Verdict
The most flexible martial subclass in the 2024 Player's Handbook, and the one that rewards planning. You get a handful of dice, 20 maneuvers to choose from, and a short-rest refill. The cost is decisions: every hit asks you whether to spend a die.
How it plays
Attack, see what happens, then decide. Most maneuvers add the die to damage on a hit and layer a rider on top (a trip, a scare, a taunt). Others work on a miss or on someone else's turn. Only one maneuver can apply to each attack, so a Fighter with several attacks per turn can spread the dice across different effects.
Dice are cheap to refill: a Short Rest brings them all back. The right habit is to spend most of them every fight rather than hoard them for a boss that may not arrive.
Features by level
| Level | Feature | What it does, in short |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Combat Superiority | You get 4 Superiority Dice (d8) and learn 3 maneuvers. Dice come back on a Short or Long Rest. One maneuver per attack. Save DC is 8 + Strength or Dexterity modifier (your pick) + Proficiency Bonus. |
| 3 | Student of War | One set of artisan's tools and one skill from the Fighter list. |
| 7 | Know Your Enemy | Bonus Action: learn a visible creature's immunities, resistances and vulnerabilities within 30 feet. Once per Long Rest, or spend a Superiority Die to use it again. |
| 7 | Combat Superiority (growth) | A 5th die, and 2 more maneuvers (5 known). |
| 10 | Improved Combat Superiority | Dice become d10. Two more maneuvers (7 known). |
| 15 | Relentless | Once per turn, a maneuver can use a free d8 instead of spending a Superiority Die. Also a 6th die and 2 more maneuvers (9 known). |
| 18 | Ultimate Combat Superiority | Dice become d12. |
Know Your Enemy is a level 7 feature in the 2024 book. Older write-ups of the 2014 Battle Master describe a minute of observation at level 3, which no longer applies.
Dice and maneuvers by level
| Fighter level | Dice | Die size | Maneuvers known |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | d8 | 3 |
| 7 | 5 | d8 | 5 |
| 10 | 5 | d10 | 7 |
| 15 | 6 | d10 | 9 |
| 18 | 6 | d12 | 9 |
Each time you learn new maneuvers you may also swap one you already know, so a bad pick isn't permanent.
Maneuvers ranked
The 2024 list has 20 maneuvers. Tiers below are our own read of the mechanics, with S for always-take and C for rarely worth a slot. Where published guides disagree (Parry is the main one), that is noted.
| Tier | Maneuver | Why | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Precision Attack | Spend the die after you see a miss. For an attack that normally hits on a 7 or better, a d8 rescues roughly two-thirds of misses. | No action cost |
| S | Trip Attack | Extra damage plus a Strength save or the target drops Prone (Large or smaller). Prone sets up advantage for the whole party's melee hitters. | On a hit |
| S | Riposte | Reaction counterattack when a creature misses you in melee, with the die added on a hit. Uses the Reaction you rarely spend otherwise. | Reaction |
| A | Menacing Attack | Wisdom save or Frightened until the end of your next turn. Strong on lone bosses with a poor Wisdom save. | On a hit |
| A | Goading Attack | Wisdom save or disadvantage on attacks against anyone but you, until the end of your next turn. Makes a tank out of a Fighter in heavy armor. | On a hit |
| A | Commander's Strike | Gives up one of your attacks so an ally can swing with their Reaction, adding your die to damage. Best handing a Rogue a Sneak Attack turn. | Attack action |
| A | Rally | Bonus Action: an ally within 30 feet gets temporary hit points equal to the die plus half your Fighter level (rounded down). Cheap healing-style support. | Bonus Action |
| B | Evasive Footwork | Bonus Action Disengage and the die added to AC until your next turn. Good for a Fighter who needs to leave melee safely. | Bonus Action |
| B | Parry | Reaction: cut melee damage by the die plus Strength or Dexterity modifier. Fine on paper, but it competes with Riposte for the Reaction. Sources split on it. | Reaction |
| B | Sweeping Attack | The die's damage to a second creature within 5 feet of your target. Good only when enemies are clumped. | On a hit |
| C | Pushing Attack, Disarming Attack, Distracting Strike, Maneuvering Attack, Bait and Switch, Lunging Attack, Feinting Attack | Situational or outclassed by the picks above. Pushing Attack is a 15 foot shove that rarely beats extra damage. Feinting Attack costs a Bonus Action you often want elsewhere. | Varies |
| C | Ambush, Commanding Presence, Tactical Assessment | Add a die to a skill or initiative check. Fun for flavor, but a known maneuver slot is precious. | Out of combat |
A starting set of three: Precision Attack, Trip Attack and Riposte. They cover offense, party setup and defense with no Bonus Action cost. At level 7, add Menacing Attack or Goading Attack depending on whether you want burst or control.
Building one
- Ability scores: Strength (or Dexterity for a finesse or ranged build) first, Constitution second. The save DC uses either Strength or Dexterity, so you never need to pick a mental stat.
- Weapon plan: Great weapon or polearm builds make the most of "on a hit" riders; sword and shield pairs with Goading Attack and Parry.
- Skills and tools: Student of War is a free skill and a free tool set. Athletics or Acrobatics, plus Insight or Perception, are common choices.
- Feats: Great Weapon Master or Polearm Master for damage. Resilient (Wisdom) if the Fighter is the party's front liner.
- Table speed: decide your die before rolling damage. Most of the delay at the table comes from narrating the maneuver after the dice are already out.
Who should pick it
Pick it if you enjoy tactics and want a Fighter who does something different every fight, or if the party needs someone to taunt, shield and set up allies. Skip it if you want a Fighter you can play on autopilot; the Champion asks for less thought, and the Fighter guide covers it.
Corin Ashdown is the pen name of the editor who writes and checks every guide on Vorbelutrioperbir. How we write and check guides.