The One D&D Fighter Handbook – Mastering Fighters
The masters of fighting, Fighters dominate the battlefield with their combat prowess as they are easily the most versatile martial class in the game. Despite the name, Fighters can be built in really any way that allows them to do reasonably well in out of combat scenarios as well whether you want them to be a negotiator, stealthy, or even someone who focuses on the natural world. This versatility makes Fighter a consistently popular option in play groups!
This handbook will focus on all the facets that go into building a Fighter including the initial build (the best species and background choices) to how to make your Fighter unique (between play styles, subclasses, and even feats that you should consider).
How Our Rankings Work
I do a standard S-F tier ranking and here’s how I categorize them:
S Tier – The absolute best of the best. These options can even broach into unfair territory and may be subject to being banned at certain tables. If you’re looking for power level alone, there’s functionally no reason not to use these.
A Tier – While not as broken as the S Tier options, these are as good as you can get without broaching into unfair territory, although some of them may be strong enough to feel unfair!
B Tier – These will not be as inherently powerful as A Tier options, but are still quite strong in their own right. These are likely a bit more situational or slightly weaker than the A tier options, but still very good.
C Tier – Decent options, but likely not particularly strong. These options don’t offer too much or may just be a bit too situational to be ranked higher, but are still options you should consider as these will be the average power level.
D Tier – While not completely useless, these options are either very weak or very situational so are unlikely to be used, but unlike F tier, these aren’t completely unusable or actively detrimental.
F Tier – Either so weak or so situational that these should functionally never be taken or considered unless in the most niche of circumstances.
Fighter Class Features
Level 1
Starting Proficiencies – A+ Tier – Got every proficiency you’d ever want!
Fighting Style – B Tier – Functionally a slightly weaker feat (they are technically feats), but still quite solid!
Second Wind – C Tier – A little bit of extra healing that gets upgraded as you level. Nothing super special, but definitely a solid ability.
Weapon Mastery – B- Tier – Weapon Masteries are overall pretty good and add a decent amount of power and versatility to your weapons, and if you like this, Fighters get more of them than everyone else.
Level 2
Action Surge – S Tier – One of the strongest class abilities in the game as this is close to just getting an extra turn in combat every short rest.
Tactical Mind – C+ Tier – Generally you don’t want to spend your Second Wind charges for an ability check, but considering it’s not spent if you still fail, you can use this on really important skill checks without fear of wasting it either way.
Level 5
Extra Attack – A+ Tier – Extra Attack is probably the most important ability on any martial class.
Tactical Shift – B Tier – Being able to get healing, a Disengage, and movement for a bonus action is a pretty good deal!
Level 6
Additional Feat – A- Tier – Fighter is one of the two classes that gets extra feats, and if it wasn’t obvious, feats are pretty powerful in general!
Level 9
Indomitable – A Tier – With the recent upgrades to this, Indomitable is close to a charge of Legendary Resistance and is only going to get more and more powerful as you level up! While really strong, charges only coming back on Long Rests does really limit how often you get to use this and it probably won’t feel like you ever have enough of these.
Tactical Master – B- Tier – Being able to replace the mastery property of your weapon with Push, Sap, or Slow is definitely nice if your best happen doesn’t have a mastery property you’re happy with.
Level 11
Extra Attack (x2) – A+ Tier – If one extra attack was good, two is better!
Level 13
Indomitable (x2) – A Tier – Two charges of one of your best abilities is obviously great.
Studied Attacks – B Tier – Getting advantage on a subsequent attack after you miss is definitely nice!
Level 14
Additional Feat – A- Tier – Fighter is one of the two classes that gets extra feats, and if it wasn’t obvious, feats are pretty powerful in general!
Level 17
Action Surge (x2) – S Tier – An additional charge of one of the games best abilities is incredibly good.
Indomitable (x3) – A Tier – Three charges of one of your best abilities is obviously great.
Level 20
Extra Attack (x3) – A+ Tier – Every additional attack is just that more damage and makes your Action Surge that much more potent.
Fighter Species
Aasimar – A Tier – A generically strong species that gives you a lot of things for Fighters. Necrotic and Radiant resistance is always good, Darkvision is great to have, you get a bit of healing which Fighters don’t typically get, you get Light for free, and a cool ability to transform into 3 different forms, all of which are reasonable to use. Assimar will always be a solid choice, no matter the class.
