So, I’ve been digging into Baldur’s Gate 3 lately, specifically trying to figure out the whole Battle Master versus Champion thing for my Fighter. I mean, it’s a tough choice, right? Both have their own flavors, and I wanted to see which one would actually work better for me in the game.
I started by rolling up a Battle Master. The idea of having those Superiority Dice and being able to pull off special moves got me kind of excited. I messed around with different maneuvers – you know, the ones that let you do fancy stuff in combat. I went with Precision, Trip, and Disarm at first. I figured being able to land hits more often, knock enemies on their butts, and take away their weapons would be super useful early on. And it was pretty cool, not gonna lie. Being able to control the battlefield like that felt good.
Later on, I grabbed Menacing. I had this bow, Bow of the Banshee, that added some extra damage to scared enemies. So, I figured using Menacing to scare enemies and then hitting them with the bow would be a killer combo. And, yeah, it was pretty sweet. Seeing those damage numbers go up was satisfying.
But then, you know, I started wondering about the Champion subclass. All that talk about critical hits got me curious. So, I made another Fighter, this time going the Champion route. The idea of just hitting things really, really hard was kind of appealing. Plus, it seemed simpler, you know? No need to manage Superiority Dice or remember which maneuvers to use. Just pure, unadulterated damage.
I played through a good chunk of the game with both characters. And honestly, it was a blast. As a Battle Master, I felt like I had more options in combat. I could adapt to different situations, and help out my teammates by setting them up for big hits. Knocking enemies prone so my Rogue could get advantage on their attacks? Classic.
With the Champion, it was all about those big, satisfying crits. I focused on getting my crit chance as high as possible. Every time I landed a critical hit, it felt like a mini-celebration. And yeah, the damage output was definitely there. I mean, a Champion gets an extra 5% chance to land a critical hit. That might not sound like much, but when you’re dealing 40+ damage, that extra chance really adds up.
So, which one did I like better? Honestly, it’s tough to say. I think it really comes down to your playstyle. If you like having a lot of options and being able to control the battlefield, then Battle Master is probably the way to go. I really felt like I was making the most of my turns. But, if you’re all about dealing massive damage and seeing those big crit numbers, then Champion is definitely a strong choice.
At the end of the day, both subclasses are really powerful. You can’t go wrong with either one. It’s all about what you find more fun and what fits your style better. For me, I think I’m leaning towards Battle Master just a bit. I like having those extra tactical options. But, I can definitely see the appeal of the Champion too. Maybe I’ll just have to keep playing both and see which one I end up sticking with!
- Versatile
- Superiority Dice for maneuvers
- Control over attacks
- Good for setting up other attackers
- Maneuvers like Precision, Trip, Disarm, Menacing
Battle Master
- Simple
- Focuses on critical hits
- Higher damage potential
- Good for damage dealer or Rogue multiclasses
- Extra 5% chance for critical hits
Champion
I hope my little experiment helps some of you folks out there who are also trying to decide between these two subclasses. Happy gaming, everyone!
