BG3 Subclass Tier List Rankings

Welcome to our Baldur’s Gate 3 subclass tier list!

Our team has played through the end game of BG3 on Tactician mode and hope to share our rankings to help you out in your playthrough.

We took into account many factors, such as late-game viability, value in different situations (combat, exploration, and social), and stat allocation demand (aka MAD for D&D players).

The game is very new so check back for updates as we learn more about what is optimal.

To see how the main classes rank, check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 class tier list instead.

Quick Disclaimers

• Play the way you want! In BG3, you can respec anything besides race, so there’s nothing stopping you from trying things out until you find what’s ideal for your playstyle.
• Party composition will always trump the power of any individual class. If your party members collectively synergize with their strengths and cover each other’s weaknesses, you’ll be pretty solid!
• Although we have played every subclass between all the writers on our team, we have not played them all to end game. Expect rankings to change.
• This list does not cover multiclass combos, we’ll have a separate list for that later on

Here are our rankings for the best subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 (click on a class to jump to their section):

Check out our infographic version of our Baldur’s Gate 3 Subclass Tier List below:

Subclass Tier List Commentary

We’ve updated our commentary section with blurbs for each subclass! See them all below, organized by tier.

S-tier

The S-tier is composed of the classes that shine above the others because they are all strong at every stage of the game. From the moment that you start playing, you will feel their impact. From quickly slaying enemies to passing checks with ease, this tier is certainly the cream of the crop. Choose these classes if you want to bulldoze the game!

Paladin: Oathbreaker

The de facto best class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Paladin. The Paladin brings with them great scaling, extraordinary damage, and they can be the face of the party. The Paladin is so strong in fact, that all four of their subclasses are within the top twenty subclasses in the entire game!

What makes the Oathbreaker Paladin stand out above the rest is because they have the most powerful early-to-mid game channel divinity in the form of Spiteful Suffering. Spiteful Suffering deals damage while also giving your entire party advantage against the target.

Pair this with their high charisma, overpowered smites, and healing prowess and you will see this awe-inspiring powerhouse of a class steamroll through the entire game.

Bard: Lore

The Lore Bard is the best non-combat subclass in the game. Their main attribute is charisma, which makes them perfect to be the face of your party. When they are unable to pass a check, they will ensure that a member of your party will pass the check with their inspiration capability.

They can add their Bardic Inspiration to gain a bonus die to any check and this ability scales every five levels. The Lore Bard itself stands out from the others because it also gains proficiencies in Intimidation and Sleight of Hand.

Both will be enormously valuable throughout the game. For combat they also gain their subclass ability Cutting Words. This is a reaction that will completely neutralize an enemy unit by reducing their hit chance, ability rolls, and damage. This class is amazing both inside and outside of combat.

Wizard: Divination

The Divination Wizard stands out because of their ability, Portent. Portent gives you access to two randomly rolled dice when you rest that you will then be able to use in combat. If the number is high, you guarantee to hit important spells and if the number is low, you guarantee the enemy to fail.

The weakest part of any Wizard is their atrocious early game. Wizards have low HP, hit chance, spell count, and spell damage early. The Divination Wizard fixes this problem by guaranteeing that you land your abilities, especially in combination with Tasha’s Hideous Laughter. Landing this spell will make a key enemy roll around laughing while you go about your day.

A Wizard is a monster late game, so to help balance this they made Wizards weak early game. The thing is that the Divination Wizard is not weak early. Choose this class if you want to crush your enemies at all stages of the game.

Barbarian: Berserker

This class smashes every enemy in front of them. Starting as soon as you unlock this subclass, enemies will fall before your might. At level three they gain an extra attack when they Rage.

At level five they gain a third attack. This is all happening with resistance to all physical damage plus all our attacks have an advantage on our rolls. The Berserker Barbarian hits enemies harder than they can hit us. At level four take the feat Great Weapon Master.

This will increase our overall damage by a ton. This subclass will easily carry you through the game as you watch enemies bend to your will. Outside of combat, there are a multitude of Barbarian checks that will earn you respect.

Paladin: Vengeance

The Vengeance Paladin is one of the scariest single-target classes in the game. They select a target to eliminate, and it is game over for that unit. This class buffs themselves while at the same time weakening their chosen target via their abilities.

Choose this class if you want to be the hero of your party and rush headfirst into the tide of battle to defeat their leader. Nothing can stop you.

Warlock: Fiend

The Fiend Warlock is the last subclass deserving its S-tier rating because they can do everything well. They can be your tank with their ability Dark One’s Blessing + Armour of Agathys. They can be your backline mage with the use of their cantrip, Eldritch Blast.

They can be the face of your party with their high Charisma and proficiency bonuses. If you have an opening that you need to fill, the Fiend Warlock will fill that role admirably. They are very moldable, and this is their biggest strength. They are strong at everything.

The Fiend Warlocks subclass abilities will fill any role that you need. This subclass is impossible to screw up. Pick this class for its utility.

A-tier

The A-tier classes are all monsters that can carry you through the game with just a little help from gear and level power spikes. Once these classes reach their full potential you will feel like an unstoppable wrecking ball. Choose these classes if you want to feel powerful.

Sorcerer: Storm

The Storm Sorcerer is one of the best subclasses because of its ability to maneuver around the map. After casting a spell, they can fly without being hit by attacks of opportunity by the enemy, which gives them an incredible advantage over other classes.

Being a squishy mage, the enemy will target you. They will rush you. They will try their best to kill you. All because you provide enormous magical pressure that other classes are incapable of matching. Being able to just fly away from these rush attacks will keep you alive to continue lighting the battlefield up with your enhanced lightning and thunder damage. Choose this class for its incredible damage output and maneuverability.

Ranger: Beast Master

The Beast Master is a fantastic class because they can provide a frontline unit and dish out consistent ranged damage. Their bear animal companion is surprisingly sturdy and can goad creatures into attacking it, which opens your party composition up as the bear will be your party’s tank and the Ranger will be your party’s backline unit. Fill in the rest however you see fit.

Monk: Open Hand

The Monk gets a bad rap because they were the weakest class in D&D 5e, but Larian did a fantastic job of buffing them. Honestly, there are a lot of little buffs that all add up, but in general these buffs help with the Monk’s Ki management and how their gear works.

The Open Hand Monk itself is a monster of a unit in combat as they will do consistent high single target damage while providing crowd control. This is the best Monk subclass because it provides the most damage and cc.

Druid: Moon

The Druid is an incredibly unique class with their shape-shifting capability, and the Circle of the Moon is the best subclass to shape-shift with. Shapeshifting is unique because of its utility to be useful both inside of combat and while exploring the map.

The Moon Druid can shapeshift in combat as a bonus action to truly fit their needs to the situation. This is what sets them apart from their counterparts. You are a full spellcaster that can shift into an animal at a whim, and still use the animal’s unique abilities to dominate the battlefield.

Wizard: Evocation

The next best Wizard subclass is the Evocation Wizard. Their unique ability, Sculpt Spells, ensures that you do not hit your allies with your massive AoE spells. Late game this is especially handy because all your main spells will be AoE, and your frontline units certainly appreciate you not including them in your chaos.

This ability is less useful than other Wizard subclass abilities early but will shine once you unlock your potential. Pick this class if you do not want to worry about your spell positioning.

Sorcerer: Draconic

The Draconic Sorcerer is the most durable of all Sorcerers. They gain additional HP and AC and gain resistance to a damage type. They also deal more damage of a certain type. If you want to cast a specific spell type, such as fire, and want to be sturdier than other mage classes, then the Draconic Sorcerer is for you.

Bard: Sword

The Sword Bard can dish out the highest consistent single target damage in the game at level six on with the use of dual-wielding hand crossbows and their ability Slashing Flourish (Ranged). This allows you to attack the same target multiple times in the same round, and at level six you gain an extra attack.