Dragonborn – B Tier – A decent species in general as you get a damage resistance, Darkvision, Flight at level 5, and a breath weapon that can be useful in a pinch. Dragonborn are good as you get things Fighter doesn’t normally afford you, but generally outshined by Aasimar.
Dwarf – C+ Tier – Long range Darkvision, Tremorsense for scouting, and extra health is definitely nice. Resistance to poison damage and advantage to save against the poisoned condition is alright, but pretty rare so it’s not going to come up that often.
Elf – B- Tier – Darkvision is always great, an extra skill proficiency, as well as advantage on saving throws against being Charmed (even if it isn’t that common), but the real treat is being able to pick your lineage which all comes with things you’d be happy to have as a Fighter. I would say the Wood Elf lineage is probably the most appealing for the extra movement speed and spell options you wouldn’t normally get, but any of the options would be solid.
Gnome – C- Tier – Advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws is excellent, especially for Fighters as these spells/effects can cause you to lose out on damage which is kind of your whole deal, but that’s the only exciting thing Gnome really gives you so you get no benefits until you’re making a saving throw.
Goliath – A+ Tier – Large Form and Powerful Build aren’t exciting for really any class, but getting a higher base speed and one of the many excellent Giant Ancestry abilities is awesome, especially Hill Giant for Topple which all martial classes love.
Halfling – C- Tier – Brave is awesome for Fighters as Frightened can be debilitating (if they lack good ranged options) and Luck is a fun feature, but it’s really just Brave that’s appealing for the average Fighter.
Human – A- Tier – A free Heroic Inspiration every day, a free skill, and a free Origin feat is great for any class. This is a smidgen weaker for Fighters than other classes as you aren’t as reliant on a particular Origin feat compared to other classes.
Orc – B+ Tier – A solid species for any martial character. Bonus Action Dash lets you get into the fight easier so you don’t miss out on damage which is great. Not going unconscious once per day also help tremendously when you’re going to be typically taking quite the beating in combat. Finally, long range Darkvision is generically good for any class making this a solid choice.
Tiefling – D Tier – Damage resistances and Darkvision are always great, but the spells package is just worse than what Elves could give you.
Fighter Backgrounds
As Fighters are generally in the Dexterity focused or Strength focused camp, I’ll add which build each background works specifically for in parentheses
Acolyte – D Tier – While you do get a solid feat and proficiency in Insight, the rest of what Acolyte gives doesn’t really mesh well with what Fighters are typically looking to do.
Artisan – C+ Tier – Solid ability scores (whether you’re looking to go Strength or Dexterity Fighter), solid proficiencies, but a really weak Origin feat. Not a bad option, but the feat definitely hurts.
Charlatan (Dexterity) – B- Tier – Good ability scores, ok feat, and mediocre proficiencies. Definitely not a bad choice as it has the right ability scores though.
Criminal (Dexterity) – A+ Tier – Excellent feat, perfect ability scores, good proficiencies. The standard for Dexterity Fighters.
Entertainer – B- Tier – Excellent feat, but only one ability score you would realistically want and pretty bad proficiencies (unless you’re Dexterity based then Acrobatics can be alright).
Farmer (Strength) – A Tier – Good feat, perfect ability scores, and fine proficiencies make this a great option for Strength based Fighters.
Guard (Strength) – A- Tier – While not being able to boost Constitution hurts, you get an excellent feat and proficiencies instead. Definitely not a bad tradeoff and super tempting for Strength fighters.
Guide (Dexterity) – A- Tier – Perfect ability scores, solid proficiencies, and a good way to get some versatile cantrips and a good spell from Magic Initiate (Druid). You won’t be able to use the spell often, obviously, but even one charge of Absorb Elements (if you play with that), Healing Word, or even just a ritual can be solid.
Hermit – D Tier – Not terrible ability scores, but there’s nothing here you’re going to be super excited about either.
Merchant – C- Tier – Ok feat, ok proficiencies, but not so great ability scores. Not terrible, but not a great option either.
Noble (Strength) – C Tier – Boosting Strength is good and you get a decent feat plus proficiencies, but nothing here is particularly exciting.
Sage – C- Tier – The ability scores nor the proficiencies are that good for Fighters, but Magic Initiate (Wizard) is a great feat so this isn’t a bad option overall.
Sailor – D+ Tier – Boosting either your damage stat and Wisdom is alright and getting Perception proficiency is also solid, but that’s all you can really utilize.
Scribe (Dexterity) – B- Tier – Decent ability scores and feat, but excellent proficiencies. Solid choice for Dexterity based Fighters.
Soldier – B Tier – Perfect ability scores and decent proficiencies, but a pretty atrocious feat.
Wayfarer (Dexterity) – B- Tier – Like the Scribe, decent ability scores and feat with really good proficiencies.
Fighter Skills
Acrobatics – B Tier – Even if you are a Dexterity Fighter, this isn’t the most common skill check so it’s a decent choice, but nothing incredible.
Animal Handling – D Tier – A pretty uncommon check and not one that a Fighter would pretty much ever need compared to any of the other “natural” classes unless you’re looking to specifically going to fight on horseback.
Athletics – B Tier – Even on a Strength fighter, this is a really uncommon check, especially when a lot of DMs don’t call for this that often.
History – D+ Tier – A reasonably common check, but it doesn’t make much sense for the Fighter to be good at it.
Insight – A- Tier – While your Wisdom isn’t going to be super high, Insight is such a good skill that I like picking this anyway.
Intimidation – D+ Tier – A solid proficiency, but not one that Fighter should necessarily be taking. Many other classes will be much better at this than you.
Persuasion – C Tier – Once again, great proficiency, doesn’t make sense on Fighters. The caveat is if you want to do some talking, having good Persuasion is really helpful.
Perception – A Tier – You want as many people in your party with high Perception as possible.
Survival – D Tier – Not the most common check and one that I wouldn’t expect the Fighter of the party to be good at.
Fighter Feats
While not every feat can be mentioned as that would be an oppressively long list, the ones I would at all consider would be here (all the Origin feats included as any of the backgrounds could be potential choices). Feats left off the list are not ones I would normally not consider for any Fighter build, but a full reference on the all the feats in the Player’s Handbook and their associated rankings, check the link below.
Origin Feats
While your Origin feat is tied to your background, it’s good to know how good each feat is to help consider which background you may want or if you decided to pick Human as your species. Past level one, I would functionally never consider taking an origin feat (though it is allowed).
Alert – A Tier – While an excellent feat, it’s not a huge deal if Fighters in particular go first as they are just damage dealers versus battlefield controllers.
Crafter – F Tier – The feat is just bad unless there’s something big about it I’m missing.
Healer – C+ Tier – It’s an alright feat, but a bit better on Fighters 0in particular as you are particularly mobile and should have alright Wisdom, but you may not have inherent proficiency in Medicine which will make this less appealing. If you chose Hermit as your background or Medicine as your skill proficiency as a Human, then you can get the most out of this.
Lucky – C Tier – A decent feat in general, fine for any class or build.
Magic Initiate (Cleric) – B- Tier – Guidance is an excellent cantrip to have and you can never have too many Guidance on your team (plus you get another cantrip which can be an attack cantrip to give you a decent ranged option iif you lack it). Getting long distance healing in the form of Healing Word is nice, but you only get to do it once per day as a Fighter.
Magic Initiate (Druid) – B- Tier – Like Cleric, Guidance and Healing Word are great to have, and if you are feeling spicy, you can take something like Entangle or Goodberry instead. While your second cantrip option is less consequential (probably an attack cantrip for a decent ranged option, but a utility option can be reasonable as well), but if you are playing with spells from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Magic Stone can be a good pickup to synergize with your team if they are about that lifestyle.
Magic Initiate (Wizard) – C+ Tier – These cantrips can give you a decent ranged option for Fighter compared to the other initiate feats which is nice and you can pick up a pretty strong combat spell like Shield or Silvery Barbs which can be useful, even if it’s once per day.
Musician – A Tier – A generically excellent feat for any class.
Savage Attacker – D Tier – This is at its best for martial characters, but a pretty weak feat in general.
Skilled – C+ Tier – A reasonable feat for nearly any class (save Bard or Rogue who doesn’t really need it).
Tavern Brawler – D- Tier – Fighters probably aren’t using unarmed strikes much, and if they were, you would be doing so to make grappling possible, not to just push someone 5 feet.
Tough – A- Tier – Extra health is always great, especially on a class that’s going to be used predominately as a damage sponge.
Fighting Styles
While these weren’t feats in fifth edition, they do count as feats now so they should be considered as well! That being said, I would functionally never take these for one of your general feats and should only be considered if your class gives you one of these for free.
Anything feat with an asterisk means that you need to be/use this in an extremely specific class/build to get the most use out of it.
