The Best Battle Master Fighter Build for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5E)

Fighters are the mainstay of new players and veterans alike in D&D, they can be frontliners or ranged, they can specialize in criticals like the Champion or they can bring a unique combination of Maneuvers like the Battle Master. The Fighter specializes in combat above all else, it’s in the name after all. They have high hit points and can wear the heaviest of armor, giving them a solid Armor Class. They aren’t as utility based as rogues or magic heavy as clerics and wizards, but when initiative is rolled, you’ll be glad to be playing the Fighter.

A Battlemaster is a Fighter Archetype that focuses on their ability to master Maneuvers and enact them by use of their Superiority Dice. Superiority Dice are a resource that you use by applying the dice to a specific Maneuver, like the ability to Disarm, Trip or Distract enemies to better defeat them. A Battle Master’s strength comes from the Maneuvers that they choose, and which Maneuvers you decide to take determines where you will be useful in the fight, or what you will be useful at.

How to Build Your Battlemaster Fighter

Battlemaster’s are not much different from most Fighters in that Strength and Constitution are going to be your highest ability scores. There is a secondary emphasis on Dexterity if you decide to build a Ranged Battlemaster, or one that fights with a finesse weapon instead, in which case switch Strength with Dexterity, and do everything else the same. Strength or Dexterity should generally be your highest score because it determines how hard your Maneuvers are to resist. In addition, increasing Strength will increase skills like Athletics, whereas Dexterity will increase Acrobatics. Either will increase your bonus to attack rolls and damage if you are using the right weapon for you.

After your main fighting stat, Constitution is generally going to be your second highest ability score. This is because most Fighters are close ranged melee combatants which means you are going to be taking a lot of hits. This, as well as your high hit die (a d10) means that you will be pretty survivable. If you are going to be the main tank in the party, the one trying to take hits for other people, and putting themselves in the way of the enemies, you might prioritize Constitution even higher. However, if you are focusing on being mostly ranged as a Dexterity based Battlemaster, you might consider it being lower, and pushing up one of your weaker ability scores like Wisdom, so that you are less susceptible to spell effects like Hold Person.

Best Races for Battlemaster Fighter

With the new Tasha’s ability score rules, choosing a race specifically for an ability score bonus doesn’t particularly matter any more, as such, put your ability score in Dexterity or Strength first, followed by Constitution. If you are not playing with Tasha’s rules, consider races such as the Leonin, Genasi, Lizardfolk, Warforged, Mountain Dwarf or Human. If you want to prioritize Strength to hit harder, consider Goliath or Half-Orcs. Half-Orcs are an excellent choice for Battlemasters who are filling the role of party tanks, as they have an ability where the first time they would hit 0 hit points, they go to 1 hit point instead! This makes them an ideal candidate to hold the front line.

Best Feats for Battlemaster Fighters

Battlemasters benefit from being in control of combat, as such Polearm Master or Sentinel benefit the Battlemaster by allowing them to lock down their enemies and make more attacks of opportunity. Remember that you can use many Maneuvers whenever you hit a creature with an attack, which means many of them can be used during a Reaction. Other feats like Alert, which gives you a +5 to initiative are useful because they may allow you to go first to secure the most useful positioning in a combat. If you are a Battlemaster who is looking to deal extra damage, consider taking a feat like Great Weapon Master, which allows you to take a -5 to hit to deal an additional 10 damage. Pair a Great Weapon Master attack with a precision attack and you can nullify the downsides for extra damage.

If you are looking for other Fighter Feats, consider checking out the articles at the bottom of this page.

The Best Maneuvers for your Battlemaster

Maneuvers are the bread and butter of the Battlemaster archetype, and choosing them can be quite difficult when you are limited to only a few choices. Disarming Attack, Distracting Strike and Trip Attack allow you to control the battlefield, knocking a weapon out of your opponent's hand or creating an opening for your allies by giving them advantage. Bait and Switch, Commander’s Strike and Brace are better for mobility, allowing your Battlemaster to control movement on the battlefield, directing allies and stopping enemies. Bait and Switch might help move the tank in front of an enemy that is attacking a spellcaster, or to position the rogue for a sneak attack. Precision Attack, Feinting Attack or Riposte are all great options for increasing your damage, making sure you can land more hits on your enemy over the course of a fight by increasing your attack roll, giving you advantage or giving you an extra attack as a reaction.

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• Backstory Ideas for Fighters
• Best Magic Items for Fighters
• Best Feats for Fighters