compared to the tabletop game (in its current form), but they are one of the easier and more straightforward classes to play.

Your main goal with the Fighter is to go out there and hit things with your weapon, but the additions of spellcasting or battle maneuvers from your subclass choice can steadily add more complexity to the class as you level. Fighters can be a little bland at the early levels, but stick with them, as it will get more fun as you progress. Here are some suggestions for making the most out of your Fighter.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Best Stat Choice

Almost any race can work for the fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3, but if you’re really looking to maximize the strength of your Fighter, then the Shield Dwarf is hands down your best option. It includes a massive +2 to Strength and +2 to Constitution, which are both big stats for the Fighter. If you plan to use a two-handed weapon, Strength is your stat of choice. Fighters also make incredible archers with the right passives and stats, so Dexterity would be your go-to if that’s your plan.

Constitution is a huge focus as you’ll likely end up being the highest hit point class in the game at the present moment (at least until Barbarians crash the party). A high Constitution score will also allow you to make Constitution saves easier, which will keep you from getting poisoned or otherwise incapacitated. Dexterity is a good option to put points into as well as it increases your armor class.

The remaining stats really depend on how you plan to play the game, but I’ve always had a soft spot for being the hard-hitting Fighter who doesn’t speak or think too well. Of course, breaking from the trope is always fun too, so Charisma is a solid choice if you plan to solve some of your problems with words instead of your sword. As a note, if you plan to play the Eldritch Knight, strongly consider making intelligence your second or third highest stat to make your spells more effective.

At level 4, when you gain two additional points for your stats, in the setup below I’d recommend taking Strength and Constitution, which will improve your modifier score by one in each. If you’re not using the Shield Dwarf as your race and have an even number score for your Strength, put two points into that so you will do more damage and hit enemies more frequently.

Suggested stats (using Drow as my race):
Strength: 17
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 17 
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 9

Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Class Passives

Your passive choice really comes down to weapon preference, but I highly recommend getting the Great Weapon Fighting passive at level 2. Although this is an “under-the-hood” type ability, it rerolls any damage die that are 1s or 2s. This means you’ll do significantly more damage with your big weapons.

If you plan to dual wield, get the Two-Weapon Fighting passive as it adds your strength modifier to off-hand attacks, which should result in quite a bit more damage to any roll.

If you run a shield, Protection is an interesting choice if you have a lot of melee types in your party.  Protection gives disadvantage for attacks on your party members that are near you, which makes them more difficult to hit.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Subclass Choice

As a Fighter, you have two choices for subclass. The Battle Master is a fantastic choice that will give you a limited number of superiority dice that can be used for a number of abilities. Superiority die can add damage, add health, and open up a wealth of choices for you and your party members. In the tabletop game, this die upgrades from 1d8s as well, so presuming that stays the same, it will be a massive boost for your Fighter’s damage when the level cap increases.

As a Battle Master, taking Rally is a fantastic way to use your superiority dice as it adds extra temporary health for you or your teammates. Riposte is a solid choice too, as anything that adds extra attacks is generally a good choice in Baldur’s Gate 3. Your third skill, the preference between pushing opponents or frightening them, is entirely up to you but pushing opponents in the right situation can lead to an immediate kill.

Eldritch Knight dabbles you into spellcasting, which is an interesting addition to the class. You won’t get nearly as many or powerful spells as your spellcasting friends like the Wizard, but you do get some useful ones. Spellcasting is tough as a Fighter though, since most of your time will be spent using your action to hit things with your weapons over and over again.

Presumably, once higher levels are unlocked with updates, it becomes an even harder sell to give up multiple attacks for generally low-damage spells. Spells are most useful when you’re not engaged in melee combat with your opponents.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Best Abilities & Spells

Fighters are an interesting choice as their subclasses allow them to either dabble in spellcasting or get unique abilities as a Battlemaster. Whether you choose to be a spellcaster or Battlemaster, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few abilities and spells from each subclass that are worth checking out:

• Expeditious Retreat (Level 1): The biggest issue with being a melee fighter is not being able to reach your opponent. Expeditious Retreat will let you move significantly further by letting you use the Dash action to extend how far you can move. As long as you keep concentration, you can utilize this spell multiple times by using your bonus action. It's great for closing distances in big fights.
• Rally (Battle Master ability): An additional 8 hit points is no joke, especially at early levels. You can even cast it on yourself prior to fighting to make yourself extra tanky. These are known as temporary hit points though, so you will lose them eventually.
• Second Wind (class ability): A sweet 1d10 free healing ability you should utilize before making your poor Cleric use a spell slot to heal you. Better yet, it comes back on a Short Rest if you need to get back quickly.
• Riposte (Battle Master ability): Riposte is a good fit for a Fighter as you’ll likely be in the thick of it during combat. If an opponent misses you with a melee attack, you will get a free strike at them. In turn-based combat, the more attacks you can get in per turn, the better you’ll be during an encounter.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter General Tips

Until the Barbarian or Paladin make an appearance in Baldur’s Gate 3, the de facto tank will be the Fighter. Mind you, there’s not a traditional tank class in Dungeons & Dragons, so expect to put out big damage too. Your Fighter can still do a massive amount of damage to your opponents if equipped and used effectively. Try to position yourself at the forefront of combat, but don’t be reckless. A dead tank isn’t very useful for the rest of your party. Here’s some other tips to help you out:

• Be wary of opportunity attacks in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you leave the melee range of an enemy near you, they get a free strike against you. This isn’t as big a deal as tanky Fighter, but with a boss or hard-hitting enemy, those damage points add up quickly.
• If you plan to focus strength and melee fighting, avoid using your bow if you can. It will have a lesser chance to hit and do less damage than your melee strike. Use other abilities like Rally on a teammate when you can’t reach your enemies but still have an action.
• Upgrade your equipment frequently. You can find better weapons and armor. There’s a number of magical items that fit well with the Fighter.

How are you enjoying Baldur's Gate 3 so far? Did our tips help you kit out your Fighter? Let us know in the comments below.