Highlights
- The Fighter class in Baldur's Gate 3 is the most versatile martial class, with access to the most proficiencies out of all the classes.
- Players can choose from three subclasses at level 3: Champion, Eldritch Knight, and Battle Master, each with its own unique features and playstyles.
- The Eldritch Knight subclass allows Fighters to delve into magic, but their focus on damage limits their utility. Champion is a plug-and-play subclass with high damage potential, while Battle Master excels in buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and dealing massive damage with superiority dice and Action Surge.
In Baldur's Gate 3, the Fighter class is a force to be reckoned with. It is the most versatile martial class in the game, beating out paladins, barbarians, and rangers by having access to the most proficiencies out of all of them. Players choosing the Fighter subclass will have the option to choose between one of three subclasses at level 3, as you cannot choose a subclass for the Fighter at level 1.
At level 3, players are free to choose whichever subclass best suits them. Want to be a sword-swinging, athletics-focused, Crit machine? The Champion class is here for you. Want to be a spell blade proficient in every type of armor there is and most weapons in the game and sling firebolts from your right hand and Ray of Frost from your Left? The Eldritch Knight is a stellar option. Or does controlling the battlefield with quick, clever maneuvers strike your fancy? Choose the Battle Master.
Updated by Hamza Haq on August 16, 2023: New links have been incorporated into the content to reflect the most recent information available for Baldur’s Gate 3.
3 Eldritch Knight
If delving into Magic is something you want to do as a melee combatant, Fighter's Eldritch Knight is not a bad call. Branching into this subclass will allow your Fighter to learn some low-level spells from the Wizard spell list. Most of these spells are from the Evocation School of Magic, which makes your Eldritch Knight a class primarily focused on damage to the exclusion of almost everything else. The focus on the evocation school of Magic limits the Eldritch Knight in what it can achieve. At most, an Eldritch Knight will be able to deal extra damage at range. But since all the spells they get access to are going to be Action spells instead of Bonus Actions, you'd much rather be using that Action to swing a sword rather than hurl a spell at least until level 5 when you get Extra Attack.
Having access to more types of damage isn't bad, but having little to no utility to the party means that you're going to need to bring a dedicated spellcaster in your party, like a Cleric or a Druid, to fill up that slot. This makes Eldritch Knight a melee fighter that can do spells, but that isn't the class's main focus. You're still going to be swinging hammers and flails around and wearing armor to battle, but you're going to have one or two cantrips in your spell slots while you do it. As an Eldritch Knight, you're never going to have loads of spell slots like a Wizard or a Cleric; that's just not in the cards. But you will have access to the occasional level 1 or 2 evocation spell you can throw around to tilt the balance in your favor.
2 Champion
The most plug-and-play class among the three, according to Larian themselves, the Champion subclass is designed to be as user-friendly as possible while also providing incredible damage potential at every step of the adventure. While experienced players might find the Champion subclass boring to play, it's a treat to new players who might be feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of options and customizations that Baldur's Gate 3 allows players to engage in.
At first glance, the Champion class does not seem that attractive a choice as they only have three unique class features. At level 3, when you opt into the Champion subclass, you get the Improved Critical Hit Class Feature. Then, at level 7, you get Remarkable Athelete: Proficiency and Remarkable Athelete: Jump. And that's it. However, what makes the Champion class powerful is its access to increased Critical Hit Chances. And, since this feature is available very early on during the game at level 3, you can easily multiclass out of the Fighter class and into something else. Or, you can stick with Champion and keep increasing the rate at which you land critical hits, making you a killing machine on the battlefield.
1 Battle Master
The Battle Master subclass is defined by its access to superiority dice which are special dice that this class can use in conjunction with specific skills. These skills, or Maneuvers, as they're called in-game, allow Battle Masters to buff allies, debuff enemies, or just straight up increase their damage rolls. For Lae'zel, we like the Battle Master class the best because of this feature as it best suits her playstyle and allows her to do a lot on the battlefield at every turn. Superiority Dice will be your bread and butter as a Battle Master. At level 3, when you first opt into this class, you'll get 4 Superiority Dice to use. Don't be afraid to use them in every combat encounter. These dice are restocked on every long and short rest, which means you effectively have a limitless supply of Superiority Dice since you want to be short resting after every fight anyway.
With access to the Fighter class's iconic ability, Action Surge, a Battle Master can sweep through the battlefield and take up Action after Action, dealing massive damage left and right. If you're looking for a Fighter who is going to take up the role of the front liner and make for an impenetrable wall in the face of a horde of enemies, Battle Master is the way to go.