Archery – B+ Tier – What was the best Fighting style was functionally nerfed due to the Sharpshooter changes, but if you’re planning on using a bow, you’re picking this feat.
Blind-Fighting* – B+ Tier – This fighting style won’t be that good unless your team is all about shrouding the combat in Darkness or something of the like, but if they do, this will functionally mean that you’ll always have Greater Invisibility active as you’ll have advantage on all your attacks while enemies will have disadvantage to hit you (within the Darkness of course).
Defense – A Tier – +1 to AC is just universally good. This will always be a good option if you don’t need a specific Fighting style to help your build out.
Dueling – B+ Tier – +2 to damage rolls as long as you only are using one hand for your weapon is quite good and was previously the most common Fighting style for martials using a sword and shield.
Great Weapon Fighting – F Tier – This was already either the worst or one of the worst Fighting styles before, and while it’s been simplified, it’s technically even weaker. Unfortunately, there’s definitely no good reason to take it now.
Interception* – B- Tier – While this does not scale well into the later levels at all, Interception can block a surprising amount of damage in the early levels as, at level 1, you’re blocking an average of 7.5 damage at the cost of your reaction which is really good. I would definitely swap out of this once you gain a few levels, but this is quite strong early.
Protection – A+ Tier – From what may have been the worst Fighting Style to one of (if not just) the best! While this only works if you’re in close proximity with an ally, trading your reaction to give disadvantage on all attacks to that person until your next turn is really good and actually makes the “tank” style character more viable.
Thrown Weapon Fighting* – A- Tier -While not many builds can make proper use of this, +2 to damage rolls is excellent for those who can.
Two Weapon Fighting – A- Tier – Adding additional damage to your extra attacks is great, especially as this works with the Nick property and the Dual Wielder feat.
Unarmed Fighting – C- Tier – If you are really committed to punching people and you don’t want to play a Monk, this Fighting style isn’t bad. You get pretty good damage if you’re committed to using no weapons or shields and a bit of bonus damage when grappling. This is not super viable long term compared to playing a Monk, but if that doesn’t bother you, then this is solid.
General Feats
Charger – B- Tier – While you’ll only get to use this so many times per fight, Fighters are definitely used to charging headlong into battle so this is very reasonable.
Crossbow Expert – B+ Tier – I’m not super excited by the prospect of a ranged Fighter for the most part, but this is an excellent feat if you’re looking to go that direction. Whether you’re looking to use double Hand Crossbows or a Heavy Crossbow with Great Weapon Master, this will be a requirement for those builds.
Crusher – B Tier – Having an additional means of pushing enemies around and a small bonus when you get a critical hit is very reasonable.
Defensive Duelist – A+ Tier – If you’re using a Finesse weapon, this is a must have. Being able to use your reaction is pretty rare for Fighters, so getting something actively good to do with it is great. If you are using this, make sure you are not also using the Protection fighting style as these two abilities are competing for the same slot.
Dual Wielder – A- Tier – While not typical for the average Fighter. Dual Wielding can offer some pretty good damage incentives, especially if you can get multiple magic, light weapons. If you’re planning to dual wield, this is obviously a requirement.
Fey-Touched – C Tier – Don’t get me wrong, I love having access to Misty Step (and Silvery Barbs presumably), but this feat isn’t amazing on non-casters as you’re limited to casting these once per day. Not a bad feat, but not one I’m usually looking to take on a pure martial character.
Grappler – B Tier – While I would usually have Monks be the grappler for the team, Fighter can do it reasonably well too. The main downside of this feat is that you need at least one hand free to actually grapple someone which means you can’t really use both a weapon and shield (you can hypothetically drop the shield), but that’s pretty lame. However, if you just use a Versatile weapon instead, you can grapple no problem while not giving up much damage.
Great Weapon Master – A+ Tier – A staple for any Fighter using a two handed, heavy weapon as this adds a lot of extra damage.
Heavy Armor Master – B+ Tier – While this feat is obviously only for Fighters who wear heavy armor, being able to avoid some amount of damage with each hit they take is a pretty strong feature that can easily add up quickly.
Inspiring Leader – C Tier – This is an excellent feat, I would just hope that the Fighter wouldn’t need to take it. If you have to, there are worse options since every team should probably have one person with Inspiring Leader, but hopefully a Wisdom caster can grab this instead.
Mage Slayer – A+ Tier – Getting a functional charge of Legendary Resistance is awesome and being able to disrupt spellcasters to boot is really good for Fighters who can’t usually contribute to combat beyond providing damage.
