Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Eldritch Knight Build

Baldur's Gate 3 has a very detailed character customization system, both visually and in terms of their skills. Players have a variety of classes, spells, weapons, and so on to choose from, which they can use to create an infinite number of different builds. One of them is the Eldritch Knight, which combines high defensive properties with powerful magic.

Although it may look difficult to combine at first glance, the game has many tools that allow fans to implement even the craziest builds while maintaining good synergies. This guide will help fans build the best Eldritch Knight build in Baldur's Gate 3.

BG3 Eldritch Knight Build: Background and Race Choice

Players can choose the background they like best since it basically only affects dialogues, but Soldier is best suited for this build. The races give abilities that affect all aspects of gameplay, and users should focus their choice on Half-Orc, Tiefling, and Githyanki, as they have the best abilities for the fighters.

Ability Score and Skills

Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Eldritch Knight Build

Ability points for fighters are usually distributed similarly. Strength and Constitution are the most important for any fighter, so they should be equal to 16. Next, raise Intelligence to 14 to improve magic skills and Dexterity to 10-12. If players decide not to spend 2 points on Dexterity, they can spend them on Wisdom or Charisma if they wish. As for the skills, the best decision would be to choose Acrobatics and Athletics.

Level Progression

Now let's move on to the level progression:

Level 1: Great Weapon Fighting or Protection fighting style is the best choice.

Level 2: At this level, the character will automatically get the Action Surge skill.

Level 3: First of all, select the Eldritch Knight subclass. The choice of Cantrips is not very important, but it is recommended to take Blade Ward and True Strike. Among the Spells, the best options are Shield and Protection from Evil and Good. As an Expanded spell, take Expeditious Retreat or Find Familiar.

Level 4: As a feat, take Ability Improvement and improve Strength. Choose Mage Armour or Magic Missile as a spell.

Level 5: At this level, the character gains Extra Attack.

Level 6: Choose Ability Improvement again to gain 20 Strength.

Level 7: At this level, choose the Wizard class. Choose spells with improved mobility and control, such as Fog Cloud or Longstrider. At this stage, the characters will not be able to cast second level spells, but they can learn them.

Level 8: Choose the Abjuration subclass. Take Abjuration spells.

Level 9: Take spells that give buffs to characters, such as Mirror Image.

Level 10: Take Sentinel feat. The choice of spells depends on the scrolls the player has found and learned.

Level 11: Choose Haste and Counterspell spells.

Level 12: Take Abjuration spells or spells with the character's buff based on those learned by the character.

Most of the time, players have to choose spells based on the scrolls they find. The fact is that because of the Eldritch Knight subclass, the spellcaster level is 2 levels higher than the Wizard level. As a result, characters can learn spells 1 level higher than those available at level up. After 6th level, adventurers will find more and more powerful scrolls, from which they can learn the most powerful spells.

Illithid Powers

If players want to stick to a specific role, they can choose not to use Illithid powers, as Baldur's Gate 3 can be easily completed without them. However, they offer unique abilities that, if chosen correctly, can make a character much more deadly.

As the game progresses, at the end of Act 1, the adventurers learn more about parasites and the abilities they can provide. Characters can find live tadpoles in jars or dead True Souls and absorb their powers. The skill tree has many powers that are useful for all classes, as well as those that are perfect for fighters. Below, fans will find a list of the best ones for Eldritch Knight:

Psionic Backslash

Cull the Weak

Fracture Psyche

Ability Drain

Luck of the Far Realms

Favorable Beginnings

Best Gear

Equipment is no less important for a build than skills, so choose it wisely. Baldur's Gate 3 has a huge number of different weapons, among which there are quite a few good options. Some weapons players will be able to find later in the game, and some they have already missed, so they won't be able to get them. That's why the list below includes gear from different stages of the game so that everyone can find some of them in their inventory.

Head: Warped Headband of Intellect, Diadem of Arcane Synergy, Grymskull Helm, Helm of Balduran.

Cape: Cloak of Protection, Vivacious Cloak, Cloak of Displacement.

Chest: Adamantine Splint Armour, Armour of Persistence, Helldusk Armour.

Gloves: Blackguard`s Gauntlets, Gauntlets of Surging Accuracy, Gloves of Battlemage`s Power, Helldusk Gloves.

Boots: Boots of Striding, Disintegrating Night Walkers, Helldusk Boots.

Necklace: Surgeon`s Subjugation Amulet, Spellcrux Amulet, Amulet of Greater Health.

Rings: Shifting Corpus Ring, Caustic Band, Ring of Mental Inhibition, Killer`s Sweetheart, Ring Of Regeneration.

Weapon: The Blood of Lathander, Everburn Blade, Silver Sword of the Astral Plane.

Shield: Glowing Shield, Adamantine Shield, Ketheric`s Shield, Viconia’s Walking Fortress.