Dungeons & Dragons: Fighter Subclasses Ranked From Least Powerful to Most Powerful | Pretty Reel

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has just released its new trailer, and it’s worth noting in particular how fun and goofy the action is. Dungeons & Dragons has always been about fun, first and foremost, and that’s true even for so-called “boring” fighters. The subclasses show that the Fighter has multiple ways to hit things.

That said, some fighter classes are simply better than others. While no subclass is truly unplayable, some subclasses stand just above the rest in the Dungeons and Dragons meta.

10/10 Banner

Something had to be down, and unfortunately for Banneret, he gets the short end of the mast. In theory, their role is a hybrid support fighter, inspiring allies and healing them in battle. Rallying Cry heals allies whenever the Fighter uses Second Wind. Inspiring Surge allows an ally to attack in reaction when the Banneret triggers Action Surge.

Bulwark gives Indomitable to an ally, and for their cornerstone, they can use Inspiring Surge on a total of two other allies. The class is just inherently boring because it forces the fighter to play a poorly designed support role instead of focusing on being a good fighter first. Subclasses like Psi Warrior and Cavalier support Fighter much better.

Arcane Archer 9/10

Arcane Archer is a story of wasted potential. Arcane Archer is basically a ranged variant of the Battle Master subclass. The fighter gains magic options to enchant their arrows in battle with Arcane Shot. These arrows can banish enemies to the ether, explode with force damage, weaken constitution, pierce through cover, and target enemies with scrying.

It all sounds unbelievable but fails in practice. It only has two charges between rests. Yes, Arcane Shot has a very limited spellcasting ability, and it is much worse than any other spellcaster. The only feature that isn’t disappointing is Curving Shot, as turning a miss into a hit is plenty powerful, but it’s not enough to justify what is essentially a budget-priced magic Hawkeye.

Champion 8/10

Champion is by no means a weak subclass. Fighter having only two poor subclasses (Arcane Archer and Banneret) shows how powerful the class is by default. That said, Champion is pretty much the base of a fighter’s power potential due to its simplicity. Some might say too simple actually.

Champions are essentially the quintessential “boring” fighter archetype. Improved and higher crits increase the crit range. Outstanding Athlete adds half of his skill bonuses to all of his physical stats. They get an additional fighting style at level 10. Their cornerstone, Survivor, allows the Fighter to regain hit points at the start of each turn. Overall, it’s a solid subclass, just with a low ceiling in power and versatility compared to other Fighter subclasses.

7/10 Psi Warrior

Psi Warrior is a unique support fighter class that, while difficult to optimize due to its MAD skills, is capable of some offbeat support tactics. Its niche lies in controlling the battlefield. Psi warriors use psionic energy dice for their special abilities which are their main resource. The Intelligence modifier also adds a constant boost to these rolls.

The Protective Field reduces damage taken by the Psi Warrior or another nearby ally. The utilitarian workhorse of the subclass is telekinetic movement, which allows the psi warrior to block sight, hurl boulders, and save allies. Telekinetic Master allows the Psi Warrior to cast Telekinesis for each expenditure of his Psionic Energy die. Basically, this is the Jedi subclass, especially associated with the Telekinetic feat.

6/10 Rider

Cavalier is a skill-intensive subclass that only really shines in the late game. Because of this, Cavalier is slow to come online. Their main role is basically a mounted tank, and they fulfill that very well thanks to their powerful abilities. Unwavering Mark is a powerful DPS tool that punishes enemies that don’t focus on the Cavalier.

Warding Maneuver is a solid tanking tool that helps keep allies alive by shielding them from powerful hits. Hold the Line is the backbone of this class, forcing creatures to stay within melee range of the Horseman. Ferocious Charger is good because knocking people prone is good. The reward for sticking with the subclass is Vigilant Defender, a powerful feature that allows the Cavalier to make attacks of opportunity every turn except their own. Together with Polearm Master, this makes Cavalier a true one-man army.

5/10 Samurai

Samurai break the stereotype of fighters by actually being good “faces” for the team. Elegant courtiers and their additional mastery of persuasion make them excel in social situations. They also gain proficiency with Wisdom saving throws. Fighting Spirit is their bread and butter, allowing them to gain advantage on all weapon attacks as a bonus action in a single turn, and temporary hit points.

At level 10, Tireless Spirit ensures that the fighter always has a fighting spirit charge ready to go. RapidStrike lets samurai give up their edge for more weapon attacks (combined with feats, it’s a crazy powerful feature). Strength before death allows the samurai to react to death by spitting in his face and delaying his death for an additional turn. The perfect subclass for shonen protagonists.

4/10 Eldritch Knight

Eldritch Knight is sort of the guardian of high level fighter subclasses. While potentially powerful like any of these top tier subclasses, it’s also the hardest to use effectively. Proper planning and resource management are essential for third-party launchers. Still, for those who love spells but hate the squishy, ​​Eldritch Knight is a perfect class with strong out-of-combat abilities.

The key here is not to play offensive spells that rely on high INT. Instead, high-level Eldritch Knights will use spells like Shield, Absorb Elements, and Haste to craft amazing tanks for themselves. War Magic ensures fighters can still hit enemies while casting spells, and Arcane Charge is a fun teleportation tool for wreaking havoc on the battlefield after an action spurt.

3/10 Rune Knight

Rune Knight may not have the pure utility of Eldritch Knight, but it’s much easier to use and rarely runs out of resources. It is a class that excels in grappling and tanking thanks to its main characteristic, Giant’s Might. This ability makes a character grow to Large size and gives them advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, as well as an additional 1d6 damage on physical attacks.

Runic Shield is a great support tool to protect allies. Different runes provide different offensive and defensive perks that ensure Rune Knight remains effective in every battle, thanks to their short cooldowns on active abilities. Apart from these active abilities, runes also provide powerful passive benefits that make the fighter effective in combat and out of combat.

2/10 Echo Knight

Echo Knight is one of the most unique fighter classes thanks to its unorthodox characteristics. Manifest Echo summons a copy of the Echo Knight in a space near them, along with its stat block. The Echo Knight can switch places with the Echo at will or attack an enemy out of range. Unleash Incarnation allows the Echo Knight to attack with his Echo at the same time.

Echo Avatar allows their consciousness to be shifted to Echo for 10 minutes. Shadow Martyr lets the Echo sacrifice itself to protect the original or an ally. Reclaim Potential allows the Echo Knight to absorb Echo as temporary health if the Echo dies from damage. The Legion’s Cornerstone goes up a notch by allowing the Knight to summon two Echoes instead of just one. Fun fact, Echo Knight’s lore is basically like Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, relying on the power of a higher alternate self.

1/10 Battlemaster

Without a doubt, Battle Master is the quintessential Fighter subclass. Combat Superiority allows the Battle Master to use a variety of maneuvers to aid him in combat. Disarm, stumble, parry, all those things fighters do are honed down to a science with Battle Master. By far, they are the most versatile of the Fighter subclasses, and reliably too.

With the right feats, Battle Master could fill any role a fighter might want. For DPS, Precision Attack with Polearm Master for incredible damage. For tanks, Trip Attack with Sentinel. For full support, Commander’s Strike and Rally are strong buffs. Whatever the situation, a Battle Master can handle it, and that’s what a Fighter should be.