Mounted Combatant* – Obviously you should only consider this if you’re looking to fight on horseback irrespective to how good this is. It’s definitely not a bad feat, but I wouldn’t say it’s a big draw to the play style either.
Piercer – C+ Tier – If you’re using a Piercing weapon, this is a reasonable pickup as it will increase your damage potential, but not to any substantial degree. Still a fine choice.
Polearm Master – A Tier – While this feat lost synergies with Great Weapon Master and Sentinel, it’s still an excellent option and a big reason to use a Polearm in combat.
Resilient – C+ Tier – Resilient (WIS) is always a fine pick up on any character who isn’t naturally proficient as it’s a very common saving throw.
Sentinel – B+ Tier – While this unfortunately doesn’t work as well with Polearm Master anymore, Sentinel is still a great feat that can really let you feel like the team’s tank by restricting enemy movement.
Skill Expert – C- Tier – A fine feat for most classes, I would be surprised if the Fighter is being relegated to the skills guy though (barring you’re the only one who’s good at a particular skill and it comes up often).
Sharpshooter – D Tier – From what may have been the best feat in the 2024 handbook to one of the weakest ones. You still get a much larger range, the ability to ignore cover, and +1 to your Dexterity, but not having the -5/+10 damage bonus is extremely brutal. This is more feasible if your DM lets you take shots at massive ranges and/or uses cover a lot, but not something I would take otherwise, even on ranged Fighters.
Shield Master – A+ Tier – If you’re interested in using a Shield, this is a must have. Being able to shove or knock enemies prone for absolutely free is already great, but you even can potentially get pseudo-Evasion if you’re able to pass a Dexterity based saving throw which is just the cherry on top!
Slasher – B- Tier – Increasing Strength, two fine abilities, and working with a common damage type makes this a solid option.
Speedy – C Tier – If you want to increase your Dexterity or Constitution and need even more speed than you already had, this is a reasonable option. If you have the Grappler feat though, I would put this more in B Tier as being able to cart enemies or even allies further in combat is definitely appealing.
Fighter Play Styles (Builds)
Polearm Master Fighter – A+ Tier – A generically excellent play style for Fighter. you’ll deal a bunch of damage between your bonus action Polearm Master attack and the very real chance to get a bunch of reaction attacks as enemies move near you. Depending on how you and your enemies play, this can easily be the highest DPR play style out of all the Fighters. Alternatively, you could go with this strategy with a Spear or even Quarterstaff to still get many of these benefits while still using a Shield. While technically using a Spear is probably the most upside as you don’t lose that much damage while gaining way more AC in the long run, I do enjoy playing with the heavy polearms more. If you are using a two-handed polearm, I would take Polearm Master at level 4, Great Weapon Master at level 6, and then Mage Slayer or Sentinel at level 8 (taking the other at level 12, I generally prefer Mage Slayer, but it’s up to you.)
Sword and Board Fighter – A Tier – When people think of Fighter, this is normally what you’re thinking of. Going “sword and board” means a one handed weapon and shield which gives you a great balance between damage and defense. This is the most typical form of Fighter, and for good reason, it’s simple and very effective. For this play style, I would grab the Dueling Fighting Style at level 1, Shield Master at level 4, Sentinel at level 6, and Mage Slayer at level 8. Alternatively, you could look to play a Finesse sword and board which can be really effective as well. If you do go this route, I would not take Sentinel at level 6 instead grabbing Defensive Duelist, and then bumping Dexterity to 20 at level 8. The only awkwardness is that Shield Master is going to require
Dual Wielder Fighter – A Tier – This is a pretty solid play style as this will deal comparable damage to a Two Hander Fighter, but you get to pick up nice feats like Dual Wielder and Defensive Duelist to make this work. This build is particularly good on classes that want to specifically make a lot of attacks (like the Champion Fighter) and will likely deal the most damage out of any class in one round when you can get multiple magical weapons.
Two Hander Fighter – A- Tier – Excellent for those who want to deal as much damage as possible, just slap a Greataxe (highest damage), Greatsword, or Maul (works with Crusher) on this bad boy and go to town on your enemies. No thoughts, just smash. If you want to go this route, I would take the Defense Fighting Style at level 1, Great Weapon Master at level 4, Heavy Armor Master at level 6, and Mage Slayer at level 8. Beyond that, I would look to max out Constitution and grab Resilient (WIS) at some point.
Grappler – B+ Tier – While you aren’t going to grapple as well as a Monk, you can still definitely be quite the wrestler. You do need to pick up the Grappler feat at level 4 to make this work and your AC will likely suffer as you likely can’t use a Shield (you could technically drop it pre-grapple, but that’s annoying to track) while using a one handed weapon (one with the Versatile property likely to not lose out on too much damage). If you have nobody on your team that’s grappling, this is more tempting as being able to carry enemies (or even allies) around is quite powerful with the right team setups. If you are going this route, I would probably take the Defense or Dueling Fighting Style, Grappler at level 4, Sentinel at level 6, and Mage Slayer at level 8. From there, you would likely just max out Constitution and grab Resilient (WIS) somewhere in there.
Heavy Crossbow Fighter – B+ Tier – Like the Hand Crossbow Fighter, this will provide really reasonable damage, but unlike the Hand Crossbows, this scales better into later levels because of Great Weapon Master. Losing the Sharpshooter damage buff is brutal, but Great Weapon Master does help make up for that a bit. You do have to be careful running this in a party that has a lot of ways to knock enemies prone, but if that’s not your party, then this is a fine choice. If you’re going this route, I would take the Archery Fighting Style at level 1, Crossbow Expert at level 4, Great Weapon Master at level 6, Mage Slayer at level 8, and then Piercer at level 12. Just ensure that your Strength is at least 13 to make this work!
Hand Crossbow Fighter – B Tier – If you want to spam ranged attacks, this is how you’d do it. This will provide pretty solid DPR overall and will do a good job at making you a human hole puncher. You just have to be mindful of your allies knocking enemies prone which will give you disadvantage on your attacks against them. If you’re going this route, be sure to take the Archery Fighting Style at level 1, Crossbow Expert at level 4, Piercer at level 6, and Mage Slayer or Speedy (DEX) at level 8. From that point, you can more or less pick up whatever you want (I would probably first pick the feat you didn’t choose at level 8 and then boost Constitution as much as I could).
Longbow Fighter – B- Tier – The classic ranged Fighter, the Longbow is now ironically the lowest DPR option out of all the mentioned ranged builds. That said, it is only marginally weaker than the other ranged classes and affords you greater versatility in what feats you take as you don’t need any one feat (like Crossbow Expert) to make the build work. Like I mentioned in the other ranged classes as well, you have to be mindful of your allies who may knock enemies prone making your shots harder to hit, but if that doesn’t apply to you or you can mitigate that in some other way, then this will work out perfectly fine. If you’re going this route, I would take the Archery Fighting Style at level 1, Piercer at level 4, Speedy (for Dexterity) at level 6, and Mage Slayer at level 8. From there, you have to options. You can just look to boost Constitution to 20 and eventually grab Resilient (WIS), or if you already have 13 Strength, take Great Weapon Master to make each of your shots hit harder. Needing the 13 Strength is kind of brutal and you’ll likely be delaying hitting 20 Dexterity, but this will give you a higher DPR overall so this could be worthwhile.
Fighter Multiclassing
Not every potential multiclass is going to be mentioned as most don’t synergize well with Fighters, just the ones I would consider. Fighters in particular are awkward as they’re going to be a popular option to multiclass into because of their armor proficiencies, Fighting Style, and Action Surge , but not as common class of a class to multiclass out of. To that end, I’m going to focus on keeping Fighter as the base class for the purposes of this list. For a more thorough breakdown on multiclassing, check out the link below.
Barbarian – C+ Tier – Barbarian is always an interesting multiclass option for Fighters (though it’s more popular with Barbarian being the base class) as getting Rage at level 1 and Reckless Attack at level 2 is some pretty big boons. The main issue I have with Barbarian is that, to get the additional rage and subclass, you kind of want to go to level 3, but if you’re already at level 3, you should go to level 4 for the feat and suddenly your quick dip turned into a pretty big commitment. If you were going to go this direction, try to stick to just a level or two unless you have a specific plan in mind.
Rogue – C+ Tier – Similar to Barbarians, Rogues dipping into Fighter is much more common than Fighter dipping into Rogue and Fighters are somewhat incentivized to go two levels to grab Sneak Attack at level 1 and Cunning Action at level 2. Once again, there is the temptation to take more levels for a higher Sneak Attack die, Steady Aim, a subclass, and a feat, but unlike Barbarians, I would argue this is a little more appealing at Steady Aim can be really good for ranged Fighters, with the downside that Barbarian gives you a bit more immediately.
