Baldur's Gate 3, like all Larian Studios titles, has a strong emphasis on the combat system. This means that we often end up involved in unpleasant situations that see our group of heroes completely surrounded by hostile creatures who want to kill us. Fortunately, the system designed by Larian draws heavily from the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition manuals to set up tons of options aimed at total control of the battlefield: each class has skills, spells and dozens of resources to best manage every kind of situation.
This feature, however, mistakenly leads D&D experts to think from the perspective of the traditional role-playing game, forgetting a central element of the formula: Baldur's Gate 3 is still a video game. Instead of a Master prepared and ready to grasp any flash of inspiration, the artificial intelligence (especially in Tactical Mode) reasons with only one goal in mind: overwhelming victory and achieving the TPK (Total Party Kill). For this reason, it is physiological that there are classes that are better than others in combat, and it is clear that in most cases they will not be the best performing in the orbit of the traditional D&D experience.
With all this in mind, we created the Tier List of all the strongest classes and subclasses in Baldur's Gate 3, based mainly on the experience faced in Tactical mode. We will analyze in detail the reasons for the positioning and explain from which assumptions we started to carry out the analysis. If you want more information about the classes and mechanics, you can consult our complete guide to Baldur's Gate 3.
Tier List rules and premises
La Tier List that you find below is based on characters of Class Level between 8 and 12, referring only to Act 3 of Baldur's Gate 3 and taking the level of Tactical difficulty. If we make this premise, it is because in Baldur's Gate 3 all classes are very good and it is possible to finish the game easily with any kind of party composition: you should never take a Tier List as a model to build your team, but only your imagination.
The second very important premise to make is that Baldur's Gate 3 - exactly like D&D - it's not just fighting, On the contrary. It may happen that a Class is weaker than others when it comes to fighting, but is decidedly more powerful in the exploration, interaction, dialogue and even usefulness phases of the group members outside of combat. This constantly updated Tier List, however, is based solely on effectiveness in battle.
The last premise concerns the Multiclassing: in this Tier List we will only deal with the basic classes, without including any kind of Multiclass. Multiclasses are extremely powerful variants, especially the hybrid ones of the Paladin and those that mix Warriors, Barbarians and Thieves. In fact, fishing among the best skills of the various classes means creating the most dangerous builds of all: always keep in mind that Multiclasses are generally much stronger of most base classes. For this purpose, we have created a specific guide to Multiclassing and the best Builds.
The Tier List of Baldur's Gate 3 classes follows the following scheme:
- Animal S: Simply too strong
- Tier A: The best classes
- Tier B: Excellent
- Tier C: Good
- RP Tiers: They are good for role play
The Baldur's Gate 3 Core Class Tier List
Having said all this, below you will find a constantly updated Tier List of the basic classes of Baldur's Gate 3, with an in-depth analysis of the reasons that have led us to make certain choices at the moment. Let's hope there's no need to sayfinally, that the Tier List is also based on inevitable subjective considerations, therefore we invite you to tell us about your experience.
- Animal S: Warrior; Sorcerer
- Tier A: Cleric; Paladin; Thief
- Tier B: Magician; Barbarian; Druid; Warlock
- Tier C: Bardo; Ranger
- RP Tiers: Munich; Warrior (Knight Wizard); Thief (Arcane Trickster); Barbarian (Wild Magic)
Animal S
Warrior (Battle Master, Champion)
Compared to many other attractive options, the Warrior dominates the melee segment unchallenged. The ability to wear any loadout to the fullest, combined with extraordinary scaling, makes him an imposing force even when standing still in the midst of battle; the problem is that the Warrior does not sit absolutely still: the possibility of earning additional Action Points, that of performing a double attack, and the extraordinary bonuses offered by the subclasses, make him by far the best in the category and without a shadow of a doubt the best basis for Multiclassing. His weak point? A Warrior will be of absolutely no use to you outside of combat: it is a class made for fighting, nothing more and nothing less.
If it's this high on the list, however, it's almost exclusively because of the subclass Battle Master: the Warrior is already strong in itself, but the ability to perform Maneuvers and access the Supremacy Die propels him straight into Olympus. This subclass can in fact land, trip, disarm, and in fact control almost everything that happens on the field: sometimes a single turn is enough to inhibit half of the opponents. Keep in mind that the precise damage output is lower than, say, a Barbarian, and it's the ability to knock enemies out that makes the difference. The Champion, on the other hand, is a variant that sacrifices all this versatility to focus on pure damage and the critical mechanic, but is decidedly less dominant than its counterpart; in any case, the Warrior's basic kit is so effective that investing two levels in this direction will end up improving any type of Multiclass oriented towards physical combat.
Warlock (Draconic Ancestry, Wild Magic)
Despite being one of the weakest classes in and of itself in the first beats of the adventure, it sorcerer turns into a virtually unstoppable force in the final stages. The reason lies in Metamagia: the possibility of casting two Spells consecutively escapes any other mechanic in the game, given that not even Haste allows you to do so; an eventuality of this kind is often enough to end the battle before it even begins. The utilities guaranteed by Metamagic also allow you to cast powerful area spells without worrying about hurting your melee companions, or perhaps turning two enemies into sheep with a single cast.
Draconic Descent is the best subclass: given the amount of Fire Spells and of enemies that prefer this element, having resistances and damage increased in this sense is a devastating possibility; Furthermore, the innate health bonus makes this option much more durable than any other pure Spellcaster. Likewise, Wild Magic - towards the end of the progression system - practically becomes a cheat: by reducing the element of chance to a minimum, there will come a time when every Spell you cast will almost only have strong positive effects. The weak point? You will have to suffer for a long time before you can use a Warlock to its full potential, which is why the class shines in Multiclassing situations. Finally, if we have not talked about the Storm-oriented variant, it is because it is an extremely powerful choice, but totally canceled out by the resistances to the element of lightning: the wrong enemy is enough to condemn him to remain inert on the battlefield.
Tier A
Cleric
The balancing of Baldur's Gate 3 is anchored to a very simple rule: the output of healing and control spells can never exceed the amount of damage inflicted by enemies, and a fight that drags on too long almost always becomes a defeat, depending on unless you know perfectly well what you are doing. Despite this, the Cleric offers a long series of Spells that manage to give additional turns to his companions, preventing death and allowing him to put attackers out of action, increasing their strength and resistance, nullifying the effect of defeat itself. Simply put, the mere presence of a Cleric guarantees the possibility of play that extra turn which makes the difference between victory and defeat.
Obviously there are Divine Domains that are more effective than others, but in general there are very few reasons to face the adventure without a Cleric. The enormous list of available Spells, dotted with unique variants, combined with the ability - only for Life and War - to wear heavy armour, make it the best support class ever, as well as the only one simultaneously capable of healing, defending, strengthen, weaken and damage. We are sure that many are being accompanied by Cuorescuro and have already begun to see first-hand the importance of an ally of this kind. Probably, as a pure class, is the strongest ever.
Paladin
In Baldur's Gate 3 there is a class capable of do everything and do it extremely well, and that class is the Paladin. Heavy armor, proficiency in any type of weapon, advanced combat techniques, support spells and devastating options when facing certain types of enemies: this is just a base on which the rest of his kit is then grafted. The real strength lies in consistency: the Paladin is strong at the beginning, towards the middle of the game and even during the endgame, he shines against single enemies and against multiple targets, nullifies melee fighters and does not fear caster, can take advantage of Divine Punishment to inflict very heavy extra damage even against the toughest enemies.
All the available Oaths add a plethora of extremely useful Spells to his arsenal, but if we had to point out the one that sits above the others is the Oath of Vengeance, for a very specific reason: Oath of Enmity; this Level 3 ability provides advantage in shooting against an enemy for 10 turns, and is effectively a pure and simple death sentence in one-on-one situations. Generally speaking, Divine Punishment is more than enough to carry a party until the endgame, but the Paladin's versatility makes it an excellent addition to any composition, capable of filling any role. Furthermore, it is currently one of the few classes that manage to face the adventure "solo", therefore without a party of companions; the last note is that it undoubtedly represents one of the best bases for Multiclassing, giving life to famous hybrids such as Warlock/Paladin and Sorcerer/Paladin.