Couple this with a dip into Fighter for action surge, or drink a potion that gives an additional action, and you will be able to attack eight times in a single round! This class alone will change boss fights from scary to humorous as you watch their health bars deplete at an extraordinary rate.

Oh, plus I forgot to mention that you are still a Bard. Meaning that along with this insane damage output you also have all the utility in the world outside of combat.

Cleric: Tempest

Overall, the Cleric class in general is not amazing. This is because they are usually a support class that is unnecessary in BG3, as opposed to 5e, because of the rest function.

In BG3 you can rest at will. The food restriction is not really a restriction because of how easy food is to obtain. This makes the Cleric’s healing ability less useful because party compositions would be better off at eliminating enemies and then resting.

This is where the Tempest Cleric comes in. They are a damage dealing unit. Being able to max roll damage from their lightning spells is insane, especially considering that most of their spells are AoE.

If you are able to set up the wet status, then your spells are dealing double the damage. The damage output to the entire battlefield is massive plus the Tempest Cleric can utilize heavy armor and shields. This makes you a tanky slaughtering machine.

Fighter: Battle Master

The Battle Master Fighter is one of the most diverse combat units in the game. This is due to their Superiority Dice Maneuvers . These maneuvers give you a ton of options that other classes do not have. I specifically suggest taking the Pushing Attack maneuver because pushing is a fantastic way to end fights before they even start.

Being able to throw enemies off high ground areas or into chasms is both fun and rewarding. Take this subclass if you want to have diverse options during combat while still having a frontline unit.

Barbarian: Wild Heart

This subclass comes with multiple options and flavors but the reason we view it to be A-tier is because of the Bear Heart Rage. While raging with the Bear Heart you gain damage reduction to everything except psionic damage. This subclass makes you almost unkillable.

At level six and ten you can pick between ten different passive abilities that can increase carry capacity or grant dark vision. The Wild Heart Barbarian is the definition of a frontline tank. Choose this class if you want to go wild and tank for your party.

Paladin: Devotion

The Devotion Paladin comes with all the benefits of being a Paladin while also focusing on being your frontline. This subclass focuses on being your frontline with abilities such as Holy Rebuke and Turn the Unholy.

These knights in shining armor gain amazing spells like Sanctuary and Beacon of Hope to protect and defend your party from any situation. Choose this subclass if you envision your Paladin to be the protector of your party.

Warlock: Archfey

The Archfey Warlock is a very safe choice for any playthrough. At level six they have a reaction to use Misty Escape which turns them invisible upon taking damage from any source and then allows them to cast Misty Step to reposition themselves the following turn. At level ten they gain Beguiling Defences making them completely immune to charm. Choose this subclass if you want your Warlock to be safer than normal.

Wizard: Abjuration

The Abjuration Wizard has one of the best abilities in the game, called Arcane Ward. This ability makes this Wizard absurdly durable because it reduces damage done to you by a flat amount. This can be combined with items to reduce even more damage. Abjuration Wizards focus their attention on defensive spells that will enable the rest of their party. Throw on the benefits of being a Wizard and it is easy to see why the Abjuration Wizard is ranked so highly.

Paladin: Ancients

The Paladin of the Ancients is still an incredible subclass, despite it being ranked as the lowest subclass for the Paladins. This subclass focuses on jumping around the map defending your party from enemies. They are not a true frontline unit, but they are fantastic support characters. These heavy armour-wearing protectors can Misty Step to your units in dire need of protection and use their ability Aura of Warding and others to help save the day. Choose this subclass if you envision your character to be the savior of the day.

Rogue: Assassin

Problems can be solved in a multitude of ways, and killing everyone is a very viable option with the Assassin subclass. Starting at level three Assassins gain Assassinate: Ambush and Initiative which help at ending combat before the enemy even takes their turn.

This is a particularly potent multiclass option as these abilities increase your overall damage and if you pair this subclass with other more damaging subclasses you can potentially end fights before they even start.

Monk: Shadow

The Shadow Monk takes the benefits of being a monk and combines it with the capability to hide, sneak, and be a nuisance. Their Shadow Step ability is one of the best movement abilities in the entire game. Blinking around the map and taking out targets is the essence of this class.

Ranger: Gloom Stalker

The Gloom Stalker Ranger is a masterful hunter that lives in the dark. This class excels at keeping to the shadows and gaining the upper hand. At level three they gain Dreadful Ambusher which gives you a bonus to initiative, movement speed, and damage for the first turn of combat.

They also gain abilities to hide themselves, which will protect you from being targeted by the enemy. This class is perfect if you are looking for a class that strikes fast, strikes hard, and then gets out of dodge.

B-tier

The B-tier classes all have aspects of their game that shine. These classes are useful to have at certain points of the game but will struggle through entire sections that the above tiers will be able to race through. Choose these classes if you want to make the game a challenge.

Cleric: Light

When swords and shields do not do the trick, call on the holy fire of heaven to punish the wicked with the Cleric of Light. Starting at level three you can use your cleric spell slots to bring down fiery justice with Flame Sphere and Scorching Ray. You will continue to acquire fire-based spells every two levels. This is an offensive Cleric subclass that focuses on destruction and mayhem.

Sorcerer: Wild Magic

Winning an encounter because you rolled well, or losing an encounter because you rolled dismal, is the essence of this Wild Magic Sorcerer subclass. This subclass brings the power of luck to your game. You will win and lose encounters based on your random rolls at the start of each turn. Choose this subclass if you are a lucky person or just like adding randomness to your game.

Wizard: Necromancy

Necromancy Wizards are the only class that can heal damage while doing damage innately. At level two they gain Grim Harvest allowing them to gain HP upon killing an enemy. This ability makes them more difficult to kill because if they are left with a single point of life, they can turn the tides of battle to their side. I suggest taking the race Half-Orc as their ability Relentless Endurance will leave you at one life upon taking lethal damage once per long rest.

Barbarian: Wild Magic

The Wild Magic Barbarian is the best Barbarian subclass that you can choose early. When their Wild Magic activates you gain a random beneficial magic. All these potentials are positive effects that will help you crush your enemies. This subclass is early game oriented and tends to fall off towards the end game because the effects do not scale with level. You get what you get, and what you get is an early game can of whoop-ass.

Ranger: Hunter

The Hunter Ranger is the definition of ordinary. This class focuses on taking down wounded enemies from afar. They also provide the benefit of being your scout and explorer. Do not expect a ton from them, but they will not let you down either.

Wizard: Enchantment

The Enchantment Wizard is a crowd control focused subclass. They can stop specific enemies from acting on their turn, which gives you a humongous advantage. Later they can target multiple enemies with their crowd control. Generally, Wizards are focused on damage output, but this subclass more focuses on stopping the enemy from acting.

Bard: Valour

Choose this subclass if you want to be a straight up worse version of the Sword Bard subclass. Currently I see no benefit of choosing the Valour subclass unless you want… shield proficiency? You are still a Bard though so you can only be ranked so low.

Cleric: Life

Choose this class if you want to be a resolute healer. They provide additional healing with their spells, which do stack up. The main problem is that healing does not scale well. The enemy damage capability outshines the increase to healing as you level, but the Life Cleric should still enable your party to survive an additional round. The main benefit of the Life Cleric is their multiclass potential. Taking one level into this will give other magic users access to a full spellcaster plus heavy armour and shields proficiency.

Rogue: Thief

The main benefit of this class is gaining an additional bonus action. While this will not make up for the class weakness of not gaining an additional attack, it does reduce the pain. The Thief Rogue is a great multiclass option because of their bonus action and their lockpicking capability. I am particularly partial to multiclassing this subclass with the Berserker Barbarian as the extra bonus action enables them to rage and still attack three times in the first round.

Fighter: Champion

This class is remarkably simple. You gain the benefit of being able to crit a little more often than other classes. You can stack this benefit with other gear and if you take the Half-Orc race, your crits will deal even more damage. This subclass takes some effort to set up, but once you are rolling the crits will be often and powerful.