Wizard – C Tier – While not very common, multiclassing into Wizard is not that unreasonable. If your party lacks spellcasters, Wizard lets you grab a bunch of 1st level spells to start you out including a slew of helpful rituals and great reaction spells like Absorb Elements (if your table is playing with Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) and Shield. The major downside to this is that you need the requisite Intelligence and this is of course delyaing your Fighter progression, but for something like an Arcane Archer or a Psi Warrior, this is a bit more reasonable.
Fighter Subclasses
Arcane Archer Fighter Build Guide: With the ability to infuse magic into their arrows, Arcane Archers fight from long distances and disrupt enemies with powerful magical effects!
Battle Master Fighter Build Guide: Focusing on alternate combat actions or adding effects onto attacks, Battle Masters get to deal massive amounts of damage while also disrupting enemies.
Cavalier Fighter Build Guide: While the name implies you have to use a mount, Cavalier’s have a suite of powerful late game abilities that make them a menace whether they have a mount or not.
Champion Fighter Build Guide: Aiming to score as many critical hits as possible, the Champion Fighter maxes out their attacks in order to shred enemies as effectively as possible!
Echo Knight Fighter Build Guide: Considered the strongest of the Fighter subclasses, Echo Knights get to use a copy of themselves for repositioning and extra damage.
Eldritch Knight Fighter Build Guide: Do you want all the good parts of a Fighter, but still want to cast spells? Then the Eldritch Knight is your way to make that happen!
Psi Warrior Fighter Build Guide: With a versatile set of abilities, Psi Warriors get to use psychic powers to attack, defend, or use telekinesis.
Rune Knight Fighter Build Guide: Utilizing the strength of runes, Rune Knights get to inscribe their equipment with powerful magical effects that grant strong passive abilities with explosive activated effects.
Samurai Fighter Build Guide: Masters of one on one combat with their Fighting Spirit ability, Samurais can attack more accurately than other Fighters by constantly having advantage on their rolls.
Fighter Subclass Rankings
Fighter Rankings
Without intervention, Echo Knight still reigns supreme, but Eldritch Knight is much closer to Echo Knight’s power level now that they aren’t restricted in what schools of magic they can access. Beyond that, most of the rankings from 2014 have functionally remained the same.
- Echo Knight – A- Tier
- Eldritch Knight – B Tier
- Rune Knight – B- Tier
- Battle Master – C Tier
- Psi Warrior – C Tier
- Cavalier – C Tier
- Arcane Archer – C Tier
- Champion – C Tier
- Samurai – C Tier
Arcane Archer
Arcane Archer Lore (Level 3) – C+ Tier – A skill proficiency and a good cantrip is a decent ability.
Arcane Shot (Level 3) – B- Tier – The ability itself is quite good, but the fact that you only ever get two Arcane Shots per short or long rest is so brutal. The guide details potential fixes for this at level 3, but at base, this ability is still pretty good as the arrows are strong, you just don’t get enough of them.
Magic Arrow (Level 7) – C+ Tier – This ability doesn’t work anymore since 2024 no longer has non-magical weapon resistance, but if this was homebrewed to make your arrows deal force damage or you can choose an elemental damage type, then this would be pretty good. I’m assuming the average DM would have some sort of solution for this making this a pretty solid ability, but if they are only playing by base and won’t homebrew, then this is obviously F tier as it does nothing.
Curving Shot (Level 7) – B+ Tier – This somewhat functions like a bonus action attack most of the time as you’re not always going to hit. Extra attacks are great, even if it’s not against the target you initially wanted. This obviously doesn’t do anything if you don’t miss or there’s one enemy, but this will still be strong on average.
New Arcane Shot Option (Level 7) – B- Tier – You already have the best two shots, but you get to pick up Shadow Arrow at this level as well which is also quite good.
New Arcane Shot Option (Level 10, 15, and 18) – D Tier – I’m bundling all these together as they are around the same power level. You get three more Arcane Shot options, and while none of them are bad, none are that good either as you’re likely to stick to the first three that you got instead.
Ever Ready Shot (Level 15) – B- Tier – Getting a charge of your main ability each fight is definitely nice whether you’re playing RAW or with homebrew rules.
Battle Master
Combat Superiority (Level 3) – A Tier – Most maneuvers are quite strong, you start with a d8 for your Superiority dice, and you get enough of them to make this feel constantly impactful.
