Summary
AsBaldur’s Gate 3has remained one of the most relevant RPGs of the past few years, players have had plenty of time to develop countless builds for their characters. As a modern take on the CRPG formula,Baldur’s Gate 3offers an intense level of gameplay variety across its 12 available classes and 10 companions that can be respecced at will. This degree of choice has been a major draw to many RPG fans who enjoy complex experiences, but there’s one route in the game that also appeals to a far more straightforward approach.
Likely seen by even casual fans, the Fighter class has already been widely represented throughBG3’s Githyanki companion, Lae’zel. Her place in the party has led the majority of players to run a Fighter in some form, but many have also chosen to build their own custom character into the warrior-style archetype that the class entails. While it may be a great choice for those just starting out, there is a deceptive level of depth to the Fighter hidden beneath the surface.
Understanding the Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Fighter’s Simplicity is Perfect for Beginners
Often recommendedasabeginner-friendly class ofBG3, Fighters have earned this reputation for ease of use through their versatile potential and general lack of interaction with magic systems. As a “frontliner” class, they are generally meant to be at the head of the team and ready to take hits while dishing out damage, but their potential for defense can make this accessible and sustainable even for novices.
A Layer of Complexity in Subclasses
The concept of the Fighter may be plain, but the three subclasses beneath have meaningful, build-defining differences. Eldritch Knights combine martial prowess and magic to break out of the class' mold, while Champions stay the truest to the simple focus on direct attacks. TheBattle Master’s access to Maneuvers inBG3typically causes it to be considered the best of the three, with powerful and unique features that use their own Superiority Dice resource. These are highly effective in combat, ranging from the likes of the self-explanatory Disarming Attack to Riposte, a feature that attacks enemies who miss their own attacks on the player.
Fighting Style Defines the Player’s Approach
Regardless of subclass choice,Baldur’s Gate 3’s Fighter uses a Fighting Style, one of several passive features with specific benefits. The most applicable to the typical Fighter are Defence for a straight-up AC bonus, Protection for imposing Disadvantage as a sword-and-shield character, or the most popular, Great Weapon Fighting for re-rolling low results on two-handed melee strikes.
The Best Equipment and Magic Items for Fighters
With full access to the complete set of weaponry and armor found throughoutBaldur’s Gate 3, Fighters have an extremely diverse array of choices when it comes to gear. They may be able to equip just about anything, but specifically utilizing the Fighter’s proficiency in Martial Weapons andHeavy Armor inBG3is more likely to create a build that can last in the heat of battle.
A player’s approach can vary significantly depending on their subclass, with the Critical Hit-centric Champion gravitating towards certain pieces while an Eldritch Knight is better off capitalizing on magic interactions. For a general Fighter though, several items are worth running on just about any build:
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Fighter Shines in Multiclass Builds
The Benefits of Action Surge and Extra Attacks
While it may be one of the most straightforward choices of class in the game, the hidden truth of the Fighter is that it has often been one of the most popular classes to combine with others. At Level 2, Fighters gain Action Surge, an iconic feature that simply grants another Action once per Short Rest. Extra Attack is subsequently gained at Level 5, and Improved Extra Attack brings the Fighter’s total up to three whole attacks per Action at Level 11. When this is combined with theBG3’s War Domain Cleric’s War Priest charges for further bonus attacks or a Warlock with Deepened Pact for a similar effect, it’s easy to see why Fighter isn’t seen by itself in many builds.
Taking a “Dip” into Fighter Can Bolster Many Builds
There’s a lot of potential to be found in full multiclass Fighter builds, but the class' usual application is in the concept of “dipping” originally found inDnD. For the likes of a mixed caster such as aWizard/Fighter multiclass inBaldur’s Gate 3, the best bet can be to just take the bare minimum two levels of Fighter required for Action Surge. By starting any build this way, all the game’s classes have the potential to gain the Fighter’s proficiencies alongside such a universally valuable feature. It might be the ideal starter class, but coming back around to Fighter as a veteran can make for some ofBG3’s most optimized builds.