Druid: Land

This class focuses more on being a spellcaster than on being a shapeshifter. Overall, this class is fine, but you are choosing to be a weaker version of a mage and of a shapeshifter.

Wizard: Conjuration

This class takes a bit to get used to. Initially, they are on the weaker side as they do not have the HP/Armour/Abilities to stay alive, but once you unlock their teleport ability at level six, they become a lot more useful. Being able to swap positions with a teammate is a strong ability that is only limited by a player’s creativity.

C-tier

The C-tier classes have specific niches that, when met, will make you feel powerful. Getting to these payoffs is the challenge with this tier. This tier often requires more planning and coordination pull off their maneuvers. They are all highly gear and party dependent. Choose these classes if you want to have a meme party composition.

Warlock: The Great Old One

This is easily the worst Warlock subclass. This subclass is focused on getting critical hits and gaining an advantage, but they do not inherently have increased ways of gaining these critical hits. When you do land a crit the crowd control is a strong effect.

Cleric: War

On paper this class is great. They are full spellcasters with frontline capabilities. The problem here is that we only have so many attribute points and this subclass wants all the attribute points they possibly can. Late into the game when you have the gear/elixirs this class comes into their own, but who wants to struggle that much for this payout?

Fighter: Eldritch Knight

One of the worst classes in the game is the Eldritch Knight. They are frontline spellcasters, but in every aspect of the game they are just wannabe Paladins. They deal less damage, have worse spells, have less spell slots, and gain their abilities at a lesser rate than other classes.

This class focuses on buffing itself and then going into combat. I suggest avoiding them unless you want to make the game more difficult than needed.

Cleric: Knowledge

This class has all the pitfalls of being a Cleric except that they are slightly more useful outside of combat. Gaining some proficiency does not make up for the massive downsides of the Cleric class in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Monk: Four Elements

When someone mentions a Monk, a person would envision monks being powerful hand fighting warriors in monk garb slinging spells to bring their enemies to their knees. This is what this subclass wants to do, but at an extraordinarily bad rate. The Ki cost and their spell list are both restrictive instead of limitless.

Cleric: Trickery

Any class in the game that counts on Illusion spells is in for a tough time. This holds true for the Trickery Cleric. Unfortunately, Shadowheart starts as a Trickery Cleric, and it is highly recommended to switch her subclass at the very least.

Cleric: Nature

This class combines all the bad from both the Cleric and the Druid classes. Avoid at all costs. This class gains access to nature magic, which would be good if they gained access to strong nature spells. Instead, they gain spells such as Sleet Storm at level five, which is terrible compared to what other subclasses gain at this level.

Druid: Spores

The idea here is great. A shapeshifting spellcaster that defeats enemies with spores is a cool concept but one that is lacking. The spores of the Spore Druid are more like petals that mildly irritate instead of defeat.

Wizard: Transmutation

This class gives a person the chance to make additional alchemy solutions. Big deal. You do not need potions or elixirs to get through the game. They are nice but unneeded. With the Transmutation Wizard only giving the potential for more, not a guarantee, then crafting is more of a tedious affair that is more of a save and load until you make two than a fun gaming experience.

Wizard: Illusion

Let me express, again, how dreadful Illusion magic is. Why would you want to handicap the unbound potential of a Wizard with this subclass? It is easily one of the worst subclasses in the game that only marginally gets better in the final hours of the game.

Rogue: Arcane Trickster

We finally arrive at the best class in the game. Without a doubt the Arcane Trickster will carry your party from combat to combat as they provide amazing utility and have uncapped potential. A person playing this class will simply love Baldur’s Gate 3… or so I would tell my friends as a joke. Seriously, only pick this class if you want to troll either yourself or your friends. Combining illusion magic with the rogue play style only works if the illusion magic works. Which it does not.

Thanks for reading our Baldur’s Gat3 subclass tier list! Check out our main BG3 class tier list here.

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