Baldur’s Gate 3is a game that offers the player many options when it comes to what class they want their character to be part of.
The class the player chooses can heavily impact their gameplay, and if the player wishes for a heavy melee-focused build, there are some classes better than others to consider.
The Most Useful Melee Classes
These classes stand out as being the best at dishing out sheer damage at close range.
PRIMARY
Barbarian
The strong embrace the wild that hides inside - keen instincts, primal physicality, and most of all, an unbridled, unquenchable rage.
Strength
Fighter
Fighters have mastered the art of combat, wielding weapons with unmatched skill and wearing armor like a second skin.
Monk
Channel your cosmic enlightenment by deftly dodging and efficiently disassembling your foes through stunning strikes and a whirlwind of martial arts attacks.
Way Of The Open Hand, Way Of Shadow, Way Of The Four Elements
Dexterity
Paladin
Fuelled by the Oaths you swore to uphold justice and righteousness, you are a beacon of hope in dark times.
Ranger
Rangers are unrivaled scouts and trackers, honing a deep connection with nature in order to hunt their favored prey.
Rogue
With stealth, skill, and uncanny reflexes, a rogue’s versatility lets them get the upper hand in almost any situation.
Thief, Arcane Trickster or Assassin
Tier List For Melee Classes
What makes a melee class good is a character being able to dish out large amounts of damage with close-ranged combat using a weapon or their bare hands. To be a great melee fighter, it’s important for the class to provide a good HP pool and Armor class as they will likely be frontliners.
C Tier
C Tier marks melee classes that are lacking in this department and can be easily bested by other more efficient classes for this job. When it comes to C Tier,the Ranger would be fitting.
This class has access to medium armor proficiency as well as proficiency for simple and martial weapons. This means they have access to a large array of weapons. However, what brings it down is that this class shines most with ranged attacks.
Best Ranger Subclass for Melee: Hunter
B Tier
Classes in B Tier fend better for themselves when having to fight close range. However, some classes still perform better and are better melee classes.
- The Monk.The monk is quite a unique classas they can heavily rely on hand-to-hand combat. They do not necessarily need to hold a weapon to fight well. However, they do get access to simple weapons and short swords. Interestingly, they can get unarmored defense and unarmored movement, which gives them advantages when wearing no armor.
The issue with the Monk is that, compared to some of the other classes available, they dish out less damage and are less tanky. Ki also burns out too quickly, which can be an issue.
Best Monk Sub Class for melee: Way Of The Open Hand
- The Rogue.The Rogue is very similar to the Ranger class in manyways. However, when going for a melee build for more close-ranged attacks, the Rogue is definitely the better option out of the two. Rogues get proficiencies in light armor. For melee weapons, they can make use of simple weapons; rapier, short swords, as well as long swords.
Their main issue is that they are not the tankiest class and can struggle on the frontline. They do best as a hit-and-run class. They especially shine when they deliver damage when performing sneak attacks on their enemies.
Best Rogue Sub Class for melee: Assassin
A Tier
A Tier is an almost perfect class to pick for melee fighting, and it is quite hard to top, thanks to its power and versatility in BG3. The class in A tier is none other than the Paladin, which is, arguably, the best class in the entire Baldur’s Gate 3 game because of how useful it can be. Paladins get access to medium armor and shield proficiency. For weapons, they get simple weapons and martial weapons, giving them ample choice.
The Paladin is quite a special class, making great use of melee while also being a pretty good caster, being able to get access to healing spells as well as buffs and debuffs. Something else that makes Paladins stand out is Divine Smite, which adds extra radiant damage to melee attacks unleashed by them. The fact that Paladins are half-casters and can make use of a lot of magic is what stops them from being an S Tier melee class, as melee fighting isn’t their only strength.
Best Paladin Sub Class for Melee: Oath Of Vengeance.
S Tier
The S Tier is only for the best of the best when it comes to melee proficient classes. These classes are unbeatable when it comes to their raw power and technique in close-range combat.
- The Fighter. The Fighter is certainly one of the very best classes when it comes to melee fighting. They are extremely versatile and have an abundance of options when it comes to weapons. They possess proficiencies in heavy armor and also shield. For weapons, they can use simple weapons as well as Martial weapons.
This class also has access to some interesting class features and actions. Some of those include Action Surge, which grants the fighter an extra action. They also get Extra Attack at level 5, which does as the name states, and gives them an extra attack when the fighter performs a first attack. That alone makes this fighter class extremely overpowered. In addition,the Battle Master’s maneuvers can make this class even more useful.
Best Fighter Subclass for Melee: Battle Master
- The Barbarian. The most iconic class to use to dish out raw damage inBaldur’s Gate 3is, undoubtedly, the Barbarian. When compared to any other class, the Barbarian shines the most when it comes to the amount of damage it can do in close range. It’s undoubtedly the most specialized class for melee attacks. Barbarians get access to medium armor proficiency as well as shield proficiency. For weapons, they can make use of simple as well as martial weapons.
The Barbarian has the highest starting HP pooland have no need for heavy armor as it impedes on their Rage. Instead, they have Unarmoured Defense to make up for it. Their Rage is definitely what makes them stand out most, as they become stronger and gain resistance to physical damage.
Best Barbarian Subclass for melee: Berserker
Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available to play on PC PlayStation 5, and Xbox One.
