Best Fighter build in Baldur’s Gate 3: Race, skills, Fighting Style & more
Larian StudiosHaving the best Fighter build in Baldur’s Gate 3 can give you a huge advantage in combat. From the skills, fighting style, and race, here’s everything you need to know about creating the best build for the class in the game
Similar to the Barbarian, the Fighter is a fantastic class in Baldur’s Gate 3 that deals brilliant damage through a variety of hits and battle tactics. While they’re perhaps not as tanky as their damage-dealing counterpart, the Fighter is the next-best melee class in the game.
However, just because they’re a little simpler to explore, doesn’t mean they’re boring or easy to build. Thanks to some Fighting Styles and the notion of facing your enemy up close, you’ll want to be extremely careful when building your Fighter.
So, to help you out, here’s the best Fighter build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Contents
- Best race
- Best Fighting Style
- Best background
- Best Ability Score spread
- Best Illithid powers
- Best multiclass options
- Best build for a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian StudiosBest race to choose for a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
There are three different races that are perfect for a Fighter class in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, the focus will be on granting a boost to your hardiness, and damage dealt, the Fighter’s main priority.
- Gold Dwarf
- Shield Dwarf
- Githyanki
While these three classes are ideal for a Fighter, we recommend using the Gold Dwarf for its Dwarven Resilience and Dwarven Toughness.
Best Fighting Style for a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
The best Fighting Style to go for in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Great Weapon Fighting.
This fighting style will give you an extra chance to hit the enemy when rolling a 1 or a 2, which can be lifesaving if those dice just aren’t rolling your way.
Best background for a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
There are tons of backgrounds in Baldur’s Gate 3, but the best for the Fighter is a Soldier. This will grant you proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation, two strength-based skills that are imperative for this class.
After choosing your background, we recommend selecting as many of these skills as you can because these are useful no matter your class:
- Survival
- Perception
- Insight
Best Ability Score spread for a Fighter
Larian StudiosWhen it comes to choosing the best Ability Scores for your fighter, you can opt for the recommended spread, or you can choose these:
- Strength: 16
- Dexterity: 14
- Constitution: 16
- Wisdom: 10
- Intelligence: 8
- Charisma: 10
The most important stats to prioritize for a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Strength and Constitution. You’re not really meant to be tanky in this class so instead you need high health and extremely high damage. However, Dexterity is an ideal third-highest stat.
Best Illithid powers for a Fighter
Cull the Weak
Cull the Weak is imperative for classes like the Fighter. If you’re up close fighting an enemy, then getting the chance to take it down just because of its hit points is a huge bonus. Add the psychic damage to nearby creatures and you’re a powerhouse.
Mind Blast
Stunning targets is always a key element for upfront fighters, and with that added psychic damage, it’s hard to argue against having this power.
Illithid Expertise
Fighters aren’t really the talkers of the group, but that doesn’t mean you won’t land yourself into these situations. So, if that’s the case, or if you want to intimidate, Illithid Expertise is the power for you. After all, there are no negatives to a few extra points in key skills.
Best multiclass options for a Fighter
Fighter and Barbarian
This is a classic combination in both Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur’s Gate 3. It combines the fantastic HP pool and damage from the Barbarian and the high AC and multiattack from the Fighter, essentially making an extremely powerful tank.
We suggest heading into the subclass of Berserker and Battle Master for the added manipulation and support, as well as a nice bit of Action Surge combined with Rage.
Fighter and Wizard
At first, it seems rather unconventional to put a glass cannon like the Wizard with an up-close hitter like the Fighter. However, once you realize that this will essentially make you into just a cannon (thanks to the higher AC) then it becomes a no-brainer.
Simply add the Fighters high AC and Action Surge to the Wizard’s fantastic offensive spells and you have a versatile character that can take down an enemy from up close or far away – and they can even do it more than once thanks to that Action Surge.
Best build for a Fighter in Baldur’s Gate 3
Race: Gold Dwarf
Background: Soldier
Skills: Survival, Insight
Ability order from highest to lowest: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma, Intelligence
Best Fighter build:
| Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1 | Second Wind — Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting |
| 2 | Action Surge |
| 3 | Superiority Dice — Maneuvres: Pushing Attack, Riposte, Trip Attack |
| 4 | Ability Improvement: Strength (to nearest even number), Constitution (+1 or +2 depending on Strength increase) |
| 5 | Extra Attack |
| 6 | Feat: Great Weapon Master |
| 7 | — |
| 8 | Feat: Martial Adept |
| 9 | Indomitable |
| 10 | Fighting Style: Defence |
| 11 | Improved Extra Attack |
| 12 | Feat: Mobile |
Check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 guides:
Best Sorcerer build | Best Bard build | Best Rogue build | Best Ranger build | Best Barbarian build | Best Wizard build | Baldur’s Gate 3: What’s the max level cap? | Best Baldur’s Gate 3 classes tier list | How to revive characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 | Can you multiclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 | Baldur’s Gate 3 Soul Coins: How to get them & what they are | Baldur’s Gate 3: Fastest ways to get XP & level up | Baldur’s Gate 3: How to respec your character | Baldur’s Gate 3 Karmic Dice: What are they?
