The Fighter of Dungeons & Dragons easily trumps most Classes in terms of combat versatility and superiority – thanks in part to their various Proficiencies and arsenal of combat options. However, the Battle Master Martial Archetype perhaps best represents the Fighter’s technical know-how in tactical combat. Essentially, this D&D Subclass rely on Maneuvers to “dictate” the flow of combat.
Moreover, the Battle Master has access to more than 20 Maneuvers to use in battle. However, with a full Battle Master build only having access to nine Maneuvers by 20th Level, just which of these Maneuvers benefit them in most situations?
10 Great: Feinting Attack
If the versatile Ranger has an advantage over their favored enemies, the Battle Master can do the same with Feinting Attack. Essentially, Battle Masters can roll a Superiority Die and a Bonus Action to feint against a target. In turn, the player has an Advantage on the next attack roll against that target during the same turn. On a hit, they add the Superiority Die’s result to the damage.
Thankfully, an ability that adds Advantage to one’s own attack is always a godsend against powerful bosses. Moreover, Fighters that use potent weapons can capitalize on Feinting Attack to potentially land much-needed hits to eliminate enemies much faster. This Maneuver is perfect for players planning on attacking their target during that turn.
9 Fail: Disarming Attack
Disarming Attack allows the Battle Master to force an opponent to drop an object they’re holding on a successful weapon attack. Essentially, the player rolls a Superiority Die to add damage to the attack and force the enemy to make a Strength Save. The target will drop an object of the player’s choosing on their feet on a failed Save. This should work against opponents that wield powerful artifacts, right?
Unfortunately, inasmuch as this Maneuver seems useful, D&D has few creatures that actually wield weapons. Moreover, those that do often use Strength to make their attacks – meaning, they might have high Saves. Moreover, remember that most creatures – even with weapons – might have other attacks that involve other parts of their body. It’s better to head for the killing blow than disarm them unless dealing with a boss or relevant NPC.
8 Great: Parry
Thanks to Parry, Battle Masters can spend a Reaction and one Superiority Die to successfully parry otherwise-deadly attacks, especially from powerful artifacts. If they trigger this Maneuver, they can reduce the opponent’s damage to them based on the Superiority Die roll and their Dexterity Modifier.
Interestingly, reducing overall damage always trumps having to get healing from Spellcasters. Remember, players will almost always need healing against powerful bosses. If there’s a way to reduce damage often, then the party will have better survivability.
7 Fail: Evasive Footwork
Remember, any creature that enters an opposing creature’s reach can opt them to use their Reaction for a good ol’ whack – which can cause untimely deaths. With Evasive Footwork, a Battle Master can expend one Superiority Die during movement. They add the result of the roll to their AC until they stop moving – in short, add AC against Opportunity Attacks.
In hindsight, such a move can help Battle Masters navigate a battlefield full of opponents to get to a more advantageous position – such as rushing to get an ancient artifact. However, Battle Masters might find it more useful to simply Disengage or use another Maneuver to confront or disable the enemy.
6 Great: Riposte
Isn’t it nice to punish an opponent that misses? With Riposte, Battle Masters can spend their Reaction and roll a Superiority Die to make a melee weapon attack against an opponent, provided it’s after they missed their attack against the Fighter. If the Battle Master hits with Riposte, they add the Superiority Die’s roll to the damage.
Essentially, Riposte can become a great way to immediately punish an opponent attack if the player hasn’t spent their Reaction for that round yet. This Maneuver becomes fun to play with if players trigger this after they made a turn. After all, Reaction resets once it’s their turn again in the next round – and they can attack the same opponent again afterward.
5 Fail: Lunging Attack
In D&D, specialized Classes such as fencers and swashbucklers often make swift piercing attacks, only to return exactly where they’ve come from before the enemy can retaliate. Interestingly, Battle Masters can do the same via Lunging Attack. With this Maneuver, players can roll one Superiority Die to increase their reach by 5ft during a melee weapon attack. If the attack hits, they then add the result of the roll to the damage.
Imagination-wise, this means Battle Masters momentarily make a reaching attack before retreating. However, it might be more practical to simply move closer to the opponent and make a more powerful attack with another Maneuver instead of using the Superiority Dice for the Lunging Attack.
4 Great: Trip Attack
Hitting a downed opponent might seem unethical – but a Battle Master needs to do everything to protect their allies. Thanks to Trip Attack, Battle Masters that just landed a hit can spend a Superiority Die to attempt to trip the same target. After adding the Superiority Die’s roll to the original damage, the target needs to make a Strength Save if they’re Large or smaller. If they fail, the target becomes prone.
Remember, melee attackers have Advantage over a prone target. Moreover, Fighters get access to the most attacks out of all Classes. In turn, a well-timed Trip Attack can give the Fighter a ton of Advantages over a prone opponent. That, or they can encourage their Spellcaster to land a useful and/or devastating AOE Spell.
3 Fail: Pushing Attack
Sometimes, an attack just possesses great force that it pushes an opponent back. Battle Masters can do the same with Pushing Attack, as this can trigger when they successfully land a melee attack. If players do this, they roll a Superiority Die to add its result to the attack’s damage. Moreover, this roll forces the creature to roll a Strength Save if it’s Large or smaller. If it fails, the Battle Master pushes the target back up to 15ft.
Interestingly, D&D already has a dedicated Shove mechanic for this goal. In turn, Pushing Attack might easily become redundant. Moreover, Pushing Attack seems too situational for a Battle Master to spend a Superiority Die to activate.
2 Great: Brace
A Battle Master’s familiarity with combat tactics allows them to brace for the enemy, attacking them as soon as they come close. With Brace, Battle Masters can use a Reaction and roll a Superiority Die to make an attack against a creature that enters their reach. The Battle Master then adds the Superiority Die roll to the attack’s damage.
Essentially, Brace gives an extra attack option for Reaction without waiting for creatures to attempt to “leave” the Fighter’s reach. Moreover, Brace easily works well with Polearm Master, as this gives Battle Masters an instant attack option as far as 10ft away. This won’t work with Sentinel, though. Remember, Sentinel’s effects (remove enemy speed for the turn) only triggers at the cost of Reaction as well.
1 Fail: Sweeping Attack
With the right direction and angle, an attack can hit more than one opponent at the same time. Interestingly, Battle Masters can do this via the Sweeping Attack. Essentially, Battle Masters can roll a Superiority Die to check if their current melee attack can hit another creature adjacent to their target and is also within the Battle Master’s reach. If the original attack may potentially hit the second target, then the second target gets damage equal to the Superiority Die roll.
In hindsight, Sweeping Attack can become a great way to deal damage to multiple enemies at once, aside from a nimble Ranger‘s specialized ranged attacks. However, players might opt to use more powerful Maneuvers. Meanwhile, they can just make two attacks to both targets instead. Sadly, the Sweeping Attack’s damage output will always end up too low.
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