Student of War (Level 3) – C Tier – A tool and skill proficiency are cool, but nothing special.
Know Your Enemy (Level 7) – C Tier – I’m a big fan of this ability as being able to discern any vulnerabilities or resistances/immunities can be really helpful information, but being limited to once per day (without using Superiority dice anyway) is confusing both from a balance perspective and a game play perspective. None the less, this is good, but you are really limited in how often you can use this.
Additional Maneuvers (Level 7) – B Tier – More maneuvers and you still have a bunch of good options left!
Improved Combat Superiority (Level 10) – B Tier – Improving your average roll by 1 is always solid.
Additional Maneuvers (Level 10) – B Tier – More maneuvers and you still have a bunch of good options left!
Relentless (Level 15) – A+ Tier – Maneuvers are the strongest part of your kit, now you get infinite of them. This is extremely strong and nearly S Tier.
Additional Maneuvers (Level 15) – B- Tier – While you already picked up the best maneuvers, it’s not like you have to pick up bad ones now.
Ultimate Combat Superiority (Level 18) – B Tier – Improving your average roll by 1 is always solid.
Cavalier
Bonus Proficiency (Level 3) – C- Tier – One skill proficiency out of limited choices or a language is alright, but not great.
Born to Saddle (Level 3) – D+ Tier – Even if you are using a mount, none of these abilities are really that impactful, and considering there is a decent chance someone will pick this class and not plan on using a mount, this ability is pretty bad.
Unwavering Mark (Level 3) – B Tier – The conditions in which this works are a bit specific, but it is a strong ability to incentivize attacks to come to you and to heavily punish an enemy who doesn’t abide.
Warding Maneuver (Level 7) – D Tier – If this gave AC/resistance until the affected allies next turn, this ability would be really good. Unfortunately as is, it’s not that good and conflicts with the Protection Fighting Style that this class would probably want.
Hold the Line (Level 10) – B+ Tier – A really good ability for any martial, especially if you decided to go with a Polearm that can potentially lock down an enemy out of reach to hurt anyone.
Ferocious Charger (Level 15) – C+ Tier – Repeatable CC is nice, but you’re not always going to be able to use this effectively, at least without risking a lot of opportunity attacks.
Vigilant Defender (Level 18) – S Tier – Easily the strongest ability on a Fighter as this just means one million attacks per round of combat. If you know you’re making it this far in the campaign or you’re starting at a high level, I would definitely use a Polearm to maximize the odds of having an enemy in range on every turn.
Champion
Improved Critical (Level 3) – D Tier – While an awesome ability and the main draw to this class, the math doesn’t favor this ability. To make the most of this ability, you incentivized to make as many attacks as possible which favors Dual Wielding, but the doubling the damage on something like a Scimitar is neat, but not super impactful. You could go for something like a Greatsword instead for maximizing the damage potential, but you’re getting a 5% increased chance of getting the average of 2d6 damage which is 7. To put that into perspective, not accounting for advantage or disadvantage (which does affect the math, generally positively), this ability gives you an additional 0.35 damage to your average damage over the course of however many attacks you make. Again, while this ability is super cool, just getting a +1 to your damage, mathematically, would serve you better in the long run. Still, if you have many ways to gain advantage so you’re rolling twice the number of attack dice, you will get critical hits more often, but even still, the math doesn’t favor you. All that said, this ability isn’t bad or anything as it’s still extra damage and hitting a critical is always a dopamine rush, so no complaints there.
Remarkable Athlete (Level 3) – B Tier – If nothing else, advantage on initiative rolls is really good. The advantage on Athletics won’t matter often, and the extra movement after a critical hit is a nice little feature that may or may not be relevant.
Additional Fighting Style (Level 7) – C+ Tier – A free feat is a free feat, even if Fighting Styles are much weaker than your average feat.
Heroic Warrior (Level 10) – A- Tier – Having Inspiration every turn is really good. Being able to reroll dice in a dice game is a strong ability!
Superior Critical (Level 15) – D Tier – See Improved Critical as everything I said applies here as well. That said, now having a 15% chance of nabbing a critical hit on any roll is relatively solid odds if you are fighting with Two Weapons with a Scimitar (for the Nick property) and Dual Wielder (for the extra attack) as you’ll get 5 attacks a turn and you’ll be somewhat close to nabbing a critical each round or statistically likely for doing so if all of your attacks are at advantage. Critical hits are always fun!
Survivor (Level 18) –