The Fighter is one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons & Dragons, and there are subclasses, known as martial archetypes, to suit almost every playstyle. Which archetype a player chooses will dramatically change their character’s type of Fighter. With so many choices available, how can a player know which is the best?
While many might see Dungeons & Dragons‘ Fighters as traditional sword and board types with boring backstories, this class offers much more than first meets the eye. Players who choose to play as a Fighter will gain proficiency in all armor types along with simple and martial weapons. This adaptability means that no matter what fighting style a player wants to adopt, the Fighter can effortlessly adapt.
With so many archetypes on offer, newcomers to D&D or those trying a Fighter class for the first time can quickly become overwhelmed with the choices. There is a Fighter subclass to satisfy whether a player wants to deal damage or be a tank for the party. This analysis is not all of the subclasses for Fighters but a breakdown of the seven best martial archetypes available.
D&D Telekinetic Fun With The Psi Warrior
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything introduced the Psi Warrior as a martial archetype. The Psi Warrior is similar to Eldritch Knights with its use of magic and has a resource pool system similar to Battle Master with Psionic Energy dice. This system allows the Fighter to expend the dice to use the various abilities granted by their newfound psionic powers.
This subclass works well with melee and ranged builds while also having lots of out-of-combat use. However, it is a little too easy to use up Psionic Energy dice if not careful at lower levels. Overall, this is an easy and fun D&D subclass to play but can quickly become a little boring as the features lack variety.
The Power Of Giants: D&D’s Rune Knight Archetype
The Rune Knight first appeared in Unearthed Arcana and was recently made official, with a revised version released in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. The Rune Knight is all about bursts of power through the use of runes and abilities linked to Giants. Giant’s Might at level three means the player can make the Rune Knight Large size for one minute which means extra damage as well as advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
This subclass works best with certain D&D races such as Goliath or Dwarves with their bonuses to Strength and Constitution, respectively. The Rune Knight seems powerful, but in practice, the DPS is a little lackluster, with other subclasses providing better damage. With only six runes available and the player able to choose five of them, making a unique feeling Rune Knight can be difficult.
Eastern Flavor Meets D&D With The Samurai
Found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, the Samurai is a powerful offense-focused D&D subclass. Immediately at level three, the Fighter gains an extra skill proficiency or another language if the player so chooses, although that would be a waste of this feature. The Samurai also gets an ability called Fighting Spirit, which gives the Fighter advantage on attack rolls each turn by using this as a bonus action.
One of this D&D archetype’s most potent abilities is Strength Before Death at level 18. This fantastic feature means that if brought to 0 hit points, the Samurai gets a whole extra turn. This extra turn can use to drink potions, use Second Wind and regain hit points to prevent falling unconscious. All of these features make the Samurai not only a brilliant damage dealer but also a decent tank.
The Champion Is A Classic D&D Fighter Archetype
This classic Fighter subclass is found in the Player’s Handbook and is the best subclass for beginners and those new to playing Fighters. The Champion has a little of everything: damage dealing, defense, and utility. Improved Critical at third level means that Champions get critical hits on a 19 and a nat 20; this expands at level 15, so critical hits are scored on 18, 19, and 20.
The Champion is a versatile archetype for a versatile class and works well for lots of different builds. Most improvements are passive and increase in complexity gently, so it’s easy for new Dungeons & Dragons players or those trying Fighter for the first time. Its simplicity can also be a drawback for players used to other classes, though, and fighting can sometimes feel like the player is in automatic mode.
Melee And Magic Archetype: Eldritch Knight
One of the D&D subclasses found in the Player’s Handbook, the Eldritch Knight, is a mix of martial and magic but not as powerful as a Hexblade Warlock or Bladesinger Wizard. Spells are Intelligence-based, which isn’t necessarily great for Fighters, so forethought would be needed when assigning stats if a player plans to use this subclass. The Eldritch Knight has some good abilities, such as Weapon Bond. This ability means the character can’t be disarmed, and while this is useful, it is situational.
Although War Magic at level 7 makes the Eldritch Knight more practical as it allows the use of a cantrip as an action and one attack as a bonus action. The drawback is using both magic and melee and choosing between casting a spell or making an attack as they are two separate actions. D&D players who choose this subclass might want to research bonus action spells beforehand.
Controlling The Flow Of The Fight Is The Battle Master Archetype
Available in the Player’s Handbook, Battle Master is one of the more complicated Fighter subclasses. This is a flexible Fighter archetype as they can use their maneuvers to do a variety of things through the use of maneuvers. At level three, the players will get Combat Superiority, which gives the Battle Master superiority dice to perform maneuvers in battle like disarming and grappling enemies or imposing disadvantage on their attack by goading.
The sheer number of maneuvers available is staggering, with Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything adding even more. However, while there are a lot of maneuvers, they aren’t very strong – about the same as level one spells. The subclass feels like the maneuvers should get stronger as the player levels up, but they simply don’t.
Critical Role Archetype Echo Knight Comes To D&D 5e
The Echo Knight was introduced in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount and has its roots in the world of Exandria from Critical Role. With this archetype, the Fighter can create an echo, a magical grey shadow version of the character, allowing the Fighter to be in two places simultaneously. A variety of features can turn the echo into a helpful tool, such as a scout, as the level 7 ability Echo Avatar essentially works like a Wizard’s familiar.
One of the downsides is that Echo Knight relies on bonus actions a lot, so it doesn’t mix with all weapons and fighting styles. Another problem lies with the Unleash Incarnation ability, which means the echo can only make melee attacks, and so ranged-based Fighters will struggle. However, the Echo Knight is a fun and exciting subclass for D&D players who want a Fighter who uses magic without worrying about spell slots.
Whether a player wants to choose their subclass for roleplaying reasons or optimization, the Fighter has something for everyone. Ultimately which subclass is seen as best is subjective based on what a person wants to achieve. However, these seven Fighter archetypes are the most versatile and useful for Dungeons & Dragons 5e.
About The Author