Thief (Murderer, Rogue)
The positioning of the Thief in this ranking it should absolutely be taken with a pinch of salt: it is in fact one of the most difficult classes ever to play correctly, therefore it is absolutely not recommended for beginners of Larian Studios titles. How come? The reason is very simple: if used with great experience, therefore entering and exiting combat, carrying out solitary incursions to defeat a specific enemy, always and only exploiting the Assassination skills or the extra damage guaranteed by the Surprise Attack, it sits at the top of any numerical ranking. The problem is that all this requires a great mastery of the setting, as well as - all too often - prior knowledge of the battles that will be faced.
When played this way, an Assassin Rogue can completely single-handedly eliminate an entire group of enemies without them being able to hit him even once. But, we point out once again, this type of strategy is aimed at anyone who has completed Divinity: Original Sin 2 in Tactical mode at least once and has an extraordinary familiarity with the key mechanics of Larian Studios' titles. The Thief remains a very strong option even if played normally, especially in the Rogue variant which is clearly the best within a party; however, one should absolutely not expect the versatility and effectiveness that a Paladin or Cleric can bring; to see him shine to the fullest you need to Multiclass him with one or even two classes: a hybrid Thief, Ranger and Warrior, for example, is almost unstoppable.
Tier B
Wizard
There's only one reason why the Wizard it does not occupy the highest positions in the ranking: to optimize its gameplay it is necessary to predict in advance who, what and how you will face in battle. The virtually unlimited arsenal and the ability to access Strongest spells in the game make it a fearsome force, even if rather fragile, but to make the most of it you should prepare different Spells for each individual fight.
In the right hands, with the right preparations, in-depth knowledge of the work and the correct synergies, it could rank much higher on the list, but it takes a long time to develop such a long-term strategy. The strongest school when it comes to combat is undoubtedly that of Conjuration, as it prevents allies from being affected by area damage. Divination isn't bad either, since it allows you to directly influence dice rolls. This is not a class that has great ambitions for Multiclassing: usually Pure Wizard is the best choice.
Barbaro (Berserker, Totemico)
Up to Level 5 the Barbarian is the class with the higher margin of physical damage, especially in the Berserker variant. Multiple attacks per turn and the ability to shine even without additional protection make him a destructive force capable of showing his value at any time, from the skirmishes of the prologue to the boss fights that continue to follow one another incessantly during the last act .
It has few weaknesses and many options guaranteed by the subclasses, as well as special interactions with critical damage that lead it to shine even more in the final stages of Act 3. Both the Berserker and the Totemic perform at their best, with the only difference that the former is oriented towards damage, while the latter towards resistance and movement skills. If he isn't higher on the list it's simply because there are classes that do more things and do some of those things better: do you want to see him really shine? Perfect: invest a couple of levels in a Warrior and enjoy the unparalleled effectiveness of Barbarian/Warrior.
Druid
Il Druid it is a particular class, even in its placement within the confines of the Tier List. In this case, it brings into play two subclasses that are extremely different from each other and yet extraordinarily effective and direct. There's an old D&D saying that jokingly states that "it is impossible to kill a Druid", and upon closer inspection it rests on solid foundations: the versatility of its Spell kit and the extraordinary resistances guaranteed by the Wild Shape make it a very cumbersome presence in the middle of the battlefield, one that is extremely difficult to get rid of.
With an extraordinary variety of unique abilities - with which it is necessary to become very familiar - and the plethora of opportunities related to the Wild Shape, it is configured as one of the strongest and most solid classes, with very few weaknesses. These characteristics, on the other hand, make it one intrinsically "selfish" choice, excellent in many things but truly excellent in 'survivability' alone. In summary, the Druid is a control-oriented mid-level Spellcaster, but recovers thanks to his ability to change shape, which offers a lot of resistances and is easy to build, since with the transformation the statistics are replaced entirely. His selfish nature, on the other hand, also emerges from the fact that it is very difficult to find a space for him in Multiclassing.
Warlock
If we talked about the Druid in terms of a selfish class, the Warlock represents an extreme of that thought. Dear old Lock is truly extraordinary, can play different roles, is exceptional at Multiclassing, and gets stronger as the adventure progresses. On the other hand, like most of the classes we have included in this category, it finds itself paying the price for its great versatility through reduced effectiveness compared to other more straightforward and limited options.
The Warlock's resource pool is almost unlimited, and it is no coincidence that most of the strongest Mutliclasses adopt it as a basis, given the extraordinary ability to transform characters based on two characteristics - such as a Paladin - into powers based solely on Charisma. That said, Occult Blast, the abilities guaranteed by the Pact, and obviously the unique mechanics relating to the Spell Slots, make the Warlock an extremely solid choice, being able to best cover both the DPS and support roles, but our advice is to don't play the pure variant, opting instead for one of dozens of very strong hybrid formulas available. The Covenant of Blades alone, for example, is enough in and of itself to serve as the foundation for dozens of Multiclasses.
Tier C
Bard
Undisputed queen of the GDR apparatus, exploration and interactions, the Bard is the perfect class for anyone interested in the "human" element of the Baldur's Gate 3 experience: a video game in which, from start to finish, what you say and do in the game world clearly prevails over the combat component. The few battle-oriented skills, the limited Spell pool and the reduced aptitude for survival, on the other hand, make the Bard a difficult option to place in the top tier of the ranking and the reason is always the same: if compared for example to a Cleric, a bard definitely brings a minor impact on a purely war level.
In any case, it is an extraordinary basis for Multiclassing and a class equipped with excellent resources, from extraordinary utilities such as Song of Rest - which allows you to take a short rest at any time - up to the impact of its different Colleges, which are able to respond to different needs. In a certain sense we could say that the Bard is a bit of the symbolic class of this Tier List: in Baldur's Gate 3 all the options are extremely effective, they open up really interesting builds, and the differences that separate them are reduced to small details on the tactical and numerical level.
Cleaning
I Cleaning they're an interesting class in D&D history. There is a widespread impression that they never received the affection they deserved, and Larian Studios probably thought this too, since it brought several changes to the Ranger compared to the classic manual, attempting to bring more useful resources to the table. In doing so, however, it ran into the usual problem: Rangers have access to options close to the Warrior without having the effectiveness of the Warrior, at level 2 they open up a list of Spells that is less rich and impactful than other Spellcasters, and they develop into three different Subclasses among which only the Monster Slayer stands out.
Like all the so-called "Jack of all trades" they must therefore pay a tax linked to their versatility, in some ways even greater than their counterparts, since it also impacts Multiclassing. In fact, there are very powerful variants that exploit the Ranger, such as the Ranger-Thief-Warrior hybrid, which however find themselves forced to draw from more than a single class before proving to be fearsome forces.
RP Tiers
Monaco
Il Monaco it essentially has two limiting factors: the first is that it is one of the most classes difficult to play and to build effectively, proving to be a valid option for a small circle of hardcore players, finding its maximum expression in situations where positioning is exploited in an almost impeccable manner. The second, however, lies in its almost complementary nature, since it can do many things but none as well as other options on the list.
A Monk/Thief is a fearsome opponent, as is a Monk/Warrior and many other hybrids, but taken individually their kit represents a softer variant compared to those of the counterparties. Does this mean this Tier RP elevates it to the worst class in Baldur's Gate 3? Without a doubt, it is too early to say this with certainty and we still need to fully explore the experience lived through Monaco, since looking at the statistics it is also one of the least played classes. For the moment we believe that the most correct choice is to leave it in this position.
Warrior (Mage Knight) - Thief (Arcane Trickster) - Barbarian (Wild Magic)
If you've read the Tier List up to this point, it won't be a surprise to find the main hybrid classes at the lowest point. In addition to perfectly embodying the mantra that we have carried forward for the entirety of the analysis, i.e. "he who knows how to do everything, knows how to do it worse than others", the main malus of these options lies in the fact that - with the exception of the use of specific skills - this trio has a double main characteristic that makes coherent development extremely difficult.
The only exception lies in Barbarian Wild Magic, which however remains a class closely linked to the element of chance and consequently to fun: the possibility of fusing Rage with random effects is also quite solid, but is positioned lower than the solidity of the other variants.
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