D&D 5e: Every Fighting Style, Ranked (2024)

In Fifth Edition, Fighting Styles are features available to multiple classes or characters that take the Fighting Initiate Feat, letting them specialize in a specific form of weaponry or role in combat. Available from low levels, they often define a character's approach to battle and are among the most important early game choices a player will make. As with many options in character building, the Fighting Styles D&D 5e offers are relatively balanced, with many having their effectiveness dependent upon the player employing them.

However, some Fighting Styles provide utility that a class would otherwise outright miss, or provide such a useful effect that they are more readily viable and effective options when compared to the rest. Regardless of ranking, nearly all Fighting Styles have a viable use case worth taking on a player's next character.

Updated on June 30, 2024, by Jeremy Devoe: When building a character which takes a Fighting Style in D&D 5e, it is a pivotal choice that will outline the combat approach the player will take with their character, and can be a massive boon to their ideal playstyle when used effectively. We've updated the list with additional analysis and feat choices that pair well with each fighting style, except for Superior Technique, Druidic Warrior and Blessed Warrior, which have their own best options listed.

Every Fighting Style by Class

13 Protection Helps a Warrior Defend Their Vulnerable Allies

Fighter and Paladin - Player's Handbook, pg. 72

Best Feats for the Protection Fighting Style:

• Shield Master: Grants a new bonus action and reaction to use with a shield while also providing durability benefits for the player so long as they have a shield equipped.
• Alert: Grants the player useful benefits that allow them a leg up in sticking close to and taking attacks in place of their allies that they wish to protect.
• Mobile: Allows players to mitigate two of the biggest impediments to movement and reach their allies more readily with a movement speed increase.

One of the base 5e Fighting Styles from the Player's Handbook, Protection, fulfills the archetypal bodyguard niche. The player can interfere in attacks against their allies while they're within five feet of them and are equipped with a shield. By spending their reaction, the player can impose disadvantage against the attack targeting their ally.

Although this 5e Fighting Style choice is entirely viable, it comes with a high opportunity cost. It requires the character to be positioned carefully, with a shield in hand and a reaction to use. Additionally, with higher CR creatures and foes gaining larger to-hit modifiers on their attack rolls, Protection's effectiveness steadily drops off the more challenging the campaign becomes. D&D 5e's Interception Fighting Style is a deliberate improvement over this one, making Protection a decent option, but certainly not the greatest.

12 Blind Fighting Is Vital When Fighting Unseen Foes or When Avoiding Gaze Attacks

Fighter, Paladin and Ranger - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, pg. 52

Best Feats for the Blind Fighting Fighting Style:

• Skill Expert: For players focusing on Strength, take Skill Expert to give the Athletics skill expertise and make use of grappling to keep targets within the 10 ft of blindsight granted by Blind Fighter
• Magic Initiate: Use this feat to take the level one spell Fog Cloud, and two Cantrips of choice from any classes' spell list, which can obscure the vision of foes while the player can utilize their blindsight within the same area of effect to no detriment.
• Alert: Prevents advantage on attacks from unseen attackers, as even though blindsight tracks invisible creatures, players can still lose sight of them if the creature successfully hides.

For a long time, a blind warrior fighting with their other senses was one of D&D 5e's most troublesome character fantasies to create. Tasha's Cauldron of Everything introduced the Blind Fighting Fighting Style and rectified this gap in character creation options. It grants them 10 ft of blindsight; which is complete vision of everything not under full cover or invisible and hidden within that radius.

This is immensely useful when fighting normally unseen enemies or battling a creature with a powerful gaze attack. It also creates invaluable counters to or combos with spells like Darkness, Fog Cloud and other spells that heavily obscure the area of effect. While it doesn't grant any direct value increases, it can be quite effective for a player to nearly always be aware of their immediate surroundings.

11 Great Weapon Fighting Lets Warriors Re-Roll Their Weakest Die Results

Fighter and Paladin - Player's Handbook, pg. 72

Best Feats for the Great Weapon Fighting Style:

• Great Weapon Master: For two-handed or versatile weapons with the heavy property, this feat adds movement reduction to their critical hits and the ability to do + 10 damage on hit at a -5 penalty to hit.
• Crusher, Piercer and Slasher: These feats improve the effectiveness of weapons that deal their corresponding damage type, and there is a heavy two-handed option for each.
• Sentinel: Provides the player more opportunities to hit with their high-damage weapon, by either ensuring their Attack of Opportunity or through the reaction-based attack the feat grants.

Heavy, two-handed weapons are some of D&D 5e's most damaging weapons. On top of their high-damage dice, they allow access to some of , though, their corresponding 5e Fighting Style is not a guaranteed bonus. Great Weapon Fighting lets the player re-roll any 1s or 2s in their damage rolls, which can marginally raise the average damage dealt.

