So, I was messing around in BG3, trying to figure out what’s what with the fighter class. Specifically, I got stuck on whether to roll with a Battle Master or a Champion. I’ve heard people say Champion is all about those sweet, sweet crits, but Battle Master is where it’s at for real power and control. So, I decided to dive in and see for myself.
First off, I created a new character and picked Fighter, just to get a feel for the basic moves and stuff. Then, I messed around with the two subclasses. Battle Master gets these things called Superiority Dice, which are used for special maneuvers. You can trip enemies, scare them, or even give your allies a little boost. It felt really cool to have so much control over what was happening in the fight.
On the other side, you’ve got the Champion. Their main thing is that they crit more often. Normally, you only crit on a 20, but Champions start critting on a 19, too. The idea is that you’ll be doing these massive damage spikes more often, which sounds awesome in theory. The skills they get are pretty straightforward, just passive stuff that makes you hit harder and move a bit faster.
I spent a good few hours just running through battles with both setups. With the Battle Master, I was constantly using those maneuvers. Tripping enemies to give my rogue advantage, disarming annoying archers, and pushing people off cliffs. It was super satisfying, and I felt like I was really dictating the flow of the battle. I used the Risky Ring for advantage and the crit reduction gloves.
- Battle Master:
- Trip Attack: Knock enemies prone.
- Disarming Attack: Force enemies to drop their weapons.
- Pushing Attack: Shove enemies back, potentially off ledges.
With the Champion, it was more about just swinging and hoping for those big numbers. It was definitely satisfying when those crits landed, but it also felt a bit… random? Sometimes I’d go a whole fight without anything special happening, and other times I’d just delete someone with a lucky crit. The orc is good for this because they are bigger and have higher damage.
I also experimented with different gear and stuff. I found that with the Battle Master, focusing on getting advantage was super important. There’s this Risky Ring that gives you permanent advantage, but you also take disadvantage on saving throws. It’s a gamble, but it paid off a lot. For the Champion, I just looked for anything that boosted my crit chance or damage. There are gloves that reduce the number you need to crit, which is pretty neat.
Conclusion
In the end, I think I prefer the Battle Master. The Champion is fun, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just too unreliable for my taste. The Battle Master’s maneuvers give you so much more control and flexibility, and that’s what I value in a fighter. The battle master is good at setting up other attackers. It’s not just about doing damage yourself, it’s about making your whole team better. It is engaging with different abilities. Of course, if you’re just looking to see big numbers and don’t care about tactics, the Champion might be more your speed. But for me, Battle Master is the way to go.
I did think about the Eldritch Knight, too. They get some spells, which is cool, but they don’t have those maneuvers. I found that I missed having that extra control, so I stuck with the Battle Master. Spells are fun and all, but nothing beats tripping up a giant ogre and watching him fall on his face.
So yeah, that’s my take on Battle Master vs. Champion in BG3. Hope this helps someone out there who’s also trying to decide. Let me know what you guys think! Did I miss anything? Do you have a different experience with these subclasses?
