Picking the right weapon is an important step during character creation. That choice depends on a number of factors, from Class to Race to Feats, as well as basic preference. Some might be more proficient with a particular weapon, while others would have a disadvantage with another.
Dungeons and Dragons gives players a plethora of choices, and immediately throws quite a few terms and mechanics that could be a bit confusing. At the end of the day, it is important to keep in mind that it’s not all about numbers. If a player really wants to wield a suboptimal weapon, just because they find it cool — there is nothing wrong with that! There's always a way to make a favorite weapon work. But if a player wants the best among the choices for martial melee weapons, check out the list below.
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9 Whip
1d4 Slashing Damage
- Properties: Finesse, Reach
The whip is a very interesting, but often overlooked martial weapon. Most players gloss over it due to the low damage, but it has quite a few properties that make it unique. The weapon has the Finesse property, meaning the characters can use either Strength or Dexterity as their damage modifiers.
The trick to this weapon, though lies in the Reach property. It is the only one-handed weapon that has extra reach, making it invaluable in certain circumstances. It is also a great choice for Rogues, who often prefer daggers, which have the same damage die.
8 Lance
1d12 Piercing Damage
- Properties: Reach, Special
The lance is a curious weapon, but one that needs a bit of expertise to use properly. It is clearly made for mounted combat, as its Special property forces characters to use it with both hands if they are on the ground.
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The weapon also gives the character Disadvantage on their attack rolls if the enemy is within 5 feet of them. However, for a character built for mounted combat, the Lance is almost an obvious choice. Its damage is among the highest in the game, and the extra reach allows for more room for maneuvers and opens up new tactics.
7 Shortsword / Scimitar
1d6 Piercing/Slashing Damage
- Properties: Finesse, Light
The Shortsword and the Scimitar are the easiest weapons to duel-wield, due to their Light property. In other cases, players would need to invest in the Dual Wielder feat, which isn’t bad, but does use up valuable attribute points.
These weapons can be a great choice for lower levels, easily having some of the highest damage potential early on. However, they do not scale particularly well and will start to drastically fall off when characters get access to extra attacks and other perks.
6 Flail / Morningstar / War Pick
1d8 Bludgeoning/Piercing Damage
- Properties: None
These three weapons are pretty much identical, except for their damage types. The Morningstar and the War Pick both deal piercing damage, while the Flail deals bludgeoning damage. The Flail does win by a hair, due to the fact that more enemies are susceptible to bludgeoning damage.
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All three are a good choice for a character, especially one that wants to use a shield. All of these weapons are one-handed, so players have a bit of leeway when it comes to builds and playstyles.
5 Greataxe
1d12 Slashing Damage
- Properties: Heavy, Two-Handed
The Greataxe is a great choice for Strength-based warriors, and there are a few cases where it could be better than its counterparts: the Greatsword and the Maul. On average, 2d6 will deal more damage than 1d12, except for one particular situation: Brutal Criticals.
Barbarians and Half-Orcs have access to that ability, which allows the player to roll one additional weapon die upon scoring a critical hit. In that case, rolling an extra 1d12 instead of a 1d6 will feel much more impactful.
4 Battleaxe / Warhammer / Longsword
1d8 Bludgeoning/Slashing Damage
- Properties: Versatile (1d10)
This lineup is the bread and butter of most martial fighters for many reasons. They have solid damage, and all of them are Versatile, allowing characters to use both hands for extra damage. They allow for a variety of builds, whether players want to use a shield or not.
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Picking one out of the three ultimately comes down to style and preference, though the Warhammer does have a bit of an advantage as it deals bludgeoning damage while the others do Slashing. The group also has quite a lot of Magical varieties, which is also something to consider.
3 Rapier
1d8 Piercing Damage
- Properties: Finesse
The difference between the Rapier and the previous 1d8 weapons is the Finesse property, and not being Versatile. A weapon with Finesse allows a much wider range of characters to wield it using Dexterity. Rangers and Rogues in particular can make great use of this weapon, as they rarely get good Strength scores, but their Dexterity is often high.
It is a one-handed weapon, so there are many combinations and builds that can be made using it. Much like the Longsword, it can easily be the main weapon of choice for many characters.
2 Halberd / Glaive / Pike
1d10 Slashing/Piercing Damage
- Properties: Heavy, Reach, Two-Handed
While somewhat less conventional, these weapons offer a unique playstyle due to their extra range and great damage. Unlike the Lance, they do not invoke disadvantage when fighting within 5 feet. These weapons are Heavy, meaning that smaller races such as Hobbits and Kobolds will unfortunately have Disadvantage when attacking.
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The weapons are most often paired with the Polearm Master feat, allowing characters to immediately attack enemies that come within reach as a Reaction. Users can also make an extra attack as a Bonus Action with the blunt end of the weapon.
1 Greatsword / Maul
2d6 Slashing/Bludgeoning Damage
- Properties: Heavy, Two-Handed
While these two are not as versatile as some of the other weapons on the list, they have the highest average damage out of all martial weapons. They do require high Strength to use effectively, so it is best to plan a little ahead when using them.
The weapons are best paired with the Great Weapon Master feat, which allows characters to take a -5 penalty to their attack roll, in exchange for a massive +10 bonus damage. Overall, these two can be absolutely devastating in a battle.
Dungeons and Dragons
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- 1974-00-00
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