However, Great Weapon fighting's effect is still a situational re-roll, which forces the use of the new rolls, rather than a blanket buff like other fighting styles. It only applies occasionally and can even fail to provide its benefit, which, short of Battlemaster Manuevers failing their checks, does not happen with the other fighting styles. It is still worth taking if the player is set on using a Great Weapon, though.

10 Unarmed Fighting Lets Fighters Emulate Monks If They Wish

Fighter - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, pg. 42

Best Feats for the Unarmed Fighting Fighting Style:

• Skill Expert: Athletics expertise is invaluable for initiating and maintaining grapples, allowing more opportunity to apply the free 1d4 damage to Grappled creatures from Unarmed Fighting.
• Shield Master: For unarmed fighters planning to use one free hand and a shield in the other, all of Shield Master's traits greatly benefit the build and playstyle.
• Tavern Brawler: For unarmed fighters who keep both hands free, having a bonus action grapple that can be used after a strike is a solid option, even if Tavern Brawler's other benefits go unused.

For a long time in D&D 5e, outside of an underwhelming buff to unarmed damage from the Tavern Brawler Feat, players couldn't specialize in unarmed strikes outside the Monk Class. TCE introduced the Unarmed Fighting Style, turning unarmed strikes into d6 (+ STR modifier) weapons (d8s if both hands are empty) and giving an automatic 1d4 damage turn to Grappled creatures.

This is a solid way to be dangerous at all times, but fists aren't magical weapons in D&D 5e, which means this option runs into trouble later on. Without the handful of monk-oriented D&D magic items that make an unarmed attack magical, or six levels of the Monk class, a character will struggle in combat against higher CR enemies. So, overall, this fighting style ranks a bit lower among the game's best.

9 Defense Makes Any Player More Durable in a Simple Way

Fighter, Paladin and Ranger - Player's Handbook, pg. 72

Best Feats for the Defense Fighting Style:

• Heavy Armor Master: Provides a flat 3 damage reduction to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing attacks. It also grants a +1 Ability Score Increase to Strength.
• Medium Armor Master: For Dexterity focused characters, if their Dexterity is 16 or higher, they can add 3 to their medium armor's modifier instead of 2. Medium armor also no longer imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
• Shield Master: With no Light Armor Master Feat, Shield Master is a strong alternative for light armor users looking to increase their AC by utilizing a shield.

The Defense Fighting Style is one of the most basic, but still fairly effective; it adds +1 to AC while wearing armor. Given that nearly every martial character is likely to wear armor of some kind, it is essentially a free upgrade to AC that doesn't lock a character into a specific fighting style or weapon choice.

Defense is one of D&D 5e's best Fighting Styles for those looking to fulfill a tank role or for characters wanting to wield various weapons. However, enemy attack bonuses often outstrip AC in the late-game, which means it does see reduced effectiveness at a point. Regardless, for most D&D sessions and class levels, Defense provides a fine benefit to nearly any character able to take it.

8 Two-Weapon Fighting Enhances Additional Weapon Attacks

College of Lore Bard, Fighter and Ranger - Player's Handbook, pg. 72

Best Feats for the Two-Weapon Fighting Fighting Style:

• Dual Wielder: This feat provides +1 AC while a separate weapon is wielded in each hand, in addition to other benefits that grant a wider weapon selection for use with Two-Weapon Fighting and eases the use of wielding two weapons at once.
• Crusher, Piercer and Slasher: Players with Two-Weapon Fighting can use one or more of these Feats to work in tandem with their preferred weapon options.
• Savage Attacker: With Two-Weapon Fighting resulting in more attacks per turn from a character, the ability to re-roll a lower damage roll once per turn helps keep damage output consistent.

Two-weapon fighting is something that every edition of Dungeons & Dragons has struggled to implement correctly. For base D&D 5e, a character wielding two light weapons can perform an additional attack with their bonus action, without adding their ability modifier to the damage of their off-hand weapon.

The Two-Weapon Fighting 5e Fighting Style allows the ability modifier to be added to the bonus action attack, making it a proper extra attack accessible through a bonus action. While an extra attack is powerful at early levels, the style tends to monopolize a martial character's bonus action past the point they gain the ability to use the attack action twice through their class levels.

7 Superior Technique Borrows a Variety of Cool Battlemaster Maneuvers

Fighter - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, pg. 41

See Also

What Is The Hardest D&D Class To Play & Why?

Best Maneuver Choices for the Superior Technique Fighting Style:

• Menacing Attack: Add the Superiority Die gained from Superior Technique to a successful weapon attack. If the target of the attack fails a Wisdom Saving Throw, the target is Frightened of the player until the player's next turn.
• Percision Attack: Before or After a weapon attack roll, the player can add their Superiority Die from Superior Technique
• Riposte: Use the Superiority Die from Superior Technique to attack as part of a reaction when an opponent misses the player with a melee attack.

The Superior Technique D&D 5e Fighting Style has the potential to be a versatile generalist Fighting Style, letting any fighter make use of a Battlemaster Maneuvers to enhance their combat ability once per short or long rest. A wide selection of Maneuvers are available for choice, especially after more were added with the release of Dungeons and Dragons: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

However, Superior Technique's drawback is that its usage is tied to the schedule of any given session, especially considering that D&D 5e was balanced around the standard of 6-8 encounters during an in-game day. Knowing how long even one encounter's worth of combat can take, many sessions don't have nearly as many encounters or short rests as expected. That said, access to a Battlemaster Maneuver outside of the subclass is still quite valuable.

6 Thrown Weapon Fighting Makes Thrown Weapons More Lethal

Fighter and Ranger Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, pg. 42

Best Feats for the Thrown Weapon Fighting Fighting Style:

• Sharpshooter: While this feat only works with Thrown Weapon Fighting while using Darts, the only thrown weapon with the ranged property, the effectiveness of the combination is too potent to go unmentioned. This can be further stacked with the Archery Fighting style when gained through a dip into Ranger class levels or with the Fighting Initiate Feat.
• Dual Wielder: For Throwing Weapon Fighting characters throwing with both hands, Dual Wielder improves their AC +1 and lets them stow or draw two weapons simultaneously.
• Crusher, Piercer and Slasher: Useful in enhancing the effectiveness of the preferred thrown weapon the player wishes to use for their character's build.

While drawing a weapon to use as part of an attack action is considered a free action in , once a player using throwing weapons empties their hands, by the base rules, they can only draw one weapon to throw per turn. Thrown Weapon Fighter negates this limit for weapons with the thrown property and provides a +2 damage bonus to the damage roll of successful ranged attacks with a thrown weapon.

This can be a fun and unique way to build a D&D 5e character, allowing them to use their weapons in melee and at range. However, as the outright damage output of this fighting style is traded for its versatility, meaning that without additional setup and the ideal gear, the Thrown Weapon Fighting style does fall behind the power curve a bit towards the late-game.

5 Dueling's Simplicity Pairs With a Shield for Great Effect

College of Swords Bard, Fighter, Paladin and Ranger - Player's Handbook, pg. 72

Best Feats for the Dueling Fighting Style:

• Shield Master: As Dueling is best used with a shield, Shield Master provides great benefit to any shield user that's hard to pass up, especially for Dexterity-based characters.
• Sentinel: This feat lets players lock down their targets with melee attacks that also benefit from Dueling's flat damage bonus.
• Crusher, Piercer and Slasher: Further stack benefits atop the +2 damage bonus from Dueling with the feat that best matches the weapon the player utilizes for their character.

Dueling, like Defense, is one of the most basic Fighting Styles 5e offers players, this time with an offensive function. It provides +2 damage on attacks made while a character wields a single weapon without the two-handed property and no other weapons. This is ideal for the classic "sword and board" fighter, but can also be used for spell-swords and other character archetypes that fit the fighting style's criteria.

It isn't a particularly flashy 5e Fighting Style. But Dueling is nearly always active once taken and stays dependable throughout an entire campaign, even if the player wants to forgo an off-hand option. This lets Dueling rank fairly high among all fighting styles available, only second to some more potent boosts to combat ability and utility given by the remaining fighting styles.

4 Interception Is a Great Way to Prevent Harm to Teammates

Fighter and Paladin - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything pg. 41

Best Feats for the Interception Fighting Style:

• Shield Master: While a simple or martial weapon can also be used for Interception's ability, when used with a shield, it's best to grab Shield Master as well.
• Mobile: As with Protection, having fewer obstacles to getting within range of an ally the player wishes to use Intercept for will always be valuable.
• Alert: Interception users always welcome a chance to get beside an ally who could best benefit from Interception's ability at the start of combat, enjoying Alert's other benefits as well.

The D&D 5e book Tasha's Cauldron of Everything includes a powerful alternative to the Protection Fighting Style. The Interception 5e Fighting Style still uses a character's reaction and needs them to be within 5 feet of an ally. However, it can be activated with a simple or martial weapon if the player does not want to carry and use a shield.

This isn't the only benefit Interception holds compared to the Protection Fighting Style in D&D 5e. Rather than impose disadvantage, which becomes less meaningful as attack bonuses skyrocket, Interception reduces the attack's damage by 1d10 + proficiency bonus. Guaranteed damage reduction is hard to come by in D&D, making for a fantastic Fighting Style for players who want to cover their teammates.

3 Druidic Warrior Gives Rangers Access to Great Cantrip Options

Ranger - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, pg. 57

Best Cantrip Choices for the Druidic Warrior Fighting Style:

• Shillelagh: A great option for melee-oriented Rangers looking to use a club or quarterstaff, as it sets the weapon's damage to 1d8 by default and allows the Ranger to use their Wisdom as the attack modifier over strength.
• Frostbite: A Cantrip with scaling damage that targets Constitution, which is more valuable for its effect: If the target fails their Constitution Saving Throw, their next weapon attack is made with disadvantage until the end of their next turn.
• Guidance: A utility Cantrip that's among the best Cantrips in the game for general use, allowing the Ranger to be an additional source of assistance for tough ability checks.

Druidic Warrior is a ranger-exclusive D&D 5e Fighting Style introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Rather than buffing weapon attacks, Druidic Warrior grants two Cantrips from the Druid spell list. Rangers lack a Cantrip list and can greatly benefit from access to them, especially considering the Cantrips selected also use Wisdom as their spellcasting ability.

Since most rangers already have a powerful ranged attack, and can even use the Fighting Initiate Feat to pick up a second Fighting style, they can even afford to choose more niche druid cantrips like Mold Earth, Shape Water and Mending. Whatever a player chooses, Druidic Warrior opens up a Ranger's options to put their Wisdom Ability Score into effect in all facets of D&D 5e play.

2 Blessed Warrior Gives Paladins Access to Much-Needed Cantrips

Paladin - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, pg. 52

Best Cantrips Choices for the Blessed Warrior Fighting Style:

• Sacred Flame: A Cantrip with scaling damage for the Paladin that ignores cover and is a great backup ranged option, even if it only hits a target that fails their Dexterity Saving Throw.
• Word of Radiance: While getting swarmed at lower levels or surrounded by weak creatures, this scaling damage Cantrip that targets Constitution to all targets within 5 ft of the caster is a useful option when heavily surrounded.
• Guidance: For a utility option, Guidance is often one of the best Cantrips available and always worth taking. There's no downside to boosting a skill check with virtually zero cost when not in combat.

Like Druidic Warrior, the Paladin-exclusive D&D 5e Fighting Style Blessed Warrior doesn't provide immediate combat benefits. Instead, it gives a Paladin access two Cantrips from the Cleric spell list. Since Paladins don't normally get access to Cantrips, this Fighting Style is a great way to provide them with useful options to fill in some gaps the Paladin role benefits from having access to.

Most D&D 5e damage Cantrips don't deal as much damage as a single attack from a paladin. However, they also allow the Paladin to have more valuable actions in scenarios when they can't apply their usual attacks as effectively. This D&D 5e Fighting Style also provides access to powerful support spells that have wide use across all elements of D&D 5e play.

1 Archery Makes Martial Ranged Combat Incredibly Consistent

Fighter and Ranger - Player's Handbook, pg. 72

Best Feats For the Archery Fighting Style:

• Sharpshooter: Makes all ranged weapon attacks incredibly potent; removes disadvantage at their long-range and ignores all cover but full cover. The player can also take a -5 penalty to hit on a ranged weapon attack to have the ranged attack deal +10 damage if it still hits.
• Crossbow Expert: For Archery Fighting Style users that want to be closer to their targets, this Feat is invaluable for keeping them effective even at point-blank range; while also providing a bonus action attack with a handbow if one is equipped.
• Piercer: There's no better time to take this damage type-enhancing Feat. Most ranged weapon attacks deal piercing damage and their increased accuracy through the Archery Fighting Style means Piecer's effects will come into effect more consistently; increasing their average damage and making critical hits deal an extra die of damage.

On the surface, the buff provided by the Archery 5e Fighting Style appears substantial but not overwhelming. However, D&D 5e is designed with "bounded accuracy," meaning that AC and attack bonuses don't increase much with level, instead earned through improved and rare gear. Access to a flat +2 to hit with ranged weapon attacks that can stack with the player's Dexterity modifier and their mid to late-game gear is massive.

The Archery Fighting Style ensures a D&D 5e character more consistently lands their ranged weapon attacks, which also can be used to more effectively apply Hunter's Mark for a Ranger and Battlemaster Maneuvers for a Fighter. Since Archery works with any ranged weapon and provides one of the most valuable modifiers in the game, it's certainly the best fighting style available in D&D 5e.

Dungeons and Dragons

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

January 26, 1974

Publisher

Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.

Designer

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Player Count

4-8 Players Recommended

Age Recommendation

12+

Length per Game

3 hours +

Expansions

Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition