There are several classes in Baldur's Gate 3 that don't make a subclass choice until Level 3. But when these classes do end up getting their subclass, it's a huge leap in power – especially for Fighters who go with the Battle Master subclass. This subclass unlocks a variety of Battle Master Maneuvers for the Fighter to use, which use a unique resource and give the Fighter more control over melee combat.

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There are a whopping 14 total Battle Maneuvers in BG3, which are available to choose from when selecting the Battle Master subclass. Players don't have access to all Battle Master Maneuvers all the time, they have to be selected from a list at Levels 3, 7, and 10 – for a total of seven maneuvers. Of the 14 options, these seven are the Battle Master Maneuvers that Fighters should prioritize learning first.

Updated March 20, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: As players progress in Baldur's Gate 3 the best Maneuvers change. Towards the start of the game, abilities like Sweeping Attack can be useful for frontlines melee characters who need its AoE Cleave damage to stand a chance against multiple enemies. But later on, when you will play more defensively and more strategically, when abilities like Evasive Footwork become the best Battle Master Maneuvers BG3 players can learn. This guide to the best maneuvers BG3 players can choose from has been updated to include these two options – two BG3 Battle Master Maneuvers that might not be impressive in every situation, but can pull their weight when needed, so to speak.

7 Sweeping Attack

• Action Type: Melee, standard Action

Sweeping Attack is a melee-only attack that cleaves enemies in an arc around the Fighter. It's unlocked at Level 3, when you are able to select the Battle Master subclass for the first time, and it's not a bad one to pick for the early game – especially if your Fighter is the only front-line melee character in the party.

Sweeping Attack gives Fighters access to an early AoE ability, which the class lacks compared to casters and other classes in BG3. Because it shores up this weakness, Sweeping Attack is one of the best Maneuvers Battle Master Fighters can learn. But it's not the most impactful in the late game, when you have many more AoE options as a Fighter. Pick this if the party lacks melee party members in the early game, but consider swapping it out later on at Withers for something a bit more interesting – like Evasive Footwork.

6 Evasive Footwork

• Action Type: Free Action

Evasive Footwork is a simple ability that's much better than it first looks. Though other Maneuvers give Fighters higher-damage combat skills or the ability to control enemies, Evasive Footwork is one of the few self-buffs that lasts well into the late game.

If your Fighter ends up being the party member who takes the brunt of melee damage, Evasive Footwork is almost essential. For the cost of a Superiority Die – but as a Free Action – the Fighter will impose Disadvantage on incoming attacks until their next turn. When you know a big hit is incoming, or if the Fighter is surrounded by enemies waiting to wail on them, cast Evasive Footwork to vastly improve the chances of making it out unscathed.

5 Rally

• Action Type: Melee OR Ranged, standard Action

The Rally Battle Maneuver isn't one that Fighters will use against their enemies. Instead, it gives the Fighter a way to support their allies with temporary HP. With this ability, the Fighter can give an ally 8 temporary HP if they are within 18m. Because Rally is a Bonus Action, players can still get a hit (or two after level 5) and still use the ability to support an ally.

Rally is better at lower levels because the amount of temporary HP granted to allies doesn't increase. No matter what, the target will gain 8 temporary HP. For that reason, it's best to choose this Battle Maneuver with the first batch of three options at Level 3, because by Level 5 and later, its usefulness wears thin.

4 Riposte

• Action Type: Melee Reaction

Unlike most of the other Battle Maneuvers BG3 Fighters can choose, Riposte is not an Action that players have to take. Instead, it's a Reaction, one that players can toggle on and off as they like – but it's usually a good idea to keep it turned on.

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When an enemy misses the player with an attack, players can choose to spend one Superiority Die to retaliate. This attack deals base weapon damage plus 1d8, which can be a game-changing amount when the die roll high, and it doesn't even cost an action.

3 Maneuvering Attack

• Action Type: Melee OR Ranged, standard Action

Maneuvering Attack is one of the most useful party-complementing Battle Maneuvers that a Battle Master can choose. On a hit, Maneuvering Attack lets the Fighter select one friendly target, and restore half of their overall Movement Speed. When they move this turn, that friendly target will no longer cause Opportunity Attacks.

This ability can also be used on the Fighter themselves, allowing them to get out of a tricky situation with ease. This Battle Maneuver is best used to get weak allies out of melee range of enemies, though – spellcasters, for instance, have Disadvantage on enemies if they are too close, and have relatively low HP that makes them particularly vulnerable to Opportunity Attacks. Protect these companions by keeping them away from enemies safely with this maneuver.

2 Menacing Attack

• Action Type: Melee OR Ranged, standard Action

Menacing Attack is a much more directly offensive Battle Maneuver than Rally, Riposte, and Maneuvering Attack. While those three abilities aren't used to inflict a status on enemies directly, Menacing Attack can inflict the Frightened effect.

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Frightened is a particularly powerful effect in Baldur's Gate 3 because it essentially shuts down an opponent, especially if they are a melee fighter not in range to make an attack. While Frightened, enemies cannot move, and any ability checks or Attack Rolls they make have Disadvantage. Menacing Attack is one that players can afford to wait to learn (to pick up Rally and Riposte while they remain useful abilities, for example) as it remains a powerful Battle Maneuver throughout the rest of the game.

1 Pushing Attack

• Action Type: Melee OR Ranged, standard Action

Pushing Attack is something like a combination between the Shove action and an empowered attack from the Fighter. Though it doesn't inflict a status effect like Menacing Attack, nor does it support allies like Maneuvering Attack or Rally, Pushing Attack is great because it is the only ability that can outright kill enemies it hits – under the right circumstances.

Manipulating the placement of enemies on the battlefield is a really powerful way to approach Baldur's Gate 3, as there are a lot of cliffs, high walls, and Chasms to fall into. As such, Pushing Attack goes from being a relatively weak option in tabletop D&D to the best Battle Maneuver in BG3. Pick this one up early, and use it often to push enemies off ledges and move enemies away from the party to prevent Opportunity Attacks.

Baldur's Gate 3

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence